#than that of this fuckin bull and monkey

[sketching-shark]

niuhou for ship opinions?

Aroace Sun Wukong truther though I am, in all honesty anon the niuhou ship is one of my favorites in the jttw fandom <3.

It's true that in Xiyouji itself we don't get a super in-depth amount of space dedicated to the details of their relationship when they were sworn brothers, but there is a real sense that they genuinely liked AND respected each other. And that's a feeling that's really increased when we see their reunion later on during the journey, when even with an absence of over 500 years and a lot of reasons for antagonism for the both of them (the Demon Bull King wants to eat Tang Sanzang & otherwise hinder Sun Wukong's journey, Sun Wukong played a major role in getting Red Boy captured by the Bodhisattva Guanyin & caused Princess Iron Fan a lot of physical pain), both spend quite a few pages dancing around whether they're going to attack the other because of their former strong bond until things irrevocably crumble. Wu Cheng'en even dedicates an entire poem to how tragic this break-up is (and how epic the resulting fight was lol).

But probably best of all for me is that this is one of those ships where both characters really get to shine through as their own individual people with rich stories. When you look at other ships involving the Monkey King (especially the tons of movies with a SWK romance) it tends to be the case where the romantic partner in question seems to revolve their entire life and personality around old Monkey in one way or another, usually with a heavy dose of "being eternally patient & forgiving no matter how much shit he gives them" and also ending with the fate of them dying so that he can be sad/having to Learn a Lesson. So yeah said "romantic partners" often feel more like hollow shells or desperate obsessives than full people.

Which to put it academically sucks major balls.

With Niuhou, however, that's not the case at all! Obviously a good chunk of Xiyouji is dedicated to Sun Wukong's character and his multitude of complexities and development, but even in the few chapters we see him the Demon Bull King really stands out as one of the yaoguai kings who had a very active life after the Mt. Huaguoshan war with heaven, doing everything from gathering wealth, allies, power, and friends to getting married and having a child that he very much loves to then having a falling out with Princess Iron Fan because he took on a concubine with Princess Jade Countenance. He's also described as being just as powerful as the Monkey King (while also being stockier), and his rage really is something that can shake the Heavens! It all makes for a very involved part of the journey, ranging from Sun Wukong and numerous gods having to go to battle against a colossal Niu Mowang to the Demon Bull King calling time-out on a preliminary fight because he wanted to go party with some of his dragon friends.

And as a final bonus this is also one of those rare ships involving the Monkey King where he's actually very obviously invested in maintaining it, from being his active and ambitious social self as a warlord to trying every which way to get what he needs from the Demon Bull King to continue the journey while still maintaining his bond with Niu Mowang. And while it does end in tragedy, you do have the delight of thee Monkey King approaching the situation like "PLEASE bestie my beautiful princess with a disorder PLEASE remember what we mean to each other!!!" And then the Demon Bull King being like "me remembering that is the only reason why I haven't killed you where you stand."

[the-path-to-redemption]

Cinder x Ruby, Adam x Sun, and…….. fuckin ILIA X BLAKE

ask meme

Awww yeah baby. I gotchu.

Cinder x Ruby

I fuck with this ship, even though personally headcanon both of them on the ace spec :P. This ship is one of the many ships where had canon gave either girls the respect they deserved not only as foils, but as characters, FNDM would've ate that shit up. But now, I just hope Cinder die in a ditch and Ruby to get better friends.

Sun x Adam

MY ONE TRUE LOVE. MY BABIES. MY DARLINGS, I WAS THERE AT THEIR WEDDING ROOSTER TEETH WAS WRONG ABOUT THEM SOBS.

There's just so much potential to them, I will never shut up. The sun and moon motif, monkey king and bull demon king because they are the Sage Equal to Heaven and the Sage Who Pacified Heaven, the bright gold that embraces the burning red, I love them so much you have no idea.

They are married, they are living the good life, they are happy I will fight RT for their custody.

Ilia x Blake

Blake needs to stay the fuck away from my girl, or I will beat her ass with my chancla. Ilia deserves better than Blake, and I will never understand why she even liked that bitch in the first place.

Blake offered no understanding for Ilia, no support for her, and shamed her for being angry that society abandoned her after her parents died while Blake's family is still alive AND PRIVILEGED AS FUCK. Hell naw, Ilia get behind me.

I will literally do them better right now, watch: Ilia opens up to Blake about her pain in their fight in V5, and while Blake doesn't fully understand the full scope of Ilia's suffering, she doesn't want her friend, someone she cares about, go down the path of hurting others and dying because of it when she can be so much more. So she told Ilia that she's sorry for being selfish, but she won't give up on Ilia now. Not anymore, and Blake will help her voice be heard by the world if she wants. So just please, stop hurting herself through all of the violence, and let Blake help her this time.

HOW FUCKING HARD WAS IT, CRWBY???

Thanks for the ask <3

[caxyanalysis]

American Born Chinese is probably the WORST media related to Sun Wukong that I have ever had the misfortune of seeing.

They portray Wukong as just...a kinda strong guy? He's a martial artist, and is losing out to his son consistently despite his son actively avoiding learning and training as much as possible.

They also make it clear that this version of Wukong is nothing without his staff, which is bullshit given the staff is only ONE thing that makes him special. The dang thing weighs so much he's supposed to be the only one capable of using it, and his mastery over it is unparalleled.

See, in the original myth the staff is literally just his weapon. Like, yeah it's special, sure, it weighs way too much and it can stretch or shrink as much as he wants it to, but it's still JUST his weapon. It's not the source of his power, it's not like Mjolnir where picking it up grants you his abilities (LOOKING AT YOU, LEGO MONKIE KID), it's literally JUST a super-heavy magical staff.

Wukong, by himself, IS the big threat. He's capable of creating as many clones of himself as his body has hairs, and each clone is equal in power to him. He's able to leap from one end of the universe to the other. He can see through any illusion. He can, single-handedly, defeat the entire army of Heaven. No demon can defeat him. He is, ENTIRELY BY HIMSELF WITH NO MAGIC WEAPON, a powerhouse that cannot be beaten by any except the Buddha.

But this godawful show fails to do him justice in any way. He's just a guy who looks KIND OF like a monkey, not actually a monkey. He's not powerful in his own right, he's just stronger than most humans and has access to some magic. His weapon is everything, it's the source of his real power and it's the only way he'll stand a chance against the looming threat of the Bull King.

Like, I've seen a LOT of Journey to the West adaptations. I've seen a LOT of "Monkey King" related movies, shows, books, etc.

DRAGON BALL was more faithful to the original as an adaptation than this show.

Hell, DRAGON BALL SUPER is a more faithful adaptation of Sun Wukong's story than this show!

Like, I get it, you can't make a lore-accurate Wukong because modern western audiences will be bored to tears watching someone who's only growth is emotional/mental and none of the physical threats will be any risk to-

OH WAIT.

NO.

BECAUSE ONE PUNCH MAN IS EXACTLY THAT.

BEN 10 IS EXACTLY THAT.

DRAGON BALL IS EXACTLY THAT.

DANNY PHANTOM IS EXACTLY THAT.

AND THEY WERE ALL ADORED. LOVED. MASSIVE INFLUENCES. MADE TONS OF MONEY AND STILL DO TO THIS DAY.

Like seriously! I promise your bottom line will not suffer just because you follow the fucking source material when making your adaptations!

Are you seriously this awful at making media?

Oh who am I kidding, it's Disney, of fucking course they're this awful at making media...

On another note the fact the show force-feeds you "MC is Asian! Look they're Asian! Did we mention they're Asian? By the way they're Asian! Oh, everyone knows they're Asian! Isn't that noteworthy, THEY'RE ASIAN BTW" is absolutely infuriating. Like, yes, I am 100% aware that some Asian individuals do go through exactly the same social shit Jin goes through in this.

But COME. THE FUCK. ON.

We don't need an ENTIRE EPISODE to establish that he's Asian and that sets him apart in this white-washed school. Five minutes. They could have cut EVERY OTHER bit of "He's Asian, did you know?" out of this first episode and JUST left in the scene of the principal forcing him to let Wei-Chen shadow him and it would have been enough. That ONE scene was enough to establish the bullshit people around him.

Instead we get half an episode that is just "Jim Wang?" "It's pronounced 'J-in W-on-g' actually" and "What could go Wong!?" and "omg that's probably insensitive, what if it's appropriation, omg did you know he's Asian", and the other half of the episode is this fucking GARBAGE rendition that I can barely even call "Sun Wukong" at this point, because HE HAS FUCKING NONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE THE MONKEY KING THE MONKEY KING.

GAH.

Fuck Disney.

[spotsupstuff]

Some Fruit Twins yaoguai thoughts/hcs cuz I’m a special snowflake and don’t usually like to go along with the general consensus of the public:

1.) Not every yaoguai Actually purrs. Most of them either huff in content, breath more heavily or produce noises that Sound similar to purring but one can tell it isn’t the actual deal 2.) While animalistic traits aren’t looked down upon, they aren’t that common anymore especially after the yaoguai were accepted by the humans and now share cities with them. It just didn’t evolutionarily make sense for them to keep doin it so young yaoguai are likely to not exhibit these behaviours unless in emotionally intense situations (chef Zhu is one of those)

   - ancient yaoguai like Six, SWK, Ma and Bull Demon King are VERY likely to do those kind of things but they suppress them most often. One time, Six bared his teeth with pulled back ears @ Xiaotian n got a pillow in the face for it because it looked Dangerous even tho in reality that kinda expression in macaques means submission to a higher-ranking individual in the troop    - all of the monkeys can’t stop smackin their fuckin lips near like everyone tho it drives peeps up the damn wall, but they become more understanding when the expression is explained, that it “makes peace” between individuals in a troop    - Red Son, while leaning more to the physically elder group of yaoguai (mentally he’s still like 25), does Not do many of these things since he isn’t fully a bull yaoguai. He Does have certain traits stuck constantly on like not showing pain as openly as a human person. It’s not that he’s TRYNNA hide anythin, it’s just how he ticks. When pissy, he stomps his foot or digs a bit with it. He also likes headbutting shit- knocked out Xiaotian once like that durin a play    - one can tell a yaoguai is exhibitin an animalistic trait by the look in their eyes, usually. A bit hard to spot at first but after that it becomes a pretty obvious sign. that’s basically the only way to tell with Ma

3.) Shadow yaoguai are considered rare by the public, but when it comes to actual hard data, nobody is really sure. Shadow yaoguai r incredible shapeshifters n rarely actually reveal what they really are. Six hasn’t personally met another shadow yaoguai yet (He Thinks At Least.) and this is also why lao Tang absolutely nerds out the first time Six shows off his No Flesh Zone form to his partners

   - shadow yaoguai are most powerful during a sunrise and sunset because the low position of the sun makes the shadows go Longe. Night is when they are sneakiest and nimblest because, really, night is just one giant shadow. Fightin a shadow during night is a question of how quickly one can react to them poppin outta wherever the FUCK they please. Fightin a shadow yaoguai durin a night with full bright moon is basically a death sentence    - if a shadow yaoguai is in their Flesh Zone form, shit like flashlights won’t personally bother them any more than a regular person (it might mess with their powers a bit tho). However, if they are in their basic bitch Mass Of Darkness form, a flashlight pointed directly at them is basically like a lightsaber with the speed of bullet on its side right thru them    - shadow magic is A Thing. It’s just magic inspired by the yaoguai, learning from them and from the ways they are born with. Therefore, shadow magic is an extremely good way to gain Either a deeper understanding of the shadow yaoguai Or an upper hand. If you understand them, you can beat them.    - those that practice shadow magic can kinda “feel” a shadow yaoguai’s presence even tho a shadow yaoguai can’t sense out another one of its kind. This is how they are mostly counted for the purpose of hard data bout the population

4.) Human eating is still a thing. It’s very uncommon, but it ain’t eradicated fully. Once again, the older the yaoguai the more likely it is that they just go “MAN I’d go for a human rn.”. The most active human eater from the main cast might be Six, followed by Bull Demon King. Red is kinda awkward about it, SWK went through Character Development™, Ma just doesn’t find the taste too appealing, PIF is 🤨, chef Zhu is a big NO and Sha Dali is Sha Dali, that big blue man is probably a vegetarian. WBS doesn’t really eat at all after the Box Imprisonment and even before she wasn’t Too big on consumption. Her organ set up is really weird cuz skeleton yaoguai 5.) Cannibalism is very species-specific thing (frogs are fucked up, man), but since yaoguai are now Safe and have food taken care of just like humans, it is rarely resorted to 6.) Yaoguai have their own political parties and presentators since humans can’t really Grasp certain things about them and their culture. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to find a compromise between the two parties because of the antagonistic history between them 7.) Yaoguai dating is like human dating fuck you and fuck your kidnap plots (/lh) I hate those things. They may have happened in the past but they Do Not Anymore. Tho there IS a pretty strict tradition that the yaoguai which initiated The Dating has to make and then set up a magnificent dinner for their partner/s a few months into the relationship (so they have the time to learn the partner’s fav food n other preferences)

   - human/yaoguai pairings tradition depends on the preference of the individuals. Older ones are more inclined to do them, so Six Absolutely cooked/baked up dinner for Tang after he proposed with the idea of dating and was accepted. Lao Zhu knew about the tradition from his mom n other relatives (maybe Sha Dali?), but he kind of assumed that the answer is whatever good food. While not too bad, Six got to give him a cultural lesson there

8.) There used to be this giant ass discrimination against the yaoguai and it took a good while to intrigate them into the human society properly, but thankfully it has calmed down at this point. There are still bullies in school that target yaoguai kids, but there are also those who will befriend and protect them. Chef Zhu and lao Tang were that kind of duo from high school till present 9.) One of the greatest contributions of the yaoguai was in the area of weather research (the Weather Station is a product of cooperation between humans and yaoguai) and biological research. Thanks to them, humans can now live up over 160 years without cultivation and every day they push the boundaries of age limit further (this was also controversal at some point)

[hawklanthebard]

Trespassing (Fantasy AU)

"Hey, Boss, look what we caught on the perimeter." 

A pair of rough hands released Taka as he was flung onto the rugged soil with a muffled grunt. A feeble effort at getting off the ground resulted in a few crude chuckles above him. The nerve. The absolute nerve. If he was to be their captive, the least they could do was grant him the dignity of letting him walk to their camp with unbound limbs and an unclothed mouth. On top of that, his vinyl white uniform was most likely peppered with splotches now, and after it was perfectly pressed this morning, yet he seemed to be the only one even the least bit concerned. No doubt, these people were indeed ruffians. 

When Taka was able to finally rise to his knees, a pair of unpolished forehooves met his gaze as another gruff voice hovered over him.

"A royal guard, huh?"

Now, in this situation, any human worth their salt would've obeyed their first impulse and kept their head down and pray to whatever god would show them mercy. Taka, as many knew, was a very special case. Never one to take a snub lying down. Never one to refuse a challenge. And certainly, never one to submit. Especially not with barbarians who care not for other's laundry. With unfazed furrowed brows and burning ruby eyes, Taka gazed up at the infamous centaur gang leader himself; Mondo Owada. 

"Well, this is quite a catch," Mondo smirked, earning a few collected chuckles from his fellow thugs. As quickly as it came, his mock interested tone shifted into looming intimidation. Unlatching his diamond-spiked club from his back, he planted the peak of it into the earth just a mere foot away from Taka as if to remind him of his alpha status. Although, it wasn't like Taka was in any position or capacity to oppose him. 

"So, tell me. What's a boot-licking dog like you doing in our territory?" A brief silence, followed by a muffled huff. "Oh right, the gag." With the snap of the leader's fingers, a nearby ruffian removed the cloth from Taka's mouth as the royal guard spat out whatever filth would stain his tongue for the next week or so. 

"I'm not on your territory," Taka huffed, taking in the fresh air as he spoke, "You ruffians are trespassing on our land. And it is my duty as Captain of the Royal Guard to protect the House I serve from any threat."

Mondo rolled his eyes, meeting the same glance from a few members. "Right. And exactly what House do you serve? I think we all should know who we're dealing with if they hired such a...dignified representative." 

As if not reading the obvious insult, Taka puffed his chest and proudly replied, "I serve the benevolent House of Togami." 

A sea of thunderous laughter domed over the camp as the guard's noble smirk vanished. Although his posture remained firm. After what felt like an irritatingly long time, the laughter died down a bit and the leader was able to speak. 

"Wow!" Mondo chortled as wiped away a tear before it could even form. "The Togamis?! You come here all high and mighty, ready to take on the most vicious gang in the world, and you serve the fuckin' Togamis?! Geez, with the way you talk all big 'n shit, I woulda thought you served under someone serious like the Kuzuryuu Clan. I mean, dragons need toothpicks, right? Hah, Togamis. Those pissheaded moneybags think they got what it takes to rule the world, and they hire a fuckin' Boy Scout as their flying monkey..!" 

The longer and louder the gang laughed with Mondo's remarks, the more red Taka's face bloomed. Not with shame, but with something more intense. No way in heck was he going to sit there and let these four-legged ruffians rake his House's name through the dirt. "Oh yeah? Well, I'd rather be a Boy Scout than a weak little filly like you!" 

Stunned silence swept through the camp as if death itself had suddenly made its horrid appearance. Taka glanced in slight curiosity as the previously-stoic members collectively lowered their heads, ears flattened against their heads as they all took a good few steps back with silent clops. Their fearful eyes were either locked on the ground, or on Mondo, although Taka noticed a few quick glances reflecting a look that was given to him many times in his youth when he insulted the school bully; Pity. 

The spiked club crashed down, crushing a few decent-sized rocks underneath the soil. The Diamond leader raked his weapon through the mud as he approached the guard with a wet stomp, towering over him as if his head could reach over the trees, the peeking light of midday behind him creating a silhouette over his face, only (literally) flaming red eyes pierced through the shadow. 

"You wanna run that by me again, Boy Scout..?" he spoke in a much lower tone than before, insinuating that Taka should pick his next words like grapes for wine. 

Such as the noble guard, Taka's firm expression hadn't been swayed by the beast's daunting appearance. He stood his ground...or rather, knelt his ground. 

"You heard me. A weak filly like you doesn't deserve to trot on our land. You'd be more fitting in the stables." 

Faster than Taka could blink, Mondo snatched him up in the air by the collar, their noses pressed against each other. "You little--! You got a fuckin' death wish or somethin'?!" 

"I'm not afraid of a barbarian who has to intimidate others to gain status. The kingdom I serve is blessed with folk who gained their wealth through hard work and punctuality. That's why beasts like you always fall on the bottom." 

As if to fulfill a crude punchline, Taka was dropped back onto the muddy clearing with a wet thud. Mondo's pale violet eyes shifted over Taka and gave a subtle nod to whoever was behind him. Taka mentally prepared himself for whatever torture he'd face for his words, and he'd proudly face it with no regrets. However, his face twitched in confusion as his arms and legs had suddenly been freed from restraint. 

"You wanna show what a fuckin' top dog you are? Then let's go right now." Mondo spoke with vigorous determination and contained anger, like a raging corrida bull before it's released into the arena. 

Rubbing his slightly sore wrists, Taka rose to his feet, dusting off any loose dirt. "A trial by combat to determine our worth to our lands? For my House and homeland, I accept your challenge."

Mondo quickly scanned the guard's body once more. He'd noticed it before, but it hadn't been an issue to bring up. "Where's your weapon?" he asked bluntly.

Taka's hand glided over to his belt and, sure enough, was met with an empty sheath drooped at his hip. "I suppose it must've fallen when I was...captured." He said the last word with masked shame. He didn't want to say it, but there simply was no other word for it. This was truly unbecoming of a royal guard, let alone the Captain. Patrolled the outskirts of the kingdom without backup, captured by the most notorious gang in all the land, and managed to drop his only weapon on the way. 

Mondo saw right through the mask as if it were made of glass. He tapped his finger against the shaft of his club and pondered a bit. He could simply offer Taka to use one of their weapons. But it'd probably be seen as taking pity on him, and there's nothing more shameful than that. Besides, it's better a man uses his own weapon or his own fists in a fight. Another streetwise lesson from his big bro. A fistfight would be more probable. Although, his forehooves still would leave the guard with a disadvantage. Why was doing things the honorable way so gods-dammed annoying? 

"So..." Mondo sighed away whatever of his pride he had left. "How would you go about we do this?"

Taka lifted his head towards the centaur. "You're asking me? But aren't I...your prisoner?"

"All the more fuckin' reason for you to be the one to decide," Mondo grunted in annoyance. "Weapons are a no-go, my hooves outnumber your fists, so it seems we're at a fuckin' impasse unless you decide." 

Taka blinked. This centaur was really letting him decide a fair game. A ruffian with a sense of honor? He felt like he'd discovered another magic-caster outside of House Towa. A husky voice snapped him out of his daze. 

"Well, hurry up! We're losing daylight!" The stomp of the forehoof made it clear that Mondo was starting to regret letting Taka decide. "Tell me I didn't just give a decision-making task to some flip-flop fuck." 

Taka thought and thought and thought some more, occasionally opening and closing his mouth with no words attached, much to Mondo's ever-growing annoyance. What could they do? There really wasn't much around. Just forest, and plain, and certainly nothing in the kingdom that wouldn't get them noticed. Wouldn't that be a fun thing to explain to his king? The shame and humiliation wouldn't be like anything he could endure. Wait. 

"A test of endurance." 

Mondo's brow perked in interest. "Oh? And how do you suppose we do that?"

Taka remembered. He'd pass it several times while on patrol but never gave it any real attention until this very moment. "Just outside the border, there's a bathhouse," Taka gave a strong-minded grin. "And a sauna."

Mondo smirked as if sharing the same singular brain cell as the royal guard. "You're on."  

[rfamess]

This cured my boredom for a little bit. Was making a few new music playlists and thought.. hmm. I wonder what kind of music the RFA listens to? So, I made this. For no reason at all.

What Kind of Music the RFA + V/Saeran Listen To:

Saeyoung/707:

- (I always see people writing that he’d listen to all star or other cringe meme songs because that’s what seems to be his entire personality, but I like to think he has more substance than that and listens to songs that don’t have to do with memes.)

- He definitely listens to rap/hip-hop.

- Can you not imagine him driving down the road in his cars, windows down, music blasting?

- He listens to his music uber loud in his headphones while working.

- His favorite artist is probably Tyler the creator, i mean, how could you not love him.

- Listens to Mac Miller when he’s sad :(

PLAYLIST:

Who Dat Boy - Tyler the Creator

Stutter - Freddie Dredd

Evil Fantasy - Freddie Dredd

Sweatpants - Childish Gambino

Bounce - Logic

Dead Wrong - Notorious B.I.G.

Movement - Oliver Tree

Stick to Your Guns - Watsky

Both - Gucci Mane

No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

Can I Kick It - A Tribe Called Quest

No Limit - G Easy

Circles - Mac Miller

Broke Bitch - TMG (lol)

Bonfire - Childish Gambino

I THINK - Tyler the Creator

Good News - Mac Miller

I - Kendrick Lamar

FACE - Brockhampton

King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar

Lovely Things Suite: Knots - Watsky

Zen:

- (Similar to Saeyoung, I don’t believe Zens entire personality revolves around musicals, he probably doesn’t listen to them that often imo.)

- I like to think he’s a... well rounded individual when it comes to music

- Listens to anything and everything.

- I could see him listening to the same music as Seven, but is also very into 70s-90s rock like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like.

- He runs listening to all of his music on shuffle and doesn’t have a specific playlist so there’s never a certain vibe to it— it really is all over the place.

- In addition to Seven’s playlist, here’s Zen’s

PLAYLIST:

Funny Face - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Santeria - Sublime

Badfish - Sublime

The Luck You Got - The High Strung

Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas

Heart of Glass - Blondie

Come as You Are - Nirvana

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

Love of Your Life - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Bailee - The Licks

Where is my Mind - Pixies

Hurt Like Mine - The Black Keys

Gap - The Kooks

Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Hoops - The Rubens

Conquest - The White Stripes

Ten Cent Pistol - The Black Keys

Yoosung:

- Yoosung likes more upbeat music, maybe more new age/alternative pop

- Listens to music every time he tries to study, but usually get distracted by it and starts to sing along instead of actually doing his work

- Is probably trying to branch out of his style, Seven and Zen try to convince him to listen to their favorite genres

- The three of them always argue about who has the best taste in music lol

- He’s constantly wondering if his music is “manly” enough (it’s okay yoosung it’s just music)

- If this dude gets drunk and hears any of this music he goes absolutely wild and dances all over the place

PLAYLIST:

Bambi - Hippocampus

Turn - the Wombats

Paris - Magic Man

Chronic Sunshine - Cosmo Pike

Death of a Bachelor - Panic! At the Disco

Silvertongue - Young the Giant

Brazil - Declan McKenna

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend

Baseball - Hippocampus

Australia - The Shins

Prune, You Talk Funny - Gus Dapperton

Honeypie - JAWNY

Alien Boy - Oliver Tree

Satellite - Guster

So Young - Portugal. The Man

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Circles - Post Malone

Unbearably White - Vampire Weekend

Tiny Umbrella - Coast Modern

Way it Goes - Hippocampus

Electric Feel - MGMT

Jumin:

- this guy has 2 modes and that’s it: classical bitch or music that has words

- He appreciates the fine art of classical music and listens to it when he has work to get done or when he’s trying to relax.

- If he’s in a good mood he’ll put on a playlist that includes “music with actual lyrics!”

- It’s a dad playlist. Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, Billy Joel.

- He likes Billy Joel. Jumin has a dad personality you can’t convince me otherwise lol

- He tried to branch out but can get very picky in his interests. “I don’t like this guitar riff— change it”

- Either way his 2 modes are apparent in his playlists

PLAYLIST:

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas

Don’t Ask Me Why - Billy Joel

Starman - David Bowie

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

It’s Too Late - Carole King

Movin’ Out - Billy Joel

A Horse With No Name - America

I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Honky Cat - Elton John

Vienna - Billy Joel

The Stranger - Billy Joel

Waltz in A Minor - Chopin

Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Brahms

Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Chopin

Souvenir de Paganini - Chopin

Solfeggietto in C Minor - Bach

Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 - Rachmaninoff

IV. Allegro Molto From Quartet - Yo-Yo Ma

La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin - Debussy

Porz Goret - Yann Tiersen

Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns

Carnival of the Animals: XIII. The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Jaehee:

- We all know her obsession with Musicals (specifically zens)

- Other than this she listens to...well honestly I don’t know

- Her music doubles as something she can get hyped up with and something she can listen to to relax.

- She loves to dance, so a lot of her songs and just songs that she’ll never be able to refuse to move her feet to!

- She likes the old classics and then she likes Doja Cat. Lizzo? Queen.

- She’s a barb let’s be real please. you can never convince me that she’s not

PLAYLIST:

Adore You - Harry Styles

She - Harry Styles

Call Me - Blondie

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Hey Mickey - Toni Basil

Juice - Lizzo

Say So - Doja Cat

Voulez-Vous - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (LOL the memories associated with this song after Killing Stalking..... hahahaha BUT ITS STILL A GREAT SONG!)

Only - Nicki Minaj

Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Beez in the Trap - Nicki Minaj

Woman - Harry Styles

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Blame it on the Boogie - Michael Jackson

One Way or Another - Blondie

Tia Tamera - Doja Cat

Truth Hurts - Lizzo

V:

- indie boy indie boy indie boy indie boy

- Cmon just look at him he’s an indie boy

- If you’ve ever met a film student that gatekeeps music, they have the same exact taste but V won’t say shit to make you feel stupid. It’s just music bruv

- If you’ve ever been to an indie concert you know the fuckin dance you know what I’m talking about. he does that.

- Rolls a joint, pops the music off and he paints, does photography, whatever. Either way he straight vibes every single time the tunes come on.

- Low key thinks he has the best music taste. that’s just how dem indie kids roll let’s be real here.

- For some reason knows everything about every type of music. will spew facts about artists and songs at random

PLAYLIST:

Shuggie - Foxygen

Necessary Evil - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Homage - Mild High Club

Another One - Mac DeMarco

Plants - Crumb

What Once Was - Her’s

Heart and My Car - Summer Salt

Cottage Roads - The Walters

Moonlight on the River - Mac DeMarco

Work This Time - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Like Yesterday - Paul Cherry

Call it Fate, Call it Karma - The Strokes

Knowhere - Nick DeLaurentis

Escargot Blues - Guantánamo Bay Surf Club

A Side / B Side - Tipling Rock

Dark Red - Steve Lacy

That I Miss You - Vansire

Top Tier Love - Lonely Benson

Driving to Hawaii - Summer Salt

Taking Up Space - Mustard Service

She’s the Only One - King Guru

Saeran:

- emo boy emo boy emo boy

- We all know it

- As much as I’d love to say he listens to heavy death metal, there’s a part of my mind saying NO he’s not like that.

- Well he is, but he’s got more than a few single interest

- Probably listens to Nirvana, Cage the Elephant, anything similar

- Is always trying to listen to new music

- Kind of sick of Seven blasting his music all the time and listens to the opposite of hip hop whenever possible

- Honestly enjoys all types of music, but sticks to his favorites

PLAYLIST:

- All Apologies - Nirvana

- Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - Hozier

- Soma - The Strokes

- Black Madonna - Cage the Elephant

- Hysteria - Muse

- Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High - Arctic Monkeys

- I Got Mine - The Black Keys

- Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

- Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Back Against the Wall - Cage the Elephant

- Creep - Radiohead

- Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

- Demon Days - Gorillaz

- Bulls on Parade - Rage Against The Machine

- Matador - The Buttertones

- Holiday - Green Day

- RIP - The Licks

- London Calling - The Clash

- Loser - Beck

- What I Got - Sublime

[cchellacat]

The Wedding That Never Was

Love All The Marvel Ships Challenge 

Day Eight ~ Formal Wear

“Hey.  Are you ready?”

Pepper pops her head round the door and finds Darcy standing in front of the mirror.  The lace covered satin she wears is off set with golden embroidery of tiny Fleur de Lise.  She makes a beautiful bride.  Her thick dark hair has been swept up in an elaborate up-do, each strand perfectly placed.

“I don’t know….”

“Darcy?”  Stepping into the room, Pepper closes the door behind her. “Oh honey, come on, tell me what’s wrong?”

“Pepper, I think I’ve made a huge mistake….  I don’t know what to do?”  Darcy stares at her through the mirror, her skin too pale against the pink of her lips.  Huge blue eyes plead with her for help.

“Darcy, come on, sit down.  They say everyone gets cold feet right before they get married.”

“I know, but that’s not what this is.”  She shakes her head and then sits carefully on the chair, trying not to ruin her dress.  The struggle to get the words out is very real, Pepper waits patiently, she’s never seen Darcy so distracted and worried… not for a long time at least, not since…  the less thought about that the better.

“I saw him again…”

Pepper didn’t need anything else to know who Darcy meant.

James Buchannan Barnes had made an impact on them all in some way.   However it had been Darcy who had been affected the most.  It had been the most fascinating thing to watch the two fall in love.  Pulled together like magnets, orbiting around one another like the earth and the sun.  It had been fast and passionate and the two were soon joined at the hip.  Where one was the other was sure to follow.  They had been like a tempest, their love for each other clear to any who even glanced at them.  Then like any good tempest, they’d blown out.

Pepper still doesn’t know what happened to end things between them, not really.  She has theories and nothing more.  One day they had been happily snuggling on the couch and the next he’d packed his bags and left.

Darcy had been a wreck, for nearly a year the girl had been grieving, utterly heart broken by his departure, but she wouldn’t talk about, not a word passed her lips about why.

She had slowly picked herself back up and moved on.  Now two years later she was happy, in love with a good stable man.  It might not be the epic romance of the ages, it would never burn with as much passion and fire as her relationship with Barnes, but is was gentle and kind, a still pond compared to the raging ocean storm.  Ian was good for her, a little easily walked over, but he didn’t seem to mind.  Where Barnes was complicated Ian was simple, where Barnes had been physically imposing Ian was anything but.  They were as different as different could be and that helped Darcy more than anything else had.

“Did he contact you?”

Darcy shook her head and wiped a finger under her lashes, catching the tear before it could ruin her makeup.

“No…  I was out yesterday, I went down to the park for a walk, feed the ducks, I just needed some time to think and then as I was coming back…  I swear I’m not going crazy Pepper, but he was there, watching me.  He was by the gates, I was close enough I could see the blue in his eyes.  A crowd came through and when I tried to find him again he was gone.”

“Darcy…  if it was him, if he wanted to talk, don’t you think he would have approached you…  I mean, well…  Does it really change anything?  Does it change all the things you’ve planned, just one look at him can’t have disrupted everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

When the younger woman looks up at her Pepper’s words turn to ash in her mouth.

“Oh…”

Darcy gives her a refuel smile.

“Yeah, oh is right.  I don’t think I can walk down that aisle Pep.   Not with Ian.  I’m no good for him, I’ll only make him miserable if I do.  I know he’s in love with me but…  I’m never going to be in love with him.  There’s only one man that I ever felt that way for, it’s time I recognised that and face up to this.  It wouldn’t be fair to Ian, he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to make me happy and he’ll always fall just a little short.  I’ll ruin him if I marry him.  It took seeing James yesterday to understand that.  I’m never going to be over James Barnes, he’s in my blood, he owns me, body and soul, he’s a mark I’m never getting out.  A mark I don’t want to wash away no matter how much it hurts.”

“Darcy…  What happened between you?  Why did he leave?”

She stands suddenly at the question and crosses the room, her back to Pepper.  There are lines of tension across her shoulders and the way her head dips before she speaks again tells just how heavy a weight she was carrying.

“I asked him if we could have a baby…  That talk did not go how I thought it would.”  She says with a bitter laugh.

“He didn’t want children?”

“No… that…  he asked me if that’s what I wanted, children, with him. God help me Pepper I was honest, it’s all I had been thinking about for months.  I was 34 of course it was weighing on my mind.  Jane, you, even Maria Hill, you all had had babies within a year of each other.  He just looked all wistful like as he listened to me.  I didn’t have any reason to think he was…  anyway, everything seemed fine we went to bed and made love….  When I woke up in the morning there was just a note.   He said he didn’t want me to be held back, that he could see how much I wanted a baby, that he wanted that for me, but not with him.  Hydra sterilised him way back, he thinks they were trying to make it easier to control him.  Idiots, that man’s an ornery as a bull.  He said he’d be a danger to a baby, that he wasn’t safe and that I should find someone else who could give me the family I deserved.”

Pepper goes to her and wraps her in her arms and lets her cry.

“Why didn’t he just tell me?  I would have told him it didn’t matter, that I wouldn’t want that with anyone other than him…  I felt like I was dying…  he cut off his phone and no one seemed to know how to get in touch with him…  Fucking Steve wouldn’t even tell me anything and I know that he must have known where James went or he’d have been right on his tail looking for him and not sitting in the Tower without a fuckin care in the world.”

Pepper sits her down again and grabs the tissues for her.

“Pepper, could you…”

“Just sit tight, I’ll go take care of it.  I’ll get everyone cleared out.  Do you want me to talk to Ian, send him up here?”

“I can’t face him right now, I guess I’m a coward.  Tell him I’ll call him tomorrow.”  She picked up her bag and withdrew an envelope, she pulled the ring off her finger and slipped it inside as she passed it to Pepper.

“Could you give him that?  I guess I made my choice last night after all.  I came home and wrote it after I saw James.”

Pepper’s heart breaks for her friend all over again as she leaves the room, letter clutched tightly in her hand.  James Barnes was an idiot.

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

Steve tugged on his tie irritably as he stood outside the small church.  He hated formal wear, it made him feel like he was wearing a monkey suit all over again.  He’d come out for some air when it looked like the bride was going to be a little late.  He’s had a feeling all week that something is off, it’s part of why he’s out here right now.

He was happy that Darcy had moved on, that she was getting married.   She deserved to be happy.  Ian was a bit of milksop, not much back bone, he was happy to jump to Darcy’s tune, but if he made her happy, that was all that mattered.  When Bucky had left two years ago, truthfully Steve had been a little relieved.  Bucky and Darcy were like oil and fire, both of them too stubborn and loud and wilful, they were two of a kind, both unable to back down when they thought they were right, they had been explosive together.  When Bucky finally told him why he’d left Steve had wanted to shake him.  Darcy would never have put up with that if he’d given her the chance to make the choice herself.  But he’d kept his word to Bucky and told Darcy nothing.

From the corner of his eye he caught movement in the tree line across the street.  Suspicion curling up his spine he made his way over, the blue eyes that met his as a man emerged from the shadows proved him right.

“What are doing here Buck?”

His friend looked past him to the steps of the church where the flower girls were playing together.  The tiny girls all wearing matching dresses.  Morgan Stark, Freya Thorsdottir and Robin Hill were deemed old enough for the responsibility.  At age three and half they were all big enough to have their role in the wedding.

“I wanted to see… I wanted to know that she was happy.”

“I told you Buck, she’s moved on, she’s happy with Ian, you don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

“I’m not so sure of that.”

“Bucky…”

“I got back two weeks ago, I’ve been watching her.  She’s not herself.  She’s….  there’s no spark, do you know I haven’t seen her smile reach her eyes once?”

“She’s about to get married Bucky, don’t do this to her.”

“I love her Stevie.”

“She loves Ian now.”

“No she doesn’t.”

Steve sighed and shrugged helplessly.

“No, she doesn’t…  So, what’s the plan?”

“They still ask if anyone objects at these things?”

“Seriously?”

“Need a grand gesture.”

“You need a suit.” Steve counters holding up his car keys.  “In the trunk.”

Bucky grins and shakes his head.

“How’d you know, Punk?”

“I just did, Jerk.”

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

Bucky adjusts his cuff-links then opens the duffel still in the trunk.  He’s wearing the same suit he wore to Stark's wedding four years ago.  The dark blue silk shimmers in the sun.  From the depth of the bag he pulls out a small box.  It’s something he should have done years ago, something he had been about to do before Darcy had started talking about babies.  He sighs and opens the box, the ring is just a perfect as he remembers.  He tucks into his pocket.  Better to have it and not need it than to need and not have it.  He’s still not sure what she’s gonna say, but he knows he gotta try.

Across the street people begin to file out of the church.

“Stevie, what the hell’s going on over there?”

Steve glances up from his phone and hold it up for Bucky to read.  *Wedding off.  Don’t ask questions.  Give Darcy her space.*

“Pepper sent it, I guess Darcy changed her mind.”

“Do you think that makes it more of less likely for her to give me another chance?”

“You really going to go in there right now?”

Bucky stares at the quaint stone building.  Inside is the love of his life.  She’s gonna be upset, guilty and sad at what she’s done and she’s gonna be pissed at him if he walks through those doors, but he’s got to try.  He’ll take her raging and furious at him over the apathy and resigned complacence he’s watched her live with the last two weeks.

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

Darcy pulls the pins out of her hair, the strands were pulled tight, tugging on her scalp.  This really wasn’t her style.  As the pins drop to the vanity she wonders what she’d been thinking at all, agreeing to go through with it.  This wasn’t who she was, some elegant socialite, cover ready for a magazine.  But she’d tried for him, tried to be someone new, someone that didn’t love James Barnes.

It turns out that was impossible.  She’ll always be that Darcy, the one that drinks a little too much, laughs too loudly and tells the dirtiest jokes.  Bucky’s girl, with her red lips, sex hair and a permanent blush.  Even when he’s gone, that’s who she is in her mind.   Picking up the tissue she wipes off the pale pink lipstick and pulls the cherry red from her purse.  She paints the line of who she truly is back on.  Then she looks in the mirror and smiles for the first time in months.  Darcy Lewis grins back at her, bee stung lips a bright blood red, her hair a tousled mess around her shoulders and she feels like she’s stepped back into her own skin again.

In the mirror, behind her, the door opens and a man steps inside the room.

Darcy can’t breathe, can’t think, wondering if she’s imagining it after the stress of the day.

“Hey, Doll.”  But no, it’s his voice carrying across the room, that thick Brooklyn drawl heating her blood and making her mouth dry.

She doesn’t move and continues to watch him in the glass, afraid if she turns away, he’ll vanish again like he did that day in the park.

Their eyes meet and hold, she lets a shuddering breath out slowly as her heart pounds in her chest.  She swallows as they silently continue to gaze into the other’s eyes.  He was here, he was really here.  He’s right behind her now, she can feel the heat of is body radiating into the bare skin on her back.  When his hand comes down on her shoulder and brushes back her hair, she closes her eyes and breathes.  She is not going to cry, nope, this is not the time to cry.  Briefly she wonders if she should shout instead, scream until she’s horse and broken at what he did.  But with his hand touching her, the callouses of his fingers rubbing gently into her skin all she feels is relief.  Like the pain she had held in for two years was suddenly numbed.

“What are you doing here Bucky?”  He sits on the bench beside her, his thigh pressing into hers, even through layers of lace and silk and satin she can feel the play of his muscles flexing as he twists to take her hands in his.

“I came to stop you.  To ask you for another chance.  To apologise for being an idiot, for hurting you the way I did.”

She gives him an incredulous look.

“You were going to stand up in the middle of my wedding with some sort of speech about how I couldn’t marry Ian?”

“When you put it like that is sounds stupid.”

She’s about a half a step from hysterics.  Biting her lip, she stifles the peel of sobbing laughter threatening to get out.

“Jesus, James, did you think it would work?”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time…  Would it have?”

Darcy pauses for a moment, yeah, it would have worked, or course it would.  And he knew that, he knew her inside and out, grand romantic gestures aside he'd always known what pushed her buttons.

“Depends, what were you going to say?”

“You really need me to say it?”

“Yeah, I really do.”  She bites out a shade bitterly because fuck him, why should she make this easy?

He stands and runs a hand through his hair, it’s shaking, barley, but she sees it and she softens just a little.  He looks at her, completely open and exposed, she can read his sincerity in every line of his body, in his eyes that plead with her to listen.  Nothing could have prepared her for what came next, for the desperate honesty and heartbreaking sorrow in his every word.

“I’m an idiot.  I ran when I should have stayed.  I stayed silent when I should have spoke up.  I’m sorry, from the bottom on heart, I’m sorry, I never should have left.  I love you, I never stopped and I never will.  Don’t marry him, marry me.  He doesn’t know you like I do, can’t see the spark and the fire and understand  it.  Don’t marry him, marry me, because you don’t love him, you still love me.  I don’t deserve it, but I want another chance, I’ll do better this time, I’ll talk even when it hurts, I’ll stay even when I want to hide, I’ll be there, from now until you tell me to go, but don’t marry him.”

When he goes down on one knee before her and brings out a ring she thinks she might just faint.

“Marry me, Darcy.  I promise, I will never, leave you, again. I’m gonna love you for the rest of our life doll, if you’ll let me.”

“You left me.”  Her voice is small in the wake of his naked emotion.

“And I’ll never forgive myself for it.  But I’m here now, I’m staying, even if you won’t have me back, I’m not leaving.”

Darcy feels even the token resistance leaving her, James Barnes could charm the birds out of the trees.

“If I wake up to a note and an empty bed ever again I swear I will track you down and kill you myself.”

“And I’ll let you.  Just, I’m begging you sweetheart, give me a chance to fix this.”

“A chance with a ring?  That’s a pretty big ask James.”

“You took a chance on me once, hoped you might again.  Marry me.  I ain’t too proud to beg, I’ll do whatever you want me to…  Just, marry me.”

“I hate you.”  He grins.

“I love you too, Doll.”

“Well?  What are you waiting for, put the damn thing on me.”

He slides the ring on, it fits perfectly on her ring finger, the bright garnet like blood in the light from the window.  It was his mothers ring, three slim gold bands, two with small diamonds bracketing a third with three garnet stones.  She smiles as she admires it, it’s everything she would have chosen herself.  It’s warmth and sparkle and speaks of the past.  The ring Ian had given her had been cold and hard, with a modern sleekness that could never match the charm of the vintage ring James had just placed on her finger

James kisses her fingers one by one, lingering by the ring before tugging her closer and meeting her lips in a soft slow kiss.  His lips are firm against hers, drawing her into him, she twines her hands into his hair and grins as she feels his hands lift her up and onto his lap as he sits on the bench.  God she’s missed it, the way he would move her like she weighed less than air.  His arms come around her, one hand sliding into her hair causing her to let out the tiniest of whimpers. It’s safety and home, the brilliance of summer and the comfort of a winter fireplace.  She would always want him, always need him, just like he did her.  He licked into her mouth, stroking his tongue against hers until she couldn’t think or feel anything but the man whose arms she was in.

This was the kiss she’d wanted today, this was the perfect conclusion to the day she didn’t get married.  He was home and so was she.

NEXT

@captain-rogers-beard

[roommateofmyimagination-blog]

Chapter 15: Lots of Fucks are being given

✗ Adrian  ✗

Midterms fuckin suck, training fucking sucks, Midterms and doing training all at once fucking sucks ass and can blow me. Everything currently going on in my life fucking sucks major monkey balls and i just wanna sleep. Normal human life was going great till midterms came around, that and finals are always fucking stressful. Drakul life was shitty from constantly having my ass handed to me by a skimpy ass bouncy as fuck cocky Bunny girl and a giant gravity using skimpy brutal savage cat. The flying lizard was a eh kinda thing, we both fucking sucked and didnt know what we were doing.

Now Im locked in a fucking closet by a white haired boy with cat ears and tail that matched parading around in fucking shorty short hot pants and a fucking cleavage window as a jacket cape bull shit. “aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH FUCK!!” i screamed and started beating rapidly on the door that was prohibiting me from leaving, “SOMEONE LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!!” I started pounding on the door with my boot and trying to get whatever was blocking the door away.

“Adrian?” A familiar deep male’s voice sounded muffled from the other side of the door, “Pup, where are you?”

“Dem!?” I shouted and pounded on the door, “Closet!! I was locked in the closet!!” i heard footsteps jog over to me and the sound of a chair moving out of the way, the lock clicked and the door was open. Seeing demyan looking concerned and confused in front of me. “Demyan!!” I bounced up and wrapped my arms around him, “i dont think ive ever been so happy to see you.”

“I know pup, who locked you in here?” He patted my back then pulled me away.

“Some fucking magical white haired shitty cat thats gonna get an ass kicking.” I pulled up my shirt and exposed my charm. “Hop to it, i bet the others are fighting too.”  he stared at me with disbelief on his face, he kneeled down and took the little charm in his mouth. Black surrounding me and when i looked up to see Demyan again I knew my magical outfit was on. “You coming to help?”

“No, i’ll supervise if we need to step in we will.” Demyan said with his hand on his hip.

“Alright, thanks.” I patted his shoulder and ran for the window that the cat man brought me through and jumped out the window.

“Pup!!!” Demyan shouted behind me, “You can not fly or levitate yet!!”

“HAHA!” i started laughing after i blinked to a nearby rooftop, “YOU SAID YET!! SO I WILL LEARN TO FLOAT!?” I pointed over at him, “just you watch me get stronger bub!”

I turned back around and continued to blink in different directions until i found where all the others were.I saw Pendragon standing on the edge of a rooftop. Making my way over to him i stood behind him as he stood on the railing. “Sup bats.” he turned and looked down at me, his red scales on his tail and wings reflecting the sunlight beautifully.

“You know whats going on?” I asked,putting a hand on my hip.

“Nah, i dont think Takeshi or Tsuyoi caused this either.” I turned to look across the buildings, “and im assuming you just made it here so that leaves you out.”

“And you’re talkin like you didn’t cause this either, so who could it have been?” I hopped up on the railing beside him. “Could it have been Lycaon?”

“Him or someone else we haven’t met yet.” He hummed then stared back at me, “what took you so long?”

“I was locked literally in a closet in my human form.” I groaned and played with my now black hair. “My partner came and rescued me though.”

“Partner as in your Magicae Socius? Or like...Partner.” the second time he said partner it came out in a vaguely southern like accent and he had a toothy grin on his face.

“Demyan came and saved me.” I shoved him in the arm.

He chuckled lightly, “sorry sorry.” and rubbed his arm where i shoved him. “We should go and help though, chance to see what the heroes are like in our little story.” he pointed down at two males who looked like they were talking with each other. I narrowed down on a man with long white hair with matching cat ears and tail.

“Oooooohohoh.” I laughed wickedly and felt a smirk creep on my lips, “the kitten is mine.”  I bumped Pendragon’s arm with my fist, “you get the other one.”

“Sounds good to me.” he spread his wings out wide and dived down before taking off towards the other rooftop.

Teleporting my way over to the duo, i blinked right above them and the cats ears flicked and he and his buddy moved out of my way. “There ya are ya fucking kitten,” I landed between the two of them, “I’ve been lookin’ for your ass.” i brought my hand up a bit, the ink ability i so call it swirling up from my hand and walked towards the cat. A sudden rock pillar of some sort came at me. Flinching a bit i blinked to avoid the impact trying to get the cat once again and he dodged.

You want me, come and get me.” he said and jumped off the building.

I looked up and shouted, “KEEP THIS ONE BUSY BUDDY!” i ran towards the edge that the cat boy jumped off of.

“GOT IT!” Pendragon’s voice rang from behind me but was still clearly audible because of the heightened strength to my hearing from being a bat. The sound of the other man yelling from shock came shortly after Pendragon’s voice.

The fight with the cat man, who called himself Snowfang, was going quite well from my perspective. Got a kiss from him and got him to turn red from flirting, thats always a plus side right? He did more physical damage to me nailing me in the stomach and almost making me fall flat on my face or ass with the ice being every-fucking-where. All seemed well, until the view of Snowfang’s body was no longer in my vision and it was filled with black. But it wasn’t the same feeling as when i blink myself away from something, it felt different, felt more like Demyan when he teleported us around.

“What the hell?!” I shouted before the black disappeared and i saw Takeshi, and Pendragon in front of me, both of them facing me. Tsuyoi had his back to us and standing a bit of a distance away from us. His head was down and his shoulders relaxed. Kenaz standing off to his side and talking softly to him.

“So you’re finally here now too.” Takeshi spoke, she sounded like she was in pain.

“You okay?” I asked and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Y-yeah, i just have a pounding headache.” She closed her eyes and put her hand on her head.

I put my arm around her shoulders and brought her in closer to me, letting her rest her head on my chest and rubbing her back. “Is Tsuyoi okay?” I looked over at him.

“He seemed confused in his own weird way, not like Takeshi here.” Pendragon turned to look over at Tsuyoi’s back, “I think something with his hero happened and it made him over think something?”

“And you?” Takeshi spoke softly as she turned to look at Pendragon.

“Im fine, i think Drakul and I came in late enough we didn’t have long of a fight.”  he scratched his head, “plus my scales are kinda armor like so i dont take much damage.”

“So whats going on here?” I turned to look over at Demyan who was huddled with Lappin and Ryaikum.

“We were told to pull you from the fight, other heroes were coming to assist and we would have been outnumbered.” demyan sounded urked from how he was talking. He turned to look over at Kenaz who was walking toward us with Tsuyoi at his side. “Kenaz, could any of this have-” Demyan spoke and was cut off from Kenaz.

He hissed sharply and glared at Demyan, “I didn’t tell anyone anything, so dont put the blame on me or my cub.”

“But you did come from-” Ryaikum spoke and was cut off as well.

Kenaz let out a long loud hiss with the mixture of a growl, “Like i said, i didn’t tell anyone anything!” His ears were standing straight up and his tail was puffed out from how angry he was getting. “This was not my fault or Tsuyoi’s, we did nothing wrong.” he dropped his tail and his ears, still glaring, “if anything, we should assume that this mess was caused by someone who isn’t here.”

“The only person i know who isn’t here whos on our side is that werewolf kid, Lycaon.” I spoke still holding onto Takeshi. “Is there anyone else that could be a villain other than us five?”

Demyan spoke calmly, “we do not know, there could be.” He held his hand to his chin, “we do not all associate with each other, and that we have Kenaz here others are weary of him as well.”

“Why?” Pendragon spoke and Ryaikum walked over to him. “Did Ken do something wrong?”

The four of them were silent for a moment before Kenaz spoke with a defeated look and tone. “It does not concern you children.” He put a hand on Tsuyoi’s back, “we’re going home.”

“Tsuyoi, are you okay?” Pendragon asked and extended a hand and touched Aj’s arm gently.

He looked at Pendragon’s hand then up at his face, letting out a sigh, “yeah just...something happened and I’m just...thinking it over.” he rubbed the back of his head, “but Kenny and I should head home, everyone should rest up and tend to wounds given we dont have a healer.”

“Sounds good to me.” Lappin spoke and held his hands out to me for Takeshi. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. “She seems to be in a lot of mental pain so i should take her home and let her sleep.” He rubbed her head gently, “inform me if anything happens.” he snapped his fingers and a swirl of wing wrapped around them and when it disappeared they were gone.

“Yes, please do inform me as well.” Kenaz spoke, “and if this was caused because of me, i am sorry and i will watch myself.” He held onto Aj, a faint Orange light around them and breaking apart into little firefly like lights and they were gone.

Pendragon sighed heavily, “I feel bad for those two.” He sounded just as upset about this whole thing, “we should have helped sooner.”

“We did what we could.” I put a hand on his shoulder, “they should be fine, right? They are level two.”

“Yeah but who ever did that to Takeshi must just be as strong if not stronger than she is.” he looked down at his feet, “and Tsu, he...seemed hurt and confused but in an emotional way.”

I blinked and stared at him. Pendragon was covered in cuts and bruises himself and yet he showed no signs of being in pain himself, he was only showing concern towards Takeshi and Tsuyoi. “You catch on to things fast and care a lot dont you? Even with you being hurt like that.”

He sighed a little with a chuckle mixed in, “I care more about friends then i do myself.” he smiled, “you good?”

“Yeah, i think i just got a bruise on my stomach from being kicked.” I patted his shoulder and then ruffled up his hair, “we should head out too, rest up Pen.”

“Thanks you too.” He smiled at me and hit me on my shoulder gently.

I walked over to Demyan and he put a hand on my arm. Waving to Pendragon, the black smoke wrapped around Demyan and I and we were closer to the school buildings. Demyan helped me detransfrom and we stood in an alley between buildings. Pulling out my phone, i texted Val back. “So, Demyan, any idea whats going?”

“No.” He mumbled and leaned back on the wall. “This was very sudden and has confused all of us.”

“Why do you think its Ken’s fault?” I continued to text Val back, “what did he do?”

“Kenaz is not like us.” He said flatly, “he use to be on the Hero side then came to our side, so many of do not trust him completely.”

“Do you trust him, you allow him to train with us.” I leaned against the wall beside him and pulled out my pack of cigarettes, lighting one and holding it in my mouth.

“I trust him more than others.” He tilted his head back and looked at the sky, “I do not allow him to train with you young ones, i am not the leader of the four of us.”

“So you guys just dont trust him cuz you think he’s a spy?” I took in a deep inhale and let it out, “Seems kinda shitty but logical.”

“How do you think it is a bad thing?” He turned to look at me. “It is valid we think that he is a spy.”

“Yeah but,” I paused looked at my feet, “you’re judging him by who he was or even is. Seems low of you guys.”

“We are not the good ones here, pup.” He mumbled and turned away from me.

“But you dont seem like complete bad guys.” I took in another inhale and let it out through my nose, “Like pendragon. He’s probably got his own dark issues, but he seems like a nice guy.” I turned my head to look over at him and he was looking at me. “See what i mean? Maybe its us whos not doing something right?”

“Hmm.” he hummed, “you could be right but we will talk about this another time.” he poofed into his little bat form and crawled into my pocket.

Dropping my cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. I walked to our building and up the stairs. When i got inside, i saw Val had been hurt, blaming it on the explosions that happened earlier with the fighting. He argued with me about the help and if he needed to go to the hospital. I got to help him patch up and had him let me hold a cold towel against his side. He eventually passed out on his bed with Aero on his stomach.

I sat on the edge of his bed staring at him. Brushing his bangs from his face, “I hope he’s not too hurt.” I looked over at Aero who meowed softly at me. “Mind if i help ya heal him?”i smiled down at her, she tilted her little head to the side and meowed once more. “I’ll take that as a yes.”  I picked her up gently and put her to the side of Val. Running a hand down his side, i gave him kisses down his body and anywhere that had a cut or bruise. I looked over at Aero who blinked slowly at me and she crawled back onto his stomach,“Kisses always make things better, princess.” I rubbed her head and down her back and gave her a soft kiss on the head. “Take care of him.” I got up and brought his blankets over his legs.

Demyan sat on my dresser and squeaked at me. “Do i need to kiss you too?” I chuckled and rubbed his little head. He walked around in a circle on the top of the dresser and stopped. Leaning down i gave his little head a kiss and walked to the bathroom. Taking a quick warm shower. I checked my stomach and there was a minor but large bruise from Snowfang’s kick right above the chain that hung snug to my body. Running a hand over my stomach, i walked out and got dressed in a pair of loose sweatpants and crawled into bed. Plugging my earbuds in to my phone and turning some music on softly, sticking one bud in my ear. “You sleeping with me demyan?” I asked and looked at him. He flapped his wings and bounced over to my bed and crawled onto my pillow by my face. “Night little dude.”

Waking up the next morning, i ripped my earbuds from my head and looked over and Val wasn’t in his bed. Yawning and getting up, i walked to the living space and saw Val with his cat. Waving at them, i went to the bathroom cuz i had to fucking pee and i am not very social until after i pee then all is good in the morning.

I talked with Val for a bit before going back to the bedroom and getting on my bed and sitting against the wall with my laptop and having my headphones in. Val came into the room a bit after to change, and i quickly glanced up to see him change and watched him a bit before looking back down at my laptop. Demyan sitting on the bed beside me.

Demyan must have heard the door click shut because he poofed into his human form and sat on the bed beside me. “What are you working on?” He leaned down against my shoulder and looked at my screen, pulling my earbud out of my ear.

“Something for my photo class.” i mumbled. “Teacher wants us to write ideas down for what we wanna do for projects, or things we enjoy taking photos of.”

“And you can not write this?” he asked and played with a bit of my hair.

“My handwriting sucks.” i continued to mumble and work on my list.

Demyan picked his head up and looked out the window by my bed. He put a hand on my shoulder, “adrian, we have to go.” he sounded shocked.

“Huh?” I looked over at him and his amber eyes were wide and he was staring out the window, “why?” moving my laptop and trying to turn to look at what he saw.

“Just believe me, pup. We have to leave.” He crawled off the bed and ran for the front door.

“Woah woah mister you have to change!” I shoved my laptop onto my bed and got up, “plus im not dressed to go out.”

“Then get dressed then pup.” He hissed and snapped his fingers, black wrapping around him and he was wearing modern clothes. A loose white tshirt that showed a lot of his collarbone, Black skinny jeans over black sneakers. His ears were rounded like mine were as well. “Please hurry.” He sounded like he was really in a rush.

“Fine fine!” I grabbed a pair of fresh underwear, my own jeans that were torn, and through on a light zip up jacket and zipped it up enough that most of my chest was covered. Demyan jogged to the door and pulled it open, leaving me in the bedroom. “Aaaaaah!” I bounced and grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys. Grabbing a pair of shoes that was easy to pull on and headed out after demyan. When i was by the stairs Demyan was already mostly down them. “Demyan! Wait the fuck up!” I jogged down the stairs as fast and carefully as i could.

“We can not wait!” He yelled back at me and then stopped turning around and looking for something. “Your phone, can you contact Valentine?” He grabbed my shoulders when i reached him.

“Uh yeah, sure?” I pulled out my phone and clicked on the little red velvet cupcake that i had for Val’s contact picture and pressed call, holding the phone to my ear. It rang several times and i eventually just got his voice mail. “He didn’t answer….”

“Fuck!” Demyan hissed, “then we will look for them the old fashion way.” He let go of me and took off running.

“Wait, FUCKIN HOLD UP!!” I shouted and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

I ran after Demyan. He was faster than i thought he would be. He was fit yeah and had long legs, but holy shit he’s fucking Fast as hell. I could barely keep up and he didn’t look like he had to catch his breath. He weaved gracefully around people and through a crowd. People would look back after Demyan ran past to see why he was running and would move out of the way for me to pass by as well. We ran around almost the whole campus before Demyan stopped to catch his breath. He stood straight and his chest rising and falling.

I made my way up next to him and put my hands on my knees, “holy shit...you’re fast.”

“Pup, please where do you think they went?” he panted and put a hand behind his head, fucking with his hair.

“We’re looking for Val?” I stood up and leaned back, with my hands on my lower back.

“Yes, and the woman he was with.” Demyan took in a sharp breath.

“Why do you care so much?” I asked and turned to look over at him.

He wasn’t even horribly sweaty, but he pulled his shirt up to touch his face and exposed his stomach. “Remember about the woman i told you about?” He asked and dropped his hand down, i nodded to him. “I think i saw someone who looked like her, and i must know.”

I hummed and pondered where Val could have taken this woman. “Hmmm, theres a lake here by the school, could have gone there.”

“Lead?” he raised his brow at me.

Groaning, i patted his shoulder and took off behind him. He followed shortly behind me and kept up a good pace to stay just behind me. When the lake came into view is when he touched my back and ran ahead of me at that stupid fast pace. He ran past me and weaved through some trees. I booked it and tried to keep up with him, and i did, and it meant me running square into his back and he didn’t flinch.

I backed off him and looked around him, seeing Val stare wide eyed between this woman and Demyan. The woman was really fucking beautiful and demyan staring at her seemed totally normal. I looked over at Val and he wordlessly motioned me to come with him. I walked towards val quietly and he put his hands on my back and pushed me away from them.

“We’re going to leave them be.” He giggled and we walked down on a graveled path that went around the lake.

“Uh, yeah okay.” I mumbled and looked back at the two of them, still staring at each other.

Val looked back with me as we walked, and he let out a soft giggle when the woman Tackled Demyan to the ground. He grabbed me by my arm and dragged me around to the other side of the lake where we could see them but not hear. When we made it over we both saw that they were kissing and Val made me look away, saying things like it was rude to watch them.

“So she a friend of yours?” I asked, plopping down on the grass and pulling Valentine down with me.

He sat down close behind me, “Yeah she’s one of my best friends.” he had a stupid happy smile on her face.

“Hmm, and that cat anklet?” I asked and looked at his legs.

“She gave it to me as a friendship thing.” he smiled happily at me, “and that man, hes?”

“My friend that i dont get to hang out with often. Just happened to meet up with him soon after you left.”  I put my my cheek in my hand.

“And why did you run here?” He chuckled and held his feet in butterfly position.

“He’s crazy.” I said flatly.

“Thats it?” Val giggled.

“Yep.” I turned to face him with a stupid toothy grin. “I wonder what they’re talking about.”

⧫--Demyan--⧫

Adrian and Valentine decided to give Aerowen and I our space. I stared at her wordlessly. She was missing her white cat ears and her fluffy white tail, dressed in modern clothing, similar to myself but she looked more put together in her capri blue jeans, purple crop top that showed too much of her stomach and framed her chest in a….lack of better words highly pleasant way, blue jean crop jacket that hid some of her torso, and black flats. She looked just as beautiful with this look as the day i first met her. No matter her form, no matter what she wore, she was still devine looking stood out so much with the long white hair that showed her yellow eyes like they were jewels.

“Ah, excuse me princess.” I mumbled and bowed my head to her, “I should not be staring at you in such a way.” I looked down at my feet and avoided eye contact with her.

“Demyan, stand up please. I never want you to bow to me.” she spoke softly and i heard her feet walking towards me. Her black flats came into my view.

Slowly picking my head up to look at her, when I meet her eyes she had a large smile on her face and her arms were outstretched towards me on each side of my head.She jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Ah, Princess!” I quickly wrapped my arms around her but her sudden jump and her weight coming at me caused me to fall backwards in the grass. Her chest was pressed closely to mine, her body laying ontop of me with her legs between mine. She had her face buried in the swoop of my neck before picking her head up to look at me with the same smile on her face. It was such a soft smile, her lips shining from the little bit of gloss she had on. Her eyes shined just as her lips did, she looked so happy….and so beautiful. “Oh, my princess.” I took my hands off her waist and put a hand on each side of her face, cupping her cheeks in my hands, “I have missed you so much.”

She let out a soft chuckle, “I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed you so so much.” she spoke sweetly, words sounding like silk. Her eyes softened and tears started to form at the outer corners.

Taking my thumb, i brushed her tears away before they rolled down her cheek. “My dear, please do not cry.” I smiled softly up at her, “I never wish to be a reason that you cry.” i tucked some of her long beautiful white hair behind her ear.

I patted her back and propped up on my elbows. She ran a hand over her eyes quickly before sitting up and resting on her knees between my legs, removing her plush chest from mine. Sitting up onto my bottom, i ran a hand through my hair and removed any grass shavings from the back of my hair. Aerowen chuckled softly in front of me. I scooted my body closer to her, bringing my knees up as if they were walls to keep Aerowen in place. She stared at me with soft eyes and a smile on her face. I took her face in my hands once more, she nuzzled her cheek in my hand briefly and looking up at me. I gently put my forehead to hers. Her eyes half lidded as she brought her chin up ever so slightly. I let out a shaky exhale, my bottom lip trembling a bit. Aerowen wrapped her arms around my neck her hand lacing up into my hair, pulling me down closer to her. Smiling lightly, i closed my eyes and closed the gap between us. Her soft lips pressed to mine, i pulled away slightly opening my mouth just a bit to have Aerowen’s lips capturing mine again and her tongue slipping into my mouth. Leaning into her kiss, i kissed her back passionately getting the same response from her. Her arms wrapping around my neck more, pressing our bodies together.She had a soft purr rumbling in her throat, humming softly as well.

Pulling away from her to breath by a bit, she leaned back closer to me. Chuckling softly, i put a finger gently against her soft plump wet lips, “Princess, as much as i have longed to do that, i must breath.”

She eyed me before giggling softly and leaned away from me, “How long have you been on earth? Where did you end up going after we were ripped away from each other?”

“I have not been here long, i have not kept track of the time to be honest.” I ran a hand through her hair. “After we were forced to part, i was being kept under watch. I was not allowed to leave the school grounds much if at all.” I butt my forehead to hers again. “My kingdom...believed i was betraying them, and i was leaking our secrets to you.”  leaning away from her and cupping her face in my hands again, “Princess, what are you doing here? Your father he would never allow this.”

She looked down at the ground between us then up at me, putting her hands on my wrists, “I know he didn’t allow this, I’m sure he knows by now. But, I didn’t want to be stuck at school and I didn’t be forced back home. I was offered to come here and find a partner because of my high standings in the school so I took it.” she spoke firmly and the determination in her eyes burned brightly.

“But...princess...this is dangerous work.” I spoke softly taking my hands off her face and holding both of her hands between mine and bringing our hands to my lips. “I wish not to know you are risking your well being.”  I put my forehead on her closed hands. “Especially if i were to be the one who was behind you getting hurt.”

“Demyan.” She spoke softly and her hands left mine to touch my face. “I will be fine, i found a strong partner.”

Those words are when a sudden thought hit me. I looked up at her with wide eyes, then pain hitting me in the heart. “My princess.” I held her hand in mine once more, “was your partner the same man who I found you with?”

She stared me deep in the eyes, her gaze being fierce and strong. It would make any other man quiver under her and bow. “It was yes, he may seem like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but when it comes to protecting me there’s something that boils up in him that makes him stronger then others can imagine. He left me with you because he trusts you enough with me. But I know he’s watching.” she spoke sweetly and firmly at once.

Staring back at her with wide eyes, softening up by a bit. I chuckled to myself and leaned forward, placing my forehead on her shoulder, far to close to her chest that would upset anyone if they were to see. “Princess, you are in love with a fool of a man.”

“Excuse me?” She put her hands on my back, feeling like she dusted some grass off. “How so.”

“Because the man you saw me with, is my pup.” I wrapped my arms around her waist before turning my head and putting my face in the swoop of her neck. “And we have been together for so long now...and it has yet to hit me that when i heard that man call a white cat Aero it never dawned on me that that same cat would be the woman i love.”

She picked up my head with her hands, “Well, if they figure it out then they figure it out. Yes your pup is rough around the edges, but there’s a soft side to him that is being brought out by my kitten.” She giggled softly and ran her fingers through my bangs and pushing them back out of my face, “Who ever said I wanted a stuck up good boy anyways?”

Chuckling to myself slightly and putting my hand on my face, “Princess.” I let out a loud exhale and grabbed her by her waist and pulled her in close to me, her chest pressed to mine once again, and fell back onto my back once more, “You are too much for such a simple man like myself.” I smiled up at her, her white hair falling off her shoulders and draping both of our faces.

She laughed happily before moving her hair back and raising her brow at me, “Also, question, I haven’t seen my cousin Kenny in a while, you haven’t by any chance know where he is do you?”

“Princess, i do know where he has been.” I picked up a piece of her hair and brought it to my lips, “but i do not know if i wish to tell you, aside from that he is fine.”

She purred low and loud, “If you tell me I’ll give you a special wake up when they boys leave the apartment.” she had a wicked smile on her lips as she lowered her weight completely ontop of me and had a hand up to rest her cheek on.

Eyeing her, “My princess, i am a gentleman and you know this.” I put my hands behind my head and smirked at her, “I do not think your persuasion will work on me.”

She placed her lips on mine, kissing me softly, “Oh my love, I know where he is. I can tell who he is from a mile a way.” she touched the tip of her nose to mine, “He’s with someone I trust very much. as much as he torments her and he doesn’t know it.”

“Hmmm.” i hummed softly and put a hand on the back of her head and tilted my head to the side bringing her down closer. Kissing her once more, our lips parted and playing with each others tongue. “But can i trust you with him Princess?” I asked still smirking, “or must i distract you and keep you from him?” i leaned up to continue kissing her.

“You can trust him with me. He has strong senses. Even with him just watching us, he’s watching the area around us. He’s willing to expose himself to your pup if it means protecting

me. But I’m more than happy to be distracted by you.” she pulled away from me and brushed her thumb over my lips and removed some gloss that transfer over. “He is my ice prince and your pup has melted a part of his heart.”

“Oh but princess, if anyone knew of our relationship, everyone would know that i would never hurt you or cause anything to hurt you.” I brushed my hand over her cheek. “But, if we could, i would give all of me to keep you distracted in the best of ways.”

“And when that day comes, I’ll gladly take that distraction.” she propped herself off of me and turned and looked across the lake. Following her gaze i looked to see Adrian and Valentine talking and looking over at us, “How long with them do you think until they figure it out? Wanna take bets?” there was a hint of mischief in her voice, when i turned to look at her she had a wicked smile on her lips.

“Hmmm,” I hummed and thought, “princess this is not an activity you should partake in. but i think they will figure out soon.” I moved my body to slide out from under her and stood up, offering her my hand and helping her up.

“How long, you have to be specific my love?” She wrapped her hands around my waist and looked up at me.

“What are you willing to bet my princess?” I took her jacket in my hands and fixed it so it didn’t expose too much of her chest, to myself or anyone honestly, and fixing her hair so it laid neatly after our tumble.

She tapped her finger on her lip, “I”m willing to bet spending an entire day with you without Val, also allowing you to spend a day with my kitten as well. If that counts for a bet. If you would like me to bet something else I can do that.” she smiled up at me sweetly.

“Then i will bet my body.” i held her chin lightly and smiled, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “No rules applied, just you deciding what you want to do with me.” I kissed her cheek and pulled away from her, her face now coated with a soft pink blush and her eyes wide.

Her eyes narrowed and her smile spread on her lips as she stood on her toes and pressed close to me, bringing my head down so she could whisper, “Then it’s a deal my dark prince.”

Shivering at her whisper, i put my hands around her waist and pressed my lips to her neck. “Are we allowed to cheat and interfere?”

“Do you want me to lose that fast?” she chuckled happily and had her hand up to her mouth.

“No, in all honesty princess.” I kissed her jaw then behind her ear, “I wish to lose just that quickly.” I cupped the other side of her face and kissed her cheek, “I know that i just called myself a gentleman, but every man breaks eventually my dear.”

“So how long are you going to bet? I’m going to bet at least two weeks.” her face was slightly warmer from a small blush and she held her composure well.

“I will go with a month.” I turned to look over in their direction. “Hmm, yes, i’ll stand by that.”

“Then its a deal.” she smiled and held her hand out to me. “Lets shake on it.”

“But can we not seal the deal with a kiss?” I asked and tilted my head to the side, staring at her lips and glancing down just a bit at her chest before looking up.

She sighed lightly and shook her head “We can seal our deal with a kiss yes.” she brought her head up to look at me.

Taking that moment to my advantage, i pressed my lips to hers and kissed her passionately. She opened her mouth first and let me slip my tongue in her mouth. Putting my hands on her sides i held her close. We parted our kiss briefly just so we could move our heads to a different direction and continue the kiss from where we left off. Aerowen’s hands grabbed onto the front of my shirt as she smiled into our kiss. Putting my hands on her stomach, i pulled away from her and ended our kiss there.

Looking down at my feet then back up at her face through my black messy bangs, “My princess, i could kiss you endlessly.” licking my lips and tasting the lip gloss that was barely visible on her lips now after all of our kissing.

She tried to lean in back towards me and i kept her away just a little, she pouted a bit before smiling “If both of us are wrong, we share a kiss every day for the next month and I get to heal your boy whenever he comes home injured.”

“I will agree on the kissing, now as to healing my pup then that is up to him.” I chuckled lightly, “he is greatly disturbed by how you do that and i do not think he likes it much.”

“Well, I’m glad you approve half of it, because if you did or didnt, it didnt matter.” she smiled wickedly, “because i was going to heal your boy anyways no matter who told me yes or no.”

“That sounds very much like you, princess.” i played with her hair lightly.

“Can you start calling me by my name, demyan?” she softened her smile, “it feels so formal when you call me Princess all the time.”

Staring at her with wide eyes for a second, i smiled softly and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Even if you were not an actual princess, I would still call you my princess.” I turned my head ever so slightly and whispered, “or shall i call you my goddess now? You are so divine and beautiful, it would be easy for you to be one.”

“They day you call me Aero will be the day that no one will ever be able to pull me away from you. That’s the day where I will protect you with my honor and life.” she ran a hand under my chin and walked around me, after catching my eye and winking at me. I quickly turned around to try and grab her and she spun around just out of my grip. “You should go grab your pup and get back home.” she purred.

“And you?” I tried to grab her once more and she got out of my reach.

“I’ll grab my little kitten and we will finish what we had planned.” she smiled and walked back up to me. Putting her hands on my chest and dragging them down to my hips and she played with the top of my pants. “You look nice in tight pants too.”

“Thank you, princess.” i brought her hand up and kissed the back of her hand, “you look beautiful in everything.” dropping her hand  i turned to look and see Adrian and val were still on the other side of the lake. Letting out a loud sharp whistle to get Adrian’s attention, he snapped his head and looked over at us. I waved for him to come this way. “I will see you later, my dear.”

⧫--------⧫

My phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling my phone out i got a text from Aj. ‘Dinner at our place on saturday sound aight?’

I showed my phone to Val, “sound good to you?”

“Yeah!” he smiled up at me, “should be fun!”

“I hope so.” I chuckled and replied back to Aj. A sharp loud whistle hit my ears just as i finished texting Aj back. Looking up i saw Demyan waving at us to come over. “Cmon, lets go.” I got up and dusted my ass off, waiting for Val to get up too.

We both walked over to Demyan and the pretty woman. Demyan put a hand on my back and dragged me off. “See ya later cupcake.” I held up a peace sign behind me for Val to see as we walked away. The walk back to the dorm was silent between us until we got inside and to the bedroom.

“Soooo?” I asked and flopped down on the bed.

“Hm?” Demyan turned and looked at me, snapping his fingers and poofing into his usual human form. Black puff pants with his crop top jacket thing and his pointed ears.

“Did it go well?” I grinned stupidly up at him. “You seemed to be kissing a lot.”

“It did, it went very well.” He blushed a little, “thank you for coming with me.”

“No problem, just next time lets go a little slower, your fast as fuck.” I fell onto my back on the bed and kicked my shoes off.

“Actually, you will be training more for that reason.” he smiled wickedly, “you have no stamina in you, so on your break you will be working on that.”

“Excuse me?!” I popped up, “cant i have this week off?”

“No.” he sad flatly and held his smirk on his face.

“Fuck you.” I held my middle finger up and fell back on my bed. “Fine, only if its worth it.”

“It will.” he hummed happily, “I will give you an upgrade if you get stronger.”  He walked between my legs and leaned over me, his hands on either side of my body, staring down at me with those intense amber eyes and his black messy hair hanging down. “Sounds fun does it not?”

I started up at him smirked, “Oh fuck yeah.”

[funkymeihem-fiction]

The A-Mei-Zing Outback Adventure Chapter 19

“Zǎoshang hǎo! Good morning, Roadhog,” Mei greeted the enormous man cheerfully, tossing her already-packed bag into the pile in the hallway. Roadhog lifted one hand in response before a little movement of his masked head indicated he was looking past her, at the lanky figure rising up behind her. “Hehehe, yeah, we had a good morning, all roight,” Junkrat said, leering his toothy grin as he reached out to goose her bottom. “Real good.” Mei’s face reddened on cue, and he grinned all the harder when he saw the tips of her ears change color. She turned and smacked the back of his hand with a scowl. “Stop that,” she said, “I know what you’re doing, trying to embarrass me. Huài dàn.” After spending more time with the junkers, Mei could read Roadhog a little better now. Not on the level of Junkrat, of course, who could carry on hours worth of one-sided  conversations with little more than an occasional grunt or wrinkle of the forehead as responses; but now she could spot subtle little movements of his facial muscles, little tics and tells that spoke of the man behind the mask…And right now, he was rolling his eyes at them both. “Sorry!” she called after him, as he grumbled under his breath and ambled off back into the kitchen. She shot Junkrat a little dirty look as she adjusted her glasses, but he looked all the more gleeful for it, especially when she lifted a finger and shook it at him sternly. “Are we going to have to talk about this? Don’t make Mr. Roadhog uncomfortable.” “Lovey, I think if we’re talking levels of ‘uncomfortable’ what Roadie and me’s had to deal with, hearing us going at it is pretty damn low on the charts.” “Well maybe if you weren’t so loud…” Junkrat entwined his arms around her once more, his voice going high-pitched and wavering in an incredibly poor falsetto version of Mei’s accent. “My name’s Mei, I don’t want nobody to know I’m a moaner, not even when I’m getting it good, don’t want anybody to hear me going ‘ooooooh! Oooh Junkrat! Oooooh yeees, mmmmhh’!” “Oh my gosh! Stop!” she sputtered, shoving at his chest before trying to cover his mouth with both hands, as if to stifle his lewd noises by force. “Ooooohhhh Junkrat! Oooh, I’m gonna-OW!” he cried a little louder, interrupted suddenly as there was a cracking noise and he was suddenly bulled to the side when Snowball appeared from nowhere and slammed into his shoulder again, smacking its antenna across his head once more. “Ow! Son of a bitch bot, I know where you sleep!”

Mei separated them once more, pulling the enraged drone into her arms and holding it away to protect it from the irate junker, looking more than a little exasperated. “You two stop it, both of you! I swear I’m just going to leave you both here and just go to the drop point with Roadhog. We’re meeting back up with the others in just a few hours and we’ll have to give our official reports, can we at least try to be a little more professional? I’m already going to have…a lot to deal with.” She wrinkled her nose unhappily. “Dr. Ziegler is going to want to see us immediately, I know. And then I…I really need to apologize to Winston. I still need to set up a few things now that we have the eco-monitor online, once I get back to my equipment, not to mention all the damage costs and paperwork…” Snowball uttered a rather unpleasant mechanical scraping noise that she guessed was supposed to be sympathetic, its visor lights still flickering and broken as it flashed happy emoticon eyes up at her. She offered it a little smile, patting its dented body. Junkrat ruefully rubbed at the red mark across his temple where the malfunctioning weather drone had managed to strike him. “Professional is one of my many middle names, darl. I mean…if they ask me right out, I’m obliged to tell ‘em, right? Legally, officially, to make sure that I ain’t Stockholming you too bad? Because I got a feeling that monkey didn’t take too kindly to it at all, and he wasn’t fond of us in the first place. So they’re gonna strap me to a chair and grill me about how I done you?” “That is not how it would go, even if they did broach that subject,” she replied. “I am just going to sit down with Winston and explain everything, how things happened and how it went so out of control. And then if Dr. Ziegler does want to approach a more…psychiatric angle on things, I will be more than happy to handle that as well. You haven’t done anything wrong, Jamison. Nobody has. Don’t worry, we just need to focus on the extraction now.” Junkrat jabbed an oil-stained thumb behind him. “Well, Roadie says he’s got the Hog running and ready to roll! Didn’t have much to do while you were sleepin’ at first, so we sorted this place’s scrap heap and whipped something up, with the help of yours truly of course. Engine’s still janky and it don’t sound right, drives Hog right up a wall, but it should hold us and all the weapons. Speakin’ of!” She blinked as Roadhog’s heavy footsteps approached once more, this time holding a simple pulse pistol that looked comically tiny in his enormous hand, pinched almost delicately between two fingers. Mei wrinkled her nose as he carefully dropped it out into her outstretched palm. The blank lenses peered down at her as he rumbled a low, “Do you know how to u-” “I know how to shoot,” she said a little more sharply than she meant, and bit her lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I just haven’t had to use a gun in a very, very long time. It was part of our training back in the earlier days of Overwatch…The, erm, legitimate one. Commander Morrison always said I hesitated too much and my reaction times were slow but complimented my form on headshots. I still prefer my cryo-gun. It’s been years since I’ve had to shoot anything else.” “For what it’s worth, darl,” Junkrat said helpfully, “It always gave me a half-chub whenever I saw you sink an icicle into someone’s front lobe. Even mine, sometimes, durin’ the training.” “Jamison, that’s…actually really weird...” “Anyways eh, I always say aiming’s overrated.” He gestured to his frag launcher sitting by the door, along with a veritable arsenal of grenades and mines stacked atop each other. “Been working on that boom pile for days now, should see us through!” “Through what? What are you expecting to happen?” Roadhog lightly patted the enormous metal hook on his sagging belt. “Told you you don’t bring dropships inland. Seen people try anyway. Sand and winds give away the stealth field, and there’s always someone on the lookout for anyone stupid enough to give it a go.” Mei swallowed unsurely, looking down at the little pistol. The junkers had been adamant on that point when she’d first brought it up months ago, had even laughed at her for the very idea. She had the feeling that both of them had partaken in attacks against inland expeditions before, and no doubt that the fighting between junkers and crew would be absolutely vicious in the unending search for scrap and money. She turned to them with a frown, straightening her glasses. “Do you think it will be that bad? Can you…tell the other junkers to stop, maybe?” Both junkers immediately dissolved into outrageous fits of laughter, Hog’s enormous belly shaking mightily and the filters of his pig mask barely muffling the booming thunder of his voice, and the more vivacious Junkrat literally fell onto the floor, holding his ribs and shrilling giggles so hard that he nearly started hyperventilating. Even trusty Snowball seemed to be triggered by their glee, shaking back and forth and uttering rapid buzzing sounds as if to laugh with them. Mei frowned severely at them all and folded her arms as she leaned back, clenching her jaw and half-lidding her eyes, her expression long-suffering as she waited for it to be over. Roadhog recovered first, snorting a gulp of air and shaking his head with a simple, “No.” Junkrat remained sprawled on the floor near her feet, choking and wiping a tear from the corner of one eye with a dirty finger, leaving a smear of black on his cheek instead. “Ask ‘em to stop, Roadie! Why didn’t we ever think of that before! Oooh, near busted me gut on that one, lovey. Yeah, junkers ain’t exactly unified, and me and the pig man there ain’t exactly popular blokes with any of ‘em nowadays. Fuck me, even Tilda was a sook compared to the big nasties back in Junkertown.” “Okay, I get it, it wasn’t a bright question,” Mei grumbled. “What can we do?” “Do? Ain’t nothing to do about it. Your monkey was fuckin' insistant on sending a rescue ship, we just got to reach it before it gets arse-blasted roight outta the sky and they chop it up for parts, along with whatever fuckin’ omnic pals they’re stupid enough to send with.” he spat bitterly, wrinkling his nose at the mere mention of Overwatch’s robot agents. She gave him a hard look, choosing her next words carefully. “I doubt Winston would send an omnic on this…particular mission. But I don’t think we can be picky if he does. We need help. From anyone. Even the bots, if they do show up, so just…be prepared, in case.” Roadhog gave a dangerous low rumble, and Junkrat looked ready to answer with something he’d probably have regretted later before making himself turn away. The contention between the junkers and the omnics had caused no small amount of trouble at first. The addition of omnics to the team had been hotly debated even before their arrival, despite their only representatives being arguably the most peace-loving specimens on the entire team. Zarya and Torbjorn made their distaste of the situation clear, but military discipline bade them both keep it in check other than the occasional insult or thinly veiled threat. Roadhog and Junkrat had no such qualms about team cohesion, and only the presence of Genji and the others had kept them both from outright destroying Zenyatta on sight, even while the robotic monk plead for a non-violent compromise. There had also been an issue with Junkrat attempting to eat Bastion’s pet bird, which had ended with the junker’s peg leg shot to pieces as both parties fled in opposite directions. To say that there was ‘peace’ between them even now would have hardly been accurate. She had been firmly on Zenyatta and Bastion’s side, but had been too intimidated by Roadhog to ever speak up against him, and Junkrat had never seemed very affected by her accusations of being a bully and omnic-hater. And though she hated to admit it, even though she still did not agree with them and probably never could…she understood their reasons a little better now. The wasteland did things to a person, twisted them, warped and poisoned them as it sought to kill them like it had killed everything else here. It could make even a good person know what hate was, fill them with bitterness and violence. And she had only experienced it for a few weeks. She could not imagine spending a lifetime here, or growing up here, knowing that every moment of pain or hardship had been caused by one direct source. She decided not to pursue that particular topic any further, making a mental note to possibly try and tackle that issue somewhere down the line when things were a little less dire. Besides, this time it would be other junkers, not bots, that they had to worry about. She carefully tucked the little pistol into her belt, though its very presence still felt a little alien to her compared to the comforting weight of her freeze gun. But with her cryo-liquid tank empty and broken miles upon miles away in the wreckage of the red zone, the gun would be her only real defense… Well, her first line of defense was actually the junkers, and they both looked downright eager for a fight. Junkrat had promptly forgotten their near-argument over the omnics, and was happily adding another box of grenades to the pile, counting them under his breath. Roadhog was palming the handle of his hook in a way that looked far too erotic for Mei’s liking, so she turned away and distracted herself with the jugs of water, picking up two of the smaller ones and pushing open the screen door. The Hog was waiting just outside, freshly repaired and with one of Junkrat’s crazy faces newly painted on the dented sidecar. The others joined her, packing in and tying on as Hog tested its weight before finally giving them both a thumbs up. Mei gave the sidecar a worried look, almost filled to the brim with rattling grenades and mines all loosely crammed inside, with barely enough room for even Junkrat’s scrawny legs, much less her own. The lanky junker sniffed at one of his frags before shrugging and merely tossing it inside as well, clattering loudly and making her jump. “Um, Jamison, are you entirely sure they’re all secure and safe like that?” “Don’t you worry your beautiful head, Mei darl, those ain’t going off until I want ‘em to…Or unless we crash. Oi! Hog, mate! Don’t crash or we’re all going up, I got enough payload here to cause the second apocalypse!” Hog gave him another thumbs up and Mei uttered a resigned sigh. Carrying nothing more than weapons, some fuel, and water, Roadhog mounted his bike and Junkrat vaulted into place in the sidecar, slithering into place like he’d done a thousand times before before looking to the little climatologist standing awkwardly nearby. He batted both scraggly brows, grinning widely and patting his lap with a few lewd smacks of his palm, wiggling slightly. “Sorry, ain’t no room left except right here! Come on, get comfy!” She gave him a rather flat look, but took his hand as he reached out, scooting in over the side and landing with her elbows clanging against a stack of mines. She straightened quickly, scrambling onto his lap and trying to get as small as possible, clearly disliking being surrounded by hundreds of active explosive devices on all sides. Snowball circled around them before wedging itself into a tiny space still left under the sidecar’s lid, offering Mei a comforting pair of happy emotive eyes. It seemed the little bot was just as eager to get going as the rest of them. Mei glanced around her. “…Seatbelts?” Both junkers began laughing again. Junkrat whomped the side of the car with a loud clang, signaling Roadhog, and with a kick of his armored boot and the rattling roar of the Hog’s new engine, they were off. ***

She had ridden briefly in the motorcycle during the attack of Tilda’s gang, when she and Roadhog had ambushed them from the side. But it had been the first time she’d ever ridden in a vehicle with actual, antiquated wheels. She was unused to the strange feeling of the physical road beneath them, bumping and rattling and vibrating through her bones. Some men, like Roadhog, were never content unless they felt the roar of an engine and a highway beneath their wheels. But Mei could swear she felt every pebble or crack they ran over, shooting straight through her spine as she tried to keep herself steady, her face turning a light shade of gray-green. The ride was having a very different effect on the other passenger sitting beneath her, and when she felt something jab into her rear, she absent-mindedly went to remove it, thinking one of the pieces of scrap metal or grenade pins had gone astray. What her fingers found was neither of those things, and she gave Junkrat a scandalized look, adjusting herself atop his lap primly, having to yell over the noise of the engine. “Jamison! Really!?” “What! It’s the vibrations!” “Well, stop!” “Can’t help it! I’m just an average bloke what’s vibrating all around with you on my lap, what do you expect! Ain’t you feelin’ it too? Thought sheilas loved vibratin’ things!” “Don’t say things like that! And I’m feeling…sick?” “Aw, love. Well, try not to chunder, can’t have your liquid lunch gumming up the frags if we need ‘em. Here, if ya need to, just lean out over the side and then you can yak or piss or whatever and it’s gone in the wind, that’s what I do!” Mei turned another shade of green and hid her face in both hands. This rescue couldn’t come soon enough. The Hog continued thundering along the road, clouds of red dust billowing behind them. Mei tried to distract herself with the scenery, though there was not much to look at. The yellow zone was not as bereft of life as the red zone, but there was little to see beyond red rocks and dirt, scrubby, thorny desert brush, and the very occasional struggling tree. She did spot a number of lizards, sunning themselves atop the stones or slithering about in the shade, and once Junkrat tapped her shoulder to point out a lone kangaroo that was standing and glaring at them from the side of the road. It did not look like the friendly roo she had once pet at a wildlife zoo. This one was warped by radiation and was missing patches of its hair, and had what looked like an extra leg growing and dangling from its belly, its toes warped and claws curled. Mei could swear it was giving them a rude gesture as they passed it by. It seemed like the people of Australia were hardly the only things suffering in this land. They drove on for several hours, pausing only to top off from their gas can and a bathroom break, where Mei quietly puked the remains of last night’s dinner into a bush while Junkrat awkwardly patted her back and offered her water. Then it was squeezing back into that awful sidecar and back atop his lap. At least he wasn’t trying to get handsy with her anymore while she tried to rest, instead taking a pair of binoculars and peering at the oncoming horizon as they rode onward. Occasionally he’d giggle or frown at something he saw, when he suddenly began banging on the side of the cart, startling Mei and causing Roadhog to slow to a stop as the engine idled. “Oi oi oi! I see somethin’, real far off! Mei, scoot?” He awkwardly maneuvered out from under her, squishing her to one side as he struggled to stand. His immense height towered above her as he straightened his long spine, stretching upward as he clicked at the focus buttons on the old lenses. “Ohhhh, I think that might be them. Welp, looks like that’s a fair bad bit of luck there! They’ve already been spotted, looks like they got a crowd!” “What!” Mei pushed at him to stand as well, nearly causing them both to fall over as she snatched the binoculars and peered through them. It took her a moment to find what he had even been talking about. It was incredibly far off still, but with the higher-powered focus, she could see the shape of MV-261 Orca, Overwatch’s main dropship. Its stealth field had apparently been dropped, and even as she watched, she could see little flashes of yellow light and clouds of black smoke puffing silent around it…explosions, hitting it from below. The rocks on the horizon obscured whatever was on the ground, but judging by the sheer amount of little cloud puffs, the Orca was already taking a beating. “R-Roadhog! Can we go a little faster please! I think they’re under attack, and they’re not even near the meeting point yet!” Junkrat pulled her back down into the cart as Roadhog pressed the throttle, wheels spinning in the dirt as they took off. The wind whistled in her ears, holding her scarf onto her head as sand pelted her glasses, gnawing at her bottom lip. Her companions had not been kidding about not taking dropships inland. She never should have lost her temper with Winston and cut him off. She should have kept communications up while she still had them, should have warned them about taking something smaller, or maybe they should have given them a few more days to take a roller after them, or maybe they should never have sent a rescue at all. Worse yet, they had no equipment to even try and establish communication with the ship, and were going in blind. The red storms were avoidable now, with the eco-monitor keeping a watchful eye on things. The outback’s vicious inhabitants, less so. She felt Junkrat tense under her, and almost scolded him again before she heard him growl suddenly, one arm encircling covetously around her. She turned and saw that they were no longer alone. Further away, on both sides of them, were the telltale smoky red trails of other vehicles traveling through the dust. One was an old wheeled roller like theirs, an ancient truck armored with metal plates and a large harpoon-like gun mounted on its back, the other a more modern levitating utility vehicle. Both were manned by other junkers. The hover-jeep veered a little closer to them, and one of the men in the back lifted his gun and gave a whoop of delight. Junkrat flashed his wide smile and lifted his frag launcher in reply. As far as anyone knew, they were just another pack of junkers who had heard about the ship that been stupid enough to fly over outback territory…Years ago, they would have been just that, just two more men heading to help rip apart whatever they thought they could get, their blood boiling as they readied for a fight. Now he was readying for a fight, but to protect that very dropship. Not that he particularly cared for the Orca or whatever combatants they’d sent along inside it, but if Mei was sick and that ship was her hope of getting better, he’d blow up every other junker in the whole desert if it meant getting her on board and out of there. She had shrunk back against his chest, looking up with an unsure expression as the other men drove nearer. He squeezed her side, his other hand still on the trigger of his gun just in case. Roadhog was similarly wary, occasionally glancing from side to side to mark their progress. They couldn’t afford to start a battle now, even if it would thin their numbers a bit. They simply drove on, as other dust clouds appeared on the horizon…more junkers racing to reach their gruesome prize. The ship itself was still struggling in the air, becoming more visible the closer they got. It was still miles out from the agreed meeting point. The hull was already showing signs of damage, as the remaining defense turrets struggled to keep their attackers at bay. Even as Mei watched, there was a faint booming noise from the rocks, and a volley of rockets launched from below, striking the bottom of the ship as another turret came loose and fell to the ground in flames. Javelins peppered the Orca’s underbelly, some still attached to cords and chains, slowing and weighing it down. The whole ship was starting to list dangerously to one side, and Mei gave a little cry of alarm as she stood up in the sidecar, pointing ahead. “H-hurry! We have to hurry! I-I think it’s going down!”