#the first time they’ve seen each other since they both thought they killed the other

[gin-draws]

reading after a long workday-

(-poppy has discovered smut)

[noahsmuse]

second chance?

✮ PAIRING: noah sebastian x reader

✮ REQUEST: “Can I request a second chance romance one shot? Like in 2020 - 2021 the reader and Noah were dating and they break up for [insert reason] but they run into each other at the BMTH concert in 2024 or something and one thing leads to another suddenly they you know, hooked up and Noah doesn't want it to be a one night stand with her soooooo you can go from there.”

✮ A/N: sorry for the recent inactivity but now, i’m BACKKKK! continue sending in requests for me to write & hope you all like this fic ≧'◡'≦

everything seemed picture perfect between you two. the makeshift dates and the candle-lit dinners that would be hosted in his dining room with dinner that you both made, and just when you thought that the pair of you were full from dinner he was usually still hungry….but for something else (you). in a world of what seemed to be chaos, you found solace within each other.

until, the time came that heavy pandemic restrictions were slowly being lifted and Bad Omens was scheduled their first tour back to be openers for In This Moment and Ice Nine Kills. going from seeing noah almost every single day to barely hearing from him was a very intense switch that put a strain on your relationship since communication was such a huge trait for the two of you.

knowing this would probably only get worse as they’re gonna get busier and continue going on tour. even though you two loved each other to the ends of the earth, when he came back you both made the decision to break up but still remain friends to avoid any heartbreak or miscommunication.

this brings us back to present day, it’s been three years since you’ve broken up with noah. you both talk occasionally and send the usual happy holidays and birthday messages but haven’t actually seen each other face to face since the break up…..

….one day you hear your phone going off like CRAZY, you managed to find out that one of your girlfriends was able to get pit tickets for a Bring Me The Horizon concert happening in your city. prior to these messages from your friends, you had zero idea they were coming to your town and who would be performing with them, but decided why not go and have some fun with your girls!!!

the day that you and your friends have been so estatic about finally comes around, you’re all dressed to the nines, wearing your sexiest (but comfortable) attire that perfectly matches the mood for the concert. since the adrenaline is pumping throughout your friend groups veins, all of you decide to make it to the venue just early enough to secure the merch that you’ve had your eye on and your spots for barricade.

after waiting for a few hours, the doors of the venue open and everyone runs while holding each others hands to make it right in the center of barricade with a perfect view of the stage.

around an hour goes by, you still have no idea who the openers will be until the crew of the band lowers down a tapestry with a name that sounds very familiar to you….’Bad Omens’ and that’s when it clicks in your head that your ex boyfriend’s band is an opener for the tour. obviously you don’t wanna seem like an obsessive person to him but you’re literally sitting front row, right in the center, so there’s definitely no way that you could hide.

as soon as you start trying to think up of a plan to make sure noah doesn’t see you in the crowd, the lights abruptly go dark and small vibrations rumble through the ground of the arena with jolly, one of noah’s best friends and roommates comes out right in front of you playing the riffs of a song that you learn is called artificial suicide from their newest album (one that you also learn you were the muse for a couple of songs on the record), ‘The Death Of Peace Of Mind.’

even though you didn’t really know the words to their newer work since you’ve only heard the demos and some of the songs from their first two records, you can help but feel proud for how far they’ve come knowing that noah had expressed some doubts for the record with you during your time together.

while watching the show, you constantly had a feeling that you were being watched…but when you looked up at the stage, you found the front-man of the band gazing off in your direction.

nothing really happened between you two when they were performed besides noah staring at you while singing a couple of songs which you presumed were about you. the rest of the show goes on, you and your friends have the time of your lives screaming your favorite songs on the top of your lungs. when the show was over just as you were about to leave ash, noah’s trainer and bad omens new security guard caught your attention saying they’d like to invite you backstage so you decide why, not! after all you and noah are still friends even though he was the only love you regret breaking things off with.

ash guides you in the direction of the Omens’ green room when you notice someone standing in the distance. as you both get closer to the room, you soon realize that this person is actually just noah who asked ash to bring you backstage so the two of you could “catch up.”

which led to noah bringing you back to his hotel room and ending up laying beneath you, fiercely rolling your hips against his with some help provided by him thrusting into you. moans and grunts spill from you guys’ lips, getting closer and closer to your release….right when you grind on his dick hitting your sweet spot perfectly, feeling pure ecstasy wash over the both of you as he holds your hips down so he can fill up your pussy with his cum.

just as noah wakes up in the morning, he remembers everything that happened last night. looking down at you still asleep with the sun peaking through the blinds and shining on your gorgeous face is when the realization hits him…he can’t let you go again.

meanwhile, you just woke up, not really remembering where you were or what happened but when you looked down to see you wearing one of noah’s shirts and then back up to see his smiling handsome face. which brings back all the memories from a few years ago, it felt like nothing changed…”we should talk” breaks you away from your thoughts (aka, regrets for even breaking up with him)…

the conversation ended with you two walking out into the lobby of the hotel they were staying in, holding noah’s hand with the biggest, lovesick smiles on your faces to hear someone yell “FINALLY!” in the distance. (it was a combination of jolly and matt who were celebrating seeing you two together)

[srjlvr]

꒦꒷ enhypen ! enhypen’s ships with you as enhypen’s 8th member !

idol-ot7!enhypen X 8th enha member!FemReader … full fluff … no warnings<3 || not proofread !! || note. i have no idea what this is im so disappointed in this but pls dont kill me

ε ї з — heeseung

heey/n the whole way!! fans started shipping the both of you ever since the first episode of I-LAND, and they swear they’ve never seen such good chemistry between two idols.

fans are CONVINCED you both are dating and honestly? both of you are not helping them relax!

with the amount of flirtings the both of you exchange in front of cameras is enough for fans to go crazy!

on the first episode of I-LAND fans could swear they saw heart eyes when they witnessed your and heeseung’s first time meeting each other.

the fact that you debuted in enhypen only helped the fans ship the both of you more, and let’s be honest you even act like a couple so fans are getting good reasonable reasons for your ship.

“you look so pretty today, y/n”

it was fan meeting day today and all fans were watching you and taking pictures, heeseung thought it was a good idea to come and give you and back hug.

“thank you, hee” you smiled and turned around to hug him. fans cheered and took as much as pictures as they could.

heey/n4life: “DID YOU SEE THE WAY HE HUGGED HER?? AND HIS LOOK TOWARDS HER?? i’m on the verge of fainting someone send help”

enhaloverforever: “heey/n is selling i want all to witness this *the video of you and heeseung hugging*”

iluvenha: “heey/n is that kind of relationship that i want”

ε ї з — jay

when you and jay first made some food to all I-LANDERS, fans started to notice you and jay more than before.

jongy/n became trendy in a blink, and fans kept waiting for more content every week.

your kind of ship is more like a parents ship, you’re definitely the parents of enhypen members, even when heeseung is the oldest.

the way you’re taking care of everyone and making food for everyone just makes the fans sob over the fact that the both of you are just cuties together.

when it was jay’s sunoo’s and jungwon’s graduation, you decided to make them some food, and jay joined you as soon as he noticed you. you’re just like that, inseparable.

even the members mentioned that a lot of times, you and jay are definitely something else when it comes to taking care of your members and feeding them well, only when you’re doing it together.

“what are we making today?” you asked jay, slapping your hands on the counter next to jay.

“some pasta and steaks for the eaters” jay smiled, ���and some for the camera staffs too, so we have to make a lot”

as soon as the food was finished, you and jay started to serve everyone their food together.

jongy/n: “i want jay and y/n to cook me more than gordon ramsay😻”

enenenhypen: “if they ever open a restaurant i called dibs first!”

jjong: “look at how jongy/n is taking care of their members☹️ they’re so cute together *video of you and jay cooking together*”

ε ї з — jake

so we all like know how jake is taking a good care of ni-ki like he’s his older brother right? so double it!

fans started shipping you with jake as soon as they noticed that the three of you literally go everywhere together.

they call ni-ki the third wheel, it seems like you and jake are too busy flirting around to notice ni-ki’s mischievousness. you’re like the couples that takes care of the third wheel and spoiling them as much as they want.

besides hanging out with ni-ki together, you and jake always seem to walk around while holding your hands. at first it was really hard for fans to notice the both of you, because both of you were too shy to communicate, but as soon as you opened up, it was more visible to fans.

wether it’s holding hands together or even casually matching outfits, fans would go excited whenever they get a content of you two.

jaey/nlvr: “THEY MATCHED AGAIN TODAY!! their outfits are so cute do you think jay helped them with that😭”

jakieandy/nie: “a collection of photos of ni-ki third wheeling and rolling his eyes whenever he’s with jake and y/n😻‼️ *attachments of photos*”

iluvluvluvenha: “i want someone to hold my hand in public like jake and y/n pls😞”

ε ї з — sunghoon

your first meeting with sunghoon convinced EVERYONE that you’re THE perfect match so it was no wonder when fans started calling you and sunghoon ice prince and princess!!

from being super anxious around each other to going to ice skate together, fans witnessed EVERYTHING and got obsessed over anything both of you would do.

you’re a sucker for ice skating and know some exercises and fans know that too, but you still asked sunghoon to teach you, later on admitting that you just wanted to spend some time with him and get closer to him. the fans went indeed feral.

the ice prince and princess title belongs to you and sunghoon period and your fans will make sure everyone knows that.

“hold my hand and be careful, i’m here with you” sunghoon smiled at you while holding your hand tightly.

you wanted to joke around a bit so you pushed him down, making him fall.

he glared at you, but started laughing as soon as he saw you laughing, “next time don’t do it though or i’ll make you fall even harder”

y/nhoonmyloves: “okay but did you see the way sunghoon looked at her when he directed her? i would’ve fainted if i were her😫”

enhypenpen: “our ice prince and princess strikes again with some now ice skating content!! *photos of you and sunghoon skating* i missed watching our royalties skating together!!☹️”

ineedmorey/nhoon: “does anyone else just go back to that I-LAND episode where y/n and sunghoon went to skate together or is it just me? they looked like those cute couples that you see in ice rinks”

ε ї з — sunoo

i’m sorry to break it to you but you and sunoo are basically bestie and fans know that damn well.

you + sunoo = world domination! fans love love LOVE your friendship all the way from the first episodes of I-LAND.

they always say how your vibe matches his vibes so much!! some even see the both of you dating each other because you’re literally perfect for each other, like the other’s lost puzzle piece.

you won’t stop talking about each other, going around to places together A LOT, even skin caring together. your love for sunoo is very visible and you’re not even trying to hide it, same for him.

you’re his partner in crime and he’s yours, no one can take you away from him and it’s the same the other way.

“i’m gonna grab some coffee sunoo come with me” you got up from your seat and called sunoo.

all eight of you were sitting together when you suddenly decided you want some coffee. “it’s like a minute walk away can’t you just go there alo-“

“no riki! i need sunoo”

suny/n: “y/n and sunoo has that kind of friendship that everyone wants but never gets😭 suny/n teach me your secrets!!”

givenhypen: “i wouldn’t be surprised if sunoo and y/n would end up dating i’m ngl! look at how they always look at each other i’m so jealous”

ddeonuddeonu: “they’re the cutest! *photos of you and sunoo hanging out together* they probably sneaked out to hang out alone without any other member😫”

ε ї з — jungwon

oh it’s definitely the responsible siblings type of relationship. both of you are the official therapists of enhypen, and you’re each other’s best therapists too.

jungwon, being dealt with lots of worries, always came up to you to get advice, and you did the same. people who watched I-LAND and your conversations, found it so comforting and beautiful.

jungwon has mentioned you as someone he relies on so much and you did the same. fans ships you as the healing couple, you’re jungwon’s healing and he’s yours, and there’s something so special about it.

you and jungwon basically know everything about the other, that’s why you feel more attached to him more than others, and the fans noticed it right away.

they can’t explain it, but you’re in someway jungwon’s guardian angel, and he’s yours.

“how are you today?” you asked jungwon as you hugged him tightly

jungwon hugged you back, “i’m okay, thank you for listening to me even though we stayed awake until like 5 AM”

“EXCUSE ME?? 5 AM??” ni-ki asked and the both of you shushed him.

istany/nwon: “they’re so precious together it makes me cry😭 i want y/nwon as my therapists right now!!”

srjlvr: “im so jealous i need people like them in my life😭 i envy enhypen members so bad rn😞”

engeneforlife: “i’m just replying y/nwon’s therapy times and i love it!! y/n and jungwon are just so perfect for each other”

ε ї з — ni-ki

you have adopted ni-ki as your younger brother as soon as you first saw him in I-LAND and you didn’t even try to hide it.

fans started notice how childish you’d be around him, and when you were asked about it you said it’s because you want ni-ki to still live his teen years in the best way he could.

after making your fans sob over the fact that you’re so cute, they paid more attention over you and ni-ki. they found itself the most adorable friendship they ever saw.

ni-ki looks up to you so much, and takes so much after you. he always searches for you and takes care of you whenever he can. you do so too, playing around with him and teasing the other members all the time, going to do some mischievous plans and pissing them off together is never failing to make the fans and you laugh.

you always ask ni-ki for dance tips and he’s always happily helps you out because he enjoys his time with you.

“who took my phone away!”

it’s the third time jake shouted that question. you and ni-ki tried your best not to laugh as you know where it’s been hidden.

“hey why’s there a phone in the refrigerator?” sunghoon suddenly asked.

“Y/N AND NI-KI I SWEAR—“

y/niki: “i bet hiding jake’s phone was y/n’s idea this time😭😭 she’s getting worse lately but it’s really worth it after seeing ni-ki laughing so hardly”

enhaenhaenhypen: “y/n and ni-ki are like my little siblings, always annoying but so adorable that you cant even get mad at them😫”

rikissquid: “having y/n and ni-ki together is like asking for a death wish but it’s so funny pls”

PERM TAG-LIST ; @sungwhoonz @ohdudehesflirting @unlikelysublimekryptonite @deobiis @manooffline @miumiuoi @in-somnias-world @lovelovelovebts @filmofhybe @wonbinsnovia @daegutowns @aurumiee @soobywon @dhriti-stories @ariadores @firstclassjaylee @watamotee33 (bold means cannot be tagged)

••• copyright © srjlvr all rights are reserved.

[soft-persephone]

Some Things Never Change

Alex Cross X Lil Bit!Reader x John Sampson

T // WC: 2.9k // fighting friends, vulnerability angst adjacent, whump // AN: guess what one of my favorite scenes from this show is?? I don’t talk about it a lot but, I love a scene with tension. // masterlist

“That’s why she kissed me first!” Alex chuckled but there was no joy in the sound. It was wry and twisted, falling flat in the air. 

You had one hand on his chest and the other’s on John’s, standing between them and failing to keep them away from one another as they sandwiched you between them. 

Alex was pointing over your head into John’s face who looked pissed off to throw a punch at Alex any second. By some miracle, he didn’t, but from the look on his face and how he didn't flinch when Alex got all up in his face over your head, your heart still raced with the sickly anticipation. 

“Your ass is too emotionally unavailable,” Alex shook his head, “and your a fucking coward! You—“

“When,” John’s voice was so light and rich as honey. He even took a step back, crossing his arms with such a delighted smirk, it made both you and Alex freeze for a moment. “When did you kiss her?” 

You immediately took a step back, clamping your mouth shut. 

If these two wanted to kill each other, so be it. You’ll give your regards to Nana Mama, but you’re not getting caught in the middle of this, yet again. 

But typical Alex, when he was mad he always knew what to say to get a rise out of John, and this supposed secret he was supposed to take to his grave. You made him swear not to tell since it happened in high school would definitely have worked on any other day, but you knew why it didn’t. 

A bead of sweat dripping down your back made you shiver. 

You could visibly see the wheels turning in Alex’s head. 

He whipped his head towards you, and you didn’t flinch, standing your ground. 

If this goes where you think it will, you will treat them just like you did those two weeks in the middle of Senior year.

Who knows how long you’ll go without talking to them this time?

As much as you’ve all grown up, some things never change. 

“What’s he talking about?” Alex didn’t tear his gaze away from John as he said your name. 

When you remained silent, John snapped his fingers.

“See there,” he pointed his finger as if in thought, pointing out a piece of evidence that answered the mystery of a case they were trying to solve, “that’s just it. I know how to keep a secret. I don’t throw that shit in people’s faces just to win an argument.”

Alex nostrils flared, but he remained silent, still grasping for pieces of the puzzle he didn’t have. 

“Why don’t you tell him the truth,” John said your name lightly as if there wasn’t any tension in the room, “Alex already let his cat out the bag.”

Again, you stayed silent. 

But this time. . . this time John gave you a look. 

A look Alex had never seen John give you before.

A look he’s only given you in private. A look that bends you to his will. That he can mold you like a spineless putty with. 

You glare at him. 

Because why is he doing this? Why now? Just because of an argument. 

This is not the first time they’ve argued. Why blow up the delicate balance of their friendship over nothing. 

You squeezed your fists tight, and remained quiet. 

John took a step towards you.

You wanted to be strong so bad. To silently prove that you wouldn’t be swayed by either one of them, again. That this time around would be different. 

But you flinch when he moves, your mouth opening with stuttering words in your urgency, “j-j, just just wait— he, I. . . Fuck,” you swore with a crack in your voice. 

“Breathe in,” John said lowly, and as if he held some hidden divine power, you did, you took a shaky breath in, “breath out.” He continued, “take big deep breaths. Just like that.” 

A large warm hand snaked up your neck to rest at the base of your skull. You opened your eyes to meet John’s. He massaged your temple with his thumb as you did. There was no malice in his eyes, nothing cruel. He was genuinely attempting to comfort you. 

Without words you understood. 

He wanted to be honest. 

He didn’t want any more secrets. 

You licked your lips and shook your head, knowing he could see the anxiety flashing through your eyes. The worriness in your gaze. 

Could Alex handle the truth? Will he hate you?

John chuckled short and somehow amused. 

“We were just. . .kids.” He says plainly. 

Alex bristles. “When.” He says it firmly, crossing his arms. 

You lick your lips, fighting how tight your throat feels, but John has his hand on your head , soothing you with the pas of his fingers in your face. 

You plant your feet firmly on the ground when he tries to pull you into an embrace, doing your best to discreetly reject his attempt to hug you even though you wanted it more than anything. 

But you were still mad at him, at them both for putting you in this position. 

Fuck them for doing this to you, and fuck John and his integrity. 

“When was yours?” John says flippantly. 

“Junior year. August.”

“The beginning of the year?”

“It was definitely October because  It was cold and some guy had just given me his jacket” You quickly interrupted. 

“I know that.” Alex bounced on the heels of his feet before leaning forward, “I just want to know. Why you gotta make sure it’s not August and why you have to go out of  your way not bruise some motherfucker’s ego over some supposedly just kids shit.”

“And she’ll tell you, if you shut up and listen, nigga.”

“So when did you two first kiss?” Alex looked to the side.

Oh. . .

“Uhm. . . We didn’t kiss until I was in college.” Your voice dropped off in a whisper. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Alex clipped. 

“We didn’t kiss until college, motherfucker.”

“It was the summer before.” You were over this shit. God, please let it end. “Me and John.” 

“You and John what?” Alex wiped a hand down his face, “because I know yall didn’t fuck.”

Too close. 

You all were entirely too close. 

Is this how normal friendships were?

Do all girls have close guy friends who knew exactly when and  who they lost their virginity with? 

You needed more girl friends. 

That’s what you want for Christmas. That’s your new year's  resolution. 

More close girl friends. 

“You got to kiss her first, so what?” John smirked, but just barely because lord knows if he did, it would put Alex back on 100.

“I got to taste her pussy first.” John’s face lit up into something evil, “yeah, say something now. All that talk. . . You wanna get loud and all. Say something now.”

“When,” Alex went completely still.

“That night you snuck to see that girl Ashley.” John dipped his head, searching Alex’s eyes. “I had to cover for you in your room all night,  so Nana Mama wouldn’t know you weren’t there.” 

Alex's eyes widened.

“She couldn’t sleep, came up to meet me in your room to just hang out and we got real, real close.” John huffed through his nose, letting out a soft crooked laugh, “next thing you know she’s on top of me. My fingers buried deep inside her, and she’s hiding her moans in my neck, and I’m whispering in her ear to keep quiet as she can or I’ll stop—because Nana Mama can’t catch us and we need to be able to hear you crawl up the side the house, so we can stop in time before you see us in the window” 

Alex turns to you to  verify but you stay silent. 

“So it’s always been John.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak. You wanted to, oh so bad, but something held you back.

But deep down. . . . If  you let the thoughts overwhelm you, the warring undefinable emotions twist your stomach  in knots and punish you as you simmer in the truth you’d never say aloud, you’d admit it. 

You’d admit it was you. 

“You two fuck once and just never stopped?

You held your own tongue. You wouldn’t dare say anything to him at this moment. Not to agitate him, not to comfort him. 

Not because you couldn’t, but because you wouldn’t. 

Because that would make it real. 

All the feelings inside that you try to keep away. The ones you’ve practice hiding in mirrors. 

The words you’ve trained yourself not to mutter in your sleep or pass through drunken lips. 

“There it is.” Alex smiled. But not crookedly, not twisted or gnarled with ill intent. 

It was desperate, it was hurting and it wanted to hurt. 

It wanted to hurt you. 

“You’ll say anything to sooth’ John’s fragile ego, but you’ll never willingly do that for me. Who cares if little Alex gets his feelings hurt. He knows how to pick himself back up.”

You flinch at his words. 

The tears in your eyes sting. 

“I never said that.” You blink them away.

Suddenly, you were hyper aware of John’s closeness. You brush his hand from your head, you step away from him. His touch burning your skin, his presence becoming suffocating. 

The shame was hot and unbearable. 

“Ohhh, you think you needed to say something for that to be true.”

“Sugar, don’t .” John warned, but his words held no weight and shook with uncertainty.

His stance shifted from argumentative to one of worry. 

Alex was clearly just hurt now and neither of them had wanted that from this. Because despite the ill feelings that seemed so important at the time, John will always put concern for Alex and his well being above all else.

That’s just the type of man he was and seeing that acted  out made your heart ache with emotion you’ve tried so hard to bury. 

Emotions you thought were long dead, but never seemed content to die. 

“Nah,” Alex shook his head, “nah, because she needs to hear this John, and so do you.” He quickly added. 

John tilted his head, but didn’t comment on it. 

“Take a seat and we can—“

“Some asshole breaks your heart and who do you call?” 

You lick your lips and purse them.

“Hm? Who. Do. You. call?”

He spread his hands outward to the room. 

“And to your surprise, I showed up, but you weren’t expecting me. . . I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

And he wasn’t. 

“Because you two fucked once at 17, and decided not to stop.”

“Don’t.” You glared.

“Don’t what,” he shrugged, the action too forceful as he emphasized his point. His erratic offbeat anger makes you pause. Your rage fell uncertain and started to slip down your throat, but you grasped back at it, tightly clinging onto it as the only security you had at this moment. “Don’t make you aware of those feelings you keep trying to bury.”

“Cool it, Sugar.” John growled, “maybe you and I should take a walk outside. Leave Lil Bit out of it.”

“But you need to hear this too John.” Alex said again and  pointed. 

“When she gets in trouble, who does she call?” He looked at you and then turned towards John who went quiet, his expression growing unreadable.

“When she wants company, who’s she running to? When she has a bad day?” Alex started to list on his fingers, “when she wants to talk, to discuss her hopes, dreams, confide in someone and be vulnerable with them—“

“Alex, stop.” You almost sob. 

“You see, most people don’t know, but if they do know they put it deep inside of themselves and ignore it, but there is an intimacy shared with sex whether people acknowledge it or not.”

He gestured between the two of you. 

“Now I’m sure, Lil Bit never told you this John, but when she asked me to kiss her, I mean. . . It was so nice and sweet and she had a hint of tears in her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. Her lip practically quivered.” He shook his head. 

“I can’t imagine how long it took her to ask. How brave she had to be. . . I couldn’t say no to that, John. I just couldn’t.”

John’s face grew more and more unreadable to you. The more you couldn’t tell what he was feeling, what he might be thinking, the tighter your throat felt, the clammier your hands started to feel, and the more your head started swimming with thoughts faster than you could comprehend. 

“Stop,” you barely bring  yourself to say, “Alex stop. Please.”

“She told me she was afraid she’d never know what it’s like to kiss someone who really meant it. That if she did, it wouldn’t be gentle, loving, or caring. . . said she wanted it to matter, and she thinks I could make it matter. . . 

He gives John a shrew look. “That was after what happened with you and Lil Bit”

John looked so far away, but purely focused on Alex’s words. 

“Now you see, penetrative sex or not, there was an intimacy shared.” Alex pointed at John again who immediately rose with a glare to match, ready to make a move, “you were always afraid of it’s it always makes you run away. . .  but when you take a young teenage girl who doesn’t know what to do with that rejection. Who’s always had both parents  to love and validate her emotions whether verbally or implied, she. Gets. Sacred. . . Overwhelmed.” He spat in John’s face who only lowered his face into Alex’s, but he didn't back down. 

“She  turns it inward and blames herself, but if she realizes it’s not her fault. She turns it outward. She looks for that validation in other people. . . She looked towards me for everything you couldn’t give her.

“You had Maria.” Your voice was loud, louder than you anticipated, shaking with an anger you didn’t necessarily feel, but he was pulling it out of you. 

By some miracle, your words stopped John from acting. Wordlessly, he moved back to your side. 

Alex  was creating some type of sick test and you were failing. 

“You wanted to marry her since the day you met her and That means our relationship had to change!”

“That didn’t mean you needed to walk out of my life—“

“I didn’t walk out of your fucking life! I’ve always been here! Always!”

“With John! You’ve always been here!” He pointed down, “with John!”

You fumed, unable to find anymore words. Alex clearly wanted to believe whatever he wanted to believe and not the truth. 

“I’m not talking about Maria, I'm talking about before her and after her! I'm talking about while you were with Marcus!”

“We don’t see each other when she’s in a relationship.” John interjected in a low voice. His arms crossed. 

“Oh so you haven’t told him. Wooooow.” Alex clapped slowly, “he doesn’t know.”

“Told me what?” You could hear him attempting to hide the  frustration and dismay in his voice, waiting for you to deflect, defend, say your piece, but you only balled your fists, the skin of your  bottom lip almost burst and trickled with blood from how tight you worried it underneath your teeth. 

“Tell me what, Lil Bit.” John urged

“I tried so hard.” You sniffed, hating your tears, “don’t talk to John so much, stop talking about John so much, hang out with John less, don’t do this about John don’t do that.” You sighed, wiping your face with both of your hands.

“I did it all. I practically cut John off, and it wasn’t good enough. . . “Then I started to have these sick thoughts.” You shook your head with a wry smile at no one in particular. “If I’d fuck Alex that’s really hurt him. Because in his mind it could only be John. Not your newly widowed and vulnerable friend. It could possibly be him.”

“Why didn’t you say anything,” John’s shoulders fell, “I could have talked to him.”

“There’s nothing you could have said. That only would have made it worse a-a and- and when he threw that in my face,  I  figure’d why the fuck not,” you threw up your hands, “you give a man everything and he still accuses you of sleeping with your best friend.”

“Is that why you called me over here?” John reached towards you, but you moved away, taking a seat on the couch. 

Not now. Just . . . not now. 

He didn’t touch you but moved to take a seat next to you. 

“Even if Alex wasn’t here, I wouldn’t do that,” he tentatively looked at Alex before turning his attention back to you. 

“You need to talk to Marcus tomorrow and sort this out. Proving him right is only going to make things worse. End things with him if you must, but don’t blow it up because of his own insecurity.” He slowly put a hand on your leg. “You’re braver than that. You’ve always been braver than both of us.” He chuckled, despite himself. 

Alex had moved to the opposite side in front of you but refused to sit in the matching loveseat, staring you both down with a pensive expression. 

“You were the first one to jump into that creak when we went on that trip one summer” He interrupted from above. 

“You were the first one to sneak out when Nana Mama was asleep. . . Me and Alex never would have even dared to do it until you did,”  John continued. Lost in your thoughts, you don’t see the shared grin between them both. 

“First one to get a whooping for it too.” Alex laughed and it made you laugh too. John’s loud boisterous tone fell in soon after. 

Fuck them. 

[susiekern]

maybe in another universe - Satoru Gojo x reader

a/n: just a little something I wrote tonight, it's not even good, but whatever, also the first thing I post since starting the fallen, wild

word count: 840

warnings: none I think?

Another sleepless night kept y/n stuck in her thoughts. Her eyes were stuck on the toned chest of the man who slept peacefully next to her in a queen-size bed. His steady breaths were soothing her nerves, seeing him in such a rare state of vulnerability and calmness. She looked up at his face and smiled a little, reaching his forehead to brush back a few strands of white hair that got messy throughout the night. Her hand stayed there for a moment, gently caressing his cheek and jaw, her heart clenching almost painfully.

Satoru Gojo and y/n y/l weren’t meant to work. Not here, not now, not in this universe.

Maybe somewhere, in another life, they were just Toru and y/n, living a mundane life together, working 9-5 to come back home, eat dinner together, talk about their days, and go to sleep for a deserved rest. Maybe they go out for a date once a week or two; maybe they visit their friends every month for a joined game and wine night; maybe they plan their future in the middle of the night, wrapped in each other’s arms. Maybe they’ll buy a bigger house, get married, have a child, and grow old together. Maybe they’ll rest in the grave next to one another, having lived a fulfilling and pleasant life.

Or maybe in a different universe, they fight against the world, against the people who tried to keep them down. Maybe they stand proudly by each other’s side, not letting anyone disrupt their happy ending. Maybe they’re on the run, hiding all over the planet, but they’re happy ‘cause they’re together.

Maybe in a different timeline, they’ve never even met. They passed each other once or twice, on the streets or in the metro, not even aware of it. Of missing the opportunity. Of how the random person was their soulmate. Both of them settled with a different partner, never fully satisfied, but it was good enough, right? Because they never got a chance to experience the love, the excitement, and the pain of falling for someone so hard and so fast as this universe Satoru and y/n did.

Still kids, barely 16 at the time they met, they already had to deal with impossible expectations that the world threw at them every day. He was The Satoru Gojo, a boy who was the jujutsu hope and future, called the strongest even back then. She was a special-grade sorcerer, tested and trained ruthlessly since she was a child due to her unusual cursed technique. When they met in jujutsu tech, both quickly understood their situations were painfully similar. That’s what got them so close, so fast. Only one another could understand what they had to go through daily.

Time passed by, and as they grew up, it only got tougher. Satoru was now officially the head of his clan, the strongest sorcerer. Y/n was known as the most reckless one, taking on missions that no one else wanted to deal with. Some of their friends joked that if a devil can’t reach something, he’ll send y/n y/l there. And the higher-ups used that as often as they could, sending her on the roughest missions.

Each time she dealt with a special-grade curse, she thought about how many would be petrified to even stand in front of it when she did the most dangerous things she could to get it exorcised. If she died, she wouldn’t have any regrets, and that’s what kept her going. Because ever since she was a child, she lived a day at once, not thinking about even the closest future. It was a privilege she wasn’t granted. Not with her technique that could kill her at any time. It was a dangerous game, but y/n played it every time.

She’d only allow herself to think… no, dream about what could happen when it came to Satoru. She dreamt about their life together as he kept her in his arms after a hard mission, after they hadn’t seen each other in a few days due to work, or when life got too heavy to bear on their own. In the middle of the night, when darkness veiled her thoughts from the rest of the world, she imagined a small house in the suburbs, walls filled with photos of a happy family, maybe a dog running in the backyard, chased by the little kid, a perfect mix of its parents.

But it all vanished as soon as y/n’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, a distress call summoning her on another mission. She sighed and slowly got out of Satoru’s arms, getting dressed in the uniform that he hurried to take off her just a few hours ago. With a last glance at his sleeping body under the white duvet and a gentle kiss on his forehead, she quietly left his bedroom and apartment to put her life in danger once more. Wishing she could stay in his embrace for a little longer.

Maybe in another universe…

[pkg4mumtown]

Special Weapons and Tactics (Ch. 1)

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Male!Reader

Rating: Teen (for now)

Summary: You’re an FBI SWAT agent sent to a scene that the BAU is in charge of. There, you meet the team, specifically SSA Aaron Hotchner.

Content Warnings: Male!reader (no Y/N), strong language, first person POV, non-descriptive mentions of PTSD, canon-typical violence

A/N: I’ve been sitting on this fic for a while and I’m happy to share it with you! I’m about half way done with it and will be finishing it as I post the chapters. I will post about every couple weeks just so I have time to keep up with writing. I also have two Spotify playlists on my page for Criminal Minds if you want to check them out!!

Also available on AO3

July 2010

“Listen up. Target’s name is Lucas Bryant. This guy’s got a military background and possibly suffers from PTSD. He’s using various military paraphernalia to subdue his victims, believes his killings were righteous, and believes he’s at war with us, so approach with extreme caution. There’s a high chance that he won’t let himself be captured. The BAU believes he’s holed up in an attic, upstairs, or basement of some sort. Meet the BAU Unit Chief when we arrive.”

Various, “yes, sir’s,” echoed in the tactical van. Metal sliding against metal followed as last-minute weapons checks commenced.

“ETA is two minutes.”

I had been in the middle of poring over a case file when I got the SWAT mobilization order to a house in northern Virginia and was happy to step away. Words had been swimming on the pages of the file for the last couple of hours, so I’d been restless and itching to clear my head. I let myself imagine breathing out any thought of my own cases so I could be fully focused on this one.

Before the van could fully come to a stop, we were all standing and waiting for the back doors to unlock. A sea of olive green and black emerged from the van and we followed the lead SWAT agent toward the group of agents discussing and gesturing toward the house. The house was strangely well-kept, with a maintained lawn, but “No Soliciting” signs were hung on any possible surface. The curtains were all drawn closed, putting the agents even more on edge since we had a visual disadvantage.

“They’ve been briefed, Agent Hotchner,” our lead SWAT agent notified the Unit Chief as we approached.

“Great, thank you,” the tall, dark-haired agent nodded, making eye contact with each of us to make sure we were paying attention. “We’re splitting into three groups. The first group will go with Agent Morgan and Dr. Reid to breach the front door and head upstairs, the second with Agents Prentiss and Jareau to breach the back door, and everyone else with myself and Agent Rossi to the basement. Let’s go,” he dismissed the group, and everyone split up, having seen who they’re going with since the Unit Chief pointed them out as he spoke.

I looked at each of the other's faces as he gestured to them. The only member I was familiar with was Morgan since we were both in the FBI academy at the same time. The younger one—Reid—seemed vaguely familiar but I couldn’t recall as my attention drifted back to their boss.

My group followed Hotchner and Rossi to the side of the house where two doors indicated the basement access for the house. After we secured the entrance of the basement, we formed up along the side of the house and prepared for entry. I was the last in line of SWAT agents and felt Hotchner’s hand come to my shoulder. The two metal basement doors were firmly closed, prompting our breacher to check for locks. The breacher signaled that basement door was locked and unclipped a saw from his gear. He readied himself to cut the lock, giving us a signal and making eye contact with Hotchner, behind me.

“Is everyone in position?” came Hotchner’s steady, low voice.

There was a resounding confirmation over the radio.

“Breach.”

All of the teams moved immediately. Our breacher made quick work of the lock with the saw while the next agent in line pulled a flash-bang from his vest. With the doors forced open, the breacher jumped away from the entrance while the other agent lobbed a flash-bang down the stairs. As soon as it went off, everyone was following the agent down the stairs and swarming the basement. Rossi stayed outside to watch any windows while Hotchner was the last one in behind me. By the time we arrived, the room was clear and strangely empty besides the typical basement findings. Tall, metal shelving lined the walls with nothing of much interest on them and the floor was littered with boxes and grime. A lingering musty smell permeated the air but nothing else of concern.

“Anything upstairs?” Hotchner asked into the radio.

“Nothing, Hotch.”

He was understandably irritated by that answer and ordered, “Tear this place apart.”

We all got to work as he radioed with his team back and forth, looking around the room for any clues or ideas. Agents ripped into boxes and overturned miscellaneous furniture scattered throughout the basement. Hotchner grew more frustrated by the second judging by his tone over the radio, but his face didn’t show it.

“There’s electrical running down to the ground on the south side of the house,” the older agent—Rossi—sounded over the radio.

The stoic agent’s eyes snapped to the far wall to my left and moved briskly, just short of shoving agents out of his way. His tall frame squeezed between two shelving racks, stepping on a pile of trash in between as he feels the wall.

“Do you see any seams in the bricks?” He directed the question to me, making realize I was the closest to him but far enough to examine the wall from a distance.

“N—oh—yea! A little higher!” I pointed higher up the wall and try to follow the seam down.

I noticed a faint line—no, a wire—lower on the wall ending somewhere under Hotchner’s foot. My nerves lit on fire as I realized what was happening, but I couldn’t move toward him fast enough, “Sir, wait!”

Hotchner lifted weight off one foot to stretch more, turning to look at me as I surged toward him. He started to speak, unaware of what was happening or what I’d seen, “There’s airfl—”

Hotchner was cut off when an ear-rupturing, forceful shockwave echoed throughout the basement, bouncing off the walls and causing the unprepared to stumble. He lost his footing, disoriented and thrown off balance by the concussive blast. I even stumbled back as the blast pushed past my efforts to move forward. At the same time, he and his head were thrown forward into the industrial metal racking with what should have been a sickening thud. Everyone’s ears were ringing too much to hear it. Thankfully, the SWAT agents all had on ear protection and recovered much more quickly than Hotchner.

 I rushed over as the SWAT team’s medic and caught him under his armpits before he could collapse. His body was almost completely lax in my arms, so I dragged him away and propped him against a different rack.

“Sir, are you hurt anywhere else?”

There was no response, and his eyes were barely open and fluttering. I patted him down roughly but found nothing glaringly wrong besides the gushing cut to his forehead.

“Sir, can you stand?”

Nothing. Fuck.

The other SWAT agents were scrambling to open the false wall while being mindful of any more wires. I decided to radio the teams outside before I moved the agent.

“Basement team is working on a false wall. I have an agent down, in and out of consciousness from a concussion grenade. Possible head trauma. Extricating him now.”

“Copy.”

“I’m going to get you out of here, sir,” I assured him as his eyes finally fluttered shut, and his body became completely limp.

I secured my weapon and squatted low until his body could drape over my shoulders. I hooked an arm through his legs and held his dangling arm with the same hand so that I had a free hand for balance on the stairs. When he was as secure as I could get him, I quickly exited the basement, wanting to be out of there by the time they opened the false door so neither of us got shot.

I could only manage a brief nod to Rossi as I carried Hotchner’s extra weight from the stairs to the front lawn. I was keenly aware that the EMTs hadn’t been allowed in the staging area yet since Bryant wasn’t yet apprehended. I got to the edge of the front lawn before depositing him as gingerly as I could on the grass.

“Sir, can you hear me?” I raised my voice and took my helmet off, tossing it in the grass haphazardly.

Fetching a small penlight from one of my pouches, I removed my gloves and opened his eyes to check his pupils. Finding a somewhat normal reaction, I put the light away and got to work on treating his forehead, hoping the stinging would jostle him awake.

“This might sting,” I murmured to myself, basically.

I flushed the wound and press gauze firmly against it, feeling the agent below me tense with pain. His strong hand engulfed my wrist to roughly pry my hands away, but I persisted. I shoved my knee over his bicep and stapled his arm to the ground with my shin.

“Sir, relax. You’re safe,” I reassured him, maneuvering my arm so he could see my face and uniform. He was looking wildly around, probably looking for his team. “Look at me sir,” I requested and offered my rank as an SSA and my last name to him. “You have a laceration on your forehead, okay? I’m stopping the bleeding.”

His breathing began to slow, and he nodded slightly in confirmation. I took my shin off of his arm now that I knew he wouldn’t try to fight me.

“Can you tell me your name?” I began asking him some basic questions to assess for any brain damage.

“SSA Aaron Hotchner,” he answered, louder than he should have been responding but understandably so.

“Good. Do you remember the name of the target?”

“Lucas, mhm, Bryant,” he cringed as my hands worked on his head.

“Can you tell me how many fingers I have up?” I requested, pulling one of my hands away to show him three fingers.

“Three,” he squinted.

“Who’s your Section Chief?”

“Strauss.”

“Goo—,” I started but he cuts me off.

“You want my phone number, too?” he deadpanned, making me huff and smirk at the sarcasm.

“Well, do you remember it?” I challenged him, using butterfly style bandages to hold the wound closed before taping gauze over it.

He effortlessly relayed the numbers to me, giving me a pointed look as if to tell me he was fine now. “If you remember the number I’ll let you buy me coffee,” he rolled his eyes but briefly held my gaze with striking hazel eyes. He attempted to sit up, but I prevented him with a firm hand on his chest.

My brain screeched to a halt as I mentally rewound what he just said to me. Did he just flirt with me? Crap, what numbers did he just say? 5-5-5-0-4-7…6? No—8-6. I repeated them over and over in my head.

I was broken out of my stupor when I could finally hear chatter on the radio again as my ears became more attuned to our surroundings instead of just Hotchner, “Your team is fine. The target’s down.”

He relaxed a little more and I was all too aware of the hand I still had on his chest. He was, too, I saw as he quickly glanced down and then at me but didn’t mention it. I dug my hand into another pouch and brought out an ice pack, activating it with a pop, and pressing it to his head. He took over for my hand and kept the pack pressed to his head.

“Noted, by the way,” I answered his earlier challenge with an upturn at the corner of my mouth.

He gave a hum in acknowledgement. Hotchner was silent for a while, his free hand absentmindedly playing with the grass while trying to crane his head to look at the action behind him to no avail.

“It’s weird being on the other end of this,” he murmured, seemingly to no one in particular.

“What do you mean, sir?” I adjusted myself to sit on the grass more comfortably.

“Hotch,” he corrected, focusing back on me. “And, usually, I’m the one calming victims down. Yet here I am getting flustered over an operator.”

“You could have fooled me,” I laughed, my hand twitching against his chest. Whatever flustered feeling he was talking about, it wasn’t noticeable—to me at least. His features were still void of any emotion beyond the lingering worry for the mission.

“Despite having been in SWAT, the situation was…eye-opening,” his even voice invited a brief moment of mirth.

“You were straight before you went in the basement?” I joked with pursed lips.

“Pretty much,” Hotch nearly cracked a smile. The hint of it soon faded away and he made direct eye contact with me, hoping I would understand, “That’s a joke.”

I was…unsure of how to take that. It was a joke in that he actually is straight or a joke meaning that he’s not straight? Was he or was he not flirting? I mentally sighed and gave him a neutral answer just in case.

“I’m aware of how sexual orientation works, sir,” I forced a chuckle. “Maybe that hit jostled your head a little more than we thought.”

He deflated a little, his smirk dropping, “Yea, maybe.”

In an effort to save the conversation, I latched on to what he previously said, “You did SWAT detail?”

“Mmm, yea, when I was at the Seattle Field Office…tch,” he let out a long breath. “…a long time ago. It was fun,” he raised an eyebrow at me. “Surprised?”

“Only a little,” I shrugged. “You seem capable,” I gave him a once over, imagining him in the uniform I was wearing.

In the distance, I finally saw the rest of Hotch's team leaving the house. They rushed toward me where I had their boss lounging in the grass.

“Your team is incoming,” I notified him and began standing.

I extended my hand to Hotch, and he took it reluctantly as I helped him to his feet. He wobbled for a second, prompting me to still him with a hand firmly planted on his back while his hand clutched my shoulder. If anything, my hand on his back had the opposite effect as he put pressure into my hand instead of balancing himself.

Interesting.

I would have been crazy to pull my hand back.

Rossi approached with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “Close encounter with a deadly shelf down there, eh?”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting out in laughter at the murderous look Hotch shot at Rossi. It was only made funnier by the image of the stern agent with a child-sized icepack on his forehead.

I quickly cleared my throat as I noticed the other agents looking expectantly at me, “Just a laceration and probably bruising later. He hit his head pretty good, possible mild concussion so he shouldn’t be alone for 24 hours. Might need stitches and probably worth getting his head checked out but I’m sure he won’t.”

Hotch winced as he accidentally put more pressure on it with the icepack, “I’m fine. Just a headache.”

I fixed him with a pointed look, then glanced at his hovering team, “Yeah, well, they seem to disagree.”

Prentiss stepped forward, concern softening her features. She reached for his forearm, his hand quickly sliding from my shoulder to her hands and leading him away from my hand on his back, “Come on, tough guy. You’re crashing with me.”

No significant other at home? Or is she…? Hm.

It was almost possessive, but what did I know? With the nature of our work, I’m sure they were all pretty close and protective of one another. I might not be a profiler, but I got the idea nonetheless as her eyes flicked toward me like I was a stranger. Well, because I was.

Clearing my throat, I swiped my helmet from the grass and tucked it under my arm. I extended my hand to Hotch, “Great to meet you, sir.”

Despite not knowing them besides Morgan, word did tend to get around the field offices about the BAU, so it was nice to put faces to the team.

“Thank you for your help,” my last name escaped his mouth with a low and soft hum, giving me a grateful quirk of his mouth.

Before I could lose myself in his features, I shifted my attention to Rossi and shook his and everyone else’s hand. As I got to Morgan, recognition flashed across his face.

My last name questioningly fell out of his mouth in disbelief. A bright smile lit up his face as he realized why we knew each other, “How’ve you been, brother?”

“Good, man. I—,” I heard my name called across the street, beckoning me to the tactical van. I acknowledged my teammate and continued my sentence by drawing out the letter, “I…gotta go, I guess.”

“No worries, we’ll catch up soon. Let’s go out some time,” Morgan reached for my hand and pulled me into a brief hug.

“Sounds good,” I smiled at the team and jogged back to the van.

I approached the van, slowing down as I got to the open door where Ramirez was waiting for me expectantly.

“Have fun with the shrinks?” He grinned and held the back door open for me.

“Yea, they’re alright. I went through the academy with one of them,” I climbed in and helped him shut the doors before sitting down.

“Bunch of characters, though,” he chuckled.

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“Nah, it’s just…I’ve worked with them before. No offense or anything, they’re just…weird, I guess,” he stammered over his words, not quite expecting to be called out.

“And, yet we rely on them for profiles that help us get guys like that,” I gestured vaguely in the direction of the house we had just left.

“Fair enough.”

On the ride back to DC, I pulled out my phone and typed in the number I had been repeating since my interaction with Hotch. 5-5-5-0-4-8-6. I quickly saved it under something practical and not at all indicative of how giddy I felt saving it.

Spoilers, it was just “Hotch BAU”.

 I resisted typing out a text message to him at that moment, not wanting to seem…desperate? Yea, “desperate” sounded right. I decided to send it later that night, which sounded even more desperate considering he would be at that attractive agent’s house. Prentiss? Prentiss. I grumbled to myself for being stupid and shoved my phone back in my pocket.

-

Chapter 2

[velidewrites]

- What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?

You probably don’t want to spoil plot points, so tell me each of the VanFam’s worst crimes in their past 🫦

Ooh I love this one — let me answer it with the worst things that, in my mind, they did in the canon acotar verse. I’m going to list a few since they’ve done ah… plenty of terrible things

Vermilion

I’ve mentioned under his recent art, but it would have to be holding Lucien down during Jesmina’s execution. All the brothers played their part in it, for their own reasons, but Vermilion and Eris were the only ones who tried to protect Lucien throughout all of it. It took all of Vermilion’s strength to hold Lucien back — he’d conjured fire ropes, his whip, everything to tie him down to prevent him from lashing out at Beron, a fight Lucien (at the time) had no chance of surviving. Before that incident, Lucien and Ver’s relationship had already been rocky, nothing like what they shared in their early youth, but Ver holding him back was the ultimate betrayal in Lucien’s eyes.

When he was exiled, Lucien told Vermilion he never wishes to see him again, and, if he does, he would kill him without hesitation. Vermilion only smirked and encouraged Lucien to try, even though on the inside it felt like his heart was being ripped apart. In my mind, since then up until where we’re left off in ACOSF, Vermilion periodically checks up on Lucien via his contacts across Prythian — without Lucien ever finding out, of course.

Another horrible in-canon thing: Vermilion was one of the brothers who, together with Eris, had attacked Feyre and Lucien at the frozen lake in ACOWAR. Vermilion had only come along because he hadn’t seen Lucien since UtM, and desperately wanted to make sure he was okay. The other brother was Sylas, who had genuinely hoped to capture both Feyre and Lucien and bring them to Beron (while also secretly hoping Eris would fall through the ice and drown in the lake as a sort of two birds in one stone thing lmao)

** Side note: in that scene in ACOWAR, Feyre and Lucien are described to be trapped by a fiery rope. HI VERMILION

Sylas

Worst crimes? SO many. War crimes in Beron’s name for sure, I can think of so many he could’ve committed during and after the war with Hybern, and in the First War when the Wall went up. Sylas is a soldier, yet, and an extremely skilled warrior, but he doesn’t fight with a soldier’s honor the way, say, Cassian does. Yes, he takes good care of his armies and is loyal to the people, but he fights wars that serve him, and his motives only. Anything to discredit Eris as the heir, to gain Beron’s favor, and to eventually kill them both.

On a sadder note, Sylas led the search for Jesminda when her relationship with Lucien was made known to Beron. He’s the one who’d pursued her through the forest and captured her to bring forward to Beron. While it doesn’t make the crime any better, Sylas did think Jesminda was going to be exiled, not executed. He thought Beron would’ve seen that as the more sensible option to avoid any potential Lesser Faerie uprising in her name. If Sylas were High Lord, it’s what he would’ve done. As for Lucien, he didn’t much care that he was punished and exiled. In Sylas’s eyes, suffering at the hands of Beron is nothing out of the ordinary for any of the brothers.

Marcel

LMFAOOOOO where do I start??

I guess since we’re on the Jesminda topic — after her capture, he used his smoke to incapacitate her, making her suffer horrifying visions of torture, death, Lucien’s death, and everything in between. Beron didn’t order him to do so, and it wasn’t that Marcel particularly wanted to punish her or Lucien. Around that time, he was still perfecting his smoke’s ability to induce hallucinations, so he simply saw it as a good opportunity to practice.

Ask game

[kiy-anna]

Am I Feeling Love?

Part 1 (You Are Here) Part 2 Part 3a Part 3b

Characters: Azul Ashengrotto x Fem!Reader

Synopsis: From the moment Azul Ashengrotto heard of soulmates as a small child, he had a vision of a beautiful life with someone who was meant for him - regardless of what he was or would become…

Word count: 5.3k+

Warnings: Some Yandere elements

Notes: I wanted to thank @yanderloversworld on tumblr for the yandere!Azul w/ Soulmate S/O headcanons/backstory that I saw for inspiring this piece. I’ve never written anything like this before, but I wanted to give my hand at it - especially since it involves my favorite cecaelia character from twisted Wonderland. You can check it out here: https://www.tumblr.com/yandereloversworld/718766985773760512/yanazul-with-a-soulmate-so?source=share

The two songs used to inspire this story:

Am I Feeling Love? (The Thief and the Cobbler/Arabian Knight Soundtrack): https://youtu.be/NXYnClTZ4QY

One Day She'll Love Me (The Emperor's New Groove Soundtrack): https://youtu.be/8Sv3ECj7PdY

***I have an update! Part 2 now Available to read on my side blog @ashensgrotto***

***

I close my eyes and see his eyes

So soft and warm and clear

I dream awake of holding her

I dream that she’s right here

I sense in all his silences

More than his words could say

‘Don’t fight your feelings’ says my heart

A heart I will obey

***

“Azul… we need to talk.”

The sound of his mother’s broken voice pulled Azul’s attention to the larger cecaelia as all eight of his tiny tentacles stilled, each and every one of his appendages dropping an assortment of books, quills, and shells to the grotto’s floor as the silver-lavender haired boy looked upon his mother. The typically confident cecaelian now appeared scared and upset; her pale baby blue eyes were wide with worry and her ruby lips were set in a straight line - her heavy-set body swayed with the current that entered their home while her black-colored tentacles fidgeted nervously, the lavender underbelly of each appendage curling into itself repeatedly before releasing its grip on emptiness.

Azul stood, his own appendages curling inward, “Can this wait, momma? I’m very busy at the moment-”

“I’m afraid it can’t, baby,” his mother entered his room before perching herself on his bed, tapping the seafoam cushion, “come here.”

Azul sat beside his mother, looking down at his hands before looking up at his mother, who watched him with interest.

“Zully… the neighbors have told me they’ve seen you sneaking out at night,” his mother spoke quietly, “and it has been apparently going on for a while - without my knowledge. You and I both know that night is a terrible time to be going out, especially alone - you’re smart enough to know that you could’ve been seriously injured or killed by the creatures that lurk just beyond the reef of our city. Do you know how heartbroken I would be if I lost you?”

“I know, momma… but, I promise I have a good reason!”

“What good reason would you have for sneaking out in the middle of the night?”

“My soulmate.”

His mother looked taken back, her hand reaching to clutch the Nautilus shell necklace that rested on her collarbones as her already wide eyes widened further, “...S-Soulmate?”

“Yes!” Azul’s powder-blue eyes sparkled like gems in a treasure chest as a huge grin spread across his features, “I overheard some of the merkids talking about them at school a few weeks ago - o-of course I had initially thought they were talking about me, since I seem to come up in conversation here and there… but still! Oh, momma! To know that there’s someone out there that is literally MEANT to be WITH ME! Me! Azul Ashengrotto!”

“Zully, now wait a minute-”

“At first the concept did fascinate me,” Azul continued, slowly standing and moving to the opposite end of his room while ignoring his mother’s words, “and what intrigued me more than anything was that my soulmate would love and cherish every last thing about me - not the way the other merkids see me as; a pathetic, fat… ugly crying octopus fry that can’t even excel in studies or athletics. The silly little octo-twerp that’s an ink spiller.”

“Zully, you know that’s not-”

“But you know what momma? Thinking about my soulmate has made the days so much easier, even when I’m getting bullied - I think about them seeing what those other merkids are doing and they put a stop to it, saying things like, ‘Leave Azul alone! He’s not a pathetic little octo-twerp!’” Azul turned to his mother again, his tentacles writhing with excitement, “So, to be ready to meet them, I’ve been working to increase my knowledge - I want to be so powerful like the great Sea Witch herself that my soulmate will know who I am by sight alone! I’ve studied every book I could get my hands on and have memorized every single potion recipe there is available - even learning how to improve its effects and prolong them even! I’ve even studied every law text there is in the Atlantica public library - I have every law memorized word for word.”

His mother sighed, running a hand through her silvery locks, the motions creating little bubbles that appeared as she let out a sigh, “Azul, there’s something you should know-”

“As for the sneaking out,” Azul continued, throwing his hands behind his back as his fingers twisted together while he rocked back and forth on the edges of his eight appendages, “I was searching for my soulmate. I don’t know if they are here in the Coral Sea or not-”

“Azul, please listen to me-”

“But I wanted to see if I could find them. The first few nights after learning about their existence, I was having trouble sleeping - so I started doing a short swim to clear my head. I promise I wasn’t going too far away from the house! However, on those walks, it got me thinking that maybe instead of sleeping, I should be searching for them. There was no better use of my time than to strive for a better life with someone who must sense my loneliness like I sensed theirs…”

“...If they weren’t so rare, baby.”

Azul snapped to attention, his eyes wide, “W-What?”

His mother rested one hand on her knees while the other rubbed at her forehead, “Zully, I know and understand your longing to belong and to have a friend - trust me, I’ve been there. However, you can’t fixate on a single being that you hope to encounter at some point in your life. Finding that so-called ‘other half’ is like - well - like the story of the mermaid princess and her longing to be with a human. It’s a rare occurrence that only happens once in a millennium if not longer. Many times, people - humans, fae, and merfolk alike - often settle for someone they are content and happy with, someone that isn’t their other half.”

Azul stared in shock, inky tears threatening to spill down his chubby cheeks, as his hands balled into fists, “No! No! That isn’t true! What about you and daddy when he was alive?! Both of you were soulmates!”

“No we weren’t… At least, I don’t think we were,” Azul’s mother came forward, resting a hand gingerly on her son’s shoulder, “Anyone can be happy with or without their soulmate, Azul. There’s no reason you should go to such lengths to be with someone who may not even exist. You may not even meet them in this lifetime, either…”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Azul pushed her away, anger bubbling up as his tentacles writhed in anger, his vision becoming blurry as ink spilled down his face as he snapped at his mother and guardian, “HOW DARE YOU!? You DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT the CONNECTION BETWEEN SOULMATES! THEY FEEL AS I FEEL! THAT CONNECTION IS WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE!! An UNBREAKABLE BOND that CAN NEVER BE SEVERED!! And how DARE you CHEAT on your OWN SOULMATE!”

“Azul! Now wait a minute!” his mother raised her voice, “I’ve been around the bend a few more times than you have and know about these sorts of things. I WILL NOT ALLOW this behavior to continue in my house!”

“Fine! Then I’ll leave!”

“Azul! Where are you going?! Azul!!”

But the little cecaelia was gone, swimming as fast as he could away from his mother’s typically loving embrace. 

‘How could she?!’ he mind was running as he sped up to get further and further away from his home, ‘How could she say that? Why momma… why?!’

He was sniffing hard when he arrived at his hidden octopot, big ugly fat tears of black rolling down his chubby cheeks while mucus dribbled down his nose, running into his open mouth as he gasped out big grotesque sobs. He pulled himself along enough to climb into the pot, his appendages pulling him into the confined space as comfort slowly surrounded his shaking form. One tentacle came forward, wiping at the tears in his eyes as Azul allowed his hearts to calm down. 

He wrapped his arms around himself as he looked out into the darkness of the Coral Sea; the pale moonlight reflected off the caverns that surround Azul’s hiding spot, the water growing colder and colder with each passing hour as several sea creatures passed over - not that Azul noticed though. Normally, he would have been interested in what creatures came out at night - but the words his mother spoke forced a jolt of pain on all three of his hearts.

“You can’t fixate on a single being that you hope to encounter at some point in your life,” her words echoed in his mind over and over, “Finding that so-called ‘other half’ is like - well - like the story of the mermaid princess and her longing to be with a human. It’s a rare occurrence that only happens once in a millennium if not longer. Anyone can be happy with or without their soulmate, Azul. There’s no reason you should go to such lengths to be with someone who may not even exist…”

‘What if she’s right?’ he thought, his tentacles tightening around his body, ‘What if I never find them? What if they think the same way she does? What if… what if they’ve already been taken from me?!’

His eyes narrowed as a darkness slowly filled them, glaring out into the cruel twisted world from the darkness of his octopot. No, even if his soulmate was already claimed he would’ve known - he would know if they were, he’d felt it; the tangling of another soul within his if his other half were to be mated to another without his consent. However, that hadn’t happened yet.

…for now.

Azul curled deeper into himself, his thoughts growing darker and darker as he made plans to continue his search for his other half; his beloved soulmate. He wouldn’t give up the search, even if he died trying. He wanted to see them; see what they looked like and to hear their sweet voice, to feel a sense of belonging… to protect what was rightfully his.

***

I'd never imagined before that the world could be turned on its head

I'd never have thought to be here in this place

I'd never have dreamt that in love I'd be lost and so easily led

I guess I was caught by that hint of a smile on her face

***

“Azul-chan, are we almost finished here?” a figure on the cecaelian’s left muttered, “I’m bored.”

“Floyd,” the figure on Azul’s right spoke up, murmuring and pressing a finger to his lips, “There are still some students that need to be housed. Just be a little bit more patient.”

“Speaking of which,” Azul eyed the two carefully, “Any news from our sources, Jade?”

“It’s rather difficult to track down something when we ourselves don’t know what we’re looking for,” the second figure - Jade - answered softly, “A description usually helps in these circumstances, Azul.”

“Perhaps,” the cecaelian shrugged indifferently, “however, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I’m looking for, myself.”

The two second-in-commands looked at each other, confusion crossing their features.

Ten years had passed slowly since that terrible day when Azul’s mother planted the first seeds of doubt into her son’s head, her chiding and the doubts never leaving him completely. However, that did not stop him from continuing his search for his other half - exhausting himself beyond belief. By the time Azul was twelve - nearly five years following his discovery of the existence of soulmates - he had searched every crevice of the Coral Sea with no luck; it was also around this time that he met the Leech twins - Floyd and Jade. 

Jade was the oldest of the two by a few minutes and was very resourceful as well as very soft-spoke and courteous; his younger brother, Floyd, on the other hand was unpredictable due to his mood swings - he could be interested in one thing one minute and grow bored of it the next. The two moray mers had come across Azul during his younger days when they were in the same class together, watching with awe as his eight appendages hovered about his hidden grotto, writing inscriptions on shells and flipping through pages of grimoires. Originally, they weren’t sure what to make of him, but now that they knew about his capabilities from stories they heard about someone granting wishes for a price - the two were now invested in keeping Azul close to their sides.

And vice versa.

Eventually, the question of why he was doing it came up; Azul took the time to explain the story about how he had first learned about soulmates and how he had been searching the past five years for his, eventually coming to the conclusion that his other half was nowhere in the Coral Sea.

“I have searched every nook and cranny of these waters and have yet to find them,” Azul explained, pouring ingredients into a cauldron as he spoke, “Thus, I’m ‘using my resources’ to spread out the search for my other half.”

“So, some of your deals include gathering any information about a particular person whom you’ve never met nor spoken to?” Jade asked, very intrigued by Azul’s train of thought.

“Hah… sound boring,” Floyd chimed in, reclining atop of one of the rocks in the grotto.

“It’s more interesting than it sounds,” Azul answered, popping a cork off a bottle and dumping the contents into the cauldron as the liquid turned from pale pink to eerie green, “besides, the sooner I find them, the better off they’ll be. However, the problem here lies that if they’re not in the Coral Sea - then where are they?”

Neither of the twins could supply an answer.

It was also around this time that Azul’s appearance had also changed. Baby fat melted and hardened into muscle while his gut and belly dissolved into toned skin, chubby cheeks evolved into high cheekbones; his face sharpening into arched brows, thin lips, and a pointed nose - though his eyes, now filled with knowledge and pride, remained the same. Gone was - in Azul’s opinion - the fat crying octo-twerp of his youth as a handsome, defined sea witch stood in his place; a perfect figure that his soulmate would be proud of once they set sights on him.

The dramatic weight-loss and muscle built scared, not only Jade and Floyd, but also his own mother - whom he did speak to on seldom occasions due to her connections as the owner of the Atlantica Grotto Bistro, which was slowly becoming a local hot spot and where Azul worked full time as a waiter and assistant manager. It was also where he would lure unsuspecting victims - mainly those from his youth or clients with means - into signing his newly-perfected golden contracts, sealing their powers away for his own in exchange for whatever it was that they wished for. Of course, Azul’s mother never suspected a thing about her son’s side business - now a bit preoccupied with the courtship of an older squid mer who had slowly made a presence in her life as well as teaching Azul the fundamentals of building his own business.

When Azul, Jade, and Floyd reached the age of sixteen, they were invited to attend Night Raven College - a boys’ prestigious school for young mages. Azul’s mother had been proud of Azul’s accomplishment and Azul, himself, was secretly thankful that he would be given the chance to explore a different world versus hearing things through the grape vines from his sources. It was during his first year of attending that he made a name for himself, following practically in his mother’s and the Sea Witch’s footsteps; he was now the headwarden and the owner of the Mostro Lounge that his dorm - Octavinelle - operated on the school property. He also was the student others went to when they needed help or had a wish that only he could grant. Jade and Floyd both helped as well, taking his place into luring potential clients into his clutches.

Now, the three of them were entering their second year at NRC - and Azul was barely hanging on by a thread. For the past year on land - thanks to the potion he created that would allow himself, Jade, and Floyd to attend the school as humans - Azul had used his network of informants to extend his search for his other half.

He never forgot the promise he made to continue his search for his soulmate - the contracts were just a starting point to his grand scheme for searching for the person who would love and cherish him as no other could. By building a name for himself, Azul essentially had been given enough money to spend as much as he pleased for information about any leads and his extensive network of informants were at his beck-and-call should he need them to snoop out any potential tips he heard. He had cleared out both Harveston during winter break the previous year and the Queendom of Roses as well as the Shaftlands the previous summer before he was summoned to return to Night Raven. Sunset Savanna would be next on his list during the winter break this year and he would attempt Briar Valley over the summer.

But even that wasn't soon enough it seemed.

Azul’s spirit was practically crying out with each failed search, lead, and tip - nearly to the point that his soul was exhausted and he found himself hearing his mother’s chiding words in his inner ear again. But he was stubborn - incredibly so; and he made plans before leaving his home city again to extend any knowledge to him from outside the school’s barriers.

Azul sighed as the last first year was placed into their dorm, forcing a smile as he addressed his new students, crossing his arms over his chest, "New students! I congratulate you on your achievement. As the dorm head of Octavinelle, I am honored to have the opportunity to support you in what I hope will be a fulfilling campus experience.”

"Hey, does anyone know where the headmage went?" Azul arched his brow as the dorm head of Pomefiore, Vil Schoenheit, spoke, “He disappeared midway through the ceremony…”

"Some headmage he is," Idia Shroud, the head of Ignihyde, grumbled from his tablet that hovered in the chamber.

"Maybe he had a tummy ache?" the ever naive dorm head of Scarabia - Kalim Al-Asim - asked with a shrug.

The doors burst open as the head mage himself appeared, shouting, "I most certainly did not!"

"Ah, speak of the devil," Riddle Rosehearts, the dorm head of Heartslabyul, grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If you must know," the headmage continued, pulling a cloaked figure along with him, their slender wrist tight in his grasp, "I was searching for the new student who failed to show for orientation. Come along, you are the only one who hasn't been assigned to a dorm - step up to the dark mirror and be quick about it. I'll hold onto your weasel."

Azul watched as the headmage pulled the figure along, causing them to stumble slightly, before he released them. The cloaked figure lifted their head, taking a tentative step towards the mirror as the headmage held tightly onto another being - a little gray cat creature with burning fire in his ears with eyes wider than saucer plates. Something about the shy figure had drawn Azul utmost attention as they stood before the dark mirror.

“State your name,” the mirror spoke, its voice deep and dark.

“I’m (Y/N),” you spoke, so quiet that everyone had to strain to hear them.

“(Y/N)... The nature of your soul is…” the dark mirror hesitated, narrowing its pitch-black eyes before announcing, “...unclear to me.”

“What did you just say?” the headmage crossed his arms over his chest as a murmur rippled through the crowd.

“I sense no magical power from this one,” the dark mirror answered, voice grim, “Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant… Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate.”

With his final answer, the headmage let out a cry, “Are you suggesting the black carriage went to recieve a person who cannot even use magic?! That is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence!”

As head headmage continued to squawk in surprise, Azul nearly felt his heart stop in his chest when you looked in his direction.

As soon as your eyes locked with his, Azul knew.

His soulmate was here.

You were a pretty (h/c) with tints of (f/c) weaved into locks that framed your soft features hidden under the black and gold hood of the ceremonial robe you wore, the exotic eyes of (e/c) filled with wonder and surprise - with an underlying hint of fear, likely due to the shock of being called ‘abnormal’ by a piece of looking-glass. You looked about a few inches shorter than him - a perfect height for him to rest his chin upon your head - as a pleasant pink painted your cheeks, turning them into red delicious apples that tempted Azul to take a bite, and your jaw dropped slightly, lips parting with surprise. 

Azul knew that you could feel the strong connection between your two souls - the pull he had searched the past decade for finally presenting itself in the shape of you. He found himself unable to look away, staring at you with quiet longing and lovestruck clearly written across his features.

“Azul?” Jade snickered, “What is-”

“I think octy just found what he was lookin’ for, Jade,” Floyd snickered, his eyes shifting between the startled first-year and their lovestruck boss.

“I quite agree,” Jade’s voice came out sickly smooth as his eyes shifted between the three of them, “this has just gotten interesting…”

Azul hardly noticed though the twins’ snickers in his ears, his thoughts were already running wild with ideas of how he wanted to spoil you - his found other half, his precious mate. 

The problem now was that you were a non-magic user and a female to boot - nevermind that you had just been put on display like an exotic animal. The whispers that echoed in the chamber forced you to look away from the lovestruck second-year, your body quivering with fear and unease as he himself was brought back to reality.

‘How DARE they insult her while in my presence?’ Azul felt a growl bubble up in the back of his throat, his pale blues shifting from the crowd to his mate to the headmage and back again as his hands curled into fists under the sleeves of his cloak, ‘And how DARE the dark mirror put (Y/N) in this situation!’

“Headwardens,” the headmage’s voice echoed in the chamber, silencing every whisper as he took control of the situation, “please escort your students back to the dorms as the orientation is now complete.”

“What about (Y/N)?” the voice of Coach Vargas spoke up, “Surely you are not expecting someone like her to remain here?”

‘And you’re first on the list of people who will suffer my wrath for saying something so hostile to my mate,’ Azul thought, thinking of what the best way would be to attack the coach indirectly.

“This is a most unfortunate turn of events, yes,” the headmage agreed, tapping his chin in thought, “Due to you being female and that you are a non-magic user, I’m afraid I cannot allow you to attend Night Raven College. You seem like an amicable young lady, however this is an all-boy’s school and I cannot admit a student - male or female - with no magical ability. But fear not, the dark mirror will see you safely home.”

‘NO! You CAN’T!’ Azul was barely holding himself together at this point - he had just found his soulmate and now the world wanted the two of them to be separated forever?! He would not allow it! 

Before he could act on impulse, the mirror’s deep voice echoed in the chamber, “There is no such place.”

“What?!” Crowley squawked again as murmurs rose from the crowd yet again.

“There is no place in this world where this soul belongs,” the dark mirror answered again, “None.”

“H-How can that be?!” Crowley asked, his hands shaking with an inner rage, “My, but today is a veritable cavalcade of impossible phenomena! This has never happened throughout my long tenure. I must confess I am at something of a loss.”

Azul could sense the sadness radiating from his mate as well. Were you disappointed that you couldn’t return from wherever you had come from? And if so, why would you want to go back if now you knew of his existence?

Perhaps a little persuasion was needed���

Azul smiled darkly, before taking a step forward, clearing his throat, “Headmage Crowley, I understand that all of us are at a loss of what to do with our strange guest - however, may I offer a solution to our little problem?”

“Master Ashengrotto,” Headmage Crowley crossed his arms over his chest, “I’m not certain what you mean. We must send (Y/N) back to where they came from.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Azul countered, shrugging while keeping his eyes trained on the headmage while he faked a painful look, “It is easy to return us to our homes, but we have no idea where she comes from - or if we can even get her back.”

“T-There must be a way though… right?” you spoke up, your eyes pleading with Azul’s.

“I hate to agree with Azul, but he’s right,” a tan-skinned, dark-haired figure spoke up, “If this herbivore is from another world entirely, the chances of getting them back are slim to none.”

“Leona is quite right on the money with that one,” Vil answered with a nod.

Azul smiled, knowing that the ripples of shock and disbelief were now falling onto the headmage for being incompetent in dealing with this matter. He couldn’t turn (Y/N) away now that Azul had spoken up with two additional dorm heads also taking his side.

“What do you propose then?” Headmage Crowley asked, eyeing the headwarden of Octavinelle uneasily.

“Octavinelle, as I’m sure you remember, has plenty of rooms for rent,” Azul answered, turning to (Y/N) with a reassuring smile, “As the dorm head, I will gladly take (Y/N) into my dorm where she can stay during her time here. If she’s agreeable, she can work within the Mostro Lounge to pay for a place to sleep and to have food in her belly.”

“I’m not sure, Master Ashengrotto…” Crowley spoke, rubbing his chin with a clawed gloved hand, “a single woman in a dorm filled with boys is highly improper…”

“Improper would be the term used for the predicament your so-called black carriage put you in,” Azul snipped, his eyes flashing dangerously at the headmage, “Besides - the rooms we rent are on the opposite side of the aquarium in our dorm, quite a ways away from the rooms the dorm members reside in for that particular purpose. We also have security within our dorm and I’m usually the one to deal with matters of… problematic nature.”

“Perhaps, however-”

“Consider it one less problem on your plate as well. If (Y/N) is brought to my dorm, I will take full responsibility for her - and I might be able to find a way to get her home in the process as well.”

“You what?” your eyes widen with hope, your hand reaching out and clasping the edge of his robe.

“I have an endless network of resources at my disposal, my dear - I can likely find you a quicker way to get home than you can with anyone else here,” Azul answered confidently, thinking, ‘Though you won’t know that since I found you. I’ve searched high and low for you, I’ll be damned if I let you slip from my grasp so easily.’

“Very well then,” Headmage Crowley let out a sigh, “(Y/N), are you agreeable with staying with the Octavinelle dorm and working at the Mostro Lounge until Master Ashengrotto can find a way to return you to your world?”

“Of course! Thank you so much, Mr. Ashengrotto!” you beamed with joy.

“Azul,” the dorm head answered with a nod, “please, call me Azul.”

“Azul, then.”

The human-cecaelian smiled sweetly at his soulmate and offered an arm out, his hearts practically bursting with joy when you slipped your own arm through his - the two of you now link together via soul and side by side.

***

Azul brought you to the Octavinelle’s renting dorm after ordering Jade and Floyd to start the welcoming party for the first years as well as to get them ready for tomorrow night.

“Do what you need to do,” Azul smiled at the two.

“Of course.”

“You got it, boss!”

When the two of them were out of earshot, you looked up at Azul, “Thank you so much for your help back there. I wasn’t certain what was going to happen if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“Likely the headmage would have thrown you out of the college and left you to fend for yourself,” Azul smiled, “but I, on the other hand, would never allow something so pitifully disgusting happen to you.”

You giggled, the sound pulling on Azul’s heartstrings.

‘She’s here, she’s real,’ his thoughts quickened as the two continued their leisurely pace, ‘I knew that she was real, that she and I would meet. It will only be a matter of time now - once she confesses her feelings for me, I will make her mine.’

The two stopped outside one of the doors, Azul pulled out a key ring and unlocked it before ushering his soulmate inside.

“You can stay here,” Azul answered, peering around and wishing that it was cleaner than it was now, “There’s spare blankets in the closet in case you get cold during the night and fresh towels in the bathroom. I’ll have Jade or Floyd bring you a spare pair of clothing since you’ve brought nothing with you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to…”

“I insist,” Azul answered, “What sort of host would I be if I didn’t provide the best service?”

You giggled again, your smile even wider, “Well, thank you again Azul.”

Each time you spoke his name, Azul’s heart gave a leap of joy. 

He coughed, blushing slightly, “W-Well then, should you need anything during your time here, just let me know.”

“Of course, but - may I ask a question?”

“You already have,” Azul  snickered at you.

Your pout was adorable that Azul burst into laughter before you asked, “Why were you willing to help me? A complete stranger?”

“I have a gift for sensing someone in need,” Azul answered, his grin spreading wider over his features, “I have helped many poor unfortunate souls in my short lifetime and intend on continuing to offer my services in exchange for something.”

“What sort of payment?”

“Depends - but it isn’t something you should worry about. I like to keep a few things in my personal life private - regardless of my relationships with other people.”

“Of course, I can respect that.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” Azul reached out, pushing the hood down and stroking your  soft hair gently, “Why don’t you rest now? I have to attend the welcome party for the new students and make sure no one is destroying anything in my absence. I will have Jade or Floyd bring you something to eat in a little bit along with that fresh change of clothes. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss our contract.”

“Contract?”

“I always have my employees sign a business contract before they begin work - regardless how long they work in the lounge for,” Azul answered, “It helps to have things in writing when dealing with problems later down the road.”

With a nod, you grinned, “Thank you again, Azul-san.”

The cecaelia couldn’t help himself as he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your forehead before pulling away and leaving his other half to stare at him in shock and surprise. 

When the door clicked behind him, Azul pulled the keyring out and locked the door to prevent anyone from entering and you from leaving. His eyes gleamed menacingly in the low light as a black gloved hand stroked the doorframe gently.

‘At last… you’re here with me, my precious pearl. Forgive me, but now that I have seen you… I can never let you go…’

[elainsgirl]

To be honest, coming from an outsider that was never part of the fandom, I always thought Elain and Azriel would end up together, since the first time they met I had that feeling. Their interactions, as short as they were, are my favorites. To my surprise, most people do not like them together and prefer Gwyn, which I do not remember any interactions in which Azriel and Gywn led to believe to something else.

Azriel does not need Gwyn to “take him out of his shell” as people says, he is quiet and reserved and there’s nothing wrong with that, you can be an introvert and still have friends and an active life, I don’t understand why they want to change his character.

For me, Gwyn was only introduced for Nesta’s character development, such as Feyre has Mor and Amren, Elain has Nuala and Cerridwen, Nesta has Gwyn and Emerie, I don’t see Gwyn providing nothing else plot wise.

People hate Elain and I have no idea why, to me, she’s the most interesting character and the one who has shown quite growth without her own book, from being terrified to actively ending the war by killing Hybern. There’s so much that we haven’t seen, she’s a seer and the Cauldron’s favorite, who knows what other powers were given to her?

Also I do not understand why people want Elain with Tamlin? The one who abused her sister? The one who is very unstable and was part of the reason she was turned into Fae? They just want Elain to suffer, simple as that.

Elriel would be a perfect couple, both quiet, understand each other, I don’t see Azriel with a warrior mate, he seems the type who appreciates softness, warmth, which Elain is.

Hey anon 🫶

When I first read the dinner scene in acomaf between the batboys and sisters - it became clear Sjm was pairing up each sister with a brother. Azriel and Elain in that scene, were just so natural. Their interaction didn’t feel forced or awkward. Sjm wrote it in a way where it was clear they matched and suited each other. Then acowar came along and sjm started killing the idea of elucien being endgame by writing so many beautiful and positive scenes between elriel. Then, to close the nail on the coffin, acofas showed us how Elain and Az seemingly gravitated towards each other whilst elucien still felt unnatural. Like putting two completely different people together. They had no natural chemistry like elriel.

I genuinely read acosf and nothing about Gwyn. interacting with Az stood out. I knew Gwyn had powers that Mass was hinting at but thats it. So when I learnt of gwynriel I thought it was a cult at first? Like some sort of inside joke within booktok. Had no idea it was a full blown ship. Upon realisation, I thought people shipped them in a crackship, “hey this could be a fun couple” kind of way not in a “this ship is actually going to happen” kind of way. As someone who was part of the 2021 gwynriel era, that whole ship started because people were desperate for elriel to not be endgame due to how much they hated Elain. Enter single woman who glances at Az and BOOM, you have gwynriel. An “alternative” option to elriel.

People hate elriel bcs 1) they find Elain boring, weak, uninteresting, useless etc. Antis never paid much attention to the elriel interactions & loved Az so much that they wanted him with someone more interesting aka Gwyn. 2) Poor baby lulu has been through hell and back. He deserves happiness which can only happen if elain accepts the bond. There is no other way for him to be happy. At all.

I hate this whole narrative that Lucien/Gwyn will be the ones to bring Elain/Az out of their shells. Its just so stupid and toxic to push this idea that everyone has to be an extrovert for them to be interesting. You’re right, Az doesn’t need Gwyn to push him out of his shell. He needs someone that will accept him for who he is. He is quite literally surronded by two extroverts - Mor and Cass. You don’t think they’ve tried to “bring him out of his shell” for the past 500 years? Az needs someone he can enjoy peace and quiet with. Someone who he can sit in silence and enjoy it without having to fill it up with chatter. Someone who accepts him and doesn’t show fear. Someone who protects him and shows concern - and that is Elain whose done these things in canon.

Gwyn was there as a supporting role for Nesta. She was Nesta’s friend. If she was meant to be anything more then that -> she would’ve been introduced earlier. Sjm wouldn’t introduce someone so important and a mate to one of the main characters so late in the series.

Elains just hated and 85% of it is rooted in misogyny. She IS interesting, there’s more then meets the eye. Her connection to the cauldron and the gift it bestowed on her will be so fascinating to read about. Her gift of sight is mysterious beyond words. And YES she had so much growth. From not doing anything in acotar to taking accountability for failing Feyre and helping her out in acomaf. Despite her sadness and depression she still contributed so much in acowar. She was brave for kicking the hounds of Az and saving Briar. Then for choosing to create life and beauty after such destruction and death due to the war. She is a beautiful character who Sjm has been teasing about forever. I literally cannot wait to finally be able to read about Elain.

People just want her with Tamlin as a suprise factor bcs they’re bored of the series. That and they don’t see her capabale of doing anything due to how soft & feminine she is so why not just push her to the side to make Tamlin happy and give him the perfect “obedient” wife. Eluciens do the same in a less obvious way.

Elriel will be beautiful. Two people drawn together. They will bring a unique story to the table, their dynamic is so mature and understanding of each other. They’re easily going to be on of Sjms best couples and I cannot wait for them to change so many people’s minds.

[kakerutori]

Stranger Things and The Princess Bride Headcanons

So I just randomly thought about The Princess Bride in the shower then went on a spiral about it and this happened (BTW if you’ve not seen this movie PLEASE DO! Captivating, subversive, funny, heartfelt, goofy in all the right places, this is one of the only movies I think I’d recommend anyone to watch no matter what genre you prefer)!

Dustin and Lucas become obsessed with this movie after they watch it at 16 (the movie was released 1987)

They manage to reference it in every campaign that they DM for

Dustin and Lucas reference “inconceivable” on the daily

They also fight over who gets to be Inigo whenever they reenact the big ending duel

They seriously bicker about it for minutes on end in the middle of campaigns sometimes and Mike is just moaning to Will like why do they both want to be called Indigo Montana or whatever his name is

Mike is last to see it and he refuses to watch it because Dustin and Lucas are so annoying about it until Will tells him it’s good and then he gives in

A year after its release Dustin and Lucas have seen it 15-20 times

They don’t tell each other when they watch it until the next day and so it becomes a competition who’s seen it the most and it almost causes them to fail big exams because they’re so invested in rewatching the film

Max denies that she enjoys the movie because the romance is cheesy (she loves it)

Will accidentally caught her watching it and they’ve kept it a secret and inside joke ever since

El loves the movie because of the romance

El gets so worried over Buttercup too and gets so happy when she gets her happy ending :,)

Erica genuinely doesn’t like the film at first but she was just distracted making important friendship bracelets the first time

She liked it after a proper rewatch but doesn’t dare to reference it lest she set off her obsessed older brother

But she makes him an Inigo Montoya figurine for his birthday the same year

Inigo is Lucas’ favorite character and he loves the great line “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (He annoys the life out of Erica repeating it to her when he wants to bother her)

Will is lowkey into Inigo and Mike is lowkey into Wesley (they deny their resemblances to each other)

Bob would’ve loved The Princess Bride :,((((

The Byers watch it together in his honor

On that note Joyce loves it too, especially the wholesome story of the grandfather and the grandson’s “as you wish”

Meanwhile The Party flirt with it like Wesley’s version all the time - Dustin to Suzie, Lucas to Max, and Mike to Will

Now Murray claims to not like the film, he doesn’t like how “the story goes all over the place”

But he does understand every reference and sometimes even accidentally speaks in them (he calls a demodog an R.O.U.S.)

Hopper thinks that Buttercup resembles his ex too much so he doesn’t ever watch the film fully

Steve and Robin watch it while working in Family Video and get pretty invested

Although Dustin talks about it nonstop to Steve after he sees it and Steve considers filing a cease and desist lmao

[wolfjackle-creates]

Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 11

God this arc just keeps getting longer and longer. Luckily after this, I should be able to move ahead with the plot? I'm a few more minutes into the episode at least!

Anyway,

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.4k

-----

Cassie sat next to him and bumped their shoulders. “We’ll figure this one out just like we have all the ones before.”

Conner sandwiched him on the other side. “Yep. And the Fentons don’t seem like the type to hide information. They’ll tell us everything we want to know.”

“You’re both right. We’ll fix this and be home before we know it.” Tim pulled out his phone. “I wonder if there’s any old news articles we can look up for more information. Danny told me about the first ghost attack. A ghost called Lunch Lady who used meat to attack people and was upset because Sam changed the school lunch menu.”

Bart blinked at him and sat on the coffee table facing him. “You’re making that up. You’ve gotta be.”

Tim laughed and shook his head. “Nope. We’ll have to see if he has a list of his rogues so far. They’ve all been so gimmicky. Kinda like Condiment Man in Gotham.”

At Tim’s direction, Bart and Cassie also began looking into various news articles and posts about the ghosts of Amity. Conner recorded their findings and Tim supplemented with information he’d gotten directly from Danny.

Research kept them busy for the next hour until the Fentons returned.

“Danny’s friends!” boomed Jack when he saw them.

“How are you four doing? Did you find the pantry? Enough things to eat?” asked Maddie.

“Yes, Ma’am,” said Conner. “Cassie and I also left to explore a bit and found a corner shop where we picked up a few things we knew Tim and Bart liked.”

“That’s great! Now, I see you’ve seen the news, and I don’t want you to be afraid. Jack and I are planning on training some of Danny’s classmates in ghost fighting, would you four like to join?”

Everyone looked to Tim who bit his lip in thought. “I— can we sit in on the first lesson? I’d like to see some more of your work. Danny’s told me a little bit about it, but seeing it in person is something else. But I also want to spend more time just with Danny since we haven’t met in person before.”

“Of course, honey!”

Tim had to force his smile to remain neutral at the pet name. His parents didn’t even call him ‘honey,’ let alone anyone else. “Thank you, Dr. Fenton.”

“Call me Maddie, dear.”

“And I’m Jack!”

“Yes, Dr.— er, Maddie, Jack. When will the others be here?”

Jack looked at…something on his wrist that must’ve had a clock feature and boomed, “Not for another three hours! School’s still in session, you know.”

Conner cleared his throat. “Will you need help setting up? Maybe you can tell us a bit about ghosts while we do. I’d never seen one before.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea! Thank you, sweetie!” said Maddie.

“Conner, my boy, the first thing you need to know about ghosts is that they’re evil and only want to hurt you. If you don’t remember anything else, always remember that,” added Jack.

Tim’s stomach sank at those words. Did Danny have to hear things like that every day? “How do you know they’re all evil?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, Tim! It’s because ghosts aren’t people. They’re post human consciousness imprinted on ectoplasm. They’re an echo of what they used to be and that echo wants to become a person again. But it can’t because it’s dead. So it lashes out at anything living around it. Either to steal their life or make the living like it.”

Maddie nodded. “Exactly. A ghost killed my best friend when we were girls. If you’d like, I can send you some papers Jackie-poo and I wrote about how ghosts form so you can have more information.”

Tim forced a smile. “That’d be great, thank you.” Could the portal be destroyed in some way? Would that keep ghosts from coming through and allow Danny to come with him to Gotham?

“Now!” said Jack. “Who wants to help me carry up supplies from the lab?”

Once again, Tim asked for some safety gear before going into the lab and Maddie shoved a white jumpsuit at him with a sticker of Jack’s face on it.

“This is one of Danny’s, dear. But he doesn’t wear them very often. Here’s another for you, Bart. It might be a bit long, but try it on and we’ll see what we can do. Cassie, Conner, you two will be a bit harder, but I think I should be able to coble something together. Hang tight a sec!”

“I guess we’ll go get changed, then,” said Bart as Maddie and Jack disappeared back downstairs to see what they had.

Tim held out the top and poked at the decal of Jack. Going to the edge, he worked a finger under the image and let out a sigh of relief when it came up. “These are removable,” he commented as he pulled it off.

“Fantastic!” said Bart, ripping his own off. “Come on, Rob. Let’s get changed.”

Upstairs in the guest room, Tim allowed himself to comment, “At least it’s not orange.”

“Everyone will know who we’re staying with, though.”

“Better than stepping foot in that lab with no protection.”

They were just finishing up when Cassie and Conner walked in with matching scowls. In their arms were a mix of orange and blue fabrics.

Cassie glared at them. “Not. A. Word.”

Tim smirked and held up his hands. “Who, me?”

Bart mimed zipping his lips.

“We’re just about finished here, though, so we’ll go help the Fentons while you two get changed,” said Tim. He couldn’t help the way his lips quirked as he looked at the clashing jumpsuit pieces as they passed each other.

Conner made sure to trip them with TTK.

Tim just smiled at him as he pushed himself up and left without another word, Bart a step behind him. The door was barely shut before they were laughing so hard they couldn’t walk down the stairs without gripping the railing.

“Good to see you boys are having fun! How do the jumpsuits fit?” asked Jack when he saw them.

Bart held up his hands to show how he’d folded the ends of the sleeves. “Not bad. Just had to roll up the sleeves and pants a little.”

Tim nodded his agreement. “Little tight in places, little loose in others. But I can move well enough.”

“Good, good! Now, want a detailed tour of the lab as we collect weapons to train Dan-o’s classmates?”

Tim didn’t have to hold back his sharp grin at that question. “Absolutely. I want to know everything.”

And Jack and Maddie were willing to share quite a lot. Conner and Cassie joined them ten minutes later, wearing jumpsuits cobbled together from spares of Jack’s and Maddie’s. Now that they weren’t rushed by trying to get out and manage an active and hostile ghost invasion, the tour of the lab was much more thorough.

Jack and Maddie were also happy to answer any questions the four had. As it looked, there was no actual organization to the lab. And in the fridge, food was stored right next to samples. The fudge hissed when Jack took out a piece to eat and Tim shuddered.

“Want one? My snookums made it! Best fudge you’ll ever eat.”

“Aww, thank you dear!” Maddie hugged Jack at his compliment and kissed his cheek.

“I— No. Thank you,” said Tim.

“Why do you have a stockade?” asked Cassie.

Tim gave her a grateful look and she winked at him.

“That’s to hold down ghosts so we can question them,” said Maddie.

“Yup! Restrain them in there and then you can use toys like this one”—Jack brandished a cat-o-nine-tails—“to force ‘em to talk!”

“Or the Fenton Prod,” added Maddie holding out what looked like an electric cattle prod. She pressed a button and the end sparked green.

Tim swallowed hard and clenched his teeth. Did everything these people make have to look so painful?

The rest of the time in the lab passed in much the same way. The four traded off who had to ask a distracting question as they were all more and more horrified by the casual cruelty displayed by Danny’s parents.

Eventually, the doorbell rang and they were able to return upstairs with armfuls of weapons. Maddie opened the door and Dash Baxter and his cronies stood there with sadistic grins.

“Dash, what a pleasant surprise to see you again,” Tim said with his own teeth bared. “I don’t think we got off on the right foot last night. I’m Tim. Danny’s told me so much about you.”

For a moment, the boy’s face showed confusion before it was wiped away with a polite smile. “He’s told us about you, too. I’m sure we’ll become great friends.”

Well fuck. Looks like the ghosts weren’t all gone after all. Tim held a hand behind his back and signaled danger to his friends. They needed to get away from here.

-----

Next

We've got more with Jack and Maddie here! Hope you guys like how I write them. We already know this is going to turn into bad-parents Jack and Maddie based on what's going to happen in Arc 3. (Arc 3 will be the original prompt fill and it's fall out.)

Also, I think I'm going to change some things around in previous parts. I won't edit them on Tumblr, but before they go on AO3 they'll change. Tim is going to lie to Bruce a bit more than he has so far. He'll tell Bruce that Danny is Cassie's friend so he doesn't decide to look Danny up if he gets bored.

Next chapter will have Danny and co again!

I will no longer be managing a tag list for this fic, but please check out the Subscription Post if you want to be notified of updates. I'm also want to get the first chapter transferred over to AO3, but I'm going to transfer the first arc of Ghost!Robin first.

I reblogged an ask game earlier today if anyone's curious about me. Check it out and consider sending something in!

[d3sertdream3r]

I've been loving trop this season!! I am wondering how the whole SauronxGaladriel thing is going to play out though I'm nervous it won't be very satisfying with everything they've built up and all the marketing hype it's gotten. I'm worried they're baiting shippers to get more people to watch. Thoughts?

Oh boy, I have MANY thoughts!

I am absolutely DEVOURING this season, anon! The first episode in particular really blew me away. As a Saurondriel/Haladriel shipper, I thought all the direct parallels shown in Sauron and Galadriel’s journeys were PERFECT! 

I was worried they were going to retcon Sauron’s genuine feelings of despair and questioning if he should “repent” or not due to the amount of hate and toxicity from the usual suspects on the internet. Instead they really leaned into it, and I loved seeing The Dark Lord having nightmares. It’s a side of him we’ve never seen explored before! And that Annatar reveal… holy moly! Celebrimbor and I were both like: 

Galadriel has been breaking my heart in each episode. Elrond and Gil-Galad need to give my girl a break! Morfydd Clark’s acting is stellar. She is so heartbroken over not recognizing Sauron for who he truly was and even worse… catching feelings for him! She’s really going through it and it hurts, but it’s also brilliant on the writers’ part. 

Everyone else’s acting and stories are great too. Arondir was a favorite of mine last season and continues to be this season. Disa is FANTASTIC and I love her and Durin so much there aren’t any words to describe it. Isildur and Estrid are cute and I’m interested to see how their story plays out. I hardcore ship Elendil and Miriel, and his daughter needs to take a seat before she helps Pharazon destroy their home! I know the story, but MAN was it killing me to see how Eärien is contributing to its downfall in this show (in a good way… I think having her be involved with the opposite side of her father makes for great drama). 

As to the second part of your ask… I have been involved in many online fandoms for about 13 years now, and I gotta say that 98% of the time fans come up with way more interesting storylines than the creators of any show. A lot of the time they just don't deliver. I’ve been burned over and over again, so my bar is pretty low at this point. 

They’ve done a fabulous job with the Saurondriel dynamic so far, and I’ve seen some really interesting fan theories about Galadriel briefly joining Sauron or being taken prisoner by him. As truly fascinating as that would be, I’m not holding my breath. I think it’ll be a rehash of season one’s ending with more violence since they have swords this time around. After that, I’m guessing they’ll focus on Sauron gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing his way to the throne of hell while Galadriel and company work together to stop him. They’ve hinted at Celeborn a bit, I’m sure we’ll see them reunited at some point. 

I’m sorry if this isn’t very reassuring! I wish I could be more optimistic about Saurondriel in season 3, but I honestly don’t think Tolkien’s estate would go for Galadriel falling to the dark side in any capacity. Sauron taking her prisoner could happen, but I highly doubt it simply because as I said before, fans tend to have better ideas than a lot of creators in my opinion.

I could be completely wrong! I have just learned not to trust creators to handle things the BEST way, but that doesn't mean it won't be handled in a GOOD way. Hopefully that makes sense, lol. I think some people will be satisfied and some people won't, just like every other story. The shippy photoshoots and marketing have been delightful! I can't tell if they're baiting until I see the last episode. I think they were just having fun, but some comments from cast and creators would definitely seem a bit baity if the payoff is underwhelming. We'll see!

I really hope the season goes out with a bang and we all have something to love about it; especially Saurondriel shippers!

[crescynnt]

Sticktober Day 26/29: Record/Competition

“Hahahaha! That’s two more websites than yesterday, Chosen!”

“Mhm,” the black hollow head acknowledged, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the couch.

“That’s two more than yesterday, Chooosenn.” Dark repeated, evidently not getting the reaction he wanted. “That makes twelve in total! It’s a new record!” He stuck his hands in front of Chosen’s face, then, as if realizing he didn’t have twelve fingers, quickly pulled them back.

“Yeah.” Chosen threw himself onto the couch, exhausted. Their regular outings were fun and all, but what really drained him was the constant nagging of his partner.

Ever since they’d teamed up to destroy that PC, they’d been inseparable.

The Chosen One.

The Dark Lord.

Their names implied a certain type of rivalry, but Chosen soon realized they’d be better off as partners instead.

They had both been wronged by their creator. Chosen for the freedom he’d been denied. Dark for the indifference he’d been shown.

In each other, they found what they’d been missing. Dark brought him the power to break free from his creator, and Chosen supposed he provided the ‘attention’ Dark craved.

And destruction. That’s what they were good at, that’s what they enjoyed. It was this bond that fueled them on their rampages through the net.

They’d made a name for themselves in the few days they’d been free. Chosen had seen the wanted posters scattered around town, calling for their heads. As if they could ever die.

The red hollow head plopped himself down next to Chosen. “Hey, wanna bet on how many we can destroy tomorrow?” he asked cheerfully, elbowing him out of his thoughts. Dark looked as if he was asking him how a movie was, not how many more websites they were going to terrorize the next day.

Chosen should have recognized the signs.

. . .

“I’m bored.” Dark complained for the twentieth time that day. He lay upside down on the couch, his legs swinging over the back as he complained.

“We could go to the Stickpage again,” Chosen offered, barely looking up from the wall he was trying to fix. He’d accidentally shot a hole through it with his laser vision earlier, while he was sparring with Dark. It happened so often that he was tempted to leave it there, but that wouldn’t do.

“It’s all the same… None of those sticks are any fun,” Dark whined, kicking the back of the couch. “I could beat them all in a heartbeat!” He’d slipped back to his usual ‘woe-is-me’ voice. “I want a real challenge–”

Chosen sighed as he slapped a piece of paper over the hole. A temporary fix, but dealing with Dark took priority at the moment. But when he turned around to finally face the red stick, he was met with Dark sitting upright, his eyes glinting maniacally at him.

“We should make it a competition! See who kills the most sticks!” The boredom in his voice completely vanished, replaced with excitement. 

Chosen hesitated. ‘Killing sticks’. That was a first. In all their time together, they had only destroyed websites and buildings. Never had they turned their fire upon others of their kind.

“So?” Dark got up from the couch and started doing his stretches. He had latched onto the idea quickly, and at times like these, Chosen knew he wasn’t going to let it go anytime soon.

“Alright, let’s go.” Chosen’s hands ignited as he propelled himself into the sky. Dark followed suit, his features reanimated.

Chosen shouldn’t have enabled him so much.

. . .

Fireballs. Explosions. Screaming. Dark’s laughter.

None of these noises were unfamiliar to Chosen. He’d lost track of the number of websites they’d ‘visited’, the number of things they’ve destroyed. It was second nature to both of them, and this wasn’t any different.

But this time, it felt different. More personal.

A stick cut off mid-scream as a fireball caught her from behind. Chosen felt the fire inside him die out as he watched the stick fall from the blast. Dark cackled beside him and shot a couple erratic fireballs into the crowd.

“That’s one, Chosen!” Chosen felt the words die in his throat as he watched his friend chase after the scattering sticks. Dark was going to win this competition, for sure. But he wasn’t sure this was a competition he wanted to win.

Chosen should have stopped him before he went this far.

. . .

Somewhere around here… He was sure that was where his friend ended up. Friend? Rival? Enemy? …Dark.

Chosen followed the trail that had been seared into the grass by the orange stick’s laser beam. A laser multiple times more powerful than his. It’d been a direct hit, there was no doubt about it. But he knew- he had to believe his friend was resilient enough to withstand it.

Unlike all the other sticks he’s killed.

If only Chosen had done something sooner, maybe, just maybe, The Dark Lord would still be alive.

[kanene-yaaay]

Focus (Or: The Unfortunate Destiny of Not Running Laps)

(Don't forget to read the warnings, they are v important!)

Kanene's notes: I am here to call out RUOYE!! BECAUSE THIS ENTIRE FIC IS FRUIT OF ITS SMUGNESS WHILE CAPTURING LANG QIANQIU IN THE FOREST. Like for REAL it just stopped, looked at him all :] and then captured him like jhgfdfgh pls stop being so silly it's killing me.

Warnings: This is a tickle fic and is basically an AU based in the idea I had in this post. Long short story with no spoilers: Xie Lian decided to tell the truth sooner to Lang Qianqiu and the boy had time to deal with his feelings and their relationship didn't become too strained, even if they parted ways. Another modification here is that the nameless boy that is always by LQQ side is called Xiao Mengyou, like I've seen he be called in the fandom. Besides that, nothing more! There's brief light bondage (thank u Ruoye) and some feet tickling during lqq's revenge, in case u don't like that. But it's the famous fluff with light angst, tickle fights and lot of silliness. Around 6.500 words.

[~*~]

Lang Quianqui discreetly managed to take in a deep breath, eyes glued on his preceptor, body unconsciously falling into the defensive stance that has been taught to him for years. It was hard to keep himself still. His entire being was thrilling with energy, an adrenaline that had not dissipated since he woke up and realized what day was today. The energy had fed his mind and body constantly as he fell along the main forms and drills they’ve been covering since the start of the day, over and over, each correction of Fang Xin over his posture and handle of sword only serving to make him buzz even more with nerves and the wish to impress him, trying harder and harder to focus until his movements went from stiff and tense to fluid and natural, striving for perfection.

Attentive eyes watched him like a hawk, more staring than normal, looking for something that Lang Qianqiu didn’t know if he was hiding well. It made him grip the handle of his sword more firmly and his movements quicker. The prince didn’t know if it was just his imagination, and the mask didn’t really help in his analyzes, but he could swear that he saw his mentor’s face glimpse into a confused frown as he accidentally kept stammering clumsily through the stances that he had already mastered a few months ago, even being on his best today barely reached the excellency he had every other good day. Still, he continued to strive for perfection.

Training with Fang Xin was… incredible. In the last year exactly, for the first time since he was only a kid receiving his first wooden sword, Lang Quianqui felt excited to go train, never once getting bored during the lectures, never going through his lessons unchallenged, each and every teaching pushing him to through his limits in a way that left him thoughtful and expectant to expand them even further, see how far he could get. His Guoshi had a different method of teaching and after his parents saw his improvement after a few months into his classes, together with his clear joy in having them, they gave the adult free reign of his studies, changing his routine as much as he needed, as long as it didn’t harm his other responsibilities. They supported them with materials and rooms as necessary and always listened with proud smiles when Lang Quianqui went to ramble to them all they had done and accomplished that day.

Fang Xin valued both the training of his mind and body, much to Lang Quianqui chagrin, especially as he kept dishing out writing punishments and calligraphy exercises that would leave him grumbling about missing the better days with old teachers who would simply have him running laps for slipping into quick naps during their lessons. Usually such commentaries only resulted in more writing and longer punishments, when Fang Xin listened to it. In the end, it was fine. After the initial glooming and pouting, he got to realize how the books that he had to copy always proved to be interesting, challenging his mind with stories and theories he hadn’t thought about before and giving him even more ideas to share with his teacher later, who always listened to him carefully, - even with an ever-lasting air of satisfaction that brought a smug glint in his eyes and a pleased hum in his words - no matter how long he spent in his musings, prodding him with questions and small lectures until he arrived to conclusions that would make the adult nod in a hidden pride, or at least, he hoped so.  

It was no surprise to him to find excitement and anticipation in his mind for each class,  wondering what would be the main skill trained today. If they would focus in his flexibility and quick thinking to get the upper hand into surprise attacks and uneven grounds (his mother almost had an heart attack when he fell out of the roof and broke her window with an accidental kick) or his ability to coordinate planned attacks with strong strategies that would exploit his opponent’s weakness and entice his own strengths.

For today, as it seems, they were going to stick with spars and practical learning. It was probably good, with how many mistakes he had already made just during the warming up and how distracted he was today, waiting impatiently for the end of the class. Having a close range exercise that would force him to focus unless he wanted to explain to his preceptor why his mind was flying away, a dangerous but not impossible possibility, was very good, especially because he wouldn’t be able to respond his teacher if he asked and Fang Xin would immediately catch his lies or any attempt to stir the topic away and he really, really couldn’t risk to get any punishments today. 

Afterall, Fag Xin Guoshi probably was already extremely displeased with his performance. Even if he was too polite to show. Lang Qianqiu gritted his teeth and embraced himself. 

There will be no more mistakes from now on. He will do his best!

They circled each other for a few seconds before the buzzing energy became stronger than him and Lang Quianqui jumped in his direction, starting the fight. He feinted an attack on the teacher’s right, jumping away from his defense and immediately falling into another attack. Just like the first blow, this one was quickly blocked and the crown prince was pushed to the side, Fang Xin’s blade pressing against his sword with such a strength that Lang Quianqui had no other option but to start backing up before the sword was pushed to his throat, trying to at least stabilize himself.

“Concentrate on your footwork.” Fang Xin chided, his voice even and calm as always, showing no hint of strain. The arm that was not holding his weapon was curled on his back and he didn’t move a single step in his direction. Lang Qianqiu was sure that if he glanced at his forehead, there would be no sweat. He, on the other side, could feel his breath already beginning to speed, arms trembling as he tried to not be overpowered. “There is always going to be someone stronger and taller than you during war and you can’t afford to lose. Don’t try to outstrength them because you won’t. Prioritize your speed and versatility.”

“Right!” Lang Qianqiu agreed, immediately dropping himself to the ground, the preceptor's sword passing with a quick gush of wind just inches from his face as he tried to trip the other, rolling around and quickly jumping to straight himself again when more attacks went in his direction.

Fang Xin pivoted around the same spot as the young prince sprinted and threw himself at him in a mix of misleading attacks that attempted to both pull his attention elsewhere and open his guard. Extra, even if rare, punches and kicks tried to make him lose his balance. It’s been exactly one year, yet Qianqiu hasn't been able to make him move around the arena one bit.

A sudden kick going to his face made the boy yelp and twirl to his left, only to almost get a sword going right to his flank, but blocking it with his blade at the last moment. 

“Focus.” His teacher remarked, starting a series of strikes aiming for his torso. “Pull your sword closer to your body. You’re paying too much attention in protecting your face and not losing your stance that it leaves your entire flank unprotected.” 

As if to prove his own words, his blade quickly aimed to his face, only to be immediately pushed away in a move that wobbled the other’s grip on the handle. Before the prince could explore that, however, Fang Xin speedly twisted and turned his attack back to his sides. Again, Qianqiu almost didn’t manage to rotate his long blade enough to catch it, being pushed away as the sound of metal scraping metal filled the training grounds. “Keep on rolling and jumping, if you must, just do not lose your balance and attention to your surroundings.” 

He striked again and, following his words, the young one threw himself on the ground and rolled away. Panting as he straightened himself, he watched his preceptor, reading his sword.

Before he decided to attack, Lang Qianqiu went first, deciding to just make his moves up as he goes. He jumped and twisted, aiming for the neck. He watched as the adult glided aside with an effortless grace and turned to block the blow, pushing the blades upwards, weakening his grip on the sword at an alarming speed. The thought of using their closeness to kick him away had just crossed his mind when a purple and white blur appeared right by his sides and-

He jumped away with a squeal, his lips being pulled in an unexpected smile, hand running to cover his ribs, skin still tingling.

What was that! 

He turned around, pulling his sword even closer, face red from the embarrassing sound that just escaped from his mouth without his permission. 

Someone had just tickled him! 

Still reeling with the sudden bust of energy and tickly sensation, his eyes immediately stopped at Guoshi, staring at him warily, but being only answered with the same calmness and collectedness that always filled his every action and words.

Maybe was it him who…?

“Do not charge right back in without correcting your mistakes and very much less without a plan.” Fang Xin went back to his initial stance, one hand holding his sword and the other resting calmly on his back. His posture had no flaws, his lips held no grinning smiles and his voice got no playful cadence that betrayed his serious tune. “Remember what I said, use your speed and versatility. Ready?”

…No, it couldn’t be him. The imperial preceptor would never step down to do something as silly and childish as tickling. He probably imagined it? 

Once more, he watched his surroundings with narrowed, attentive eyes. Maybe it was…

There he was.

Behind him, on the other side of the arena, his friend smiled at him. Lang Quianqiu shuddered in alarm. 

Since a couple weeks ago, when Qianqiu had used the other’s distraction to unleash a playful surprise tickle attack on him, Xiao Mengyou had been using his every opportunity to tickle him senseless back, going even further as to wait the end of his last martial class - when he usually laid on the cold ground to get his breath back - to immediately attack him with pokes and wiggling fingers the very moment Fang Xin Guoshi turned his back and pretended to not hear them fooling around, leaving the prince giggling and squirming until he was tired enough to not immediately get him back as revenge. 

(Too lost in their own game, none of them noticed the initial moment, when the adult turned back promptly at the squeal of the prince, ready to defend, only to stop and smile amusedly at the joyful friends in front of him, leaving them be and enjoy their own playfulness. There was a deep melancholy pooling in his eyes in that evening.)

Seeing that the attention was still on him, Mengyou made a walking motion with his fingers on his palm and then a thumbs up. Lang Qianqiu felt his eyes wide and he took a wobbly step backwards.

Did he just… confirm that he was the one who tickled him?

Watching his face, Xiao Mengyou smiled a tiny grin and nodded.

Lang Qianqiu bristled and started to head into his direction with firm steps. Mengyou frowned and tilted his head to the side, in apparent confusion.

“Lang Qianqiu.” The crown prince automatically froze with the clear commanding tune on the other’s voice, posture straight as he turned around to his teacher, suddenly remembering that they weren’t alone in the arena. 

“Your lesson is not over, yet. Focus.” His Guoshi seemed more amused than annoyed, though. Lang Qianqiu internally exhaled in relief. How embarrassing, his mind was really all over the place today. “Let’s start again.”

Nodding, the younger one went back to his stance, eying his opponent before charging straight in. He swore he listened to Fang Xin huff in exasperation, but the sound of blades colliding resonated louder and quickly pulled his attention back to the spar.

This time it took longer before he got distracted and another poke attacked his armpit as he tried to push his teacher’s hand out of his sword’s handle. He squeaked and jumped backwards, quickly scurrying away as Guoshi’s blade followed him without a rest.

And so, the onslaught of brief, equally light and impossible to ignore, tickly touches kept following him.

A prodding on his side and a loud yelp.

Another poke on his belly and a wheezy snort.

A tickle across his entire spine that made him jump and almost lost track of his teacher.

A scribbling on the back of his neck that pulled a couple of giggles out of his throat and sealed that silly, wobbly smile forever in his face.

All through this, he kept his fight. The adrenaline of waiting for another tickle attack and the wish of stop being so childish, giggling and squirming in front of the person he looked up the most, made him the most focused he has been the entire day, falling and rolling and charging blow after blow, fuelled by the bolts of electricity that ran across his meridians every time he saw a blur of white and purple in his peripheral vision and felt titters bouncing in his throat long before the ticklish feeling even touched him, descending in chuckles and huffs of laughter as he managed to escape another playful attack.

He had just managed to run right behind Fang Xin in an attempt for a surprise attack, when he felt something latch on the back of his robes, scurrying across his neck and jumping in between his articles of clothes. There was no escaping from the loud, surprised shriek that ran from his throat the moment he felt the tickles dig in his armpits, making both of his hands lock on the handle of his sword and his arms to clue to his sides, the attempt of protection being too late to stop the soft - so extremely, absurdly soft - sensation that ran up and down his pits, prodding and drumming and pulling hysterical giggle after hysterical giggle from him. His legs stumbled and his shoulders bounced with the energy and need to squirm away, but he kept his stance. 

The tickling traveled to his back, scribbling freely on his ribs and poking incessantly his spine until the young prince gave up from his form and turned around in pursue of his attacker, eyes closed from laughter, trying to push whoever was targeting his shoulderblades with so much wiggling and scratching away. His cheeks were in flames with the way squeaky hiccups began appearing in between his crackles.

He tried to open his eyes to better escape and fight his revenge, but there was already tears blurring his vision and, the moment he felt that soft touch worming its way to his sides, all he could do was sheath his sword and swing it around blindly, ignoring how silly he must been looking (he would never forgive himself if he cut Xiao Mengyou by mistake). 

Strings of “no, no, no, let go!” fell in waterfalls from his mouth, yet they did nothing to stop his sides from being lavished in tiny pinches and a playful spidering. His head was thrown backwards with the force of his laughter as he hugged himself, unsuccessful to himself from being tickled to pieces.

A strong, warm hand was laid on his shoulder and, lost in his laughing fit, Lang Qianqiu almost couldn’t catch when Guoshi said to let him go and the tickling feeling magically disappeared.

The prince couldn’t help the way he wobbled on the same place, tittering snickers and wheezy chuckles still filling the air, and leaned on Fang Xin, his Guoshi rubbing his shoulder while keeping his other arm tightly close to his body. His face had that expression he always carried when he was about to lecture him and leave another writing assignment, but it disappeared as quick as it came when he noticed Lang Qianqiu watching, his eyes instead twinkling with a suave amusement.

The crown prince had just gotten his breath back when his eyes traveled the rest of the arena and he saw his friend just a few steps of them, looking strangely uncomposed with a red hue painting his face. Lang Quianqiu squinted warily as he noticed his gaze and jumped on the same spot, getting closer.

As he opened his mouth to say something, the prince beated him to it, quickly straightening himself and turning around to bow politely at Fang Xin.

“I request a small break, please, Guoshi!”

Also looking a tad restless, but never losing his posture, Fang Xin nodded, getting his sword and walking away, probably to read some poem book as he always did during their moments of rest. Lang Qianqiu paid him no mind and instead swiftly turned back to his friend, who still looked flushed and confused.

“Your Highness, are you alright? I saw-”

His words morphed to a shriek when the crown prince jumped on him, no other word exchanged or mercy in sight as he energetically clawed his belly, chasing his loud squeaks until a high pitched laughter began to fill the entire arena, promptly making Xiao Mengyou immediately try to muffle it all behind his hands.

“Wait! Why!!”

With the flourish of someone who had done this plenty of times before and would continue to do so for plenty times more, Lang Qianqiu simply huffed - half amused and half annoyed - and  turned around, successfully sitting on his legs and trapping him in a very tickly destiny. Mengyou, with the same ease of someone who had been in this situation plenty of times before and knew very well about his future fate, started to squirm and trash much before he felt his shoes being pulled out, pleas falling from his lips like raindrops during the summer.

“You Highness, no! Not my feet, please, please! You know, you know I am the most ticklish there. Your Highness, just leave them alonEHEHE! NOHO!”

Lang Qianqiu did not, in fact, leave them alone. Instead, he dodge a kick - not before leaving a few scribbles on that sole for his trouble - and grabbed his other feet, holding his ankle down in a firm but gentle grip and spidering his fingers from the lowest point of his heel to his toes in a way that he knew it would leave his childhood friend crazy, watching with a smirk as he clamped his hands even harder over his mouth. Still, he was unsuccessful to muffle the uncontrollable crackles and squeals at each tiny scribble that escaped from his lungs. For this he blushed even more, kicks getting more energetic. 

Mengyou tried to roll away and escape, but, since the attack that hit Lang Qianqiu a couple of moments ago had been unrelenting, following his every move and tickling him everywhere, so was his comeback. His blunt nails chased his squirming no matter where, delivering scratches across his entire sole and focusing his pokes and scribbles on the sensitive spots he already knew it tickled the most.

The crown prince huffed with no heat when another strings of pleas and a few protests mingled together with the stray screeches that he managed to fish every time he concentrated his tickling right in the middle of his arch, changing from soft touches, full of circles being drawn slowly on the sensitive skin, to scratching it with no mercy, hysterical giggles and bubbly laughter dancing mingled in the air. Finally, when another squeaky “Your Highness” escaped his friend, Lang Qianqiu declared enough. He turned around fiercely and crossed his arms, staring directly at his friend, who barely watched him back with how much squinting in a big smile his eyes were.

“You were the first one to start it! Even attacking me in front of Fang Xin Guoshi.” Just the reminder of how he completely lost his composure and giggled like a kid in the middle of the fight made his cheeks burn hot. The fact that the other simply kept watching him with gleaming eyes and restless titters also didn’t help. “Don’t you think I am being fair?”

Xiao Mengyou kept snickering and snickering, head turning around in an attempt to hide his silly, disheveled state. Lang Qianqiu almost pouted with how even the most ruthless attack to his most ticklish spot couldn’t make him stop hiding his face.

When more moments flew away with him staring at his friend and the other being lost in a mess of giddy giggles, he reached skillfully behind him for his toes, burying his wiggling fingers right under them and spidering energetically, a joyful smirk appearing easily in his face at how this finally made Mengyou low his arms and sit up, trying to push him off his legs without any real force.

Seemingly as his words finally sank on the other’s mind, Mengyou answered. “You t- attacked me first that day! I was only getting revenge.” A snort flew from his lips and his face got even redder. “It’s been such a long time, too, Your Highness. Why tickle me back now?!” 

Lang Qianqiu was speechless. “Such a long time? That is it!”

He got out of the other’s legs, waiting as he took his breath back.

His childhood friend looked at the crown prince with a mix of surprise and wariness. Lang Qianqiu took the opportunity to turn around and run his gaze across the arena, noticing that Fang Xin Guoshi was nowhere to be seen. Uh. Maybe he got hungry and went to grab a snack? Well, since he still had some business to complete, Lang Qianqiu didn’t care to think too much about it.

His golden eyes glinted with mischief when they turned back to stare at Mengyou, who jolted on the same place and braced himself.

“Let’s have a tickle fight.” Lang Qianqiu copied him, also preparing himself, determination clear in every trace of his expression. Mengyou felt slightly amused with how serious he was taking this. “The first one to surrender wins and the loser can’t get revenge anytime soon.”

Mengyou looked thoughtfully at him and the crown prince was sure that his friend haven’t made his mind, and yet wasted no time in looking for the perfect place to strike, somewhere that would make him boneless and closer to surrender, that would make him forget everything besides how much it tickled and swapped his energy quickly. He found himself doing just the same, eyes locking on his knees before they widened in realization.

“Wait!” He scrambled to take off his own boots. “Now we are even.”

“Your feet aren’t as ticklish as mine, Your Highness.” As it always did, his voice stumbled just the tiniest bit over the word ‘ticklish’, but it still maintained a grumbling tone. Lang Qianqiu held his chin pensitive. “And the imperial preceptor will be back soon, there is no need.”

He was right. 

“My sides are my most ticklish spot.” As he conceded, the crown prince began pulling the string that kept his stash together, robes starting to loose up as well. “That is fine, I will just take off my upper robes.”

“Do not!” In a flash, there were hands pulling his away and quickly tying his stash firmly back. Mengyou’s voice stumbled again, tune equally serious and a tad hysterical. “What are you thinking, Your Highness?! What if Fang Xin Guoshi comes back or your parents decide to oversee your lessons today? How will we explain if they see you in that state? It would be irresponsible of you at least and shameless at worst!” 

Properly admonished, Qianqiu let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. “I didn’t think about that.” Then he shook himself and focused on the matter at hand, gold, intense eyes watching Xiao Mengyou again. “We must have a fair tickle fight, still. I can’t have it any other way!”

Sigh. “It’s easier to worm my hands on your robes than for you to do the same with my boots during a ti… our fight. I will just put my shoes back.”

Lang Qianqiu gaped at him. “How is that fair? You’re hiding your ticklish spot while you just said it’s easier to get mine!”

“Well, you already got me there!”

“You’re making excuses, you tickle me on my sides all the time!”

“Yes, just like now.”

“Exact- wait, wh-” But before he could finish, Xiao Mengyou was already jumping on him, skilled fingers working their way to his sides and squeezing in a much more energetically determined way than his attack during his lessons, making his muscles lock up in place as squeaking laughter immediately escaped from his lips. Before he could lose all his force to the laughter, the crown prince attacked back, and soon two sets of giggles, squeals and crackling laughter were filling the air.

Until the sighing mentor came and declared the break over, even if there was still a different kind of gleam in his eyes.

The same gleam that stared now right back at him, in the middle of that forest, centuries later, with the former king of Yong’An alone and Fang Xin, no, Xie Lian being accompanied by the very own Ghost King, his friend.

Lang Qianqiu tried to escape the white silk that had so suddenly wrapped itself around him and rendered the younger martial god immobile on the floor. It was futile.

“What is this!” He tried to wiggle and squirm, but the fabric kept a firm, yet non bruising, hold on him. Like this, there was no way he could show his former Guoshi how he had grown his combating skills and how he probably could, if not take him in an equal fight, at least be a worthy opponent. An explosive indignation at the unfairness of Xie Lian’s tactic began flaring on him. “Let me go, this is not fair!”

“You didn’t specify that we should only use swords in our fight. Ruoye is my weapon, afterall.” If Lang Qianqiu had ever doubted that Xie Lian was indeed his old mentor, all of it would be gone now. The scolding, teaching tone was just the same, even after all the time. Although, it felt more tired, now. Older. “Besides, you should always be prepared for your opponent using unhanded tactics and surprise ambushes. If this was a real combat, you'd be dead already.”

Hua Cheng chuckled and for a moment Lang Qianqiu felt a wave of deja-vu wash over him, reminding the younger one about a similar situation when he had been rendered immobile in the past. 

(That is right, Qianqiu realized, with shame beginning to fight against him and prickle his skin, his Guoshi had been there too, hadn’t he?)

After such a true, yet unforgiving point, his lips pressed into a thin line, displeased. It was all just the same and infinitely different from those days when he was a teenager. 

For one, even with everything, Xie Lian seemed much more carefree. It was in the teasing tilt of his smile as he kneeled closer, in the slight slouch of his form, in the way he chatted and displayed emotions that had never been present in his in the imperial preceptor’s face before. Fondness, insecurity and, especially, indecision. Fang Xin Guoshi seemed sure in every step he took. When he lied to him and when decided to tell the truth, when he saved his life (again and again and again) and refused his invitation to a duel right after Lang Qianqiu discovered his identity. His Guoshi had been giant, indestructible, bigger than anything that crossed his way. Sometimes, Qianqiu still saw him that way, in his dreams and nightmares. 

Overlapping the image of his teacher and the kind god that ascended thrice seemed impossible.

Then he remembers him rescuing him in the Ghost City. He remembers being equally saved when he was twelve. He remembers his resolute composure when he confronted him about being his former Guoshi and the warm hand on his shoulder when Xie Lian woke him up after the heavenly conference. The way that he looked at him now. Serious. Admonishing. Somehow still soft. 

Suddenly piercing together those two images wasn’t really difficult at all.

Very different and yet the very same.

“Let us fight seriously this time! Only swords, no other weapons, until one of us surrenders or blood is drawn. Let me go, Guoshi.”

Xie Lian sighed in the same way he did centuries ago, when Lang Qianqiu kept pestering him to teach him said foolish maneuver that saved his life. The young one trashed more energetically in protest. “I told you once, didn’t I? ‘Do not charge right back in without correcting your mistakes and very much less without a plan’. Tell me, how could you have prevented me from winning the fight?”

Immediately his mind blanked with both the nostalgia and surprised feeling that ran through him and the former king stopped trashing, looking at his Guoshi with wide eyes. Xie Lian, then, looked horribly unsure for a moment, but in his next blink that expression was gone and he watched him in expectation, not taking his words back. 

Lang Qianqiu could understand.

There was anger and indignation bristling in his chest. He wasn’t that kid anymore, looking for the approval of his mentor, the person that he looked up to the most, the person that deceived him, who left a young boy, alone, scared, betrayed to rule an entire angered kingdom. 

As soon as the anger came, however, it soon went away, leaving only tiredness and nostalgia behind. Lang Qianqiu didn’t feel as furious as he had been when he discovered the entire truth, a long, long time ago. He wasn’t as single focused on it as he once had been. 

It’s been so many years. So many centuries.

(Sometimes he still felt like that kid.)

As time passed in his silence, Xie Lian looked awkward, perhaps sad, and he recomposed himself, preparing to leave.

As usual, Qianqiu’s mouth moved first than his brain.

“I could’ve dodged Ruoye!”

Xie Lian froze on his way up, searching his face for something. He must have found it, since he went back to his kneeling position and Hua Cheng stopped looking at the younger with something dangerous in his glare. Lang Qianqiu itched to finish their previous fight. Before he could think too much about that, though, his former guoshi’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“It would follow you no matter your move, which was already hindered by your surprise and slow reaction. It’s a spiritual weapon with long range. You’d still lose.”

He wanted to protest the use of ‘losing’ on this occasion, since his victory truly couldn’t hold any honor or weight after using such an improper ambush. However, before he could get a single word in, something white appeared in his vision field.

Lang Qianqiu blinked and turned to Ruoye, who seemed to shake in what seemed like an… attempt to a wave… or maybe it was a threat? The martial god would answer it in kind, even if just for the curiosity of seeing what the apparent sentient weapon would do, but his arms continued to be glued to his torso. 

Something in his face must have answered it, since the silk twirled happily.

And then immediately proceeded to attack his defenseless neck and ears in a soft, light kind of tickle that made shivers run across his spine and his lips turn into a gigantic smile.

An old memory tried to resurface.

“Whahat is this?!” He protested in between his teeth. Tiny, high pitched giggles made his shoulders shake, Qianqiu did his best to both hold them in and try to escape the tickly attack. He scrunched up his shoulders, except this only encouraged the soft weapon to scritch excitedly behind his ears until he turned to hide them, leaving his neck open once more. He tried to shake his head, still the maddening, gentle scratching sensation followed him with no problems, dancing across his skin without a single worry. “Dohon’t! Let me go!”

An amused huff cut his silence. “My, had I known about this, his capture at my kingdom would’ve been much smoother and quicker. Maybe I could even have given a different, more exciting show to my subjects, raise his price a little.”

For a moment Lang Qianqiu imagined it and the scenario was so alarming that he immediately shook his head to expel it, throwing the embarrassing thought away. His giggles suddenly became much more difficult to keep at bay and, were it not for that, he would have some good words to share about Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s clearly childish provocations!

“San Lang, don’t tease.” But Xie Lian’s tune was much more amused than chiding, hiding something in the depths of his words.

Lang Qianqiu turned around to demand he take his weapon away, but, just as he opened his mouth, Rouye decided to run across his spine and unleash an onslaught of unrelenting pokes and prodding on his sides, which made him arch his back and freed laughter to pour in waves from him, hysterical giggles twirling around every squeak and snort and suddenly the memory that had been itching in the back of his mind resurfaced.

The afternoon that Fang Xin Guoshi completed one year teaching him. Xie Lian never shared with the royal family the date of his birthday, so they decided to begin the tradition of celebrating this accomplishment instead. Lang Qianqiu couldn’t stay still during the entire day, excitedly waiting for the end of his lesson, when he would be free to drag the imperial preceptor to his surprise gathering. His focus had been completely impossible to hold and he only managed to get distracted from the commissioned gift he had asked for Xiao Mengyou to bring him when, out of nowhere, during their spar…

He then gasped in realization, turning his gaze at Xie Lian, narrowing eyes glistening in accusation, even if he was still unable to stop his uncontrollable loud laughter, especially as the prodding traveled to his ribs, spidering on them while getting dangerously closer and closer to his armpits, making him involuntarily squirm and snicker even more in anticipation. 

Even so, he obligated his laughing mind to concentrate on his former mentor's silly shiny gaze.

“It was you!” And, as if reading his mind and acting in protest, Ruoye drummed in that awful space where his pits and ribs connected, pulling a high pitched squeal out of his throat together with, of course, more crackles. “And Ruoye! You were the ones tickling me that day, not Mengyou!”

Xie Lian looked to the side with a way too innocent face to be genuine, a tiny, closed lip grin resting in his face, an almost silently amused, bigger smile escaping him. He didn’t say nor deny anything. It was all the confirmation the former king needed.

As he continued to snicker, giggle and squeal, Qianqiu remembered about his “revenge” taken on his actually innocent childhood friend…Xiao Mengyou definitely was going to kill him when he went to apologize that night. He could only hope it was not by the same way that Ruoye had decided to kill him that moment.

(Lang Qianqiu knew it was all a false hope, though.)

Xie Lian’s voice cut his thoughts.

“Now, again. Give me at least three ways you could have avoided this and Ruoye will let you go.”

Qianqiu felt the urge to grumble at this, but he snorted instead, starting to kick and protest when the soft silk gave the underside of his knee a curious poke. 

It was all futile, though, his mentor was known for using different methods of teaching and centuries didn’t change any of that, as it seems. 

Lang Qianqiu could relate, he also had at least one feeling that truly didn’t change after all this time, as well.

He would rather be running laps.

[nerdsandthelike]

It's Spy Thriller day for @thepromptfoundry's Genreuary challenge, and I'm so excited to finally actually write fic for The Will Darling adventures. Maisie and Phoebe own my entire soul, and I desperately want Maisie and Kim to be friends.

So I wrote it!

Angst and banter under the cut

‘I am going to kill him,’ Maisie thought at the marquess’s son who stood in front of her. Even in this dire situation, she took a moment to note how far she had come from the shop girl who was so impressed at meeting the daughter of a Viscount. 

And here she stood, on the side of a country road in the middle of Devonshire glaring at Kim—and the fact that she was on first name terms with nobility was its own thing to marvel at—on a mission to rescue their respective lovers from some nefarious organization or other. 

When had this become her life?

Perhaps due to his aristocratic upbringing, or perhaps because he had a remarkable knack for being infuriating, Kim looked shockingly unruffled by a stare that always seemed to cow her assistants in Paris. 

“If you’re not happy with my methods,” Kim said acidly. “How do you propose we find them?” Kim asked. 

His face was mostly calm, but Maisie could tell it was an act. His voice was strained and he hadn’t slept in at least two days. Not since Will and Phoebe had failed to return from their trip to Torquay. 

Maisie had known that it was a bad idea to send the two of them out on their own. But Kim had insisted. They would be able to pose as a perfectly normal couple taking a day trip to the seaside.

And now they were gone, and they didn’t know where. 

“We could ask somebody!” Maisie said, managing not to shout. “Or find a source to interrogate! Get your secret spy organization involved! We could go undercover and hope they try to kidnap us too!” 

“We are not exactly an inconspicuous pair,” Kim said, raising his eyebrows significantly. 

Maisie hated that he was right. 

“And besides, I’ve found Will this way before.”

It was Maisie’s turn for scepticism. “By driving randomly around the countryside at such speeds that you almost turn the car over at every bend?” 

“By methodically searching each small town in the appropriate vicinity,” Kim said. 

“That could take days!” 

“It did last time.” He was so still and matter-of-fact about it. 

Maisie took a deep breath. Yelling at him would help nothing. He cared about finding Will and Phoebe just as much as she did. 

“We don’t know if we have that much time,” Maisie said. “We don’t know if we have any time at all. Can’t we at least get some other spies out here to help us? Will works for them too, after all. And this way we could cover more ground.” 

“Unfortunately,” Kim said with a grimace. “I have been informed by DS in no uncertain terms that ‘if you lose him again, then it’s your bloody problem. No one else misplaces their angel quite so often.’”

“I don’t know that it’s fair to blame you for losing Will,” she said, leaning against the hood of the car. “He’s quite capable of getting into trouble on his own.”

“Indeed,” Kim said, joining her. “And Phoebe is no better, I’m afraid.”

Maisie almost laughed. “No, she’s not at that.” 

They sat in silence for a time. 

“Do you think they’re all right?” Maisie asked finally. 

She didn’t like thinking about the alternative, but Kim knew better than her what these kidnappers might do. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, not that it’d matter much if they-

She shook her head. No thinking like that. They had to be all right. 

“I hope so,” Kim said. “I have to hope. They’ve both survived so much. And they’re quite resourceful. Phoebe has quite taken to lock-picking, in addition to her natural talents at persuasion.”

Maisie had seen Phoebe practicing with locks. She’d insisted it would be useful someday. 

Maisie would have preferred that day never arrived. 

“And Will can handle himself in a scrap,” Maisie said, reminding herself more than anything. 

“Better than anyone I’ve ever known.” 

“Maybe they’ll rescue themselves before we get there,” Maisie said. 

“Maybe,” Kim agreed. “I think we should keep trying all the same.” 

“Of course,” Maisie said. 

“Back to it, then?” Kim asked, pushing himself off the car. 

“I suppose so,” Maisie said, and began to make her way to the passenger door. “And if we overturn going round a bend, then I suppose we’ll not have to worry about the other two anymore.”

“My driving is not worse than Phoebe’s!” Kim protested as he started the engine. “And you ride with her!” 

“Not if I can help it!” Maisie muttered, and held onto her hat. 

[morganski-19]

With a Comma After Dearest Part 1

A Ronance Note Passing Au

Robin’s tired. So goddamn tired. Like the soul was physically sucked out of her body and all that was left was this mess of a blob that she had to carry around all day tired. She hates it. Hates the feeling of just getting through the day just to go home and try to sleep, but never succeeds. 

It hasn’t been this bad in a while. Not since July. But at least then she had more of an excuse. Then she was taken by Russians and tortured, heard Steve’s screams through the long hallway of the bunker. Now, what does she have to say? She willingly jumped into an alternate dimension portal to save her friend and willingly went back again to kill an evil wizard. She didn’t see the visions her friends did, didn’t watch her friends almost die. No, she came out unscathed, just mild horrors to be seen. The sleepless night shouldn’t be happening. 

But they are. Have been ever since that first night after spring break. Waking in a cold sweat, immediately calling her friends to know that they were ok. Resigning herself to only getting the amount of sleep she did or sneaking out her window to go to Steve’s. That way when one of them had a nightmare, they might actually be able to sleep after that. She can’t rely on him as much as she wants, especially if she wants him to have any semblance of a life. But she just can’t help it. 

He’s never said anything about it, always willing to drop anything to come make sure she was ok. Not like he was doing anything either, just laying alone in that giant house of his. But now that Eddie’s been released from the hospital, they’ve been spending more time together, Steve helping him through the nightmares. And she sees the way they look at each other, she knows that something’s going to happen between them too, even if they can’t see it yet. 

So she has to learn how to do things on her own sometimes. She can still rely on him if she needs it, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He just might need some space and nights alone, meaning that Robin would have to start being alone. If only that thought alone didn’t terrify her.

She walks into the bathroom and is met with the giant bags under her eyes. Barely having the energy to even get dressed in the morning, it’s not like she has the energy to cover them up. Her mom asks her questions, and her dad gets worried. All she could tell them were lies, that it was just nerves about some test or college applications, and that’s why she couldn’t sleep. She splashes some cold water on her face, trying anything to keep her awake for three more periods. 

Slowly she makes her way to her next class and prays that she won’t fall asleep.

. . . 

Nancy is walking to her next class when she spots Robin. Hunched over, clutching books close to her chest, and shuffling into the classroom. She looks like she hasn’t gotten any sleep at all, Nancy knows the feelings. It’s not like she’s been able to sleep that well the last few weeks. She’s just had four years of practice to make sure no one knew it was happening. It would go away soon, she knows. Slowly compartmentalizing in her mind until the memories fade away, only to haunt her again when she doesn’t want them to. 

But Robin, she’s still new to this. Sure there was the summer, but that was only once. It took Nancy three times around to be able to train her mind to forget the images that plagued her mind. And even then it wasn’t perfect. 

There were always people that Nancy could rely on though. Steve and Jonathan when she was dating them, and sometimes even Mike when they both needed someone to talk to. Someone was always there to help her fall back asleep, assure her that she was safe, and that they were okay. 

Does Robin have anyone to do that? Nancy assumes she has Steve, but it’s not like they live that close. And they’re not dating, so it’s not like they would spend that many nights together. She can’t imagine what Robin would do, climb out her window and bike all the way to Steve’s, or call him and he then drive over to her. Time spent in panic when someone could already be there to calm her down. 

Nancy wants to be there for Robin. They live a lot closer and could have sleepovers on nights when one of them just needed someone to help get them through the night. But she hasn’t had time. 

Ever since the “earthquake” the school paper has had endless stories. Student testimonials and memorials. News about the repairs and charity drives. A constant reminder of what they didn’t stop quite in time. 

Because of that, Nancy hasn’t had time to think about herself, let alone someone else. The stories are slowing down and life is returning to normal. Meaning that she should be too, or at least trying to. That way she could focus on her future and get through the rest of the year. Finally leave Hawkins behind and start the next part of her life, away from danger. 

After the bell rings, Nancy sees Robin again, half asleep wandering through the halls. She wants to go up to her, ask her if she’s alright. If maybe she wants to come over after school and take a nap knowing that someone is there to protect her. It’s what Nancy would want Robin to do, so why can’t she do it herself? 

Maybe it’s because she and Robin don’t know each other that well. They hung out a lot during spring break, but how much can you really learn about a person while saving the world? That doesn’t stop her from wanting to get to know her more. Somewhere along the line, she and Robin bonded. Maybe Nancy could have a best friend again, she just has to take the first step. 

Robin stops, exchanging a book in her locker before walking through the hall again. Nancy tries to speed up and catch her, but she misses her in seconds. Looking at the locker at her right, she gets an idea. Ripping out a page of her notebook, she writes a note and pushes it through the slits of the locker, hoping that Robin responds. 

. . . 

Robin,

Hey, I just wanted to check up on you. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to hang out that much, I’ve been really busy with the newspaper. We have so many stories to write about the “earthquake” that I’ve been working overtime just to get all of them edited. Really it’s so annoying, especially since we know what happened. I just want to go back to writing stories about the mystery meat, as much as it pains me to say that. 

But anyway. I really did just want to check up on you. Our schedules don’t really align that much but when I pass you in those halls, you look so alone. Not to say that you don’t have friends or anything. But I know that feeling of just wanting to isolate yourself after what happens, and I know you have Steve to help deal with all of this but, I guess I just wanted to make sure that you knew you could talk to me too. 

I’ll leave my number on the bottom in case you don’t have it. Please feel free to call me anytime, really. I want to be there for you. 

From,

Nancy

(P.S., my locker number is A350 if you want to respond. No pressure though!)

Robin reads the letter that fell out of her locker again, shocked that it isn’t some prank. The first thought that crossed her mind was that it was some jock who just wanted to poke fun at the band geek who looked like shit. Not like it’s unheard of.

However, when she opened the letter and read it, she smiled instead of balling it up and throwing it away. It’s the first time she’s heard from Nancy in weeks. Ever since school started up again, Robin would see her running through the halls from class to class, and then right to the newspaper room during lunch and after school. She thought that Nancy had forgotten about her, but she was wrong. 

The last bell rings for the day and Robin curses under her breath, stuffing her bag full of books before booking it to the parking lot, Steve waiting for her like always. 

“No offense, but you look like shit,” he says as she slides into the passenger seat. 

“How anyone fell for your charm, I will never know.”

He pulls out of the parking lot. “Eh, after school doesn’t really work all that much anymore. But uh- seriously. Have you been sleeping?”

Robin yawns. “I’m fine.”

“That’s not what I asked. You look like you haven’t slept in weeks. I’m worried about you, you haven’t called that much and you can barely walk to the car when I pick you up. I just- I just want you to know that I’m still here, if you need to talk about it, that’s all.”

“I know. I just didn’t want you to come over as much and I can’t keep biking to your place in the middle of the night.”

Steve turns, taking the longer way to her house as he does every day so they can talk more. “Then call me, we can just fall asleep on the phone like we used to.”

“Aren’t you a little preoccupied now,” She switches the conversation, getting the spotlight off of her. 

“The hell does that mean?”

“I mean that you and Eddie have been spending a lot of nights together.”

He pauses, not immediately biting back. “He’s been having a tough time with everything ok, that’s it.”

Robin hums disbelievingly. “Uh huh, sure. Let me know when that changes.” 

She digs through her backpack to find her water bottle and stumbles upon the note Nancy left in her locker. If she had another five minutes, she would have responded. Pulling it out, she looks at it, reading through the words again. 

“What’s that?” Steve asks as he turns down her street.  

“Nancy left me a note in my locker, checking in on me.” 

He parks in front of her house. “That’s nice. You going to respond?”

“I think so. It’d be nice to have someone else to talk about all of this, you know.”

“Yeah I know,” he nods. “Call me, ok. Don’t just think you have to go through this alone. No matter what, you still have me, ok.”

Robin nods. “Yeah, I know. And I will. Promise.”

When she gets to her room, she basically falls on her bed, debating if she should take a nap. But it might be the only sleep she gets tonight, so it’d be best to do it later. Looking at the letter in her hand again, she decides to write a response. 

. . . 

Dear Nancy,

How thoughtful of you to check up on little ole me. I should be the one checking up on you. So how dare you getting to it first. 

In all seriousness though, I’ve been ok, I guess. I haven’t really been sleeping, which is why I look like complete shit all the time. But it’ll go away soon. I hope at least. Steve has been spending a lot of time helping Eddie out, so I haven’t been able to lean on him as much as I did after the summer. It’s been kind of weird going through this sort of alone. But I guess I’m not anymore, 'cause I have you. 

I figured you were busy with the newspaper. I would see you running through the halls right past me, not even saying a quick hello. I don’t blame you for missing me, not like I was trying to stand out anyway. We should hang out, sometimes. If you have time, that is. I don’t really have a lot of friends, especially those who I can talk to about this. What I’m trying to say is that it would be nice, I think. 

So uh, here’s my number in case you don’t have it. We’re the only Buckley’s in town though so if you need to, we’re in the book. 

Your friend,

Robin

(P.S. Also, thought it would be funny to greet and sign these letters as they would back then. You know, for laughs and shit.)

(P.P.S I know you already have my locker number, but it’s B102 if you forgot)

Nancy smiles as she reads the letter, immediately pulling out a piece of paper and writing a response. 

I will start a tag list if anyone is interested. This will be multiple parts, I'm thinking somewhere between 5-10.