#they're just looking for reasons to convince themselves that not caring is quite alright

[thawragiya]

It's the unfounded arrogance that's driving me crazy, both from them and everyone else who shared their post.

what really amazes me about the whole Scammer Panic is the implication that people on this website are either:

incapable of running a quick cost-benefit analysis before deciding to Start Shit, or

inclined to believe that "some people lose like $15~$30 that they could afford to part with anyway" is a more significant worst-case scenario than "you may be condemning dozens of people to death, and also everyone will think you are a huge fucking racist"

[philosophicalparadox]

Hello! About a million centuries ago under some aoex post you mentioned that meph loving chibi was a sign that actually he wouldn't be a half terrible father and he is capable of caring about others. I was wondering if you'd share your thoughts!

:D

Sorry about that, I know I've received multiple asks about that!

Alright kiddos, buckle up and be prepared to enter the world of Moe. (Chibi is kind of related as it is decended from Moe).

First, what is Moe?

Moe is a style of art and a genre of anime/manga which centralises around the idea of youthful innocence and cuteness derived thereof. It is historically depicted using mainly young or young looking girls, and originally played on the idea of invoking paternal protectiveness in the male audiences it was intended for.

Since its inception in the 90s it's focus has shifted, and most modern Moe is targeted at the opposite audience it was originally intended for, (adult men 20-45 - yes, Classic Moe targets the same age group as Seinen) instead focusing on young girls more in the Shojou category (13-18). Still, there's a lot of Classic Moe out there, and it's tone definitely delivers on the promise of inspiring protective feelings when it's done well.

Classic Moe Girls are:

A) usually some flavor of child,

B) naive and cluelessly reckless, often endangering themselves by letting their curiosity or convictions get the better of them. "Curiosity killed the cat" and all that. They're also sometimes naively brave.

C) because of the above mentioned, they often find themselves in trouble, and in Classic Moe fashion, the Father or Older Brother character must come to their rescue or otherwise save them from themselves. Martyrdom (of any character) and willingness to defend the indefensible is a big deal in Moe, and though often comedic, can get pretty intense sometimes.

My go-to example of Moe overall that is kinda serious is Bakemonogatari. You want Moe, there's all different kinds in there - in fact I'm pretty sure every kind is in there.

But back to Moe = parenting. Well, I didnt exactly say his interest would make him a good parent - but rather it potentially demonatrates that he has paternal and/or protective instincts.

The whole purpose of Classic Moe is to prey on these instincts - which would be cause enough for him to be interested, unto itself. He's fascinated by human things, especially things he does not quite understand, so a lack of instincts may be just as compelling of a reason for him to be intrigued.

But i have a hard time buying that he lacks protective or parental instincts, on multiple levels. The interest in Moe and cute things, which may very well herald from a dark source, just adds a piece of potential evidence.

I'm gonna go ahead and answer @teuf-el 's ask here too, and talk a little about my HC that Samael = Lilith.

Why? Given that Iblis = Ishtar, and Lilith is described as being rather Fiery, I've had people (ahem my partner) shed doubt on that assumption. Doesnt it make more sense for Iblis to be Lilith?

Yes, but also no.

Personally, I think Adam was a real person in BE, and very probably the first son of Lucifer, and possibly even a hybrid child if such a thing is possible between Lucifer and Shemihaza. Given that Iblis loves him so weirdly, you'd expect she, or someone else, might come up with a story injecting her into it. And on that front it makes sense.

But I am not so convinced, because Lilith and Samael are, in many ways, linked.

Alright, so starting at the beginning:

if you did not know, according to the Lilith myth, Abel is the son of Eve, and Cain is the son of Lilith, who was Adams first wife.

Lilith was cast from the Garden (Amahara) or in some versions just up and left on her own because she refused to submit to Adam. She would not obey him, not even in sex, in which she famously refused to be under him.

Once outside the Garden she "coupled with" the archangel Samael, and swore never to return to the Garden or have anything to do with Adam. From this point onward, in several texts, including the Talmud, Samael is synonymous with Lilith, though the exact nature of this is debatable. Some Historians believe it's meant to imply they were husband/wife (an interesting idea on its own) some argue they became the same person, since Archangel Samael is a sketchy dude anyway ( breif recap: his job is to bring about calamity, stir up derision, and bring misfortune upon believers in order to strengthen their will and belief in God, by pretty much doing his damndest to make them doubt His existence) and Lilith and Samael both do similar things and serve similar mythological functions.

The big thing with Lilith is that because she left the Garden and could not return, she had to leave baby Cain behind. This utterly devastated her, and inspired her to become a jealous, broody mother who would steal infants in the night, trying to replace what she had lost. But in one way or another she always - by accident or by intention - ends up killing the child. She goes on to have more "children" of her own, but they are "hideous and deformed demons" who do not inspire her maternal instinct the same way. She wantonly kills quite a lot of these children, often eating them, bitter and resentful that none can replace Cain.

The ironic thing is that after Cain killed Abel, he was punished by "God" (or A god as it were) with the Mark of Cain - a curse that renders him immortal, but in a dreadful way, because everything around him dies wherever he goes. The ground he walks upon becomes barren of all life, and he must perpetually live to see the world around him suffer for his existence. That is Cains punishment.

Now, given the assumption from what we have seen whereby kin of Time seem to feed on the energy of living things, it seems plausible to me that Cain would be Samael's son, cursed by his own father/mother, quite possibly, or otherwise having to suffer his own power as a Nephilim.

Now, there's additional mythological considerations for my defense of his having parental instincts, semi supported by Canon - Loki.

Loki is both male and female, recall, and has several children, not the least of which is the World Serpent, Fenrir the giant wolf, and Sleipnir the 8 legged horse. They are the mother of both Sleipnir and Fenrir.

Not much is known of Loki's half human children, only that he did have them. Loki being a trickster God, was associated with the Devil by Catholic missionaries, so huge amounts of his mythology was lost or changed, but we do know he was known to fornicate with mortal humans too, and had children with them, we just don't know who they were.

(Funny as he IS the devil in BE)

I realise some of this is far fetched, but take into consideration that Samael in BE did help Shiro with the twins prior to collecting human helpers, and he does, if Salaryman Exorcist is even a little cannon, look out for Yukio in a distant way.

Assuming he is Lilith, and knowing he is Loki, and factoring in his love of Moe, and looking at how he handles Yukio, I stubbornly refuse to believe he has no parental instinct, and even less so that he doesn't have protective ones. Loki is an ass in his mythology, but he looks out for his family and helps them as much as he annoys them, despite being adopted.

This was Long and I apologise but there isnt a much easier way of expounding upon this besides to whiteboard with strings everywhere about it lolol

[my-writings-and-musings]

Firstly, I've just been dying to tell you I love your writting x3 it's absolutely fantastic! My favorite is the young liason ones. I think they're just the cutest! Would it be alright if I requested Fortress Maximus and Brainstorm for that? Please take all the time you need, and I hope you have an awesome day! You rock :D

Awww thanks a million!! I do strive to provide the cuteness, and I shall do so here! I'll also link the past Liaison posts for those who haven't read them yet!

Part One: Here!

Part Two: Here!

Part Three: Here!

Part Four: Here!

Part Five: You're Here!

(I've already done Fort Max in part four but I just couldn't help doing him again with a different setup.)

Fortress Maximus

·Stuck in his cell after his "incident", he's unaware of the liaison program when it initially begins, and is thus clueless of what goes on beyond his tiny space in the dark. Amongst the crew, the young humans quickly learn of the ship's considerable history in its short run, including the hostage situation that nearly cost them their beloved psychiatrist. The humans are shocked by the details, but none more so than the news the bot responsible is jailed up in the depths of the ship. All at once, they begin to question such a practice; wasn't this poor bot just acting out of pain? Hasn't his victim recovered and forgiven him? Being told that Fort Max is too dangerous to risk does nothing to dissuade them, and thanks to their youth, the gathered group soon hatches a plan to see something for themselves.

·As one might expect, Fort Max is beyond surprised when he's awoken at night by a number of very tiny visitors to his cell, and is shocked to see that they're all human! Autobot training kicking in, he's immediately concerned for their safety and gets on his knees to encourage them to leave. Lots of these prisoners are dangerous! To top off his shock, the humans say they're not lost and are there for him. They explain the new program with the Lost Light, how they heard his story, and how they're all here now to see him. For an instant Fort Max is speechless, because these tiny humans have just done more for him than the entire Autobot cause ever did. It takes more willpower than he cares to admit not to let his voice crack.

·Despite all of his assurance to the liaisons that what he did was wrong, and that he deserves to face punishment, they hear none of it. Even urging them to leave and stay on the safe parts of the ship go unheeded. They've decided that they like him and don't want him to be lonely. It's incredibly selfish, but he can't bring himself to deny the comfort their company brings him. Every night, with stealth granted by their tiny size, they visit him for as long as they can. Some bring games and entertainment from earth to share with him, and in time he gives up trying to convince them to stop, finding each one of them to be a treasure he just can't give up.

·It's mostly by bad luck they're eventually caught. Ultra Magnus just so happened to be conducting a late night inspection when he came across all the liaisons gathered about the supposedly deadly Fortress Maximus in what appeared to be a slumber party. The former Enforcer had immediately called for back up and demanded the children be released, not backing down when they all made the baffling move to clamor between the cell bars and shield the gigantic Autobot with their tiny frames. No amount of explaining the big bots potential danger could make them leave. Eventually Rung himself had to be summoned to mediate, and at the sight of Fort Max so carefully cradling his friends and begging that any punishment only come to him so they would be spared... The psychiatrist happily declared there was no need for such caution.

·Put on the spot, Ultra Magnus had decided to allow a partial commutation of the bots sentence. Though he's under watch and isn't permitted to have weapons, he's allowed to have his own room and far greater range of the ship, but under supervision. The liaisons accept only after Max does. In no time they're helping him settle into his room, bringing him housewarming gifts, and coming over as often as possible to visit. It almost doesn't feel real to the poor bot. In an almost comical turn of events he's been freed and has gone from loneliness to being surrounded by tiny, loving friends. Even Rung visits from time to time, joining in on the fun and making it clear he holds no ill will towards the big bot for anything that happened. As they all gather for another movie night together, it occurs to him that his painful past has never felt so far away, and for the first time in so long he feels ready for the future.

Brainstorm

·Ever the on the move genius, his curiosity had been piqued the instant he heard humans were going to be on the ship, as a new species is always a fascinating opportunity. He's not all dissapointed by the gaggle of bright eyed youngsters when he finally meets them. Their tour of the ship is quickly guided to his workshop, and in no time he's showing them all the fun ways he's breaking physics or on the cusp of doing so. Pretty soon the rest of the tour is delayed so they can see absolutely everything he's working on. Brainstorm finds their attitude of "science just because" to be monumentally refreshing in the wake of his occasionally stiff crewmembers. Why does he need a reason to experiment on certain things? Sometimes it's fun and invigorating to just invent something because you can!

·As he finds them incredibly motivating and they love helping however he can, he quickly gives each human permission to accompany him as his assistants. With their unique human perspective, he finds himself seeking out ideas that could benefit them directly, whether it's purely for their entertainment or for more practical purposes. Their need for "food" in particular offers a great deal of potential. He's not foolish about it, of course! These little guys are delicate! But if he can make delicious meals that can be stored easily and prepared instantly, why not? Humans need to eat multiple times every single day, why not make it easier and more fun! The hardest part proves to be getting them not to explode...

·The liaisons come to love the incredible energy he brings to every single experiment, and the feeling is mutual. Even if he doesn't understand the references to "Bill Nye" or other such things, he happily allows the humans to take selfies as he works. Spreading the word to their fellows on earth can only help their species catch up, after all. In time though, he starts to socialize with the group outside of his workshop, even bringing them to Swerve's with him to introduce them to all his friends. They stick to him the entire time even though their enthusiasm proves popular with every bot on the ship. Having often struggled to fit in, he finds the feeling of belongings refreshing in ways he never could have anticipated it might be. He'd protect each and every liaison with his life.

·It's quite unexpected when somebot brings up his... stunt, with the briefcase. He'd been so happy for once that his failures had simply... not registered. Thus, he's caught off guard when the humans start asking baffled questions. It's all he can do to mumble an excuse and leave, the confusion in their bright eyes burning into the core of his spark. So many instances of them looking up at him with respect and excitement now seem far more precious, because there's no way they'll ever want to be around him again. Now they know he isn't just the ship's eccentric scientist, and that at his most desperate he tore time and space apart... In hindsight, how could he have allowed himself to forget? He's dangerous, and the liaisons should have been kept distant to begin with... Humans are far too delicate to risk anything happening, and he never would have forgiven himself for allowing harm to come to them.

·Unbeknownst to Brainstorm, the entire group was far from aghast at his actions. If anything, they were heartbroken for his sake. To have been so desperate he'd happily tried to erase himself from existence, in part to save a bot he loved... They want at least to talk to him. Using skills he taught them, they hack past the gridlock on his workshop, and the scientist is shocked by their effort. Before he can say a word they're surrounding him and offering the most effusive of reasurances, particularly regarding how they never want to lose their beloved science bot, and he takes it upon himself to comfort the crying group with a promise he's not going anywhere. In an instant, something becomes incredibly clear to him; these little beings care about him. They don't want him to leave. Trying not to cry himself, he assures the group that he's long since learned his lesson. There's plenty of wonderful things in the present to stick around for.

[charming-2d-boys]

something sweet with the reader acting like an older sister to gon and killua! like they're a hunter too and meet them at heaven's arena, maybe treat the boys to food~ just something sweet and supportive<3 (if you can only do one character then just killua) thank you °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

This is such a cute request, anon! 😍

Thank you and enjoy it!

A/N: pretty long, but I hope it’s cute enough and makes up for it

Here is part two, by the way!

Like a family - Older Sister-like!Reader x Gon & Killua

   The first time you met Gon and Killua, you had just refused Tonpa’s toast to friendship and luck. Gon had just spit out the sips he’d taken while Killua was fine and actually asked for a few more. You were worried about the two boys and actually kept an eye out for them, but throughout the rest of the First Phase and until you reached the Visca Forest Preserve, they both seemed to have become friends and were in high spirits.

   You’d finally met them during the Fourth Phase, on Zevil Island, by accident. Well, you met Killua first, as he was just walking around like it was a stroll in the park. And then you felt another examinee nearby. Scared that they’d target Killua, you jumped in front of him, but instead, he pushed you away and actually disappeared, making you look around frantically until you heard a sickening crack and then a thud.

   When you looked where the sound had come from, you saw Killua with one hand soaked in blood as he took the person’s badge and walked towards you.

   “Why were you following me?”

   “I wasn’t, I was just resting here for a bit. I thought you hadn’t heard them and were going to get hit.” He didn’t seem to really believe you, but he’d sensed you from before, so he knew you most probably weren’t lying.

   When you invited him to take a seat on one of the overgrown tree roots and eat something, you thought he’d refuse vehemently - what if he thought it might be a trap and you’d try to poison him? But to your surprise, he accepted your offer and you actually talked for quite a while, eating some sandwiches you’d made before arriving on the island. When you asked him about how he accepted and your confusion regarding Tonpa’s drinks, he only said that he’s been exposed to pretty much every poison out there since he was young.

   If that wasn’t shocking, what he told you afterwards definitely was: torture with electricity, water, assassin training, Nen training... and he was still a child. Killua didn’t really seem surprised by your shock; he got that a lot. And when you apologised because it was horrible how used he seemed to be to having this discussion, he actually smiled, something between a sad and a proud smile.

   “It made me stronger and more resistant than others.”

   “But you’re still only a child. That’s no childhood, Killua. And I’m sure even you’re aware, you’re smart enough for your age.” He was and he understood. That was one of the reasons he even left for the Hunter Exam - he had to get away from his family and their behaviour, at least for a while.

   Your worry seemed genuine and he liked the feeling of someone caring about him and his well-being. Sure, he had befriended Gon and had a few people in his life who actually cared and he considered friends. And maybe you’d become someone like that as well.

   The two of you talked and looked out for each other until you decided to split up, going your separate ways and promising to meet again during the next phase.

   Gon, who you met officially later was a lot friendlier, without any sort of suspicion whatsoever and he seemed to already consider you a friend, if the way he was animatedly talking to you about his home and family was of any indication. You’d met him after Hisoka helped him with Geretta and you found him while he was still struggling and wobbling around.

   He was pouting and grumbling about how Hisoka wouldn’t accept his badge back and when you asked him if he was okay - you had seen the whole confrontation from further away and were actually worried Hisoka would kill him - he seemed to be a bit startled. Gon had been deep in his thoughts and despite sensing your Aura, your voice still made him flinch in surprise. You’d only asked if he was alright, and despite a bit of apprehension, he still answered you, pouting and bruised, but still friendly.

   You’d cleaned his face as best as you could - he allowed you when you asked him if you could so any cuts he had wouldn’t get infected - and actually put some really cute bandaids with animals on some of the smaller ones. Gon’s eyes sparkled as he smiled and thanked you. He was adorable and you just had to pinch his cheek when he smiled. Again, you promised each other that you’d meet again.

   And just like pretty much everyone else, you’d managed to move from one phase to another, survive, fulfill the requirements and managed to obtain your Hunter License. The Final Phase, the tournament, was the last time you saw both boys: Gon was unconscious and Killua left after killing his opponent.

   You didn’t really hear much after that, but you needed to train and develop your Nen. That was why you chose Heaven’s Arena. Well, earning money on the side and bringing your reputation up certainly couldn’t hurt.

   You’d already managed to cross the 200th floor and were currently in the lobby, ready to head out for a little change of scenery, when you saw Gon and Killua. You called their names and hugged them both and they returned it quickly - well, Killua blushed and patted your back, but in the end he just squeezed you briefly. When you invited them out to eat something, stating that it was your treat, you laughed at their sparkly eyes and the barely audible grumbles from their stomachs.

   You all went to little restaurant owned by a local family, where the food felt like it was melting in your mouth and tasted heavenly, while the prices were great, and talked with them. They’d already been at Heaven’s Arena for a few days but you’d all been so busy with your own matches and training that you didn’t even notice each other. And now that you knew that they’d be at the arena for quite some time, you asked them to meet up with you as often as you all could.

   Of course they couldn’t say no. Pretty much everyone at Heaven’s Arena was looking for rookies to crush, so it was nice to have someone - besides Wing and Zushi - who would accept them with open arms and not try to fight them. You also trained with them and, at Wing’s request, tried to let them discover more about their Nen and the uses of Aura by themselves.

   It was hard sometimes, having to watch over them and knowing that you could help and make things easier for them. But you also knew that it was necessary for them to learn some things through trial and error. You would supervise them, and even Zushi, whenever you had time and offered to give Wing a little break - which took some convincing, but even he knew he needed some time for himself. You felt so proud by their evergrowing progress and were sure to tell them that and encourage them, while also making them take regular breaks.

   You couldn’t lie though. When you had a match one day that turned out to be a tad more difficult than usually, you heard Gon, loud and clear, yell Go, (Y/N)-nee-chan! Of course, he was soon followed by Killua, who was yelling while the both of them were waving their arms like crazy. And, of course, they were followed by Zushi, while Wing only shook his head amused and only briefly waved at you. You could only smile before taking a deep breath in and channeling everything into your finishing move, coming out victorious.

   When you left the ring and got into the hallway, you were quickly ambushed by the three boys who hugged you, congratulating you and talking loudly about how cool the match and your moves were. Wing was a few steps behind, looking as kind as ever and congratulating you as well. You laughed when you offered to treat everyone to dinner that night and they all accepted immediately - again, Wing took some convincing, but came with you and the boys anyway. It had, officially, become one your most prized victories at the arena and you all celebrated with a lot of food and dessert that night.

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

Sweater Weather

I enjoy the headcanon of Doofus Rick having a variety of sweaters. And after looking at stock photos, I was inspired to write this fic. Hope you guys like it.

In this fic Ricks sweater causes some conflict.

____________

In the great vastness of space, one could learn the true meaning of loneliness. For miles upon miles, floating upon nothing, you could say it was like sailing across the sea. Yet, unlike the salt or crashing waves of the ocean, you two would navigate across star systems or avoid asteroid fields, while at the same time enjoy the peace which comes from being somewhere uncongested. However, as fascinating as it was to go on intergalactic, space adventures, one of the things you didn't enjoy was the extreme temperature changes; most of the time, you'd stay in the ship or stay home if a planet's climate was too cold for your taste, but on this occasion, Rick needed an extra pair of hands when you two stopped on Mars after spending most of the day at the Jerryboree.

After Zeta-7 had traded a few items of his own to obtain what he came for at a reduced price, you two ran as fast as you could back towards the ship, but by the time the ship was out of the Martian orbit, you were chilled to the bone. Rubbing your arms, you shivered. "I wonder if I'll ever get used to this."

Your breath came out like a cloud of smoke and the cold that had seemed mild at first had numbed your face and extremities. Rick turned up the heat, as well as turned on the seat warmers and offered you a freeze-dried Phytonian branch worm, but you passed on the offer. You knew it would have warned you up straight away, but the last time you tried one of those things, you had a stomach ache for three days. Concerned, he placed the ship on autopilot and did his best to search around in the back seat for anything you could use to warm up, but then as though it struck him on the head he groaned. "Darn it, I-I forgot that I removed the spare blanket to wash it."

"Where is it now?"

"I-I left it in the dryer."

You thought of telling him that it wasn't his fault he forgot it since you had distracted him this morning with a video about ninja cats, but it wouldn't have helped the situation. "Ricky," you tried to ease him with a weak smile but your teeth chattered. "it's not a big deal. Besides, we're not that far from home."

However, he wasn't convinced. You weren't as experienced when it came to space travel, but you knew well enough of the possible dangers associated with extreme body temperature shifts. The chill you had spread deep into your bones until you thought you'd rattle if shaken; a lick of fear traveling down your spine but otherwise you didn't feel too bad. Nonetheless, Rick was concerned for your well-being, and knowing you two were hundreds of thousands of miles away from your dimension's version of Earth, he made a decisive decision and started removing articles of his own clothing. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

With a blush, he handed you not only his knitted Jerry sweater but also his labcoat; leaving him in a thin t-shirt which had a snoopy patch on the right shoulder; how cute. "I hope it'll s-suffice until we get home."

"But what about you? What are you going to wear?"

Flashing you a stern look which left little room for argument, you slipped on his sweater and lab coat, and was delighted to feel a little more like yourself and relaxed by its scent; it was his essence; that of vanilla, of his home, and something you couldn't quite think of; chemicals perhaps. "Hmm, your clothes are a lot more comfortable than I expected them to be. How um…..how do I look?"

Turning down the lights and switching back to manual, he nodded. "It suits you m-mi corazón."

You admired its softness and passed your hand over the tight, twisted knit. It was a lovely shade of light sage green, and had a picture of a smiling Jerry holding a titanic ship model; you thought it was sweet that it was a picture of his friend. So many things this man-made or owned had a purpose or a story; this piece was most likely made to brighten up the day that the Jerrys in his care were having. Your Rick really was a good man; better yet because he saw the value in regular folk who probably didn't see it in themselves. "I like your clothes, Rick," you commented; your heart warmed by his goodness. "they seem to carry bits of you in them."

"Th-that could be said about any piece of clothing that's been worn. They carry bits of our DNA." he stated matter of factly.

"Eh….that's... I mean I get that, but that's not where I was going with this. I meant that they're soft and warm like you Ricky. You enjoy dressing comfortably, don't you? You own a variety of sweaters."

"Wh-who doesn't? I've sort of been dressing th-the same way for the last twenty or so years but when I met you, I had more opportunities to dress up. However, the older I get, the more often I'm in need of something a-a bit warmer and gentler on my skin. Actually, some of my clothes are locked to my particular genetic signature so that they'll or adjust according to the weather or climate. That way, I'll have less t-to carry on certain excursions."

"Incredible, that'll certainly come in handy, but can I ask you something?"

"Y-yes?"

"I know you're focused on driving," you started, wondering if your assumptions were correct. "but is there a reason why you haven't looked me in the eyes since we left Mars, or am I just thinking too much?"

He visibly stiffened, but he still didn't face you. Rick seemed troubled, for he tightened his grip on the wheel. Maybe this hadn't been the best time to ask, but what else could you have done? If you didn't ask, how else would you have known? Still, if you had waited, you would've noticed the red light blinking on the control panel sooner. It was a caution light, but you weren't so concerned, but you should've been.

Rick had opened his mouth to answer, with a faraway look in his eyes, but in the blink of an eye he made a sharp left turn around some space junk; jostling you two as well as the cargo. That was another thing you hated about space was Earth's contribution to its pollution. Unknowingly, you two had deviated from the usual course by a few miles, leading you two into a dangerous situation. Whether it was the fault of his navigation equipment or his lack of focus you didn't know, but it took a couple of minutes of evading space junk before you two could breathe a sigh of relief. And at the first opportunity, he switched the ship back to autopilot. "I'm s-sorry about that. I'm usually a better driver." he started, scratching the back of his neck as he glanced out the window in search of an answer in the emptiness of space. You couldn't see anything except for a few stars and the Earth straight ahead, but you had a feeling that where he was looking was somewhere you couldn't see. When he was ready, he turned around in his seat to glance at you, but then quickly turned back to face the steering wheel. How odd. "T-t-to answer your question," he stammered. "y-you're not thinking too much. I've just been distracted."

"Oh, okay."

"Are y-you alright? Nothing hurts does it?"

"I mean, other than feeling wide awake now, no harm was done I guess, but what happened? It isn't like you to let your mind wander while we're out here. Rick, would you like me to take over the wheel so you can straighten out your thoughts?"

"No, it's not - I can do it. I got this."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm, as long as I-I focus on the wheel."

He hadn't really answered your original question, but since you guys nearly avoided death, it probably wasn't a good time.

________

He parked the ship in his garage, and since it wasn't that late, you two walked over to your home. Rick hadn't said much since earlier, but you figured he'd let you know what was bothering him later. As soon as you crossed the threshold of your home, you started a pot of coffee for Rick to drink when it was ready. Then, you got a blanket from the closet and offered it to him just in case he was cold, but he didn't care for one. He was still in a mood, and you wondered if the reason you'd upset him was that you were still wearing his sweater. "You probably want this back right?"

Slipping out of his sweater and labcoat, you felt the temperature difference immediately and took up the blanket you had taken out and wrapped it around yourself. "Thanks for letting me borrow them. I'll be sure to pack something with me next time."

"I'm n-not sure if that's such a-a good idea." he said with seriousness.

"What do you mean?"

The lines around his eyes deepened, as well as the creases of his forehead, and there was a pensive cloudiness of his usually electric blues. Frustrated, he bit down on his lip almost hard enough to make it bleed. "B-because it's distracting."

"What?"

He continued. "I-I should've brought you home first or gotten the parts a different time."

"But I thought you wanted help." you sniffled.

"Y-you don't understand."

"What's there to understand?" you retorted; sinking into the couch as tears stung the back of your eyes, and threatened to come out. "You...you don't want me to help you anymore? I thought we were a team."

Your saddened state shifted his sour mood, and he apologized. "Gosh, please don't cry mi corazón, I-I didn't mean it."

"But you sai-"

"I'm not upset at you," he reassured you. "I'm disappointed in myself for allowing this to happen. I've become complacent and I-I should've been prepared. You could've gotten sick, hurt, or worse just because I got distracted. Next time I'll bring you your own sweater and snacks or whatever you want."

"Is it because you don't want me wearing yours? Did I ruin it or something?"

"No, it's because," he swallowed, unsure how to broach the subject. "cuando lo usas, es… es apretado."

What? You understood the part where he said you used it, but not the rest. Pulling out your phone from your pocket, you asked Google what all of that just meant, but the answer you got didn't help. "Rick, should I be offended?"

"I-I hope not. I promise it's not what you're thinking."

"Then what is it? I'm not getting any clear answers here."

"I um - I'm sorry if I offended you. It's not what I intended to do. I know what I'm about t-to tell you sounds silly since I had hoped I'd outgrow this, but I still feel shy around you."

This much you did know. He was overly conscious of himself, his actions, and how he might disappoint or be lacking, but most of all was hateful of his own inadequacies. Yet, for where he found fault, you found virtue and you would remind him of that, but in this case, you simply needed to listen. "That's okay, I already knew that."

"I don't feel like that all the time, but today I got embarrassed all of a sudden. I-I don't know what happened. Y-you were wearing my clothes and I saw your silhouette in the starlight and I got nervous."

Huh? That's what was bothering him?

"Why?"

"It um - it made me wonder what it'd be like if we lived together and…oh, it's embarrassing."

The hand which he had resting on the couch gripped the fabric tightly, and he was mortified because he had been distracted by you; which under normal circumstances he'd be able to remain calm. Covering his hand with yours, you gave him a squeeze."No, I would like to hear what you were thinking about very much."

Lacing his fingers with yours, you two sat there for a matter of minutes as he gathered his thoughts together. When he calmed a little, he confessed. "I thought about what it'd be like t-to wake up right next t-to you and not be alone anymore. I-I think about it a lot."

"Oh." That hadn't been what you expected. However, was it really so strange? He had intended to propose months ago, but ever since the moment had been spoiled he hadn't attempted to try again; if it had gone well, you two might've been married by now. Though, who was to say he didn't dream of it? Of what he'd always wanted, of a family or of the life in which he needed? Perhaps gentle encouragement wouldn't hurt.

"You know," you responded with a serious, but gentle candor. "you're not the only one who thinks about us living together. I'm very happy here and I love what we do together. And although we've had times where we respected one another's space, I don't mind if that changes. However, there are things that aren't so simple. For example, if I would've known that I could borrow your clothes whenever I liked I would've done so more often. Though, only if you hadn't been concerned about me getting accidentally poisoned by chemicals or radiation. Remember that time you literally fought with the laundry?"

"I do remember," he answered wistfully. "it's what prompted me t-to teach you how to use the freeze ray and laser gun correctly."

"I think the longer we're together, the more our lives will intertwine. Meaning, the more we move forward, the more training I'm going to need to fit into this lifestyle of ours. I think I'm going to need a portable scanner that'll allow me to check your clothes before I think of putting them on."

With serious, but tender eyes, he studied you. Then, he picked up his sweater which sat between you two and wondered. "Y-you want to wear my clothes? A great deal of them have seen better days. Are y-you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," you brightened. "because I love the way your clothes smell. If you were away, it'd make me think of you and it...I don't know, makes us seem more domestic. Is that along the lines of what you were thinking?"

"Y-yeah."

"Cool. Glad to know we're on the same page."

Relieved, he pressed a kiss to your temple and seemed ready for that cup of coffee. And as you stood, ready to head to the kitchen to prepare it for him, you mentioned. "And by the way, I gotta tell you something important."

"Gee, what is that?"

Striking a pose, you made him chuckle; that was a good sign. "That it's totally cool to be into me and check me out. I don't mind, and it makes me happy that I know what it takes to catch your eye. However, there's an exception: when we're driving around in space, where anything could kill us, we gotta keep our eyes on the space around us unless on autopilot. Only then," you winked. "might it be okay to be a little distracted."

Fin

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi everyone. Do you remember the stories with soulmate AU for Jameson and Anti? I have another one. This time with our sunshine dad Chase <3  Hope you like it :)

>> It's soulmate AU where the first thing they say to you is on your body (in their handwriting)

"You're the handsomest man I’ve ever seen"

That’s the sentence Chase has on his arm in a beautiful curly font and he was quite happy about that when he was younger. His soulmate will think he is handsome, it's the first sentence they will tell him and he couldn't wait to meet them, but time passed, and he understood that things wouldn't go the way he thought.

It was a problem to find your soulmate because people were more careful about what they could say when they meet someone new because there's a chance that it's their soulmate.

Some people didn't even want to find their soulmate for different reasons. Someone have a really bad sentence, they don't believe they would be happy with their soulmate or their soulmate wouldn't be happy with them or their just don't believe this whole soulmate thing... there are many reasons why people don't want to find their soulmate.

Chase wasn't one of them, he wanted to find his soulmate ... but then Stacy appeared. She was beautiful, and she had all the things he could wish for. Suddenly he stopped believing that his soulmate was meant for him because he just wanted Stacy, and she wanted him in return.

They had a lot of fun together and they loved each other so it was no wonder when they married and they had two children together... but then their relationship began to collapse into pieces.

The quarrels, the crying and the reproaches were on the day order, and they didn't know what to do with it. They were no longer happy and if that was not enough, Stacy found her soulmate.

As quickly as possible, she divorced with Chase, took the kids and moved away with her soulmate. Chase was left alone and it was really hard to even convince Stacy to see the kids. It was as if she never wants to have anything to do with him anymore, but they're his kids too.

She can't take them away from him, right?

Because of this he began to drink and sink into depression and he had no idea what to do with himself. His beloved Stacy was gone and he believed that his soulmate would never appear, because he had spoiled it thanks to Stacy.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

One day Chase was in the park and trying to enjoy the sunny autumn day just looking around when someone suddenly bumped straight into him and they fell together on the ground.

“Oh fuck, this hurts like hell!” he cried out because he had hit his back and also because of the weight that pushed him to the ground. When Chase recovered, he found that there’s a beautiful person on him, their [E/C] eyes wide with surprise, lips parted in shock.

"You're the handsomest man I’ve ever seen" they said, their voice tender and quiet. Chase froze in shock for a minute.

“It’s you!” He shouted in surprise, then realized what was his first sentence. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. My first sentence is horrible.” His face red with embarrassment. What he got in return was a quiet giggle.

“It's quite alright, soulmate. I’m glad I finally meet you.” They said. “I’m sorry that I bumped into you. It wasn't intentionally.” They apologized.

“That’s okay, it's already forgotten but we should stand up, don't you think?” Chase smiled, his hand on their waist.

“Ah yes. Sorry” They giggled again and both of them lifted from the ground.

“I’m [Y/N] by the way.” They introduced themselves when they both stood firmly on their feet again.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Chase.” He smiled again.

After that, they spent some time together in the park and then in the café. They didn't want to separate themselves from each other. At the end, they exchanged their phone numbers and [Y/N] had to promise to meet again as soon as possible.

When Chase watched them leave, a smile played on his face because he finally started to believe that things would be good again.

Actually, they will be even better than ever.

........

AHHH THIS WAS CUTE!!! 💕💖💕💖💕💟

I like how you incorporated the idea of Stacy and Chase believing they were in love with each other even tho they weren't soulmates.

But good job on this story! 💕💕

[saintheartwing]

Undertale: Frost

Author's Note:

This was a story I had always intended to write, but never really found the time to. Now I've got more time to, having settled into my new job, working at a brand new hospital. With this story, I intend to be fairly historically accurate to the times the tale takes place in, and the cultures as well. I'll try hard to be respectful, and to be understanding, but I recognize I will make some mistakes. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think, and point out what you like and where I can improve. This story will be covering some very tough, hard subject matter, and I won't really shy away from it though I'll try to not create anything so dark it gets an M rating. Above all else, I want the story to FEEL real, and to feel like the people within actually, truly lived. If I can tell that story, and make you enjoy it, and make you perhaps think a little about the big issues within this story...I'll be happy.

Seriously, nothing makes a writer feel better than knowing people read their work. So please. Don't be afraid to comment or review. And so, without further ado, I give you my vision of the past. I give you...Frost.

————————————————-

The sun softly lilted over the quiet city of Lincoln, England, the skies above filled with soft, lilting clouds as a gentle zephyr blew through the hair of those walking into the cathedral. It was the tallest building in the world, towering higher even than the Great Pyramid of Giza, with a magnificent central spire reaching to the heavens above in the center of the large church, and smaller spires at the front, its big, huge double doors open and letting all inside.

Even the monsters.

They passed their way into the cathedral's south entrance under the "Bishop's Eye", an enormous, beautiful stained glass rose window, a companion piece to the "Dean Eye" on the north where people would be exiting. This was, of course, deliberate, for the South represented the Holy Spirit, whilst the North stood for the Devil. The Bishop gazed out at the south, to invite in, whilst the Dean gazed out to the North to shun. The Cathedral, therefore, looked upon both Heaven and Hell…metaphorically speaking. All were welcome inside, but when they left by the North, they'd be reminded to be wary of the guiles of the evil one.

And there…there she was. One of the biggest reasons people had decided that perhaps letting the monster race into the town of Lincoln wasn't such a bad idea. She was clad in her plain robes, but her white fur shone beautifully, her eyes closed as she sang for the assembled crowds making their way into the church. The backup choir behind her harmonized along with her powerful yet soft voice, a voice likes that of an angel that instantly drew your attention. Though she had little tiny nubs for horns atop her faintly goat-like skull, and her finger's nails were somewhat pointed, the cute, large feet, the little sweet pot belly you could see, and her voice, the VOICE! All of that was disarming. Even her eyes weren't scary, though red in color, they were very close to brown, and came off as more soothing than sinister as Toriel, proud member of Saint Mary's Cathedral, sang for the masses, as Father White watched in his own soft robes not far away from the pulpit.

As Toriel sang, her cross necklace glinted in the light filtering in through the stained glass windows of the cathedral, and people were practically hypnotized as the words lilted through the air. Her words brought to mind soft grass in a valley, of the wind blowing through flowers, with petals dancing on the wind. It made you think of warm rays of the sun that faintly kissed your skin, and a tenderness that was rare to find on Earth.

"She's one of the good ones, without a doubt." Said Tobias's father as the young lad with the cute smile and rosy cheeks quietly watched her, blushing a bit more as he gazed at her face.

"She's, um…quite a lovely singer, yes." He finally murmured out.

"If only ALL the monsters had as fine a voice as this "Baphomine"." Tobias's father James commented with a sigh as he put his arm around his wife Marietta. Quite a few of the inhabitants in the church nodded at this quietly murmured remark, though Tobias flinched at this, and it comforted him to see quite a few people turning to give James a rather irritated and angry look. "Remember, Tobias. In the service of the lord, even beings as lowly and wretched as monsters can be made almost human. Truly, the church's mercy is a thing to admire that even such beasts can be admired in some way."

"Well…beasts can't talk…" Tobias muttered. "I've not ever heard a dog or cow or frog speak."

"Oh, they can imitate our language much like they imitate our songs, but I doubt they really understand it. Much like how a…PARROT can imitate human speech but not comprehend it. They're merely following our lead, my son." James reasoned. Tobias held his tongue, though for a brief, dark, horrible moment, he imagined kicking his father in the shins.

At last, Toriel had finished her song and bowed, as people clapped in the aisles, and Father White moved forward, nodding his head at Toriel, taking the young, teenage monster's hands in his. "Bless you, Toriel. Bless your heart. And bless all of thee for coming. The Lord be With You."

"And also with you." The masses repeated back.

"We profess our belief in the Lord, Jesus. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whomever believed in him should have eternal life. This is the Gospel of the Lord."

"Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ."

Father White's thick black hair fell about his face as he his slightly scraggly-bearded face looked out among the throng. His blue eyes flitted very briefly over to Toriel before he spoke, loudly and firmly. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For thou are like whited sepulchers, beautiful upon the outside, yet inwardly rotten, full of dead men's bones and all uncleanliness. Though thou appear outwardly righteous, within thee is hypocrisy and iniquity! The Gospel of Matthew, one of my absolute most favorite parts of all the New Testament. Every one of thee should know it. Matthew, one of the 12 Apostles, wrote this fine Gospel primarily for a specific audience. Do any here know who they were? Come, please. Raise thy hands. This is a safe place for all who want to believe, and you won't be judged or mocked if you get it wrong."

Tobias slowly raised a hand up, before anyone else, and when Father White pointed at him, he spoke as clearly as he could, Toriel's eyes looking right into his own. "Was the gospel written for the Jews, Father White?"

"Yes. Matthew makes mention of more Old Testament sections than any other gospel, and he saw Jesus as King of the Jews, who fulfills the prophecies within the Old Testament. He wanted Jewish people to be able to welcome Him into their hearts, and to convince them with that which they themselves held dear, the holy words and prophecies and lessons they took to heart. By showing them this, and the miracles Jesus performed, Matthew hoped they would welcome Jesus. Let us pray upon this."

He bowed his head, the people in the Cathedral following suit as Toriel bowed her own head. Come about 45 minutes later, the service was over, and she was nodding as people left the Cathedral…before quickly rushing over to one particular person. Or rather, one particular monster.

"Careful!" She quickly ushered the burning, constantly-on-fire Pyrope away from a tapestry just in time. Phew. Now the depiction of Christ on the cross wouldn't go up in flames! The big, coal-like, large-mouthed monster's head hopped up and down on the coiled, rope-like chest, stomach and lower body of his frame, wearing fancy sandals as the fiery hair he had slightly flared up before it cooled down at the sight of her worried face.

"My apologies." Percival Pyrope remarked, the burning fire upon his round, black, eyeless face turning into a very thin layer of fire, his "normal" state when he wasn't excited. The Pyrope and monsters much like him who could accidentally damage the church had to sit rather separated from the throngs of humans. Didn't want them burning down the church!

"Its alright, really. You've been VERY well behaved, thank you so kindly." Toriel said warmly, bowing at Percival Pyrope as he left the church and Toriel, in turn, walked over to Father White as he looked over a big copy of the Bible at his podium. "You were very, very considerate to use Matthew in today's sermon." She said, as Father Michael took her hands again and shook them.

"Anytime, Toriel. You are as a shining light in our church, and welcome here anytime you desire. You'll never be turned away from here." Father White insisted kindly as he briefly peered over Toriel's shoulder, taking notice of the fact that…yes. There he was. Little Toby had stayed behind and was nervously rocking back and forth on his feet. "May I help you, Toby?"

"Um…may I have confession, sir?"

"Of course. Come this way." Father White led Tobias off across the church and towards the booth used for confession as Toriel, in turn, made her way out of the church and towards the local inn to get lunch.

Though many of the townsfolk smiled a little at her, or bowed their heads, others quietly shuffled out of her way, a few muttering nervously, looking a bit pale as she entered the inn and sat down at a table, the innkeeper sending a server over to her as several people she'd not seen in town before glanced in her direction.

"…oh. Those. Let's…not stay. I'm not hungry at the moment." One of the men grumbled as his friends nodded, the bartender sighing a bit as he watched them leave, Toriel quickly digging into her robes pockets.

"Here, I'll pay a little extra to make up for your lost business."

"A pleasure doing business with you, then!" The innkeeper remarked with a big grin as he nodded at the server. "Hannah, give Ms. Choir Girl anything she'd like!"

"Not a problem at all…" Hannah said with a nod as she stood by Toriel. "So what do you want?"

"I'll have the usual." Toriel remarked as Hannah nodded, going off to get Toriel her salted meat dish she so adored, combined with a nice local ale as Toriel, in turn, took something else out of her pocket…silver shine polish for her cross necklace, a creation of her own design she'd made by herself. In fact, she made quite a bit of good money selling her artistic creations, and used a bit of the proceeds to help the church. It was only fair, she felt, given how they'd let her join, the first monster in Saint Mary's-

Toriel sniffed at the air, turning. Oh. A man behind her was looking over a pie that had been served to him and he tilted his head to the side as he examined it. "I wouldn't eat that if I were you, sir." Toriel spoke up softly as the man glanced up at her, then at the pie. "It smells…" She sniffed at the air. "Yes, I think whomever baked it didn't quite use proper butter."

"You can tell from smell?" The man asked. He HAD looked irritated looking at her but now his expression was one of wonder. "I had no idea. Is it because you Baphomine part goat?"

Toriel inwardly flinched, but she said nothing outwardly and shook her head. "No, no, my kind aren't part goat, we just resemble them somewhat. Much like how a statue only resembles a living being, but isn't truly one. And, uh…we'd prefer being called "púca", good sir."

"Pooka? That's…Irish, isn't it?" The man inquired, wearing a thick robe that looked quite fancy and having a short moustache and beard. He looked very nondescript otherwise as he sniffed the pie. "Well, I'll take your word for it. Thank you very much, Miss…um…your name?"

"Toriel."

"Do you have a second name?"

"Oh, no, we monsters don't always have that either."

"I'm learning so many things about your kind! My name's Hugh, by the way." He said with a small smile as, at last, Toriel's own meal arrived. "Please, sit with me. I'd like to know more about you and your kind. I don't mean to impose, but I've heard so much, and I'd like to come away from this knowing you and your ilk better."

Toriel nodded, and she moved her meal to his little table, sitting across from him. This wasn't the first time this had happened, and probably wouldn't be the last, but she didn't mind, not really. If it meant a better understanding of her people and of her, then this was fine. It reminded her of a story that Father White had said, of somebody seeing someone on the beach, picking up starfish and tossing them into the sea. The second person had admonished this starfish saver. "Look, there's hundreds of these, you'll never save them all. You can't think you're making a difference." But the other man had simply smiled, picked up another starfish, and tossed them off into the ocean, saying "It made a difference to THAT one."

Toriel would be that Good Samaritan. And Mr. Hugh would be yet another starfish. As she began to speak about her kind, she felt something almost familiar in him. Almost-

Ah. Now she realized. His hair. It was rather like that of her friend off in Wales. She wondered how he was doing.

As it were, winter was soon to settle in Wales, and the first quilting of clouds passed its way towards the ramparts of the castle on the hill. The sun's rays were being slowly but surely obscured by the greying blanket that was making its way over the inhabitants of the castle as the guard nonchalantly sat on its ramparts, keeping their eyes peeled. They had their weapons close at hand, ready to snatch up at a moments notice, bows had fresh drawstrings put in them, the spears had been finely shined and armor a-glinted in the few remaining rays of light that burst through the clouds above. A light wind ruffled through their hair as they looked about at each other, ready to make their move. The only question was…who would break first? Their opponent was crafty and calculating and-

"HA."

Lord Llywelyn Ap Iorwerth was smirking in delight, and he picked up the winnings from the men, shaking them about in one hand and looking supremely smug. His moustache quivered in that way it did whenever he was especially pleased with himself, his cloaked frame rising up as he put the winnings from the dice roll in his bag and shook it about in the air, his thick Welsh accent audible for all the men gathered about to hear. "Hear that, me lads? THAT'S the sound of success."

"Just wait." One of the men grumbled as his buddy scratched the bald patch in the midst of the spiky hair on either side of his head. "We'll get our money back soon enough. Another round!" He insisted, shaking his fist defiantly at their lord as his ponytail flopped off the side of his shoulder, his bowman friend adjusting the bag of arrows he had slung around his back. "How about it?" He asked as he turned to another pal.

"…I dunno, Arthus." The somewhat shorter, tubbier spearman shook his head as he plucked a bit at the stringed lute as had in his lap at the moment, humming a bit, his rather large chin slightly bouncing as he hummed a few bars, playing some more of the lute. "I think I want to cut my losses." He said, the slight wind in the air a-ruffling his somewhat poofy hair.

"Dylann is right. Ol' Bowen's up for anything…but not a second pounding at the dice." Bowen the Bowman said in his oddly low voice as he sighed and hung his head, shaking it back and forth. Sitting not far away two knights glanced at each other briefly as they stood on opposite sides of Lord Llywelyn, one with a half-visor esque helm who's lower half was slightly dotted with little holes, chainmail on his arms and legs as he hung his own head in dice defeat. His comrade, who wore a helm that was smooth and square-like and with a slightly jutting-out front with plate armor on his arms, but not his legs shook his head too.

"Gawain and I aren't interested in losing again."

"Iolo, come now!" proclaimed Arthus, looking rather mortified. "That's two week's pay you've lost!"

"And I don't want to lose another two weeks." The plate-mail having knight commented. "My dear "Artie"…one must know when to cut one's losses."

"Perhaps Elisud wants in?" Arthus asked as he and the others turned to the young lad who was looking out over the ramparts, who hadn't joined in the fun at all. Elisud, though being the youngest there at age 16, looked far older than he really was. He was already showing the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow with the faintest sign he was going to have quite the beard/moustache combination. He also had a bit of a receding hairline, his hair wafting about in the wind somewhat as he looked across the long stretches of grass to the east.

Elisud turned to look back at them, a slightly surprised…even annoyed…expression on his face. "Um…well, it is just…I mean, I've been told gambling is a sin, good sirs, and I don't want to sin. I AM going to be a Friar."

"Exactly. A Friar. You Franciscans have to take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. Nothin' in there that says you can't GAMBLE, that ain't one of the 10 Commandments!" Arthus laughed.

"Besides, if you're concerned about the money…just give it back to these fine gentlemen. You can call that "charity"." Lord Llywelyn said with a smile at Elisud as he rubbed the back of his neck. Elisud had been training to be a self-taught Friar for weeks now, he'd read book after book about what it took and he wanted to establish a Franciscan monastery in Wales, there weren't ANY in the entire land and he wanted to be the first.

"Well…okay." He said at last before glancing back across the grass. "But are you absolutely sure we don't need to worry about them?" He wanted to know as he looked back over the long stretches of green at the distinctly white-skinned, odd mixture of ugly and cute that was sitting about 100 yards away from them. He'd been watching that froglike creature for a good ten minutes, and he'd been most unsettled at how it was just STARING at them all.

Froggits, they were called. They looked much like their namesakes, but there was…SOMETHING underneath their little bodies that peered out, some kind of bug of some kind that people suspected allowed the frog-like top to call forth flies to buzz forth and attack the monster's target. The fact that they were only about a foot tall made them a bit more worrisome to deal with than a normal frog, but still…

A frog monster with big stupid eyes that could summon a couple flies or so to buzz at you wasn't too intimidating. At least, the men clearly didn't think so as Dylann plucked at his lute some more and began to play a tune, the men sniggering all around.

"Elisud, it's a damn froggit. They're not scary!" Bowen said as he tapped his foot along to Dylann's tune, the others beginning to hum along as their Lord strolled over to Elisud to look over at the froglike creatures as well. "I mean, a good, hard shot from an arrow will send them scampering away."

"You could kick one into oblivion." Said Sir Iolo as Gawain nodded his agreement. "They're not as dangerous as the Melusine or the Baphomine race."

"Their magical skill's pathetic." Arthus commented. "All they do is summon flies."

Elisud glanced about. "…do any of you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Dylann asked as he stopped fooling with the lute, tilting his head to the side.

"Sort of a…buzzing noise?" Elisud murmured, looking over at the froggits, eyes a little narrowed. "Are they trying to summon their flies?"

"I don't see any over there." The lord remarked as he gazed upon the froggits as well, tilting his head somewhat.

"Really, don't worry, Elisud! The foolish froggits may have numbers but that is all they have. Should any attempt to get within reach of the castle, we shall let loose our arrows on them and they shall perish from the onslaught." Sir Gawain offered to Elisud. "Now come, come!" Gawain rose up too and clasped Elisud on the back. "Try a liiiiittle bit of gambling. You've got a good month to go before you leave us and get started on building the monastery. You can live a little."

"And it's of course an honor to build it with your permission…and money, Lord Llywelyn." Elisud added with a bow. "But if thee don't mind my asking, why did your wife want to help me set it up?"

"I suspect that papal decree from Pope Honorius III has gotten her very grateful towards the Church." Lord Llewelyn mused aloud. "Who am I to deny her? Now come, come! You want to win this gold, don't you?" He asked, shaking the bag about, making it jingle with its many coins. Elisud smiled warmly and sat down on the ramparts as his lord did the same, and Sir Gawain and Iolo began to hum merrily, Dylann beginning to sing as he so often did whilst Bowen and Arthus got out their own respective instruments from nearby bags, a flute and a viol, playing along with Dylann as he closed his eyes and sang joyously.

The song wafted through the air as Elisud and Lord Llywelyn rolled their dice, eager to keep the fun going as the minutes went on, the singing making the group practically glow with a kind of warm, soft light that brought a smile to Elisud's face. Still, even though he was enjoying their singing immensely, he couldn't bring himself to join in, whenever he tried to open his mouth to join in the revelry, he felt himself choke up, his neck tightening.

"If only I had a bit more bravery in me." He sighed sadly. Still, he didn't mind. It was just…nice…to enjoy his time with his wonderful, wonderful comrades here, and nice to have such a good, sweet lord.

"Alas. Snake eyes." His lord sighed as he hung his head, Elisud cheerily holding up the bag of gold he'd just gotten.

"Winning!" He giggled as he held the top open and, one after the other, poured out the winnings for everyone else to take hold of in their palms. "Here you are everyone. My sincerest compliments." He remarked before an idea came to him and he made his way towards the eastern rampart's wall, holding up the still-remaining coins in one hand. "Hello? Froggits?"

The frog monsters ALL turned to look directly in his direction.

"Look, if I were to give thee some coins, would thoust please leave?" Elisud inquired, the rest of his group looking a bit stunned by this, whilst his Lord sighed somewhat. The froggits glanced about at each other, and then "harrumphed".

"Mayhaps they don't have anywhere to put it. Ah well." Lord Llywelyn said with a shrug. "Not everyone welcomes the virtue of charity." He remarked as Elisud walked over to him, giving HIM the last bit of gold he had left, a look of surprise popping on the ruler of Wales's face.

"You didn't have to give me any of it back, I lost it, fair and square." Lord Llywelyn remarked.

"You're already giving me so much, sir." Elisud insisted with a beaming smile. "I could NEVER thank thee enough for that but at the very least I can give you a bit of coinage. Mayhaps use it to buy your wife a new dress with my compliments and deepest gratitude?"

Then he heard it once more. "There it is again!" He groaned, looking left and right. "That BUZZING noise. Don't all of thee hear it?"

The others glanced around, then Bowen sighed as he rose up, readying his bow and arrow and peering down over the ramparts, looking down the walls. "I don't see any silly froggit flies trying to climb up the walls." He called out. "You sure you're not a-hearin' things, Elisud?" He inquired as Elisud rose up, looking about, holding a hand to his ear and closing his eyes.

"The sound is coming from…over…there." He said, gesturing off towards the west as he quickly made his way to the far side of the castle, strolling over a connected pathway bridge, finally arriving at the other side…and his eyes bulged wide with horror. "OH MY GOD!"

Oh his God indeed, for now he saw what the buzzing noise was. The froggits on the eastern side had been a distraction, for a much larger frog that was a good three feet tall and with a crown upon its head stood there, eyes burning like coals, its mouth looking almost like it had been sewn shut, ready to burst open and let loose a horrific, soul-shattering croak. Underneath its body were burning, sickeningly bright eyes, and sweeping all about it…was a SWARM of flies that were sweeping along the grass, barreling towards the castle.

"SIRS! SIRS! We've got a MASSIVE, crowned Froggit to the west!" Elisud cried out. "He's unleashing a swarm of flies upon us all!" Elisud cried out as the men in the courtyard below and on the ramparts immediately bolted upright. Cries rang out as they took hold of their weaponry, Lord Llywelyn seeing the froggits on the east racing towards them.

"They are trying to ensnare us in a pincer movement! We must strike back! Ready your positions! Take aim with your bows, my bowmen and fire, fire, fire! Get me some boiling oil to keep them from getting inside the castle!" He roared out as Elisud reached into the folds of his robes, readying the small crossbow he had by his side as he got out his small little quiver of bows. He drew the string back, readying the bow as he took aim, then cringed. No, no, he could maybe hit a FEW flies but he'd never be able to do any proper damage.

"Light your arrows!" Lord Llywelyn yelled as he and others held up torches, the arrowmen lighting up the arrows they were ready to fire as Elisud did the same, nodding at his lord. "We'll be able to strike more down this way! Here they come!"

The flies had almost reached the castle, that horrific, foul, unnatural buzzing filling the air as the Final Froggit let loose a big, loud, ear-splitting GRRROAAAARRRKKKKK of a noise, and Lord Llywelyn cried "FIRE!"

THWOOSH-THWOOSH-THWOOSH! Arrows soared forth, rapped in burning flames, barreling down at the flies, others aimed at the onslaught of froggits. The screeches and cries of dying Froggits was oddly human in how they sounded, it was SCARY how much a frog's cry was like a man's. But down they went all the same as the bowmen kept firing, big, large, burning chunks getting torn through the ensuing flies. The horde broke again and again, the attempt to break through the castle defenses appeared to be failing.

But Elisud could see a distinctly smug look on the Final Froggit's face. He kept hopping leisurely towards the castle, and the flies kept coming. Elisud didn't know why he was so smug and cheery but-

Then he realized why as he reached into his quiver and found out that he'd run out of arrows. And evidently, so had most of his friends! The men were clearly out of arrows and now they were trying to pour down boiling oil as the flies soared towards them…but the flies could dodge these far more easily than the arrows, soaring up, away from the boiling oil to shoot down at the men.

"AGGGHHH!" Elisud could see his comrades being swarmed by loads and loads of flies. Though the Froggit assault from their front line had failed miserably, the Final Froggit's flies were succeeding very well. They tried to swat and slash and bat at the insects sweeping all about them, getting in their eyes, biting at their flesh, but though they knocked several of them down, it was proving nigh-impossible to kill the little pests.

Only those who'd put on armor had some degree of protection as they were being kept from being bit…until the flies got into their hoods, forcing folks like Gawain and Iolo to rip their helmets off as quickly as they could, spluttering, coughing, digging at their eyes, the flies trying to eat their eyeballs out!

Elisud gasped in horror, surrounded on all sides by his beset friends, the screaming of the dying and the hurt and the terrified all around him. He had to do something. ANYTHING! Anything at all! He had to get rid of all of these flies! He turned, seeing the Final Froggit now atop the ramparts, a distinctly smug look on its features as it stuck its tongue out mockingly at him.

"Not so high and mighty in your castle NOW, are you, humans?" It inquired as Elisud felt a shudder go over him, the frog-like monster gazing right at him as…something unexpected happened.

In fact…three things happened in quick succession.

PING! A big, green heart manifested in midair in front of Elisud, and the Final Froggit sneered at him again, Elisud's eyes widening.

A powerful, yet oddly soothing and tender balm of emerald light rose up around Esliud's frame as his vibrant verdant eyes sparkled.

And he covered his face and his head with his arms, flopping onto his knees, wanting the flies and the froggy monster to just go away, as an enormous, pulsating, throbbing shield of green light cascaded forth, shooting out from his body. THA-THWOOOOM! All of the flies around him, and the Final Froggit too, went sailing through the air, the other flies dissolving away in midair as the Final Froggit's concentration was shattered by the sudden burst of what could only be described…

As MAGIC. Pure Green Magic…from a Soul of Kindness.

TRHROMPH. He hit the ground, groaning, the men gazing in amazement, fear and wonder at Elisud as he looked down at his hands, which slightly glowed with the same green light as the shield, the Final Froggit quickly hopping away from the castle as fast as his little legs could carry him, not wanting to stick around to fight a MAGE as Lord Llywelyn approached Elisud, and the obvious question came from his lips.

"Elisud…how in the name of everything holy did you do that?"

"I haven't any idea." Elisud whispered. "…what did I just DO?"

"That's MAGIC, my boy. Magic, right there. No doubt about it!" Gawain whispered, bite marks all over his cheeks and left side of his face, whilst poor Bowen was missing one of his fingers, nibbled off by the flies as he had his hand wrapped up, and was cringing in pain. "I've only heard stories of the wonders of the mages."

"Does anyone know anything of what green magic does?" Dylann inquired as Iolo rubbed over his eye. He had a VERY nasty wound, the flies had tried to eat it out of its socket and had eaten the eyelid away.

"It's healing magic. Shielding magic. The sign of a compassionate and kind soul." He whispered as Elisud's mouth fell agape. "Perchance he could heal our wounds."

"I can…try." Elisud murmured.

"Try to think of how you used it just now. What was going through your mind?" Lord Llywelyn asked, putting a hand on Elisud's shoulder as he bit his lip.

"I…just wanted that monster to leave us alone. That thought flared in my mind, in my heart. I just wanted him to GO, and…and something erupted up inside me."

"Concentrate then on…Bowen, for starters. Bowen, your wound!" Lord Llywelyn proclaimed as Bowen raced over to Elisud, the others watching on in awe, as Esliud held onto Bowen's hand. "Think only of healing his wound. Try to picture his healed hand in your mind. All of you, stay silent! Let him focus. Let him breathe. Let him feel the swell of healing light within." The lord reasoned as Esliud took in deep, long breaths, as he closed his eyes, his hands feeling over Bowen's injured hand, picturing the flesh growing back.

Slowly but surely, he felt the surge a-swelling up in him but…no, no, it was more like a soft ripple. A gentle wave, a balm that soothingly slid from his hands in a tender green aura, as Bowen's finger began to grow back, good as new, right before their eyes.

"Tis a miracle." Bowen softly whispered, tears brimming in his eyes. "Tis truly a blessing from God himself that you'd gain this power, at our most dire hour! There can't be any other explanation!"

"Now, now, Elisud has other wounds to treat. But once he has finished, we celebrate." Lord Llywelyn proclaimed firmly as he gently patted Elisud's back. "Esliud, your hands were meant to heal, that much is true. And we'll celebrate tonight with a glorious feast in your name."

"I don't know if I deserve it, sir. Anyone with my gift would surely do the same." Esliud said humbly as he blushed somewhat.

"Then we'll celebrate to God's grace, that allowed us to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Sound better to thy ears?" Lord Llywelyn asked as Esliud warmly smiled back.

"I don't think God would mind that at all, sir. Nor would I. You all honor me with your faith in my new skills, I only hope I can do right by you." He insisted with a bow of his head.

Meanwhile, the Final Froggit had made his way far across the expanse to the west, and had found refuge within the forest, a deep, dark woods indeed. The lack of sun from the quilt of clouds above made the only light from within be illuminated all the more as a burning figure stood in powerful armor, sitting on a big, gigantic dolmen, surrounded by a host of other creatures, all of whom were radically different from each other. There were creatures with only one eye and nasty, foul horns, the eye in the center of their gigantic head. It would blink every once in a while, and shift, and the one eye became two tiny ones with a little, smirking mouth. Another being would have been adorable in its tiny little winged armor, save for the coldness that emanated from its helmet as it spun a spear about. A big, hulking, horned knight of a monster had a gigantic Morningstar resting upon its shoulder, and it turned to the burning, humanoid being in armor, clearing its throat.

"The Regimental Leader of the Froggit Squad's Welsh Platoon 1 is here, sir."

The Final Froggit was allowed to pass by the towering behemoth of a monster as the burning being folded his arms over his chest. Upon examination, the being was…just barely an adult. He looked eighteen, really, with fire for skin, for hair, and lacking a proper face, save for two yellowish, intense spots that resembled eyes.

"How did it go?"

"…miserably." The Regimental Leader sighed. "I'm very, very sorry Lord Grillersby. They had a mage with them. One blast of his shield scattered my flies and sent me flying, and my divisions…well…I have no divisions. They crumbled from the onslaught of arrows, and are now but dust in the wind."

"That is very unfortunate." Grillersby, better known as "Grillby" to his friends, sighed as he hopped off the dolmen and paced back and forth. "Still, we need a good foothold in Wales and killing their king would finally teach the humans they can't keep pushing us around. He's the weakest and easiest to get to of all the rulers of these islands. If we can't get to him, we certainly won't be able to get any of the others!"

"What of the one they call Cu Chulainn, sir?" The Regimental Leader asked as everyone else drew in a deep, harsh breath. "Has Melusine not proven effective against him?"

"You would THINK." Grillersby grunted. "…you would think. Unfortunately, it would seem the rumors are true. He's as a demon on the field of battle. Sigh." He hung his head. "I'm going to have to write back to poor Asgore and let him know the bad news. And that means he's going to have to give his Father the bad news. And I'll have to deliver it myself to ensure the letter isn't intercepted before it gets to our dear skeletal friends in England..."

[rainycl0udss]

Chapter 2;

The party of the year

//When can I say "I love you"?//

Written part!

Word count; 2843

Moons pov

It has been two hours since we arrived at the Halloween party and I already managed to lose my friends.

Again.

I stand at the bar alone and look around the crowd. I absolutely hate crowds.

I pick up my glass of water and move to go and find my friends.

This is the last time that I'm giving in to them. I knew it was a bad idea.

They were kinda right that I don't spend that much time with them anymore but that isn't my fault. I'm just really busy with school. Music isn't going to produce itself and films aren't going to shoot themselves either. It's alot of work, definitely if I want to keep my scholarship. I can't afford to lose it. Daniel always tells me he would pay for my studies and that I should enjoy myself, but I know he doesn't have the money to do so. Plus I am perfectly enjoying myself in the studio.

My thoughts are interrupted when I suddenly hear someone yell my name.

"MOON!"

I look around to see where the voice is coming from.

Then I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I turn around to identify the person who just touched me.

"Here you are, I've been looking for you."

It was Jae-hwa. And what does she mean, she been looking for me. I have been looking for her.

"Jae, where have YOU been? I've been looking for YOU. Where are Mimi and Yun?" I ask her.

"Well..." She stared.

I can already feel that something happened. Something I probably don't want to know and definitely don't want to get involved in.

"... Mimi drank a bit too much..." She continues.

" When does she not drink too much?" I tel her while rolling my eyes.

"She dank so much that right now she's puking in the bathroom." Jae finishes.

I just sigh.

Honestly I'm not even surprised anymore at this point. Mimi always drinks too much. It was bound to happen at some point that she was going to puke it all out.

"Are you serious right now?" I sigh.

"Yeah and it doesn't look to good." Jae notes.

"Wait a hot second, why are you here when Mimi is puking her guts out in the bathroom? Couldn't you better have stayed with her?" I ask

"I didn't leave her there alone you moron, Yun is with her." She informs me.

"That's the same as leaving her alone. Or am I wrong?" I argue.

There falls a short silence between us. Or well, as silent as it can get at a party in a club.

The silence only confirms that I am right.

"She didn't look that drunk yet..." Jae mumbles after a while.

"Let's just fetch those two drunk bastards and go home, I've had enough." I decide.

Jae just nobs at me and pulls me along to the bathroom.

This is exactly why I hate going out. So much people. So much noice. Strangers making out with other strangers and let's not forget Dumbass friends who are picking all over the place.

We finally arrive at the bathrooms.

"Jae, Moon tHerE you GuYs aRe." Yun slurs out.

Yep, she is definitely drunk"

"Eumm... She WaS hErE jusT a MomeNt aGo." Yun giggles.

"Yun? Are you trying to tell me you lost Mimi? Because I hope to God you are not." Jae barks

Well, this ain't good. Not at all. This is bad.

Yun doesn't seems to be bothered at all by the turn of events.

"I dIdN't lOse hEr, I jUsT doN't knOw wHerE sHe is." Yun tries to argue.

Key word; tries.

"YUN! You are supposed to be the oldest here!" Jae angerly yells out.

"I shouldn't have left you both alone.." she then mumbles.

Just before Jae has the chance to start yelling again I hear an all to familiar voice.

"Guys here you are." I hear a cheerful voice say. It's none other then Mimi herself. She sounds oddly happy for just puking her guts out.

"Mimi! Where were you? Why the fuck would you just leave?" Jae yells. Ones again.

I have a feeling we will be going home soon.

I like that feeling.

"I didn't leave, I just went to another bathroom stall. Mine was a little dirty from, you know.." Mimi replies rather calmly.

At this point I'm not sure whether she is completely wasted or wether she actually sobered up a little.

"Let's just all calm down and try to stay together for the rest of the party, alright?" Mimi suggests.

"Or how about we just get the fuck out of here and go home?" I hint.

"I lIke MimiS iDea bEtTer." Yun replies.

"Nobody asked for your opinion Soo-Yun." Jae hisses.

I hear Jae sigh.

That is not good.

"I'm JuSt saYiNg, I waNna sTay sO I cAn trY anD fInd My SouLmAtE. Isn't tHat WhY we cAmE in ThE fiRsT pLaCe?" Yun slurs out.

That probably means we'll be here for a while. This sucks.

"I guess you have a point there, I don't wanna die alone either." Jae agrees after a second.

"Let's get to the dance floor bitches!" Mimi then yells out and pulls me with her in the direction of the dance floor.

This night is turning out to suck even more then I thought it would. That statement alone says it all.

"I'm just gonna sit over there yeah?" I excuse myself while sneaking away from Mimi.

Without waiting for a response I turn around and walk over to the bar.

If I'm going to be here for the rest of the night then I at least deserve a good drink.

And here I am, ones again, alone at the bar with a drink in my hand. This time I at least know where my idiotic friends are. I look up at the dance floor to see all three of them moving their bodies in the rhythm of the music.

Lord do I hate parties. I do have to say that the dj isn't that bad. The music sounds good mixed up. But I guess you don't need to be a pro to be able to do that.

An hour later and I'm still in the same spot I was in the hour before.

I've got to say, things didn't escalate.

Yet.

I look up from my third drink of the evening. Only to see Yun grinding on a guy, Mimi making out with a guy and I can't see Jae at the moment.

I sigh ones again.

I'm way to sober for this shit. But I can't get drunk right now. That would mean I would be hungover tomorrow and tomorrow I have a bunch of stuff to do.

I take the last sip of my drink before I put it down on the bar.

Sometimes I really question why I'm friends with them. I guess because I literally don't talk to anyone else but them. We also have known each other since highschool, so that might be another reason why.

I get pulled out of my thoughts when I hear an unfamiliar female voice on my right side.

"What are you doing here on your own?" The female voice asks me gently.

I look up to the side and look right into some soft brown eyes.

"Eum., I eum I just don't really feel like eum feel like dancing." I stutter out.

I mentally face palm. Damn Moon, you can't even talk to another girl.

"Did you come here alone?" The gentle voice asks me.

"Eum.. no I'm here with my friends." I reply as steady as possible.

"That's good to hear, I've seen you sitting there for over an hour doing nothing at all. I got a little worried so I thought I should come up and ask you." The gentle woman explains.

"That is very considerate of you unnie." I smile up at the gentle female.

"Oh no, where are my manners. My name is Areum, you can call me Ari unnie." The gentle voice tells me, who I now know belongs to Areum.

"It is nice to meet you Ari unnie, I'm Moon." I introduce myself.

"Nice to meet you Moon, so, what are you doing here alone?" Ari unnie asks me again.

I sigh for the one hundred time this night.

"I'm not really a party person, but sadly my friends are. So they convinced me to come along with them. I'm regretting it tho." I ramble.

"Sounds like a pain." Unnie giggles.

I laugh at her statement.

"It is a pain." I laugh a little.

"Do you want another drink?" Unnie asks me.

"No thank you unnie, I can't afford to get drunk tonight, I've got alot of work to do tomorrow. I also have to stay sober because I'm fairly sure I'll have to dive tonight. Let's not forget my friends who I have to look after. I'm their babysitter after all." I ramble on.

"Not trying to find your Soulmate?" Unnie asks curiously.

"I'm not really churching for them .." I begin.

"Oh? That's unusual. Why not?" She wonders.

"Well, if I'm meant to be with my soulmate I believe I will find them without trying. Why try so hard when it should happen naturally. And even if it wouldn't find them, I wouldn't really care...." I explain.

"That is an interesting way of seeing it. I do understand your philosophy, many people just see it different then you do." She responds

Most people think it's weird that I don't want to find my soulmate. They all think I don't give a fuck, even tho that is partly true, it isn't completely the truth. I wouldn't mind finding my soulmate, I just don't think I should do such an extensive church for them. I want to be together with a person because I like them for who they are, not just because they're my soulmate.

I get pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Ari unnie continue.

"Although, I do know someone who thinks the same as you." She recalls

"Tell them I agree and that they're not the only ones who are strange." I reply while I giggle a little.

We talked for probably an hour like this.

We talked about anything really. She told me about her friends and her husband. Apparently she's already married to her Soulmate. She doesn't look that old tho?

Overall, I was actually enjoying myself.

I look up at the dance floor ones again to check what my friends are doing, only to find out that I no longer see any of my friends anymore.

You can't be serious right now.

I literally don't look for five minutes and they're gone.

"I'm really sorry Unnie, but I really have to find my friends. I can't see them at the moment and God knows what they're doing right now." I inform her.

"But ofcourse Moon, I didn't mean to hold you up at all." Ari unnie expresses.

"You did not hold me up at all Unnie, I actually quite enjoyed talking to you." I confess quickly.

I definitely don't want her to think she was bothering me. I'm happy it was her who started talking to me instead of some random guy who tries to get in my pants.

"Why don't you come to my coffee shop sometime, I'd really like to talk to you again." She smiles at me.

"You own a coffee shop?" I ask her surprised. She doesn't look that old.

She only looks a year or two older then me. I guess it's possible to own a coffee shop at such a young age, it's just very surprising.

I think she could see the surprise on my face because she stared to laugh before she started to talk.

"You seem rather surprised that I own a shop." She continues laughing.

"I'm sorry Unnie but you just look rather young, not much older then me and I'm only 20..." I mutter.

"Oh dear, I'm 26 years old right now. So that is not that near your age as you think." She smiles at me.

"But thank you for thinking I look so young." She continues.

Suddenly I hear someone yell, I'm pretty sure they're telling my name.

"MOON?!" Yep, that's my call.

"I hear you have to go to the rescue. And who am I to stay in your way " unnie jokes.

"But before you go, my shop is called Blooming, please do consider coming." She says quickly while waving at me as she leaves.

"I definitely will unnie, thank you!" I yell while walking away from her.

She was very nice, I honestly enjoyed talking to her. She is probably the best part of this night.

"Moon, jUsT wHo I nEedeD." The slurring voice from Mimi says.

I already regret leaving the bar.

"What do you need me for Mimi?" I elaborate.

"I tHinK it'S tImE to Go hOme And yOu neEd to drIve." She tries to explain to me.

Ofcourse that's why. I'm actually rather happy that she wants to go home, Because I do too.

"Where is the rest?" I ask her because there is no sign of Yun or Jae.

"Jae is AlreAdy By tHe car." She responds

"Oke that's good, where is Soo-Yun?" I imply.

"I'm..... Not sUrE..." She mumbles to herself.

I facepalm.

Did they seriously lose each other again. This is ridiculous.

"Just..eum.. just go to the car and wait in the car with Jae yes? I'll just go and find Soo-Yun..." I begin to explain to her.

But I soon realize my idea is very bad.

There is no way she would find the car on her own.

Fucking great.

"Nevermind, I'm bringing you to the car and you'll wait there." I reply quickly and drag her with me to the car.

Ones we arrive at the car I see Jae sitting next to the car on the ground.

"Get of the ground and get your asses in the car." I exclame frustrated.

Luckily both of them do as I say and get in the car.

I close the door and walk back to the party.

Great, now I have to find that little midget in here.

Then I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I turn around and am faced with very familiar soft brown eyes.

It's Ari unnie.

"You seem stressed my little coffee bean, what's the problem? Can't find your friends?" She asks rather worried.

Wait, did she just call little coffee bean?

Nevermind that, I've got no time for that, I need to find Soo-Yun and get us home.

"You can say that, I only can't find one. The others are already in the car." I try to explain quickly to her.

"Want me to help you out a little?" She asks me.

I don't think I've ever been so happy with help that I have been offered.

"That would be very kind if you want to help me." I practically marvel.

She gives me a kind smile and nobs as a sign for me to keep walking.

It didn't take us to long to find her, only about ten minutes. I think that's a new record.

After Ari unnie and I found Yun, we walk to the car.

I have no idea what the hell she has drunk this evening and I have a sneaking suspicion that I don't want to know.

One thing is for sure, it was way to much.

Ones all three of them are in the car I turn to Areum.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me out." I cry out.

"Absolutely no problem little coffee bean, I'm happy to help. But can I ask for a little favor?" She chimes

"Ofcourse unnie, what do you need? You want a lift home?" I ramble.

"No coffee bean I don't need a lift home, I've got one but thank you anyway." She smiles at me.

I urge her to continue talking.

"You have to promise and come by my shop, yes? I'd really like to have a coffee with you little coffee bean." She grins.

She then gives me a small cart with an address on it and contact information.

"Ofcourse unnie, i promise to come next week." I promise her.

She seems pleased with my answer and gives me a hug before going back to the party.

After she left I get in the car and drive the four of us home.

Ones we're home I get everyone to their room and then go to mine.

I actually had some fun tonight.

That's a first.

I dress up in my PJs and jump in my bed.

I look at my phone and notice it's already 03:18 am.

I had no idea it was that late already.

I lay down in my bed and turn on my alarm.

Tomorrow morning is going to be a pain.

<<Previous// //Next>>

🏷️Tags;

[goodlucktai]

Personal Concerns (2/3)

back at it again with the always self-indulgent full circle au ٩( ᐛ )و

previous 

x 

Satoru wears a hoodie under his uniform jacket. The weather's cold enough lately that it won't seem weird. The sleeves fall farther than his jacket sleeves do, covering his wrists neatly and with inches to spare.

Kiyoshi gives him an odd look as Satoru leaves in the morning, but it's not really so different, is it?

“A hoodie?” Kitamoto says the second he sees him. “Are you getting sick or something?”

“I'm allowed to get cold,” Satoru replies defensively. “The leaves are so cold they're dying. You want me to die, Acchan?”

The childhood nickname garners a few giggles from a few girls passing them by. Kitamoto's face gets a little pink and he scowls, grabbing for him. Satoru ducks his reach nimbly and rushes up the last few steps, waving a cheerful goodbye at the spot in the hall where they part every morning to go to their respective classes.

He makes it about four more steps before he runs straight into Tanuma. Runs straight into him, and staggers back like he just tried his luck bouncing off a brick wall.

“Jeez, what do you eat?” Satoru mutters, rubbing his face.

“Why are you wearing a hoodie?” Tanuma returns. At the look on Satoru's face—and he probably looks as gobsmacked as he feels—Tanuma adds, “You've complained about being hot in your uniform every day this week, multiple times. Did something happen?”

“No,” Satoru says quickly, wondering what the heck he did to get saddled with the most perceptive friends in the world. “I'm just cold today. Ask Acchan.”

After a moment, Tanuma's hard expression cracks and reluctant amusement shines through. “'Acchan'?”

“Please call him that when you ask, and please tell me what he looked like the second you did.”

Tanuma chuckles as Satoru steps around him, with barely two minutes to get to class on time at this point. He actually literally looks over his shoulder a few times, feeling somewhat hunted, and he's relieved when Taki doesn't pop up from around a corner somewhere and he makes it safely into his classroom.

“Good morning,” Natsume greets him, with that crooked smile that only a handful of people ever get to see, that Satoru earned fair and square. A second later, those soft amber eyes sharpen. “Why are you wearing a hoodie?”

“Oh, come on.”

But after that, it's okay. They stop bugging him. He even gets out of gym by volunteering to be Tsuji's lackey when a harried teacher pulls the class rep out for some errands. And when he and his group head to the roof to eat, a cool wind greets them, and Tanuma says, “Wow, alright. Maybe I should have worn a hoodie.”

“Hah!” Satoru whirls around to jab a finger at Kitamoto. “Hah!”

His friends roll their eyes at him, long-suffering and amused despite themselves, and Satoru waits until they're all occupied with their own lunches to try opening his melon bread with one hand.

It's no big deal, totally not worth worrying about—but his wrist kind of still really hurts.

“So are the two of you free on Sunday?” Taki asks brightly when they’re finished eating, lingering behind with Satoru and Tanuma as Kitamoto and Natsume head downstairs. “To come over and look at grandpa's library with me?”

“Sunday's good for me,” Tanuma replies easily, and Satoru flashes a left-handed thumb's up.

“See you then,” he says cheerfully.

Something outside the window catches his eye as he steps down onto the second floor landing. He's gotten better about not jumping at shadows in the past handful of weeks wearing the circle, so Satoru darts a quick sidelong glance down at the school yard.

And promptly forgets how breathing works, because the yokai from before is standing at the gate.

Okay, Satoru thinks, a little numb with terror, this isn't good.

“—shimura. Nishimura!”

Gravity goes a little bonkers at the same time fire shoots up his right arm, and Satoru only very barely manages not to cry out. And then he looks down and realizes he almost walked straight off the landing and fell down about twenty stairs, safely suspended by Natsume's hand wrapped around his bruised wrist and little else.

“Oh,” he manages. “Oops.”

“What's gotten into you?” Kitamoto is grinning, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. “You're been zoning out a lot lately.”

Satoru is blinking wetly through the harsh sting as he disentangles himself from Natsume's grip, and prays it isn't entirely obvious that he's wincing as he slides his hand safely back into its pocket.

Preoccupied, he forgets to answer his best friend. He's rescued by Taki, who says, “We're gonna be late for class if we keep dawdling! Let's move it, boys!”

Satoru is stopped by a yank on the back of his jacket. Tanuma and Taki are frowning at him, and Tanuma says, “Meet us after school.”

“And we know where you live,” Taki adds, mostly teasing, partly serious, “so you better show.”

Satoru has visions of the two of them showing up unannounced at his house and unintentionally interrupting Kiyoshi's studying, and his mother's subsequent wrath. Since his friends aren't cowed by monsters or mortal danger, they certainly wouldn't be deterred by Satoru's mom. They would be politely unapologetic the entire time, too, and Satoru's mom would die before she'd give anyone reason to call her a poor host so she'd probably end up inviting them in, and the whole thing would be painfully awkward and awful and Satoru thinks he'd rather deal with the creepy yokai than that whole mess.

“Nooo, guys, come on.” Satoru doesn't bother trying to keep the whine out of his voice. “I don't know what you're thinking, but stop thinking it. I just—wasn't paying attention. We've all almost fallen down some stairs before, it's nothing to call the school paper about.”

“You forget that we deal with Natsume's deflections on a daily basis,” Taki says. “And he's had a lot more practice at keeping his friends in the dark than you have.”

There's no argument to make there. Satoru decides retreat is the better part of valor, and scoots a careful step back.

Tanuma sweeps a step closer to match it and all but looms over him. He can't help it usually, he's just that tall—but when he remembers to use that height in an argument, it's pretty convincing. Satoru tries very hard not to think of the last thing that loomed over him and meets Tanuma's eyes as steadily as he can.

“It's that yokai, isn't it? The one from yesterday. You followed it.”

“I thought it needed help,” Satoru says stupidly.

“What happened?” Taki's eyes are bright, like she's about to cry, and Satoru automatically feels terrible for that.

“Nothing! I mean, honestly, nothing. I walked with it to the woods, and it—it touched my hand, and then I left.”

Tanuma's dark eyes are heated. “Nishimura, I swear, if that thing did something to you—”

“Hey,” Satoru says, waving his hand frantically, “can we keep this conversation audience-friendly for the hallway please? It didn't do anything to me, it's fine.”

“Prove it,” Tanuma says, and holds out his hand. Taki moves to stand next to him, and they aren't budging.

Satoru curls his bad hand in against his center, feeling hunted again. The stinging hasn't let up since Natsume unwittingly grabbed him. He doesn't want anyone else to touch it.

Whatever he looks like is doing something to his friends' expressions in turn. Their stubborn care and almost-anger is fading into worry, and Taki says, “Nishimura?” very carefully, like she's trying not to spook a scared animal.

A hand lands on his shoulder and Satoru jumps, whirling around. Kitamoto is staring at him like he's never seen him before, and his gaze moves from Satoru to the two behind him.

“What's going on?” he asks slowly. “Nishimura, you okay?”

“I'm good,” Satoru replies, too fast. “I also really don't want a detention. So let's all go to class now.”

Kitamoto's eyes drop down to the hand Satoru is holding carefully against his chest, and his mouth twists.

But he lets go and steps away. “If you say so. I'll see you after school.”

“Um,” Satoru sounds weak to his own ears, “I gotta meet up with these two after school. To do a thing. I'll see you later, though!”

Kitamoto hesitates for a moment, eyes moving between his three friends like he's trying to find an answer in the spaces in between them, before he finally musters a smile.

“Yeah, alright.”

He looks tired. Satoru is rooted to the spot as his best friend walks away.

“This doesn't feel good,” Satoru says, to no one in particular.

The circle on his shoulder feels like it weighs a hundred pounds. There's a yokai following him, its mark burning and heavy where it sits on his skin. He's lying to pretty much everybody around him, about everything. He just lied to Kitamoto, of all people, and he knows Kitamoto didn't buy it because Kitamoto never does, but he lied anyway.

He wanted to understand Natsume better, to be there for him, but all he's really doing is drawing a circle around himself and keeping everyone out.

With a sense of looming dread, Satoru wonders if maybe that's a good thing. The things he can see are more and more dangerous the closer they get—he doesn't want them taking a step too far in either direction and snatching up one of these people he loves so much.

He wonders if this is how Natsume feels. If it is, he thinks he understands the other boy a lot better now, after all.

He thinks he can feel those sightless eyes staring at him from the window. There's nothing there when he looks, but he knows better than to trust only what he can see.

Satoru's wrist burns. His heart is heavy.

He's late going back to class. If Tanuma and Taki say goodbye, he doesn't hear them.

[misslunafreya]

Since requests are open, i wanted to ask for a scenario where ignis' s/o would start to be a bit sad but then it gets worse and worse. When iggy finds out, it's because the s/o feels that they don't deserve him because they're not THAT pretty/handsome, not THAT good of a fighter and can't cook for shit. They feel like a huge burden and undeserving of ignis' love. How'd iggy handle that? Wow sorry forthis

You kids are throwing so many emotions at me I don’t know what to do with myself I love it though don’t stop.Fem!s/o for ease of reading/writing!

Unkiss Me

She flopped onto the motel room bed with a heavy sigh. The mattress was lumpy and uncomfortable, but at least it wasn’t camping.

Through the paper thin walls she could hear Gladio’s deep voice followed by Prompto shrieking something in dismay as Noctis laughed. She could almost see Ignis rolling his eyes.

Her eyes grew hot as emotions began to make themselves known yet again. They were all so perfect. Funny, strong, attractive… everything she felt she wasn’t. How could she possibly fit in with them? Not only that, but how could she be worth Ignis’s time?

She quickly wiped her eyes as the door opened and the four men entered, Prompto chattering away while Gladio occasionally interrupted with sarcastic remarks.

“We missed you at the Crow’s Nest!” Prompto’s voice finally reached her ears as he gave her a playful nudge. He wasn’t quite sure what was wrong, but it was obvious Prompto could tell something was off.

“Yeah, yeah,” she smiled slightly, “I needed a shower and some rest.”

The chatter and card games continued into the early evening, but she didn’t say much. She was much quieter than usual - normally she was in there with the boys, laughing with and teasing them.

Rolling off of the bed, she quietly slipped out of the motel room. She need some time to herself. They had gone on a hunt that afternoon, but things had gone terribly wrong. It ended with Ignis and Gladio both taking harsh blows in her stead. If only she had been stronger…

Wiping her eyes again, she made her way to a bench and plopped down, leaning her head up against the wall behind her. Her eyes fluttered closed in an attempt to stop the tears from rushing down her cheeks.

She didn’t deserve Ignis. Why was he wasting his time on her? She was such a mess… she couldn’t cook, she always forgot which cabinet she had stored the spices in, she was always having to be saved during battle…

The sound of the bench creaking startled her; she hadn’t heard footsteps. Opening her eyes, her gaze fell upon Ignis. He was sitting beside her, a cup of tea in his hand. But he didn’t drink tea.

“For you,” he said with a small smile, “Chamomile with a bit of honey.”

Hesitating slightly, she took the cup of tea, halfheartedly smiling at him in thanks. Chamomile was her favorite. He was always taking such great care of her. Yet another reason she didn’t deserve him.

The two sat in silence, Ignis watching the stars beginning to speckle the evening sky as she quietly sipped her tea beside him.

“This has gone on long enough.”

His voice finally broke the silence. She froze, unwilling to even steal a glance in his direction.

“You haven’t been yourself for quite some time. You need to tell me what’s going on. Are you alright?”

“I…” her voice caught in her throat, so she cleared it, hoping it would come out firmly, “I’m fine.”

Crap.

That hadn’t sounded convincing.

“You’re not fine. Please talk to me.”

She finally looked over at Ignis; he was looking at her, searching her, his green eyes filled with concern.

“I…” she started again, but this time she couldn’t continue. Tears began streaming down her face, and she let out a small sob, looking away from Ignis.

“Darling…” his voice was soft and quiet, warm and gentle… home.

He gently placed his hand over hers, lacing their fingers together. There was a long silence, only occasionally broken by her sniffles.

“You’re too good for me,” she whispered, still not daring to look at him.

Another pause.

“What?”

“I can’t cook. I can’t fight; you’re always having to save me. You take better care of me than I do of myself. And I’m not of noble blood. And…” she paused for a sniffle and a shaky breath, “And I’m definitely not pretty or smart or even worth your time in any way. Why do you even waste your time with me? You could find someone so much better so quickly… There are tons of people that would line up just for a possible for a chance with a guy like you. Just… just leave now so you can find someone better… quit wasting your time on me, okay?”

There was another gap of silence as Ignis processed the flurry of words that had spilled out of her. His grip on her tightened, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He reached out his other hand and touched his fingers to her jaw, turning her face towards him. He brushed the hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear as a soft smile played across his face.

“You don’t need to be spectacular, darling. You just need to keep being you. That’s why I fell in love with you.”

She let out another shaky sob as Ignis pulled her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head, allowing her to release her tears for a few quiet minutes.

“Now, are you done?” he said as he leaned back, a glint of amusement in his eyes, “You’re being rather melodramatic.”

Iggy had finally gotten the response he wanted. She gave his chest a playful shove, muttering something to the effect of, “Oh shut up.”

He pulled her in for a quick kiss, smiling slightly after.

“You know it’s frustrating when you’re so hard on yourself. Even if that, there’s no one I would rather walk this life with. Please allow me to bear your burdens with you.”

She smiled and nodded, snuggling in closer to him. She rested her head on his chest, and his fingers were soon gently combing through her hair. He was so good to her. He always had been… how did she get so lucky?

“I love you, Iggy… thank you for loving me even though I’m such a mess.”

“I will always love you so much more than you know, darling.”