#to be fair this is shaped by a friend who disappeared and we never found

[angryteapott]

Still going on about this because it's rotating in my mind like kebab, even tho i am in the already annoying li lianhua definitely bit it crew I'm also in the even more annoying faction of refusing to romanticize his actions. While I love everyone's interpretations and what they say about us I just don't see it as a settled ghost story! Even if we ignore that there was treatment (and oh boy i have Thoughts about Li Xiangyi refusing to collaborate with others only seeing his solutions and causing bad endings, boy did Li Lianhua not learn his lesson about arrogance), i think if we pretend like him that there was no chance of him surviving more than a week, from HIS perspective he thinks he's giving closure to an inevitable death and that it's a ghost story, but that's just not the story MLC tells.

He himself tells yun biqiu how meaningful it was to live past guilt and feed himself and a dog, but he doesn't give his honest reasons as "I'm dying and tired, let me go in peace" he says "li xiangyi deserved to die. And he did." Di Feisheng is right that he's a stubborn, lost soul. There's no such thing as ghosts, and he's escaping because he finds the things that contradict that delusion discomfiting. Fang Duobing has actually been very obedient when told Li Lianhua's actual reasoning. Say I'm tired, I don't want to fight. Have a conversation. Have a final meal. Let yourself be cared for in your last days.

Li Lianhua wants there to be some sort of easy closure where he doesn't have to be honest with himself or others by escaping care instead of refusing it and leaving letters and books, and saying it's for their sake, but really it's because of his guilt. He wants to die; I can't think of a crueler way to do it. Who gave anyone closure? He left a letter instead of a body. I took the ocean as you can't hold on to something determined to leave you. What fang duobing said about cups and cups only applies if someone will drink with you.

To be fair this interpretation is definitely shaped by my own damage (rip) but I do think what I'm saying is in text, from the monk begging him to tell his loved ones to his master's wife saying at least let me take care of you here. There is no neat closure, just living with people and leaving honestly. But li xiangyi felt too unworthy to do that.

In order, i think that di feisheng represents wanting to return to a past that's totally fine, I think li lianhua represents wanting to hold onto pain and refusing to engage with the present, and i think fang duobing represents acknowledging the past can't be changed but there's joy in growing forward. Just see his reaction to Shan Gudao, his birth father! I think it's important that the series ends on his perspective, and I think that refusal for real closure, closeness and healing was li lianhua's greatest betrayal.

[death---dealer]

Just a thought not a request!!

Imagine Caesar and his clan finding the reader in the forest cradling a baby chimp who is sick :( Caesar obviously takes them in and while the baby is with the healers of the clan the reader is soso worried. Caesar realises he really has to comfort her and offer her and baby chimp a permanent place with them - ✨

✨ YOU'RE BACK I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING FROM YOU FOR SO LONG !! HOW ARE YOU?! also wow i love this idea does it need to become a full ass oneshot.

'She cannot stay.' Koba was adamant with his signing towards his closest friend and confidant.

'You want the Colony to heal the infant and send her away?' Maurice was quick to argue, children surely being one of his passions in life, 'That is not fair to her. She has been caring for the child for---'

'Due to her, they almost died! Does not know how to care for Ape---'

Caesar stood abruptly, any chance on in-fighting dissipating at the stare he gave Koba, 'I will think about it tonight. Maurice,' The Ape King was hesitant, hands dangling in mid-air as he contemplated the language of what he wanted to use, 'Is right. She cared for this child before we found them. Koba, she was in bad shape, not just the child--'

Koba growled in displeasure, 'She is Human!'

'She will not leave their side, does that not speak to her nature?' Caesar's silent words were concise towards the Bonobo who forced the hackles against his shoulders to fall back down as they had risen intensely out of defense.

'Do not like this.'

'Have not given my decision yet,' The Ape sat back into a hunched position and did not let his eyes waver from Koba's stare, 'Will think about it tonight. We will meet at Dawn.'

Nothing else was said as Koba stormed off, rolling his shoulders in aggravation as Caesar finally relented his gawk and drew a deep breath in.

'Cannot let Koba... sway your decision. She cared for the child before and she will... continue to do so if we cast her from their side.' Maurice signed slowly for the King who only nodded in pensive silence. 'Might end badly to do so.'

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・●・○・

You felt remarkably grimy. And you were sure that was the case if you had enough energy to disperse thinking about your own well being. Tucking a piece of your hair back, you tilted your head to the side to hopefully riddle the twinge you had gotten from sitting against a slanted and slate grey rock for the entire day. Not even breaking for meals, you didn't feel hungry and were intensely wrought with worry. No one had said anything to you about the baby Chimp. About... Forest. That was the name you had given them when you stumbled across them only two months ago.

Abandoned... it seemed. From who, you had no idea. You wanted to leave them. Wanted to do the same reckless abandonment but you couldn't. You still held too much of your humanity that the Flu took away from others and did your best to care for them in the time given.

It was not your fault... That they got sick... Tears pricked at the back of your eyes and you squeezed them shut as a breeze of chilled air came rushing in with the scent of the ocean. You barely could take care of yourself, what made you think you could care for another? A... Baby...? Defenseless and helpless in a world where any other Human would have killed them? That's why you stayed put, having watched the sun disappear behind the red woods an hour ago. They were why you were so determined. They deserved at least a chance and it was just happenstance that you ended up in the clutches of a large Colony of Apes. Most of whom... Hated your presence...

They would not let you stay, you figured as much from the glowers you were getting from the scarred Ape who was determined to make your short stay here absolute hell. You were going to get kicked out and never know what happened to Forest. Your eyes fluttered open when the dim light illuminating your closed eyelids were seeped in full frontal darkness. And... Blinking... Much to your surprise, you were face to almost kneecap with... Their... Your eyes were ample as he shifted an animal hide towards you in utmost silence.

"W-Wh..." "Humans... Get cold." Caesar's voice was nothing more than a baritone as you grasped the animal pelt with a small 'thanks' and draped it against your shoulders. He stared down at you in what appeared the be contemplation. Feet could carry him away and consider this his good duty of the day or--- You sniffled softly.

"Will they be alright?"

"We have..." Nodding in assurance, Caesar looked towards the hut of which Forest was being taken care of by a group of female apes. A place you were not allowed to step foot in due to being a human, "Very... Good Healers. Will do the... best they can." The cadence of his sentences were broken but the words came across well in your tired mind as you nodded, feeling no relief wash through you at the sincerity of them. The Ape King was most likely telling you that to keep you calm and one side of you did appreciate it. "I don... I don't know how to... Thank you for helping me."

Caesar only huffed a response, "There is... Hut near here. You can... Rest the night. Am... Unsure if you will be able to stay anymore. Many... Not... happy of your presence. The young... Many have not seen Human before..." "I just want them to be okay." You whispered tearfully. "You can-can do whatever you want to me, just pl-please..."

[darlingsfandom]

could you write something for Emmett pls? 🥺

You got it my friend !

TW: angsty? Stabbing! Illusions to a drugging! Not proofread.

Requested before inbox got closed !

It had been over two years since everything happened and it still had left you in a state of confusion. Everything seemed normal again but you couldn’t help but feel like maybe it was a dream.

Everyone around you acted as if what happened never happened , they laughed loudly, played their music as if they were at a concert and some people even were so comfortable having sex with the windows open you could hear them! To be fair you did miss all of that but it was hard to shake that feeling.

You found yourself sitting alone in a lively bar with people shooting pool, drinking and cheering when their team scored on the tv. You stirred your drink slowly while holding your head up with the palm of your hand.

“Sitting alone?” A voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You turned to see a man with thick fluffy graying beard who looked like he could kill you with his eyes alone but something about him said that you could trust him.

“Yeah, you can take the seat if you need it.”

“No I don’t need it, just thought you’d like some company.” He sat down next to you and set his beer down in front him before he reached out his hand towards you. “Emmett.”

“Y/N.” You shook his hand before he brought it to his lips and kissed it. A blush creeped across your cheeks. It had been ages since you’ve had any contact with anyone let alone a man. He smiled at you before turning back to his drink. You went to pull back your hand but his grip tightened around it making your heart race. Why was he holding you so tight?

“Don’t let go of me.” He whispered leaning into your ear. “Trust me.” His voice was deep. How could you trust a man you’ve never met? Or at least you thought. He acted like he knew you but you couldn’t place him. As you sat on your bar stool holding his hand his eyes searched around scanning all the rest of the people before he locked eyes with another man who was watching the two of you with an intense stare.

Emmett stood up slowly, pulled out his wallet and paid both tabs before pulling you with him. You grabbed your bag quickly as the two of you walked out of the bar. “Move quickly.” He mumbled squeezing your hand. The two of you walked down the street . You were confused again. What the hell was going on?” Emmett dragged you around the corner and pushed you up against a building.

“Please don’t kill me!” You blurted out but his hand flew up to cover your mouth.

“I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m here to protect you. I’ve saved you once before and I’d do it again as many times as it takes.” His hand moved to cup your cheek. You looked at him with soft eyes and furrowed eyebrows.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” You placed your hand over his that cradled your cheek.

“I saved you once before when I found you lying in the woods during the whole invasion and no one could say a word. You were passed out, branded and something about you told me I had to save you. I did, I carried you to safety years ago but now they’re back and I’m not letting you get away this time.” Emmett looked into your eyes before kissing you hard. Your eyes went wide before all your thoughts disappeared. Your arms wrapped around his neck while he kissed you with passion. His mouth pulled off of yours leaving you breathless.

“I.. I still don’t understand…” you whispered.

“That man in the bar that kept watching you, he works for a company that hunts down people who know too much about what happened.”

“Don’t you know too much?” You tilted your head. Emmett sighed before running his hands down your arms.

“I do but I’m part of a group trying to save those people who are like you! We can’t just act like nothing happened! That’s why you got branded.” His hand gripped your hip and pulled the top part of your pants down to show the weird little shape of a half moon on your side. You had seen it before but never knew what it was. “They know you know too much!”

“So what happens to me now?” Tears trickled down your cheeks. His thumbs wiped away your tears slowly feeling his own tears stinging the corner of his eyes. He’s watched you over the years from a distance making sure you were always safe. He’s fallen in love with you but you had never known him until now, now when he’s gotta tell you that you were a target.

“Nothing will happen to you. I’ll be damned if anything happens to you.” His words came out through gritted teeth as he wrapped his arms around you. You felt your heart swell as he held you. You buried your face into the crook of his neck. The two of you stood in the moonlight letting the world pass by as you held each other close. Emmett, the complete stranger from the bar you had met hours ago made you feel safer than anyone you had actually known for years. He was warm, comforting and smelled good.

“How sweet!” A man’s voice interrupted the moment.

Emmett tensed around you.

“Give her to us and no one gets hurt.” The man stood behind the two of you with his hands behind his back. Emmett stood up straight and held your hand.

“If you want her…” He approached the man while pulling you along. “Pry her from my cold dead hands!” Before you could process anything Emmett had stabbed the man with the knife he had in his pocket that he pulled out while he was hugging you. Thats why he had tensed up before! Your feet were pounding against the ground as you ran with Emmett when the man had dropped to his knees.

“Where are we going?” You yelled. Your lungs were on fire as your body ached but the adrenaline kept you going as fast as possible.

“To safety!” He yelled back until he took a turn down an alleyway before pounding five times on a metal door. The door flew open and Emmett dragged you inside and the door slammed shut.

You and Emmett finally stopped to catch your breaths. He looked at you as you looked at him with hazy eyes. Your body went limp making you fall backwards but he moved quick enough to catch you.

“Emmett…” you mumbled as he sat down on the ground with you on his lap.

“Shh, it’s okay. You rest now honey, I have you. Please don’t leave me this time.” His hand stroked your hair slowly as you passed out in his arms. Emmett sat up all night watching you breathe peacefully once your body came down from the high. He had an angel sleeping in his arms and there was no way he’d let anyone take you from him. You were his , you’ve always been his since the first time he had found you.

Your eyes slowly opened to see that you were in a bedroom but not yours. Everything felt blurry as your head spun. Maybe you had too much to drink last night? No that wasn’t it. Maybe you were drugged? No. You lifted your head carefully to see Emmett soft asleep. He looked better than you remembered as the events filled your brain. Your hand rested on his chest as you tried to sit up.

“Good morning .” He whispered to you making you freeze.

“Mornin.” You mumbled back before laying your head back on his chest. Emmett wrapped his arm loosely around your waist as you closed your eyes. For the first time you felt safe, you felt at peace and Emmett was your savior. He squeezed your side making you smile . This was home now, this was the peace you needed and you weren’t going to let him go anytime soon.

[dokeythings]

| it’s too late | (dokyeom)

*tried something different. it’s depressing, this is your fair warning🤧*

DK Pov:

the rain slamming into the windshield is still somehow not loud enough to snap me out of my thoughts. the threatening grey cloud was behind me when i slammed my car door and drove away hours ago, and since then the sun has set and the gates of hell have opened up. i squint my eyes as the lights from the passing cars blind me, their shapes disappearing and only bright orbs remain. i should slow down, 95 mph is too fast in these conditions, i know that. my foot has other plans, being driven by my outraged mind. it continues pushing down on the gas pedal.

the fight replays like a film in my head, every moment torturing me in perfect detail. her raised voice ringing in my ears, and the words sticking to my heart like thorns. it all got out of hand so fast. i didn't even have time to think, only throw out rash words and reactions back.

a loud ding rips through the car, the light from my phone lighting up my face. its from her, i read the preview.

'please just come home, you're scaring me. its not safe out there'

funny. now she's going to care about me? i don't know why its possible now but wasn't possible for the last few months. she's felt like a ghost, like she's been right in front of me but so incredibly out of reach. a chill followed wherever she went, the warmth she used to provide me being stripped from my life without any warning. no acknowledgment. no apologies. just a ghost left among the living. i zone out again.

~~~

"i have been here! i've been here the whole fucking time!" she yells.

liar.

"you left a long time ago. i don't even know you anymore y/n! you come home from work and its quiet dinner alone, then lights out. you spend your weekends working or with your friends. you never ask about my day despite me constantly caring about yours. theres no more going on dates and no more coming home to sweet surprises on the kitchen counter. you don't come to watch my practices anymore. you don't ask about the guys or how they're doing, even though they are everything to me and you know that 95% of my daily life is with them. its like you never want to be alone with me. you barely even touch me! jesus do you even love me anymore?" i yell.

"of course i fucking do! i have other things to do besides sit here all day and dote over you dokyeom, i'm sorry if that upsets you" she scoffs, throwing her hands up.

"you used to love hanging out with me. you used to be the most romantic person i had ever met, all my friends were so happy for me that i finally found someone who wanted that as much as i did. now they keep asking me if we are even together anymore. i don't understand what happened. why am i invisible now?"

"maybe you should just tell them we aren't together anymore then, make it easier for them" she replies, her eyes turning a dark shade i've never seen before. i don't know where she's gone, but she's not the woman i fell in love with. i know she's still in there somewhere.

is this really it? just like that?

~~~

the rain pours down harder, if that's even possible. the wheels no longer have a grip on the ground, but for some reason i can't seem to care. just keep driving, i think. just keep driving until everything goes away. life's been hurting too much. i would prefer numbness at this point. constantly having to be the happy one is exhausting. being the one who lightens up the mood. the one who checks on everyone else before myself. the one who goes home to a girlfriend who has nothing to give me anymore.

i'm alone.

the wheel jerks in my hands, my heart races, but i gain control quickly.

another text chimes in. if its her, i don't want to read it. but my eyes dart over to the name.

seungkwan.

i smile blissfully for a moment. they are something worth living for. the memories i've had with them swirl through my head. i grew up with them, i came alive with them. they are everything i have. when y/n's light left my life, theirs never dimmed. live for them, i think.

why is your location off? y/n is freaking out.

another chime.

okay, WE'RE freaking out! all of us. please come home you're scaring us a lot

despite all my efforts, i'm sure they have noticed my aura being off recently. my smiles appear a little less, my jokes being few and far between. i try to keep them happy as best i can, but i'm sinking as i do so. i'm drowning while keeping everyone else afloat.

y/n.

my second other half of me.

my mind drifts to the years of memories we've had before the last few agonizing months. they were perfect, absolutely perfect. she showed me parts of myself i never knew i had. my blood is still boiling, but my lips curve up against their will. i love her so much.

but she doesn't love me anymore. she ended it. all those years and growth gone in a minute.

the car slides over the rain, a car beeps at me when i cross over to their lane.

a new sound rings out from my phone. y'n is calling me. my hand reaches up to answer before my brain can aid me against it.

immediately she speaks, her voice straining and hoarse in a way i've never heard before.

"baby? baby oh my god thank god you fucking answered. where are you? i'm so sorry baby please just come back. let's talk. i don't want to lose you, i love you so much. please come home baby" she cries. from the tone in her voice i can tell she's scared for me. for my mental state. for my impulsivity that sometimes gets the best of me.

the rain is so loud that even over it hitting my car i can hear it pounding on our roof at home through the phone.

our home. the safest place in the world. i won't leave her there alone. we can fix this. this is not going to be one of those moments where i give up. where i take the easy way out.

"i'm coming home" i breath out, forcing myself into the decision. tears threaten my eyes. my throat tightens.

i turn the car around as quickly as i can, speeding up as i head back home. i go even faster now, i can't wait any longer. i'm tired of running. from myself, from her, from everything.

she's still on the phone. neither of us wants to hang up.

it's quiet.

the rain is so heavy that the windshield wipers can't keep up. i can't see. i can't see anything.

pull over. fucking pull over! i don't want to die anymore, i think.

bright lights shine through the window, penetrating the rain drops. i can't even tell where they are coming from.

i squint. i keep driving. i just want to go home.

the lights are brighter now, closer. the rain lets up for a second, and the windshield wipers catch up. the window is clear.

the sound of a horn being laid on pierces my ears. a truck is in front of me. directly in front of me. in my lane.

i don't make a sound, i don't do anything. i can't do anything.

the impact feels like something i could have never even imagined in my worst nightmares. the car spins repeatedly over and over, the sound of the rain luring me into the darkness. then the pain goes away. i feel nothing. i'm numb. god i wish i didn't wish for this numbness. i take it back! is it too late to take it back?

the image of y'n flashes in front of my eyes. i smile once more.

i'm sorry, baby.

everything's black. everything's silent.

"dokyeom?? dokyeom answer me. answer me please! baby! no. NO!!!!" her screams echo through the phone.

it is too late.

[occult-roommates]

The night of the werewolf

Well, it was now around midnight, on a full moon, and just like every single month, Rudi had disappeared somewhere in the nearest wood. Normally, their friends just...let them go wild outside, but this time, considering that Daniele had found out they do not like going through this process, he was worried for their safety.

Dawud: Dan, they probably want to be left alone. Also, look at you, you're clearly not in good enough shape to have a chance to fight a werewolf in case they attack you, and I don't trust your power to not give out while fighting. Daniele: But are they safe? Like, they might put themselves in danger! And have you heard about the werewolf who got fatally shot near San Mysh recently? And that the perpetrator got away with it cause it was listed as self-defense even though the werewolf wasn't even feral, in fact he was completely tame. You know, unlike Rudi who I think is almost fully feral. Dawud: To be fair, right now we're in Canada so they're less likely to get shot than back home in the US. Daniele: Still, Rudi told me they don't really like being a werewolf because they're feral and never learnt how to control themselves in their beast form. Dawud: I just realized but since when do werewolves can control themselves when transformed? I thought they all just acted like agressive wolves? Daniele: Nah, it depends, and you can learn to control your beast form. Some are completely tame and act normally when transformed, others are more dog like or puppy like, especially children, some act like lone wolves and will leave you alone if you leave them alone, then some are feral agressive violent beast with no control over their action. From what Rudi told me, their entire family is like that last category because they haven't been taught on how to control their beast form. Dawud: Uh, didn't know that. Daniele: Also like, since they're feral, I'm worried they'll kill someone, and we know werewolves never win their case when they accidentally kill someone in their beast form. Or what if they injure themself badly and die? It's scary! Audrey: Can you guy lowers your volume a bit? Kim and I are watching a movie and we can't hear.

That movie was E.T. You see, Kino offered it saying it "remind them of their childhood". You know, wink wink nudge nudge, but Audrey just assumed they grew up watching it...To be fair that would be the rational thing to think like who the fuck hears someone saying E.T reminds them of their childhood and then assume it means they're an alien?

Daniele: I'm going into the wood. Audrey: You're gonna fuck Dawud? Daniele: What?? Dawud: Alright, I'll come with you but just to make sure you're safe.

And so they went to the forested area located in the north of the town, where they called for Rudi's name. Daniele was running around like a headless chicken, while Dawud could barely keep the pace. Eventually, the two got what they were looking for, as Rudi charged towards them at full speed.

Daniele quickly tried to make a magic force field, which of course it fails cause his spellcasting likes to go away whenever it is least convenient. That's when Rudi slowed down, walked towards Daniele, and took a deep sniff off him.

Daniele: H-hello Rud.

At first, it really seemed Rudi was about to bite him, but no, after staring at the spellcaster for a few seconds, they just...ran away. They took a short land bridge and disappeared into a beachy area...

Prev - Next

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

Trigger Warnings: Mental Breakdown, angst, mention of kidnapping and murder, and mentioned of loss of a friend + grief of loss.

Please do not send hate anonymous asks toward the owners mentioned in the list.

Ashanti Deol aka Ashanti Sharma (mentioned), Soarin, Precious, and Marcy (mentioned) belong to @cooltmoney95

Stella Thorsdottir (mentioned) belongs to @princess-lunalu

Marquise Stone (mentioned) belongs to @shortytori

August “Auggie” Babcock (mentioned) and Bastille Marquette (mentioned) belong to @animeclub78

Sarah Bradley belongs to @froppy-butterflyfan2000 (me)

This story came before my other story. Plus this prompt that I reblogged, belongs to @dropkickwritersblock. Thanks you so much for making prompts to helping me and other writers with writer’s block.

~~

Sarah Bradley walking down the hallway to Vice Principal Sheldon Lee’s office. Sarah knocks on the door.

“Come in,”

Sarah opens the door to see Sheldon Lee, sitting at his desk with a technologically advanced gadget next to him.

“Good afternoon Sarah,” said Sheldon. “How are you and your team doing on the case?”

Sarah explains to Sheldon that the team is split into two groups. Sarah, Bastille, and Marquise’s trip to the bookstore, (dedicated to the supernatural), to do research on vampires to sent informations for him. All while Auggie and Stella are currently investigating by checking out the crime scenes because Auggie is a skilled necromancer and knowledgeable in vampires. Same goes to Stella with knowledge on supernatural and her combat experiences against monsters.

“I already contacted you that my team and I found out that that fairies have the ability to track down a vampire. Which is already why you know that we would like to request a fairy, a senior like us to help us on the case.”

Sheldon Lee nod. “Yes, Sarah and you also recommend Precious and Soarin. Although they are in their own hero team, so it may upset their routine. That is why I came prepared,”

While he understands that the team desperate need of a fairy for their own investigation, there need to be drastic measures to be taken because of the disappearance of fairies in the City of Townsville by the hands of the mysterious entity, The Shadownapper. They have already lost one student. They cannot lose another student, worst of all, two students! He wonders if Stella could bless them divine protection under her watch since she is a demi-goddess, though for how long?

Sheldon hands Sarah the device, which activate a holographic list of the students with images. “I did have a list of other fairy students who would be up for the task, and would love to be apart of the team.”

Sarah looks at the list carefully. Her eyes still retain the image of her two friends.

Precious: A day fairy hybrid whose has fair skin, blond-and-sky blue ombré hair that went down to her hip, and butterfly shaped sky blue coloured wings.

Soarin: A day fairy hybrid as well whose colour scheme is the sunrise.

“However, are you sure that you want one of them to help you?”

Sarah continues looking at the image of her and Ashanti’s friends, the ones who have faith in them to become a heroes together. ‘A killer duo’ that Precious called them.

Sarah nods. “They have faith in me, and I have faith in them.”

Sheldon hums, admiring Sarah’s confidence. It is one of the reasons why she is made a leader. Though having only trust can have its downfall.

“Very well, Sarah. I will let you ask them to help you. I have one question that talks about faith. Can you answers me honestly?”

Sarah nods. Preparing to answer whatever question the vice-principal has in store for her.

“Why wasn’t Ashanti participating in this mission?”

The air is now tense. Sarah flinched when she said this. She cleared her throat. “About Ashanti. That is another reason why I am here Mr. Lee………,”

Sarah plays with her fingers. Sarah takes a couple of deep breathes to proceed. Sarah told Sheldon about Ashanti’s absent and why she never contact her, except for the team-building workshop. Sheldon raises an eyebrow, as he learns about Ashanti's habit of absenteeism. This is disappointing because personal matters shouldn't be interfering with professional career, especially a career of a hero.

“I only did this to give her space because she is still grieving for the loss of our friend, Marcy. Plus, she is going through personal and family problems. I believed that this was fine, hopefully she will come back and be a part of the team... But I was only lying to myself."

The second generation human super soldier/metahuman hybrid wonders why she is telling her feeling to the vice-principal, instead of Headmistress Blossom? Does she believe that deep down the headmistress has favoured Liberty League over their team, even though Ashanti and Auggie, her niece and step-nephew are on her team.

“Even though that we are friends, I am unsure if I want Ashanti to be a part of the team from now on,” said Sarah. “I do not have beef with her. Her absence has become a constant absence as it continue on. That is a problem in my team is having. And I let it slide! If this continues it will become major. I holds myself responsible for this.” Said Sarah. Maybe it is because she does not want to say anything mean to Ashanti to her aunt. Plus, her aunt has many connections to heroes and famous people around the world and space.

“I see, thanks you for telling me about this. I will let Ashanti know, is that all?”

Ashanti is still not going over the loss of Marcy. She does not need this. However Sarah misses Marcy too. She is the glue in their friendship, their mediator. She is not like their other friends, Soarin and Precious either. She is not a fairy. Why is she more human than them? It is suck, when you are placed with a bunch of talented people that would overcome her. Her lips start trembling. Sheldon notices Sarah’s vulnerability is showing. Sheldon frowns seeing that Sarah has reach her limit. Sarah have grow so much throughout her years at Phoenix Academy, she is still young. She has so much to learn. When it comes to giving others a second and third chances, boundaries must be establish. When someone has to cross the line.

“Sarah, are you okay? We can end the meeting if you are not feeling well.”

Their friendship is already broken anyway.

“……………..No, I want to continue,” said Sarah. “I just can’t do this anymore! I gave her space! I try talking to her about this situation. She keeps saying that she does not have any time and wants to do this the next day only to get another rain check. I lost my trust and hope in her now. Honestly feels like my friendship with her never exists." Sarah opened up to Sheldon. She is spiralling out of the place as she continued speaking to him. "I try to make this work. For you and everyone. What she did is very disrespectful. And it is all my fault!”

Sarah placed her hands on her face. She started sobbing. Her heart squeezed. Heartbroken that her friend let her down many times and by keeping things for her. All because she chose their friendship over family.

Sheldon got out of his seat to give the future Captain America a hug.

~~

An hour later, Sheldon Lee has dismiss Sarah, after she calmed herself down an hour later. She was emotionally drained and deserves to go home to take a day off tomorrow because her emotional breakdown. Plus, she did her effort to ensure that the team did not fall apart, including the second-in-command too. He lets out a tired sigh, knowing that his discussion with Ashanti, means that Headmistress Blossom will be a part of this.

Sheldon Lee knows that this is not the time. Right now, he need press the intercom button.

“Excuse me for the interruption classes, but will Precious and Soarin please come to the vice-principal office. Precious and Soarin.”

The two day fairy hybrids look at each others as they heard their name calls out. They got up to their seat to leave the classroom and go to the vice-prinicipal’s office.

Soarin and Precious sat down to have a seat on a chair provide for each of them. As they are in their seats, they feel stressed, sadness, and anger lingering in the room. Both figures out whose emotions belonged to. They internally frown after they picked up the emotions.

"Let's get down to business, I have assigned Group 2 for an investigation on an odd string of gruesome murders," Sheldon informed to the students. "They found out that the cause of murders are tied to the increase population of feral vampires."

Soarin and Precious are speechless to learn of this news about the mission that their friends, Sarah and Ashanti are assigned to. They didn't expect that they will be helping their friends out so soon. This could be a factor to the lingering emotions of Sarah's.

"Soarin and Precious, with your ability to sense a person or creature's emotional state from a variety of distances, would you two like to come round tomorrow in assisting Group 2 in tracking down the feral vampires and capture them together so they can be on trial?" Sheldon politely request to the superheroes.

The two fairies look at each others, a few minutes have passed and they look at Sheldon with their mind is set.

"Absolutely," Precious answered.

"We don't want to let our friends down," Soarin announced with determination on his face.

"Excellent," said a relieved Sheldon, wearing a gentle smile that shows his crow's feet. "Thanks you. Sadly however Sarah won't be there because she will start on her mandatory mental break for tomorrow. So her second-in-command, Stella will be leading the team. You two are now dismissed for the preparation for the team-up."

"Okay," said the two day fairy hybrid superheroes, taking their leave. Though on their way of leaving, they begin to worry about what is going on between their friends, Sarah and Ashanti.

Write a piece about a polite request by the fae

[slutfor-fictionalmen]

¥ Pretty boy ¥

Rich! Izuku midoriya x F! Plus size! reader

Hi everyone!!! this is part of @bakugohoex‘s Collab, you should check the rest of the collab and her works out!!! enjoy!!

Izuku comes from a rich family, owns lavish cars and houses upon houses but all he really wants is you. You come from a humble background, refusing wealth but dealing when izuku wants to spoil you. Izu can literally fuck you anywhere because he is that rich; Nsfw, Fluff, public sex(kinda), smut(kinda? dom izu), reader is kinda a cheapskate.

Sorry it’s so bad; I may continue/ revise based on how this is taken!

“Oh, come on, Y/n! It’ll be so fun, I promise! it’s just one trip; you won’t feel like you did last time!” Memories of the past trip flash through the shapely woman's mind: paparazzi, lavish hotels(yes hotels, he wanted a different view every night), thousand dollar meals, designer boutiques, everything that you had avoided in your life as a pro hero was ironical, as it was all tackled at once.

You loved your boyfriend, and you admire his willingness to give, but this was the main reason you gave a lot of your earnings to health organizations and hotlines, you didn’t feel you needed the money, you were doing just fine without it, eating at home, carpooling to save on gas, helping out at your apartment to get a bit taken off of your rent. But Izuku was born into a life of wealth. Heir to the Yagi fortune, but despite his wealth, you wouldn’t know he was wealthy by simply meeting him.

“Oh, don’t patronize me izuku, you know I would hate that trip, I always hate overly expensive trips, I could get the same trip through my booking sites for half the price, and you know that!” You huff leaning over to fold your laundry. Izuku walks behind you, placing his large hands on your hips and leaning his head on your shoulder. You could feel his pleading look without even looking at him.

“Indulge me, baby. I promise I won’t make it too expensive,” You felt him kiss at your neck, making you sigh until he let out the final part of his argument, a simple,” Please?” You took his hands off your hips and walked away. Izuku sat defeated until he heard you rustle around, cursing as you made a mess of your once clean closet, and came back into the room with a defeated look and a suitcase. “How long are we going for?” Izuku smiled widely and spun you around, his eyes full of love.

----------------time skip to the day of the plans----------------

You gave yourself one last look in the mirror before sighing, regretting agreeing to this trip as you fix your sundress, admiring how the fabric hugs your soft curves perfectly. You knew this vacation would be perfect, that you would love it, but your stubborn mind wanted to fight the potential enjoyment.

Your mouth turned bitter as you internally fought with yourself, going from a fight of stubbornness to a battle against your self-confidence. Your mind picked on everything that wasn’t on your mind before as a deflect of being questioned. Your unpleasant thoughts were interrupted by a certain green-haired man as he walked into the room, stunned at how beautiful you looked in that dress. Distracted by the unmistakable twinkle in his eyes, your thoughts soon disappeared and were replaced with wonder.

“What’re you looking at?” He shook himself out of his trance to approach you with a smile. “Just looking at my beautiful baby girl in that dress, she so horribly fought me on. You look gorgeous, by the way.” His rough hands were felt through the sheer material of the outfit as his thumbs rubbed gentle circles on your wide hips.

You smiled softly and kissed his cheek, looking into his eyes. “Are you ready to go? Cause one more minute, and I may just back out of this.” His eyes go wide as he pulls away and rushes to get everything in the car. Your chuckles are short-lived as he soon comes back and picks you up. “You’re the last thing I need so we can go” you squeak as you remember this man can lift nearly 300 pounds. Why shouldn’t he lift you? Still, every time he lifts you, it comes as a surprise.

He quickly sets you into the car, alarming you with the fact that the driver isn’t any driver at all, it’s one of his close friends, todoroki, and this isn’t even your car; it’s his. “I figured we didn’t need to use the driver and waste money on parking, todo’s gonna drop us off, and I’ll have the driver pick us up after!” Your eyes watered, you knew that the rest of the trip would be extravagant but it was these little things that made you fall in love with him, over and over again. You sat with your hand in his all the way to the airport. You were excited to see new places but dreading the paparazzi.

You stood out of the car, taking in the cool breeze and walking around the car to get to the bags in the back. You bring both of your bags out, along with your carry-ons, and wait for him to finish his conversation with his friend to come to collect his bags. You hear izuku bid him farewell and thank him for the ride before he slips a 20 for gas in his friend’s car and walks to you. “Now don’t be mad...” His eyes shift when he bows his head, preparing to be lectured,” I got first class, and I know you don’t-” You laughed, only calming to rub his shoulder with a smile. “It’s ok! I’ll let it pass.... for now. Now, let’s get our free drink on!”

You’re the first to board, ignoring the dirty looks from the other passengers; you made a vow to enjoy this time.... for izuku’s sake. Your smile didn’t falter, even when the check-in lady gave you a surprising look when you gave her the ticket. You walked onto the plane with confidence; izuku could only say that you looked as if you were born for this… that you belonged here.  Your Seats were opened to each other, making a two-bedroom cabin area.

You let izuku walk past you to put your bags to the side and look at the menu. One thing you could never understand is his appetite, he eats more than a group of teenage boys, and he still keeps fit, even if he doesn’t work out. You never found that fair. You shook your head out of the thoughts and sat next to him, searching the tv for a decent channel. You shut off the tv when you saw the news about a new villain, suddenly stressing about the city and what’ll happen if you leave. Your mind flooded with thoughts of the places you love on fire, the people you loved killed and showed as a warning to all the other heroes.

Luckily Deku, who had just finished ordering pretty much the whole menu, sensed your sudden situation and reached over you, pulling the leaver to set your seat back. The sudden movement knocked you out of your daze, causing you to look at the man perched above you with a frustrated look on his face. “You have just been a whirlwind of emotions today, haven’t you? You refuse to calm down; the city will be fine, it’s only a week, and we’re not even going that far!” “but-” “No buts! You don’t want to make me sad, do you?” You sigh, realizing that it was highly improbable for that to happen while you were gone, but that didn’t stop you from worrying. Despite that, you sucked it up, deciding that you might as well enjoy these trips before something happens, after all hero business is very dangerous.

“No Izuku, i don’t” He tilts your chin in order for your eyes to reach his. “Izuku? Really? You know that’s not what i want to hear princess.” You suddenly realize the shift of atmosphere, Izuku’s eyes darkened. “No daddy.” “Good girl.”

He lets his hand drag to the bottom of your dress, pushing up the tinted fabric as he moves his hand to rest on your thigh. Your thighs clench unintentionally when he reaches for the top of your underwear, flinching when he snaps the fabric back onto your skin.

You weren’t used to your soft lover taking the lead, you were the one who took control. You usually calmed your own nerves, with him of course. But you couldn’t think, you couldn't take control, you just had to let him help you, clear your mind and calm you.

You couldn’t help but shiver at the look in his eyes when he’s in control. His eyes darkening,a small glimmer in his eyes is still present but he looks….. Animalistic. You slide your underwear off of your plush form, confidently as he watches you with a ever-growing tent in his pants.

Izuku reached out to your body, holding your soft hip as he moves to slide his form between your thighs. “I don’t think i can be patient much longer beautiful, i may just fuck you like this.” He cups your cheek and uses his thumb to play with your lip, testing how far he can go before sticking his finger in your mouth. You obediently suck on it, watching him bite his lip and shift away to get undressed. “Who says i don’t want you to?”

He quickly takes off his shirt, his scars and freckles littering his tan skin. Izuku's pants are soon to follow allowing his cock to tap his stomach. You always loved how easy it was to get him to get hard, he was always ready for you to fuck him, ready to make love at the mere thought of your full, soft form.

You heard izuku whisper a quick ‘fuck it’ before he grabbed your thighs, wrapping them around his hips and grinding softly onto your soft cunt. Your soft moans fueled the burning fire of his. He grabbed his shaft, lining himself up with your weeping hole. He kissed you deeply before pushing into you, his lips muffling your sweet moans.

His cock throbs as he patiently waits for you to adjust to his girth. Your hips ache, already feeling the pressure of your current activities take it’s toll on your body. Your minds begins to flood with need, processing just how close izuku is, how his muscles feel under your finger tips, how he reacts when you experiment with tightening your smooth walls around him. He waits for you to move, slightly wiggling your hips, before he gives into the feeling, whimpering and keeping a steady pace.

You feel his tip brush against your sweet spot with every thrust, unraveling quicker then you would have liked. Izuku’s blush reaches onto his chest as you moan into his ear, teasing him. He speeds up, ramming into your sweet spot, causing that knot in your stomach to tighten before he shifts to rub at your clit sloppily, letting out lewd noises and tipping you over the edge. Your body freezes, a shaking gasp falling from your lips as you arch your back and your walls flutter and tighten around izuku’s dick. He’s soon to follow, spilling his load over your soft stomach before slowly pulling out and flopping onto his bed besides you.

“That’s one great way to start a shitty trip.” You laugh looking over into his forest eyes. Izuku grabs your hand, kissing your palm and giving you a small smile. “Or just a wonderful way to start a potentially amazing trip. You promised you’d let me spoil you this time, so let me use my money to give you comfort. Ok?” You nod, adjusting your seat to be upright again, and lean over to the champagne. The view out the window is something of beauty as the clouds fold into each other and the sky casts a pink, soft hue onto the white canvas.

Izuku grabs himself a glass, leaning his seat all the way back and putting a complementary eye mask on.

“And besides, the more money we pay, the less people will care where we fuck each other.” He was born into this life, born for it. He was used to this and could be for the rest of his full life.

But izuku would do anything just to be by your side. That’s one thing he can’t pay for.

[lost-in-the-80s]

The Wedding

Pairing: Izzy Stradlin x fem!reader

Words: 2.321k

Summary: Your brother's wedding has arrived, without having a boyfriend, you invite Izzy, your best friend, to be your date. (smut)

A/N: When I started listening to gnr, it didn’t take much time before Izzy got a place in my heart, so this is for his birthday

Song rec for the fic: Woman by John Lennon

Sitting on an airplane for over an hour now, Izzy observed your asleep figure beside him, your head laying on his shoulder, like you had done so many times before, unaware of the warmth it caused on the brunette’s heart.

He questioned himself for a thousandth time that week. Why in the hell did I agree with this?

The idea didn’t sound like a big deal at first, accompanying you to your brother’s wedding wouldn’t cause any harm. But as the days started to go by, his mind traced every aspect of a wedding, the music, the romantic atmosphere, the dancing, and he soon started to regret having said yes so easily.

The truth is that Izzy has always loved you, ever since the day the two of you met. It all happened so naturally that he didn’t notice he was in love until you went on a date with another guy.

At first, he loved your voice, he’d call you just to hear you talking for hours about the most random things. Then it was your eyes, he found himself entranced by their color, the way they rolled when you got annoyed, and how they seemed to invade his deepest thoughts and memories every time you looked at his eyes.

The last thing was your attitude, your bluntness and forward behavior shocking him sometimes, and being his main entertainment in others. He found a true interest in watching you, it didn’t matter what you were doing, you would always be in his sight.

And even though years passed, that feeling seemed to just grow more and more, and every time he saw you going out with another guy, his heart broke into smaller and smaller pieces.

Little did he know the reason behind your maneater habits.

The truth is that, just like him, you had fallen for him since day one, you loved his nonchalant attitude and his style, the shape of his hands and fingers, and how dry his voice was after his third cigarette.

Just like him, you would secretly observe him, the two of you being too good on your game to ever get caught by each other.

But you didn’t want to risk your friendship over admitting your feelings, especially when you didn’t know if Izzy felt the same way. So you went on multiple dates, meeting guys with the most different appearances and personalities, all in hopes that one day, you’d meet someone capable of making you stop thinking about the guy from Indiana. That, obviously, never happened.

A little turbulence on the plane woke you up, you immediately looked up, meeting his brownish eyes.

“It’s just turbulence. Go back to sleep.”

You nodded slowly, before laying your head on his shoulder again, inhaling his scent of cigarettes and cologne and immediately feeling your body calm down.

---

You looked at yourself in the mirror of the hotel room, rolling your eyes at Niki's choice of color and design for the bridesmaids' dresses.

A soft knock on the door caught your attention and there stood him, a black blazer matching his black jeans.

He looked you up and down.

"You're gonna steal the bride's attention like that."

"It's grey, the most boring color ever! I wouldn't steal her attention, even if I wanted to."

He chuckled softly.

Well, you stole my attention. He thought to himself.

Picking up your purse and gift you exited the room, locking your arm with his for support, as you got on the elevator and then walked towards the hotel's saloon.

---

During the entire ceremony, Izzy found his attention caught by you, the way you stood out amongst the other bridesmaids and how impatient you seemed to grow with how long the ceremony was taking.

Your grey dress looked like pure silver, reflecting the lights. You looked so beautiful that he wished he had brought a camera to take a picture of you.

Your eyes caught his for once, and you blinked in his direction, smiling when you saw his lips turn into a small smile.

After what felt like forever the ceremony ended and he found himself sitting at a table with “Y/N and boyfriend” written down on a card.

“I think someone gave them the wrong info.” He showed you the card when you plopped down on the chair beside him.

You rolled your eyes. “Classic coming from my family.”

You lifted the tablecloth, making him look down to see what was happening.

“These heels are killing me.” You complained, removing your silver sandals and quickly massaging your feet.

“I bet they are.” He took two champagne glasses from a waiter passing by.

He knew you weren’t used to heels. Being almost his height, you never felt the need to wear them that often.

“Thanks.” You took your glass towards your nude lips.

“How much did you pay for that gift?” He pointed towards the biggest package on a pile, knowing it was yours.

“300 bucks.”

His eyes widened for a second.

You didn’t wait for him to say anything, knowing exactly what was crossing his mind.

“He’s my only brother. I might not like Niki that much, but he’s happy with her, and I’m happy for that.”

“Fair enough.” He drank from his champagne again. "Those ice statutes are quite tempting for a man who wants to take a piss,"

He chuckled to himself, but soon realized that your attention was focused on the main door.

“See that girl over there?” You pointed at the door.

“What’s with her?”

“That’s Braeden,” the name made him realize she was your sister. “She’s the only woman taller than me here….”

He looked back at you, and so you lowered your voice, keeping eye contact with him.

“When the bouquet time comes, you’re gonna block her.” You gestured aggressively with your hands, making a smile start to form on his lips.

“Why?”

“There’s no way my younger sister is gonna get married before me.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t know you aspired to marriage Y/N.”

Your eyes softened with his sentence and a small pain formed in your heart. If only he knew what crossed your mind when you looked at him during the ceremony.

---

The night seemed to go by faster than he expected and soon he found himself at the drinks table, observing as you talked to some relatives of yours on the other side of the saloon.

You sensed his eyes and looked towards him, giving him a look that said “Help me.”

He chuckled softly, but before he could do anything a woman’s voice caught his attention.

“You must be Izzy.”

He looked to his side, seeing a woman that looked just like Joey, your brother.

“Yes, and you are….” He extended his hand for her to shake.

“I’m Martha, Y/N’s mother.”

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“I didn’t know the two of you were dating.”

He choked on his drink.

“We aren’t, we’re just friends.” He looked down for a second.

She nodded slowly, before locking her eyes on your side.

“I know my daughter very well,"

Her voice made him look back at her.

“She has had many boyfriends in her life, but I’ve never seen her look at them in the way she looks at you.”

He opened his mouth, but your presence made him stop.

“Hey, mom!” You smiled, kissing her cheek.

“Hello, darling.” She touched your hair, adjusting some locks. “I promised I'd dance this one with your father.”

You nodded in understanding as she smiled before walking away.

“So… wanna dance with me?” You nudged him from the side, before taking a sip from his drink.

“With this song?” He asked, taking notice that Woman by John Lennon was playing.

“Why not?” You shrugged.

“Okay.” He placed his now empty glass on the table before taking your hand and guiding you towards the other people there dancing.

One of his hands held you delicately by your waist as you slowly swung to the song. Your eyes locked on each other as the other people around you seemed to disappear.

Your mother’s words mixed with the lyrics hitting his head like bells as he finally noticed the glow that formed in your eyes as you looked at him, making his heart race faster than ever.

You just realized another song was playing when someone bumped into you, making a disco song hit your ears.

You both looked so distracted and for a second you thought you’d sit down for the rest of the night, not being able to feel his cold fingers brush on your skin through your dress.

But those thoughts washed away when he let go of your waist just to grab both of your hands and guide you throughout the song, just like he did for the rest of the night.

That was the happiest night you have had in your life, and when your hotel room number became noticeable at the end of the corridor, you wished you could turn back time and do it all again.

“Happy with your bouquet?”

“More than happy.” You giggled, smelling the flowers one more time.

It was comic the way Izzy put himself in front of your sister, pretending not to be aware of what was happening.

“Thanks for that.”

“If that makes you happy, I can do that at the next weddings too.”

Next weddings. The thought made butterflies erupt in your stomach.

“So…” he started, stopping in front of your room as you opened the door.

“So…”

“Tonight was fun.”

“Yes, it really was!” You said looking down. “Thanks for coming with me, Iz.” You leaned towards him, kissing his cheek gently.

“Anytime.” He replied so lowly that you weren’t sure if he had actually said that.

You entered your room and closed the door, resting your forehead against it as you sighed.

Rushed knocks against the wood made you regain your posture and quickly open the door.

Izzy looked deep inside your eyes, his brown orbs saying everything his mouth wanted to.

Not a second after that and you wrapped your arms around his neck, your lips colliding against his.

No kiss ever had felt like that. It was warm like fire and exciting, you felt your heart start racing faster and your mind went numb.

He wrapped his arms around your waist, bringing you as close as he could while entering your room and kicking the door shut behind him.

Soon you found yourself in your bed, your legs wrapped around his hips as your tongues fought for dominance, making small moans and grunts leave your mouths. One of his hands started traveling underneath your dress's fabric, exploring every inch of your legs, making you shiver with his cold fingers.

Your lips found his neck, kissing and biting at his flesh with desire, delighted by his irregular breathing and the small moans he tried to hold.

A certain hardness was pressed against your core among what seemed like a thousand layers of clothing. The sensation making you wet as you bit harsher on his neck, loving the smirk that formed on his lips.

He pushed himself off of you, standing up and ripping his shirt open, the sound of buttons hitting the floor filling the room.

“I need your help with the dress.”

You sat on the bed, your back facing him as he found the zipper, opening it quickly while he applied wet kisses on the extension of your back, biting your flesh just like you had done with him, making a small moan leave your lips.

“So beautiful.” He whispered against your ear, making another shiver possess your body.

You stripped off of the dress as you watched him undo his pants and remove his underwear with it.

He made his way back to the bed, his calloused fingers removed your blue lace panties slowly and delicately. One of his fingers traveled in between your folds, his eyes closing for a second when he noticed your wetness for him.

Izzy cupped your face with one of his hands, kissing you tenderly before asking.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

You felt the tip of his member entering you, making you close your eyes, focusing on the sensation it caused. You felt him slowly expanding your walls until it was all the way in, making a soft and small moan leave your lips.

Izzy looked at you for confirmation and after seeing you nod, he started moving.

In the beginning, it was slow and passionate, he made it the most intimate he could, touching every inch of your skin, whispering sweet nothings on your ear, as you traced his back and arms with the tip of your fingers, allowing your nails to softly touch his skin.

After some minutes, sweat started to form on both your bodies, your moans coming out in unison filled the room as you felt your walls start to clench around him.

That’s when he sped up his pace, the tip of his member now hitting your g-spot with no mercy, he massaged one of your breasts with his hand, while the other rested on the bed for support.

“Izzy,” His name left your lips in a loud moan and you saw a proud expression consume his features.

“I know, princess, I know.”

You closed your eyes and moaned again, feeling as you and he both came at the same time. A groan leaving his throat matching your whimpers as you felt a wave of pure pleasure wash over your body. Your legs started to shake and you scratched his back, while he bit harsh enough to leave a mark on your neck.

Both sweating and trying to gain your breath again, you laid in bed, your head resting on his chest as he softly caressed your body.

“Izzy?”

“Hum?”

“This is not a one-time thing, right?”

“No, Y/N, it is not.”

Thanks for reading <3

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[marwankenzarisgaylittleearring]

“I’d like to end up as a tree”

Marwan kenzari (31) won a gold calf last year for his role in the movie Wolf. As of next week he is to be seen in Bloedlink (/reckless), opening’s act of the Dutch film festival. “It’s not my place to say I’m good.”

Bloedlink

“Acting offers the chance to become well acquainted with the complexities of being human. The Moroccan kick-boxer Majid in the movie Wolf had a fascinating interior life. His character was even easier to understand when he said nothing at all - I don’t think I’ve ever had as little lines in a movie. Rico in Bloedlink is completely different. He accidentally finds himself swept up in criminal business, but he’s actually just someone who’s had a whole slew of bad luck. In the movie his character undergoes a few very surprising U-turns. In my portrayal of him, I interpret all those different sides as honest, I find that interesting. In the movie, Rico does some paradoxical things, but he means all of them. Of course that’s simply not possible. That’s what makes him fascinating and tragic.”

Journey

“If I’m a good actor? That’s not my place to say. Sometimes you do the most interesting things you think are worthless in the moment. A movie is a collaborative journey, which, in the case of Wolf, I underwent with director Jim Taihuttu among others. Although I secretly did think during shooting: this will be fun. Wolf is an honest movie. The kick-boxing, the hits to the body, very little of that is pretend. Not that everything should be real in a movie, but this story required that. At a certain point I felt: this could be something really fresh in Dutch cinema. And it was.”

Peanut Butter

“Ever since that role, which I trained for quite extensively, I’ve found it increasingly important to stay in shape. It wasn’t a complete transformation; even beforehand I would exercise six times a week. But now I’m slightly addicted, yeah. It makes you mentally stronger, too. If I’ve been training on a Sunday at 7 am and then at 8 am I’m outside again, showered, refreshed and in shape while the rest of the city’s asleep, I’m 1-0 ahead. Scratch that: 10-0. I pay attention to my nutrition as well. Bread for example gives false energy. But I’m not always so strict. I get plenty of enjoyment from a good, white slice of bread with calvé peanut butter. And then fold it over, don’t cut it! You shouldn’t cut a sandwich, everyone knows that. Then you miss the first bite.”

Toneelgroep Amsterdam

“After the acting academy in Maastricht I was immediately invited to Toneelgroep Amsterdam. I was with them for three years, but found my attentions pulled towards film during that period. When the actors from TGA are - rightfully - expected to be fully available. We “broke up”, though that sounds too serious, with full, mutual agreement. I see the company as family and will be playing in Angels in America at the end of the month, in New York. Director Ivo van Hove has been very important for my development. I admire his knowing exactly what he wants, but also his ability to be unsure and searching, and to be able to be vulnerable about that. But I have to be fair to myself. I’m 31 now, and these are my most important years in film. While I hope to be an even better stage-actor when I’m fifty. I’m slightly further ahead in film than on stage. That development is tougher, needs more time and possibly total dedication. Stage is the motor in the actor’s car; film is a different muscle. But if Ivo calls me in two, or ten or forty years, he’ll be the first stage director I’ll say yes to.”

Pierre Bokma

“As the son of Tunisian parents in the Hague painters-quarter I didn’t come into automatic contact with theatre. As a kid I was mostly interested in football, the emotion you see on a player’s face when he scores - fantastic. At a certain point I realised that movies can affect you the same way, even though you know it’s fake. That’s the magic of acting. Through contacts I ended up with De Nieuwe Amsterdam, an in-between theatre course for teens for whom the leap to theatre school was perhaps a bit too big. I learned everything there: playwrights, Dutch actors, repertoire. You’re also taught which acting schools exist. And I thought: where did Pierre Bokma go to school? And Fedja van Huêt? That was Maastricht. It also appealed to me that they implemented Bijltjesdag: you might still be sent away halfway through the first year. I decided: if I’m going for this uncertain profession, maybe the best trial by fire will be going to a school where you aren’t sure if you’ll be allowed to stay. I was allowed, in the end. At the theatre academy I came into contact with art, philosophy, poetry. All of that was new. But it didn’t feel as if I was behind, I only saw it as a fantastic source of riches; as if I could try on all sorts of new glasses.”

Huntersfamily

“I never thought that this path wasn’t laid out for me, I just always let myself be lead by my passion and my dreams. My parents are happy for me; I have a good connection with both. My father is an amazing person - an accumulation of beautiful ingredients. He’s honest with himself, doesn’t spare himself and laughs a lot, that’s important to me. He might be made out of simple components, he’s from a huntersfamily, but for me these are the components that build a strong character. My dad can tell beautiful stories, about his life in Tunisia, about his old friends who aren’t with us anymore. Every year death takes someone new, and in that way a beautiful group of people slowly disappears, the protagonists of a generation. One lives close to the elements there, I find that fascinating. It’s so different to our life here. I’ll also never interrupt my dad when he starts on a story like that. Even if I’ve heard it before.”

Vampire

“I’ve always said: I want to play a woman, a vampire, a Moroccan kick-boxer. I’ve succeeded in doing the last one. A vampire is a wonderful character. The beauty of their faces, the sensuality, the tragedy of never going outside during the day, and of course their never ageing; never dying, in fact. I’d like to never die. When I was a kid, I suffered a lot of nightmares. About falling and never landing. I had a hard time in the dream world, I wasn’t a big fan of night. It was, I think, a sort of inexplicable fear of dying. At a certain moment I grew familiar with those dreams, figured out how to influence them. I could for all intents and purposes check-out whenever it became scary. I became the director of my own dream world. When I was twelve, I fell in love, and then I was over it. I still have nightmares, like everyone else, but now I find them fascinating instead of threatening. Beautiful how your mind can make a story out of all sorts of ingredients. Sometimes I call my mother to talk about what a dream might mean. For example, I recently dreamt about my grandmother. ‘She thinks about you and loves you,’ my mother says.”

Tree

“I still know fear and uncertainty, but they don’t hinder me anymore. They’re two trusted companions now, who walk with me. They keep me sharp and hungry, and in a good way, they keep me on my toes. As long as they don’t hold me back, they can be here. Fear of dying is now simply fear of no longer living. If a way to live until you’re 377 is discovered tomorrow, I’ll be the first to sign up. I’d like to end up as a tree. Then you only need to have a care for wind, rain and sun.”

[teenagemutantninjatrauma]

Reblogging this with a snippet :)

——————

April raises a brow as she tries her best to recall whatever she might’ve said that day that could make her friend anxious in this way. Maybe he’s still worried about her health? He really shouldn’t be, if anything, she should be worrying about him after everything he’d gone through in a single day after the invasion had started. “Yeah, of course it’s okay, Don! What’s up?” she tilts her head, giving him an encouraging smile.

To her slight disappointment, the turtle avoids looking at her, but he does explain himself at least: “While we were fighting, you said.. you said you could kiss me right then.” His hands drop into his lap, fidgeting more intensely. “Was that.. is that true?”

She pauses, and then the memory finally comes back to her, oh! She did say that, didn’t she! Because Don had just done such a cool stunt, and frankly, holding the Triceraton soldiers at gunpoint was one of the most badass things April had ever seen him do, right after building functioning machines out of literal trash. “Oh, absolutely!” she confirms happily. “That was an incredible rescue, I was so proud of you!”

The tiniest smile tugs at his lips, but is gone again as quick as it comes, and the following silence leaves April feeling somewhat uneasy. Normally, she found their conversations fun and light and comfortable, but that definitely isn’t… whatever this is.

“Sorry, did it make you uncomfortable…?”

That makes him glance up at her with an unexpectedly puzzled look. “What? No, just–!” He huffs in frustration. “April, about ninety five percent of humans that meet us either run away screaming, run at us with guns, or,” he shudders, “try to dissect us. We’re giant mutants, we’re all scales and scutes and plastrons and tails, we hide out in the sewers, and we’re a bunch of teens! Personally, I can’t think of many things that could gross humans out more! So I just, I just! ” He rests his face in his hands, voice full of exasperation. “I don’t understand how you can say that and mean it! You know??”

April frowns at this. “Donnie.. do you think you’re gross?”

He snorts humorlessly. “Oh, I know we are. Getting a reminder every day from this lovely town,” he mumbles sarcastically.

At that moment, April’s heart is flooded with anger and disappointment at her city, full of people who wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for her friends, and yet who would not be willing to accept their saviors, simply because of the way they look. Bitterly, she recalls the many shapes and sizes of the New York’s superhero team, and how they get to exist in the public eye without so much as a flinch from anyone, but somehow, the turtles are too much? It isn’t fair. She’s reminded of the most common command she’s heard both Leo and master Splinter use over the years of being around them: “Disappear.” They stay in hiding, only giving the topside a rare longing glance, the occasional visit under the veil of midnight darkness, and often their patrols turn violent, reaffirming that they aren’t welcome, that they do need to hide away.

She would never have expected them to think that she was somehow still in agreement with the majority of people they’ve encountered, though. That just won’t do.

——————

Hi girl I wrote fanfiction what the hell!!

It’s about April deciding “these traumatized little idiots need forehead kisses and hugs RIGHT NOW” and how each of the turtles embraces that :)

[marvelatthetwilight]

Sick of Secrets

A/N: Sorry this took so long everyone!

Part 1: The Secret

Part 2: The Secret’s Out

Part 3: Secrets and Lies

“Demetri, tell me what’s happened” You asked as your feet are finally placed back on solid ground.

“My love, we need to leave. As soon as it is safe I will tell you everything you need to know” he brings his hand up to cup your cheek, and gently strokes his fingers down to your lips. Your heart beats faster, but, just as you think he will meet your lips with his own, something you have been craving since you first met, he moves away and you are desperate to feel his touch again.

He turns from you and looks back into the forest, towards the clearing where you last saw your friends.

You can tell he’s deep in thought, possibly listening for something, someone. He looks conflicted, like he is torn between staying here with you and helping who you know he thinks of as his family.

He looks back to you again, and the deep frown quickly disappears and is replaced with a small smile.

“Please Demetri.”

He hums slightly, as if he is thinking of how to word what he is about to say.

“Something is happening, well, about to happen, I sensed it, and I had to protect you. I had to get you away from there. But now I’ve potentially put you more at risk.” He walks slowly back towards you and takes your hand in his.

Now it was your turn to frown, “What’s happening? Why won’t you tell me? I’m sick of the secrets Demetri.”

Demetri hesitates before bringing your hand to his mouth to place a small kiss on the back of your hand.

“My loyalty was always to the Volturi, without question. For centuries I have done what they ask. But the moment I saw you on that street, I knew I would do anything to protect you. Until now the Volturi hasn’t ever been a threat to you, so they haven’t seen my loyalty waver, you’ve been safe, but now you are at risk and now I’ve realised that I will always choose you. I did it without thinking.”

You nod slowly, still not sure what this means. Demetri seems to sense this, and he continues.

“Aro likes to collect guard members he thinks are powerful, to reinforce our power within the vampire world. He wants Alice. And he will do what he can to get her.”

Your heart rate increases as Demetri’s words ring in your head over and over. Your friends are at risk.

“Once they are finished they will come for us, they know they will come for you to force my loyalty to the Volturi again. If I have nothing else to live for, they can bind me to them once more.”

“So my friends will die because Aro wants Alice? You could have warned them, could have said something.”

“I think Alice knew what would happen Y/N”

You think back to Alice leaving with Jasper, maybe she saw this vision happening, maybe she had a back up plan.

Pulling your hands away from his you turn towards the forest. You think of your friends, your heart breaking at not being able to do more to help them, but not knowing what was happening was somehow worse. You were completely in the dark.

“We have to go Y/N, we have to get away from here.”

He reaches out for you and you pull back.

“But what if everything is ok? What if they overpower the Volturi and they are not at risk? Then we could live however we wish?” You plead with him to see your view.

He looks deep in thought, his eyes focused towards the clearing.

“I can still sense everyone where we left them, nothing has happened yet, we still have time to get away. Please, run with me.” He turns to you, his eyes piercing into your own. He takes your hands again and you nod. Knowing that there was no way you could be apart from him again, willing to follow him anywhere.

A clear flaw in Demetri’s plan is that he had forgotten about your humanity. He hadn’t planned to stop, but had forgotten that you needed sleep, it had been so long since he had spent a prolonged period time with a human.

He found a small motel a couple of hours into your journey when he realised you were falling asleep and shivering at the sudden drop in temperature that evening.

You stir awake to find yourself in a bed, wrapped in blankets with Demetri sat in a chair in the corner staring out of the window.

“Demetri? Where are we?”

He rushes to your side and cups your face with his hand.

“You were asleep my love, and you were so cold I feared you would never be warm again. I had to find somewhere to stop for you, although we need to get moving again soon.”

You look around once more, remembering the events of the day before.

“Can you find them? Are they still alive?”

Demetri sighs at this question.

“When we were running yesterday I couldn’t sense any of the Cullens, it was as if they had disappeared. Then this morning I searched again and I found them, not far from the clearing where we left them. They seem to be alive. I don’t really understand what happened.”

“So we can go back to them?” You get up from the bed and walk towards him.

He shakes his head slowly.

“I’m sorry cara mia, we can’t risk the Volturi finding us. Not until I know what has happened. I have my sources, I promise we will work it out.”

A small tear falls down your face as you turn to look at the cars passing outside.

“I just thought this was going to go differently. That we would be leaving to set up a life, not leaving everything and being on the run.”

Demetri holds your head with his hand and rubs his thumb across your cheek, wiping away the tears which were now streaming down your face.

“I know my darling, I know.”

He leans forward to press a kiss to your forehead.

You join Demetri on the chairs by the window, asking him questions about his life.

“There is so much I want to know” he smiles at you as he holds out his hand. You take it and return his smile.

“We will have forever for me to tell you, and forever to make our own memories and take our own adventures.”

Your heart flutters at the thought and your face flushes. Looking up at Demetri’s eyes you can see they are darker than they were yesterday, his eyes meet your own before they glance down at your lips then back up again.

He closes the distance between you and holds the back of your head as he pulls you towards him. Your hands are shaking as you trace the shape of his face, fingers gently running along his jaw line to his lips. Demetri finally presses his lips to yours and your body fizzes with passion.

When he pulls away you unintentionally whine and pout slightly at the loss of contact. He chuckles under his breath.

“I know my love, but I must feed. You make it very hard to keep control.”

You nod and make your way back to the bed with the promise that after one more nap you would be ready to travel again.

After about an hour you are woken by a rustling at the door. Thinking it’s Demetri returning, you think nothing of it and close your eyes again. The sound continues, but now it sounds like someone is trying to get in, but can’t get their key to fit, it’s not Demetri. You sit still, hoping whoever it was would leave as soon as they realised it wasn’t their room.

The noise stops, and you settle back into bed, resting your head on the pillow again. Just as you close your eyes you hear a loud thud and a crack as the door is forced open, a large man with a wiry beard and a strong odour of alcohol comes bounding towards the bed.

“I saw your man friend leave, it didn’t seem fair that he gets to keep you to himself...”

Before you could react, he throws himself on you, and you are forced still on the bed by his weight on top of you.

Your thoughts go to Demetri as you will him to come back, to come back in time to help you, to save you.

It takes a minute for you to realise that the pain you feel isn’t from the drunk man forcing himself on you, but from your stomach. The man chuckles as he pulls away from you and you see the blood. As he stands up, you see the knife in his hand, just as comes towards you again with his knife held up high you see Demetri at the door. Demetri.

Then everything goes black.

Demetri’s POV

No, no, no, no, no. I dispose of the man’s limp body to the side of the bed and rush back to Y/N.

Her skin is cold, and her colour is draining.

So much blood.

I take a deep breath that I don’t need to help my mind focus. Carlisle. Where is Carlisle?

I find his tenor, and quickly wrap Y/N in some blankets, lifting her into my arms and running as fast as I can.

As I reach the house, I don’t ring the doorbell, I don’t knock. I think as loud as I can as I get closer, Y/N needs help, quick.

Just as I get to the top step the door flies open, Edward meets my eyes and nods, motioning to the door down the corridor where Carlisle is waiting for us.

“Carlisle, you have to help her.”

Taglist:

@volturidoll13 @fatiguing-thoughts @clearwater-hoe @teampaul @wallwriterstuff @like-rain-or-confetti @moviequeen51 @awesomebooklover17 @cncogirl18 @raindancer2004 @officialfictionalwreck @megzdoodle @slasher-sweetie @evakipara @reclusive-chicken-nugget @icarusinstatic @holl2712

[catrasredemption-moved]

Could you maybe do a pregnant catra fic? Just anything that you want to do with pregnant catra, because I love your pregnant catra fics, sorry if prompts are closed btw

Catra had wanted this.

She really, really did. She had argued with Adora until she'd worn her down and forced her to admit that she didn't want to be pregnant, that the idea of it terrified her. It had been easy enough after that to convince Adora to let Catra carry the baby. She had wanted this.

She had spent hours with her sketchbooks and pencils, drawing different ideas for nurseries and freely showing Adora her drawings for the first time ever. Sometimes she liked to imagine what their baby would look like, let her hand slowly drift across the page as the pencil drew out vague shapes with pointed ears and floppy hair that she just knew would be Adora's shade of blonde. The eyes would be Adora's too, thought maybe with Catra's superior eyesight.

She had wanted this.

So why was she sitting in the middle of a hallway, sobbing and regretting every decision in her life?

It wasn't totally out of the blue. She'd been on a nighttime walk with Melog, because insomnia loved to haunt her, her feet had carried her mindlessly through the halls... and then she was in front of Angella's memorial.

And if there was anything that screamed, "You don't deserve this," it was staring into the face of the woman she had killed.

Melog nuzzled their snout into her cheek as she raised her head from her knees, looking up at the moonlit statue. She didn't deserve this. What had she done to get a happy ending when so many people hadn't because of her? When Glimmer had no mother, Micah had come home to no wife, because of her?

You deserve it, Melog insisted, licking her cheek. No. No she didn't. Adora did, and Catra was just benefitting from that.

You've been forgiven.

But she hadn't been, had she? The entire castle staff had to be weeded out - while rebuilding at the same time - just to make sure there was no one who would go after Catra. And that hadn't even been the end of it - Adora had insisted on another check, another culling, before they announced Catra was pregnant. At least three people Catra recognized and knew had disappeared. The people of Salineas would never forgive her, not really. And she didn't blame them. She couldn't even forgive herself.

"Catra?"

She looked up, shaken from her spiral of despair. Micah was standing a few feet down the hall, head tilted uncertainly as he eyed her. It wasn't the first time he had found her like this. It was the first time in a long time he'd found her crying.

"Hormones?" he guessed. Catra muttered no even as Melog chirped affirmatively. Micah sat with her, crossing his legs, giving her space.

"Angella and I always talked about what we wanted after the war," he said after a moment, looking up at the statue. "Peace, obviously. A quiet life. Safety for our daughter." He sighed. "We knew the Horde was raising child soldiers. There were so many young people... there was nothing we could do to help, though. Infiltrating the Fright Zone was impossible. But we agreed, when the war ended, that we would help as many of them as we could. So many didn't have a choice. They deserved a chance."

"Newsflash, I wasn't a kid when I was promoted to force captain," Catra muttered resentfully.

"Right, you were a fully grown adult who definitely hadn't been raised and brainwashed."

"I made my choices."

"Maybe." Micah smiled sadly. "But I think Angella would still want you to be happy. She was a force to be reckoned with, but she was kind. You and Adora are the future she wanted to see - kids who had been hurt by the Horde, free and happy, making lives for yourselves, starting a family. A new generation of kids who will never know war or fear the way you did."

Catra let out a long, shuddering breath, looking up. "Is it really fair that I'm here for that when she can't see it?"

"I don't think it's about what's fair." Micah shrugged. "It's about what we have. You're here. You have a life with someone who loves you, good friends, a job you like no matter how much you complain-" Catra snorted, rolling her eyes. "And it's okay to forgive yourself and move on. For you to have this baby and be happy with what you have. Fair has nothing to do with it."

Catra didn't answer. She didn't have any answers. Her hand just drifted to her slightly swollen body, eyes fluttering shut as little feet kicked under her hand. The kid was nocturnal, of course.

Melog eventually went to get Adora. Catra had fallen asleep, head resting on Micah's shoulder, when her wife found her. Adora sighed. She hated it when Catra c ame here, knew she always got too caught up in her head and the guilt.

"Is she...?"

"She'll be okay," Micah assured her. "Being pregnant is hard. Or at least that's what Angella told me ten times a day."

Adora laughed, scooping Catra up gently. Catra stirred a little, then buried her face in Adora's neck.

She would be okay.

[novelconcepts]

FOUND IT!!! Consider this an official ask for 3 and 14 combined! #wheee

smiling into a kiss and play wrestling

Having a best friend again is strange. She’d gone so long imagining the phrase as a sort of neon sign staked firmly in the past: Best Friend, already spoken for. Eddie had always been it; no other volunteers need apply. 

But Eddie’s gone now, out of her life, living out wherever his might go in another country altogether, and Dani finds the position has--slowly, without really planning for it--been filled once more. Not that she planned for it. Not that could ever could have. 

She didn’t come to Bly looking for Jamie, and if you’d told her the gardener who refused to so much as meet her eyes, much less introduce herself, would become the most important person in her life--well. Life is full of surprises.

There is so little of Eddie in Jamie, she sometimes wonders how both could have occupied the same shape in her heart. Sometimes wonders how Eddie--who prized cleanliness, routine work hours, dinners at his mother’s once a week--would look at Jamie, if he could see her. Jamie, all tousled hair, happiest with a cigarette between her teeth and both hands buried in soil. Jamie, who has never kept a nine-to-five, never craved Sunday afternoons with her parents, never looks at Dani like she expects firm posture, bright smile, neat clothes. 

They couldn’t possibly be more different--and yet, somehow, Jamie is her best friend. Unfair to think it, maybe, but she might be the best friend Dani’s ever had. Her sense of humor is dark, her vocabulary wallpapered with curse words and shorn letters; she smells of nicotine and sunscreen, dresses in wrinkled flannels and torn jeans. Where Eddie looped an arm around her shoulders, Jamie nudges her with bony elbows; where Eddie pressed his lips to her temple, Jamie leans carefully away. Different, in every measure. 

And it isn’t that she likes Jamie more. That wouldn’t be fair--not after so many years in Eddie’s company. It’s just that when Jamie looks at her, eyes bright, dirt smudged on one cheek, sometimes, she feels...

“You’re thinking,” Jamie observes. She doesn’t say it the way Eddie would--the way he always pointed out when she was clenching her fist under the table, or picking at her nails, his voice edged with concern bordering on condescension. Her voice is light, her lips curved in a small smile. 

Eddie never quite smiled at her like that. Or, if he did, it didn't pluck the same chord in her stomach. Not that that matters. Not that that affects the sincerity of friendship. 

Not that it’s making her feel weirdly flushed this afternoon. 

“Am I not allowed to think?” she asks. The sun, she thinks, is responsible for the goofy smile on her face. The heat of the day, which stretches on and on the way only early July knows how.

“Not arguing,” Jamie says. “One of us ought to.”

She’s on her knees, pulling weeds, her face shining with sweat. There’s something about days like this--afternoons where the kids are occupied helping Owen bake cookies, leaving Dani to nurse a glass of water and pleasantly-meandering conversation--that feels almost too good to be allowed. Eddie would have wanted to do something with a day like this: hike, or clear up the yard, or go visit family. 

Jamie, on the other hand, pushes to her feet and surveys the bed she’s spent all day working. “Think that’s good enough for a break. Here, budge over.”

Dani obediently scoots to the edge of her seat, amused when Jamie flops down half in her lap. A year of working at the manor, and Jamie’s gone from a woman who couldn’t make eye contact to save her life to this: gangly limbs tossed haphazardly over Dani’s, sweat-slick skin sticking where it lands against Dani’s shoulder. It’s too hot for cozying up like this, but she can’t seem to convince herself to push Jamie away. 

“There,” Jamie sighs, tilting her head back against the plastic of the lawn chair. “Christ, feels good just to breathe.”

“You breathe,” Dani says, “and I’ll think. Together, we make an almost-functional human being.”

“Almost,” Jamie says wryly. Her hand loops around Dani’s, teasing the sweating glass out of her grip long enough to take a sip. Dani nudges her. 

“Could get you one of your own, if you ever learned to ask politely.”

“Don’t like me polite,” Jamie says with a shrug. “My brand is prickly-yet-charming, and we both know I’m your favorite for it.”

“Technically,” Dani corrects, “Flora is my favorite. Mainly because she doesn’t make me remind her to say please.”

“Please,” Jamie says without missing a beat, “keep pretending you aren’t captivated by my winning personality.”

Dani laughs. “Oh, is that what I am?”

“Mm.” Jamie takes another sip, reaches over her to set the glass down on the table, closes her eyes. “S’what you were all pensive about just now, I’m sure. How entranced you are with my witty banter.”

“Entranced,” Dani repeats.

“Beguiled. Mesmerized. Drunk with adoration.” Jamie’s face is pink, a bead of sweat neatly lining her upper lip. Dani only realizes she’s staring a fortunate beat before Jamie rolls her head to the left, peering at her with lazy amusement. “Go on. Tell me how much you love me.”

“Love how ridiculous you can be, maybe.” And how sweet, and how unquestioningly soft, though she doesn’t see a need to put that into words--or a way to do it without sounding entirely out of her head. The heat, she thinks, is absolutely getting to her. 

It’s the heat, making her want suddenly to slide an arm between the plastic back of the chair and the cotton of Jamie’s tank top, pulling her even closer. The heat, making her want to displace the normal back-and-forth ease of friendship with something else entirely. 

She’s had a best friend before. She’s never quite wanted to do with Eddie what she is, more and more, thinking about with Jamie curled up beside her. 

Distract, she thinks, because Jamie is still watching her with that half-lidded expression she gets when the sun is particularly bright, the day’s work has been well-tended, and Dani’s shoulder is a cushion beneath her head. More and more, it’s been feeling like a dangerous sort of moment, Jamie’s face lingering near the crook of her neck. Jamie’s breath coasting down the neckline of her dress. Jamie’s smile sweeter than should be allowed, given the grumpy way she slouches around the grounds. 

“Thinking,” Jamie says, her voice almost soft. Dani shakes her head. 

“It’s not illegal.”

“Is,” Jamie says, “if you’re gonna just stare at me all googly-eyed while you do it. C’mon, what gives? Is today some holiday I’ve forgotten?” She sits up a little straighter, her face comic in its sudden concern. “Shit, Poppins, it’s not your birthday.”

She almost wants to say it is, just to watch Jamie turn fascinating new shades of maroon. “No--just--it’s hot.”

Jamie sags back with palpable relief. Her arm is freckled, Dani notices, beyond the norm; the summer is drawing all sorts of secrets from her skin, and it’s suddenly painfully tempting, the urge to trace her nail along these newfound constellations. 

Distract, she thinks again, more urgently this time. Without thinking it through, without considering the consequences, she dips two fingers into the glass of water and flicks the still-cool moisture directly into Jamie’s face. 

Jamie, to her credit, hardly jumps. She’s just blinking at Dani like their conversation has taken an unanticipated left turn into another language, water dripping from the end of her nose. 

“Okay,” she says. “If that’s how we’re playing it.”

Her arm reaches across without hesitation, replicating Dani’s playbook: two fingers dipped, flicked, landing back in her lap as Dani sputters. 

“You got me in the eye.”

“Cooled you off, though?” Jamie asks, almost politely. Dani laughs, and suddenly, it’s war. There’s barely enough room on the chair for the both of them to sit like adults, much less to squirm around, hips knocking, legs tangled up as the remainder of the glass finds its way--droplet by droplet--into Jamie’s face, down Dani’s neck, sometimes missing entirely and disappearing into the sizzling summer air. 

Dani is ultimately the victor, an upset decided when she grasps the glass--now containing maybe two inches of water--and upends it directly over Jamie’s head. She’s laughing almost too hard to breathe, particularly when Jamie gives a firm shake of her hair, looking like a rumpled dog after a bath.

“That,” Jamie says in a low, dangerous tone, “cannot stand.”

She’s up before Dani can stop her, sprinting toward the garden hose uncoiled in the grass. Dani twists in her seat, knees drawn up to her chest, arms extended.

“Don’t you dare!”

“All’s fair,” Jamie says, almost apologetically, depressing the trigger. 

They are, Dani notes somewhere in the back of her mind, full-grown adult women. They are thirty years old, gainfully employed, responsible for the upkeep of an entire house and the well-being of two small children. 

They are also now chasing one another across the lawn, Dani sopping wet, Jamie laughing so hard she nearly trips over her own feet taking a corner too fast. The hose is growing more and more tangled by the minute as she dashes in a zig-zag pattern, periodically firing a jet of water over her shoulder, and Dani has no prayer of catching up--not with her shoes squelching, slipping on wet grass, her lungs clenched around a soundless jag of laughter. 

Adults, she thinks, as Jamie makes the insurmountable error of trying to bolt past her like a quarterback dodging a tackle; she makes a successful leap over the tangled hose, but forgets at the last second to factor in the edge of the lawn chair. Dani has her around the middle before she can dart out of reach, the both of them tumbling over in a cackling heap of grass clippings, puddled hose water, freckled limbs. 

They’re rolling, shouting wordlessly around giggles, Dani struggling to pry the hose out of Jamie’s hands. It’s harder than it looks; Jamie is small, but strong in an annoyingly wiry sort of way. Even when Dani manages to get her onto her back, the water is inescapable, dousing in short jets across her chest, down her arms, pooling awkwardly between them. 

“You are,” she laughs, “a child.”

“Could a child do this?” Jamie replies, jerking upward at the hips with unexpected force. Dani rocks up with her, one hand grasping the sodden front of Jamie’s shirt for balance, and drops back down without budging from her seat. Jamie releases an oof as her back makes rough contact with the ground again, giggling too hard to successfully shove Dani over.

“Yes, actually, I think a child would be exactly that effective,” Dani informs her. Her body has never felt quite this alive, her muscles aching with the effort of an unplanned run. Jamie, chest heaving for breath, is practically glowing. 

“Just want to remind you,” Jamie says, “you did start this.”

“Does that mean I win?” If she hasn’t, she can’t imagine it would feel any better than this: straddling Jamie’s hips in the soft grass, cool water seeping down her back, her dress sticking pleasantly to warm skin. Jamie allows the hose to drop from her grip at last, her head tipped back, eyes closed.

“Call it a draw.”

“What if I wanted to win?” She slides a hand up without thinking, pinning Jamie by the wrist before she can decide to take up her watery weapon again. Jamie draws a deep breath, face flushed, grinning. 

“Guess you’d have to work harder for it.”

Children, Dani thinks--but suddenly, it doesn’t feel childish anymore. Suddenly, she’s overly aware of her dress rucked high around her thighs, of how short Jamie’s shorts really are, how her body is considerably less obscured than usual with her shirt plastered to her frame. Suddenly, she’s aware of Jamie’s hand flexing against the grass, pinned beside her head with a loose enough grip to break--though Jamie isn’t breaking it. Isn’t even trying.

Jamie is, instead, gazing up at her with hair mussed, eyes bright. Jamie, whose free hand is sliding up to rest along the curve of Dani’s hip. 

She’s Dani’s best friend, like he was, but this doesn’t feel like it belongs in the same category as late-night stories swapped by the fire, or letting each other steal the vegetables the other doesn’t care for off their plate. This feels like a category all its own: the way Jamie licks her lips as Dani’s head lowers, the way Dani’s fingers graze the freckles painting her wrist on the way up to notching her palm against Jamie’s. 

Her hair is wet, and Jamie’s face is sweaty, and there’s so little romance to the whole picture, it takes her by surprise. She’s always thought there should be talking before a thing like this, at least--a decision made on equal footing. 

“I don’t have to,” she says, even as Jamie is saying, “Do you want to?”

Children would laugh again, go back to wrestling, go back to how it all felt just a few minutes before. They are not, Dani notes as she lowers her head--as Jamie shifts up at the shoulders to meet her--children. 

She’s hyper-aware of all of it now: the sun beating against her shoulders, the hand Jamie is using to grip the back of her dress, the exact angle of Jamie’s mouth parting beneath her own. Her tongue is gentle, brushing Jamie’s, and the sound Jamie makes into her is anything but. 

She’s smiling, she realizes, so hard, it hurts--that deep, wonderful hurt of laughing too hard for too long, of slipping in the grass and landing in a heap with someone who couldn’t help catching her on the way down. She’s grinning into Jamie even as she’s kissing her, even as she’s letting her body stretch out to press Jamie more firmly against the damp ground. 

And Jamie, fingers curled between her own, making soft sounds of appreciation into the kiss, is grinning right back. 

“This was your plan all along,” she accuses, brushing the hair from Dani’s eyes when they break for a breath. “Awful lot of work, for a kiss.”

“All’s fair?” Dani suggests--and she genuinely, honestly cannot decide which she likes more: the way Jamie kisses, or the way Jamie kisses and laughs at the same time. All of it, she feels, goes a country mile beyond best friends. All of it goes a country mile beyond anything she could ever have dreamed up, walking away from him the way she did. 

It couldn’t possibly be more different.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Not just a soft princess - Azula x female reader imagine: Part Two

You arrive at the fire nation and things do not go as Azula planned, mainly because she didn’t expect to be putting her own neck on the line to protect you from her father...but that’s exactly what she finds herself doing more and more. 

Part one here

Part three here

Part four here

Part five here

Part six here

Your POV

The ship landed just as the sun was rising and you expected to be shown to a room to sleep but instead Azula started towards the palace and gestured for you to follow. The dai li were sent down another corridor and you hesitated but Azula called your name sharply and so you turned away. You had no idea where Azula was taking you, all you heard her say was “he will want to see her” to two guards who hastily got out of her way. You were so angry and scared you didn’t take in the grand decor or extravagant wealth of the fire nation. You just followed Azula as you went further into the belly of the beast. When you got closer Azula dismissed everyone apart from you but one person didn’t leave. Her brother Zuko stayed and Azula narrowed her eyes. She yanked him to the side and they argued in whispers but eventually Azula won. You wondered if she ever lost....Zuko turned back the way you’d come and disappeared around a corner. Azula carried on walking without saying anything and anxious not to be left behind you hurried after her. You finally reached a huge throne room lined with fire and gaped. "Father" Azula said sprawling on the floor in a bow. The figure in the fire turned and looked at you both before fixing it’s eyes on you. Azula shot you a look but you made no attempt to move "you said nothing about bowing, i am still princess of the earth kingdom". Azula narrowed her eyes when suddenly the figure moved out of the fire. Fire lord Ozai loomed before you and glanced over you “so this is the princess" Ozai said coming to stand right infront of you. He lifted your chin with his hand and stared in your eyes harshly. "You are now our ally so i will excuse this lapse in judgement just this once...but in the future you will bow to me and only me. We are allies but i your king, do you understand?". He jerked his hand away but you didn’t let you chin drop, the fire lord glared at you but you matched his eye defiantly. You saw Azula watching anxiously so eventually looked away "yes fire lord Ozai" and lowered your head. "Good" Ozai replied. You doubted you had a choice. “You will rest and prepare for tonight”. “What’s tonight?” you asked and Ozai smirked cruelly “why our victory party of course”.

Azula’s POV

After you left Azula stayed, anxious to hear her father’s praises but they never came. “She is your responsibility” he said simply and Azula looked up “the princess?”. “Well who else?” he snapped “it was stupid bringing her here, you should’ve killed her when you could”. “I couldn’t...there’s no way the city would’ve allowed it, they would not have surrendered if we harmed her, the only way to assure victory was with her help”. “She is not broken and that is a problem” Ozai glared “it will be your job to break her, if you fail or if she causes even a whiff of treachery....you will face the consequence” he glared “yes?”. Azula bowed her head “yes father”. Her father made a noise and swept past her, stepping on her sleeve as he passed. Azula frowned wiping away the dirt and stood up. If you were her responsibility then she had to make sure you behaved, she had work to do.

Your POV

You were led through another maze of corridors until you were eventually released into your room. As prison cells went it was beautiful. Large and tastefully decorated you found yourself admiring the room when suddenly the door was thrown open. Servants brought in boxes and boxes of supplies and you frowned “what is all this?”. “Clothes” Azula said appearing “you need to look nice for the firelord’s presentation tonight, the servants will choose what you are to wear and help you to get ready”. “Because I am incapable of doing that myself?” you asked and Azula glared. “Because this is too important an alliance to fail, you have no idea about fire nation customs or our traditions so if I were you i’d take every slither of help I could get...”. Azula backed away from you and went to leave but you weren’t done. “The dai li, where have you sent them? Tell me or I won’t go near any of these outfits”. Azula rolled her eyes “I have taken some for my personal protection but others will be deployed however I see fit”. You shook your head worried for the guards that had left their families because you said to. “I want to have some with me, I want them to be alternated regularly so I might make sure they are being treated well”. Azula glared “you are not in the position to bargain with me”. “Am I not?” you asked “you’re smart but you know if anything happens to me...if word gets back to the dai li or to Ba Sing Sei....your alliance falls away, what would your father think of that?”. You’d picked up on Azula’s fear of her father and felt bad using it on her but given what she’d done to your people you thought it fair. The servants all paused at the mention of Ozai and looked at you with obvious astonishment you’d dare test the princess but you didn’t care. If you were so important as Azula claimed she couldn’t touch you. With visible effort Azula’s shoulders lowered and she met your eyes. “I will see to it you always have a guard of four and they will rotate monthly, now is that all?” she asked sarcastically. You nodded your head and Azula strode from the room pushing over a servant that couldn’t get out of her way fast enough.

You unsurprisingly couldn’t rest and the ball came quicker than you expected. Before you knew it you were poked and prodded into a traditional earth kingdom dress nobody even wore anymore and thrust into the middle of the fire nation nobility. You were forced to sit by the firelord’s side for the duration of a large feast where he basically paraded you around as a trophy. He claimed you were allies working to strengthen your kingdom but you were a prisoner. Pretending to not be livid was hard and you took solace hoping your people were safe at least. That’s all that mattered.

Azula’s POV

"I feel sorry for her" Ty Lee sighed watching you “she looks so...awkward”. Azula glanced over to you and realised her friend was right. Despite looking every bit the beautiful exotic princess with a wide smile on your face your eyes were betraying you. You were miserable. “Well duh” Mai replied “do you think she’s happy to be here?”. The nobles had all certainly taken to you but Azula guessed that hadn’t helped. You were dressed in traditional earth kingdom clothes and primped like a delicate thing to sit in a display case. Azula noted you did look radiant and beautiful but you had been just as stunning when she first saw you in trousers and a loose tunic only that’d hadn’t looked half as forced. This, with your hair twisted up into an odd position and a corset squeezing you into a ridiculous shape, didn’t look like you at all...just a basic princess of the earth nation.

Azula watched as her father leant in to say something to you and you flinched away repulsed. You were still smiling but it was very clear you detested him. Her father either didn’t notice or didn’t care and he kept his close proximity to you. Azula thought it unwise for her father to keep pushing you, she wasn’t sure how long it’d be before you earth bent his chair away from you for coming close to you. Azula supposed that would be bad for appearances so made her way to her father. “Father” she said bowing “may I make a suggestion?”. Ozai nodded and she moved closer. “Perhaps if y/n could move around the room...people could see her better and it would look like more of an alliance, I could show her around if you liked?” she whispered. Ozai thought before nodding “yes that is a good idea”. Azula nodded and went to step towards you when Ozai cut her off “Zuko” he said turning to his son further down the table. Zuko jumped up and rushed over “yes father?”. “Y/n wishes to stretch her legs, take her for a walk around the room, give her a whole tour of the palace if you wish just make sure everyone sees the two of you together” he said pointedly. Zuko lowered his eyes and nodded “yes father”. You had evidently overheard and stood up as soon as Zuko looked at you. You rushed away from Ozai so quickly Zuko followed you in a daze.

Mai’s POV

Azula returned to Mai and Ty lee and she she evidently noticed Mai’s expression. “I didn’t mean for that to happen...”. “No, I knew it was only a matter of time before your father put his plan in place” Mai sighed. There were already chatters about you and Mai knew Ozai was anxious to assimilate you into the fire nation. An obvious and simple way would be to link your blood line to theirs and given you were only one year younger, you and Zuko seemed the obvious option. “I told you that won’t happen” Azula said sharply “she’s a princess she won’t be sold off like cattle”. “You sure about that?” Mai asked as the whole room followed you and Zuko with their eyes, whispers breaking out everywhere. Mai wasn’t so sure Azula was right this time. A marriage would so neatly tie up this whole business, any children you had would have claim to both the fire and earth nation meaning the fire nation could legitimately take over half the four nations. With you help Ozai wouldn’t even have to wipe the earth kingdom out, he’d more than double his population and reach an insane amount of power. Mai couldn’t see how he would resist that and so watched you warily.

Your POV

You’d only been in the fire nation a day but you were painfully aware of Ozai’s plan for you and so you were wary of Azula’s brother but honestly he seemed just as scared as you. He led you outside in silence, past all the people who muttered just loud enough for you to hear. He stopped at a balcony in full view of them all and silence settled. You were aware he probably also knew what his father had planned and were pleased he also seemed opposed to it. “So...how do you like the fire nation?” he asked awkwardly and you paused. “I honestly don’t know what to make of it, I haven’t been let out of my room all day so I haven’t had much chance to look around”. Zuko looked at you awkwardly “ow”. “Ow” you agreed and silence settled. Finally Zuko sighed “look I have to mention it...I know what my father has planned as do you...but I didn’t ask him for it and I won’t be speeding up the process I can assure you...er no offence”. You smiled surprised at his honesty “none taken, it’s a relief to hear you say that...no offence”. Zuko smiled dryly and silence settled again. You were confused by what Zuko had said though, why was he acting like he didn’t have a say? You were a prisoner but he was a prince, why didn’t he just tell his father no? “Not to sound rude but can’t you do something about it?” you asked suddenly and Zuko jumped. “Me? what makes you think I can do anything?”. “Well you’re the first born and the future king! Can’t you...refuse or something?”. Zuko laughed “things must’ve worked differently in your kingdom but here...lets just say speaking out against my father isn’t an option”. You frowned disheartened and Zuko touched his scar nervously before sighing “we should move around, my father wants them to see you...”. Zuko led you back into the party and you felt like a show dog being paraded around. You followed him dutifully until Azula appeared. “Princess Y/n” she said nodding to you “brother” she said sharply to Zuko “father has retired”. Zuko looked up and sure enough Ozai’s throne was empty. “He has?”. “Clearly” Azula snapped before turning to you “all he asked is that you stay at the party until the end but that does not mean you have to spend it with my brother, I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone” Azula smirked. You smiled without meaning to but immediately felt bad for Zuko. The prince scoffed and barged past his sister most unimpressed and Azula laughed. “Not the most charismatic” she told you “but then we can’t all be so lucky to be blessed with people skills”. “You have people skills?” you asked and Azula narrowed her eyes, “just because I wasn’t trained to be a pretty smiley princess like you doesn’t mean I can’t handle people, i’m very good at getting what i want...you’re proof of that”. “Me?” you asked confused and Azula smirked “do you think you’d be here if I didn’t want you here?” and walked away leaving you confused.

1 week later

You soon realised you’d been premature to complain about your treatment on your first day in the fire nation. The day after the party you were awoken early and forced to dress and show your face around the fire nation nobles. Then you were drilled incessantly by some twin women about everything fire nation. The correct titles to use, who you must bow to, how you must style your hair....the list was endless and the women cruel and harsh. Your days were spent being prodded around by them, your evenings been paraded around whatever formal event was being thrown and the fire nation seemed to have an endless amount of events to prove their honour and pride. You soon caught on that the events were merely a way for Ozai to force you and Zuko in proximity to one another and so in response you tried avoiding the prince as much as was humanly possible. In truth you had nothing against Zuko, he seemed fine but you didn’t want to encourage any more contractual alliances, a marriage least of all. The only good thing about the situation was Zuko wasn’t the only fire nation royalty around. Strangely Princess Azula had been...helpful in that respect. Anywhere Zuko could go so could Azula, so anytime Ozai demanded Zuko go somewhere just so he could force you to do the same, Azula would also show up. So what would’ve turned into a date was just a royal outing. Even tonight, the fire lord had purposefully attempted to seat you and Zuko at the centre of the table. Azula had swiftly placed herself in the centre instead, both of you blocked by her and you found it rather entertaining. She was definitely the brains of the fire nation and for whatever reason she did not support a union between you and her brother.

Azula was oddly the member of the royal family you saw the most. On your “royal outings” you and Zuko largely ignored one another and with Azula and Zuko not getting on, it would be the two of you trading quips or light insults at one another all day. She’d also regularly appear in your schooling sessions too and when she did the women were a lot nicer to you. They obviously wanted to impress the princess and needed you to do that so went from shrieking furies to kind old women. You began to look forward to Azula’s visits in your lessons and found her presence oddly comforting in certain situations, like the formal events. Nobody dared approach you when Azula was next to you and it was refreshing. In her presence you were protected from the stares and rude behaviour of the fire nation nobels who had gotten bolder with their behaviour to you. Zuko would just look away but Azula would directly challenge anyone who showed you disrespect. She claimed it was because disrespect to you was disrespect to the fire lord but you weren’t so sure...there was something oddly endearing deep down in the princess. You didn’t see it often but when you did...you liked it.

But Azula wasn’t often vulnerable and you more often saw the harsher side of her, especially if she was in a bad mood and particularly if you were too. The two of you would clash and after a hard day of training you suspected the same could happen tonight. You’d had a bad day from being summonded to oversee the contract of your alliance you had no control over to the painful dress you’d been placed in tonight but the worst bit was Azula hadn’t shown up to your training session like she did every week and your teachers had taken it out on you. So you were already slightly miffed at her when she sidled up beside you in the throne room.

You were stood watching the other nobles lost in thought and clear confusion showed on your face. "What’s wrong with you...never been to a party before?" Azula asked. "Not one like this" you admitted and glanced at Azula. You were annoyed to see she looked nice (as always) but she was constantly dressed so formally. You hadn’t once seen her in normal clothing and it seemed as if the fire nation lived in formal wear. “So what’s with the face?” Azula asked jolting you out of your theory. "Is there no dancing in the fire nation? I’ve been here over a week and not once has anyone danced at any of these things" you said dismissively and Azula smirked "you like to dance?". You shrugged "my uncle loved it as did Bosco...it was infectious everyone would get up and dance too" you smiled at the memory "but here nobody seems to do much smiling or laughing…do you know how?". Azula narrowed her eyes "maybe if your city focused less of bears and parties it wouldn’t be ours now". You’d provoked her with your comment but you hadn’t meant to make her so angry. You’d learnt her temper could be far more fragile than your own but you were sick of appeasing it. She needed some to snap back at her and you’d give it her. You sighed deeply and glared "don’t pretend you won on merit alone you got lucky...the avatar gone, long feng over thrown, it wasn’t all your talent that won you the city and what was the point of it all anyway? Even with my city the fire nation’s still a miserable place. Nobody here seems happy or to like each other. That’s probably why you focus so much on other nations but what happens when you've conquered the world and you’re all left to your unhappy selves? At least we were happy on our own could the fire nation say the same?".

Azula’s POV

You turned and strode away before Azula could reply and she slammed her drink down in response. How dare you get the last word! It angered Azula so much she tried looking for you to continue the argument but couldn’t seem to find you. She was sure you’d disappeared on purpose and that made her even angrier. You were so spirited and had such a sharp tongue, it matched hers and that infuriated her. She had to admit you were similar to her in many respects and that made her both interested and agitated by you. "Princess Azula" a servant called and Azula snapped "what?" she yelled and the man cowered "your father wishes to speak to you and your brother...before the contract signing with princess y/n tomorrow". Azula straightened and ignored the people looking at her. She made her way to Ozai’s throne room and was annoyed to see she was the last one there. "Ah finally" her father called and Azula resisted the urge to point out if he’d have told her earlier she’d have been on time. "The contract is all drawn up, we will present it to y/n tomorrow. AIl the agreed terms are there plus an added clause for us". "What sort of clause?" Zuko asked and Ozai glanced at him "a clause that ensures y/n will always be of use to us". Azula found said clause and tensed, the clause basically signed your life over to the fire lord, he could use you however he saw fit. This meant Ozai could do whatever he wanted to you and it would be part of your alliance. Azula knew exactly what her father had in mind and he was stood across from her. Zuko looked at Azula confused as she stared at him and Zuko went to say something before she looked away. "It all seems to be in order why don’t i take it to her tonight?". Ozai shook his head "no it needs to be overseen by officials so there can be no question of it’s legitimacy". "We have a room full of them, i can get it sorted for you by tonight why wait for tomorrow?". Ozai frowned before nodding "why not" and handed it to her. Azula nodded in relief and clutched the document to her chest "i will return for you to sign it after y/n has" and she set out to find you.

1 hour later

Two dai li agents and two fire nation nobles gathered as your witnesses. You and Azula stood beside one another as she explained the terms to you. Hearing her voice made you angry again so you just sighed "give it here". Azula paused "but i haven’t finished". "I don’t care i know what we agreed to and i know the fire nation is stubborn so you obviously put it all in there, i read it before i don’t need to read it now". Azula shrugged and handed it over. You signed it and managed not to flinch as you saw your name printed on the line. "Done" you said "i’m officially fire nation property". Azula didn’t reply, she stared at the contract her mind clearly elsewhere. "Azula?" you asked and she looked at you "what?". "I was saying...never mind, can i leave?". Azula nodded her head "yes" and she sushed from the room.

That night

You were still moping in your room unable to get any sleep when you heard yelling. Your room was annoyingly close to the firelord’s and so you could hear when he was in a mood and that was often. However this one seemed particularly bad. You heard many feet running past your room to his study and frowned. You opened your down and called to one of your guards “what’s going on with the fire lord?”. The guard frowned "i shouldn’t say princess". "Is it bad?" you asked as doors slammed shaking the palace "can you tell me that at least?". The man frowned and you looked at him, he was one of your dai li, a man named Guomir that you had known since you were a child. “Guomir please?” you asked. You kept your gaze on him and he eventually sighed rolling his eyes “okay but don’t tell anyone I told you”. You smirked and gestured for the him to come into your room. He shut the door and turned to you “If the rumours are to be believed it is in relation to your treaty". "What" you cried "but i haven’t done anything, i signed exactly where they told me to". "There was a hidden clause it seems and fire lord Ozai thinks you betrayed him over it". "Hidden clause?" you asked "but i didn’t even write the contract!". "Yes but he thinks you have wormed your way to those who did, it has ruined his plans for you". "What clause is it?". "A marriage clause, it prevents your marriage to the prince of the fire nation permanently".

You were called to the throne room an hour later despite the time and you walked in with your head held high. You saw the two officiates who had been there when you signed the contract and neither of them dared to meet your eye. They stood close to the princess Azula terrified and you were sure they both figured you were doomed and you supposed you were. You’d been summoned so abruptly you knew this wouldn’t be good but you surprisingly weren’t scared. You kept your head up as a few more people appeared in the room and then the doors were sealed shut. The fire lord entered and you managed not to jump as he slammed the door. "Lets not waste time, do you wish to confess?" Ozai barked at you. You stared at him and shook your head "i had no part of this, i signed where you told me to sign". "So you expect me to believe as the only person to gain from this you didn’t do it?". "She didn’t" someone spoke up and you froze. "I added it" Azula said simply. There was silence and then suddenly Ozai reacted. “Leave us” he yelled and you saw Azula flinch despite her brave face. The men filled from the room leaving you, Azula and Ozai. "Azula! You know what this marriage could’ve done, why did you do this?". "Because y/n is more use to us than as Zuko’s wife, she is a princess and we have her loyalty, we don’t need to hand too". Ozai rolled his eyes "but whoever else she marries has claim to the earth empire that could sway her loyalties. A marriage would’ve fixed that". "No it never would’ve ensure her loyalty and actually could’ve resulted in the opposite. The earth kingdom would know her and Zuko didn’t fall in love within a week, they’d see you were selling her off like cattle and we could’ve lost the city. We have her contractual word, we do not need anything else". “If she ever shows questionable loyalty” Ozai yelled in Azula’s face “I won’t just banish you, your fate won’t be that kind...do you understand?”. “Yes father” Azula said and she stared at the ground. Ozai pushed her and stormed from the room. You watched as Azula unclenched her fists and her hands shook in fear. She was terrified of her father and she risked his wrath for what possible reason?

You intended to find out but Azula didn’t seem keen on sticking around. “Azula” you called but she strode from the room following her father. Nobody telling you not to, you rushed after her calling her name. You caught her arm and she pushed you away “leave me alone I saved you what else do you want from me?”.  "An explanation, why did you do it?" you asked angrily "what do you want in return". "In return?" Azula asked confused and you nodded "well you don’t strike me as a person who does anything without expecting something in return. You must want payment". Azula’s angry expression relaxed and she looked at you "you're right i don't act for no reason but i do not expect payment actually". Your jaw dropped and it took you a few seconds to form a sentence "but....why?". Azula smiled and went to walk away. "No” you said grabbing her arm “please don’t...you’re the reason i’m here but you’re also the only one who acknowledges me and not just as someone to sell off...just tell me why you did it”. Azula brushed your hands off her and carried on walking. You sighed in defeat when suddenly she looked back “are you coming or not?”. You smirked and rushed after her.

Azula led you around the palace grounds and you stared like a tourist. You’d not been allowed free reign of the palace and so this was the most you’d seen of it. You were happy to walk in silence but Azula seemed to want to answer your last question. "I don’t agree with arranged marriages" she said suddenly "my father’s first attempt to arrange one for me was when i was 12, he said he would wait a few years of course but he was still planning it all out" she spat "so i made him a deal, if i finished at the academy with the best record anyone had ever seen, beating any man or woman who came before, he would postpone his plans. He agreed smugly and i smashed every single record ever set in this nation" Azula grinned "he never brought up the marriage again". You laughed "that’s amazing...how did you do it?". "I guess i’m just the best the fire nation has ever seen" Azula boasted and you found yourself agreeing "you must be...that or you’re the most determined one to ever exist. Either way that’s impressive". Azula stared at you as you said that making you blush at her smirk. "I know" she replied and you realised you’d reached the corridor of your apartments "it is late you should retire”. You nodded your head unable to meet her eye and Azula smiled “goodnight princess". She bowed never taking her eyes off you until she had to and when she did you felt cold. The princess may be hard to read but she was making things interesting. She was quickly becoming your favourite thing about this damn nation and something told you that wouldn’t be changing any time soon...

-----

[kanene-yaaay]

5+1 [Part 3]

5 times Iida was tickled and the one time he wasn’t.

[PART ONE]

[PART TWO]

Kanene’s note: Heyaaa! Okay, I just want you to know that I am WEAK for b-day tickles ! It's just so cute and :'3 *whispering softly* truly precious. Oh, Tenya is 12 years old now! Y a y

Warnings, fun facts, random things and stuff:

* This characters don’t belongs to me! They all belong to the anime/manga Boku no Hero.

* This is a SFW tickle fanfic with family tickles, so, if you don’t appreciate this kind of content, please, look for another blog. There are a plenty of very greeat arts in this site!! ^w^)b

* This is Lee!Tenya with Ler!Hizashi + Ler!Aizawa with brief Ler!Tensei and Lee!Aizawa. All relationships are platonic. Around 1.800 words.

* Sorry for any spelling, pontuation and grammar mistakes! Any and every advice is very very welcome! \(-w-)/

* Allow yourself to have a slow day. Don’t forget to drink water, sleep and eat! <33

[~*~]

Iida drank a second cup of his special orange juice - used only on commemorative days and events - thoughtfully. His birthday party would be late in the evening and, since his family wanted to make it a surprise, he would spend the whole day hanging out with his brother, Aizawa-san and Hizashi-san until all the preparations would be complete. He, of course, offered himself to help with all the decorations, but his parents were firm on their decision and Tenya would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to have some quality time with his brother and the other two heroes. Their work usually demanded a lot of their time.

 Still locked on his thoughts, as the doorbell rang, the teenager opened the door without a second thought in a polite stance, being rudely pulled out of his own mind as he stared at Aizawa and Hizashi, both with dangerous smirks that suddenly filled Iida with clear memories of a tradition Tensei started on the boy’s birthday and his ‘uncles’ (Tenya one day protested at the nickname, pointing it didn’t make sense call them like that because they aren’t blood related. However, his parents explained that this was just a way to express fondness and closeness for someone you care about. The younger one began to call them uncles with more frequency, except on social gatherings) caught on it as well.

 “Hello! ~” Hizashi chipped, making goosebumps run down his spine as Iida closed the door on their face, internally wincing at the clear disrespectful act, however valuing much more his safety than being a polite host.

(But, actually, he wasn’t truly anxious about it. They were always nice and kind with him, making him smile and enjoy himself, even when he wasn’t the perfect model he struggled to be.)

 Tensei’s head peaked from the second living room’s hall as he dashed at full speed across it, accompanying his baby bro with ease and drops of confusion. “Who was it at the door?”

 “Uncles!” Tenya frowned in concentration as he turned the corner, lowering his speed enough to not go face first on the wall, cheeks slightly red and sputtering starting to become present on his tune. “They are going to do that hideous tr-tradition you started when I was a kid!” And Iida Tenya, future hero from a whole noble ancestry of skilled heroes, definitely did NOT pout at his brother’s carefree laughter.

 “Oh, yeah! I forgot about that! It’s so polite of them to help me to remember, don’t you think?”

 “No!! It’s not polite! High level heroes like you shouldn’t be committing such embarrassing, hideous act in the first place, even less repeating it yearly!!”

 “Aww, you’re repeating your words. You’re excited, aren’t you?” Tensei smiled, knowing his brother enough to notice that gleam in his eyes and the lack of a real protest in his words. He ignored the squeaked ‘NO!’ thrown at him and smiled even wider, doing a fast maneuver that put his body between his brother and the door, hugging him on his chest with a ‘oof’ when they inevitably collided. “You know what? Since they’re being so nice with us, I think we should repay their kindness, right?” Tensei grinned when he heard the footsteps coming closer, shouting “HEY, GUYS! BIRTHDAY BOY IS HERE!”

 “Tensei!!” But he was already smiling, squirming excitedly on his brother’s hold, especially when a loud, happy ‘YEAHHH!’ boomed through the house. “No, no!! This is betrayal! Deception! Dishonesty! Trickery! Treason!!!”

 “Now you’re just reciting the dictionary.” Ingenium laughed, no hint of regret on his voice, distractedly nodding at his friends when they appeared at the door. “Look,” he whispered, conspiratorially, “I will need you to distract them until Shouta lowers his guard so I can sneak upon him. Hizashi would never pass up an opportunity to tickle him too, so you will be safe to run and get something useful for us to bribe them with, ok?” The younger gasped, quickly nodding. “Right. So, are you ready for your part of the plan, sidekick?”

 “YES!” Iida chomped the air, voice louder than he originally intended, but his squeal even louder as the other Iida squeezed his side before any hint of what they were talking about could be noticed by the two guests, who now were now much closer, I might say.

 “Now, now. It seems like a little listener here is excited for his so desired birthday tickles!!” Hizashi wiggled his fingers in his direction, meaneancily. “Oh! They grow up so fast! It feels like it was yesterday we would be playing heroes, and I, the most incredible villain LoudChaos would be defeated by Ingenium Junior and his vicious attacks of kicking his pillows at me!!” The blond pinched his cheek playfully, watching as the groan of his nephew dissolved in a determined look a few seconds later, energetic gestures following him.

 “You will never be able to crack me, villains. Not even with embarrassing memories from my childhood!”

 “I don’t know, I think those times when we had to buy at least three copies of your favorite plushie because otherwise you wouldn’t let us wash the original was pretty- ack! Hey, hey!” Tensei snickered as he tried to dodge from Tenya’s warning kicks, “I was kidding! I was kidding!”

 “Want me to hold him?” Aizawa asked nonchalantly, a small quirk of his mouth showing his amusement about the whole situation. At Tensei's affirmative nod he held the younger’s arms above his head, briefly messing with his neat combed hair before smirking. “Congrats for being twelve years next to death, brat.”

 Tenya deadpanned at him.

 “Ooh, right, twelve!!” Hizashi’s fingers were teasingly getting closer, slowly and then even slowlier, almost touching a spot before pretending to launch at others, resulting in kicks and muffled shrieks from the younger one. “You know what that means, right, Shou?”

 “Yes. We will have to tickle him for twelve entire years.”

 “Aw, such a pity.”

 “No! Lies! That is incorrect!”

 “Is that so, not-so-little listener? What should we do then?”

 “According to your rather silly and foolery tradition you should tickle me for twelve entire minutes. One minute for each year.”

 Aizawa and Yamada shared a look, Tensei holding his chuckles and tears in the background. His brother was just way too much precious.

 “We should what?” Shouta questioned with a voice completely devoid of emotion, maybe that is why Tenya felt the answer slip away from his lips easily even before he could register the potential trap.

 “Tickle me!”

 “Well,” Hizashi attacked, skilled fingers tickling and tickling and tickling every spot they could research. “If you insist.”

 There were fingers dancing on his ribs and poking his stomach as a maddening prodding began to be delivered on his sides and even a squeeze found its way to his knee. A much more lazy, almost unbearably light touch drew shapes on his neck, scribbling lightly and softly to his ears and then all the way back to his collarbone, going from one side to another, over and over again.

 “Coothie coothie coo, little listener!!” His loud laughter, intertwined with squeaks, yelps and guffaws due the mix between all the soft and energetic tickles, almost made the teasing disappear. Key word: Almost. “Have a tickle, tickle here!” He shook his head, trying to dislodge the fingers on his neck. “And tickle, tickle, tickle there!” Spidering on his shoulder blades made him squirm more. “Have all the tickles, tickly tickles everywhere!!”

 “YOHOHOHOU WILL NOT DEFEHEHEAT ME!” Tenya’s smile was almost taking over his entire face, chuckles and giggles spilling freely from him. Yet, - he decided, - he has an important part of the plan and would not lose easily! That was the only reason why he continued firm on his position, figuratively laughing his head out, and definitely not because of how their attention and silliness made him feel happy, safe and loved.

 “Of course not.” Shouta paused for a few pieces of seconds, checking his phone. “You still have five minutes left. I am sure you will agree to a defeat, eventually.”

 “Nehehever!” Iida did his best to shout, quick, airy snickers floating in the air when Yamada decided to give him a break, leaving only Shouta’s torment to keep the other smiling.

 “Hey, hey, hey, little listener!” Tenya knew this tune. He knew that when Uncle Hizashi used that he was planning something. His smile became wobblier and he refused to open his eyes. “Come on, don’t let me hang on here! Look at me, pleaaase?”

 The boy just shook his head, eyes still firmly closed.

 “Shoouuu, he doesn’t want to see the big, great, amazing surprise I have for him! That is not fair.”

 “He is smart. It’s not his fault for your lack of charisma.”

 “Gaaasp! You wound me! Friendship ended with Ereaserhead, now my new best friend is Tensei!”

 A pause.

 “Buuuut, the vacancy is still open if maybe, just maaaybe,” A wiggly finger tickled under his chin, a snort flew in the air, “a clever teenager with a cute laughter and blue hair decides to open his eyes…”

 “Yohohou will not crahack me!”

 “Please,” Poke, “Please, please, pleasepleaseplease!” Poke, poke, pokepokepoke-

 “Stop!” And then he finally opened his eyes, finding a very smiley Hizashi in front of him, making a silly face. He half groaned and half giggled, the former action only due Aizawa’s tickles, of course.

 “Aw, you didn’t find it funny?” The blonde crossed his arms, pretending to think about his next move. “Donut worry, then! I know something that will make you laugh!!”

 And then, in a blink of an eye, he blew a gigantic raspberry on his tummy.

 In the exact moment Tenya’s loud, uncontrollable, squeaky belly laughter exploded, Aizawa let go of his arms, a surprised, sharp snorts coming out as Tensei hugged him from behind, his hands being quick to attack his unprotect armpits, low muffled squeals and rumbling chuckles beginning to float in the air.

 Tenya fell on his knees, hugging his stomach and tittering non stop as Yamada tenderly ruffled his hair, giving the boy’s cheeks another gentle pinch before getting his attention captured by his best friend’s tickled laughter, his wicked grin making another appearance.

 “Is it already Tickle Shouta hours??” He cracked and wiggled his fingers, making a whole show of getting prepared, crackling in delight as the black haired adult laughed harder at the silliness, laying completely limp on Ingenium’s embrace, face starting to be colored by a light red, legs kicking and a hand hiding his mouth, even if the corner of his smile was still clearly visible.

 And, as Iida laid on the cold floor, rarefied giggles escaping from time to time, as new laughter and teases filled the room, he thought that he actually didn’t mind that much that such foolery, silly tradition had wormed its way in their family.