#that line from the bear that’s like i know lots of people who wake up screaming and cry for no reason that’s me

[cuttingstone]

😐.

[wonryllis]

𝜗𝜚 'OH' I LOVE LOVE HER?

╰ 𝖺𝗅𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗒, 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒'𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝗎𝗇.

𝒏o𝓉ℯs. enhypen realizing it's you 𖥔 ݁ rom-fluff, kinda poetic? LIB? fem!reader requested word count ` 1945

꒰˵ˊᯅˋ˵꒱ love how this turned out!! <3. unedited!

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆

he doesn't know much about love, he's never really experienced it yet. he has fallen for conventional and unconventional things, things that compliment and things that complete, he's been through the good phases and stuck through bad ones, he held on to things he shouldn't and let go of things he should.

there are a lot of lessons he has learned along every relationship he has been in the lines of yet lee heeseung doesn't believe he's ever been in love until he has been with you.

it wasn't something he knew he felt, but it was surely something he realized in the spur of a moment, in a split second of epiphany. he knew what he felt for you was something deep when he realized that yes he wouldn't hesitate to die for you, but what he wants is to live for you. it's easy to be the first to go but to hold your strength through everything and survive for someone, that is definitely love is what heeseung believes.

"baby, baby calm down i'm okay," he reassures your crying and frantic figure as you scan his injuries, ones he got from trying to protect you from a fatal fall. perhaps it was the situation or perhaps it was realisation of it all.

when he jumped to saved you all he could think about was he'd give his life if it meant you lived, but in this moment he cannot bear to see you so devastated, to think he could've left you like this? no, he's decided he is never going to do it until he can't help it and even then he'd fight to stay with his love.

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆

he has lived his life prioritizing his family over everything else. to him nothing can go above and beyond familial love. he doesn't really believe he can love anyone anything like he loves his family and that is a statement of disappointed in itself. if there's anything he wants to give his best for it's people who have stuck with him since day one.

bonds need to tested by time is the belief he holds dear until his world crashes into yours and time changes from something that defines to something that builds. his relationship with yours is not as long as people he's close to but however long you have spent together seems to strengthen and augment the bond.

his love for you settles into an understanding of his when finds you running through days and nights in the hospital caring for his family after a big blow. a choice to choose, not an obligation to carry out. a crack in his notions you give him a new definition of love.

"y/n? baby come on go and freshen up, i'll watch over mom," his hand rests on your head, soft caresses to wake you up after the long night you spent sitting beside his mother while he ran around for paperwork.

as you leave the room in a rush wanting to come back quickly and take his place so that he can get his rest, jay finds himself seeing you in a new light, telling his mother that he's found an angel. the angel she always told him about, the angel he loves.

𝐒𝐈𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐔𝐍

he has spent years jumping from person to person, reveled and basked in moments of happiness and run away amidst the weights of problems. there is a price to pay for everything and love is no exception but he has yet to accept the fact of reality, the thorns that come along with the scent and beauty of roses.

love gives and love takes, love heals and love hurts. it takes several trials and a meeting with you for jake to understand that.

to him it is a conscious decision, a hard hit and an opening of eyes when he realizes you're the one for him. he has never made it work until you, coming to the conclusion in the middle of the worst argument that you're worth all the trouble. and if wants to have you by his side, he needs to fix this and he needs to cherish you.

he can see himself with you for the rest of his life, one single person he is willing to fight for. for jake sim you are a sphere of acceptance, you redefine love and endurance for him.

"one day we're gonna have kids together and i want them to see that daddy really loves mommy, i'll change for the better i promise," jake's voice softens as he hits the big realization, getting down on his knees, tears falling free. your arms slip around him in a hug and jake swears he'll do all it takes to become the one for you, he'll do all it takes to make this worth it, he'll do all it takes to have you stay. because he's found the one he loves, the one he wants to be his best for.

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍

he has always felt a gaping hole in his chest, a feeling of homesickness even when he is home, a feeling of vanity even when he shines bright soaring through all the achievement of his dreams. to him there's something that's always missing.

no he has never thought of love but he has never despised it either. he doesn't dwell on the possibilities of it but the absence and lack of them. until you enter his life completing him like a perfect piece of puzzle, a missing piece of him.

he realizes his love for you in bits and moments of warmth, slowly step by step as you fill the void. from helping him through his hard times and cheering him on in his good ones, sunghoon finds his home in you, a walk so long but finally arriving at it's destiny, where it's always been meant to be.

perhaps he's always longed for love and never understood it. nevertheless, park sunghoon finds it in his moments of mundanity with you. you teach him the power of the presence of love.

"my little charmie, loved your pretty banner," sunghoon leaves a wet kiss on your lips, arms going around your waist as he comes rushing to you a second after winning the championship, cameras all panned on the champion of the season but all he can see is you. you feel like a warm hug on a rainy day, a blanket of comfort near the fireplace. all the anxiety he ever felt, the pressure to be on the top, you took it all and turned it into something beautiful and enjoyable.

𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐎

he has grown up surrounded and so bathed in love, he thinks he knows it all, he has seen it all. every version of love, and everything that exists in between. so confident he'd know it instantly, the one for him, the love of his life.

but love takes time and love find it's loopholes. someone that evokes no romantic feelings could become everything in just a turn of events. kim sunoo never believed or cared to understand that until he felt that something for you. that little upturn of sparkles and butterflies, that intense emotion kindling in his heart when he sees you in a new ambience. a single moment of revelation when he's staring at you talk about things that you love, things that he doesn't like but suddenly he doesn't mind hearing about it.

he knows he hasn't felt this way before for you, there's something different and that difference makes him rethink his entire relationship with you. you become so important to him in a split moment, love so familiar and calm yet unfamiliar and exciting.

"go on i'm listening," sunoo has his head on his hands, eyes shaped crescents, a gaze so loving anyone can see how he feels, so transparent.

the tiny flowers behind you would look so pretty on you, no- you look so much prettier than the flowers, your voice is so pretty, the way your lips move, the way your eyes light up, has sunoo always loved hearing about legos? no. has he always loved listening to you? he doesn't know but he could hear you talk forever.

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐍

he is one who sees love in everything around. the little things and the big things. in the light and in the dark. in memories of the past and in possibilities of the future. there is not a specific instance where he realizes his feelings. to him you are the premonition of love. he knew it from the very moment he met you that you are the one he is going fall in love with. that inner instinct that instantly sparked up when you entered his life.

every day and every second it grows, it piles up, it escalates. the weight of life and the wings of love you make everything easier. one who has always given meeting one who gives back to him.

overwhelmed in an ocean of new eternal verities, a feeling so mad, blind and passionate he finds himself wanting to be bound to you by his every bone. if there's a forever then he wants to spend it with you taking walks by the river, watching the lantern festival with a smile on your faces, so sick in love it makes everyone else sick.

"i wish this wish comes true," jungwon whispers to himself as he watches you walk ahead of him, turning back time and again to tell him how far your lit lantern made with a pretty little smile on your face. he wants to see this everyday, every morning, every night till however long he can and if possible even in his afterlife and all the lives that come ahead.

to be the one to be chosen by you because he for one will always choose you in all forms of reality and at every chance,"baby wait up for me, let's go together!" hand in hand all along.

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐈

he has always found himself struggling to express his emotions, words and actions alike. something so inherent in him, he can't seem to overcome it. the sheer desperation to get his feelings through to someone, he's never felt it. he hasn't ever felt the need to feel it. to connect so closely with another is not something he has ever been comfortable with or wanted to be comfortable with.

until you happened and riki's world went through a turmoil of sentiments, wrecking him from inside so intensely he could never go back to before. love is something he has never experienced and something he could never fathom.

it just never made sense to him, how one could feel so much solely for another. but in moments of his silence where you struggled to understand it all, he realized the importance, the willingness to learn to express his feelings.

your tears and your smiles he wanted to be the one to comfort and the one you showed your happiness to. the one you love and the one he loves.

"i've never said this before but you are so special to me, what i feel for you is something i've never felt for anyone else and i don't wanna lose you by not letting you know that. i'm wanna learn to show you that again and again,"

riki smiles through his tears letting himself be vulnerable before you, as you hold the little handmade gift he got. your own tears threatening to fall while you nod vigorously reaching forward to let him know it'll all be okay.

TAGLIST ( open. ) @kangseulgithegreat @s00buwu @luvyev @pockyyasii @nctislifue @ashtxrie @miniature-tragedy @jayujus @nanabbg @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly

[carmyboobear]

okay but i can't stop thinking about carmy just watching the reader do yoga or pilates, in a cute workout set, he'd go crazy just watching their body move

but he wouldn'y really see it as something very serious (as people tend to do until they try this sort of exercise and realize it's actually quite difficult), until one evening when he'd join them on the mat after complaining about back or shoulder pain all night, and the reader would show him some stretches and he'd be like WOAH I can RELAX my INSANELY TENSE body? I can feel BETTER? I don't have to be constantly in pain? This is some magic! and surely would reward the reader for helping him out

EHEHE YEAHHH the workout set does a lot for me… and for carmy <3 also it goes without saying but this is🔞, suggestive at the end

They’d set up in front of the tv, yoga mat splayed out and table pushed aside. This is the sight Carmy wakes up to, groggy and lonely without waking up beside them.

“G’morning, sleepy bear.” They greet him brightly, before leaning their head down to stretch. Downward dog, the workout video announces.

“Mornin’, baby,” he yawns back. He sits down on the couch behind them. He indulgently gazes at their legs, wrapped tightly in leggings, following the line up to the curve of their ass. “Y’look cute in that. Is it new?”

“Thanks,” they chirp, turning their upside down head to look at him. “Yeah, they’re new. You like?”

“Quite a bit,” he admits, not bothering to hide the way he’s looking at their ass, and they exhale a breathy laugh.

“Maybe if you do some of this with me, I’ll let you take them off of me,” they offer, grinning shamelessly at him. Cats pose to cows pose, the video instructs, and they’re on their knees, arching their back and sticking out their ass. Surely them wiggling their hips around isn’t part of the video.

Carmy is a simple man. He takes their extra yoga mat and immediately starts following the video alongside them.

“This video isn’t the most beginner friendly,” they’d comment after watching Carmy struggle to keep up. He’s fallen onto the mat, staring up at the ceiling with a grimace.

“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” he mumbles, and they nod. They’re seated next to him, looking down into his eyes.

“I know, right? Here, let me show you some easier stretches. It’ll help your back some, too.”

Sure enough, a couple stretches later, Carmy feels like a new man. He didn’t even realize how tense he was until he got to unraveling some of the tension knotted deeply in his muscles.

“I feel incredible,” Carmy says, leaning his body up and down. They’re both are standing beside each other on their mats. “The back pain is so much more manageable.”

“Good! That means you did it right.” They clap excitedly. “Good job, carm!”

“You’re the one who did a good job, teaching me all this.” He pulls them in with his arms and starts kissing their cheeks over and over, making them burst into delighted laughter. “Lemme make it up to you. That offer still standing?”

“Hm? What do you—oh,” they gasp, stilling at Carmy’s fingers playing with the edge of their waistband. “Yeah, offer’s still up…”

“Good to know.” Instead of shoving his hand down their leggings, he roughly drags two fingers up their clothed pussy, pressing and rubbing at their clit. They make a low noise, legs tensing from his touch. “Might take a while for me to get these off.”

[pixiesfz]

where’s the tent? s.c x child!reader

apart of sunshine series

plot: your first time at Matilda’s camp

warning: fluff, sunshine and Harper world domination

"Sunshine which toy do you want with you on the plane and which one do you want to put in your suitcase?" Steph asked you whilst holding two bears in front of you.

One was your teddy that Lara gave you and the other was a new Teddy that you had picked out with your new friend Harper when you went shopping with her and her mums.

You looked in between the two bears before pointing at Lara's "take on plane" you mumbled and Steph smiled "okay sunshine"

"Can we film doing hair again?" you ask as Steph zips up your suitcase "I want plaits" you smiled and put your hands on your pajama pants you were still in.

"We have to go soon Sunshine," Steph told you before picking you up and resting you on her hip "How bout we get changed and then we see if we can do hair, if not we can do it at the airport with Kyra and Caitlin"

"Caitlin can't do hair" you mumbled and Steph laughed "She's only used to pony tails"

It was early in the morning and you were still very tired but you weren't complaining as Steph told you that you were going to camp for the first time, the first time she went to camp since adopting you she didn't bring you.

You stayed at Auntie Leah's but you didn't like it, you threw a tantrum every night when you didn't have a Storytime with Stephy and you didn't like the accent Leah had.

Even if it was the same as yours, you still called yourself Australian and were trying to mimic Steph's voice.

Steph thought to take you this time but you didn't know how you would handle being in another country.

Steph dressed you in comfortable clothes and did put your hair in one plait before she drove you both to the airport where you met with Kyra and Caitlin.

"Ready for camp Sunshine?" Caitlin asked you and you nodded "You excited to see Harper?" Kyra chimed in and you jumped up and down from excitement.

"Harper my best friend"

The two girls nodded with smiles as Steph pulled out Lara's teddy and Caitlin and Kyra lined up for the plane "ready?" she asked and you nodded "hand please" you lifted your hand for Steph to take which she did.

On the plane you weren't too bad, more excited for the snack woman to come up and down as you gave Steph your 'puppy eyes' as the Aussie called them.

"You're too young for diet coke Sunshine"

"But when Kyra gave me some-"

"Kyra what"

Steph's eyes popped out of her sockets before she turned around to see a peacefully sleeping Kyra that was sat next to Caitlin who was on her phone before Steph texted her.

You watched as Caitlin slapped the younger girl awake.

You had fallen asleep not much longer and Steph was grateful for it, especially when people walking by would 'aw' at your cuteness.

When the plane landed you woke up and gripped on to Steph, asking her to hold you as a lot of people were walking around, you didn't want to get lost.

You finally got out and fell back asleep on Steph's shoulder as she grabbed all your luggage and made her way into the Uber that Matilda camp had ordered for the three Arsenal girls.

"C'mon Sunshine time to wake up" Steph nudged you awake before she entered the hotel, she wanted to make sure you were at least familiar with the setting before you woke up in the morning.

You were amazed by all the cool lights around you, pointing at little things that amazed you as Steph nodded and talked about them with you.

"Do we want to go to dinner or have a nap first?" Steph asked you and you looked around, more energized from your long naps "Harper" you answered and Steph put you down, her hand still in yours.

"Dinner it is"

When you saw your best friend in the Dinner room, you ran off in a sprint "Harper!" you yelled and the other little girl started running to you as well until you met each other in a hug, the media person catching it on video as the girls awed at the sight.

Katrina walked over to Steph "Sunshine was good on the plane?" she asked with a slight smirk and Steph breathed out "I was so happy".

You and Harper sat on the floor, inviting players down every now and then before your mums forced you to eat your dinners which they got for you.

"Where you talking to Teagan?" Steph asked and you nodded "Teagan's cool, want to see Corkey next" you said and she nodded "You like Courtney don't you, is she your favourite?" she asked and you looked at Steph "But you're my favourite"

Steph seemed to smile at your words and brought you into a hug "Thankyou Sunshine".

When you finished you ran over to Courtney who was with Mary and red hair Courtney "Corkeyyyy" you yelled out, still not very not good with her name.

The blonde raised her arms for you as you jumped up into her arms "Did you miss me?" she asked and you nodded "yes!"

You had only met Courtney a couple of times in London and you had seen pictures of her that Kyra had in her apartment as they used to go to school together.

You just babbled with words as you sat with the three younger girls as Harper played with Charli and Kyra.

Katrina and Steph just called it free babysitting.

When you arrived to your room with Steph you looked around confused and with furrowed eyebrows as your arms crossed over each other "What's wrong Sunshine?"

"Where's the tent?" you asked and Steph cocked her head, also confused "What do you mean Sunshine?"

"This is camp, why no tent?"

Steph just smiled warmly at your words before picking you and explaining to you that soccer camp is different before you fell asleep in her arms.

[thesirencult]

A LETTER FROM YOUR FUTURE SELF

Sometimes the golden threads of the past, the present and the future get entangled. We get to look out of the window and witness what lies ahead or, in reverse, we can look from above to the present and past time and re-evaluate the situation we used to be at. May this letter serve as a reminder that there is a version of you down the line which has escaped on the other side of the veil and they are ready to share their wisdom.

You can book your tarot or astrology reading with me by directly messaging me ❤️ Till then, enjoy this general message waiting to find you 🌙

PILE 1

"I was going through albums full of photos, hugs, love, tears and sadness. I know that we've come a long way now. Sometimes I want to forget and other times to remember. There is always this book that I reread over and over again whenever I want to meet you again. It feels so long ago yet it was what? 5 years? 7? Certainly not that long ago. Yet so many things have changed. That book holds so many memories of us. I love you. You are my little teddy bear. I can not comprehend how we made it or how badly people treated you in the past. There is a place in my heart I keep hiding you in. I talk to you constantly in hopes that you will hear me at some point and realize that we are meant for so much more and we will get that. We just have to wake up and break free from the chains and constraints of others. I love you, for all the beautiful moments we spent together and all the times we cried alone on a cold pillow. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Yours forever and ever and ever,

U 🌧️

PILE 2

"When I try to find the words to talk to you I struggle. I don't feel that much of a connection to you. I've changed a lot and I see my timeline as fragmented. I don't feel proud for you but that doesn't mean I resent you. How could I? You brought me here. You were the one who transformed and broke from the pain, but it was a rough time for me and I try to distance myself from addictions and betrayalz.

Anyways, I wanted to let you know that it's done. We are safe. You wake up in the morning feeling calm and rejuvenated. We don't need it anymore. We don't need them anymore. We take joy in the mundane. Don't roll your eyes! Boring is safe and learning to be still in a world that's always moving will help you ground. Stay safe love ❤️

Yours, faithfully.

(I don't even know why this name came out but maybe it resonates with someone, so I will mention it. Ashley.)

PILE 3

"We are free. We found a lover that let's us breathe and we no longer fear our power and beauty.

We no longer feel threatened by others and we don't have to hide our true selves.

I passed by our old house today and I saw mom and pops. They are doing fine. I went by the doghouse of our old pet and I still cry after 10 years without them, but it's okay, we've loved and we kept a piece of them in our hearts. They still visit us in our dreams you know. A friend like that never leaves you.

Our lover is sweet and safe. They are disciplined and a rock for us. We are still tumultuous and unorganized and they can withstand the dark clouds same as they do the sunny days out. They are a champion and they don't find us difficult to love. They marvel in our strength.

You will grow old together and built a few different houses but the home will always be in your hearts.

I remember you all the time. You would be grateful if you stayed. Don't go, we'll get there. Don't leave me please, I don't want to miss my lover and our home. No matter the weather stay.

Yours now and forever.

[draftingnovels-imagines]

First Meeting \\ Werewolf x Reader + Vampire x Reader

Summary: The first meeting you have with your monster boyfriend

Tags: GN!Reader, Werewolf [full moon, trapped animal, bear traps (no wound descriptions), petting a werewolf, barista] / Vampire [high society events, waitressing, clumsiness, pet names, feasting, death (not graphic)]

Word Count: ~1200

Notes: I wanted to add a third "monster" in here but I couldn't figure out how to fit it in here. Maybe I'll introduce what I was thinking sometime later

Werewolf

The first time you lock your eyes is during a full moon.

You're making your way home. It's not that late, but it is rather cold outside. You're bundled up as best you can be in this weather. As you walk down the street, you hear an animal crying out in the brushes next to you. It's a loud, shrill sound. It sounds like it's in pain.

On any other day, you would have ignored the sound. However, something about it draws you close. It's probably a deer or something, right...? You go through the bushes to find a giant wolf. It towered over you, reaching up and away with fervor. Its leg was caught in a bear trap, and it looked rather bad. Nails dug into the dirt as it braced itself on a tree. Long fur swished as it tried its best to pull away and run, but it was to no avail. It howled again, loud and forlorn, before curling up. It looked resigned to its fate.

Then... it sees you.

It begins to snarl, bearing teeth and body shifting into a guarded stance. Was it truly angry or was it scared? You put your hands up. You don't mean any harm, but it doesn't know that. As you make your way over to the trap, it stays guarded but doesn't snap at you. It takes a minute, and a lot of strength, but you eventually open the trap and release the wolf. It limps out, standing at it's full, bipedal height. It suddenly dawns on you.

This is not a wolf. This is something else entirely.

For some reason, though. You're not scared. It's staring at you, lowering itself to be at eye-level. You reach out to pet it. It flinched at the thought of your touch, but eventually, it pressed its face into your hand. It's... warm, and fluffy. Like a large dog. You can't help but laugh. "Stay safe, alright?" You ask. It nods. Finally, it runs off into the night.

Probably one of the weirdest experiences you've had, but at least you saved it from whatever hunters put those traps up in the first place. You go to sleep to the sounds of howling. Before it was just annoying, but now you had a slight appreciation.

You wake up and go to a new coffee shop with a friend. They offered and there's no shame in trying something new!

It's packed. Clearly this is more of a hot spot than you two thought. The people behind the counter are working the hardest, but once catches your eye. He's at the counter is working on drinks for a moment before he comes up to the register. He looks tired, as if he didn't get much sleep the night before. His hair is messy and the bags underneath his eyes were deep.

"Hello. What can I get--" Once he focused on you, he cut himself off. His gaze felt familiar in a way you can't describe. You tilted your head in confusion.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's you. From last night. It's really you! I thought I'd never see you again." His grin is bright. You blink in confusion before you recognized him.

He's the wolf.

"Hey! You're holding up the line!" Someone shouts behind you. You look behind and see that the line is going out the door.

Maybe you two should have your reunion later.

Vampire

The first time you lock eyes, you see something you're not supposed to.

High-society events aren't your thing. The people they bring are somewhat selfish. Even so, tending tables was a good gig, especially at the most expensive venue in town. It paid enough and it allowed you to get a glimpse into a life you'd never have.

You make your way through the crowd, passing out hors d'oeuvres to anyone who wants. Some thank you, others turn their nose up to you and walk away. You've been working her for a while. At one point, the comments used to hurt you, but now they roll off your shoulders. This particular party is strange, though, but it's something you can't put your finger on. The guests are all affluent but mysterious. Some of these names you've never even heard of. Yet the clothes they wear and the people they're with clearly have more money that you've ever seen. As you deliberate on it and make your rounds, someone bumps into you. Luckily, you don't spill anything.

"I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." He says, his tone seeming genuine. You chuckle. At least someone here was nice.

"It's fine. How are you finding our service here?" You ask, in your most customer-service tone.

"You don't need to talk to me like that, darling. I'm not above you."

Charming. Maybe asking him would get some answers. "Well, I am serving you and the rest of this party. Is it always this--"

"Dull? Oh, you have no idea. They try to have these galas once every few years, and yet they never really do anything with it!"

"I was going to say 'affluent.'"

"Oh." He clears his throat. "Er... yes. Sort of."

You briefly touch his hand and it's cold to the touch. He pulled away quickly, clearing his throat. "Already trying to get hands on me? You haven't even asked me my name yet." He chuckled. While he tried his best to be smooth, you could hear the nervousness in his voice. You went to ask, but were interrupted by your boss yelling at you for not being back.

Once meals are served, things settle down for you, save for refilling people's glasses. You're so close to getting a break! Unfortunately, you trip over one of the tablecloths and fall this time. The tray of wine glasses you're holding comes crashing down and makes a mess on the tile floor. You're not even sure what to do for a moment, frozen in shock. Other workers came and rushed you off, telling you to get a mop or something else to clean this all up. Luckily, your clothes weren't stained so you wouldn't have to get changed. Silver linings, right? Still, you go to the closet and pull on the knob. Locked.

...Locked? That doesn't make any sense. Why keep things locked up in case of a spill. Not thinking anything of that, you open the door.

You take in a breath and all you can smell is blood. It's pungent, and makes you cover your mouth. One of your coworkers, a girl you hadn't known well, lay still in the arms of a guy feasting on her neck. It's messy. It's repulsive. You can't even scream, it's so much. You just stand there in silence, eyes glued to the sight as he finishes the job. Once he's done, only then do you see his face.

It's one you were hoping not to see.

"It's you, darling."

[glorious-spoon]

For the Spotify ficlet: buddie aaaand number 2? :)

hello, and thank you! i return 3 months late, bearing fic. number 2 was the funeral by band of horses, so please enjoy this odd little meditation about eddie and grief and second chances

to know me as hardly golden 1631 words | buddie | emotional hurt/comfort, pre-relationship

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Eddie is six years old when he attends his first funeral. A great-aunt, on his dad's side—he has a vague memory of a frail white-haired woman with hugs that smelled like baby powder. His abuela was the youngest of her siblings by far, and he remembers her standing in the sunlight by the gravesite, iron-gray hair neatly pinned back, eyes dry, mouth pressed to a thin flat line as she watched her sister's coffin sink slowly into the earth.

At six, he doesn't really understand it. But he understands enough to hug her, and he feels her press a kiss to the crown of his head and murmur, Eddito, Eddito, in a soft, shaking voice.

It's an old, hazy memory. He's surprised he's hung onto it this long, but it lingers even now that he's lost count of the number of funerals he's been to. Shannon's should have been the one that hurt the worst, but the truth is he barely remembers it; he moved through that entire day like a wind-up toy, dazed and distant, registering almost nothing other than Christopher.

He didn't attend the funerals of any of the people he saved in Afghanistan, because there weren't supposed to be funerals. That was supposed to be the one thing that made it all worth it—ruining his marriage and missing his son's first steps, the nightmares and the guilt and everything else he stomped down into a deep dark hole where he'd never have to look at it. At least, he always told himself, at least there were four people living in the world who wouldn't be here if it weren't for him.

It takes a while to get past that one, after he learns the truth. A smashed-up wall, a frightened son, and a lot of therapy. A week of Buck sleeping on his couch and wishing he had the courage to ask him to share the bed. Not in the way he sometimes half let himself imagine, but just to have another person there. The solidity of a living breathing body, a person he loves, a person he can still keep safe.

In the hospital after the lightning strike, he haunts the hallways like a ghost, watching his family come in and out of Buck's room, unable to make himself come any closer. He can't stop imagining the funeral: Maddie's white face, the woodenness of Margaret and Phillip Buckley. Bobby and Hen and Chimney. Christopher. He can't stop imagining what Buck might look like in a casket, how much like the way he looks now: silent and white and still in a way that Buck never is.

Buck wakes up, and Eddie hugs him and teases him and lets him sleep on his couch, and he doesn't shove all the rest of it into a deep dark hole because he knows better than that now.

But it lingers, like a wound. Like something he doesn't know how to touch, to handle, to even think about let alone talk about. He moves around it, mostly. He lets Buck cheat at cards and cook him steak and ramble about bioluminescent octopuses from the latest wildlife documentary he watched, and he doesn't say, I imagined going to your funeral.

Buck knows, is the thing. That fear, that lingering directionless grief, Buck knows it. He's careful with Eddie, as if Eddie's the one who was wounded, and it would irk him more if he didn't remember being careful with Buck after the shooting in exactly the same way. 

It's a terrible thing to understand about a person, but the alternative would be worse.

It doesn't come to a head so much as unravel the night after a bad shift a few months later, Buck sleeping on his couch even though he's never stopped complaining about how uncomfortable it is, because it's better than being alone. If Eddie were a better person, maybe he'd protest.

(If Eddie were less of a coward, maybe he'd ask Buck to share his bed. He's not even sure what he's so afraid of: at this point, he thinks it'd be a relief if Buck could see through him to the love he's been bleeding out for months or maybe years now. But he remembers Buck so quiet and still in that hospital bed, and he remembers the feel of Buck's chest unmoving beneath his hands, and the words strangle themselves in his throat every time.)

It's a dream that brings him out into the living room in the dark of night, or half a dream, anyway. Half a memory. The night Buck started breathing on his own, Maddie called him, and he woke up immediately and almost let the call go to voicemail, because if she was calling to tell him that Buck was dead then at least there'd be a few minutes more when he didn't know.

He answered, anyway, and Maddie was crying, and it took Eddie several gut-lurching seconds to figure out that they were good tears.

He wakes up now with the echo of his phone's ringtone in his ears, and fumbles it to him, half-asleep and chilled, to stare at the empty screen for several minutes before he realizes that it must have been a dream.

He swears under his breath, puts the phone down, drops his head back against the pillow.

Probably, he should just close his eyes and try to go back to sleep. That's what he usually does, albeit with extremely mixed results. It's not like he's going to call Buck in the middle of the night and wake him up just to reassure Eddie's sleep-scrambled brain that he's still alive.

But Buck is here, and Eddie is a weak man, when it comes down to it. He shoves his feet into his chanclas and makes his quiet way through the house, pausing first at Christopher's door—his noise machine is quiet now, his breathing heavy and peaceful—before heading into the living room. Buck is sprawled across the couch, long limbs everywhere, the throw blanket he always sleeps under tangled between his legs. Eddie's got a painfully affectionate impulse to tug it loose and drape it over him properly, but instead he lingers in the doorway, watching Buck's chest rise and fall, his soft, steady snoring. If he turned the light on, he knows that Buck's skin would be pink and healthy, aside from the minor bruising where the hydraulic rescue tool slipped and whacked him across the arm at that multi-car pileup that kept them out an hour past the end of their shift.

Buck's already been checked over. He's fine; he wasn't even wincing on the ride back home. Eddie stays where he is anyway, watching Buck breathe for several quiet minutes, until Buck shifts on the couch, brings a hand up to rub clumsily at his face, and mumbles, "You gonna just loom in the doorway all night, or what?"

"Sorry," Eddie says, flushing. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay." Buck levers himself upright, yawning, before Eddie can tell him not to. On the couch, he hunches over, rubbing at his eyes, then blinks up at Eddie with such sleepy affection that something twists sharply in Eddie's chest. "Come on. Come sit down."

Eddie takes a breath, then lets it out, then crosses the living room to sit on the other side of the couch. Buck turns toward him; his knee bumps Eddie's thigh, and he doesn't pull away.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," Eddie says back, and he finally exhales quiet laughter. Buck's just looking at him with a crooked little smile on his face, sympathetic eyes, like he knows exactly what brought Eddie out to the living room.

"You wanna check my vitals?" he asks.

His tone is teasing, soft. And it's that, maybe, or it's the quiet and the dark and the way that Buck still hasn't moved away, that has Eddie reaching across the space between them to press his fingers to the side of Buck's throat. Warm skin, faint stubble, and Buck's pulse beneath that, strong and steady. He can feel it when Buck swallows.

"Better?" he whispers.

Eddie nods. It is better. Proof of life, in the most basic of senses. The way Buck is looking at him, intent and knowingly fond in the shadowed living room, is better still.

"You want to talk about it?" Buck asks, still quiet.

Eddie shakes his head. "Tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"I'm sorry." He's not really checking Buck's pulse anymore. His hand shifts, flattens, until what he's doing is a lot more like cupping Buck's jaw the way he would, maybe, before leaning in for a kiss.

Buck's hand comes up to cover his, warm and steady. Alive, alive. "It's okay."

"No, just—it's late."

"Yeah. Still."

Eddie almost leans in. Almost. He's pretty sure at this point that Buck would let him. But they only get one first kiss, and he doesn't want it to taste like fear, even if that is fading now. He rubs his thumb against the edge of Buck's jaw, and suddenly finds that he can say the words after all. "Would you come back to bed with me tonight?"

Buck's smile takes on a mischievous tilt, and Eddie sighs. "Just to sleep."

"Sure."

"I mean it."

"Okay," Buck says. He squeezes Eddie's hand. "Yeah. Just to sleep, for now. But later…?"

Eddie swallows hard. Cards are already on the table. He's still cupping Buck's face like a lover would. It's too late to backtrack, and he doesn't actually want to anyway. "Later, yeah."

"Cool," Buck says, like a dork. His smile turns bashful, and he hesitates, then turns Eddie's hand to brush a light but definite kiss to the back of his knuckles. "I'm good with later."

[mirisss]

Enhypen's reaction to their asexual gf’s sleeping habit

Enhypen x aseuxal afab! reader

Worcount ≈ 900

Thank you!

Heesung

Heesung would be a bit flirty, never crossing any boundaries that you have, just some playful flirting. “Ohh, who let such a princess come into my room?” “What am I seeing? A goddess, for me?” “Has an angel been sent my way?” The thing is though, he isn’t doing it because of what you’re wearing, nope, he does these things constantly. It could be 6 in the morning as you wake up, your hair looking as if it hasn’t been brushed or washed in a year and he would still ask “Who is this angel that stands in front of me?” Of course, he finds his girlfriend absolutely breathtakingly beautiful but he would never do anything that makes you uncomfortable, so if you don’t like the flirty pick-up lines then he will stop using them immediately. 

Jay

Let’s be honest, Jay falls asleep in seconds. You’d be lucky if he stayed awake long enough for you to change into your “pajamas” or what we should call it. He wouldn’t care, as long as it doesn’t interrupt his sleep, you can wear or do whatever. Jay isn’t one to worry about such things, all he really cares about is his own sleep in these moments. However, if he was awake and saw the pajamas he would really react in any way. Neither “OMG you’re half naked let me touch” nor “Ew, put some clothes on” He would just look at you and ask if you were gonna lay down in bed or stand in the middle of the room half the night. Of course, he wouldn’t react like a sex-crazed monster because he knew that wasn’t something you were interested in and of course, he wouldn’t find you disgusting, he was in love with you after all. 

Jake

Cuddlebug. As long as he gets to cuddle you like a teddy bear, he is a happy boy. You could be dressed in whatever, an overall, nothing, a dress… he doesn’t care as long as he can cuddle you. “Ohhh, (Y/n) you look good. Now come here, I wanna cuddle!” Jake was as excited as a golden retriever puppy when seeing a tennis ball. The second you get within arms reach, he will pull you down on the bed and he won’t let go until morning. It will get warm, so perhaps shorts would be better than sweatpants if you run warm. 

Sunghoon

Being a former ice skater, Sunghoon has seen a lot of people dressed in revealing clothing so in a way he was used to it. However, seeing the girl he was in love with dressed in a sports bra and sweatpants, made him blush. He wasn’t much of a cuddler when sleeping but this day, he couldn’t help himself from embracing you in a tight hug. Just knowing that you felt comfortable enough to be seen this way around him made him incredibly happy and giddy inside. “I love you,” “I love you too, Sunghoon,” It was the first time those words were spoken between Sunghoon and you as you lay in bed cuddled close together.

Sunoo

“Are you sure you won’t be cold? What if I move and steal the blanket?” “Sunoo, you lay on the edge of the bed not moving most of the time, it’s more likely that I steal the blanket from you than the other way around,” “Alright then… Btw, is it really comfortable sleeping in a bra? I’ve heard that it isn’t, would it be better with something else? Like one of my t-shirts or something?” Sunoo would be more concerned over your comfort than anything. He didn’t find it awkward or weird, as long as you were comfortable and didn’t get sick. 

Jungwon

Cuddlebug #2. Jungwon is very excited to finally spend a full night with you. Cuddling, talking, cuddling, just enjoying each other’s presence. He did squeal and blush when you came out of the bathroom in a sports bra and a pair of his sweatpants, the sleepover had been a bit spontaneous so you weren’t really prepared. “Are you sure you don’t want one of my hoodies or t-shirts?” “Yes, Jungwon, I’m sure. I usually sleep in this but, you know, with my sweatpants,” “Oh, nice. We should buy matching colors so it’s like matching pajamas” The squeal wasn’t because of the bra, nope, it was because you were wearing his sweatpants. He barely even noticed the bra until his eyes traveled from the pants to your eyes.

Niki

Cuddlebug #2. He may have stopped cuddling his older members, but you? Oh no, you’re his personal teddy bear. The first time he saw you coming out of the bathroom in a sports bra and sweatpants, he blushed a bit and felt a little nervous but he quickly got over it as he imagined how nice it would be to cuddle with a little more skin contact for that extra warmth. It also gave him opportunities to joke around and tickle you a little. He’s young but he knows what boundaries are, if you don’t want anything more than just hugs that’s fine with him. 

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

aita for offering to stay at a house that isn't mine?

weird title but bear with me. this happened a while ago. (most everyone involved is in their 20s except Grandpa who is idk maybe 70s?)

I, my Sibling, and their Partner went to a multi day event. we drove down together and stayed on site. my Boyfriend and his Brother were visiting their Grandpa who lives 2 hours from the event. since the last day of the event ended kinda late the plan was: we would stay that night at my aunt's apartment in the same city as event and then the next day Sibling would drop me off with Boyfriend and I would drive back home with Boyfriend.

we do the event. it's fun and all that and as expected the last day closes out around 9 or so at night. we get to my aunt's apartment closer to 10pm. staying there falls through for reasons. we need a hotel for the night but that's a lot of money so none of us particularly want to do that. but since we have to at least hotels are cheaper farther from the city. so we drive ~1 hour to the cheaper hotels. we stop at a fast food place to regroup and figure out which hotel is cheapest. it's around midnight.

I realize it's just another hour or so to my Boyfriend's Grandpa's place. Sibling and Partner know Boyfriend and they get along. they have also met Brother in passing. however they've never met Grandpa let alone been to his house. I float the idea to them: I'll first check with Boyfriend if it's cool but I'll drive us to Grandpa's house since that's where we were going tomorrow morning anyway and we can sleep there tonight. Sibling and Partner are cool with it if Boyfriend/Grandpa are cool with it.

I call Boyfriend and explain. he says as long as I'm up for driving this late and we're all cool sleeping on the floor it's fine. we arrive around 2 in the morning. everyone is understandably asleep but I call Boyfriend and he lets us in. there are air mattresses set up and we're all extremely exhausted so we all promptly pass out.

Sibling and Partner wake up before I do. they didn't really bring anything in and most of their stuff is already in their car so they pack up quick. I'm still waking up when Brother says to me something like "get them out of this house now." Sibling and Partner are just about ready to go as far as I can tell. they say thank you to Boyfriend and Grandpa then they leave.

I explain the situation to Grandpa then apologize and thank him for letting us stay the night. I don't know Grandpa that well but he doesn't seem upset that we crashed at his house. he's polite though so it's hard to tell. Brother is irritated. he's making snippy comments at me about being intrusive and putting a burden on Grandpa. Boyfriend doesn't say much. I ask Boyfriend if I was out of line and he shrugs it off and basically says it is what it is.

when I asked Sibling later if anything happened while we were at Grandpa's house they said no. they basically woke up, had a brief conversation with Grandpa and Boyfriend, then they left. they felt a little weird since they were crashing and dashing but neither Grandpa nor Boyfriend seemed to mind.

I know it's not okay to invite random extra people to sleep in someone else's home. and I know we had other options. and it was maybe manipulative for me to call Boyfriend so late at night. it turned out okay in the end but that's no excuse. so yeah: am i the asshole for offering in the first place?

What are these acronyms?

[the-heart-of-a-monster]

PUTTING THE NEW PAGE INTO THIS ASK AS WELL FOR GHE FIRST TIME BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT WITH THIS PAGE SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME HERE

Ima start with the first panel because there’s already so much in that one single panel and it is gonna drive me nuts!

So first up, we have “Secret” Chaotix meeting room. Yes, this place is apparently being kept a secret from the public eye. This could be due to the Chaotix having to handle a bunch of super deep and disturbing cases that, if allowed to spill out into the public, would be catastrophic! Not in the sense that it would destroy the world or anything like that, but it’d certainly ruin their reputation as detectives! Don’t detectives irl have these kinds of cases too…? Or maybe I’m thinking too hard on this and it’s just the place they meet with their friends whenever Eggman does something stupid? Who knows.

I do know though that it looks beautiful and it looks like they’re actually in a room which, as an amateur artist myself, can only dream of achieving!! It looks so cool! I just… I adore your backgrounds and I can tell you put a lot of love and effort into making them, so please give yourself a pat on the back!

And maybe I’m reading too much into a single panel.

But that’s not all that we get to see!!! (No I’m not talking about the Chaotix even though I REALLY wanna talk about the Chaotix cuz they deserve more love and I’m so glad they’re here THANK YOUUUUUUUU) YEAH THAT’S RIGHT, SONIC IS FULLY CONVERTED TO DARK GAIA SONIC LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Well not fully converted, but we can clearly see that it’s taking a huge toll on his body! Not only are the markings now visible on him during the day, but it also seems to be siphoning his energy…? Kind of…? I mean, Sonic has been out cold since “Killing” Omega, and usually he wouldn’t be so out of it otherwise. And I can see a little tiny X over his Gaia eye, so… I’m not too sure, but what I am sure of is that this is BAD for Sonic. The poor guy is gonna have to deal with not only being corrupted during the day, but also at night, and that cannot be good for his psyche. It was bad enough when he had to be in a completely new body for just the nighttime, but now it’s for both day and night in its own way, and… Gosh, this is gonna be torture for Sonic once he wakes up.

Okay now onto the actually lore panels because there is so much to uncover but BEFORE WE GET INTO THE LORE PARTS OF ALL THAT LEMME JUST POINT OUT HOW PISSED SHADOW LOOKS IN THE SECOND PANEL BRO LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO PUNT CHIP INTO THE SUN FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER AND HE IS JUST SO OVERPROTECTIVE OF SONIC IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY I LOVE THIS ANGSTY EDGY BOY SO MUCH BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT IS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD RIGHT NOW WHY IS HE GLARING DAGGERS AT CHIP WHAT DID THIS LITTLE CREECHUR EVEN DO TO YOU SHADZ

Okay back to the lore-

So, im still gonna call Light Gaia as Chip because I still see a cute adorable fluffy fairy in those big brown eyes and I think he deserves a real name. Anyhow, Chip now is aware of him being a literal god. He says he regulates the day and Dark Gaia regulates the night. This kind of makes sense. Chip handles the sun and DG handles the moon. Think Luna and Celestia from MLP. And similar to those two as well, Dark Gaia got out of control like Luna did and created an eternal night. But this doesn’t really explain the planet splitting into a million giant pieces. (Not literally a million) Nor does it explain Chip losing his memory. Chip claims that whenever one of them falls out of line, the other will be there to pull them back together. Does this mean Chip or Dark Gaia have lost their memory before? Have the events of Unleashed happened before? How do they reign the other in?

These questions are probably gonna get answered in the next page lmao what am I doing-

Everything else is kinda sorta spelled out to us which I think is a good thing, since Chip is, in the story, explaining all of this to a group of people who had no idea about any of this for their entire lives. The poor Chaotix just got roped into this, they just want their pay. So with that in mind I don’t know what else to really cover…? Maybe I’ll notice something later on and just start spamming you with questions, who knows. For now I’m SUPER DUPER EXCITED FOR THE NEXT PAGE LET’S GO THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK

hell yeah do look out for the new page on monday :3 i love ur little big analysis its always the highlight of my week to see one

btw this goes out to evecryone but the whole scene has a lot of moments for everyone else than sonic and shadow so we are winning

[autumnmobile12]

After the release of the official Nocturne trailer, we're all asking where Alucard is.

Here's my two cents and two theories:

Theory 1: The Years Got to Him

Being effectively immortal, Alucard would have watched Trevor and Sypha die, and then he inevitably would have watched their children die, and then their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

How long would it have been before couldn't bear the thought of seeing another life he'd known since birth age and pass away? How many times did he recognize Sypha's laugh or Trevor's eyes in their descendants before he said, "No more. I can't do this any more."

So he puts himself to sleep with the instructions to the family to wake him 'in their darkest hour' or something like that. Over time, he becomes a family legend and then forgotten. In his absence, the Belmont village crumbles and disappears, taking with it all the knowledge and advancements its people.

Because as we know from the original series, humans forget.

...

Theory 2: The Belmonts Drove Him Out

I know what you're thinking: Trevor and Sypha would never. And you're right, they wouldn't. Their children and grandchildren probably wouldn't either. By the time we get to Christopher Belmont, he probably never met his great-grandparents, but he would know the stories and honor their memories.

But in the two hundred years between him and Richter?

The Belmonts are a long-lasting family, and like any other family, they can adapt and go through changes. They are subject to past traumas and prejudices, can lose sight of original purposes, or can straight up become corrupted by any number of things.

We see it with kings, emperors, CEOs, and even just regular families. All it takes is one asshole who chose to ignore the wisdom of his ancestors to ruin a good thing.

Say some Belmont down the line--Soleil, Simon, or Juste or anyone--lost someone important to a vampire and they swore vengeance on the entire race, as Dracula had once done on humanity. Alucard steps in to stop them and remind them of their history, and his words are met with a cold, "What do you know? You're just an old dhampir we should have done away with decades ago!"

This is just a scenario, but it is a possibility Alucard could have had a falling out with his family. Maybe they tried to kill him and he fled. Maybe they nearly succeeded in killing him and he sealed himself in his coffin to recover as he did in the original series.

He's no stranger to betrayal, after all.

This would depend heavily on the 'dear person' Olrox lost. Was their death warranted? Were they a menace to society and had to be put down?

Or have the Belmonts gone astray and Richter's mother killed them simply for existing? This option might be indicative as to why Olrox spared Richter. Killing a defenseless child would have saved him a lot of trouble in the future, but perhaps he chose to be better (the lesson learned in the original series) than the mother and risk the consequences later. Mother might have killed just because of a vampire, but Olrox refused to kill just because Richter was a Belmont.

...

Unrelated, but this could also be a set-up a 'break the chain of sorrow' trope in which this scenario played out: Richter's father was killed by Olrox's 'friend' for lack of a better word, Richter's mother then kills Olrox's lover out of vengeance, Olrox kills her out of vengeance, leaving Richter to either take vengeance himself or break the chain of sorrow by accepting that if this revenge continues, there will be nothing left but sorrow.

I'm probably putting way too much thought into all of this, but...there you go.

[syrupfog]

I have a lot of trouble reading amnesia fics, and I’ve decided to dissect that. 

I think I just really struggle with reading the rest of the characters in constant emotional pain. I put myself in the shoes of the amnesiac and *i* feel guilty about not being able to remember them

So like. What would it take for me to write an amnesia fic? It would have to be one where no one is hurt by the amnesia. Maybe even one where amnesia is a good thing. 

I think it would start from the (3rd person) pov of the person waking up with amnesia.

And it would be written so we as the readers aren’t suffering from the knowledge that the character’s family/friends are missing them/looking for them/sad at being forgotten. 

So like. A lulaw fic maybe.

Law wakes up in the middle of nowhere. All he knows is his name and that there’s rage inside of him. 

I think we’d meet members of the heart pirates early on, as a promise to the reader that his crew aren’t in pain missing him. They haven’t met, haven’t formed a crew.

Actually I’d like it if the heart pirates (as we know them) are scattered between other pirate crews and Law eventually picks them out and adds them to his own. 

But that would be way later down the line.

I think it starts with him waking up in a little dinghy that’s washed ashore on an empty beach. No one around, totally lost, he tries to scavenge but all his inherent knowledge is how to fend for himself in city environments

So when a ship appears, he begs for a ride to… somewhere. 

He’s welcomed warmly, excitedly, by the captain with the scar under his eye. The others aren’t as trusting, and the archaeologist looks like she wants to say something, but stops herself.

They bring him aboard and he awkwardly tries to integrate while unsure how much to trust them. He feels anger inside, still, and nothing to do With it. 

I think eventually Robin tells him that she knows some of his story. Recognizes his tattoos.

He has his normal forearm and hand tats, but no hearts. 

She tells of a man who matches his appearance who is wanted for burning a country to the ground.

He was second in command of a powerful pirate named Doflamingo, she says. No one knew what transpired between them exactly, but there had been an argument, a fight between them, one that destroyed miles of land around them. Scorched earth. No one had seen either since.

Law doesn’t gain his memories there but he wonders if that’s true. He wonders if he’s a monster. 

What he knows about himself is he’s surly and can’t show emotions on his sleeve like the captain of his ship. He knows he feels rage.

He knows he doesn’t have natural warmth the way these people all seem to. A carefree joy and happiness that he’s surrounded by. 

He thinks he must be evil. 

He wonders what he’s supposed to do about that. Turn himself in?

Luffy says no, that’s dumb. You’re a pirate now, and anyway you don’t remember any of that shit so it would be stupid to turn yourself in. 

He makes it sound simple. 

Law doesn’t think it is.

Oh I think Bepo is on the straw hat crew. 

I think he’s drawn to Law. They make quite a pair, the timid apologizing bear and the quiet, angry man. 

I think when they reach a larger island, Bepo asks permission to follow Law. He’s worried about him. Doesn’t want him to be alone.

I think that’s the start of the heart pirates. 

Penguin and Shachi are on Kid’s crew, and I think Kid only lets them follow Law because Penguin and Killer are married so they’ll always have SOME loyalty to him.

But they find him much later, after Law’s picked up a small ship with Bepo. They have a run in with the Kid pirates because Kid had MET Doffy and Law at some point previously and he tries to fight Law. 

This is the first time Law learns he has a devil fruit.

Because he’s running from Kid (“I don’t fucking know you stop acting like I do!”) and Kid is confused why he’s not at the very least using room to get away. 

When he stops trying to beat Law’s ass (mostly because Bepo protects him), Kid very angrily explains.

About the op op fruit and about how Law had been the one to sever his arm. 

Law maybe has a panic about that. More proof he’s evil. 

Kid says with Law’s fruit he didn’t have to worry about bleeding out at least. He just. Didn’t have an arm anymore.

Was that a kindness? Who knows? 

(Eventually Law knows. He knows he was trying to help, knows there was something in him that told him enemies of Doffy were his allies). 

Anyway he gets Penguin and Shachi there. 

He still gets Jean Bart at Sabaody, the next time he sees Luffy.

He still keeps running into Luffy, the personification of warmth and the one who first saved him. There’s gratitude there. There’s love, later. 

His memories come back to him in nightmares. Flevance. Doflamingo. 

He doesn’t remember Cora.

He doesnt remember Cora but he does remember Doflamingo arranging a marriage. Charlotte Pudding (okay she’s like 10 years older in this timelines are hard). He didn’t tolerate her, but he could never disobey Doffy.

She DID escape the fire. He finds her over a year later. He gets back the memories she took, at Doffy’s command. 

He remembers Cora. 

The heart pirates get their name. 

He gets his heart tattoos.

He knows where the anger in him came from. Even when she took his memories she couldn’t take the love and anger buried in him. 

The next time he sees Luffy he’s a full fledged pirate captain with a crew who’s been there as he’s discovered himself.

He’s grateful to Luffy but Luffy doesn’t care about that. 

He cares about the first time he sees Law smile with real joy on his face. 

And then I dunno they kiss or something.

[lilpixielixie]

CHAPTER THREE: Delicate | hwang hyunjin x fem!reader

Delicate | hwang hyunjin x fem! reader

"This ain't for the best, my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me"

- Delicate, Taylor Swift

Summary: Moving to Seul wasn't something that Selene expected to do, but her broken heart and tired soul were craving for peace. She didn't even think too much about it: she simply saw an opportunity that would let her hide from the media and Hollywood for some time and took it. However, she will have to make a decision by the end of the year and she hopes that, when the time comes, the same world that was hating on her right now would forget everything. Maybe she wasn't meant to be an actress, but she was sure she wasn't meant to be loved. At least, that was what she thought before meeting an idol who wasn't treating her like a broken and pitiful person.

Words: 2K

Genre: actress!reader x idol!hyunjin, SLOW BURN, angst, hurt/comfort, eventual smut (minors dni)

Warning: mention of Hyunjin's hiatus

Author's note: Hi everyone! I know it's been another month, but I've been really busy with work and lots of other stuff I've been doing that maybe one day I will tell you about. Also, mainly they speak english with Selene, when they speak korean I will change font so you can understand the difference! Enjoy the chapter!

Series Masterlis | Selene Profile

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“You’re really rocking this shorthair agenda” Sunoo said while making a weird hand gesture. 

Selene cringed.

“For the love of God, Sunoo please stop and go back to practice with the others” 

“I’m being supportive of our amazing and beautiful choreographer!!!” he replied, outraged.

Sunghoon snorted from the floor where he was stretching “Seeing your performance lately, you should really practice instead of chit chatting”

Sunoo shot him a glance and huffed “Do you wake up every morning being this insufferable? Was there once you were nice?”

“Children, no fighting in the practice room” Selene warned both the boys “go back to warm up, I want to run the whole performance of tamed-dashed at least five times” 

“FIVE?!” Jake yelled from the other side of the room. He was wearing a baggy brown hoodie which made him look like a teddy bear ready to hug and cheer up every single person in the room. Right next to him there was Jay who was helping the other stretch and he was also a victim of his sudden yell: he flinched and started to rub his ears murmuring what Selene thought were curses in english. 

The girl was unimpressed because she was used to their antics by that time. In fact, she raised an eyebrow as if she was questioning his whining. 

“You have to be perfect and go beyond the standard you set with your last comeback” 

“You just like to torture us at this point” Nikki whined even though he was the most diligent out of all the seven boys when it came to dance. Moreover, he didn’t really mind practicing the same dance several times because he was a perfectionist just like her and this little resemblance made him happy. 

Selene was sort of his idol: the kind of adoration he’d been expressing towards their new choreographer since they were introduced was crossing a thin line between admiration and worshiping a god. For this very reason, the others would often joke about how Selene was the only god Nikki believed in. She found herself often in this situation and even though at the beginning it made her laugh, now it was starting to get annoying. However, this had nothing to do with Nikki or the boys because the blonde girl knew it was her low self-esteem talking. She’d never understood the blind admiration certain people felt towards her and the more it happened the more she got annoyed and frustrated with the situation. 

If she was such an amazing actress, she would be still acting instead of being there in Seul hiding from the cameras and her fans. 

If she was the amazing dancer Nikki talked about with sparkling eyes full of admiration and respect, she would be still having a dancing career.

If her relationship was really the most perfect of all, it wouldn’t have ended like this. 

However, here she was acting like a criminal who is waiting for all her charges to disappear into thin air. The only difference between a criminal and herself was that a lawyer wouldn’t be enough to bring her out from the mountain of crap she was being crushed under.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder that brought her back to reality. The choreographer turned her head towards the younger boy who was smiling at her with his little dimple out. 

“Are you ok? You were a bit anxious this morning” Jungwon asked with a concerned tone. Selene looked down feeling guilty. 

“I…I think I screwed up” she admitted in one breath. Jungwon frowned because he was confused by her sudden vulgar choice of words and whatever she meant by that. 

“Someone recognized me last night” 

“OH MY GOD, WHO?” Sunoo jumped into her view, eager to know. On the other side, Jungwon shot him a disappointed glance. 

“Don’t you see she’s upset?”

“She shouldn’t” 

“Well, but no one is supposed to know I’m here” she murmured “the company was very clear about it”

“Then, screw the company” Sunoo said without hesitation. Both Selene and Jungwon didn’t react, too used to this kind of reaction every time this topic came up. 

“Selene, you can’t recluse yourself into your apartment when you’re not working with us” Jungwon said matter-of-factly “and the fact that someone might have recognized you doesn’t mean they know everything”

“Yeah, you have to live blondie” 

“Sunoo”

“It’s Sunoo-hyung for you” 

Jungwon rolled his eyes and muttered something along the line “cannot stand him anymore”

On the other hand, Selene was biting her lips uncomfortably “But, what if…they start to question my sudden appearance here? Moreover, I was at the convenience store near my apartment that is near the company”

“That is irrelevant, really, the majority tend to mind their own business” Jungwon reassured her while gently rubbing her shoulder to ease a bit of tension. 

“So…who was it?” Sunoo asked again, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Hyunjin” Selene replied “from Stray Kids”

Both the guys looked at her and replied with a little “oh” and because of this weird ration Selene started to panic. 

“I-is it that bad? What? Hyunjin is like a bad person or-”

“No no no, sorry, we didn’t mean like that” Jungwon jumped to reassure her again while still having a weird expression “It’s just that-”

“He was literally in your same situation not until some days ago, no one in the industry has seen him in months” the oldest of the two mumbled “from what we know, not even his members had seen him for weeks”

“Jake became friends with Chan and Felix” Jungwon said to Selene even though she still had to ask how they knew. 

After that, the blonde girl nodded and she started to think about last night and how he looked all covered up.

“How is he? Do you know him?” 

Jungwon raised an eyebrow questioning Selene's sudden interest without calling her out directly; however, Sunoo looked delighted by it and gave her a big “I know where this is going” smile.

“Oh oh” Sunoo’s eyes sparkled full of interest “someone got our girl attention”

Suddenly, the other members who weren’t involved in the conversation appeared as those magic words sinked into everyone’s mind. 

“Oh my god, you like someone?” Jake asked overexcited

“I KNEW IT! I told you it was a matter of time!” Jay’s voice sounded clear - Selene couldn’t understand who he was talking to - among the chaos Sunoo created. All of the members but Jungwon (he was rubbing his temples done) started to talk and ask questions to their young choreographer because they were eager to know some news. This reaction kind of warmed Selene’s heart because from day one these boys have been nothing but kind and supportive with her, treating her as a normal human being and they’ve never made her feel uncomfortable or left out. However, she was also annoyed. 

“STOP! ALL OF YOU, SILENCE!” she yelled so that everyone could hear her over all of that noise. The group shut up and waited for their choreographer to continue. 

“I don’t like anyone, I just wanted to know how a certain idol I ran into last night is, drop it. If you’re not gonna answer me, go back to practice tamed-dashed ten times; or we can have another five minutes of break”

“Man, she got mad…ten times now!” Jake whispered-yelled into Jay’s ear who wanted to punch him in the face.

“Which idol?” Sunghoon asked “Was he better looking than me?”

“Well” Sunoo replied in english at Selene’s place “you might wanna sit dude, because this is a good one”

“Did he just dude me?!” 

The blonde girl couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out the answer “It was Hyunjin from Stray kids” she was met with silence “is he a good person or not? Because both time you hadn’t got a good reaction”

“No it’s just…” Jay started to talk but didn’t finish his sentence, probably because he didn’t know how to explain it. 

“We’re just surprised” Heeseung said “seeing what happened with him we’re still surprised he came back; also you’re the first person that has seen him since his come back some days ago”

“But he’s great” intervened Nikki “I mean, none of us had really any kind of relationship with him, but from what Chan, Felix and also Jeongin said about him and those little interaction we had he seems good”

“Everybody before that scandal talked really good about him” Heeseung nodded along with the others. 

“And now?” Selene asked.

Everyone looked at each other before Jungwon said “No one was allowed to talk about him anymore, he just came back unexpectedly so…for now, the majority will pretend to be nice in front of him while talking shit at his back, and the rest will just try to treat him as nothing happened”

Selene looked at all of them, then she smiled bitterly “It looks like the story is always repeating itself”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hyunjin didn’t tell anyone about his encounter with Selene the other night, but he kind of hoped to see her again. He didn’t really know what came into him, but he just wanted to talk a bit with her and see if she was doing ok. Considering the fact they’ve never met before last night, this wish was weird and pretty out of the blue, but it had to do with Hyunjin’s eternal empathy. While he was in hiatus - but also before that - he kept himself informed about whatever happened to Selene, one of the most famous and loved western actresses of the last four years, because firstly he was a fan of the movies and secondly he liked her as a person. When she disappeared around the same time he went on hiatus he thought it was pretty ironic and started to wonder what she was going through; if she was having the same thoughts as him; if she was also finding it hard staying hidden from the world’s spotlight just like himself. 

Due to that sudden encounter in that particular convenience store, he decided to test his luck and go back there. Considering the fact that Selene was one of Enhypen’s new choreographers, she must have been busy until pretty late into the night, so Hyunjin went to the convenience store a bit after midnight. He took his time going around the aisles and looking through the food he could buy when the door opened. He briefly glanced at the door and he saw the same feminine figure all covered up going straight to the ice cream section. 

Then, as if he was possessed by someone definitely more confident than his usual awkward off-stage self, he walked towards her. On the other side, Selene was totally unaware of the man approaching her, too busy choosing among the ice cream flavors. At some point, she heard a gentle “hey” behind her which made her hand pause mid air while taking the cookie dough flavored ice cream, then she felt the mysterious guy moving behind her. She saw a hand coming into her view and picking up the ice cream she wanted and putting it into her hand. In that moment, she quickly studied that hand and, when she saw two particular rings adorning it, she recognized him. She took the cookie dough flavored ice cream and turned around meeting a pair of brown gentle eyes which were turning lightly into two crescent moons. 

“Hi there” Hyunjin said in english while scratching the back of his neck nervously “what about we have something to eat together here?” he shook the cup of instant ramen he was holding. 

“I…”

“This convenience store is usually empty at this hour, I used to come here a lot some months ago” Hyunjin continued in a rush of confidence “there are those sits right there pretty hidden from the outsiders, that’s why I like this place” 

The girl in front of him looked like a spooked cat, but against all of his expectations she nodded while fixing her face mask. 

“Ok, Hyunjin”

And when he heard his name coming from her mouth - he was surprised she even knew him - he realized he liked the way her accent curled around the syllables more than he thought he would.

© lilpixielixie all rights reserved | do not copy, repost or translate this fic.

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PHOENIX | 2. PARULTSYÌP

Parultsyìp [pa.ˈɾul.͡tsjɪp] 'little miracle, dear little one' is a term of affection for children, derived of parul miracle.

Status: CHAPTER 2 (2/?)

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Parings: Neteyam x Fem!UnknownOriginsNa’vi!Reader

Genre/Warnings: ANGST, sorrow, mentions of nearly death, romance, adventure, soulmate love, destined lovers, possible suggestive content NSFW/MDNI later on, no use of Y/N, clans never seen in films yet. All characters are AGED-UP.

Summary: During the battle with the SeaDragon, gunfire struck Neteyam’s heart. A mortal wound that heals itself under the astonished eyes of his brother, as if the Great Mother still did not want him with her. She has other plans for Toruk Makto's eldest son.  Nevertheless, his body is weak, and he falls into a slumber from which he can no longer wake up. His vital signs are stable, yet Neteyam is slowly slipping away. He is waiting. Waiting for the girl who has been appearing in his dreams since he went into a coma.

Chapter Summary: Title's Burden on Young Shoulders: Future of the Clan, Son of Toruk Makto, Parul. A title that carried both significant consequences and immense fortune. Just like a miracle.

Little note: I FINALLY finished this chapter. It took sooo long to proofread, cause so many things happened in the process. Not to mention there's a lot of action in this chapter (tiny spoiler eheh).

Hope you'll like it and if you want to be tagged in the next posts, just write it in the comments. I’ll gladly add y'all💕

Word Count: 4.5k

Masterlist - Request a fic

2. PARULTSYÌP

"I want to go home," rasped Neteyam, choking on his own blood flowing up his throat. The grip on his face tightened, and he felt a sudden relief in his breathing. “I know, I know,” Jake spoke in a cracking voice, “It’s ok, we’ll go home.”  His frantic gaze shifted rapidly as his chest quivered with intensity. He cast a look at each of those present, but his mind was too consumed by terror for his vacant eyes to truly registering their presence. He struggled to keep his composure, his lower lip trembling, but the pain was too much, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. His father's words had a soothing effect on him, and his tense body slowly relaxed. Savoring the rare moment of tenderness with a smile, he closed his eyes as his father's hand caressed his cheek.

"Dad, I—". His voice trailed off, and his eyes clouded over. The sentence remained unspoken. Against the jagged, stark rock, his body sagged like a marionette with its strings cut. His neck rested against Jake's fingers while his cheek nestled into his palm. Dilated like ink stains, the black pupils were strikingly intense.

Neteyam was gone. They couldn't bear the thought of never again seeing his smile or hearing his soft chuckle. A silence so heavy it felt suffocating marked his final moments. Last words left unsaid and forever unknown.

Neytiri’s voice echoed through the roar of the waves as she called out to him. Once, twice, three times. With each shrill cry and fat tear, she shook him more and more. She conceived her eldest son during the first war against the Sky People. His birth, coupled with their victory, was seen as a splendid gift, a symbol of harmony and renaissance to the People. A miracle. ‘Parultsyìp’ was the nickname she lovingly gave him in his childhood.

Parul: a title that spread like wildfire among the Omatikaya, as he was the epitome of it.

Yet, Eywa’s will had taken him away from her, at the hands of the very people responsible for destroying everything she knew and held dear; who had set fire to the forest, her dwelling, her serenity. The memory of who had torn her beloved father from her still haunted her. It was beyond measure, the depth of the wound so deep that it seemed to swallow her whole, as if she was falling into an endless abyss of pain. A mourning that remained with her in the years to follow, but was tempered by the unending delight and childlike behavior of her small kin. Her smile may have been warm, but beneath it lay the bitterness that had taken root in her heart; an anguish that moulded her into the warrior she is today, much like a parasite that feeds on its host. Beautiful and cruel. The disease had started with the separation from Sylwanin and had now reached its climax with that from her firstborn.

In one fell swoop, they took away her last bit of purity and his young life. However, there was no room for despair, not just now. Their daughters were held captive aboard the SeaDragon.

Jake was caressing her face. The same hand that a minute before had held Neteyam’s, and she almost had the instinct to flinch, horrified. It felt foreign and sinister as it reached for her.  Death had touched them both, though it was his words that left a lasting impression on her soul, resonating more powerful than any misery. Their appeal was so primal and dark that it awakened something ruthless within the deepest parts of her spirit. Like an iceberg, her rage was hidden beneath the surface, waiting to strike. A blind, savage desire for revenge.

"Strong heart," he whispered softly as his breath brushed against her lips. With only a few millimeters between their foreheads, they knew they had to hasten. There was no time to waste: Kiri and Tuk needed them. Lo'ak made to approach his father, but stopped short when he saw the stern expression on his face. Jake’s voice was filled with tangible cold fury as he instructed, “Stay here with your brother.” “Dad, I want to go with you.” Toruk Makto’s eyes met his son’s for a fleeting moment, yet in that instant, he perceived the weight of sadness, regret, grief, and anger that plagued the man. But Lo'ak also read something else lurking within.

Disappointment and judgment.

He raised a hand to halt his rant. “You’ve done enough.” His spatted words stung as he walked away, leaving him feeling small and useless. "But Dad," he said, his voice cracking in desperation. He was imputing the blame on him. As always. 

Neteyam's virtue translated into judiciousness and responsibility. He was prudent and thoughtful, someone you could rely on; had a strong sense of duty and was trustworthy. A wise person who always put the needs of others before his own and reasoned accordingly. Who worked hard to earn his place in the clan - both the clans. Always the good example to follow. 

The golden boy. 

Unlike him, Lo’ak had a mercurial nature, often characterized by fearlessness and impulsiveness. A scoundrel who never failed to drag his older brother into his misadventures. No matter what kind of trouble he got himself into, Neteyam constantly took the hit for things he couldn't control, which often left him harmed. It was his task to keep the younger one in check, preserving him even from his own recklessness.

Lo’ak’s fault that Neteyam had been caught in an explosion in the raid on the RDA train.  Lo'ak's actions led to Quaritch kidnapping Spider, discovering Jake's kids and forcing the family to flee.  They were jolted out of their ordinary, peaceful lives. Ripped their mother from her position as Tsakarem and his brother from his role as the next Olo’eyktan. Neteyam's split lip was a result of the fight he got into with Ao'nung, which was instigated by Lo'ak. If his sisters were tied up somewhere on the whaler off the coast, he should be the one to blame.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was his liability for Neteyam's passing.

Before he winced at the sound of his name, Tsireya's gentle touch had already reached him. So deep in thought that he didn't even notice how close she was. "It's not your fault," she said, looking at him with empathy, as if trying to ease the guilt he felt. The atmosphere was tense, and the usual cheerfulness was nowhere to be found, replaced with a heavy, somber mood. She looked at him with a liquid gaze, clouded by concern and a desire to ease his burden. And by fear.

The Metkayina had known nothing but peace until now. The ocean was ablaze, and corpses were everywhere, both Na’vi and humans. Alien machines and people's cries fused into an earsplitting noise. The smoke enveloped the air, carrying an acrid stench that she couldn’t place, but she would soon associate it to the notion of war. She embraced Lo'ak tightly, her turquoise irises skimming the surroundings from above his shoulder.  Stars should have been scattered in the eclipse sky, and she should have seen the iridescent outline of Polyphemus. Everything was engulfed in darkness, save for the flickering red and orange flames.

Huddled together as far as the barrier of their bodies made it possible, their faces aligned. Eyes locked in a wordless exchange that seemed to convey everything they needed to say. The warmth of their breaths mingled as their noses collided, and they could still feel the salt water drying on their skin. Their heartbeats filled the space between them, drowning out all other noise.

Even though the timing was less than ideal, they shared the long-awaited first kiss that left them both breathless; uncertainty looming over them, knowing it might be their last. Their lips barely brushed as a sharp whistle rose from Neteyam’s now gaping mouth. Inhaling in deep, erratic puffs, his fatigued eyes widened. He let out a weak cough, a sign that he was still with us. 

Neteyam was alive.  He was still alive.

“Bro!” Lo'ak sprang into action, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him up, helping him catch his breath. "I've got you, bro," he said. “Take short, quick breaths. Keep calm, don’t fidget. You’re fine, you made it. You’re still here.” What was happening before his eyes took him aback. It was almost too surreal to believe. His brother had been awake, crossed over to the other side, and returned. An unrestrained grin plasticized on his face, not resisting hugging him. 

In that moment, Neteyam's agonized throat let out a grunt, and his entire body convulsed with spasms. The growls escaping from his mouth sounding more like painful moans. Lo'ak's instincts kicked in and he ducked his abdomen forward, tapping his shoulder blades. Something was stuck in his windpipe, and he choked violently in an attempt to clear it. Neteyam threw out as he urged him to, spitting out the stale, viscous blood with a loud stridor. He leaned back against him, and he could feel the tension leaving his body. "I can't believe it," he laughed with delight. “You kicked death’s butt, bro!”

His joke fell flat. As he waited for a response, a snicker, the only thing he heard was the sound of his own breathing, leaving him with an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air. He brought his hands to his brother's face, desperate to hold onto the moment, fearing any further separation. Something that would be too much for him to handle. There's no way he could see him fade away again, not after giving him a glimpse of hope. But his eyes were bright; that full, vivid yellow, free of impurities he remembered. Nothing like what they had become only a quarter of an hour ago.

“They’re two highlighters,” Spider quipped during their playtime one afternoon. They were probably around seven. “What’s a hailaite?”  “Highlighter. It’s a marker with a big flat tip. Norm's got a ton of those on his desk. He uses them to make important stuff stand out on paper. Crazy, huh? He's old school, he still uses paper!” he chuckled. "He says it adds a touch of reality to the technology.”

Paper wasn’t a foreign concept to the Omatikaya, as outsiders had introduced them to it. Although they found it almost useless since the Na'vi, except for the Tawkami clan, didn’t have a writing system. Only the Sullys could wield it, as they were the sole members of the clan who could read English, an Earth language. Norm was their teacher. Their weekly schedule included three sessions of English lessons, along with hours dedicated to maths and science.

With the village’s constant rhythms, educating them to the level of an average human being was a daunting task. But Jake and Neytiri believed their children should know of their human side to have a complete sense of their identity. Also, they realized having extra knowledge in science and technology would be beneficial. 

"Super weird," is how Spider described the highlighters. “They're not the go-to for coloring or drawing, but they're hella vibrant.”“Vibrant?” said Kiri skeptically. “It means the colors are poppin'. They look strong. You know, like Teyam's eyes.”

Yes, Teyam’s eyes were bright and energetic. Lo'ak doubted to possess the same vigour they conveyed. The leader's spirit was not passed down to him. 

Only if he had witnessed his father a few decades earlier, he would have finally comprehended how much he had taken from him. Not just the incredible resemblance of their faces. Not just the addition finger on each hand and foot, or the eyebrows, or the irises a shade darker than his mother’s. 

Jake held his youngest son in thrall, for he was his spitting image. - Nothing scared him more than catching sight of his younger self in Lo’ak; his mirror.

There was a time when Jake acted on his emotions rather than thinking things through. He was impulsive, trusting his gut over his head, and was always eager to join in any kind of altercation, to jump into the fray. Whether it was to stand up for a friend or for the sheer sake of a good fistfight.  A disposition that cost him his legs as a Marine, but it was also the reason he was brave enough to step into Tommy's shoes in the Avatar Project. A life-changing decision that led him here, to Pandora. To Neytiri. Where he got something more meaningful and visceral, a sense of purpose filled with hope, love, and a group of people to connect with.

A place to belong.  A home. A family.  And with them, countless worries come along. 

A father protects. That's what gives him meaning.

As his children grew, the somewhat awkward but endearing carefreeness gradually faded. He started to prioritize his role as Olo'eyktan over his role as a father, especially to the two boys, resulting in a shift in their relationship. They looked up to him and strived to match his standards, exceed his expectations, and earn his respect. 

To gain his approval. To live up to him.

To break free from his shadow.

The day would come when Jake wouldn't be there to guide the clan anymore. It would fall on them, as warriors and his successors, to preserve it, and with it, their sisters. They had to be primed.

The reappear of the RDA had merely fomented this authoritarian side, shaped by years of military discipline. One by one, a new tile replaced the playful, jolly dad with each clash. Toruk Makto and Corporal Sully’s puzzle was incomplete until the train episode and the memory of his first-born being thrown into the air came together to form a complete picture. A commanding and aloof individual who responded to the title ‘sir’.

But the proverbial final straw that broke the camel’s back was encountering Quaritch once more, as if resurrected from the dead. Like a ghost from the past. Well, almost. He was now a phony Na’vi of twenty-something years - like his own children. It was a disorienting experience, given that he was at least thirty years Jake's senior, as a human. Still, that voice and its overconfident and defiant demeanour were just as he recalled. Specifically, watching him press a dagger to Lo'ak's jugular.

The past had arrived at his doorstep, and he had a lot, far too much at stake. He had already lost one of his sons, his own flesh and blood, taken away before his very eyes. Little did he know that, as he battled his worst nightmare to the death, Eywa had already granted him mercy and clemency.

Lo'ak told his brother to sit against a craggy outcrop so he could breathe easier and said he had to warn their father. Slowly, he made his way to the edge of the rocks and looked down at the churning water below. With his back turned, he asked Tsireya to take care of Neteyam in his absence, sneaking a peek at her from the corner of his eye. The blinding glare from the sea made it hard to make out the features of his face.  “No!”  "Find someone, anyone - your father, a survivor, an ilu. But bring Neteyam back to the village, okay? He needs Ronal.” “Lo’ak, you cannot...” "I gotta," he insisted, cutting her off and kneeling to cup her face. As he wiped away her tears, he could feel her trembling beneath his touch, her face contorted into a look of distress. His thumbs circling on her cheeks. “I couldn't live with myself if something happened to my sisters. If something were to happen to my parents while they were fighting out of hatred and fury, I’d never forgive myself. Neteyam's alive, they must know. I won't let them think they lost him and sacrifice themselves.” 

All because of me.

He went to get up, but the girl gripped his hand, not wanting to let go, and said, “Don’t go, something might happen to you.” She gritted her teeth as more tears mingled with the salt that had dried on her cheeks. Three fingers intertwined firmly at his four. “They could lose you.” ”I'm down to take that risk. They’re my family. I'd rather me than him,” he said with a bitter chuckle, pointing towards his brother. "You can’t mean it," she said, sounding reproachful. He didn't answer, instead choosing to hold her hand in both of his and look away. Slowly and rhythmically, he stroked her back with his thumb.  ”Lo'ak, you're just as important as Neteyam. They love you. Losing you would be just as heartbreaking.” Again, the only response was a quick, disapproving shake of the head. “For me, it’d be heartbreaking.”

At those last words, their eyes met, languid and full of regret. For the time wasted, for the words left unsaid, for the chances they thought never-ending, when this might have been their last time together. Tsireya’s throat felt tight, but she took a deep breath and gathered her courage, swallowing the lump that prevented her from speaking. She drew him closer, filling her abdomen and feeling her diaphragm lower as her heart raced. She gave him a last kiss, pouring all of her remaining strength into it, all of her torment, and for a moment, nothing else mattered. The silence was a relief, as they no longer heard the ominous sounds of moans, screams, and blasts of machinery blowing up or rifles firing. As their lips cautiously danced together, she tasted the saltiness that roughened his own.  They were in their own little bubble, cut off from the rest of the world. Briefly, all their worries and responsibilities disappeared, and they were just two kids in love again, lost in each other’s embrace.

Unfortunately, that feeling was short-lived. They parted just as the SeaDragon engine exploded; the sound echoing around them. They both froze in fear as they saw the danger ahead, unable to move or speak. Their hearts sank; they had to act fast.  Despite Lo'ak's desire to turn away, Tsireya's palms kept him rooted in place. “Promise me you’ll be careful, that you’ll come back to me. Don’t do anything stupid.” He gave her a condescending lopsided smile, tinged with a hint of cockiness and a flicker of triumph in his eyes. “Trust me.” With a final nose peck, Lo'ak let out a guttural cry to summon his ilu. He mounted the creature, sensing its powerful muscles beneath him, and vanished into the choppy waves.

There was a great commotion in the Tsahìk tent as people bustled in and out, their voices mixing together in a cacophony of sound. The healers bounced from one side of the marui to the other like tennis balls when hit by a racket, rummaging through shelves and baskets. They sniffed and tasted different herbs and powders, hoping to create a medicine or a tonic to wake the patient up. Even just some strange-smelling concoction to place under his nostrils.

But Neteyam wouldn’t wake up from his slumber, no matter how much they tried. His body lay there, placid in its immobility. His chest was moving regularly and his eyes were twitching behind closed lids. 

Ronal passed a sharp needle over the boy’s torso, following the line of tendons from the jugular incisura to the rectum of the abdomen; where the hollow of the navel was drawn. She was chanting tones to the Great Mother in a melody that was exotic to the Omatikaya customs. Her face was a mask of unreadability.

“This ain't working.” Tsireya spoke in a hushed tone, her words meant only for Ao'nung's ears. The two communicated in a silence conversation, their eyes speaking volumes, shutting everyone else out. They had a secret language that only they could understand. Something just closed siblings have.  The elder’s head bobbed in agreement; a quick nod. His aquamarine eyes turned cold, hardening to a steely blue, his lips barely curving into a thin line as he tried to force the words out of his throat. “We need those scientists, sa’nok (mother).”

Silence fell, permeating and thick to suffocation. All the confidence that had prompted him to speak slipped away like water poured over an oil stain. He stood frozen, the weight of the burden on his shoulders threatening to buckle his knees. His gaze lowered to the dry straw floor, suddenly marveled at the intricate weave that made it up. He cowered, ears pressed tightly against his head, tail heavy and tucked between his legs. It was a surprise to see him in such a submissive posture, with a sense of resignation that was rare for him; he usually carried himself with confidence and authority. He strutted around with an air of superiority, fully cognizant of his influential status in the clan.

But with his parents, and especially his mother, was another story. 

Overpowering his mother would be easy for Ao'nung, given his sheer force and her current state. Yet, whether it was because of her role as Tsahìk or as a mother, the woman possessed an unwavering aura of obedience that commanded respect; one look was sufficient.  And as the boy faced the latter, he could feel the tension building between them, a mix of mute fury and surprise. She held the needle so tightly that her knuckles whitened, and her arms stretched along her sides. A conscious effort to redirect her irritation elsewhere, instead of displaying it publicly towards her son. Her refusal to turn away was evident in the stern side glance and stiff back. She closed her eyes, hoping to reset her mind and convince herself that the sentence was a figment of her imagination. She replayed the conversation in her mind, confirming that Ao'nung had, in fact, said what she thought he did. Had, in fact, implied that her intervention was subpar, and Nawna Sa'nok's ways were ineffectual. 

“Pardon?” she snarled through gritted her teeth. "Neteyam is part tawtute (human)," Tsireya said, defending her brother and standing in front of him. “This is beyond our comprehension,” gesturing to the patient on the cot. Ronal turned her full attention to her children, standing tall and proud before them. The regal grace of a queen, although a hint of complacency shone through in her every pore. Her children have blossomed into remarkable adults. With disbelief and shock written all over her face, she handed the tools to the nearby healer. The sight and sound were so extraordinary that people were left speechless. Seeing Ao'nung defy parental opinions or decisions was nothing new, but Tsireya’s reaction took everyone by wonder.

‘Since when did she stand up for him?' everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Ronal looked at the fully healed wound at Neteyam’s heart level and pondered sarcastically if it could be their doing. “They, who killed their own Mother and then came here to repeat the same mistake?” Though rhetorical, Tsireya replied: “A second opinion might help.” ”We need nothing from those demons. They were no aid when Kiri had convulsions and they won’t be now with Neteyam’s lethargy.” “Lethargy??” Lo'ak, who had been quietly observing the curators until now, finally chimed in with a sudden outburst. He couldn't hold back, even if it meant facing his parents' punishment for criticizing Tsahìk — again. “He’s in a coma!”  "Name it what you will, boy.” Ronal’s tongue snapped against her palate as she expressed her firm belief that ketuwong (aliens) would not bring any benefits.

A deafening silence filled the air until Ronal herself broke it. “Notwithstanding, I concur that this is a case that surpasses the expertise of the Metkayina.” “What is your suggestion?” Jake's voice was reduced to a mere echo of its usual force. He looked at his son with a heavy heart, feeling afflicted and impotent.  With a shared understanding, the two wives nodded at each other, coming to a decision. Neytiri spoke up, “We have no other choice but to bring him to the Tawkami.”

“Sa’nok, we cannot assess Neteyam’s physiological condition,” Ao’nung stepped forward with newfound bravery, “now that he is in... coma,” he intoned, the word heavy on his tongue; his pronunciation tentative and labored in scanning the alien language. ”He might stop breathing any second,” Lo'ak warned. Neytiri, who was skeptical of the Sky People, unexpectedly found herself agreeing with the two young men. “He requires constant monitoring. If his condition worsens, they’ll have to put him on respirators. Moreover, transporting him via ikran may prove fatal.”  The woman brought two fingers to compress her septum. Her eyes narrowed as she sighed. “Alright, we will dedicate a temporary area to the lab. In the meantime, you…” she pointed at the Sullys, “You will travel to Greenhome.”

The bluish halo of neon lights that surrounded him once again was familiar and yet disorienting at the same time. A perpetual twilight that contrasted with the sterile walls inside greeted him. The monitors cast a gentle glow, illuminating the otherwise dark room, while the medical area streamed a bright white light through the small porthole. 

Neteyam was there, his eyes closed as he lay on the comfortable, ergonomic mattress. The hospital gown, an ugly replacement for his clothes, was accompanied by the beeping and whirring of the machinery. His now hideous accessorizes. An electrode attached to his temple where a single braid would normally be, and an IV instead of a band on his forearm. A pulse oximeter put to the forefinger of his hand, which rested on his hip, while a mask pumped Pandorian air into his lungs, covering his nose and mouth.

Max couldn't provide any answers for Neteyam's miraculous recovery, just as Ronal had assumed. He hypothesized the coma resulted from the traumatic event, and it left a greater impact on his psyche than on his body - his brain was still operational, but in a dormant state. He was in a stable condition, although he couldn't predict how long it would last. 

He shivered as a delicate hand trailed down his spine, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.  He interpreted the gesture as a sign that it was time, and the girl nodded meditatively before burying her face in his chest. With her long arms wrapped around him, she held him close, anchoring him to herself with a tight squeeze around his waist. She rubbed the tip of her nose on his sternum before pulling away just enough to look into his eyes and say, “We’ll take care of him.”

Lo'ak examined the transceiver attached to the young woman's ear, running his fingers over the smooth surface. “You remember how to use it, right? It’s already connected to mine in the case — “ "Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop," she grinned. However, as soon as the thought of his impending departure crossed her mind, her composure collapsed. He hugged her one last time, savoring the sweet scent of her wavy hair that reminded him of a warm, sunny day. “I'll be back before you even miss me.” With his chin on her head, it was at that moment that he saw something strange beyond the glass.

Behind the oxygen mask, Neteyam was smiling.

@cinetrix @scorpiomoon-444 @wh0rezs @sweetdayme4427

[xceanlynx]

Hi! It's me, waking up from a nice nap to give my lovely mutuals, but especially @khaofirsts @hushedstars @drama-nonsense (the amazing people who accepted my letter-delivering proposal lol) my detailed experience in the FirstKhao fanmeet in Brazil!

So, I only got there by 3:45pm, and the gates would open to the general audience by 4pm (only the people who got VIP1 — the ones y'all probably saw taking solo pictures with First and Khaotung — got to enter earlier) and oh my God the lines were LONG. It was a bit more organized than how it was earlier (in the morning there was only one giant line that was divided by sectors in the afternoon) and the temperature was very nice, not as nearly as hot as it was the day before. Here, it was just a few minutes before it started:

One thing I want to emphasize so much is that there were so many different kinds of people there! Usually in events like this, with asian celebrities, the crowd tends to be more white, female presenting, more emo/punk vibes, and definitely more lgbtq+, but my guys, when I say there were people of all types, I MEAN IT. There were some nice ladies (that were probably 50+) cheering so much in the line, at first I thought they were mothers accompanying their kids but NO, they were fans! There were also a lot of men too, and gender non conforming people, trans people, you name it!

There were also many black and asian people, although white and white presenting people were still the majority (also, many photos may have you think there were only white and whiteish people but the lights that lit the crowd were so strong they basically made everyone look pale lol).

There were also many people from other countries. There were two guys (i believe they are a couple) that I have no idea where they were from, they only talked to staff in english but to each other they spoke some language I have no idea. There were also many latam groups, I saw some girls from paraguay, I know there was a group from Chile too, and there were probably more that I haven't seen. The crowd was DIVERSE!

But enough of all this pre fanmeet talk, let's get to the real stuff!

My moots. Dear moots. I almost lost my hearing /j. We were so loud, and we always are, it's basically cultural of Brazil to be louder than the artist, but last night was something else. Everyone was so excited, really, it is a different atmosphere.

The boys were so, so nervous! It was very easy to see how nervous they were in the beginning, but I think they got a lot more relaxed as the fanmeet went on. When they first entered singing, oh my god... They really got so surprised we were singing so loudly, I bet y'all have seen the footage already, it's all over twitter. They couldn't believe what they were seeing lol

Just a tiny video I took of part of their introduction (IN ALMOST PERFECT PORTUGUESE MIGHT I ADD) — bear with me I own a 6-year-old samsung and I was in the box seats, the quality won't be qualitying lmao (I made a friend while waiting in line and she'll send me some of her videos, thankfully)

I was kinda shocked, yet not really shocked, when I noticed that First wasn't singing live. Like I get it, we all know he isn't really a singer, and considering this was their largest event (by number of people: ~4k), they probably thought that it would be better that way. In any case, I don't think people really minded at all. We scream so loudly anyway that live or not, we would barely hear it lmao and he was such a charismatic performer, he interacted with everyone he could in the standing crowd. Mr. Kanaphan is a tease, you all!!!

Idk if that was just me but Khaotung sounded a little bit rough in his song, which he sang live. Maybe he had a sore throat? No idea, but by the last song (let's try) he sounded very good. Maybe it was recorded, but I really didn't noticed. Their stage presence got better and better at every song. AND RAPPER KHAOTUNG? OKAY! GIVE ME SOME MORE OF THAT!!!

The questions and games were very fun! I'm not the type that like much fanservice (all of this was fanservice, I know, but like, those obvious one, you get me?) but they were really nice and not much forced. The questions were also very nice and well-curated (no nonsense ship questions), although I think there were a couple of questions the translator didn't understand fully (also, we were screaming so much I can't blame her for not hearing) and she probably translated to them wrong/not complete, so their answers were a bit weird but we understood what they meant. Also, they tried to samba! The crowd singing Zeca Pagodinho! So random... poor boys were so, so awful lmao but we can forgive them because they're cute

The game interactions with the two fans were also really nice! The girls were very polite (one of them was very young and timid, poor thing) and yeah, it was cool *alexa, play "That Should Be Me" by Justin Bieber*

The surprise fan video was so wholesome. I was almost tearing up lol and when, in the video, a deaf fan appeared signing how much she loved them I lost it and just started crying. Really, they are such great people and their talent has entertained and inspired so many different groups, it really is heartwarming.

Okay, now for the picture: Look, I was in a trance like state. I have absolutely no idea how I got on that stage to take the photo. I was the last one of the group so I couldn't sit next to them, but I believe I got to be somewhat behind Khaotung? I remember seeing the top of his head. Oh my god I really blanked out

As for the hi touch, it was so fast I kinda also did not register much? My brain really was malfunctioning. What I can remember is: They aren't as tall as I thought? Like, I don't think they are lying about their height, I just realized I'm not as short as I thought lol I am 168cm and, with the shoes I was wearing I was probably ~171cm. Still shorter but not as short as I somehow thought I would be.

Their hands are soft. Very soft. Also, their skin literally is flawless, everyone was commenting how perfect it was, just like porcelain. I don't know what treatments they do, and what makeup they use, but I need the detailed list right now!

Also, fuck my life: I can try to say anything, literally anything, but when I get in front of celebs the only thing I can mutter is "hi" with a giant smile. What the fuck I couldn't even say something like "i love you" or "you're handsome".... NO. I JUST SAID HI AND LEFT 😭😭😭

Okay, that's pretty much how it went. Oh, and as I was waiting for my uber to arrive, and I was more distant from the venue so I could avoid the crowd. I was in the street right in front of the gates of the venue, but still more distant, there were probably like 10 people around me. I heard so many people screaming at the entrance of the venue — firstkhao were going back to the hotel (you can see the van in an earlier post of mine). They entered the van and then the van was signaling they were going to turn left to the same street I was waiting the uber. Oh. My. God. I started waving like crazy, they could not have missed me looking like those gas station inflatable men lmao I couldn't see them because the window was very dark but boy I just know they saw me again 😂😂😂😂

To finish up, as the official photo wasn't released yet, let me show where I am in the gmmtv pic. Look at top left where the arrows are pointing. See the two hands? That's me, baby

[boygiwrites]

Living the Vida Loca   Ep.

•  Jesse Pinkman & Reader. (Platonic)

(Here’s part one.)     (Here’s part two.) (Here’s part three.) (Here’s part four.) (Here’s part five.)

• (Find this story on Ao3.)

Summary — A short story about how a young teenaged girl gets wrapped up in Jesse's life.

Notes — Phew. The epilogue. Please enjoy :)

.

Bear Creek, Alaska.

The first thing you do when Jesse gets the keys to your new apartment is throw your bags on the floor and run around, poking your heads into all the rooms, pulling open all the kitchen cabinets, and laying like a pair of starfish on the bland carpet of the bedrooms.

Holy shit, you laugh.

Holy shit, Jesse laughs.

You lay there for a long time, waiting for your new lives to feel real.

Saul Goodman really missed out on being a real estate agent.

He picked the perfect apartment.

It’s got heating, for when the cold becomes colder.

It’s got two bathrooms, with an elephant’s worth of space in each.

It’s got spacious wardrobes that will eventually be filled with band shirts and beanies and thick, woolly socks, and a fireplace that with time becomes a mantle for you to frame your little polaroid's on, turning fleeting flashes into permanent memories above the cozy flames.

It’s got everything.

The first week goes by fast.

You’re on a high and you won’t come down.

You and Jesse have become avid thrift shoppers in the wake of your old riches, determined to fill out your home with bits and bobs; knicks and knacks. On every second corner of this mountainous town, there’s a second-hand store bursting with charm. Oh, and someone’s grandpa’s collection of Christmas sweaters. 

(Yes, Jesse buys one.)

You also buy a toaster, some sofa cushions, and a big, green blanket that will be perfect for your movie nights. You hit three more on your way back.

You also go bananas in the local supermarket.

You sit in the cart and swipe almost every cookie and frozen lasagna you can off the shelves, while Jesse hops on and scoots you both around.

Your fridge looks like an overstuffed suitcase.

You use the town library to print off a couple resumes, and some hours later, you re-converge at the same parking lot you started out in, and you both run up to each other and shout —

I got the job!

When the population is as small is Bear Creek’s, anything is possible.

You become a cashier at the supermarket.

Jesse starts bussing tables at a small steak-and-chips restaurant.

(They let him spray-paint a mural onto the side of the building. It takes three whole days and two broken ladders, but it’s beautiful, and Jesse walks around now with compliments on his shoulders and a pep in his step.)

The first week goes by fast.

A blur of shopping, moving furniture, and movie nights.

Two kids in a candy store.

Then, after that  —

It’s the slow and steady Bear Creek lifestyle.

The slow Bear Creek lifestyle.

Everybody knows everybody in Bear Creek.

The elderly clerk at the corner store knows the man who walks in with his dog, and the man with the dog knows the lady from the bookshop down the street, and the lady from the bookshop knows you, and you know the guy who busks outside the library, and the busker-guy knows Jesse, and it just keeps going in circles, circles, circles, until it’s all a big web.

Some years ago, you might have perceived this as danger.

You might have perceived this community as a reactive entanglement of whispers, and stares, and one rogue phone call to the wrong people.

But one thing Bear Creek teaches you is how to let go.

How to let go of glancing over your shoulder.

How to let go of peeking out the windows at night.

How to let go of these things that have shaped you into something sharper than what you really are. The person you used to be.

The same goes for Jesse.

For a month, he tucks a gun in his pants-line.

He smokes cigarettes while he scrutinizes your new IDs.

Isaac and Riley Miller.

He has three different phones, and refuses to text anybody except you.

You can hear him, in the night, checking on you from your doorway, like you might’ve disappeared in the ten minutes he’s been in the other room.

It’s difficult, because old dogs can’t learn new tricks, but Jesse gets better.

He’s safe enough, now, to revert back to that teenage boy he’s always been at heart, even if he is twenty-nine years old.

You build lop-sided snowmen together in the apartment complex’s parking lot, and pelt each other with snowballs. It’s a parallel image to your nights back in New Mexico, throwing frisbees in the driveway, except with two completely different people who look like you and Jesse, but have been through and seen so much more.

You go for walks and shit, like normal, healthy people.

The DVD store becomes a second home for you.

You drink hot chocolate out on the balcony and argue over who got more marshmallows while you people-watch.

You take your sleds down to the edge of the forest, and you coast down the tall mounds of snow and hoot into the trees like happy children.

Some nights, you lay in bed and wonder about your old life. Are there ghosts of you, back home? Do people think of you?

Some days, it’s hard to keep looking forward.

There are just some things you will never be able to forget. Some things you will never be able to look at with the same eyes as everybody else.

Like how all meat looks like sheep guts.

And all flies come with a flash of dead eyes.

And how sometimes, when Jesse reaches to hold your hand, you’re back in that desert and you’re being grabbed, pinned, and shot.

The days are slow, and they give you time.

Sure, the apartment is nice and all, but Jesse’s always been your home.

He’s always there to pet and shush away the nightmares.

He’s there when you need him, and he’s not when you need space.

He’s a familiar face. 

He’s family. 

He’s your twin, trapped in the same echo of an old nightmare you survived together. He’s someone who knows what you’re thinking whenever you see a grate in the ground, or a bucket, or a paperclip. He understands.

The days in Bear Creek are slow.

You spend them painting, laughing, exploring, and living.

It’s sort of like buying new shoes.

Uncomfortable, at first, but then it learns to work around you —

And everything is easy-peasy from there on out.

A visit from Uncle Goodman.

Jimmy has a thick moustache, and he can’t handle the cold.

These are the first things you notice when he shows up at your door, with that strip of carpet above his lip and the three coats he’s shivering in.

You’re in shock. Jimmy?

He is not. Are you gonna let me in, you little punk, or what?

He says he is freezing his nuts off. 

Jimmy McGill is in your living room. He’s shed all his layers, toed off his boots, and apparently, he’s jet-lagged, so he helps himself to your coffee machine like he’s lived here all his life. You stare at him while he sips it.

There’s an awkward silence.

I thought I’d never see you again, you mutter, at this version of an old memory you forced yourself to forget, currently standing in your kitchen.

Jimmy sets the mug down.

He looks like he tries to say something, but then he just opens his arms.

You hug him for the first time in four years.

You’re an adult, now.

He must sense this change in you, not just physically but mentally, because when he pulls back, he doesn’t want to let go, and he’s just looking at you and crying, which looks wrong on a guy like Jimmy.

Why’d you have to go and get all grown up on me, huh?

Then he demands that you tell him everything.

You demand he tell you everything, because, How’d you even find us?

He says he knows a man who knows everything about everyone; someone who can make fake IDs and people disappear. He says it’s how you’re living out here, and you’re reminded of the night you were herded into the back of an electronics store and given a new name.

Jimmy helped you and Jesse out in the beginning, but only as a voice through a phone line, and then as an invisible force pulling strings.

Even when he’s 2,800 miles away, Jimmy’s been there for you.

You tell him about Hank Schrader and Steve Gomez.

You tell him about the phone call, and the sheep guts.

Then you try telling him about the desert, and the Welkers, but your voice gets caught in your throat like a fish hook, and he suggests going for a walk instead.

You trail the sidewalks until you bump into Jesse.

He’s on his way home from work, and when he sees you, he almost faints.

Yo, yo, yo, hang on a second, His mouth hangs open. 

You giggle while they take each other in.

They even do a bro-hug, because Jesse does things like that, now.

He tells Jimmy that the apartment kicks ass, man, and that he can’t believe he flew all the way up here just to see you guys.

Hey, man, Jimmy holds up his hands, I just came here for the waterfalls and the moose. You people were second-to-last on my itinerary.

You both tell Jimmy to shove it, and then you walk together to the park.

Just like old times, right? Jimmy asks you.

These are nothing like old times, but you got your two favorite people in the world back together again — your weird little family — so that has to count for something.

Whatever you say, You chuckle.

You see a fire-colored fox sniffing along the frozen lake while you talk about everything that’s changed; everything that’s happened. The people you’ve become. You cry again when Jimmy says he’s proud of you, and Jesse gives you a hard noogie for being such a sap.

Apparently, Jimmy’s staying in Bear Creek for a while.

Today’s a good day.

The final piece.

You graduate college in May.

It’s been a long struggle, but you made it.

Jimmy’s there.

Jesse’s there.

Your friends are all there, too, in matching gowns and caps.

You hear your name, Riley Miller, being called, and you step up to the podium with the overwhelming sense of metamorphosizing from one cold husk of a life into a newer, brighter one. One where you have a new name and a new home, but the same old family cheering for you in the crowd.

You can’t believe how much everything has changed.

For one, Jesse shaved all his hair off, ‘cause he’s an idiot.

At least one thing makes you laugh every day, now.

(It’s usually Jesse shouting bitch at your Xbox, or Jimmy complaining about the people he works with, down at the Cinnabon, because the only young person he can stand to be around is you.)

It’s been a year since you last had a nightmare.

You’re back to walking dogs again.

You’re back to singing in the kitchen.

You moved into the apartment next to Jesse’s, and he tells you every day how much he doesn’t miss finding your dirty dishes in the sink. But you know he hates that you’ve grown up so fast. He comes around for dinner almost every single night, swaddled in that big, green blanket you bought when you first landed in Alaska, and you’ve upgraded from watching Tinkerbell to old Disney movies. He cries every time at Lion King.

Jimmy lives ten minutes away, in a proper but small house.

You know there’s days where he yearns to live on that same pillar of glory he had back in New Mexico.

He plans on heading back to the states in the coming months.

He says he’ll miss the crisp air, and the caribou, and watching the snow roll over the caps of white mountains while he eats breakfast croissants with you in quiet cafes, but it’s just not in his nature to stay in one place for too long. You can’t trap a butterfly in a bird cage.

Besides, he’s basically the poster child for burner phones.

He’ll find a way to contact you.

That skatepark seems like a million years ago.

You throw your cap in the air.

Now when you spend nights at Jesse’s place, ‘cause the two of you are like teenage girls obsessed with sleepovers, and you warm yourself up by the fireplace, there’s one more photo sitting there, now.

 Dead center. Ceramic frame.

The final piece of the puzzle.

It’s you, holding your degree and laughing while the sun blooms on your shoulder, with Jimmy and Jesse on either side of you, throwing up rock-star hands like they’re at the sickest concert they’ve ever been to.

You smile to yourself.

Because you love those fucking idiots.

And they love you, too.

End notes  — Oh my God! The epilogue, it’s finished!! I hope you enjoyed reading, and I hope I was able to wrap this up in a satisfying way. Thank you for reading, everyone :)