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seulgiology · 4 years ago

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still with you ┃jeon jungkook

pairings: idol!jungkook x non-idol!reader

words: 2.6k

genre: fluff :)

synopsis: you miss jungkook while he’s away on tour, but he reminds you that he is still with you no matter what.

warnings: cute shit ahead, angst if you squint, might make you smile.

a/n: ahhh omg admin 2 is here to save the day. june has been a really shitty month for us when it comes to giving you guys some fics and we’re sorryyy. butttt here is some jk fluff inspired by his song still with you, bc omg it is so good and i listen to it like all the time lmao. when i listened to it, i got inspired to write a little oneshot ahaha. okay this is getting long lmao, love you all <3.

disclaimer: This is a work of fiction from our imagination. It is not intended that the plot, theme, original characters, idols, etc. portray any real-life events/people. Plagiarism is NOT tolerated on this blog. If you believe we have copied an existing authors’ work, please message us privately. thank you and enjoy :)

The low music playing is what motivates you to get out of bed. You walk over to the vinyl player in your room to turn it off and when you do, you slump against the dresser with a tired sigh and rub your eyes.

You can’t sleep.

That was the conclusion you came to after trying to fall asleep but failing, and here you are thirty minutes later. You had eaten dinner, took a hot shower, and even played a vinyl to help you sleep but even that rendered useless. You knew the cause of your restlessness was because your boyfriend wasn’t home and was overseas on tour still.

It was a hard transition at first, getting used to your boyfriend being out of the country for tours. Some would think that after years of being together, you would’ve gotten used to it but they don’t understand how had it is. Since you’re already used to Jungkook being apart of your everyday life, it is hard when suddenly he’s gone for sometimes months.

Even though at times you would fly out to wherever he was to attend a concert or see him. There are video calls whenever you two can and texting every day when he’s not busy. But, there was nothing like being in his presence. At times it was hard for you to fall asleep because he wasn’t there and you felt pathetic for needing him this much but you couldn’t help it.

You leave the room, the sound of your slippers being the only thing heard through the quiet house. You walk down the stairs and make your way to the kitchen, hoping some tea will help you relax some more. You fill the tea kettle with water before placing it on the stove and while you wait, you go back to your room to get your phone.

When unplugging it from the charger on your nightstand, you see two new messages from Jungkook from three minutes ago and you instinctively smile, unlocking your phone to see what he said.

jk <3: hey baby, we just got done performing and im exhausted but happy.

jk <3: i know you’re probably sleeping but i love you and we will call when you wake up, sweet dreams baby.

A sad smile falls across your lips when reading the messages and you call him without thinking twice about it. You sit at the end of your bed and wait for him to answer the facetime call. He said he was exhausted and it was only five minutes ago so he shouldn’t be sleeping yet.

When he answers, your breath hitches at the beautiful sight of him. He’s smiling wide at the camera ad pushes some hair away from his eyes delicately. “Y/N, hey!” Jungkook is practically shouting and you hear the boys in the back yelling their greeting to you as well and you can’t help but smile.

“Hi,” you greet back in a small voice and Jungkook doesn’t seem to notice how off you sound. You watch as he bustles around and then finally sits down, where there isn’t as much noise being heard. “I didn’t know you were still at the stadium, do you want to call when you get back to the hotel?” You suggest and Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow a bit at the tone of your voice. It sounded a bit shaky and he just knew something was wrong.

“No, no it’s fine we’re not leaving for another twenty minutes. Plus, I’m riding with Jimin so I have to wait until he’s ready,” Jungkook assures with a wave of his hand and pushes some hair out of his face again, causing you to smile again. “I thought you were sleeping though. Why are you still up?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” you admit sheepishly. You watch as Jungkook’s smile falls from his face and immediate worry crosses his features. “Ah, don’t worry Kook-ah, I just have trouble sleeping without you sometimes but I get over it.”

“Y/N…” Jungkook trails off sadly. Your eyes widen when you realize he started to worry anyways but before you could speak, he’s talking again. “We talked about this, yeah? Whenever you can’t sleep just call me, you know I’m not busy when you’re heading to sleep anyways. I always make time for you regardless,” he reminds you in a soft voice and the emotion that crashes into you makes you look down because your eyes started to tear up.

“I know, I just don’t want you to worry about me. I should have been gotten used to this,” you whisper more to yourself, feeling even more upset. “I’m sorry,” You whisper, tears close to falling and emotion thick in your voice.

“Y/N, hey, baby don’t cry,” Jungkook says in his soothing voice but you keep your head down, refusing to look at him. “I’m going to worry about you whenever I’m not by your side, that’s a given and that’s nothing you should be apologizing for. Don’t apologize for missing me, okay? Because I miss you too- so much,” Jungkook admits calmly and you can’t help but break down into tears.

Jungkook is glad he has his headphones with him because he wouldn’t want the boys to hear you crying, it hurting him just not being there to hold you. He knew you took it hard whenever he had to leave and it made him feel bad sometimes but he knew you understood.

“I don’t even know why I’m crying,” you say through your sobs, and Jungkook smiles sadly at you. You finally raise your face to wipe at some tears and Jungkook stays silent, waiting for you to speak.

“I think it’s the time we been apart, you know? This is the longest we’ve been apart and it hasn’t even been two months yet,” you laugh is painful to hear because he knows it isn’t one of humor. Your chest felt like it was caving in the more you speak and as you look at Jungkook, your heart aches knowing you can’t touch him or hear him in person. “I just really miss you,” you whisper finally.

“I know and I miss you too,” Jungkook whispers back and feels himself tearing up as well, always having been a bit more open with his feelings when it came to you. “Just another week, okay? And if you’re still up when I get to the hotel, I’ll sing you to sleep.”

“Really?” you ask in a hopeful voice and Jungkook grins at your eyes brightening a bit. He nods with a hum and you smile the tiniest but it’s enough for him.

“I love you,” he reminds you and your heart does that little skip it always does when he tells you he loves you. “I love you too, Jungkook,” you say back, the smile he gives in return enough to make you smile wider.

You two hang up shortly after and you shuffle back down the stairs with a heavy heart. You felt a bit better but you were still missing Jungkook. You were going to have to get used to this so this wouldn’t be a problem for him for future reference.

You turn the stove off once downstairs and push the kettle to the back because you weren’t in the mood for tea anymore. When you get back upstairs, you just lay in bed and scroll through twitter, watching little moments and fancams from the concert earlier and pride swells through you at how good Jungkook is and has gotten throughout the years.

In fifteen minutes, your phone is ringing again and Jungkook is singing you to sleep. And that night you get the best sleep you’ve gotten since he has been gone.

It was two days later and you were coming home from dinner with some friends of yours. You had stopped by the store on the way home to grab some snacks because you were running low. You close the door behind you after and kick your shoes off by the door, trading them for your house slippers.

You flip on the light and shuffle to the kitchen, turning that light on as well. It took you a few minutes to put the snacks away and after that, you got yourself a bottle of water from the fridge. As you walk upstairs, you text Jungkook letting him know you got home from dinner and you were going to watch a movie in a few.

When you get to the bedroom, you flip the light on and start to take off your clothes. You walk in you and Jungkook’s closet and turn to his side of the closet, picking out a pair of his sweats for yourself. Just as your finishing up, the doorbell is ringing.

You pull your hair out of Jungkook’s hoodie with a confused frown, wondering who could be at the door. You jog down the stairs while running a hand through your hair cause of how messy it looked after pulling on your boyfriend’s hoodie.

You open the door without thinking and who you see standing there knocks the breath out of you. You blink a few times to try to see if your vision is blurry but he is still standing there. Holding his camera bag and a suitcase by his feet, smiling shyly at you.

“Surprise?” Jungkook says in more of a question and your mouth opens, then shuts. You can’t speak because you’re feeling so much right now. The feeling of relief and happiness is spreading through you so fast it is becoming overwhelming. You open your mouth to speak again but quickly shut it when realizing you don’t know what to say.

Instead of speaking, you do the first thing that comes to mind. You take two steps towards him and wrap your arms around his middle, gently laying your head down on his chest and closing your eyes. Jungkook smiles from above you before hugging you back, kissing your forehead softly and swaying you two gently back and forth.

The two of you stay like that for what feels like forever before Jungkook pulls away, grabbing gently at your shoulders so he can see your face. A smile finds its way onto your face as Jungkook is already smiling down at you, tucking strands of your hair behind your left ear.

“Hi,” you finally greet and Jungkook can’t help but laugh in relief, swooping down and capturing your lips in a sweet kiss. You’re caught off guard but kiss him back anyways, squeezing your eyes shut tightly.

It’s a short but sweet kiss and you’re the one pulling away from it this time. You smack your lips together and smooth your hands up his chest, wrapping your arms around his neck. Jungkook is looking down at you so sweetly, your heart is starting to hurt.

“Let’s get inside,” you suggest, and Jungkook nods, gathering his stuff and walking into the house after you. “Have you eaten?” you ask after locking the door, while Jungkook takes his shoes off.

“No, I’m more tired than hungry,” Jungkook tells you while ruffling his fluffy hair. It makes you smile just knowing he is here with you again and a few days before he was supposed to be home anyways. Jungkook looks at you when noticing your silence and raises an eyebrow. This is when he really takes the time to realize what you’re wearing. “Are those my sweats?” he asks, amusement laced in his tone and you quickly heat up, arms wrapping around yourself.

“No!” you’re quick to say but Jungkook is already hugging you again, muttering about how cute you are. You shove him away slightly, grumbling under your breath and pulling the hood over your head. Jungkook kisses your forehead before grabbing his things and shuffling up the stairs.

“Come back down when you’re done!” you shout up after him and he makes a noise of agreement back. You walk to the kitchen and take out a bottle of water, sitting at the island and going to take your phone out of your pocket when realizing you left it upstairs. You stand up and make a move to go get it until your eyes catch sight of your backyard.

You walk towards the sliding doors and slide it open, stepping out into the clear night. There was a gentle breeze passing through the warm summer air and you pocket your hands in the pockets of the sweatpants that are way too big on you.

It was the stars that caught your attention from inside the kitchen. The way they were sparkling and glistening so brightly in the sky made you smile, and admire them. You weren’t sure how long you were standing there but when you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind you, you blinked out of your trance.

“What are you doing out here?” Jungkook whispers against your neck, pressing a light kiss there which sends shivers down your spine.

“The stars are beautiful,” you respond in a soft voice, and Jungkook hums. His chin rests on your shoulder and your hands lay over his. It’s a beautiful night and the breeze knocks Jungkook’s heavenly smell into you. Leaning back into his chest, Jungkook kisses both of your cheeks.

He then grabs at your waist gently and turns you around in his hold so he can see your face. You notice his change of clothes and any makeup that was left on his face is now off. Jungkook sways the two of you again but you take it upon yourself to start moving.

The two of you dance around your backyard with happy smiles on your faces and at one point Jungkook starts to sing. It’s soft and low but it’s enough, it’s enough for your eyes to tear up and for you to lean up and kiss him hard. The dancing slows but doesn’t stop as the kiss picks up, passionate, and filled with so many unspoken promises. You grip at his shoulders and he squeezes your hips, pulling you closer to him.

When the rain starts to pour, neither of you move. You hold onto each other tightly and Jungkook moves his head back, breaking the kiss. It’s a happy laugh that sounds through the air and your tears spill over when noticing he’s crying, even though the rain.

“I missed you,” Jungkook admits, his voice shaky and your heart fills. “And I love you, so much Y/N, I will never leave you, okay? It’s always me and you, forever. I’m still with you.”

His words echo in your head beautifully. His teary eyes look at you which such fondness and with so much love, you know he is being honest with you. You’re not sure where this is coming from but you don’t hesitate to kiss him again, but this time slower. You two move together perfectly and your trembling lips make you pull apart.

“I love you, Jungkook,” you say to him and Jungkook bites his trembling lip to keep from crying. The rain is starting to pour harder but neither of you care. “Always,” you assure with a small smile. The volume of your voice was a bit loud due to the heaviness of the rain but Jungkook heard you loud and clear.

After the heartfelt moment outside, you two scurry back inside and rid of your clothes immediately, dropping it at the laundry room and as you’re drying your hair, Jungkook speaks.

“You know we just kissed in the rain right?”

“And there goes the moment.”

#Jungkook oneshot #jungkook fluff #jungkook is so cute #gif isn't mine btw #jungkook scenarios #jeon jungkook #jungkook imagine #bts jungkook #this is so cute uwu #still with you by jk #theyre so in love its gross #hope you like it though :)#jungkook smut #jungkook drabble #bts oneshot #bts fluff #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts drables

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mintchocolatechipnut · 4 years ago

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the boys but they’re idols

ft. bakugou katsuki. midoriya izuku & todoroki shouto

Note: yes, I missed prime pun opportunity to write ‘the boyz’ in the title. Anyway, I’ll be general enough to not include any real-life names and music, but I’ll get specific about other details. (Besides, if you squint real close you can see where I got my references from.) I’m thinking of a follow-up part, but we’ll see. Hope you enjoy!

* These headcanons are detailing each of the boys as a member in a hypothetical idol group, and not that they’re all in the same group.

** For context: the difference between main and lead positions is that main is the position that gets majority of the activity e.g. song, dance, rap, etc. Lead is more of a supporting role, but still important nonetheless.

Tags: idol!au, no x reader for this one, unless??, as you can see from the word length I think you’ll know who I’m partial to

Word count: 3.3k

BAKUGOU KATSUKI

Obviously an all-rounder. He can sing, dance, and rap, though his forte is definitely dancing.

Bakugou obviously has some mad hand-eye coordination if he can play the drums, and I haven’t even brought in his utilizing it through his quirk and fighting talent. He’s also very flexible when twisting through the air and extremely precise with his explosions

Thus, I’d say that his moves are the most on-beat and precise. He’s got very solid moves when dancing; imagine his limbs cutting the air in sharp, refined movements, and his flexibility leads him to be an overall powerful dancer.

Bakugou is a HUGE stickler for technique. Sure, he’s not above improvisation, but technique’s where he excels the most. He’s looking far ahead enough to not want to jeopardize his health by doing some dangerous moves that could potentially hurt his body, so he always takes extra care when going about them, such as taking advanced dance classes.

He works wonderfully as a center, because not only does he have this charisma that makes people unable to look away from him, his perfected balance between his fierce dancing and his emphasis on technique lead him to be a picture of refined strength, and an absolute delight to watch on stage

His facial expressions are definitely the best when he’s performing powerful songs, probably because he’s naturally angry lol. His worst concept has got to be cute, but while he dreads doing it, it’s not like he can’t pull it off. He’s an idol, dammit.

Bakugou’s that one member who wears a headband or bandanna during cutesy performances and sticks with it, because that’s the closest the stylists are ever gonna get to his hair

God forbid if he ever has curly or straight hair

He’s not against dying it though, but he still cares about the repercussions it has on his body, so he tries to refrain from dying it too often. (Which could be inevitable if his managers require him to, I know that. But I’m going to give the boys a little more leeway here to showcase their personalities.)

Anyway, a bandanna suits him just fine, and now he’s the trademark member with the bandanna haha

Some things that don’t change from canon are obviously his schedule. Boy still wakes up at the crack of dawn, probably goes for runs or do sets in the gym, make himself a healthy breakfast, then get down to work

Now I’m conflicted as to what position he would take in a group; I’m leaning towards main dancer

Then again, he IS an all-rounder, so really you could get him to do anything and he’ll be just fine

It’s not in his nature to fail, after all

He can sing, but since his voice is kind of gravelly he’s not the first choice for a main vocal. Strong lead vocal material, I’ll bet, because his voice adds a lot of color and diversity. It’s not something you’d usually hear in a song, that’s why.

He can rap, but again, his voice is gravelly and hard to hear, so I don’t think it would be too good a fit for fast-paced raps. Though, throw him one or two iconic rap lines in his natural ‘I’ll punch you in the face’ tone and you’ve got yourself an icon (and a meme) for days.

I can also see Bakugou being leader of the group, since in canon he’s actually the oldest in class 1-A. One thing though is his outward persona isn’t all that pristine; he has trouble switching gears into idol mode. As we know Bakugou doesn’t lie, regardless of circumstances, and he’s not about to start doing that just to be liked better. If any of these extras are going to be his fans, they’re going to have to recognize real talent, without all the fake smiles.

But because he knows what it could do to the group’s reputation if he came out to look like a big bad bully, he usually keeps his mouth shut during publicity events

He’s probably one of the first idols to have a not-so-sunny media persona, but fans mostly see him as this brooding, sulky kid that’s prepared to put 100% into everything he does

Which is why they still like him

Suffice to say, his fan-base is very similar to the BNHA fandom lmao

Cue all the memes on him being a jerk and everyone liking him anyway, but they know he’s fully committed to the group and wouldn’t want to do anything to risk its image

But over the years, and with the amount of events he’s been involved in, Bakugou’s learnt to let out his true personality one step at a time

He’s considering things carefully because he doesn’t want his fans to be jarred by his personality change all of a sudden, and also because he’s tired keeping up appearances

Jokes on him because the fans already know how he is and are just waiting for him to be more comfortable around the group to showcase his true feelings

And you know what? It sells!

His members also see him as some inspirational figure because his determination and commitment is truly unparalleled

And while he isn’t the easiest to get along with, they know that he’ll do anything within his abilities to push the group to greater heights

While that’s cute and all, it also means they have to suffer at the hands of Bakugou’s tough love. Tough luck

Besides being leader, I could also see him having a hand in producing as well

Remember when I said he was a stickler for technicality? Well, yeah, exactly this

If he feels something isn’t up to par he’d rather do it himself. I think he’d dabble in mixing for a bit and realize he actually has an ear for it, to which he’d then go on to producing whole songs that just awe his members and they’d be like ‘yeah let’s go with this’

And one more thing. Bakugou’s actually got an eye for fashion

Yeah, gripe all you want because all this boy ever wears in the dorms is skull shirts and black tanks but seriously, when he gets down to it, he knows what looks perfect on each member and can make little adjustments to change up a whole style

Courtesy of having designer parents lmao

Overall Bakugou is nothing if not capable. While it means he could definitely go solo at some point, he’s formed bonds with his members and knows he’s grown as a person as a result. And at this point he can only get better

In a leader position, he’s got the charisma, and is not afraid to push for changes if he thinks the status quo isn’t doing enough to ensure the members’ well-being

His weaknesses are obviously teamwork and perfectionism, but he’s been learning how to get along with others better, that it’s not all just a rat race for fame and influence, and he’s able to form some pretty lasting relationships (see: Kirishima)

Not perfectionism, though. He sees it as a strength and not for one second will he compromise. He wants nothing but the best quality, not just for himself, but for the fans

MIDORIYA IZUKU

Looks like the maknae but isn’t. That’s it, that’s the post

He has a really sweet voice so I can see him going for vocals. So imagine when he turns around, holds a mic in his hand and starts RAPPING

You got it, he’s a rapper. Look at the speed that kid goes when he’s mumbling and muttering to himself all the time

Cue Deku’s origin story where he’s mumbling to himself on the street and a talent scout hands him his business card asbfajgfsa

His enunciation is also clear, and his sweet voice makes for a very refreshing rap. That and he also writes his own rap, because if he’s going to be saying anything on that stage, he’s going to want it to mean something.

His raps are always soulful, with hard-hitting lyrics that serve to encourage and motivate anyone who hears and vibes with them.

Basically, his gap moe game is STRONG. Dude be spitting fire up there on stage but once he’s come down, he’s a timid, sweet, shy boi, with overreactions and exaggerations that just make him all the more endearing

He’s also a big fan favorite because he nails every concept well, and has a very down-to-earth personality which he doesn’t hide from the cameras

You want him to act cute and youthful? You’ve got it. You want him to go for something sexy? Um yeah, he’ll have his reservations, but he’ll still do well. You want him to be angry and powerful? The strength in his gaze has got you trembling from the pit.

He’s not just a fan favorite but also that of the staff. Seriously Deku deserves all the love in the world and in this world, he’s going to get it

He’s in the position for main rapper, but I could see him going for lead vocals as well. He’s got a sweet, clear voice that immediately tugs on anyone’s heartstrings the moment they hear it, and he’s usually given more lines in ballads. His vocal range isn’t bad, he can reach moderately high notes, but sometimes his voice undergoes strain. He’s training for that, though!

As for his dance style, Deku probably goes for freestyle! He’s got this easy-going, totally relaxed style going for him that’s full of swag (omg outdated word alert) that makes his movements very smooth. He’s also reasonably flexible, though not as flexible as Bakugou or Todoroki, so he still can pull off certain dance moves.

Unpopular opinion, but it’s Deku, not Todoroki, who looks good in EVERYTHING. Literally his stylist is squealing backstage because they can go ham on dressing him. You could put him in a gold chain and ripped jeans OR an oversized hoodie and rompers, and it’d just go. The only thing is his hair though; he’s thinking of selling it as his charm point (not his freckles!) so he’d prefer if it could stay green. He doesn’t mind if they style it different ways though

The fans would go ballistic if they saw Deku with an undercut, and chances are they’re going to get to see it

He’s definitely one for improvisation! He’s very flexible with these changes, much like how he considers his growth in canon. He’s always looking to try out new styles or moves and see if it fits for him

Besides, I also see him producing! It’s because he’s so immersed in his idol career that he’s always studying new trends on the scene and making them into formulas for the group. He’s also thinking of marketing strategies in his free time

Everyone better be afraid of businessman Deku because he’ll be stealing those bucks from right under your nose

He’s also got mean leadership skills, but I don’t see him in a leader position

Rather, he’s like the second-eldest-but-co-leader kind of guy! He assists the leader in any way he can, and always serves to inspire and motivate the younger ones to work harder together as a team

Deku’s still got that shounen-protagonist charm, even in this world

But for all his good points, Deku still worries he isn’t enough

He knows how cut-throat the industry can be, having studied it inside and out, and he doesn’t want to lag behind

Cue him getting up at odd hours of the morning to use the practice studio (without waking up the others, of course) and other instances

Whenever his members realize he’s been overworking, literally everyone turns on him

He used to be the mom figure, but the moment he’s ushered into bed, a cooling pad on his forehead and thermos at his bedside desk, and the members even station one person to be in the living room so if he tries to leave his room to practice by himself they’ll see him

Jokes on them because Deku practices in his room

He practically moves in his sleep as if trying to get the muscle memory down

Precious boy must protecc!

In sum, Deku’s a great teammate to have and a valuable asset to the team

He’s also the best of friends and is never one to let a fellow member down

Probably the first to burst into tears if the group ever disbands

With his talent and fan-base, he could definitely go solo. But more than that, he wants to cherish the time he has with his members and achieve greater milestones with them every day

TODOROKI SHOUTO

High-key a visual. I mean, everyone wants to look like him!

Like. Everyone stops to look at him whenever he enters the room. Staff, producers, backstage crew, everyone. Even his members, sometimes.

Man’s just too pretty not to stare at

That's not to say he isn't talented, oh no. He's much like Bakugou, an all-rounder, but he's gone through rigorous training from when he was young to get there

Definitely not because of genes, no offense to Rei

As much as Enji is a major shareholder in the industry, anyone who sees Todoroki strut his stuff and still says he got in because of his father has got to be blind. Or deaf. Or plain stupid.

Sure, he had all that training courtesy of his dad. But the moment he enters as a trainee, it's all him from there and no one else.

He's a lot withdrawn at first, still is, but he's improved a lot from when he first joined. It's because of the support he's gained from both his members and fans that he's able to push himself to be the best version of himself everyday

He definitely doesn't come out and say it, but he's probably the most grateful for his fans. As in his family isn't the only lifeline left for him anymore

Todoroki has an amazing voice; while his speaking voice is low, he can reach higher notes without much difficulty. His tone is deep, somber and perfect for ballads, but the training he's undergone has made his technique immaculate. He's got excellent control, he can do runs and riffs effortlessly and he's even perfected his growl. Fans won't even see it coming

His dancing on the other hand is a lot about technique; but unlike Bakugou, Todoroki probably did classical and contemporary dance training as opposed to hip-hop or popping. Because of that, his movements are smooth and elegant, and he always carries himself with the grace of a dancer

That's not to say he cannot be an absolute beast on stage, of course. He's just more in his element when it comes to melancholic ballads, and he's had a hand in choreographing contemporary routines before

That experience and knowledge easily make him a capable choreographer for the group

After all those years of not being able to properly express himself, Todoroki learnt to let his dance tell a story in itself

He's also a fast learner, so any hip-hop techniques he easily picks up and incorporates into the routine

This makes me think he’s going to be a main dancer and a lead vocal, maybe even main vocal

I don’t see him in a leader position because while he has the charisma for it, I think he’d lack in communication, like Bakugou. They’re both a bit too used to doing things on their own that they 1) can’t trust anyone else to do it right and 2) as a result have never consulted other people about how they do things

The difference is Bakugou is a little more observant and far-thinking enough to be a leader, but it doesn’t make Todoroki any less important

If anything, he’s the mom friend, and always makes sure that the members stay in line and out of trouble

Also, for some reason, he's got exceptional charisma on stage and he doesn't even know it

Like, a sexy song comes on and then there’s Todoroki's smoldering heterochromatic gaze

Fans: omgomgomg how is he so hot what the—

Him: ??? This is my normal face tho

It's a strange feeling. One moment, he can be humping the floor and another moment he's got dimples in his cheeks from smiling. It makes him look like a totally different person, even though he's the same guy

His fans don't know why either

As much as he has a creative outlet in dance, Todoroki thinks he has no talent for songwriting or producing. He doesn't consider them his areas of expertise and if he was asked to write lyrics he'd have a hard time because he rarely expresses himself with words. He'd fret on it and eventually not get much done, so why try?

He does help out though, in offering suggestions on how to proceed, but he won't take the lead for any of these. Only dancing

That and his growing up with a businessman father leads him to also know the industry rather well, so he can offer some insights as to what image they could go for and how to market their discography

When it comes to styling, Todoroki is an absolute Mess. The things he likes and wants to wear doesn't suit him all that much, and the stylists usually have a hard time picking out clothes that really accentuate his look and figure. The myriad of colors in his hair and face lead to color clashes, but they find that red and blue are usually the go-to colors.

Did I mention that Todoroki doesn't mind dying his hair as long as they don't dye the white part? Enough said

They've done rainbow on him before!

He also doesn't cover up his scar, and over the years he's learnt to make it his charm point

It serves to make him a noticeable figure in the industry (as if his heterochromia weren’t enough) but it also makes him easily recognisable to fans

It’s not like he doesn’t like interacting with his fans, but sometimes some of them get a little too close, or ask questions that are way too personal

During those times, he’s at least got his members to relate and support him through it

The cutest thing about this man has got to be when he interacts with fans

Like, he’s pretty expressionless most of the time, but he always makes sure that his fans know that he’s extremely happy to have them here, and that he’ll continue doing the best he can for them

If you’re lucky and catch a small smile from him when you’re at a fan sign, I guess you could die peacefully

To summarize, Todoroki is a sweet bean but hardly ever shows it

When people praise his looks, he’s humble about them (though it’s more because he doesn’t know or think he’s attractive… baby just doesn’t see it)

And to top it all off, he’s a charmer on and off stage with his quiet, sensitive nature and calm demeanor

He’s also the one that’s most likely to have a modeling career outside of his idol work

He can’t act for the life of him even though he’s got the expressions right on stage

Like Deku and Bakugou, he could always go solo, but his reason for not doing so is mainly because he’s found a new family, here with his members, and he doesn’t want to lose it

He doesn’t even mind if they don’t produce music anymore. As long as everyone sticks together and has a good time, he’s willing

A/N: Thank you for reading! If you haven’t checked out my other pieces, you can find them on my masterlist; if you have, thank you for your support! I’m trying to post something new every week, so stay tuned :)

#bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #bnha idol au #mha idol au #bakugou katsuki #bakugou headcanons #midoriya izuku #midoriya headcanons #todoroki shouto #todoroki headcanons

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imnotwolverine · 4 years ago

Text

Couch People

Henry Cavill x OC (you) drabble

Word count: 2.907

Warnings: Alcohol consumption and pure and utter fluff.

Author’s note: I had a DREAM (last night). And I decided to write about it in Henry’s POV, since that’s a cute lil’ twist on the usual meet-cute situation.

My couch is my new favourite object. It wasn’t up to last night. Yesterday it probably was like..my kitchen aid, or my glute drive. But today? It’s definitely my couch. Not only because I’m still slightly hungover and the thing is darn comfortable. No. It’s something else.

Sighing, I sink further down into the soft pillows, that darn tartan red throw still lingering in the corner, smelling of you. Fuck. I’m having it bad, huh?

—

Should I lose the tie? Was it too formal? Hesitantly tugging at the silk I watch the last of the audience leave the London Studios, the infamous red couch now moved to the side so a cleaning crew can ready the stage for the next show. I’m glad it’s over and fans leave me be for a hot second, my mind quite elsewhere as of this moment.

Before me stand the people I recognise to be your friends. Men, all of them. Their voices low but merry as they bounce off the walls of the almost completely emptied out space.

‘Hi Henry.’ Your voice tinkles above the low hum of voices and quite instantly I feel my nerves back in my throat. Shit..Now what? What the hell was I even planning on…Damnit …

‘Hi.’ Is all I can manage back, the six men around you now also turning to offer me a warm welcome. And from the looks on their faces, they know full well why I am here. You, however, seems to be a bit clueless, your fingers reaching into one of your friends’ backpacks to fetch some lip balm.

‘Good show, hmm?’ You mumble, brushing the balm over your supple lips. Kissable lips.

‘Sure was.’ I agree. Come on Henry. You’ll have to do better than that! You don’t seem to care though, your attention drifting back to one of your friends, who raises an expecting eyebrow at you.

‘Oh, eh..Henry, you want to join us? We want to go out for some drinks..and some food maybe?’

‘FOOODD.’ One of the guys grabs his beer belly and makes a gesture like he’s been starved for weeks - which is obviously not true. I chuckle. They seem like good guys. And so very normal, which only makes me like you more.

‘I’d love to.’

‘Oh! And I still have to pee.’ One of the more lanky built men intervenes, to which the whole group blurts; ‘Pee-break!’

—

One pee-break and a short cab drive later, I have brought you to one of my favourite pubs. Not only because it’s close to my home. Also, because I know the owner and with a blink of my blue eyes I can get us to use the room upstairs, which is usually reserved for exclusive events. Well. Tonight is an exclusive event, okay? The pub is old, mahogany and smelling of good times, the upstairs level reached through a very, VERY steep and very narrow step of stairs. With hands and feet we climb up, finding a low ceiling room, in equally dark and wooden hues. A lone rough table is set up, inviting us to take a seat before an old paned window that lets you look out over the drunken banter below.

In moments there is fish and chips by the bucket load and a few pitchers of beer, which your friends drink from greedily. And, of course, a glass of wine for you. You don’t like the bitter taste of beer. I make a mental note of that.

There’s nothing stuck up about you. You smile so easily, joke so merrily - and did I spot some nerdy references that escaped your lips? With every glass of wine there are more and it makes my whole body thrum with excitement. Though perhaps that’s also just the beer talking.

Much too soon your friends have to leave to take their late flight back home. The fact that they had flown out here just to celebrate your success after years of hard work, just shows how good a bunch they are. And you are to them. With any other women with male friends, I’d easily pick on ulterior motives. But not with these guys. You go way back. You’re good. Golden. One of the guys. Though, dear god in heaven, am I happy you’re a woman.

Long bear hugs are exchanged between you and your friends as I stand there on the sidewalk, trying to evade the looks and attention of the drunken merry. The night is cold and winter is soon to come, the lot of us huddling in our winter coats as cars pass by, driving through deep puddles. With a last wave we send your friends off into a cab, back to their homes.

And then it’s just us.

‘So..’ You suck your lips in, eyes darting out to send a warning glance at some drunk brits that take a snapshot of us - it happens so often I barely even care about it still. I try to look as gentlemanly as ever, but the pints dance happily in my eyes. I know it from the way your gaze softens when you look back at me. ‘It was a good night.’ You say.

And I half disagree; ‘It IS a good night.’ As soon as I say it, I’m not sure if the drink is making me overly courageous, my arm hesitating to reach out and offer you something to hold onto. You chuckle.

‘You’re right. Especially since it’s not raining. GOOD HEAVENS.’ And with that you slip your hand around the crook of my arm without question. Like it’s the most natural thing to do, your cold fingers feeling like icicles through the wool of my coat. If only I could warm you up properly.

‘And you’re taking a long holiday? Any plans?’ I try to keep easy conversation flowing, referring to something you had mentioned during Graham’s show. I knew you were taking some time off after this movie was all wrapped up. I had been there, working on the same set, so I know how crazy it had been.

‘Yea...it’s been a crazy two years. Which is a long time not to have any holidays.’ You widen your eyes in exasperation as your feet elegantly move around a large puddle.

‘Tell me all about it.’ I sigh. Unfortunately for me, I’m soon to start on yet another production. Which means no holidays for me.

‘But ehm..I actually made zero plans. My whole life was planned out near minute to minute for the past years. I just need to ..get back to basics, you know? Sleep a full 8 hours. Walk. Cook. Take long baths. Maybe..go hiking in the highlands. Or..go to the Bahamas..I’ve never been to the Bahamas! Or…’

‘A right here.’ I interrupt you, sending us into the direction of a small alleyway.

‘Oohh..must I trust you now or is this where I find out you’re a serial killer, Mr. Cavill?’ You tease.

‘Mm..I’m too busy a man to spend my time planning out how to murder people.’

‘Very well Hannibal.’

‘Hahaha..good series.’ - There’s those nerdy references bubbling up again.

’Tis.’ You agree, sighing deeply as the darkness swallows us, leaving the crowded street behind until there’s nothing else but us and the tap of our feet on the cold wet cobble stone. You lean slightly closer to me and I’m glad you do.

‘So..’ You look up at me. ‘Are we mere wanderers or are we heading to mount doom to get rid of some pesky ring?’

I snort laugh. Yep. I definitely snorted. And you laugh merrily in turn. God, you’re cute.

‘I don’t know Sam, I don’t know.’

You grumble softly in playful dissatisfaction. ‘What if I want to be Frodo?’

‘If you so wish to be, fellow over-sized hobbit. Though I think, since you sound like such a well planned, yet easy going lady, you’re a Sam. BESIDES, you say you love to cook and work in the garden..that definitely makes you a Sam.’

‘True, true.’ You hum, the light at the other side of the alley coming closer, your feet suddenly starting to drag. Almost as if you don’t want to get back into the light, where drunk hustle and bustle is about. I stop and you look up at me, head tilting slightly upwards.

‘Say, Frodo. What does a woman do in this town when she doesn’t want to call it a night, yet?’

I pretend to think about it, though my mind knows full well where we could be going now. ‘Depends on what you want to do, Sam.’

‘As much as I’d like an adventure..so cold are my feet. Something indoors, perhaps?’

Exactly what I was planning.

‘I know just the place. Though…it’s..very private, okay?’

‘Are we going to find prancing ponies and kitten heeled Striders there?’ - With that you print this vision in my head of Aragorn in high heels, lurking on a pipe, and it makes me chuckle aloud. You are slightly cheeky too.

‘Mmm..more like large hounds and vast amounts of books, all crammed into a cute little..’

‘It’s your place isn’t it?’

I chuckle. ‘Yea..I live 5 minutes from here.’

‘Okay. But just in case you are considering a career change; please don’t eat me.’

I smile, nudging us to move ahead, our eyes squinting at the bright street light as we return to the land of the living drunk and the hum of stationary engines. As most pubs are closing for the night, everyone tries to grab a cab.

‘Well, looks like I wouldn’t have come home at this hour anyways haha.’ You mumble, our feet jumping over another puddle as we move to yet another alleyway.

We don’t have to take this route. But I like the lack of people. And having you squeezed up against my arm. So maybe it’s not a five minute walk entirely. You thankfully don’t seem to care.

‘You live in London?’

’Not really. Though for work I’m here half of the week. I stay at this cute hostel with THE MOST COMFORTABLE BEDS I have ever slept in. Like. Ugh. It’s fantastic.’

‘And your real home?’

‘Not such a good bed.’

We shouldn’t be talking about beds at this hour, but I suddenly can’t think of anything else to talk about.

‘Well, the best bed I’ve ever slept in is right at home.’

‘Mmm..are you suggesting anything there, Hannibal?’ Where you were clueless about my flirtations whilst we were sitting on Graham’s couch, the message seems to come across quite perfectly now, your eyes glittering with promise.

I act shocked, but we both know better. ‘Never!’ I say, to which we belt out in loud laughter, the sound echoing off the tall buildings at either side of us.

‘Gods, you are cheeky after a few pints hahah.’ You laugh.

‘And you are walking home with a complete stranger.’

‘Naa..I checked your Wikipedia page. So. Not complete stranger. I think it’s actually YOU who’s walking home with a stranger.’

‘Quite so.’

You’re right. We’ve worked together for 3 months on the same set, but I’ve only seen you from afar. In fact, you were kind of my boss. Which would’ve made any advances from my side even weirder. Tonight felt like the first real opportunity, now the project was finished. And here we were. In front of my house.

After a few awkward fumbles I manage to unlock the door, the two of us being welcomed by a sleepy Kal, his wet nose diving head-first into my face.

‘Down boy.’ I grumble, but thankfully you’re not afraid of my large hound, your fingers already racing through his thick fur before I have managed to close the door behind us.

‘Hi baby!! You are SO CUTE! JUST LOOK AT YOU!! And so tired too! You been sleeping, big boy?’

Kal loves you already. And I..?

‘A wine would be good.’ You look up at me as I just stand there staring at you. Shaking myself from my thoughts and awkward nerves, I put our coats away and try to find some decent bottle of red wine. I forgot to ask what kind you like, so I’ll just have to pick whatever. ‘Make yourself comfortable!’ I say aloud, but as I return with a bottle and two glasses I already see you’ve done just that, legs pulled up and that stupid tartan throw wrapped around your legs, Kal getting yet another head scratch from you.

Oh, he loves you a lot.

‘I hope cabernet is alright?’

You laugh and wave it away; ‘Henry. I had 5 glasses of wine. By this point you’d ALMOST get me drinking beer. Almost haha.’

In what seems like a blink of the eye this bottle is finished as well and the world is near spinning when I get up to make us a snack. Which of course is the worst idea ever at like 2..3..4 am? I can’t see quite straight enough anymore and the giddiness in my bones is showing in the most idiotic grins I’ve probably ever had on my cheeks. My face is going to hurt tomorrow. From laughing, that is.

As I haphazardly decide I should first ask what you want to eat, I suddenly find the long despised throw of my ex earning a much welcomed new, far sweeter memory. In the deep soft pillows of the couch, there you lie. Knocked out asleep, fingers still trailing through Kal’s fur, his head not daring to move as I look the pupper in the eye.

‘Well..’

I can’t send you home like this. And so, with a dangerous wobble in my inebriated knees, I tuck you in, the smooth wool warm as it moves beneath my fingertips.

For just a moment I wonder if I should put you in my bed, so I’ll sleep on the couch. But you’re laying so comfortably, that I’m afraid I’ll wake you..and then you’ll probably leave. I don’t want you to leave. Yes. I should have you stay. I..eh…

Blinking I look around the room, deciding how I should keep you to at least stay for breakfast. I don’t want this to be the last time I see you, you know? And so I grab for some paper and a pen, my handwriting not what it should be.

“Good morning, Sunshine. In case the drinks were too many; the dog’s name is Kal. Don’t worry about him. And I’m upstairs. Feel free to grab anything you like. Also. In exchange for a couch..how about we have breakfast, together? Henry.”

—

Waking up was like thinking everything was a dream. A very drunken dream. My head was screaming for water and sleep, but I couldn’t stop myself from racing downstairs first, only to find you were still asleep. Just where I left you. It was only after I started cracking up my cooking skills (cheesy eggs with toast), that you woke up. Large yawns were heard from the couch-area, before you groggily walked into the kitchen, hair in disarray and just perfect in my humble opinion.

‘Mmmoo- *yawn* -orning.’ You bring out, hands rubbing over your eyes.

‘Hi.’

You are so cute.

And then you step in closer, eyeing my cooking, your scent and body so close, I wish we were at the point that I could grab you into a hug, delve my nose into your hair.

‘Sleep well?’ I ask with a crooked smile, your face nodding but your body saying: I need more sleep, for the love of the gods.

After breakfast you quirk up, that cute smirk back on your lips as you lick them in satisfaction.

‘That’s some fine cooking there Frodo.’

‘Thanks Sam.’

‘And a couch that makes a close second to the hostel’s bed.’

‘HAhaha..oh..yes. I was not sure what to do. Wake you up? Put you in my bed? I mean..a lot of..options.’ I trail off as your smile grows.

‘..I’m so sorry for putting you in that position, Henry. And also, apologies for falling asleep as you were just about to make a snack. Its typical me; midnight snack-time? I fall asleep.’

‘Well, it’s your holidays. You can sleep all you want’

‘So it is.’ You fold your fingers around your hot cup of tea - no sugar, no milk. I make a mental note of that too.

With curious eyes you watch me sit across you, the kitchen table suddenly feeling too large, too wide. I want to be closer to you. Snuggle up to you. You look so snuggable.

‘Any plans for today?’ You inquire lightly.

And that’s when it clicks. I could keep you around a little longer, maybe? De-hangover together, maybe?

‘Want to stay for a bit?’ I ask, hope sparking in the swallow of my nervous throat.

‘Sure.’

I think that’s what I like the most about you. It’s easy. Natural. No hassle. No hunt. Though I would have hunted you, if that is what it would have taken.

—

Now I’m sitting here on the couch and you’ve just gone back to your hostel. I mean, I get it. We’ve been together for nearly 24 hours. When we’re not even..like..more than strangers. For a moment I wondered if I should kiss you, after we walked Kal, our hands interlinked - which also felt so very normal.

The more glad I was when you did it for me.

You kissed me.

Those sweet chapped lips on mine.

I sink further into the couch and sigh. I like you a lot my sweet Sam.

(Link to my Masterlist)

General Tagsquad: @harrysthiccthighss @tumblnewby @magdelen69 @thereisa8ella @mary-ann84 @darkbooksarwin @summersong69 @madbaddic7ed @luclittlepond @maroonmolly

#henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fluff #couch people #graham norton show #henry pov #henry cavill x you #lord of the rings #hint of nerdy stuff #sam x frodo

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wordsablaze · 4 years ago

Text

13~ masked by my pride

tell me your problems (i’ll chase them away) Internal scars can be difficult to deal with but Eskel vows to heal any that Jaskier is weighed down by if it’s the last thing he does…

A/N: sorry it’s been a month but guess which dorks tried to borrow the braincell from scorpion ??

@random-nerd-3 @betaray-jones @w-s-kibela @in-love-with-writing002 @screaming-flapjacks @havenoffandoms @lasaga666 @mayastormborn @alllthequeenshorses

previous chapter

“You’re Jaskier the bard, aren’t you?” someone asks as soon as they get to Piana.

Jaskier doesn’t miss a beat before he nods, smiling politely. “That would be me, yes, lucky for you. Who’s asking?”

Eskel moves to go stable Scorpion but even as the stranger starts talking, Jaskier squeezes and tugs on Eskel’s hand just enough to stop him from going anywhere. He could easily pull out of the bard’s hold but he finds that he doesn’t want to so he just waits, biting back his smile lest he scares the stranger off.

There is no logical reason - or any other kind of reason, for that matter - as to why he’s become addicted to the feel of the bard’s fingers interlaced with his own and yet, he’s already resigned himself to that fate. And he’s not complaining.

“-nd should I report back a confirmation?” the man asks.

“Of course, it would be rude of me to refuse such a gracious offer,” Jaskier replies smoothly, and Eskel wishes he hadn’t zoned out of the conversation.

It’s not until they’re seated in the corner of a tavern that Jaskier relaxes, leaning into Eskel’s shoulder and slumping in his seat.

“Is something wrong?” Eskel asks, now trying to hold himself as still as possible so he doesn’t jostle Jaskier; he’s used to blending into the background but this feels different, like something precious.

“Of course not,” Jaskier replies immediately and, much to Eskel’s dismay, straightens up and pulls himself to his feet.

Eskel definitely does not sound at all forlorn as he asks, “Where are you going?”

Jaskier cocks his head to the right and holds his lute up with a small smirk. “We’re in a tavern, darling, and I’m a bard. The situation speaks for itself, I think.”

He’s bounding towards the man who looks like he’s in charge before Eskel can point out that he should probably take care of his own stomach before everyone else’s ears, but he’s not sure if that’s specifically a Jaskier thing or a general bard thing so he lets it go for the moment.

Obviously, he regrets it when Jaskier starts singing about Eskel heroically saving the continent from sirens, but he thinks even that’s growing on him already. And either way, watching Jaskier move through a room is a rewarding experience in itself, not that he’s incapable of taking his eyes off the bard, what an absurd situation that would be.

“Sing the other one! With the other witcher!”

Jaskier pauses, having just finished a song about pirates or something, and his eyes flicker to Eskel before he nods, launching into toss a coin with an easy smile. Eskel tries not to dwell on wanting to punch the man who’d requested the song - it has benefited them all, after all - and instead wonders how long it’ll take for Lambert to complain he’s being left out.

The second time Jaskier leans into Eskel’s shoulder is almost equally as precious. “How long before you need to set off again?” he asks as he tucks his lute back into its case.

Eskel frowns, pushing one of the two drinks that’d been set down on their table towards him. “We’ve been travelling all day, Jaskier.”

Jaskier nods but doesn’t move, clearing his throat after taking several large gulps and wincing. “You said you had somewhere to be.”

“There’s no hurry,” Eskel says, and he’s not even lying just to be polite; his path is generally north towards the keep but there’s still far too much time before winter sets in to be hurrying. Besides, he has little motivation for cold treks when he can feel Jaskier’s warm breath brushing against him.

“Well, in that case: fish.”

It takes Eskel a moment to realise that’s not some sort of cursing and instead a reference to food, which Jaskier immediately goes to find, leaving Eskel clutching a lute. It’s quite frankly just ridiculous how many times Jaskier gets away with slipping off somewhere in such a short space of time.

“Smells nice,” Eskel says honestly as Jaskier returns with two plates.

The bard smirks at him. “What, me or the fish?”

That takes Eskel a second to recover from. He shrugs. “Good point, could be either.”

Jaskier elbows him in faux offence as he settles yet again, but neither of them say anything more until their plates are empty. Not even two seconds pass before Jaskier yawns so hard that his eyes water.

Eskel laughs quietly. “We should head to the inn.”

“Oh but that would require moving,” Jaskier complains.

It was probably meant to be a humorous comment but Eskel can’t help frowning, wondering why Jaskier hadn’t asked for another break or something during their journey if he’d been getting so tired, not to mention why he’d decided performing was a good idea if he was ready to fall asleep.

“Stop that or I’ll actually write a ballad about the frowning witcher’s adventures,” Jaskier grumbles, poking his arm.

Eskel’s frown fades naturally as he smiles. “I thought you said the metaphors would be too hard?”

At that, Jaskier sits up and squints at him for a moment. “So you were listening after all, then. Is that a challenge, darling?”

“Maybe when your eyes aren’t drooping,” Eskel suggests, very much hoping Jaskier forgets about the whole conversation by tomorrow.

“My eyes are not drooping!” Jaskier argues, but the fact that he’s slumped against Eskel again doesn’t seem to do him any favours.

Eskel hums. “As you say, bardling.”

Jaskier pulls himself upright to prove his point, his hands on his hips as he raises an eyebrow. “See?”

Grabbing Jaskier’s lute as he stands, Eskel nods. “I see. Shall we head to the inn then?”

Jaskier’s mouth drops open as he glances between their now empty seats and Eskel. “You- Did you just- Did you just trick me into…?”

Eskel snorts, neither denying nor confirming the accusation. Thankfully, the inn isn’t far and they manage to get there with no problems, though that’s possibly because their hands are linked so even if Jaskier had started to wobble, nothing major could have happened anyway.

“We humbly request one of your fine rooms, if you will!” Jaskier beams at the innkeeper, a woman who looks a little sceptical at first but quickly softens as she looks over them properly.

“Just the one?” She asks.

Jaskier nods emphatically. “Just the one! No need to wear out the bedrolls, right?” he asks, more for Eskel’s benefit than the innkeeper’s, really.

“Right... Up the stairs, third door on the right,” the innkeeper says, handing him the key and nodding at Eskel with a hint of a smile, to which he nods back gratefully.

Jaskier pulls him along and yawns loudly as they find their room, finally letting go of his hand and flopping back onto the bed with his arms spread out. He’s only managed another quieter yawn by the time Eskel gets himself out of his armour and somehow, that’s equally as sad as it is endearing.

“Jaskier, you need to take your boots off at least,” Eskel whispers, trying his best not to laugh.

Jaskier looks up at him as if he’s just declared that lutes are outlawed. “Are you sure?”

Praying that he doesn’t take it the wrong way, Eskel sighs and goes to tug Jaskier’s boots off himself. He tenses up initially but when he realises what’s happening, he just laughs and awkwardly shrugs his doublet off to contribute.

“If you wanted to take my clothes off, you could’ve just asked,” he drawls, but then promptly yawns again.

“Unfortunately, I don’t speak yawn,” Eskel replies, and this time he does laugh, nudging Jaskier so they can both settle properly.

Jaskier vaguely kicks at him in response - assaulting only the air, of course - before Eskel feels arms around him. It takes a moment to relax his muscles and by the time he’s comfortable with the idea of Jaskier once again acting as a very strange but far from unpleasant blanket of sorts, said bard has already drifted off. Surprisingly, he finds himself doing the same.

“Eskel?”

He jolts awake immediately, his grip instinctively tightening on his weapon. Except it’s not a weapon he’s holding, it’s someone’s waist. Jaskier gasps sharply and Eskel all but flings himself out of the bed, leaning heavily on the closest wall as he clenches his fists and breathes slowly.

“Alright so perhaps waking you up with your name isn’t such a good idea,” Jaskier says eventually.

“I’m usually a light sleeper,” Eskel replies, beyond relieved that Jaskier seems to be amused rather than scared - he’s not sure what he’d do if Jaskier were to be scared of him.

Jaskier nods. “Right. Except you weren’t just then. Well, no matter, but if I don’t get to the privy in the next two minutes, we definitely will have a matter.”

Eskel doesn’t realise he’s kind of laughing until their room door swings shut. And even though Jaskier had taken absolutely no offence, he can’t help but feel embarrassed. So much so that he makes sure to slip out of their room just as Jaskier returns, freshening up before heading to the stables instead of opting for breakfast.

“Hey, girl,” he mumbles to Scorpion, who all but huffs impatiently when she finds his hands to be empty. “Sorry, I was in a rush,” he adds.

He opens his mouth to explain but she seems to be having none of it, stomping on his feet hard enough for it to hurt. He’s only just able to sidestep to avoid her doing the same thing twice, cursing under his breath. “You don’t need to break my toes to stop us from leaving,” he mutters angrily.

“You were leaving?”

Oh no.

Eskel turns on the spot even as the air fills with smoke and ash. Not literally of course, but it may as well be with how horribly strong the scent of distress is.

“Jaskier, I was just-” Eskel starts.

Jaskier shakes his head, exhaling slowly. “I don’t want to- Could you just answer the question? Please? Were you leaving?”

“No,” Eskel replies immediately. “No, of course not. I wouldn’t do that. And nor would Scorpion, it seems.”

Warm, fresh bread dilutes the smoky distress in the air and Eskel sighs with relief; apparently Jaskier believes him.

“Is everything okay?” Jaskier asks eventually, as if the answer to that doesn’t depend on his own emotions rather than whatever Eskel is thinking.

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” Eskel says honestly, “I just needed a minute.”

Jaskier nods. “I can give you a whole day, actually. How does meeting back at the inn tonight sound? Yes? Great, see you then!”

For all the good that enhanced senses do, Eskel wishes they came with enhanced processing because he’s getting tired of being too slow to register the bard’s words before it’s almost too late. Almost.

“Jaskier, wait!”

He’s not fast enough to stop Jaskier leaving the stables but thankfully the bard doesn’t disappear down some alley this time and he manages to end up in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. When Jaskier doesn’t say anything, biting his lip, Eskel sighs. “I don’t know what you’re thinking but it’s probably wrong. I simply… felt bad.”

“For what?” Jaskier asks softly, frowning.

Eskel clears his throat. “For this morning.”

Jaskier’s frown deepens. “What happened this morning? Did you break something or-” he gasps, “-did you hurt my lute?”

Eskel shakes his head, thoroughly confused. “Of course not! I- Why would I do that?”

With a shrug, Jaskier pinches the bridge of his nose. “What are you all guilty about then? We’ve not even been awake for an hour yet, what else could you possibly have done?”

“When you woke me up, I- I thought I might’ve hurt you?”

Jaskier blinks. And blinks again. He opens his mouth to say something only to close it again, then laughs. “Seriously? Oh, darling, that was nothing! It felt like getting hugged by an over-enthusiastic child, far from painful and definitely not something to fret your handsome self over!”

Eskel sighs, inwardly cursing himself for somehow having acted strangely enough to be compared to an over-enthusiastic child, and in an attempt to stop himself from genuinely attempting to flee, focuses back on something else that had bothered him.

“What did you mean by being able to give me a day?” he asks.

Jaskier offers him a sheepish smile. “That man yesterday? Well, I may have promised the Alderman I’d play for him again and then uh, forgotten? Turns out he didn’t forget and he’s ever so nicely offering to overlook the fact that it’s been several years if I perform today. Nothing important but it happens to be someone or the other’s name day and I usually attend those alone so…”

Oh. Of course very few people would want a witcher at their name day and even if they did, they wouldn’t want him; it’s not like scaring the children is ever part of the event.

“Well, I would hate to interfere,” he says after a pause.

Jaskier frowns again, seemingly considering something but only nodding in response. “Yes, there’s really no need. I’ll be done with it all by dinner and if you wouldn’t mind staying another night, we can set off tomorrow?”

Eskel smiles. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Marvellous! Until then, my dear witcher!” Jaskier smiles brightly and this time, does slip past him, fleetingly squeezing his hand as he goes.

Never has he had such a bewildering conversation before breakfast. He thinks he can maybe understand why Geralt had initially seemed averse to travelling with a bard but no, he still cannot comprehend how all the warmth and kindness wouldn’t be seen as worth any amount of confusion.

He appears to have been blindsided by said warmth and kindness though, because it takes him a stupidly long time to remember that he’s capable of spending the day doing something other than just waiting for Jaskier. Capable and very much required to, in fact.

It seems he’s spending his day with the local drowner then.

i'm beginning to suspect this fic is merely a myriad of clichés hiding in a trenchcoat but we're too far in to question it,,, my utmost appreciation to anyone who's somehow still sticking around <333

thanks for reading! masterlist | witcher sideblog: @itsjaskier | next chapter

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ka-za-ri · 4 years ago

Text

Descent Pt. 8

Buckle in! We’re getting kinky! Also, this is one hella long chapter, lol.

°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° Thanks for all your encouragement. I may hate everything I write, but y’all seem to enjoy it! Please enjoy this giant bin full of sin. I’m so, so, sorry for uh... ... well I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. (シ_ _)シ

Comments and reblogs always appreciated.

Chapter Index and Obey Me! Masterlist: here Ao3 Mirror: Here Part [1] Part [2] Part [3] Part 4: [4] Part [5] Part [6] Part [7] Part [8] Part [9] Part [10]

Pairing: Simeon x Lucifer x Reader, Lucifer x Simeon (if you squint really hard) Genre: Really dirty smut Wordcount: 8,900 ish Tags: References to self-harm, body worship, multiple orgasms, sex toys, so many sex toys. Threesome F/M/M, Voyeurism, Overstimulation, Light sex magic, Chastity device, Summary: After a busy holiday season, Lucifer wants to celebrate a successful book launch with you and Simeon.

Dive

To no one’s surprise, Simeon’s new title made it to all the bestsellers’ lists. The timing of his novel with holiday season meant that book couldn’t stay on shelves. Everyone clamored to get a copy for themselves as well as a loved one who was a fan of his work. The stress associated with a book launch was vastly different from the process of writing. There was no rest for Simeon as he went immediately on a book tour to help with promotions once the title was released to the masses. It meant that most of your winter was spent following him across the country, helping set up displays and assisting with interviews while he was surrounded by fans.

You were exhausted, you wanted to sleep in your own bed for a change and you swore if you heard one more marriage proposal to Simeon from a fan, you were going to lose the last bits of your sanity. Spending weeks on the road were hellish and you were more than glad that the tour was over just in time for the year to turn over. Even if you weren’t able to spend the holidays at home, you at least got the new year to yourself. During the whole tour, neither you nor Simeon really had a chance to be close. Your professional lives took priority and keeping it cordial was paramount in maintaining his spotless image.

When you finally had time to yourself at home, you finally let your mind wander and tried to sort out your feelings for him. You couldn’t deny you still had an intense crush on the man. With all you went through to get his book written, you started to doubt your feelings. You couldn’t tell if you liked him for who he was or if it was out of obligation you were attached to him. All the intimate moments and all the times he called you his Little Lamb made your heart flutter, sure. It was hard to tell when everything you did with him was under the pretense of work. Did he say those things to get a reaction or did he actually mean them?

Ever since the book was published, Simeon barely interacted with you outside of what was necessary with work. Even if he did want to say something to you about your relationship with him, he was too swamped with his on obligations that there was no way to discuss anything with you in private. Despite working so closely with him, the two of you drifted apart further and further. By the time the new year rolled over and you both finally had some time to unwind, Simeon felt like a stranger to you.

You found yourself spending hours staring at the ceiling mulling over too many thoughts all at once. You could feel the last vestiges of your sanity slipping away as you tried to decipher everything. Simeon was so good at never voicing what he truly wanted, it was impossible to read his thoughts. With how distant he had become with work, it was even harder to predict what he would do next. With the massive success of his new book, the publishing house was already discussing the possibility of a whole series of smutty novels under his name. Just the thought of being used again for his book made you weary. It had been an arduous journey to just get one final product, you didn’t want to think about having to do it again anytime soon. Luckily, Simeon requested some additional time to go over the new contracts before signing them.

It was both a relief and a curse to have time to think over the offer. On one hand, the two of you would have continuous work. On the other hand, you would be once again used for his gain while his feelings remained ambiguous for you. You had enough of him toying with you and you truly wished for an opportunity to get him to open up to you somehow.

You were in yet another round of beating yourself up over falling for someone who was so enigmatic when your phone rang. Checking the number, it wasn’t one that you recognized. Though it was your normal policy to ignore unknown numbers, something compelled you to answer the call this time around.

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon. It’s lovely to hear your voice again after so long.”

“L-Lucifer?” You squeaked, sitting straight up as if he was right in front of you. “How did you get this number?”

“Oh, I have my ways.” He said nonchalantly after a brief chuckle. “Congratulations on the successful book launch and follow up tour, by the way.”

“Ah… Thank you.” You didn’t know why you were so flustered. He wasn’t actually physically there, but the closeness of his voice reminded you of how amazing it was the last time the two of you were in the same room together. “But you should really be giving the thanks to Simeon, he did all the hard work.”

“He did. But you did have a heavy hand in… helping him, did you not?”

Your whole body warmed in embarrassment. Of all people to know the dark secret behind Simeon’s book, it had to be one of the most powerful people in the country. Inwardly, you prayed he wouldn’t hold that information as blackmail against the two of you. “I… I helped a little...”

“So humble.” Lucifer chuckled again, rather amused at the exchange you were having with him. “I’ve been keeping track of the book sales and I have to say, I’m rather impressed. Thanks to him, and by proxy you, stocks in my company have risen quite dramatically. If you have some time, I’d like to thank you personally with a small private party.”

“I… Eh? What?” You were left speechless by the offer.

“Simeon is my friend, I know he’s probably overworked from writing a book and then going on a tour. If I remember correctly, neither of you got to spend the holidays at home. Why not make it up now when you have time?”

Lucifer was awfully persuasive, his tone was made of velvet and you felt yourself relaxing from just listening to his voice. “I… I can free up my schedule.”

“Excellent. Now, I have a few ideas on what we can do for Simeon.” You couldn’t see it, but you could feel the excitement Lucifer had in his voice as you fell into what felt like a trap with him. “I think you know as well as I do that he doesn’t ever voice what he wants. I’m thinking this would be a good time to get him to open up, don’t you?”

You felt a heat rising up your neck and pooling at your cheeks. He didn’t say it explicitly, but you had an idea about where the conversation was going. Still, it was rude to assume anything. “What do you have in mind?”

“I do hope your evening is free, I’ve got quite a bit to discuss.”

“The night is all yours.”

Simeon didn’t know how he was convinced to go to this celebration Lucifer set up. The fact that his friend went to you first made it feel like there were ulterior motives to this little get together. Even if he’d only met you once before, Lucifer had already figured out how much sway you had over Simeon and that was the most frightening thing to realize. He knew the demon had a slew of tricks up his sleeve; despite the innocent grounds of the celebration, Simeon felt an anxiety he hadn’t before. Whenever Lucifer was involved, things were always more than they seemed.

The long ride up to his friend’s penthouse perched atop his high rise corporate building gave him too much time to ponder what was going to happen. His mind ran away with too many dark scenarios, by the time he was halfway through the floors, Simeon was visibly shaking. What if it was a trap? What if you were coerced to invite him? Would you even be there? What was the point of the celebration? He had already gone through all the ceremonies and parties he needed, why did he need to go to this one in particular?

“Lucifer invited us to a party to celebrate your new book, can we go?” Ah, there it was. The only reason why he agreed to arrive at all. Your voice had been so sweet and excited when you broke the news to him. You had no idea what kind of person Lucifer was and he was helpless to protect you from the demon’s schemes. The least he could do was accompany you whenever you were in his presence.

The last few floors to the top and Simeon was having doubts about going. He nearly stopped the elevator’s ascent before he remembered the favor he owed Lucifer. Being in debt to the demon was never something he wanted. It was only out of obligation that he was attending. Once it was all over, he would figure out a way to patch things up with you that didn’t involve Lucifer. The distance that developed between you had become unbearable and he needed to do something about it before he chased you away forever.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’ve finally decided to grace us with your presence.” Lucifer’s called from the other side of the room. “Took you long enough, I was starting to think that the elevator had broken down.”

Simeon looked around at the luxurious abode, taking in the beautiful sunset that shone through the floor to ceiling windows. A small table was already set with food, bottles of champagne sat chilling in ice. A single paltry mylar balloon set at the middle of the table had “Congratulations!” printed across it, the only thing that really even denoted that the gathering was any sort of celebration. He never was good at decorating…

He took a tentative step towards where the festivities were to take place. It was rather impressive just how much Lucifer amassed during his time in the human realm. More importantly, he took the time to take in his surroundings and look for you. Any sign that you were safe was all he needed to be put at ease.

He found you lounging on a sofa, looking out to the city, admiring the landscape from such a height. Seeing you dressed in a lovely cocktail dress made him feel rather out of place with his usual over-sized sweater and jeans. He had thought it was a casual affair, not anything that he would need to dress for. “I guess I didn’t get the memo about the dress code.” he joked to get your attention.

He didn’t want to think about how your skin glowed in the warm light of the sunset. Avert his eyes as he might, it was hard not to admire how the fabric clung to you in the most flattering way. It was hard to look away. His daze only broke when Lucifer just happened to pop open a bottle of champagne.

The attention didn’t go unnoticed. The plan you had concocted with Lucifer was going just swimmingly. It had been a trial to keep all the delicious details away from him, but seeing his bewildered expression was worth it. You got up from your seat and took a flute of the bubbly Lucifer was offering to bring over to Simeon. “Well, you’re the guest of honor, so you’re free to wear whatever you want.”

Simeon laughed softly, trying not to let his gaze linger on your collarbone. Your fingers brushed against his own when he took the flute from your hand. Just from that little contact, he was acutely aware of Lucifer watching your every action. Something was afoot, and he couldn’t discern if you were in on the plan as well. For what it was worth, you looked absolutely enchanting in that dress. He would have to at least thank Lucifer later for letting such a beautiful sight grace his eyes. Perhaps, the party wouldn’t be all too bad after all. “Just the three of us?”

“Well, my assistant would have been here too, but a sister company needed to borrow her for a business trip.” Lucifer shrugged. “She was so looking forward to seeing her favorite author in person too.”

Simeon raised a brow, taking a sip of the champagne. He could tell where the conversation was going. The copy of his book on a side table confirmed his suspicions. “Ah, let me guess. You want to give her a signed copy of the book when she gets back?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Not the first time I’ve had this talk.”

Lucifer laughed softly. “Well, you do owe me a favor.”

“That I do. Are you cashing it in now?”

“Not right now. Just relax and enjoy yourself, I called you here to celebrate your success, not make you do any more work.” He raised his glass for a toast and Simeon obliged.

The conversation subtly changed to other mundane topics. With the help of the alcohol, Simeon was able to relax and be less paranoid about his friend’s intentions. Still trying to be as respectable as he could be, he sat next to you while the three of you chatted. The small bites at the table slowly dwindled as you all partook in nibbling on them at intervals. You barely noticed the sun disappearing past the horizon until the lights came on.

At that point, Simeon was finally lax enough to speak freely. He had gone off on a tangent about the difficulties in cooking a proper fillet of fish. The rant lasted much longer than anticipated, and though you were invested in what he was saying, there were other plans that needed to be put into motion. His lips were too loose and you needed to shut him up somehow.

“Hey, Simeon?”

“Hm? What is i-- Mmph!” He never finished his sentence as you had pulled him into a torrid kiss. The libations and the lax company had made it so easy to fantasize about him, the plan Lucifer concocted with you only fueled your desires. As soon as you had him where you wanted, you straddled him on the sofa, deepening the kiss. He tasted like champagne and spices. The cologne he had on seemed stronger than usual, or perhaps that was also because of the alcohol? Regardless, he was delicious and better than anything else you had that evening.

“Wait. You can’t. You’re drunk… Lucifer is...” Simeon stuttered and you placed a finger on his kiss swollen lips.

“I’m not drunk. Lucifer knows exactly what’s going on.” You reassured. “Let us treat you right. You’ve worked so hard lately. Relax...”

He bit at his lower lip, staring into your eyes in hopes of finding some fault in your confidence only to see that there was none. You had days to prepare yourself for this moment. There was no going back and you were absolutely living. He looked so sweet and unassuming with that bewildered look of his. It was almost a shame to hide his beautiful eyes when Lucifer came up from behind the sofa and draped the blindfold over his face. “Relax...” he said softly into the angel’s ear, slipping a little bit of magic into his voice. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had release, I know… Let us take care of you.”

He could feel the magic seep into him, unwinding his tense muscles and his mind drifted into an odd state of hyperawareness as his senses were taken away from him. A part of him wanted to fight against the magic, resist the pull of calmness that crept through his veins. Whatever powers he had to contest against the charm working its way through his limbs were quickly dashed away as you went back into him for another kiss. You took your time, savoring the softness of his lips and the heat of his breath as he succumbed to the two of you.

You glanced up at Lucifer after breaking the kiss and he raised an amused brow. It had been much easier to get Simeon to comply than he had anticipated. He would have thought the angel would have used at least some of his celestial powers to combat the little spell he wove into his words. His hand gently pat Simeon’s hair like a beloved pet while your fingers played at the hem of his sweater.

Simeon tensed up again when he felt his shirt being lifted and pulled it back down, shying away from your touches. “Please, let me see all of you.” you asked with a pout that he fortunately couldn’t see.

“I… I don’t...” he protested.

“It’s okay…” Lucifer’s low, silky voice cut through his doubts and forced his mind back into that blank calm it was in before. “Relax. It will be all right.”

Simeon let out a stuttering breath, slowly removing his hands away from his sweater to let take it off him. He shivered as cooler air hit his heated skin. He turned away from you again, acutely aware of all the stares he was getting from you. His whole body tingled in anticipation of what might happen next. Not being able to see your expression or where Lucifer was prowling was putting him on edge, but the spell over his mind had him oddly calm at the same time.

Ultimately, you just wanted Simeon to voice what he really wanted. You wanted to hear what he really thought about you. You were tired of guessing and when Lucifer offered to set something up to get him to talk, it was impossible for you to turn such a chance down. If you couldn’t get him to say anything after today, well, there were plans in place for that as well. Getting his sweater off was a good start, but you wanted to see him beg as he had done before.

“Hands and knees.” You commanded, guiding him off the couch and onto the plush carpet of the floor onto his knees. Lucifer, ever being the gracious host pushed the table with the last of the food and drinks to the side to give you more room to work with. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught your reaction to the self-inflicted scars that marred Simeon’s back and shoulders.

“Oh… Oh, Simeon...” You breathed when you saw the long scars across his body. Some of the marks were clearly newer than others; but all of them seemed recent enough for you to gather when he had made them. Your fingers slowly traced each one of them, planting soft kisses on the freshly healed skin. Some of the marks still had the trace edges of a scab that only recently fell off and you spent a few extra moments to caress the tender skin in those spots. You lost count of just how many kisses you had showered onto his back and shoulders, each one of them reverent and apologetic in nature. “Why did you do this to yourself?”

“I… I deserve punishment for what I did to you.” He replied. Oddly enough, he was glad for the blindfold across his eyes. It meant he didn’t have to look at your tear filled eyes and worried expression while he explained himself. Having Lucifer witness the exchange only made him feel all the more vulnerable and he curled up on himself, hunching over to hide his face. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

Your fingers idly outlined the myriad of marks across his back. It was hard to say anything in those moments. He was visibly shaken by what happened the one time he let the darkness in him consume him. He was able to at least beat into something more manageable with the self-imposed punishment he put himself through. Simeon let out an earth shattering sigh before straightening back up. He needed to accept that even if you said you forgave him, you were more than welcome to never want to be with him again.

After all, you had a taste of what it felt like to be with someone like Lucifer who didn’t have the same limitations as he did. Nothing was stopping you from going to the other man in the room for your needs. If there was something he deserved, it would be your scorn and your hatred towards him. Yet, to his surprise, you showed him none of that. All you did was gently rub your back while he stewed in his misery.

“Are you done with wallowing yet?” Lucifer spoke up, his tone clearly denoting just how bored he was with Simeon’s dramatic self-deprecating moment. “Neither of us have left you yet, so what makes you think we’re going to anytime soon?”

“I… I’ve sinned too much.”

Lucifer scoffed. “You’ve sinned too much? Shall we make you repent then?”

“...Yes”

It was all the permission the two of you needed. Lucifer drew Simeon’s hands together in front of him, palms together in the position of prayer. A thin black ribbon wound between his fingers and his hands to keep them bound in the position. You rubbed comforting circles on his back while Lucifer worked magic with the ribbon until Simeon’s forearms were completely wrapped. You had to admire the handiwork, it was an intricate web of knots and loops that was absolutely mesmerizing to look at. “Good boy.” you praised once Lucifer tied the last knot to secure everything in place.

Simeon’s mind went blank at your words, the feelings welling up within him weren’t unfamiliar, but with his hands bound, he couldn’t act up on them. He wanted to kiss you, hold you, make you his without Lucifer’s presence and influence on you. The time he spent with you outside of work was precious and treasured, he didn’t want anyone interfering with the purity of his feelings for you. The way you touched him set his nerves on fire, the barely healed scars tingled in response to your fingers brushing past them.

“You’ve worked so hard, let’s make sure you get an appropriate reward.” You murmured, kissing the shell of his ear and trailing your lips down to his neck. He twitched any time your lips skimmed over a sensitive spot. You took notice of his reactions and made sure to spend a little extra time sucking at his skin, coaxing out soft, breathy moans. You pulled him toward you, resting his back against your chest, giving Lucifer full access to take off the rest of his clothes.

Exposed to the two of you, he felt like a lamb caught between two wolves. He couldn’t see where Lucifer was, but he could feel the other man’s presence circling around him. Your warm body against his back at least gave him some semblance of calm and he focused on that while anticipating the next thing that would happen. “You deserve to feel so good… Right?” you purred, reaching between his legs and giving his half hard cock an experimental stroke.

You were rewarded with a guttural grunt, his hips flexed and jerked up to meet your touch. His arms strained against their bindings, his fingers trembled against the ribbon, itching to return everything you were doing tenfold. You shushed him, noticing how tense he was and kissed his temple to relax him again. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you.” You reassured.

Lucifer loved every bit of the scene that was unfolding on his floor. While Simeon was drowning in the security you gave him, he quietly pulled out a few choice items and placed them within reach for you. You looked up at him with a knowing smile and nodded in encouragement. “We’re going to need you to last all night long...” Lucifer’s said, his voice seemed to echo in Simeon’s head, close and everywhere all at once.

He bit his lip, turning his head about as if to look around. He felt something cool join your hand at his cock. The ring easily slipped down his half hard length and rested at the base of his cock. You continued to languidly stroke him to full mast, marveling at just how quickly he got hard once he was at your mercy. “Good job.” You planted kisses on his temple before maneuvering him onto his elbows and knees.

With his ass in the air like that, you couldn’t help but give it a resounding slap. The sharp sound echoed throughout the room and Simeon yelped at the sudden pain. The sting made his eyes water, but the soft caresses that came after made up for it. He let out a stuttering breath, concentrating on how the carpet underneath him felt and not on your hands spreading his ass cheeks apart, revealing the tightly puckered hole of his anus. “Lucifer, if you’ll do the honors...”

“With pleasure.”

He knew what was coming, but not being able to see anything made it all the more intense for him. The coldness of the lube mingling with Lucifer’s long, slender fingers made his mind reel. Your hands firmly keeping his spread for the other man to finger and prepare him made a mixture of embarrassment and arousal spread through him. The wet sounds of his asshole being slowly stretched mingled with the breathy moans coming from his lips. You watched, rather entranced at how skillfully Lucifer slid his fingers in and out of Simeon. It seemed like he knew every sweet spot within, curling his fingers just so to get the best reaction out of the trembling man beneath you. “Amazing...”

“Isn’t he?” Lucifer concurred, adding a third finger into Simeon and chuckling darkly at the strangled gasp that came out of the angel. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“Mm, like an angel.”

He shouldn’t have found your analogy so amusing, but it was so charming how you called him an angel while doing such sinful things. And in the presence of a demon of all things. The irony of it all only made the scenario he created with you all the more entertaining to him. He gave Simeon a few more long, unhurried thrusts with his fingers before deeming his hole prepared enough. Hearing Simeon whimper when he was no longer filled sent a thrill through his body. He was sure his friend had struggled so hard to not fall from the grace of the Celestial realm. But, with how debauched Simeon became from just a little teasing; he was sure human temptations had blackened the once pure soul of his friend.

He could tell with just how Simeon looked at you how enamored he was with you. He could literally feel the tendrils of desire seeping out of him and the heated gazes he left on all of your assets whenever you weren’t looking. He might still be an angel in the eyes of the gods above, but it was a matter of time before he fell. All he needed was a little push over the edge.

Even if he had been properly prepared and the lube Lucifer used had been liberal enough to drip down his thighs, it didn’t prepare him for the stretch and girth of the toy being inserted into him. The swell of its widest part made Simeon see stars as he was pushed to his limits before accepting the whole plug into him. His breathing came out in labored pants, drool dribbled down the corner of his mouth as he struggled to ground himself.

“Good boy.” You praised, placing chaste kisses on his lips and positioning his body just the way you wanted it. Laid out on his back, Lucifer raised his hands above his head and secured it against a sturdy pole. Seeing Simeon splayed out and exposed on the ground was a captivating sight, to say the least. He had no idea just how much fun you were about to have with him.

“Want to hear an angel sing?” Lucifer asked, helping you up from the ground and settling you into his lap on the sofa.

“I think that would be lovely.”

Simeon heard a soft lick coming from where your voice came from. Before he could comprehend what was going on, he let out the most beautiful wail of pleasure as his whole body was taken over with stimulation. The sizable plug in him started to vibrate, the intensity of the sensations short circuited his brain. There was nothing to keep him from blocking out the onslaught of pleasure thrust upon him. He thrashed against his bindings, trying to get away from what you and Lucifer had orchestrated. It was an excruciating experience to be overcome with so much pleasure all at once. He wanted to cum, wanted it to all be over; but he knew it was just the beginning. His cock throbbed against the ring at the base, aching for release or stimulation but getting none.

“It’s a lovely sound, isn’t it?” Lucifer asked, kissing your jawline and your neck. His hands cupped your breasts, massaging them and making you arch your back against him. He could feel your body get warmer as you watched Simeon squirm on the floor. The sight was undoubtedly arousing, even for him. There really wasn’t anything more titullating than having such a powerful creature at their mercy.

“Beautiful.” You agreed, turning your head to capture Lucifer’s lips in a ferverent kiss. You ground against his lap while his hands explored and played with your body. The two of you made sure to be vocal enough for Simeon to hear. The wet sounds of your kisses and your lewd moans mixed with his desperate cries to create a beautiful, perverse symphony.

Lucifer’s hand slid under the skirt of your dress, his thighs shifted so that your legs naturally spread for him. His fingers deftly found your panties and pushed them aside to plunge into your hot core. For a moment both you and Simeon screamed in tandem. Lucifer rest his head at the crook of your neck as his fingers worked their magic on you. You could understand now why Simeon sounded so needy earlier. There was a confidence in the way he worked your folds and how he shoved his fingers into you that made you want more.

“Oh fuck.” you moaned, rolling your hips to meet his his fingers. You reached back to play with his hair, your vision became blurry from just how much he was able to elicit out of you with just his fingers. “I want your cock so bad.” You moaned, pressing your ass against his bulge.

“In due time, Little Lamb...” he reassured, pushing his fingers into you until he was knuckle deep. The motion of which made you gasp and cry for him. “The night is still young. You have to be patient.”

“Y-yes...” You breathed. You had nearly forgotten that in the end, the focus was supposed to be Simeon’s pleasure and not your own. You sighed, feeling a bit guilty that you had been so quick to neglect the man on the floor.

Lucifer had a way of directing the evening, commanding everything to fit right into his plans. He had you writing and aroused beyond all belief in his lap. Simeon was on the ground, screaming in desperation for relief. Everything was going just the way he had planned it, even the parts that he didn’t disclose to you. It was so gratifying to see how easily you had played into his hand. He reluctantly pulled his fingers out of your tight heat and coaxed you out of his lap. “We have a lot to do still.”

“Ah… right.” You said, reminded of everything else you had planned.

The vibrations in Simeon’s ass subsided a bit, giving him a brief moment to catch his breath. That didn’t last long though as Lucifer walked over to slide his fingers coated in your slick down his mouth. Instinctively, Simeon sucked and lapped, greedily tasting you. The sounds you made earlier only served to make him painfully hard and the need for release was growing unbearable. He groaned against the digits, hoping the pleading tone in his noises would allow him some mercy.

“You always sound so pretty when you beg.” You purred, crawling next Simeon and licking his nipple. He choked against the fingers in his mouth, gagging as he tried to accommodate the new sensation of your tongue on his oversensitive skin. “You look like you’re just about to lose it...” Your hand traveled down his abs to grab his cock, giving it a few hard strokes which made him gag once again on Lucifer’s fingers.

His body betrayed all of his internal protests. He should have tried to curb his desires more, but his body had other ideas. It moved in your favor, his hips jerked violently against your hand and his back arched to meet your lips on his nipple. The vibrations in his ass once again intensified and he was sinking into the depths of pleasure with no way out.

He cursed, screaming your name and Lucifer’s while you pampered his body with attention. Despite the ring restricting his intense oncoming climax, cum leaked freely from the tip, coating your hand in a slick, sticky mess. “Won’t you let go for me?” You asked sweetly before you grazed his nipple with your teeth, biting down gently and eliciting yet another delightfully garbled moan from him.

Lucifer withdrew his fingers once he felt Simeon had done a sufficient job of cleaning them. He almost felt pity at the man on the ground. The pleasure he was receiving seemed to be almost too much. But, Lucifer knew it would take much more to break Simeon down to his most basic needs. If he wanted to hear Simeon beg to fall, then he would need to do much more.

You were doing a wonderful job of keeping Simeon just on the edge of his climax. Your hands stilled anytime his hips bucked wildly. Your mouth focused solely on teasing his nipples until they were sore from being licked and nipped at. You were doing your part perfectly, which meant Lucifer needed to match your pace and up the ante a bit more.

His hand replaced yours at Simeon’s cock. He stroked the ring at the base of his shaft. “You want to release?”

Simeon nodded, choking back a sob and he twitched against his bindings. Lucifer smirked and started to slide the ring off. He watched as Simeon’s plush lips were stuck in perfect “O”, he barely dared to breathe until you bit on his nipple again and made him gasp loudly. It was just the perfect distraction to slide the ring off the last few inches of his aching cock. Simeon heaved deep breaths as he felt the pressure on his dick finally abate. Surely that meant he had come to the end of the torture he was being put through.

It was only the beginning of the fun for Lucifer. There was a rustling noise from the corner of the room as Lucifer reached for something. He couldn’t quite make out what it was, but he didn’t have to wonder for long as Lucifer pressed cold, wet ice against the heated flesh his thighs and trailed it up to his cock. The sounds that came from his lips almost didn’t sound human as he choked out a cry, squirming away from the cold.

Lucifer was insistent, running the cold ice up and down his heated shaft, the mixture of your hot mouth on his chest and the chill of the ice on his cock made his head swim. He struggled again against his bindings, but they held fast. His fingers and wrists began to feel numb from being held firmly together for so long; but it was nothing compared to the numbness he felt throughout his body. He couldn’t keep track of who was doing what anymore. His body merely a toy for the two of you to play with. It was filthy to be used so thoroughly, but a dark part of his heart absolutely relished in it.

The ice trailed up his hips, past his abdomen and circled one of his pert, sensitive nipples. The sudden cold made his head spin and your hot mouth switched places with ice. Lucifer lazily dragged the melting ice back and forth between his nipples, watching it melt against his hot skin. It brought him so much joy to pinch at those overstimulated buds of flesh whenever the ice left him just numb enough. The yelps of surprise that came from Simeon always melted into a quiet moan and a slight arch of his back.

You trailed kisses down, down to the apex of his thighs and he swore he saw the gates of heaven open when your tongue flitted out and lapped at the tip of his cock. He would have cum then and there if he didn’t know any better. Even if it was unsaid, he didn’t have permission to release unless you or Lucifer explicitly said so. He held back his moans, thinking about the cold ice on his chest instead of what your hot mouth was doing.

“Let go...” Lucifer purred into his ear.

It was all the permission Simeon needed. Your hand stroked him to completion as let out a long moan. His semen came out in long, hot ropes, coating your hand and his abdomen. Lucifer swept in for a hot, sloppy kiss, swallowing all the lewd sounds that came from Simeon while you languidly licked his cum from your hand and off his skin. His whole body trembled from the force of his orgasm; but it wasn’t over yet. The plug in his ass still stimulated him and kept his libido on high. Even if he wanted to catch his breath, he wouldn’t be able to with how Lucifer and you were pushing his limits.

He whined when Lucifer finally broke the kiss. He was needy in a way he had never been before. There was a desperate need for a different kind of release than the one he just had. He knew exactly what it was he wanted; but it wasn’t something he could have. He wanted what Lucifer could do to you, to sink his length into you until he was balls deep. He wanted to feel your inner walls around him and not your hands. He wanted your slick to cover his cock. He wanted to claim you. “Ah.. Please… I… I need...”

You shushed him with a quick peck on his lips. “I know, I know… you want to cum again.” You finished his sentence for him.

He stuttered. It was not what he needed, not in the way you had planned. “N-no. I… I need… Ahhn!~” His pleas were cut short as you tied a vibrator against his softening cock. A length of black ribbon kept the toy flush against his member and you cooed softly, admiring your own handiwork. With a soft click, the toy was turned on at the highest setting and Simeon was thrown right into another round of screaming and fighting against his bindings.

“Feel free to cum as many times as you want, my Angel. This night is about you.” You finally took the blindfold off of him to let him see his surroundings.

He blinked, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the sudden change in light. You were still dressed to the nines in that slinky dress of yours; however there was a distinctive debauched air about it. Your hair was in disarray, there were wrinkles in the fabric that weren’t there before. There was also the fact that your panties were just idly hanging off of your ankle that made the sight all the more debased than he could ever imagine.

Lucifer stood behind you, one hand under your skirt fondling your pussy while his other hand groped your breast. You hummed and rocked against his touches, your knees feeling weak at just how talented he was at getting you riled up. Seeing you squirm and shake, gasping for Lucifer was enough to pull another orgasm out of Simeon. His spent cock being forced into erection over and over again thanks in part to the toy strapped to him and also due in part to the lewd show you were giving him.

“Like what you see?” Lucifer asked, smirking at the exhausted man below him. Simeon’s bright eyes were glazed over in lust, the desire to take you for himself was clear as day. But, denying him the thing he wanted the most was too entertaining. Seeing the torment flit across the man’s face as he was made to watch you come undone was absolutely delicious. “Want to see more?”

He lifted your skirt up and revealed to Simeon how much of a sopping wet mess you were. Simeon’s gaze was affixed to the way Lucifer’s finger stroked your slit up and down with his thumb pressed up against your clit. His digits were absolutely soaked with your essence, sliding in and out of you with ease whenever he felt bored of playing with your labia. He whimpered, his hips twitching in response to your every gasp and moan.

“Can we please?” You pleaded, leaning into Lucifer and desperately kissing his jawline. “You know how much he likes to watch.”

“Oh, I do.” Lucifer chuckled, his free hand moved to undo the zipper of your dress. The fabric fell from your shoulders, pooling at your feet and Simeon’s vision was blessed with your nude form in front of him. It wasn’t the first time he had seen it, but it had been so long since the last time, it felt like a whole new experience all together.

Lucifer undid his slacks just enough free his own aching penis. He rubbed the shaft between your legs, coating his length with your juices. Simeon watched, barely registering the vibrations on his own cock anymore. He licked his lips, wishing he was in his friend’s place. The needy gaze didn’t go unnoticed, Lucifer saw the desperation build behind Simeon’s gaze and he gave the angel a self-satisfied smirk as he lined himself to your hole and slid into you in one smooth motion.

Even if the initial intentions of the night were to get Simeon to cum until he couldn’t see straight, you would be lying if you didn’t crave a little action of your own. Lucifer’s dick sliding in out of you while Simeon watched was just the stimulation you needed. You couldn’t get enough of being watched hungrily by the man on the ground, unable to do anything except cum over and over again thanks to all the toys. It was the perfect amount of payback for all the times he played with you without giving you what you truly wanted.

“Oh fuck you feel so good.” You gasped, reeling in bliss as your inner walls hugged and squeezed Lucifer’s cock as if they were made for him.

The man behind you was taking quite a bit of enjoyment out of the scenario as well. His usual smooth talking had stopped as he focused on fucking you. He knew Simeon wouldn’t be able to tear his eyes away from how his dick disappeared into you over and over. Your vocal appreciation for everything he did to you wasn’t helping the envy building up in him. He wanted to be there, he could be there. All it took was a little push over the edge…

Lucifer was relentless in his pace, driving you to cum all over him quickly. He didn’t stop though, he was too fond of pushing the limits of everyone around him. He continued to fuck you until your knees gave out and you fell on all fours. His cock slipped out of you and Simeon could see the length glisten and drip with your juices. He licked his lips again and felt his water. He wanted to have a taste of you, even if it was on another man’s cock. The unique flavor of your essence still lingered at the back of his throat from when Lucifer had made him lick his fingers and he lusted for another sampling.

Lucifer sheathed himself into you once more and you saw stars from the new angle. The moan that came from your lips was all the encouragement Simeon’s hormones needed before he once again climaxed. His cries mingled with yours, filling the room with the lewd sounds of sex. Lucifer eventually joined in, his breathy sighs turned to aggressive grunts as he claimed your cunt in lieu of Simeon. “Gonna cum for me again, Little Lamb?” he asked, slapping your ass hard enough to leave a hand print on it.

You squealed, the pain shot across your body briefly before the fullness of his cock inside of you took all of it away. “Yes, yes sir… very soon, sir.”

“Good girl...” Lucifer growled, pulling your hair and using it as leverage to go deeper into you.

You lost count of how many times you screamed his name as he toed the line between pain and pleasure. He was rough but the rawness of his actions made your body sing praises. You watched as Simeon came again, his eyelids fluttering in exhaustion. His whole being completely spent and used. Yet, none of it was over until Lucifer said so.

“One last time. Cum for me, now.” Lucifer demanded.

You didn’t know how he had you trained so quickly. Your whole body spasmed as you came crumbling around him. “Fuck… Simeon...” You whined, calling for the man you truly wanted to fuck you. Your inner walls clamped around the cock in you, milking it as if it was the one in front of you. If you imagined it enough, you could see yourself riding him until the two of you were absolutely delirious.

Even if it had all been planned beforehand, Lucifer still couldn’t help but feel a bit of a sting when you called out the other man’s name. Your walls tightening around him was enough to send him over the edge with you and he released his load in you. His pace became an erratic stutter as he fucked you until his cock was too sensitive to take any more. He had been saving himself for this moment for quite a few days, the load he let go of was large enough to have his seed dripping out of you even before he pulled out.

Hearing his name come from your lips as you reached your climax with another man sent Simeon spiraling into the most powerful orgasm he had that night. He yelled your name, calling for you, begging for you as the last of his energy went into his release. He wheezed, barely able to keep consciousness as the last vestiges of his stamina went to blocking out the still vibrating toys on and in his body.

Gathering what strength your weary body had, you at least had the decency to undo the ties on his cock, letting the vibrator fall away from the sticky mess his multiple ejaculations had caused. It was a sight, his cum spilled all over his thighs, his stomach and on the rug underneath him. As filthy as it all was, it was still a rather erotic sight. While you removed the plug from his ass, Lucifer worked on finally undoing the bindings on his arms.

Simeon heaved a sigh of relief once he was freed. The first thing he did was attempt to pull you into a kiss, but he was so weak, he could only find the strength to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. You got the hint and kissed the tip of his nose, smiling softly at him. You reached for the towels Lucifer had already set aside for clean up and gently cleaned off the worst of the mess from his body and on the rug. “Ahh… looks like you might need to steam clean that spot...”

“Or I can just get a new rug. I’ve been meaning to redecorate.” Lucifer shrugged, massaging Simeon’s hands and wrists, lovingly tracing the deep marks left behind from the ribbon. They wouldn’t last very long, but he did appreciate the crisscross pattern on his friend’s skin.

Simeon sighed in content, his whole body tingling in the aftermath of cumming so many times only to be followed by so care and attention. “I’m guessing that you two planned this beforehand and it wasn’t about celebrating the book release at all.”

“Oh, are you saying we didn’t applaud your deeds enough? Should we go another round?” You teased.

Simeon let out a tired groan and quickly backtracked. “Okay, no. No. This was plenty. The best party I’ve ever had. Promise.”

Lucifer chuckled, his hands still working circulation back into the tips of Simeon’s fingers. He watched the two of you banter and couldn’t help but feel a bond similar to the one he had with assistant forming between you and Simeon. All his friend needed was just a little more encouragement to take that last step to accept all the temptation in front of him. “Well, If you really want to talk about your work some more, then I’m sure my assistant wouldn’t mind a signed copy of your book… if you have the time to grace us with your autograph.”

“I… I think I can manage that.”

Being pampered so thoroughly was a change of pace for him. Simeon felt like he was drifting off in a warm pool of water. His consciousness drifted away as you and Lucifer cleaned him off and made sure he was comfortable. “Oh… One more present before you fall asleep.” You shook him out of the doze he was in to make sure he was completely conscious for the last gift you had prepared for him.

I really was a shame that Simeon had so many issues with expressing his desires.

He looked at you with confusion, looking around for what else you might have planned. You kissed him deeply, putting every bit of emotion you could into it to keep him distracted. While he languidly returned the kiss, he heard a soft clink and felt something cold surround his flaccid penis. A hefty metal cage enclosed his member and he blinked in shock, pushing you away and frantically looked back and forth between the two of you. “What… what is the meaning of this?”

“Well...” you drawled, snapping the locking mechanism shut and waving the key to the chastity belt in front of his face. “You’re adamant about not fucking me, so I didn’t think you’d need to use your dick any more. Right, Lucifer?”

Lucifer grinned devilishly, he pat your head like the obediant pet you were and nodded in agreement. “We could have avoided this if you just told us what you wanted out of tonight… But you were just too busy screaming, we couldn’t figure anything out.”

“It’s cute, right?” You asked, looking up him expectantly. “Do you like it? It was my idea.”

It was your idea. The fact shocked Simeon to his very core, to say the least.

“I.. I’m not sure if cute is the word you’re looking for.” Lucifer teased. His tender caresses moved away from Simeon’s arm to gently comb through his sex tousled hair. “But, I will admit that it is rather charming.”

You giggled, running your finger across the metallic finish of the cage, watching his cock twitch at the slight contact. “Nope. It’s cute. He’s my cute and precious angel.”

Mine.

Simeon’s arms wrapped around you possessively and held you close to him. Even if he was exhausted, he wouldn’t let Lucifer sway you with any more silly schemes. If he was to be caged for the rest of his life, he could accept his fate as long as he was yours. He sighed, surprisingly content with his life at the moment and he clung to you as he felt himself drifting off to sleep again. You held the key to many aspects of him at this point. At any time, you could choose to free him or entangle him in another intricate game to have him screaming your name.

None of that mattered. He was yours and he was beginning to believe he was willing to give you every part of him just to receive your approval. As long as your eyes were on him. As long as he held your attention. He was ready to give you whatever you asked for.

Except for maybe his divinity. He still foolishly clung to the delusion that he was a pure angel so long as he didn’t defile you.

You had taken him apart, dragging every bit of his heart into the darkness he had resisted for so long. The last traces of his holy resistance fought against the temptation. At this point, he knew was likely in too deep to really care if he did fall. As long as the fall meant he landed in your arms.

#Obey me!#Shall we date obey me #Obey me Lucifer #Obey me Simeon #Obey me smut #Lucifer x Reader #Simeon x reader #Obey Me AU #Lucifer x Simeon x Reader #i'm trash you're trash we're all trash #this is... a lot to take in #I'm actually really sorry #but also not really #please validate me

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derireo · 5 years ago

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feeling restless / all troupes

Request: Heya!! Can I have some headcanons of all of the Mankai Troupes having a movie night?

Heya!! Yes you can! Also, I'm really bad at focusing on characterisation/character studies so I'm actually really sorry if these headcanons aren't really accurate with a character's personality or smth;; these are just things I think would happen hkhhh. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

「 Not posting this on AO3 」「 2.3k words 」

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　( ´ ∀ ` ) 　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

"I'm bored already." Itaru whispered into your ear as everyone in the Spring Troupe gathered in the living room. The movie that the younger members chose was something that Itaru had either already watched or wasn't interested in watching, so he was seated beside you on the sofa with his phone in hand, the screen glaring at him as he opened up a game. You shrugged your shoulders, saying that you couldn't do much else for him other than offer the snacks that were on the table or a soda from the fridge. The office worker shook his head with a tired sigh, and instead leaned into your side with his head resting on your shoulder, a pillow resting between you to cushion the the position.

Masumi was sleeping on the other side of you, not exactly interested as well. He didn't really care which movie the others wanted to watch so he decided not to give an input and instead stole the empty spot by your side by Citron could. His arms cradled one of yours to his chest as he slept peacefully, his cheek pressed into your shoulder as he dozed off dreaming about something happy. He would murmur every once in a while during the movie, but everyone would just ignore it. Both Itaru and Masumi take up most of your attention during the movie, and you're stuck on the sofa until it ends because they wouldn't let you go to get more snacks or refreshments.

Sakuya and Citron would be the most responsive to the movie playing on the TV in the living room, their voices booming whenever they shouted in surprise or happiness. Citron would occasionally recite a few lines during the movie, but he would end up saying the wrong words every time. He thought the lines sounded cool, but his execution was a little weak, but Sakuya wouldn't mind because the foreign member would be acting so cool anyways. This pair would also be the two eating the most snacks, with Citron sometimes feeding Itaru something if he asked. They're the most hype out of the members to watch the movie, but they're also the ones who find themselves passed out after their high.

Tsuzuru watches the movie for reference. As always. He focuses on the movie so much that Sakuya and Citron actually go ignored. He writes in a notepad or sometimes types on his laptop, really depends. His eyes are squinting so hard at two screens and he squints even harder at the notebook in his lap because it's so dark in the living room. He barely even eats because this is just like when he's writing an actual play. His inspiration and motivation is just flowing whenever they play a movie for the troupes, and he wants to grab those ideas for their new play so that they can give off something new. Sakuya reminds him to drink water or to eat a little snack so that he doesn't tire when taking notes of the movie.

"Why are we watching this again?" Tenma cried out as splattered blood ran across the screen. Everyone, for some reason, decided to watch a horror movie much to Tenma's dismay. The thing is, Yuki goaded him into also choosing the horror movie, and that's why the high schooler was now curled up against your side in absolute fear. He hid his face into your shoulder whenever something scary popped up on the screen, and you winced whenever he let out a squeal of terror because he'd be shouting it right into your ear. He'd be so scared that he'd forget that there was anyone else around you two, and he'd only focus on hiding behind your frame. He acted brave at first, no lie, as the intro was quite normal, but when he heard that eerie groan in the next minute, there were chills running down his spine.

Yuki is somewhat enjoying it. He doesn't mind horror things, and likes the thrill. Sure, he jumps here and there and avoids the more scary and unnerving parts by focusing on eating the snacks on the table. He's quiet for most of the movie unless Tenma is being loud for no reason, and probably throws in a jab of his elbow into his knee here and there just to get him to shut up. He munches on buttery popcorn most of the time and lets Muku have the sweet snacks. He checks on you every now and then to see if you're faring alright yourself since both Tenma and Muku are plastered to you like a bandaid on a really annoying wound. Overall, Yuki wouldn't mind having another movie night with the troupe, just as long as Tenma is less aggravating next time.

Muku is also terrified and acts just like Tenma, but more mild and quiet. His flinching is very violent though, and he jostles you around quite a bit whenever something he doesn't like pops up on the screen. He'll hide behind your shoulder during scenes that unnerve him, but always peeks because he's so curious. There are times where his shouts are on the same level as Tenma, but it's... cuter. Tenma's shrieks are sometimes unbearable?? Muku makes you want to hide him from whatever is making him scream. He eats the candies to distract himself, and feeds you as well if you ask nicely. He grips onto your arm very tightly throughout the whole movie and he starts to sweat a lot, so you tell him to drink water. And at the worst time possible, when he's re-hydrating, a jump scare pops up and all of a sudden there's water all over everybody on the couch.

Kazunari is having the time of his life with Misumi, because as much as the movie is terrifying, they can't help but scream out of joy because the movie is just so fun! Misumi, being very flexible with his voice, actually mimics some of the scary sounds and voices that make an appearance throughout the movie. The only thing that makes it less scary is that he only says triangle and nothing else, but perfectly mimics the voice/sound. Kazunari teases Tenma a little from the floor, but gets bored of it when Tenma is too busy hiding behind your shoulder to even care. Both Kazunari and Misumi laugh with each other about the silly moments in the movie, but even Kazunari gets flustered by a few of the loud audio cues!

"Shit. That is totally dope." Banri is actually on the edge of his seat on the sofa when the movie is playing. Everyone decided to watch an action movie since that's what most of their plays revolved around, and it was probably the best option anyways. No one really wanted to watch a romcom or a comedy itself at this time of night. Out of the whole Autumn Troupe, he was probably one of the most restless besides Taichi. The action sequences were just so exciting and exhilarating that it made him want to jump up and throw a few punches in the air (or at Juza. whichever one he reached first). He'd whistle under his breath or hold a fist up to his mouth in shock at all of the cool stunts; especially the awesome choreography with the guns. Despite all of that though, he'd probably be the one destroying that bowl of popcorn.

Although Sakyo was really against watching a movie so late at night, his frosty glare melted when you pouted and gently asked him a third time if you all could watch just one film and then go to bed. He was sitting on the sofa with you alongside Omi and Banri, but kept to himself for most of the movie because he was a little busy worrying about the electricity bill. He also tried his best not to sit too close to you otherwise his would be even more preoccupied with unnecessary stuff, and he really just wished you all would go to bed. He hisses at the others when they get too rowdy during the film, and gets up from the sofa every now and then to drink a glass of water or to take a break from staring at the movie screen for so long. The only reason he doesn't leave until the end is to ensure that everyone makes it to bed in the end; especially you.

Juza's the most quiet one! The thing is, he goes through all of the sweet snacks not even a quarter way through the movie, and has made Omi go back into the kitchen multiple times just because his stomach still hasn't gotten its fill. He is totally enraptured by the film though, seeing how movies work their magic on fight scenes has always been a wonder to him, and they're much more cleaner on the fights than real ones are. Real fights are much more messy and uncoordinated, more rugged and fierce, and while movies can get the fierce part, they make it seem like it's way too easy to just up and roundhouse kick someone in the temple. He doesn't interact with anyone else during the movie other than the occasional lean back against your legs because he was slouching for too long, but he also offers you and Taichi some candies when he remembers to share.

Taichi is just as energetic as Banri during the movie and tries to re-enact some of the gnarly moves in the movie. He actually has the courage to start play fighting with Banri who actually tries to throw him across the room, only to be stopped by a gently chiding Omi who is smiling in amusement. Taichi shouts here and there and kicks the air a few times when his energy gets the best of him, and Omi's just there to make sure he doesn't break anything or hit Juza in the head. Omi's sitting on the other side of you on the couch, but is usually getting up to refill the snacks because the high school students are like vacuums. He dotes on you every now and then as well just to check if you're getting tired or hungry, and also helps Sakyo out in ushering the kids back into their rooms.

"Mm.. I'm tired." Hisoka murmurs and rests his head in your lap. He takes up most of the space on the sofa which actually forces Tasuku, Tsumugi, and Homare to sit on the floor while Azuma is on your other side. The Winter Troupe decided to have a movie night because Tsumugi had actually recommended a new film that none of the members or you have watched before. Hisoka wasn't particularly excited about joining everyone in watching, but decided to tag along when you offered your lap and told him that he just needed to join to make it feel like a true Winter Troupe bonding. He fell asleep right as the movie started, his legs dangling over the arm over the sofa while his head was cushioned by your thighs. The thing is, out of habit, Homare would feed him marshmallows every now and then so Hisoka would jolt a few times to catch the fluffy snack; effectively distracting you from a few movie scenes.

Tasuku was probably the most keen on watching a drama. It didn't matter whether it was in a fantasy world or a historic one, as long as there was drama. He was probably the one who chose the film too since he does his research on movie casts and follows the reviews as well. He wouldn't admit it either, but he's also the one who is the most excited to take part in movie night since you all agreed to the film he suggested and promised everyone that it wouldn't disappoint. His eyes would be intense as the scenes rolled, and he wouldn't talk much other than the occasional whisper to you or Tsumugi. He'd probably drink tons of water too because a lot of the more dramatic and heart racing scenes leave his mouth dry. He takes note of the actors and how they deliver their lines; watches how the most minuscule of changes in expression can either immerse the viewer or make them lose interest with the wrong move.

Tsumugi and Homare might be the most talkative of the group during this time. They pass each other comments about the film as time goes on, whispering to each other their thoughts while Tasuku butted in every now and then to give his own opinion. Homare would find it easy to gain inspiration from the dramatic scenes and would write down whatever words came to him into his small notebook to make sure he wouldn't forget the next day. Tsumugi would ask a lot of questions during the film, just wondering about what was going on or why this person was doing this and that etc. Homare would probably be quite the critique as well if he didn't like how a character was portrayed or didn't like how a scene was done, much to Tasuku's annoyance. Otherwise, Tsumugi and Homare would murmur between themselves in amusement.

I don't know if Azuma would be paying attention to the film, but he was didn't turn down the offer to join the rest of the troupe. One late night wouldn't hurt him, would it? He would just have to apply a bit more cream and serums before going to bed. He would also be drinking quite a lot during the film just to pass the time since he didn't seem too particularly interested in watching. Even better, he would even pour you a cup which is something that doesn't happen often. You two would share the same cup actually, since Azuma would be too lazy to get up and get another one, so you two would go back and forth. He'd give you the occasional whisper, asking if you're getting tired or would like to stop drinking with him. He is probably the one who manages to usher everyone back to their respective rooms at the end of the night, but offers you to come into his room to apply some beauty products before going to bed.

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loreofthekidults · 4 years ago

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Cocoa & Chili | Yoon Jeonghan

focus: jeonghan

words: 2k

genre: stranger things au / high school au / marching band au? / fall themes

description: I’ve been really missing stranger things this year, and with the onset of fall, I decided to start writing instead of just moping around bc lets be honest, without svt I’m not sure we could remain sane this year. Thank you to all the hosts of the #caratrevival event, it’s really motivating and inspiring to see all these creators! This week’s themes were Jeonghan and your Favorite Hip-Hop Unit song, which in my case is Chilli. Hope you enjoy the references!

a/n: Thank you to @woozisnoots for making such an amazing banner for this fic. Check out her writing too and enjoy!

Also, happy birthday Jeonghan!

____________________

Jeonghan stomped down the stairs into the warmly lit basement. He scanned the room for the small, black case, but blankets, board games, and backpacks were strewn into every corner and across every surface. He stalked past the group crowded around the round table staring intently at their character sheets.

“Have you seen my flute case, Seokmin?” Jeonghan called out to his younger cousin behind him. He threw a pile of jackets off the floral armchair and rummaged a hand through the cushions. Nope, not there.

“No idea!” The kid didn’t even lift his head from arranging the grid with the figurines of his new campaign.

“Are you really not going to tell me?” Jeonghan gushed as he hopped over and encased Seokmin in a suffocating bear hug. He pulled his scrawny cousin off his chair and began to swing him back and forth in the air. “Pleeease? Please please please? Just give me a hint.”

Seokmin, ever the happy bug, screamed his head off like a pigeon in fright while intermittently shrieking in laughter.

Across the table, Mingyu giggled but continued to roll for his stats. Vernon spared them a glance, but simply chose to ignore the chaos beside him while Hoshi guffawed his distinctive laugh and clapped his seal clap. Seungkwan sighed dramatically but couldn’t help joining in on the attack.

“Come on, tell him! Then we can finally get him out of our hair and start playing!” Seungkwan protested as he tickled his helplessly flailing friend.

“Okay, okay!” Seokmin gasped, “Check the vcr pile—it’s probably somewhere there.” He pointed to the corner of the room where a mountain of plastic cases rose beside their boxy television. Jeonghan immediately let him go, letting him drop heavily onto the carpeted floor. It only took a moment of scavenging for him to spot his flute case stacked underneath Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and his collection of Twilight Zone tapes.

“Is it a home game today?” Vernon asked, glancing at the marching band helmet lying on the table.

“Yup, glad we don’t have to travel an hour to Soomantown just to watch their football team wreck ours again. We can get wrecked 10 minutes from home this time,” Jeonghan chuckled as he grabbed his shako helmet and ruffled Seokmin’s chestnut-brown hair. “Thanks, bud.”

“DM for us next time,” Seokmin hollered after him, his head a mess. “We miss your campaigns!”

“Alright, maybe next time.” Jeonghan stuffed his instrument and shako into his Jansport and threw on his periwinkle blue marching band jacket. “Don’t forget there’s Grandma’s chili in the crockpot if you guys get hungry.” He clamored back up the stairs, out of the toasty basement of his childhood where he used to weave magical stories of monsters and heroes with them.

It wasn’t as if he no longer liked Dungeons and Dragons and the crazy storytelling that came with it, but he had other things to fill his time than sitting at home playing make-believe, especially with—as much as he loved these kids—newly minted freshmen.

As Jeonghan opened the garage door, he was met with the crisp smell of decaying leaves and fresh air of October. He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath in. Oof, so chilli.

A slight moldy stink tickled his nostrils, though. Crinkling his nose, he opened his eyes just to see another kid speeding on his bike up the driveway to the house.

“Hey, Jeonghan,” The kid hopped off and threw his bike haphazardly onto the grass. “Nice outfit.” He swung his backpack at him as he dashed past him into the house.

“You better hurry up Dino, else they’ll start without you,” Jeonghan called, half-heartedly dodging the swing.

By the time Jeonghan parked his car behind the high school and strolled onto the fields toward the rest of the marching band, he couldn’t help but miss the cozy heat of the basement.

Rubbing his hands together desperate for any warmth, Jeonghan walked towards where Joshua was kneeling in the grass assembling his clarinet. They waved at each other in greeting and began sharing complaints like two elderly patients deeply offended by the cold seeping into their joints.

Seungcheol shuffled over and pointed a gloved finger at Jeonghan. “Late! That’s going on your record Yoon Jeonghan.” He made an overly exaggerated effort in taking out his pen and writing Jeonghan’s name in his notebook.

“Chill, man. What’s the point of being friends with the drum major if I can’t dodge the rules sometimes?” Jeonghan whined despite laughing at his friend’s antics.

Seungcheol just wagged his finger at him accusingly. “Make him run laps,” Joshua softly suggested with his mischievous smile.

“No time, unfortunately. We gotta go warm up soon.” Eyes scanning the expanse of light blue uniforms, Seungcheol was back into drum major mode. “Oh hey, the trumpet girl is late, too.”

They turned to look at the new girl in town stepping onto the field. It wasn’t often their small town had any visitors, even rarer a new resident family.

“Anyways,” Seungcheol clapped his hands, “let’s get into your sections.” He wandered off into the crowd, ordering his classmates to start warming up while brandishing his trombone in one hand like a disgruntled substitute teacher.

Joshua stopped Jeonghan for a moment before they separated and handed him a hand warmer. “Thanks!” “Nope, I’m keeping the other three.” Jeonghan snickered as he shoved Joshua away and joined the rest of the flutes in their warm up drills.

As expected, their marching band show was performed without a hitch, and the spectators gushed over the color guard with their periwinkle blue and rose pink flag formations.

And as expected, the opposing football team with their star players totally squashed Pledies High’s football team.

When half-time finally crawled into view, Jeonghan, Joshua, and Seungcheol could not be more ecstatic. It was only 7pm, but the autumn chill settled like a thick blanket over the field. Playing bleacher features to a futile game on cold metal seats didn’t do much to keep them warm either.

So when they were finally allowed to put their instruments away and take a break from the disaster of a game, they quickly squeezed their way through the crowd to get to the snack shop and raffle tables.

Leaning against the fence by the edge of the field, the trio cuddled their cups of hot cocoa in their hands and inhaled the sweet steam like desperate sharks around blood.

Jeonghan scrunched his eyebrows as he detected the funky scent that he couldn’t quite identify mixed in with the sugary smell.

A presence softly rustled behind Jeonghan and murmured slowly. Shivers shot through Jeonghan, and he whipped his head toward the quiet voice. His sudden jerk sploshed some of the hot cocoa onto his hand, burning his fingers and making him even more panicked. He instinctively leaned in towards Joshua, away from whatever creeped up next to him.

Jeonghan let out a breath as he recognized the figure. The tall, lean person next to him wore a fitting varsity jacket from the visiting school. His face wore a nonchalant expression that morphed into one of surprise as he did a double take when he finally got a good look at Jeonghan’s face.

“Oh, wait. You’re not Johnny.” He turned away in embarrassment and sauntered back into the crowd, presumably to find his not-Jeonghan friend.

“He thought I was one of their star football players?” Jeonghan asked incredulously, looking bug eyed at his friends. Seungcheol giggled and flicked a strand of his hair. “Must be the silky locks.”

As Joshua and Seungcheol played with his hair, Jeonghan saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He caught a whiff of that same moldy funk.

“Guys, do you smell that?” Jeonghan pushed himself off the fence and squinted at the dark foliage behind the bleachers.

“Smell what?” Seungcheol sniffed the air and rubbed his nose. Joshua followed Jeonghan’s gaze. “Is that trumpet girl?”

The blue uniform could just be barely made out against the shadows of the tree line. She appeared to be climbing into the thick shrubbery.

“Maybe she lost something?” He gestured for his friends to follow him. “Come on, let’s go help her.” Jeonghan discarded his empty cup in the trash bin and walked towards the trees. Joshua calmly blinked a few times before trudging along forward with him.

“What could she have lost so far into the woods?” Seungcheol whined. But he couldn’t hide his concern in his voice as he also curiously, and apprehensively, peered into the darkness after her.

They ventured past the bleachers away from the stadium lights into the trees. Here, among the branches and brambles, the shadows blended into each other and the volume of the crowd behind them was muffled.

Joshua took out a small keychain flashlight attached to his swiss-army knife. With its measly light, they made their way through underbrush, past twisty trees, and around thorny vines. The football field was only a short distance away, but the atmosphere felt heavy with the night and the trees seemed to be watching them.

“Guys, are you sure she went this way?” Seungcheol’s voice climbed higher by a few pitches as he reluctantly fell in step behind them.

Snaps of twigs and distant growling could be heard ahead of them. Jeonghan coughed slightly as he breathed, the moldy scent creeping through the air formidably. It felt like the air was lined with layers of webs of sticky mold, and no amount of flailing could unstick the smell.

“Man, you weren’t kidding earlier. This smell is nauseating.” Joshua whispered nasally, fingers pinching his nose.

They came to a clearing where a creature seemed to be digging at the roots of a tree. Jeonghan couldn’t quite make out what it was. But he was sure it wasn’t just a dog that escaped their yard. It’s movements were… off.

It was about the size of a medium-sized dog, but without any of the expected pupper qualities. Its leathery skin rippled like damp velvet and slime was oozing off in tiny droplets. When the brightness from Josh’s flashlight hit its back, the creature whipped around immediately. Where there should have been a face, its head opened up like a blooming flower, with five petal lined with rows of teeth. It screamed a bobcat scream and pranced forward at the trio.

Stumbling backwards, Jeonghan grabbed a stick from the ground and swung it wildly in front of him. Joshua was crouched in a defensive position with his flashlight in a trembling hand but was frozen shock-still, swiss army knife totally forgotten. Seungcheol grabbed Jeonghan’s shoulders behind him, holding him as a barrier between him and the creature.

Shrieking, Seungcheol mustered all the courage he had and threw the remaining bits of hot cocoa in his cup at the creature. The liquid hit it square in the face, making the monster rear back in surprise for a moment. But after a wary lick, it seemed to lap up the spilt drink deliciously.

“Did you just feed the monster?” Jeonghan hissed.

“It’s all I have on me! What else could I throw at it?” Seungcheol waved his arms wildly as he returned to his post behind Joshua and Jeonghan, pulling on their jacket sleeves to get them to back slowly away from the clearing.

“I don’t know, maybe a rock or something?” Joshua whisper-screamed in a very un-Joshua manner.

“Chill, buddy, Chill,” Jeonghan held the stick in front of him and waved it gently to the left. And right. Then left.

The creature closed its face petals to form a bud-like head which followed the motion of the stick curiously. Right and left and right.

Jeonghan winded up his arm and threw the stick to the distant side of the clearing. The creature turned and ran after the branch, demolishing it with its teeth. Splinters flew everywhere.

“Go, go, go, go, go!” Jeonghan turned and shoved Joshua and Seungcheol. They scrambled blindly past the thorns, out of the woods, and into the bright lights of the field. They reached the back of the bleachers, and Seungcheol grasped them deliriously into a tight embrace. Josh was still wide-eyed while Jeonghan was giggling half hysterically from the remnants of the adrenaline.

“Whoa, what happened to you guys?” The trio looked up and saw trumpet girl standing before them, eyebrows raised and a leaf sticking out of her hair.

“You’re alive!” Jeonghan gasped. The trio looked at each other bewildered and cackled deliriously.

#caratrevival #svt #seventeen #yoon jeonghan #jeonghan #jeonghan imagines #i am silently freaking out #seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #seventeen fanfiction #jeonghan scenario #fanfiction #jeonghan fanfics #fanfic #stranger things au #my writing

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carabas · 5 years ago

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So I’ve just finished reading the Dragon Age Tevinter Nights anthology, and short reaction: enjoyably hit and miss right up until that final extremely thorough direct hit, thank you Patrick Weekes.

Much, much longer version:

1. I don’t know how reasonable it is to try to extrapolate about what’s going to be in the next game based on a random short story collection, but hey, the novels that came out before DAI were about the mage rebellion, the Orlesian civil war, and eluvians, so.

So things I’m now expecting to see in the next game, aside from the Tevinter-Qunari conflict and Solas of course: Nevarran necromancy, Antivan Crows, Wardens who are struggling with decimated numbers after DAO and DAI (would be the perfect time for Razikale and Lusacan to both wake up at once really), and the Lords of Fortune, a never-before-mentioned Rivaini treasure hunting organization which appeared in I think three different stories here.

Plus a few stories were very much signalling This Specific New Character Will Be Showing Up Again, whether in the games or elsewhere; I'll be shocked if Lucanis the “Demon,” reluctant heir apparent of the Antivan Crows who just got into a cliffhanger conflict with a Tevinter magister, doesn’t have more to do.

2. THERE IS A MAP, there is a great big fantasy map surrounded by nifty little illustrative details to poke at.

There’s a label reading “White Spire,” not in Val Royeaux, but on a mountain beyond the Arlathan Forest. Is that an error or is there really a White Spire mountain? If not an error, has it always been named that or is that new, possibly a new center for the mages after the war, after the original Spire fell? At no point is either Spire mentioned in this book aside from this map.

Lots of astrological sun and moon patterns prominently featured around the edges. Is that one moon chart depicting moon phases or an eclipse? Is it too conspiracy theory of me to be counting the nine dark moons (or spheres? like in that DA4 idol illustration’s seven slots?) on the dragon’s wing? Probably. Or are those spheres a reference to the second moon that never seems to actually be visible, is that missing moon actually deliberate.

Most of the astrological charts are fairly straightforwardly showing sun/moon phases but what is the crowned figure in the one on the lower right meant to represent? The Maker? What’s going on with the horizontal lines passing through it/behind it? The two moons beneath it - is that an illustration of the moon in two phases or being separated into two (metaphorical moon in that case, presumably), do those horizontal lines also indicate separation, do I need to move on from the astrological depictions here, definitely.

Love the big horseshoe crab sea monster.

3. Patrick Weekes’s first story in the collection: halla shapeshifting! An elf named Strife who I fully expected to be revealed as an agent of Fen’harel mimicking ancient elven names like Sorrow and Pride, though I was wrong - would it be charming or just annoyingly unsubtle if that became a thing among his agents. An ancient forest guardian with lyrium blades who hunts magic in a way that struck me an awful lot like a forest-themed equivalent of a golem, though I may be wildly off base with that one.

4. Nevarran necromancy story. An odd bit of the chant to highlight for a funeral: “And the Maker, clad in the majesty of the sky, set foot to earth, and at His touch all warring ceased.” I continue to squint suspiciously at overlaps between Maker and elven god imagery. Also, evidently mortalitasi believe that when someone dies, an inhuman spirit is pushed out from the Fade into the physical world, and that’s part of the reason behind their housing spirits in bodies - neat! The existence of Curiosity spirits, also neat!

5. Is Ghilan’nain’s horrible body horror place supposed to be spelled Hormak like in the title and previous canon references, or Hormok like throughout the text here? I know this was just a mistake but maybe I’ll use this to say that in-world there’s multiple ways of transliterating Dwarven.

6. Lukas Kristjanson story #1, the one featuring approximately a million minor Inquisition character cameos and a meditation on Solas’s regrets, introduces a character with the phrase “free mage by special commendation,” and I was briefly thrown by that little signal that we are Not In My Worldstate, that the mages aren’t all free by default - except then the story went on to destroy Solas’s fresco so I wound up quite grateful for that little heads up that this isn’t my worldstate actually.

(Unfortunately I can’t get into this guy’s writing style at all, which is a shame because it’s one of the big Solas stories in the book.)

7. There’s a little plot point in the Wigmaker Job story that demonstrates those elven artifacts Solas had us activate all over Thedas do indeed strengthen the Veil - like, he wasn’t lying to us about what those orbs do, that is how they work, here we see a Crow stab one in order to deactivate it, weaken the Veil and unleash a horde of vengeful demons. Nice confirmation.

8. Genitivi is the Randy Dowager. (Possibly. At least, Philliam wrote a scene in which Genitivi alludes to being the Randy Dowager. I do appreciate an unreliable narrator but after a certain point it does make the lore hard to keep straight.)

9. By the time we got to the story about adventurers stealing an incredibly powerful healing amulet just to donate it to a mysterious contact at a makeshift hospital trying to help people where the Qunari-Tevinter war has spilled over, I knew better than to expect any cameos from DAO/DA2 characters. And with the mention of the squire, I was pretty sure the mysterious contact was going to be Vaea, and it was. Still. Anders would approve. And for a moment I was fantasizing that it would turn out to be him, or connected to him. A new mental setting for him and Hawke post-mage-freedom - makeshift hospitals at the edge of the invasion, secretly sponsored by a certain pair of absurdly overpowered, dungeon-crawling, treasure-hunting fugitives.

Yes, my Dragon Age interpreting is still all about Anders even when he’s not remotely present.

10. You know, I really expected the leaders of the Crows to be a bit more ruthlessly competent than this. Someone is setting up a grand demonstration, recreating infamous historical assassinations carried out by the Crows but now with the leaders of the Crows themselves as the victims, incredibly flashy, incredibly clearly sending a message, and yet not one of the characters trying to figure out whodunit is speculating about the meaning behind that message??? the motive in going to all that trouble??? it’s all, hm, perhaps it’s the qunari invaders. hm, this one was posed with a pearl necklace just like the one in the historical murder it’s recreating, i bet the culprit owns a pearl-fishing business! I know they’re assassins not detectives but at least show the professional courtesy of paying attention to the message in the show your fellow assassin is putting on for you, geez.

Anyway. Interesting Crow details: they talked about neutral ground and territories divided between the Crow households here, does that just apply to Antiva or like, does Arainai have claim to all jobs in Ferelden?

And the line “Teia's back was bare except for a tattoo marking her as a member of House Cantori” puts Zevran’s tattoos in a slightly different light for me - he’s mentioned that some symbols are sacred to the Crows, and logically it follows that having that symbol tattooed on him would indeed mark him as a Crow to other people in the know, but that his tattoos mark him as belonging to House Arainai is a thing that did not hit me from that.

11. An agent of Fen’harel muttering “Felassan” to activate a rune. In memoriam? Charming. I mean it’s a rune that’s intended to kill an entire city, so possibly the more literal slow arrow is meant, but I’m still charmed.

12. PATRICK WEEKES CLOSING OUT THE BOOK BY JUST DUMPING THE CONTINUING DREAD WOLF HUNT PLOT ON US.

So much.

An actual giant wolf in the Fade, I’m so happy for tumblr user corseque.

A character again raising the possibility that Solas is not an ancient elf but rather a young elf who stumbled onto old magic, a theory I thought debunked by Trespasser but here we are considering it again.

A minor side note that a lot of Kirkwall’s templars went rogue after the explosion - that’s not relevant to the post-DAI plot really, I’m just noting it for my generally-DA2-focused fanfic purposes.

The possibility that somniari (presumably) can kill even dwarves who don’t dream in their sleep. Somniari in general or did Solas personally step in here?

A ritual involving the red lyrium idol resulting in the phrase “As if we were the blood and the cavern the body through which it flowed” right before the POV character enters the Fade, which is a rather Titan-esque turn of phrase.

The Dread Wolf again asserting that all creation is in danger and he’s trying to fix that. A biased POV character recognizing that, huh, funny how those spirits around the Dread Wolf which surely must be demons actually look an awful lot like Justice and Valor.

And Charter’s notes at the end, so direct, not only spelling out the new details on the idol for us (that the figure represents a crowned figure comforting another) but thoroughly hitting us over the head with Solas’s essential characterization in his own words, as if Weekes is still trying to clear up any possible lingering misinterpretations there. (Prideful, hotheaded, foolish. Doing what he must. Sympathetic to elves. Said that he was sorry.)

And the quiet simplicity of Solas coming to this meeting of spies in person because, pause, “...the Inquisition was involved,” written in such a way that you could read all sorts of things into that pause, whatever the Inquisition and the Inquisitor might mean to him.

The book would have been worth reading for this last story alone, what a note to end on.

#dragon age #tevinter nights #inquisition #da4 speculation #this is a deeply inquisition- and post-inquisition focused book #lots of neat continuing plot stuff and cameos from DAI or comics characters #no updates on your favorite DAO/DA2 companions

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piracytheorist · 5 years ago

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Drawings (1/1)

Summary: Killian hasn't drawn in ages. With Wish Hook's help and inspiration, he picks it up again.

Note: what is giving titles lol anyways this is short and a bit silly but I had the idea and wanted to share!

Again, for clarification, I’m borrowing the idea used by other authors where “Killian” refers to OG Hook while “Jones” refers to Wish Hook.

Word count: ~1.3k AO3

Killian passes the bag from Granny's to hang from his hook before he pushes open the main door of the sheriff's station. He takes the turn for the office and spots Jones sitting on one of the desks, occupied with writing.

"Hey, mate," he says.

Jones raises his head and gives him a smile. He then nods towards the storage room. "Emma's just finishing."

"Really? I thought I'd need to wait for her." He walks closer to Jones. Is that a notebook he's writing on?

Jones snorts a laugh. "She said your... our, punctuality is rubbing off on her."

Killian laughs. He's about to comment on how having two very punctual deputies would have that effect, but his attention is caught by what Jones is actually doing on the notebook.

He's sketching.

Killian doesn't realize he's transfixed by that simple sketch of a ship sailing on the open seas until Emma calls out to him. Neither her nor Jones seem to notice exactly how transfixed he was.

Killian "catches" Jones sketching again two days later, during a slow, lazy evening shift. Chin resting on his mechanical hand, he doesn't react when Killian stands up from his desk and steps closer. He's sketching the bare back of a female figure, her hands buried in her long, curly hair.

Killian takes a deep breath. His mind fills with memories of Milah posing for him to draw, of him for her to draw... though she always preferred drawing landscapes, painting people frustrated her, the only drawing of that kind that she didn't end up ripping being her own self-portrait. Had he known how early he'd lose her...

"I didn't know you kept up drawing," he says in a low voice.

Jones just shrugs. "I had a lot of time to spend alone in the tower, when Alice was asleep. I remember," he says, pausing on the sketch, "one of the first times I went for a supply run at the nearby village, I found some paper and charcoal, and decided to try picking it up again." He adds a couple of lines before adding, "My first attempts were pitiful. I tried sketching the tower room, the view from the window, my Alice sleeping in her crib. Eventually I just fell into it again. By the time Alice was old enough to draw shapes, I had practiced enough to reach the level I was in when I'd stopped." He turns to look at him and immediately grows worried. "Are you alright?"

Killian realizes how he must be looking. To Jones' eyes he's probably an open book. He sighs weakly. "I... I guess I hadn't realized I've been missing that."

Jones fidgets with the pencil in his hand. "It wasn't easy for me to start again, either."

The good thing with being friends with... himself is that a lot of things don't need explanation.

He remembered sketching as a kid; not so much during his time in servitude, then the occasional doodle when he was in the Navy, then it was with Milah that he spent the most time on it. She'd taught him techniques, let him copy her sketches for practice, posed for him to draw... and then she was gone, and any thought of going back on that hurt.

"But when I was thinking of how I had Alice to live for... it felt different." Jones picks up his phone from the desk and after a quick search, he shows Killian a series of charcoal sketches of a baby, then a toddler, then a small child.

Alice, he realizes.

Jones chuckles. "You could call those my 'baby pictures' of her. Alice told me she'd picked up all the sketches she could find in the tower before finally leaving, I had a few on my person but I lost them during my search for a cure..." His eyes fall as he looks at the pictures of the drawings.

Killian rubs softly on Jones' shoulder. "Good thing she kept those, then."

Jones smiles softly. He then straightens his face and looks up at him. "I could help you start again, if you want."

"Well, I-" Killian shrugs. "I do have the luxury of actual baby pictures."

Jones gives him a look that lets him know he's not buying the excuse. He clicks his tongue. "Fine. I don't mind excelling you at something other than our looks."

Killian scoffs, but he knows even that isn't convincing Jones.

Killian gives in only a few days later and invites Jones home one evening when Emma is off to inspect some troublemakers in the Land of Untold Stories while he babysits Hope. They start with Jones guiding him through sketching the vase filled with fresh roses in the living room.

Killian squints at the end product, but Jones reassures him he'll get better at it soon.

The living room. The view of the sea from the attic bedroom, the two Jolly Rogers moored next to each other. His Jolly Roger herself. The flowers Emma grows in their garden.

After a few sketches, Killian realizes he doesn't need Jones' guidance anymore. However, Jones accepts happily every time he invites him to come draw with him.

He finally draws Hope sleeping calmly, that thumb of hers trying to sneak its way past the pacifier to her mouth. As if she feels it, she only wakes up right when he's finished, and he's surprised to actually feel satisfied with the final sketch.

Jones scoffs playfully at him when Killian shows him the sketch.

"What? I think she looks beautiful," Killian says.

"Of course she does. Proves how much of Emma's looks she got," Jones teases him.

Jones laughs at the face Killian gives him.

His first time with watercolours, Jones takes him to the port to paint their ships.

"I started experimenting with colours for the first time when Alice was about three. I wanted to give her more colourful pictures of what she didn't have the chance to see on her own," Jones says.

"Great motivation," Killian comments.

"It made me think of all the colourful paints we'd find in all the exotic ports Milah loved, and why I had never bothered trying out painting with colours back then."

"Huh," Killian says as he prepares his palette by Jones' instructions. "I never thought of that myself."

"That's what I like about this, you know?" Jones looks at him with an earnest smile.

Killian knows he speaks for both of them when he says, "Getting to know ourselves better."

Once again, Jones lets Killian mimic his painting, giving him instructions throughout. He's not satisfied with the end result, but Jones assures him again that it's gonna get better.

"We didn't learn how to use a sword in one day, either," he tells him.

He eventually sticks to sketching, or pale soft colours when he does add them, in contrast to Jones' bright, vivid colours.

"It's interesting," Emma comments on that, "to see how you're still different despite being... almost the same."

"Well, we do have some twenty-eight years of different experiences," Killian says.

"You'd better not mimic my full experience, mate," Jones says.

"Are you kidding? I'll still be the more handsome when we grow old."

Emma scoffs. "I have an idea. How about you paint each other? You can compare the two paintings and decide which one has the most exaggerated ugliness."

"Now that's a competition," Jones says. "As long as Emma is not a judge."

"Are you afraid of losing, Jones?" Killian says.

"Just keeping it fair," he shrugs innocently. "It's your face she sees all the time; perhaps she's grown bored to it."

The pillow Killian was sitting on flies to Jones' direction as he and Emma burst into laughs.

#Killian Jones #Wish Hook #ouat ff #piracytheorist writes

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tessatechaitea · 4 years ago

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Justice League #2 (1987)

I didn't know Orgazmo was in this comic book.

Once again, I'm surprised by how quickly an old comic book I read years ago gets to some of the stories I think of as major story arcs. These pseudo-Marvel heroes on the cover are the precursor to The Extremists whom I remember as major antagonists to this team. I don't know if The Extremists appear any time soon though. First, the Justice League have to deal with these peaceniks. Only after they've become allies with Blue Jay and Bald Thor and Brown Scarlet Witch do the Extremists finally come to destroy Earth. The issue begins with Kevin Maguire going, "Look at these lips. You like these lips and this mouth. Well, you're gonna get lots of them! Even Maxwell Lord gets some lovely pouty face slugs!"

I'm sorry for referring to lips as "face slugs."

Batman's main goal is to get to the bottom of how Doctor Light became a member of his League. He'd already hired Black Canary so why would he need another woman in the group? Isn't a ratio of eight men to one woman good enough?! I'm counting Oberon in the number of men just to make it seem even more lopsided. Although Doctor Fate has already ditched (and will become a woman soon anyway, right?!) so, not including Oberon, that makes the ratio six to one! Getting better! Plus add Doctor Light since she was on the cover and has somehow forced her way in, a ratio of six to two! That's three to one if you reduce it! Which is practically one to one if you squint and put your fingers in your ears and go, "Nyah nyah nyah! Everything is already equal! Why are women fighting for more than they already have?!" Anyway, my point was: Fucking Batman. What a monster!

I wouldn't think a sleeveless vest with a wacky collar layered on top of a turtle neck with elbow length white gloves would look so cool!

I prefer to concentrate on Guy's outfit rather than his misogyny and lack of intelligence and terrible haircut. In this issue is an advert for the all new Dr. Fate four issue mini-series by Giffen and DeMatteis. So that solves the mystery of why he was sort of included in the first issue. He was basically a commercial. Jack Ryder's gossip television show has been trying to portray the new Justice League in a negative light because that's the kind of reporting that gets eyeballs and raises revenue. Maybe if people's lives weren't so boring, they wouldn't eat up all that hot take drama shit from people like Jack Ryder and Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. I suppose I shouldn't wonder how rational people watch that shit because most people, rational or not, are just looking for somebody to repeat their inner views back to them. And Fox News has honed that ability to a razor edge. Sometimes I imagine Sean Hannity doesn't believe the stupid shit he comes up with but then I remember my high school and college friend Soy Rakelson and I think, "Oh yeah. He actually believes that shit."

I recently found this letter by Soy from our college paper. It's been in my head since 1994 when I could not fucking believe he wrote it. Poor, poor discriminated Soy, self-declared "Defender of Western Civilization."

One small note about Soy: maybe a month or two after Trump became president, he quietly disappeared from Facebook for good. I won't speculate on why but I suppose if I spent some time trying, I'd probably come up with his actual reasoning. After Guy throws another tantrum that has to be quelled by Batman, Doctor Fate gets a scene of his own! I guess he didn't completely disappear from the comic book. At least not yet. Although, if Doctor Fate sticks around for a dozen or more issues, I'm going to feel even more shitty than I already feel about my memory. Doctor Fate visits some purple haired guy who sees everything as gray and warns him to take back up his destiny. I don't know who it is. The only purple haired character I remember is Pariah. But what is his destiny other than to watch worlds burn? Also, he has other selves across the world reaching into people's souls. Is he Jim Corrigan? I have no idea! Meanwhile, Blue Jay, Wandjina, and Silver Sorceress (whose costume is brown), from Earth-Marvel-Parodies (or some other new world, I suppose. In 1987, there was just one Earth left, right?), are busy dismantling Bialya's nuclear arsenal. Bialya is one of DC's evil countries. Sometimes you don't want to write a story that exists in a gray world; you just want pure black and white, good and evil. When that's the case, you have the heroes battle Bialyans! Blue Jay and friends are here to rid the Earth of all their nuclear weapons so as to save it from the fate that befell their homeworld. The leader of Bialya sees an opportunity for mischief and power and the destruction of America, so he greets them with open arms. Rumaan Harjavti, the leader of Bialya, teams up with Blue Jay and Friends to help guide them to other nations who have nuclear weapons that need to be disposed of. The first country he sends them to is Israel. Probably because it's close by and not because he has ulterior racist motives. Guy Gardner hears the news and is thrilled because he gets a boner imagining a world where only Ronald Reagan has control over a nuclear arsenal.

When he first mentioned Ronnie, I thought it was a mistake. I forgot how old this comic book is!

Batman is all, "We're going to stop these peaceniks from making the world a safer place!" Because if there's one story that can't be told enough it's the one where we all learn a lesson about how the ends do not justify the means, no matter how amazing the ends will be and how messy the means are. I suppose the ends justify the means if the means are compassionately thought out and done with respect for all parties' opinions! So maybe sometimes the ends justify the means? Or does the statement not work that way because the point is that you can't just make that blanket statement. Like, do you murder five million people to save one little girl's life? Probably not! Or do I have it completely wrong and everybody thinks the ends do justify the means? Anyway, Batman doesn't think world peace should be achieved through the destruction of other people's dangerous property. It's basically the same story that season one of Stargirl just told. The Injustice Society of America wants to make the world a leftist dreamscape but at the cost of 25 million lives or something. And the Justice Society is all, "Well, we really like your manifesto. We agree with all of these points. But maybe the cost is too high?" So in the end, I was left supporting the Injustice Society of America because I guess I believe the ends do justify the means?! Also, I'm fairly certain I don't like a quarter of the population so good riddance? But also maybe the entire season of Stargirl was some sort of anti-leftist parable about how you have to let people come to their own decisions about saving the world because forcing them to get on board is rude and it's better if climate change destroys the world than to force one person to believe that manmade climate change is an actual thing? I had philosophical whiplash by the end of Stargirl season one. One character is all, "Murder is wrong!" and then goes and murders somebody and another character is all "I need revenge because this monster killed my parents!" and then he gets all merciful and lets Solomon Grundy go so he can kill other parents and the Injustice Society is all, "We'll kill indiscriminately to make the world a better place for our rich white kids!" and then their all, "A lot of rich white people's kids are going to die from our plan but that's okay because they're not ours." Also, the worst part of the show, the part of the show that I cannot forgive, is how they introduced us to Doctor Mid-Nite's sad owl back at the abandoned JSA headquarters and Luke Wilson is all, "Yeah, he's just waiting for Doctor Mid-Nite to return. It's sad, right? He just hangs out here alone super sad." And then Beth becomes the new Doctor Mid-Nite and you keep expecting the owl to befriend her but the owl never appears, ever again. Every episode, when the sad owl didn't appear onscreen, I was reminded of the sad owl. So every minute of every episode, I kept thinking, "Is the owl going to befriend Beth now?" And nothing. The season ends with the sad owl still super sad and all alone and fuck the writers and showrunners for that. I suppose they couldn't afford a CGI owl after ejaculating all of their CGI money on the five minute Solomon Grundy fight. I just digressed so much I need to take a shower.

Guy and I are in 99.5% agreement about the dismantling of nuclear weapons. That last bit is where he thinks the U.S.A. should get to keep theirs.

Everybody treats Guy Gardner like his argument isn't even worth listening to but they're all wrong! They're just treating him like a dumb jerk! Sure, I agree that the Justice League just can't take it upon themselves to rid the world of all nuclear weapons. I mean, do I?! Hmm. I'm not so sure I do agree with that! If Superman really cared about Earth, shouldn't he martyr himself by becoming the biggest criminal in the history of the entire world by destroying all nuclear weapons against the will of every nation that has them?! There are plenty of other planets in the DCU that he could go live on after becoming a giant Earth menace! Can't he even make that small sacrifice for the safety of his homeworld?! And if his actions cause some kind of horrible repercussions that cause the world to spiral into chaos, he can probably just blame Batman. Silver But Really Brown Sorceress questions if what they're doing is right. Bald Thor says, "In the end they'll thank us. And even if they don't, at least they'll be alive to hate us." See?! That's what I just said about Superman! He should totally take that bullet! That was not a tasteless George Reeves joke and even if somebody read it that way, it's been like a hundred years since his death! Blue Jay and Friends tell each other their origin story as they remember how their world was destroyed by nuclear weapons and how they decided to interfere with everybody else's lives because of it. I think their origin was supposed to make me see their side of things and feel empathy for them but it totally made me rethink their position and now I totally think they need to be stopped. Because I was fine when I thought the argument was "Destroy all nuclear weapons to save Earth." But I dislike the argument, "Something bad happened to me and now I have to make sure it never happens to anybody else no matter how annoying I make myself!" It's like when somebody's dumb kid gets hit by a bus while riding their bike and then they have to get a law passed making it illegal for busses to run over kids and to name the law after their kid and to get politicians who support the law because it doesn't really change anything (being that busses running over kids was probably already frowned upon if not illegal) but it's good press and makes it look like they're doing something. Then after the dumb law is passed, the parents of the dumb kid can say things like, "My baby didn't die in vain!" Even if that's totally untrue and their baby did die in vain and the law never actually makes the world a better place at all. Guy rushes in to stop Blue Jay and Friends all alone but fails because writers can't reward brash arrogant heroes who are mostly just big jerks. It would be unseemly.

So far, I've liked the bits with Captain Marvel but I'm still weirded out that he's a little boy in a grown man's muscular body.

Blue Jay and Friends fly into Bialyan airspace and the Justice League have to back off. But they'll get another chance to stop Blue Jay and Friends next issue when Blue Jay and Friends try to disarm Russia! Justice League #2 Rating: B+. It gets too complicated when super heroes bump up against the wall of political conflicts. When Batman points out that the Justice League can't chase Blue Jay and Friends into Bialyan airspace without creating an international incident, some readers might start questioning how super heroes can act even within the borders of one specific country! Surely every time they commit their vigilantism, they're creating a domestic incident! Don't make me start asking questions about the fundamental nature of masked people doing whatever the fuck they think is justice without the consent of any kind of laws or political powers, comic book! This is too heady for my tastes! I guess the whole point is to eventually have the Justice League backed by the United Nations so that the reader can think, "Okay, right. So they have the authority to do whatever they want now if I'm willing to believe the United Nations has any real authority at all!" And then the reader goes on to prove the moon landing never happened and that Project Cloverleaf rains human excrement down on our heads on a daily basis for some kind of Nazi experimentation.

#Justice League #DC Comics #DC #Keith Giffen #J.M. DeMatteis #Kevin Maguire

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theateared · 5 years ago

Text

EDGAR HEADCANON / PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES.

So, I’ve made a headcanon about Edgar’s face markings and now it’s time to talk about why Raku chose his other features, such as his extreme height and his unnerving smile. Some are simple, sometimes as simple as ‘’just because’’; others are a little deeper. I also do intend to write some drabbles about some of these things so things might be left slightly vague on occasion. Also, if you wanna read about his face markings, you can refer to THIS POST.

RED HAIR: In his previous life, Edgar had a more brown tint to his hair, though it would probably still be described as red. In this life, it’s a super vibrant, super noticeable red. It just seems like a natural progression; it’s also longer now in his current life. When he was a huro, it came to about his mid-neck, or the bottom before he had it cut. Now it’s a little past his shoulders. The main reason is that HYBRID LYES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE RECOGNISABLE AS THE PEOPLE THEY WERE. As much as Raku wants to give them little hints about who they are, it also doesn’t want to give people heart attacks from ‘’raising the dead’’.

THE ‘’DEVIL HORNS’’: I can’t draw well but if I could, I’d add them on every single drawing. Before Edgar’s lye ears go up, there’s a little curl that, when in the dark or when he’s casting a shadow, gives the illusion of him having devil horns. This is both a reference to the sins he committed in his past life, as well as a sneaky little nod to the fact that he used to have horns of a different variety, being a huro and all. If you read between the lines, too, it could also be a little hint towards Edgar’s psychosis: near the time of his death, he wholly believed that there was a demon controlling him/feeding him motives.

EXTREME HEIGHT: As I’ve hinted, Edgar did in fact commit suicide in the end, though it was extremely circumstantial and not based on depression ( though before he made the conscious decision to do it, he did feel as if he had nothing to lose because he’d become so empty, but that’s besides the point ). He actually did so by jumping from a great height. I do have the name of this place, even its location, but this is something I want to write little things about so I’ve decided to leave it ambiguous until it’s been properly transcribed as I want it. But yes, his extreme height has to do with his means of killing himself come the end of his run.

DEFAULT EXPRESSION: The smile is one of the hardest things for me to unpack because it has so many little nods to different things, so I’ll just try to rocket through them. 1) it’s kind of Raku’s way of mocking Edgar’s overly emotional state when he was a huro; he had the tendency to bottle up his feelings and act ‘super seriously’ until he exploded. 2) It’s a reference to how his son wanted to see him, though obviously a very macabre, twisted version, reminding him that if he was ever to reunite with Augustus again, he would be afraid of him and wouldn’t celebrate his smile. 3) It deals with Edgar’s personal feelings too. The feeling of ‘losing control’ of himself and ‘snapping’ for good. He smiles because nothing really hurts him anymore, because he endured so much pain in his previous life; nothing feels serious anymore. Nothing hits him like it used to. 4) It’s very hard for Edgar to look genuinely happy, even if he is. You’d probably have to literally squint to notice the little nuances of a rare genuine smile; for that reason, most people wouldn’t notice that he’s truly happy and won’t cling to memories in the same way that he does. 5) Edgar hasn’t felt happy in a hell of a long time. He hasn’t felt happy since the loss of his wife and son, and keep in mind he had eight wives after her, and a handful of children, AND a whole other life in which he’s a successful leader who is respected. It’s a cruel reminder of the fact that, even if he gleans satisfaction from some things, he never truly feels at peace. He’ll only revisit happiness again when things with Grace begin to move - and it will devastate him as much as it will liberate him.

#🞮 — if i could i'd trade my heart for a second brain. ❜ ( edgar. )#☆ — my tired thoughts don't take vacations. ❜ ( headcanons. )

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rosesisupposes · 6 years ago

Note

Hey I saw you were offering fluff and I'm a hoe for Prinxiety, only if you feel motivated too though! Love your writing xxx

So, this may not be what you meant, but… I watched The Unicorn Store the other day and I loved it, and one of the characters’ names was literally Virgil. So in a slight mix-and-matched fashion, here’s that :D

The Store

Pairings: Prinxiety, Moceit (Paternal Royality, Paternal Roceit); brief moment of analogical if you squint.

Warnings: Self-doubt, reference to possible hallucinations; reference to abuse and miscarriage; also, minimal editing

Word Count: much longer than intended 4,434 words

Read on ao3

Roman, dearest Roman, grew up with a deep love for unicorns, and rainbows, and all things glitter. His imagination let him have wild and beautiful adventures with his pet unicorn. His name was Steve.

He drew him, over and over, hoping that if he just nailed it perfectly, his parents would understand, and finally see himBut while Pat and Dee indulged his stories and encouraged his art, it was clear they’d never really understand.

They did send him to art school though

He wanted to love it, wanted to meet all those people who thought like him, who saw the world like him

Unfortunately what he found was a mentor who’s best-known work was a photography series called Stick in a Box

In the final evaluation, they were asked to make a self-portrait

Roman’s classmates had beautifully composed but tiny charcoal drawings of themselves, lined up in neat 8.5x11 boxes

Roman’s drawing was technically perfect, too. But it was a charcoal of a unicorn on a hill, surrounded with stripes of purple, yellow, pink, green, red that stretched off the box, off the canvas, and onto the wall itself. As a final touch, he said a wish to himself and blew on glitter

Unfortunately, his mentor was… unimpressed. And Roman became an art school dropout, back in his dads’ house, shifted to the basement because his room had become a home gym

His dads were still supportive, though. They knew he’d bounce back. But it didn’t always help when they’d talk about “now that you’ve tried that” and “finding a new path”

Also, they kept bringing over their neighbor, Emile, who was Roman’s age. Emile has just started working with them at their retreat service for troubled and at-risk teens. And it’s not that Roman didn’t like Emile, it just felt like… they were prouder of him than their son the failure.

Okay, maybe Roman did dislike Emile.

So in a fit of… jealousy? Desperation? Roman announces he’s joining a temp agency. He’s going to have an office job. So, Dad, Papa, please make sure to purchase plenty of pens and graph paper as he will need them now. He even borrows Pat’s old office clothes. A bit outdated perhaps, but he’s professional now.

He starts at the ad agency/communications firm and damn does he look the part, he’s sure. Even if his work is boring. Even if the people are very caught up in very small concerns.

In the middle of the very, very beige cubicles, and the very, very dull conversations, Roman finds a letter. It has his name on it, spelled in glitter and rhinestones. And it invites him to The Store.

But he’s… he’s being professional now. He’s a businessman. He doesn’t care about frivolity like glitter. Right?

When the second letter arrives, still with his name, still with the same address, still with no signature… well, it might not be smart but he can’t help it

He goes to the address to find a lone, flickering neon sign that says The Store. He walks in to an elevator that has no buttons, but descends on its own. He walks through a pink-lit hallway to a curtain of rainbows, and finally emerges into a grand old room that’s been…. transformed.

On one side: a gate closes off a clear space. On the other: several grand tables are arranged with fruit and hay bales. The back wall has a long bar and freezers of ice cream. And in the middle, a man stands with a slight smile and adjusts his bright purple tie and the shiny satin matching suit jacket.

“Welcome, Roman!”

“How do you know my name?”

“I’ve been expecting you, of course. Though you are late, by several days. It’s rather impolite not to respond to an invitation immediately, you know.”

“What is this place?”

“It’s the Store. And I am the Salesman.” Roman notices what definitely looks like long strings of tinsel in the man’s dark hair.

“What kind of store?”

“The kind that sells that and only that which you need”

“Which is?”

“Roman, don’t be ridiculous. You know what it is. You’ve known your whole life.”

The Salesman flicks on the huge screen above the door. Footage of graceful horses under rainbows, horses in meadows, horses sleeping… except they all have a beautiful, spiral horn in their foreheads.

“Unicorns?! You have real, actual unicorns?”

“Yes we do. And I contacted you specifically to make you this offer: we have a unicorn, just for you.”

Roman starts to tear up. "Really? You do? For me? I was right, all this time? Oh my goodness, can i see her? Him? Them? Do unicorns have genders?“

“They do, if they want them. Yours isn’t here yet: you need to prove you’ll take good care of them first. A unicorn isn’t just a pet, you know. They’re a commitment. They will love you forever. Can you keep one safe forever?”

“I think I can,” Roman responds, though he’s still jittery and very glittery.

“Excellent! Here’s the first requirement, then,” the Salesman responds. He pulls out a shiny folder. In it is a description of “Sheltering and Feeding Your Unicorn”

“Do you have space to accommodate a unicorn? Can you feed one? To qualify for unicorn ownership, you must first demonstrate that you’re able to provide for them.”

Roman thinks of his basement room with a wince. “Uh, not yet. But I will!”

“And can you demonstrate that you’re stably employed, able to continue providing?”

“I will do that too.”

He heads off in a whirlwind of giddy and righteous energy. He’s getting a unicorn. He’ll do whatever it takes!

First stop is the hardware store. He finds a man in the lumber section.

“Hello good sir! I am in the market for lumber.”

“Whatcha building.”

“A stable.”

“How big’s the horse?”

“Uh, not quite a horse, but um. Bigger than a pony, but you know, they can probably become whatever size I need them to be. Um, just your average small horse, I suppose?”

“Where you buildin’ it?”

“My bedroom”

The man stares, then picks up his radio. “Virgil, please report to the lumber department.”

“Will he be able to help me?”

The man doesn’t answer, just rolls his eyes and walks off

Roman wanders until he finds the worker with the nametag “Virgil”

“So, are you the builder?”

“Uh, what?”

“The man said you could help me.”

“Yeahhh, he definitely just said that to fuck with me. I’m not really a carpenter, I just do stock.”

“Well, you know more about it than me! Maybe you could try?”

Virgil stares down at Roman earnest smile, then finally sighs. “I mean, I’m gonna get paid, right? Might as well.”

He’s then the first to point out that Roman’s… ‘pony’ won’t want to live in his basement.

But in the backyard, there’s the slightly-rotted ruins of Roman’s childhood castle. It’s not structurally sound, but the space is good. And maybe some of the wood is salvageable. Roman starts kicking in the walls for good measure, and Virgil, with a strange fascination bordering on entertainment, joins in at his urging.

The hardest part is keeping his parents from asking about Virgil’s visits. Roman is very tired of being reminded that among his many failings, he doesn’t even have a partner. And the eagerness with which Dad and Papa ask about the ‘young man’’ who keeps visiting kinda makes it obvious they hope that’s why. In Pat and Dee’s defense, they’re not trying to be pushy. They just saw the conspiratorial smiles Roman kept flashing Virgil, and the bemused but amused smiles Virgil returned.

But Roman’s getting a unicorn. Who needs a boyfriend when the unicorn will love him more than any human ever could or has.

Roman returns to The Store. “I’m building a stable, and I have an appointment to go buy hay. What’s next?”

“Ah, good. Now that you’re building a home worthy of a unicorn, you need to ensure the full environment is appropriate. Here, hold this.”

The Salesman hands Roman a spiraled cone. It feels like ivory, but is far too heavy.

“Is this…?”

“Yes, a horn. They’re fragile creatures, but the weight of caring from one is all too real. Will your unicorn be surrounded by support and love? Is there a healthy family environment for them to come home to?”

Roman realizes that he’s not been on… particularly good terms with his dads. And it’s probably not all their fault. So he volunteers to join a weekend retreat: rafting and camping with the kids. And Dad, and Papa. And Emile

If there’s one thing Roman can say for Emile, it’s that he’s a really great trier. He’s not particularly good at paddling. He volunteers to pitch a tent on his own and…. Well. It got up eventually.

Roman’s helping two of the teens assemble their own tent when Pat calls out to get ready for Truth Circle. The girls snort under their breath but call back to say they’re coming.

“What’s truth circle?”

“Ugh, it’s so lame. It’s going around and sharing and they want it to be some deep shit. But I make up something every time and they can’t tell.”

True to her word, the young woman, sitting around the campfire, tells a tearful story of how her mom cut up all her tube tops and she just misses them, so much. A young man says he’s "so tired of assumptions just because i like loud music, and like knives, doesn’t mean i’m gonna attack my English teacher! I like my English teacher."

To each pronouncement, Pat and Dee nod seriously, occasionally offering "Thank you” and “Good share”

Roman just feels worse and worse, knowing that all of these kids are probably laughing at his dads on the inside, so when they ask if he’d like to share anything…

“I’ve been working really hard lately, trying to improve my life,” he starts, and Pat and Dee are beaming, holding hands. “I really want to make it all worth it, you know? Because growing up, people kept wanting to not play with me, and every birthday I wished for the same thing: someone to love me, unconditionally. And I know I’ve been flighty, and selfish, but I’m finally at a turning point where all my hard work feels worth it. And It’s because I’m finally about to get the one thing I’ve always wanted: a unicorn.”

His dads’ faces drop. “Uh, kiddos, we’re gonna have a quick lil mini family circle over here, okay? Emile, you want to lead some campfire songs?”

Pat is the first to speak. "Ro, I was so happy when you told us you wanted to come, but this is just rude. This weekend is for the kids, why can’t you pretend to take it seriously?”

Dee puts a calming hand on Pat’s shoulder. “Roro, your dad’s right. If you wanted to make jabs at us for not getting you a puppy, you could have done that at home.”

Roman tries to explain. “No, I mean it, I’m working on getting one. I’m making a good home for it and everything. I wouldn’t lie about this!”

“Oh, and you didn’t lie about 'Steve’ eating all the cotton candy all those years?”

“That doesn’t count, I was a child!”

“And yet you’re still acting like one”

Roman is practically crying with frustration. “You know they’re the ones lying, right?” he whisper-screams. “All those kids. Just making up whatever bullshit they think you’ll accept. And I sit here, actually telling the truth, and you don’t believe me!”

Dee sighs. “We know they lie, Ro. Of course they do. Her mom beats her,” he gestures with his head to a girl. “His father passed away suddenly. Xe had a miscarriage. They just got out of an emotionally abusive relationship. They all lie, outrageously, and then suddenly one day they’re telling the truth because they trust that now no one will believe them when they’re actually vulnerable. But we know, and we’re there when they do.”

“Is that the problem?” Pat asks softly. “Were we just bad enough parents that you’re doing the same thing to us?”

“No, of course not!” Roman insists. He’s properly crying now. “I’m trying to tell you…” He trails off, seeing their disbelief. “Fine. I’ll just… go. You guys can adopt Emile instead.”

In the background, Emile pops his head up. “Did someone call me?”

All three shout back, “NO!”

Roman stares at his dads for another moment, helplessly, then stomps off.

He fucked up. Now there won’t be a loving family environment. Now he’ll never get his unicorn.

He gets home and glares at the rainbows and Care Bears and streamers in his room, then starts bagging them up. All of them. All of the old drawings, and paints, and especially the glitter. Plus the hay he’d lovingly dyed rainbow, and the huge amount of carrots.

He throws them all in bags and goes to toss them in the backyard, when he can no longer hold it back and starts to cry. All these hopes he’d been building. All his childhood dreams coming true. All for nothing.

He hides in the grey basement all weekend, staring at the dumb assignment about a dumb vacuum for his dumb job. He was urged to make a pitch for the ad campaign, unless he wants to stay a temp forever. And even if he can’t get his unicorn, he’d like to create something again. But a vacuum? a “mystic” vacuum? What even is that.

On Sunday afternoon, he hears power tools from the backyard, and drags himself outside to tell Virgil he can stop working on the dumb stable now. But Virgil hasn’t just finished the stable. He’s decorated.

And it is an explosion of color.

“Oh my goodness gracious,” he breathes, looking at all the rainbows painted up and down the walls. Drawings are pasted all around, with strings of tinsel everywhere. “Are these… my drawings?”

“Uh, yeah, you put all the materials out here, isn’t that why?”

“Did I put all these in those bags?”

“Well, no- your dads saw what I was doing and brought out their favorites of your art to add”

“They… like my art? But it’s all the unicorns, I thought…”

He brushes away a tear. His original drawing of Steve is here, a big red heart with a very spiky stick figure. And so is his high school masterpiece, a photorealistic unicorn rearing in the sunset.

Virgil scuffs a sneaker against the ground. Like the stable, he’s a little technicolor, splats of paint on his pants and shoes and face. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?”

“I… you made an art show of me. Of all I’ve done over the years. And you didn’t give up on this ridiculous project. Thank you, Virgil. I love it.” He stares, and suddenly grins. “Hey, any chance there’s some glitter left over? I have an idea.”

He prepares a gorgeous, glitter-filled presentation for the damn vacuum, and even makes it a demonstration of how well it works in one go. It’s the Mystic Vacuum. It’s dreams coming true. It’s an experience.

But the working world does not care if employees are going through a coming-of-age realization. Cubicles are immune to your thinking-outside-the-box thinking. The 'safe’ presentation of terribly restricted gender norms gets the ad.

He comes home, a little crushed, but Pat’s there waiting for him.

“Papa, I fucked up. Again. I just… really suck at being a grown-up”

“Did you go for it, though? Did you try?”

“..yeah”

“Did you care about doing it?”

“…yeah”

“Then you’re doing great, kiddo. The most grown-up thing you can do is fail at something you care about.”

Roman sniffs, and hugs Patton tightly. “Thanks, Pop Star”

“Now, do you want to hear what Emile did?”

Roman struggles for a moment. “I’m trying very hard to be grown-up, but I really don’t.”

“No trust me. You do.”

Roman eyes him warily.

"When we were coming back from the campsite, he got tangled up in his own life jacket. And fell into the water because of it.”

“…really?”

“Mmmhmm. And… I may have taken longer than I should have to get him out because I had to not be laughing when I pulled him back into the boat.”

Roman chuckles, then laughs, and Pat’s laughing too.

And suddenly, Roman notices something.

“What are those on the wall? Are those my paintings?”

“Oh those? Yesirree!”

“Did you just put them up?”

“Of course not. They’ve been up since you sent them home in freshman year, sweetie.”

“…you didn’t help Virgil just because you felt bad?”

“Oh honey, no. We’ve always loved your art.” Patton ruffles his hair. “We just want you to be happy.”

Thanks to Pat, Roman shakes off his setback, and when he sees a call from Virgil, he picks up eagerly. They go out for dinner, Roman still in his glitter from the presentation. And it is… wonderful. Virgil is sarcastic and witty, and only ever seems to mock Roman with the same level of skepticism he gives literally everyone else.

Until he finally asks, “So, now that it’s done, when are you getting the pony?That’s the big secret, right, you’re actually buying a pony?"

And Roman smiles and says, "Almost.”

“You see, I’m getting a unicorn.”

And Virgil stares a moment. Then he cracks a smile. “Cute, I get it. Like the pictures.”

“No, for real!” Roman tells him. “I’ve been working on this so that I can get a unicorn. I mean, I don’t know if I’m back in the running, but I think I fixed the family environment too so, hopefully.”

And now Virgil goes still. He’s concerned.

“Um. So, where is this unicorn coming from?”

“The Unicorn Store,” Roman responds matter-of-factly.

“Uh-huh,” Virgil nods slowly. “And that’s definitely a real place.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there several times. It’s lovely, and the Salesman is wild.”

Virgil’s eyes are a little bit bugging out of his head now. "The Salesman?”

“Yeah, he gave me the steps I need to get my unicorn. Place to live, nice environment, prove i can support them, you know. Like pet adoption, but better.”

“You gave him your financial information? Ro, I know you’re really excited but… this sounds like a scam.”

“Why does no one believe me? It’s real, I swear. There’s even a hay-staurant.”

“…you say you’ve been there? Can I come see?”

“I don’t see why not”

But when they get there, nothing seems right. The entryway sign is gone. The elevator still moves, but it doesn’t open to a pink hallway. And in the room… the decorations are gone. The Salesman isn’t there. The screen is missing. And Roman… starts to doubt. Virgil isn’t surprised, but he’s worried. Roman looks so heartbroken… did he really believe in this? A grown man, thinking he’d actually get a unicorn?

“Ro, we should go. If you need help making sure that guy hasn’t used your info to, I don’t know, buy random things, withdrawing money… I can help.”

“No,” Roman insists. “No, he’ll be back. I’ll stay.”

“Roman, c'mon, don’t do this…”

“I know what I saw!” he shouts. “It was real!”

“I don’t doubt he did a great job with the showmanship, Ro. I believe you. But he’s clearly gone now, and… it might be time to assume he’s not coming back.”

Roman doesn’t turn, and Virgil sighs. He keeps hoping Roman will relent, but if there’s one thing he’s already learned about this man, it’s that he’s stubborn. So he leaves alone. And Roman waits until he hears the elevator leave to break down.

Virgil, walking out, feels something in his shoe. He checks - it’s hay. Rainbow hay. But he expected that - it was a scam, right? A well-done scam. He walks on.

Roman goes home and finds himself just sitting in the stable, dejectedly. It’s so lovely, and it made him so happy but… He knew he was a daydreamer. Had he really fallen for such a ridiculous thing?

Dee and Pat find him together, and sit with him in the stable.

“It’s really well built,” Pat comments.

“And your art is lovely,” Dee says, fondly tracing a unicorn horn on the wall.

Roman sniffs. “It’s just a catalog of mania at this point. My slow descent into madness.”

Dee hugs him around the shoulders. “Roberry, you’re not crazy. You have a spark that is just… so unique. No one could hope to match the way you view the world. Hell, even I can’t. Neither can your Papa. But that doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It means we’re just limited.”

“Is this some of that feel-d trip stuff you tell the troubled teens?”

Dee grins. “Nah, they never believe the sappy shit. This is just for you.”

Roman wipes his eyes. “I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment.”

Dee and Pat object in one voice.

Dee continues, “Hun, you are so loved. By us, by the people who meet you… You’re joy, Roman. You remind people of joy.”

“And that boy seems to really like you, too.”

Roman groans. “He definitely thinks I’m crazy.”

“Give him a chance, okay?” Pat asks, patting Roman’s shoulder. “He might surprise you.”

“He built this, didn’t he?” Dee asks, gesturing around. “He’s gotta like you at least a little.”

The next day, Roman goes back to the hardware store, looking for him. He searches every department, and all the back rooms he can sneak into, but nothing. No Virgil. He ends up sitting in the backyard, glaring at the stable, but still… hoping.

He’s interrupted one day by a very tentative knock on the back gate. And Virgil comes out, looking sheepish.

“Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to disappear…”

“I was looking for you at the hardware store?”

“I got transferred, actually. Turns out having a full construction project to my name means your boy got promoted. I’m… sorry, about the store. I shouldn’t have left you so abruptly.”

“It’s okay. And congrats.”

Virgil sits in the stable next to Roman, and smiles when Roman leans over on his shoulder.

He’s about to suggest they get coffee when Roman’s phone starts ringing.

“Hello?”

“Congratulations, Roman! He’s arrived!”

“Who is this? Who’s arrived?”

“The Salesman, of course. And your unicorn. He is here in the store, waiting for you.”

Virgil stares at the phone. “That’s him?” he mutters. “Here, if he’s a scammer, let me talk to him, okay?”

“I… you’re sure? He’s there?” Roman asks. His heart is in his throat. What if it really all had been true? What if Virgil scares him away? “I came by, and you were gone…”

“We don’t set up the full store for just anyone, Roman. It’s not for him. It’s just for you. But you need to let me know if you’re serious about this unicorn. If you don’t want him, there’s a woman who’s qualified who needs him just as much.”

“I’m coming!” Roman interjects. “Don’t give him away, please! I’ll be there as soon as I can!”

He jumps up and is practically sprinting to the car, Virgil barely able to keep up.

“Roman, can I at least come with?”

“Yes, sure, just don’t tell me not to go,” Roman says, practically vibrating with excitement.

The decorations aren’t fully back, but the sign outside is, at least. They descend through the elevator, and this time… the hall isn’t empty.

“Ah, Roman! You made it! And I see you brought… a companion,” the Salesman says, eyeing Virgil suspiciously. “He will, of course, have to stay out here while you meet him.”

“He’s really here?” Roman asks breathlessly. “My…?”

“Your unicorn, yes. I called you to say so, did I not? He’s right through those doors.”

“And I can meet him?”

“Yes, of course. You don’t have to take him home - as I said, another woman also needs him if you don’t want to anymore”

Virgil outright staring at the Salesman’s outfit. It’s blue today, all satin and rhinestones and tinsel. But still with a nicely-tied tie. The Salesman looks back, and adjusts his glasses. “Salutations.”

Roman approaches the doorway slowly, and eases it open. Rainbows spill out as he walks in, letting the door close behind him.

He is…. beautiful.

He’s there, in real life. A huge, graceful horse with a pearl horn and a shimmery mane. He wickers at Roman’s approach.

“Hi,” Roman breathes. “You’re… oh my god, you’re here. It’s Mr. Unicorn, right? Do you care?”

The creature nods.

Roman feels tears rolling down his cheeks as he reaches out a gentle hand to caress the beautiful thing’s nose.

“I’ve waited for you for so long. I wished for you every birthday. I would close my eyes and think 'send me someone to love me, unconditionally, for me.’" He smiles wetly. "I called you Steve.”

“And I… I worried so badly that you weren’t real, because I needed you to be real. I needed you to really, really love me. But…” Roman looks into a pair of soft brown eyes, huge and understanding. They feel… familiar.

“But I can’t bring you home with me. Because there’s a woman out there who needs you more than I do. And you are going to love her, okay? You’re going to love her and support her, and never judge her dreams. You’re going to make sure she knows you love her. And… and you make sure she never feels alone, okay?”

The unicorn nods, and nuzzles Roman’s chest. He wipes his eyes. “I’m going to hug you now, is that okay?” Another nod.

Roman throws his arms around the equine neck, breathing in the strange mix of lavender and sugar and sunlight that is the unicorn’s scent. A hair from the mane gets stuck to him, and easily breaks off. He tries to give it back, but the unicorn shakes his head. A memento. Just for him.

He turns to go, and sees the Salesman has entered, and brought Virgil with him. Virgil is staring, open-mouthed.

“Mr. The Salesman- I can’t take him. Please give him to the woman you mentioned, okay? She earned it, right?”

“She did. And since you no longer are a client, you can just call me Logan.”

Roman wipes his eyes, but holds tight to the single hair. “As long as he’s happy.”

“Will you be?” Logan asks. His face doesn’t betray any emotion.

Roman walks to Virgil’s side, and takes his hand. “Yeah, I think I will.”

fin

taglist: @residentanchor @royally-anxious @bewarethegrammarpolice @jemthebookworm @arandompasserby @sparkly-rainbow-salt @astral-eclipse @thelowlysatsuma @adorably-angsty @max-is-tired @almostoveranalyzed

#Roses Writes Fanfic #the unicorn store #platonic prinxiety #roman-centric <3 #romangst #moceit #paternal royality #parternal roceit #roman sanders appreciation #roman sanders #ts deceit #deceit sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #it's important to me that you know i didn't change virgil's name from the movie

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aivaehdaevis · 5 years ago

Text

The More Things Change: Ch 5

The More Things Change

by Aivaeh

Disclaimer: Familiar characters, plot elements, and settings belong to L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, and the CW. The author of this work of fanfiction has made no money from it. Summary: I have no idea how it happened, but one morning I woke up in the world of The Vampire Diaries. Which, aside from the insanity of waking up inside a television show made real, might not be so bad—if I weren't stuck in the body of vampire magnet and doppelgänger herself, Elena Gilbert. Pairing(s): OFC x Damon, OFC x Stefan, OFC x Elijah, OFC x Klaus Rating: M Warning(s): Graphic descriptions of violence on par with the show itself. References to sex and drug use. Mind control and all the issues of consent that go along with it. Character death. Author's Note: I know there are a ton of these fics out there. Still I recently got into the show, and I can't get enough of these types of stories. The urge to write my own wouldn't leave me alone so here it is. Hopefully someone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Master List External Links: AO3 | FF.Net | Wattpad

Chapter Five

I woke up in Elena's bed, drenched in sweat. The slanted ceiling occupied my blank stare for several minutes while I laid on my back. I was well and truly stuck. How?

There was no figuring it out. If the show were real, maybe this was some sort of parallel reality. Yes, because parallel realities—as opposed to just losing my mind—made perfect sense.

I covered my—or Elena's—face with my—or Elena's—hands and concentrated on breathing and not, you know, screaming. It took a while. The alarm clock went off.

Dragging myself out of the bed, I went on autopilot. Bathroom. Shower. Brush teeth. Get dressed. Makeup.

By the time I was finished putting Elena's hair up into a ponytail, I had a good hour before I'd have to leave for—ugh—high school. That gave me some time to snoop before anyone might expect me for breakfast. Not that Jeremy would care, but Jenna would probably notice if I skipped another meal.

I went to Elena's desk and pulled her laptop over. While her diary would probably tell me more about her, it felt wrong to dive into a teenage girl's private thoughts. Her search history was fair game, though.

What I found was that Elena spent a lot of time reading fashion blogs, following models and designers on their facebooks—when she wasn't looking over the hundred other pages of people she apparently knew—and browsing the online sites of high-end fashion stores. She also had a large collection of links to blogs by and for writers. A quick perusal of her drive revealed a folder full of original stories and poems. I didn't have time to read more than a few of the latter. While poetry really wasn't my thing, what I saw was pretty good.

She also had a bunch of pirated music and shows. Tsk tsk.

Shutting down the laptop, I sat back and thought. Far as fashion went, my knowledge was limited to reality game shows—and that was about it. I was going to have to be careful not to bring it up around Caroline or Bonnie, because I'd probably sound like an idiot. At least I had an idea of her taste in music and movies. We shared a love of Pop, which was good, though Elena had a more extensive collection of Indie rock. We liked a lot of the same movies and shows, too. Except she had a noticeable lack of horror in her collection which—was hilarious or sad, depending on how you looked at it, I supposed.

I had enough time for breakfast before I had to leave.

Jeremy's room was quiet as I walked by. I glanced at the door, at the sign warning others to stay out, and wondered if I should knock and see if he was awake. Elena probably would've.

But I wasn't Elena. I didn't know Jeremy beyond what I'd seen on television, and the kid was not coping with the death of his parents all that well. If such a thing could be said of any kid who'd lost their parents. He also probably knew his sister pretty damn well. I didn't want to risk saying or doing something wrong around him. Jeremy was clever. He'd put together the existence of vampires for himself. No need to go stirring up his curiosity if I didn't have to.

I decided to leave it to Jenna, his actual guardian.

Unfortunately, all there was of Jenna was a note on the fridge saying she'd had to leave early to work on research. I helped myself to some cereal and started a pot of coffee for Jeremy. Provided he ever woke up.

As the time crept closer to eight, and he still hadn't made an appearance, I muttered a quiet, "Dammit." After rinsing the bowel out in the sink, I made my way back upstairs and to Jeremy's door.

I knocked. "Jeremy?"

Nothing.

Blowing out a breath, I knocked harder. "Hey, Jeremy? It's getting kind of late."

"Go away."

Alrighty then.

I wandered back to Elena's room for her bag before going downstairs. I was about to head for the garage when I heard a car rumble up the driveway. Had Bonnie thought she still needed to pick me up?

Switching tracks, I went out the front door and into a neon-bright Virginia morning. This time, I locked the deadbolt behind me. Who knew what Jeremy was going to do? Shaking my head, I started down the porch.

Only to stop at the last step.

Damon. Seated behind the wheel of a top-down convertible. Lips already twisted into that ever-present smirk. He lowered his head until his eyes peeked over the rim of his sunglasses. "Morning Elena."

Leather creaked in my grip. Over my shoulder, the front door tempted me.

"C'mon. I'll give you a ride to school."

"I can drive myself." I'd never make it before he was in front of me. And he could get in.

His grin suggested that was the most amusing thing he'd ever heard. "Let me get this straight," he began before pulling off his sunglasses, "I am offering to take you to your little podunk high school in a classic american sports car, and you'd rather go in a—" he squinted, "Ford SUV."

Since there was no way to get away and I didn't want to keep shouting across the lawn, I walked from the sidewalk to the driveway. I stopped a good few feet from the car. "That's right."

Damon rolled his head back until it was resting against the leather headrest. "Hm." Icy eyes flickered down. "And where did that come from, I wonder?" he asked, staring at Elena's bag.

"Your brother," I bit off. "And he said he found it in the woods."

"Found it?" A side of his mouth crooked into a grin. "Good ol' Saint Stefan." He slung an arm across the passenger seat. "C'mon, Elena. Let me take you to school."

"No, Damon." I sucked down a breath and made for the garage.

And there Damon was, right in my personal space. "Wow. You didn't even take a moment to think about it." He leaned even closer, eyes big and intense. "That really hurts my feelings, Elena."

I gasped. Dry grass crunched as I stepped back. "Don't do that!"

"If you did what I asked, I wouldn't have to," Damon said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"You don't ask, Damon. You demand."

"Fine," he said in the surliest tone imaginable. "Elena," his lips stretched into a shape that technically met all the requirements for a smile, but was too grudging to truly qualify, "will you please," he pressed his hands together, "let me drive you to school?"

I squeezed the bag's strap. "No."

Damon's breath blasted through his nose. "You have to make everything so much more difficult than it needs to be, don't you?"

"I didn't ask you to come over."

"That's what makes it a surprise." His brows shot up. "Surprise!"

Lips mashed into a thin line, I glared.

"Fine. We'll do it the easier way." Ducking his head, Damon stare bored straight into mine, until I could make out the fine flecks of silver growing around his iris like frost crystals. His pupils contracted to points. "You want to ride with me to school."

Was he trying to compel me? "No, I don't."

He went still as night, pinning me beneath narrowed eyes. "You don't," he murmured.

The gentleness of his voice made the fine hair on my arms and neck stand on end. "No."

Damon's hand flew to his mouth, fingers rubbing across his lips as he stared. "Hm." His eyes were fever bright, like two chips of ice reflecting the winter sun. "Alright." His hand fell away. "We'll do it the hard way."

"What do you mean—"

"The blonde. Caroline, isn't it?" He smiled, and this time, it was closer to genuine. "She's cute."

My guts twisted.

"Mm. Yeah." Closing his eyes, Damon stretched his neck to the side. "I bet she'd like to take a ride with me." Eyes meeting mine again, he folded his arms and pursed his lips for a moment before wondering, "Or your other little friend. Bonnie." Damon's black shirt stretched as he shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I could go either way."

Static filled my ears. Heart speeding up, my chest turned to ice that spread outwards all the way to the tips of my fingers. I didn't know what Damon had planned for Elena—for me—but I was pretty sure he'd do worse to Caroline or Bonnie. I knew what I needed to do, but it was hard. My knees trembled. I had to move, but every instinct in me screamed to stay. I was pulled in two directions, unable to move in either. I stood still and hated myself.

"Just tell me what you want from me, Damon," I asked—pleaded—quietly.

"I already have. This is not a difficult concept, Elena." His smile was all teeth. "I want you to get into the car so that I can take you to your boring little high school. And when you're finished, I want you to get back into my car, so I can take you home."

"Why?"

Damon shrugged again. "Because I want to."

It couldn't be that simple. Damon had to have some ulterior motive. I just couldn't figure out what it was. Unless toying with me was that fun to him. "You swear that's all."

"Mhm." He lifted his hand, two fingers up and the rest curled down. "Scouts honor." His grin returned with a vengeance. "You can do that if you eat one, right? It still counts?" At my horrified expression, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, ease up, Elena. Just a little vampire humor."

"Eating people. Hilarious."

"You'd be surprised. I'll tell you some stories sometime."

"Please don't."

"Spoilsport." He plucked his sunglasses from his collar and slid them on. "So, c'mon now. Wouldn't want to be late." His brows drifted up. "Unless you actually don't like your friends and won't mind if I eat one of them." His grin took on a sardonic twist. "And I'm not joking this time, bee tee dubs."

I sucked down a deep breath and managed to slide a foot towards the car. The second step was easier. The one after that even moreso, as if the momentum was building once I got going. So it went, until I had made it all the way to the passenger side of the convertible.

Damon appeared in front of me again, making me jump. He ignored my startled breath, opening the door for me. Peering over the rims of his sunglasses, he wiggled his brows. "Miss Gilbert."

If my heart kept jumping whenever he got near, I was going to have a heart attack before the day was out. I slid inside and let him shut the door. He appeared at the other side of the car. Sitting inside and pulling his door closed, Damon looked over and said, "Seat belt."

I pulled the strap out and buckled in, trying not to feel as if I were wrapping a chain around myself.

Damon grinned and started the engine. "Now this, Elena," he started before the engine suddenly roared, startling me into gripping the edge of the door, "is a nineteen sixty-nine Chevrolet Camaro." He shifted the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. "Try not to look so terrified." He threw the car into drive and took off down the street. Even though we were just cruising down neighborhood streets and not going very fast, the wind still picked up. I was glad I'd tied Elena's long hair back into a ponytail.

"Can't imagine why I'd be scared. Who wouldn't love a joy ride with a psychotic vampire."

"This isn't a joy ride. You'll know when I take you on one of those."

I noticed he didn't dispute the psychotic part. And I didn't like his use of when instead of if. I hoped he was talking about the trip to Georgia he drags Elena on later.

He didn't have a modern stereo in his dashboard. Instead, it looked like the original radio that came with the car. It was tuned to the classic rock station. I was somehow unsurprised that Damon liked eighties hair bands. I tried to picture him with a mullet and nearly broke into peels of nervous laughter.

"Cute turtleneck." The high collar of my shirt pulled slightly out, right where I'd put a pair of band aids over the puncture wounds.

My heart rabbited. I jerked aside, slapping his fingers away before I could think better of it. "Don't touch me."

He smirked as he took his hand back, holding it up.

My heartrate stayed elevated. I leaned slightly towards the door instead of settling back into the leather seat. As the neighborhood houses morphed into brick storefronts, I wondered what the point of this was. Damon wasn't talking. He seemed content to just soak up the sun as he navigated the streets.

I wasn't about to break the silence. Who knew what he'd start talking about. One of his 'funny' stories?

I let out a relieved sigh as soon as the school appeared. Not that I thought Damon was taking me somewhere to murder me, really. He wouldn't have needed to leave the house for that. But it was still reassuring to know the ride was almost over.

The camaro purred like a sated tiger as it glided into the parking lot and rolled up the lane. Damon, arm slung over my seat and sunglasses on his face, soaked up the stares of the students like an attention starved sponge. I hugged my bag tighter. "See," he said as he pulled near the curb, "that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Yeah. It's been great." I had my hand on the door handle as soon as the camaro rolled to a stop. "Bye."

His hand landed on my shoulder, a firm warning grip keeping me in place. Suddenly he was leaning into me, his face right next to mine. I stared, wide eyed, as his breath stroked my lips. He stayed like that for a moment and then, ever so slightly, tilted his head to the side and stared over the rim of his sunglasses at something behind me.

"Have a lovely day, Elena," he murmured into my ear. Straightening back into his seat, he winked.

As soon as his hand let go of my shoulder, I was shoving the door open and jumping out.

"I'll see you after school," he added as I shut the door. My answering glare bounced off his smirking face.

Head down, I quickstepped away. I was up onto the sidewalk when I heard the convertible's engine growl as he pulled away. Sighing in relief, I lifted my chin.

And immediately saw Stefan.

Jaw clenched, backpack strap straining in his white-knuckled fist, he glared at the shrinking camaro.

Damon had been taunting Stefan. Damon had threatened Caroline and Bonnie, manipulated me into getting into a car with him, so he could put on a show for his brother.

Bastard.

My anger started as a smoldering heat in the pit of my stomach, climbed up my spine and set my cheeks on fire. Flushed and quivering, I struggled against the childish urge to kick at something, shout at someone. Mostly a certain smug-faced blood sucker.

While I silently fumed, I realized that while Stefan may have been Damon's intended audience, he hadn't been the only one. Half the school must have noticed—or so it looked like from the crowd of teenagers who had nothing better to do than stand around and gossip.

Including Elena's friends. I could see Tyler and Vicki over on a nearby bench, watching me and trading words that made each other snicker. Matt was frowning from his spot beside his truck. Caroline had been holding court by the doors but was now marching across the grounds towards me. Bonnie, who'd also been arriving from the parking lot, was the first to reach me. "Who was that."

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Surprised, Bonnie fell in next to me as I headed for Stefan. "No, pretty sure I do."

I realized she wasn't going to let this drop. Why would she? Her best friend had just arrived with a hot mystery guy in an expensive sports car. "Damon Salvatore. Stefan's older brother."

"That's Stefan's brother?" She shook her head. "Wow. The gorgeous gene must run in the family."

"Yeah, well. He's nothing like Stefan. He's arrogant. Selfish. Cruel."

Bonnie's eyes widened with each cutting, nearly-spat out description. "Then how'd you end up with him?"

I didn't know what to say. Bonnie didn't believe her grandmother yet. At the same time, she'd have to work with Damon—would even one day become best friends with him. Say the wrong thing, and I'd poison the well.

On the other hand, Damon had threatened her, and she wasn't able to defend herself yet.

"Because he's good at getting what he wants," I sighed. "Try to steer clear of him, Bonnie. He and Stefan have issues. And he's not beneath using people. You don't want to get into the middle of it."

"But you're in the middle?"

"Apparently."

Caroline had reached us. I could see the questions forming as she took a breath to speak. "I thought you weren't going to need any more rides."

"So did I," I muttered.

Hands on her hips, Caroline ordered, "Spill."

"His name's Damon. He's Stefan's older brother," Bonnie answered for me. "And he's a jerk who we should stay away from."

She gave a disbelieving huff. "We should, should we?"

Oh no. "Caroline, he's bad news."

"Then why are you riding around with him?" Caroline demanded.

"Because he's using me to get to Stefan."

Caroline's lips mashed together before she said, "That doesn't explain why you got into his car." She turned suspicious. "Unless you're trying to make Stefan jealous?"

"I'm not," I said flatly. "There's nothing to be jealous of. Besides, Stefan and I are friends."

"Friends."

"I mean, we just met, but I'd like to be. I think we are. He agreed to hang out."

Caroline stared. "I don't even know where to begin," she declared, throwing her hands out to the side. She strode back to the small gathering of girls she'd been talking with.

Frowning, Bonnie and I shared a look. "She'll get over it," Bonnie soothed.

I grimaced and rubbed at my forehead. "I'm messing everything up."

"No. Care's being Care."

"I better explain things to Stefan," I muttered.

"Okay. Meet you at my locker?"

I nodded. Bonnie headed off to the doors, parting with an encouraging grin. I couldn't wait till she could give Damon aneurysms. It would make dealing with him so much easier. At least until he got over his fixation with Katherine and started giving a damn about Mystic Falls.

Stefan was seated on top of a picnic table that had been set up beneath a giant maple. Patches of sunlight and shadow flitted around him like butterflies. He'd had his head down in thought but straightened up as he noticed my approach.

His stare was searching, wandering all over my face. "Are you alright?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, but then what? Stefan would try to enact his, 'Lock Damon Up,' plan early? All that would accomplish was getting Zach killed sooner than it had happened on the show. I don't think Zach had even shown him the room of vervain yet.

But Damon was a problem. Something had to be done.

I settled on saying, "Your brother is an ass."

Stefan cracked a slender little smile. It was the barest lift of his lips, but it eased some of the lingering anger from his face. "Yeah. Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Brows furrowed, Stefan glanced down. I remembered he did, in fact, blame himself for Damon. "But you're okay?"

"Aside from a bad case of windswept hair," I patted at the loose hairs that had fallen out of my ponytail, "I'm fine."

"Your hair looks lovely."

Fighting the urge to look away from the intensity of his stare, I swept a few of the strands behind my ears. "Well. It was a lot neater before Damon insisted on driving me."

That little smile ticked a bit higher. "I stand by my earlier comment."

Grabbing my upper arm, I turned to side to look at something other than his earnest, handsome face. I settled on the line of buses dropping students off.

"I looked for your phone this morning." Stefan said, drawing me back. "I'm sorry but I couldn't find it."

"Oh." I adjusted the bag's strap before letting my hand fall. "It's alright. Thank you for going to all the trouble."

He shook his head. "It wasn't."

"I guess I'll have to talk to my Aunt about getting a new one." That would be a fun conversation.

He nodded. I noticed the crowd of students around us were starting to thin out as more trickled inside. "I better go. I promised to meet Bonnie before class."

Stefan hopped off the table. "My locker isn't too far from yours. Mind if I walk with you?"

"'Course not."

As we walked, we talked about the reading list for our upcoming English class. We had both read everything on it, not that the news surprised me. He'd probably read most of it when it was originally published. Stefan and I went our separate ways once I met up with Bonnie, and after we headed towards my locker, went on to class.

The rest of the morning passed a lot like the first. Well, there was more discussion and lecturing. I knew the way to English and was able to find a better seat—which happened to be near Stefan and Caroline. A pop quiz in Biology really made me regret not doing the homework the night before.

Which led to History before lunch. Stefan again sat fairly close, and it wasn't long through the lesson that I was glad for it. The instructor was really on a tear about a Civil War battle called the Battle of Willow Creek.

After he'd subtly insulted Bonnie and Matt, it was my turn. "Elena. Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most historic events?"

I glanced down at the textbook, flipping through a few pages, skimming for Willow Creek. Would this even have been in the reading? I thought it was a general American History course. Was the Battle of Willow Creek so pivotal that it'd be in a standard textbook?

"Willow Creek?" I asked, squinting.

"Yes, Elena. It was fought right here in Mystic Falls."

Oh. Well then it must've been bullshit, because Mystic Falls wasn't a real place. Annoyed, I pressed my lips together before admitting, "I don't know."

"I was lenient last year, Elena. For obvious reasons." Oh. Wow. Right. This guy. "But that ended over summer break."

I wanted to ask if it was because her—my—parents magically came back to life, but I kept my mouth shut. Let the asshole dig his own grave.

Wait. Damon kills him. Bad metaphor.

"There were three hundred and forty-six casualties, unless you're counting civilians," Stefan interjected. And Stefan would know.

The whole class looked from him to the teacher. "That's correct. Mister—"

"Salvatore."

"Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

I couldn't help but turn to watch Stefan, careful to keep my amusement from showing. He glanced aside before answering, "Distant."

Liar.

"Very good. Except there weren't any civilian casualties in this battle," he said before moving around his desk.

"Actually, there were twenty-seven, sir," Stefan corrected, halting the teacher in his tracks. "Confederate soldiers fired on a church. They believed it housed weapons. They were wrong." Stefan's voice was the embodiment of confident. No wonder. That was the night he was turned, and the other vampires entombed. "It was a night of great loss."

And then Stefan delivered the knockout. "The founder's archives are stored at Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mister Tanner."

You could hear the 'ooo's throughout the room. The teacher, Tanner, could only respond with an attempt at a face-saving smile. Didn't work.

I glanced at my notes, grinning. That was beautiful.

Tanner flipped open his book. "Thank you, Mister Salvatore. Everyone, page thirty-three."

I flipped forward the required pages before peering out the corner of my eye. Stefan met my glance. His mouth lifted into that small smile I was really beginning to adore.

The rest of the class was filled with history that was actually covered by our textbooks. I made a mental note to memorize dates and figures. It seemed like he'd be one of those history teachers. I was good at the cause and effect when it came to history, remembering the context and environment and the events themselves, but I hadn't been wholly lying when I told Stefan I was terrible with numbers. I was horrible at remembering dates, too.

Wouldn't that make the rest of my time here fun. Monsters and sacrifices and homework. Oh my.

When the bell rung, I was happy to stand and get out of there. I waited just outside the door for Bonnie and Stefan. I didn't miss the look Tanner threw him as he walked out, either. Stefan had not endeared himself with that little stunt.

I remembered there would be another incident between them. Stefan rattling off dates, showing Tanner up again. Tanner wouldn't be a Stefan convert until he saw him play football.

And then Tanner would die.

My buoyed mood fell. If I knew about it ahead of time, did that make me responsible for it if it happened? This seemed like one of those Good Samaritan debates.

"Right, Elena?"

Bonnie and Stefan watched me with expectant looks on their faces. I had no idea what they'd been talking about.

I offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, can you repeat that? I kind of spaced out for a minute."

Bonnie's brows pinched together in concern. "I was telling Stefan he should join us for lunch."

"I don't want to intrude."

I wondered if he was being polite or looking for an excuse to go hunting. I decided to reassure him. "You wouldn't be intruding. But if you have other plans, that's fine."

"No." He shifted his bookbag higher up his shoulder. "I'd like to sit with you."

We headed to the cafeteria, picked our food up from the line and ended up at the same table with the same people as the day before, plus Stefan. Caroline made the mistake of asking Stefan about his brother.

"We don't speak." Stefan poked at his salisbury steak. I wondered if he regretted his choice to follow us.

"Ever?" Bonnie asked, surprised.

Stefan paused in his inspection of the food to look up and add, "Whenever we have to talk, we end up fighting." He accepted the packet of ketchup I handed to him and looked to Caroline. "Wherever my brother goes, someone ends up hurt. Take my advice and avoid him."

"Elena doesn't seem eager to take your advice," Caroline said.

"You should," he said quietly to me.

I folded my arms and stared down at the rest of my lunch, appetite gone.

Sensing the disquiet, Bonnie thankfully changed the subject back to classes. Which was how Stefan and I got back to our earlier conversation about books we'd read. That led to a discussion of our favorites. And while Elena was a Victorian romance lover, at least on the show she'd been, my tastes were more for modern historical romances and thrillers. Stefan and I got into a discussion of which was the better book: Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs. I was firmly on the side of Red Dragon, he stuck with Lambs.

The rest of the day passed too soon. By the time the last bell rang, and I was done dragging my feet to my locker, it felt like only a few minutes had passed instead of hours.

Outside, the parking lot was filled with cars backing out and lining up for the exits. I scanned the front of the school, where a line of cars had parked along the curb in front of the entrance. Damon's car wasn't among them. I wondered if he'd forgotten.

I should have known better.

The distinctive growl of the camaro's engine came rumbling down the lane. He parked alongside the curb. The car's sleek sky blue lines gleamed in the sun. Damon's arm was draped over the wheel, his sunglasses tilted down as he met my nervous gaze. His lips curled.

I managed a tight smile at Bonnie. "See you tonight."

Bonnie, shielding her eyes against the sunshine, smiled back.

"Elena." Stefan placed a hand on my arm. "You don't have to do this."

But right as he said that, Caroline strutted past us and walked right up to the passenger door. "Hi. I'm Caroline. Elena's friend."

Damon tilted his head, sights roaming over Caroline. "Damon."

"This is a really amazing car," she said while leaning forward, forearms resting on the door.

"Why, thank you. It's nice to know there are people who appreciate her." His hand ran along the wheel with a lover's caress.

I rolled my eyes. I appreciated the car. It was the driver I had a problem with.

While Caroline continued to flirt, and Damon replied in kind, I met Stefan's concerned stare. "I kind of do." I mustered another smile for him. "See you at the Falls."

He nodded. I adjusted my bag's strap and, as if going into battle—which I kind of was—marched over to Damon's car.

Caroline was laughing at something Damon had said as I approached. Damon's sights flicked over her shoulder to me. He winked. I frowned.

"I like your friend, Elena," Damon called.

I fixed him with another unamused look before shifting my attention to Caroline. She straightened back up, smile stiffening as she regarded me. "So where are you going?"

"Home," Damon and I answered simultaneously.

I started, looking over at Damon. He turned his head to stare out the windshield. "I did say I'd take you home."

"Sounds boring," Caroline pouted.

Damon rolled back around. "So boring."

"You should come to the falls tonight," Caroline went on.

My eyes widened as I attempted to get her attention. "No way." At their combined stares, I forced my cheeks to pull the corners of my mouth up into something resembling a smile. "I'm sure Damon doesn't want to waste his time at some high school party," I tried to keep it light, but ended up sounding frantic.

"Don't be silly, Elena." His lips twisted. "I love high school parties." He focused on Caroline again. "You'll be there, won't you?"

"Obviously," she laughed. "I'm helping set everything up."

Of course she was.

"Then I'll definitely be there." His smile was a wicked thing. His sights shifted to me. "Better get going."

"Aw. So soon?" Caroline pouted.

Damon sighed. "'Fraid so. Elena made me promise. There and back." He crooked a finger at me.

My frown deepened, but I did as he bid. Sliding around Caroline, who glowed with triumph, I pulled open the car door and lowered myself into the leather seat.

As soon as the door was shut, Damon sent a sinful grin Caroline's way. "See you around, Caroline."

"I'll hold you to that," she replied, flicking her blonde curls back behind her shoulder.

Damon's grin widened before the engine growled and the car took off.

"You said you'd leave her alone if I rode with you," I accused as he swung into one of the parking lanes that headed back out of the lot.

"I didn't do anything. She came to me." Damon sighed. "These looks. They're a curse."

Sonofa—

"But don't let it be said I'm not a man of my word." I eyed him doubtfully. He lifted a hand. "I won't touch a blonde hair on her head. So long as you remain—" he pretended to think about it, "agreeable."

"Fine," I all but growled.

Damon turned out of the lot and onto the main road without signaling. "Jealous?"

"Concerned." I fell back against the seat and folded my arms. "Caroline doesn't deserve to be the rope in the Salvatore brothers' latest game of tug-of-war."

"There's a simple solution to that. Don't give my brother the time of day."

I'd rather not give him the time of day but had enough sense not to say it. "Why do you really want to go to a party full of drunk teenagers, Damon?"

"Because it's a party full of drunk teenagers." His eyes sharpened, like a pair of slate flints. "And I'm thirsty."

I swallowed and slid further down in the seat. "Please don't hurt anyone."

He hummed. "Hurting is kind of necessary."

"No, it's not. You could drink out of blood bags."

"And deny them to the poor soul who needs a blood transfusion?" His nose wrinkled. "Besides, blood tastes differently when it's been refrigerated."

"But you could do it."

He sighed. "I could. But why should I?"

"Because it's not right to attack people." I couldn't believe I had to spell this out.

Damon shrugged. "Don't care." He stretched his other arm out over the wheel before drawing his right back. "That's the best part about being a vampire, Elena. The old rules just don't apply anymore. Do what you want, whenever you want."

"And you want to hurt people."

"I want to quench my thirst." He glanced over. "I'm a vampire. I drink human blood to survive. It's natural."

"But you can do that without hurting or killing."

"But I don't care."

I thought for a moment, weighing the risk. But, hell, I had to push on his rusty moral compass at some point. "I don't think that's true."

Behind his shades, Damon rolled his eyes.

"I think you do care. You're just determined to pretend you don't."

"There's a switch we have. We can turn our emotions off like," he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, "that."

But I remembered the look on Damon's face when he'd finished feeding. How tender his gaze had been, his expression wistful as he lost himself to a memory. "Except you haven't."

"'Course I have."

"If that were true, you wouldn't care about what your brother thinks so much."

"We all have our hobbies."

"Say whatever you want, Damon." The car turned into Elena's driveway and idled. Damon lounged in the driver's seat, an arm stretched over the wheel as the other rested across his door. I took in the way his posture screamed indifference and saw it for the act it was. "But you don't fool me."

"Or maybe you want to believe I'm capable of caring whether people live or die to convince yourself I won't kill you," Damon suggested airily.

I forced myself to smile, even though he probably heard my pulse racing. "You say the sweetest things."

He turned his head and grinned. "See you tonight, Elena."

I worked to stay calm as I got out. His stare followed me all the way to the door. As soon as I was on the other side, I fell against it, sliding down to the ground, bag dropping beside me. He pulled out of the drive, and only once the rumble of his car disappeared down the street was I able to breathe freely.

Sinking my head into my hands, I wondered what I was going to do tonight. Both Salvatores at a party full of rowdy, drunk teens. Damon still trying to make life hell for Stefan.

It sounded like a recipe for disaster.

#fanfic #the vampire diaries #tvd #damon salvatore #stefan salvatore #the more things change #ofc #damon x ofc #stefan x ofc #elijah x ofc #klaus x ofc #klaus #elijah mikaelson #elena gilbert #bonnie bennett #caroline forbes #jeremy gilbert

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