#today is ghost quartet day it would seem

[talentforlying]

@whcwashe: ♬ ♬ !!!! — SONGS I LOVE

when the lights go out - oingo boingo! if y'all haven't discovered danny elfman's band yet, i'm begging you to get on that shit, because they have nothing but bangers on their discography. this is one of my ALL-TIME favorites and one of the first songs i ever covered with my band!! it's very beast of eden arc to me, specifically staring at the wall pt.3-5 (hellblazer #191-193) where the whole world's gone absolutely batshit, and the whole vibe of the song just smacks of frusin-art-style constantine: ominous, darkly amused, perpetually in a half-shadow, reflective cat's eyes, and a diabolical grin.

hey! let's turn the night into day! / let's start a fire in an alley way! / let's all go crazy by & by / and let's all pray to the cat's eye! just common folks like you and me / turn into mobs that get so crazy / prowl the streets like cats / out for the hunt / breaking all the windows just because it's fun / just because it's fun, just because it's fun!

i come with knives - IAMX! this one's been on the playlist since the way back beginning of this blog! it's sick as hell, it's one of my car ride headbangers, and it's a very frank insight into what constantine is like: he doesn't promise anything about himself. he doesn't pretend to care unless it suits him. he doesn't commit to anything he knows he won't uphold. he is openly dishonest and stubborn and a liar and a bastard, and he doesn't hold any of that back. it's all there on the surface if people want to look for it, not his fault that the rest of his charming exterior (rolling my eyes) distracts from the truth of him.

the monotony / and the rising tide / is under my skin, is crawling inside / adrenaline to rewire my mind / i'm only human, i come with knives / i never promised you an open heart or charity / i never wanted to abuse your imagination / i come with knives / i come with knives / and agony / to love you

+ 2 songs for liv: daughter of god - phemiec always hits me hard when i think about liv. the lyrics very much feel like they follow her journey of trying to reconcile with her new life and all she's learned about her father and her fate and her abilities.

doubt’s an elastic that snaps where you grasp it / with idle hands clasped on your wrist just as sharp as a kiss / on the scar where you carved out her name / or a line that is straight and confined to your fate love is a place where the tide always rises, the ink never dries (and it’s alright) / love is a place where you see with your heart and fly with your eyes (and it’s alright) / love is a place where your innocence goes when it dies

starchild - ghost quartet is another one of my absolute favorite songs of all time, just this absolutely beautiful piece that also lines up with the idea of a fate you didn't ask for, but this time it has a tragic and weary determination to make the best of it that feels very liv to me. i fucking adore this song, frankly.

when i was a baby, i was blessed by a stranger / in waters I didn't understand / and now i'm infected with disbelief and blasphemy / i'll never have a holy land / i am a ghost in the eyes of my god nothing i see is here anymore / but i will transcend / and vomit this loser out of me / i will become the next big thing / i will light myself on fire / it's time to get out of bed / and be the starchild i can be

[truly-morgan]

[The ghost of jiujiu's seclusion house, feat. XianCheng (w.i.p)]

Junior Quartet | Mo Dao Zu Shi 11-08-2022

[#jinling, secrets, the ghost of Jiujiu's seclusion house]

Growing up, Jin Ling was always allowed to go pretty much everywhere in lotus pier. The only really restricted area where if it was too dangerous to be alone, but even then, if someone was with him it was okay.

It was the same for his jiujiu's quarters. He could go there without any problems, jiujiu more than happy to let him go there.

Yet there was still one place he was not allowed to go to.

jiujiu had a "seclusion house" (this is what the other jiang disciple called it) and no one was allowed there, not even a-ling!!

He had asked his jiujiu what was there, but was only told this was his private room and that jiujiu simply wanted no one there.

He sometimes sees his uncle go to the house, stay there for a little while and then come back. a-ling was really curious as to what he was doing there for such a short amount of time.

But he did notice that often when jiujiu was back from his little house farther in the land of lotus pier, he looked calmer and relaxed. Was there something that helped his jiujiu relax? a-ling was very curious about it, but he was also scared that jiujiu would be mad at him if he went there without his permission. Maybe jiujiu would then ban him from going to his quarter!?

Then one night, when he was woken up by a nightmare, he went to his jiujiu's room. He was surprised when he saw the door open, ready to call out to his uncle, only to freeze.

a tall man loosely draped in purple robes exited his jiujiu's room, lazily fixing his lapels. The man seemed as surprised as him when he noticed him,  offering him a smirk as he closed the doors behind him, lifting a finger to his lips to ask him to keep quiet.

a-ling only nodded, frowning a little as he tried to remember if he had ever seen this man before. Yet his young mind couldn't figure out who it was and he hadn't heard about his jiujiu having visitors today.

Then he saw the man make his way towards the path leading to his jiujiu's secluded house and he couldn't help be worried a little bit.

"Mister!" he said, taking quick steps to get closer so he wouldn't yell. Thankfully he didn't need to talk too loudly, as the older man turned around after hearing him.

"You can't go there, this is his jiujiu's secluded house, no one is allowed there," he said, anxiously glancing back towards his jiujiu's room.

he was shocked when the man simply laughed at his words, offering him another smile.

"Don't worry, I have your jiujiu's permission to go over there" he replied with a wink, resuming his walk towards the depth of the land.

a-ling lingered there for a moment, unsure if it was really okay. but he assumed if this man was coming from his jiujiu's room he must have been a friend of his, so maybe he did have his permission.

He instead made his way to his uncle's room, opening the door to slip in. jiujiu seemed a bit surprised to suddenly see him, before looking up at the door with a little frown.

"A-ling had a nightmare," he said, watching his uncle's expression soften. He quickly finished rearranging his night robe, gesturing for him to come to him.

he told his jiujiu about his nightmare, letting the man reassure him.

a-ling didn't dare mention the man, as jiujiu also didn't ask about it despite him arriving pretty much exactly when the man was going out.

Then as a-ling was growing older, he started hearing about the rumours of there being a ghost in his jiujiu's quarter, which made him pale a little bit. Was the man he had seen that night a ghost haunting his jiujiu? But if so, wouldn't his jiujiu have already taken care of it? So it couldn't be a bad one if it was, right?

Then one day, as he was waiting for his jiujiu's quarter for him to come back from some business in a nearby village he heard something.

The faint sound of music comes from the forbidden path.

He hesitated for a moment, but years of accumulating wonders made him get up, quickly making his way to the entry of the path. He chewed on his lips as he look at it, before turning to Fairy.

"I want you to wait for me here," he said, "And warn me if someone is coming this way, then hide until I arrive" he ordered. he received a bark of understanding.

He quickly made his way down the path, soon getting to an area of the path that was surrounded by water tree, blocking him from view.

the further he went, the clearer the sound was and he realised someone was playing the flute. this only made him more curious.

He quickly found the secluded house, a bit bigger than he thought it would be.

He quietly made his way around, a bit surprised to find a boat tied to a small deck. He had never seen anyone pass here before.

He rounded the corner and then he found the source of the sound.

the same man he had seen in the past was sitting on the windowsill, playing his flute peacefully. Although, the tune soon stopped as the man opened his eyes again, gaze quickly landing on him.

The man smiled again upon seeing him, looking somewhat relieved.

"Well, look who's disobeying his jiujiu's orders" the man teased him, making jl blush a little bit as it was true. "You've grown quite a lot since the last time we met".

"I-it's been 2 years and a half, of course, I grew up" the boy pouted, making the man laugh.

"Are you the ghost haunting my jiujiu?" he then asked, making the man laugh again. "I am being serious!".

"Sorry, sorry, I just heard him mention it and didn't think it was really true" the man chuckled.

"But I am no ghost" the man lazily grinned, "just an old friend from your jiujiu living in this house he was generous to give him" the man replied, a hand showing the inside.

jl took a careful step closer, looking inside.

While the outside of the house looked peaceful and elegant, the inside was messy and chaotic.

Art pieces, scrolls, talismans, art tools and other trinkets were everywhere in the room. The only really clean area seemed to be a low table to eat and have tea.

There were also weird contraptions in a corner, as if the man had been trying to build something.

This only man him more curious. Who was this man?

"Sorry, I guess it is a bit messy, your jiujiu often scold me about that" laughed the man.

(tbc)

Original

[miss-tc-nova]

S/O Making Mistakes - Aqua

I feel this is super relatable and I needed something a bit softer. I think a short headcanon was a good distraction. So thank you!

~~~~~

With a S/O Who Made Mistakes

Well, it’s not exactly how Aqua wanted to spend her afternoon.

Cleaning up after your mess.

Correction: messes.

You were certainly having a day. One minor mistake created a chain reaction of terrible results that seemed to just blow up right in your face.

Very quickly, it became an enormous problem you were incapable of handling on your own.

Of course, Eraqus scolds you.

He’s stern and makes certain you understand where your mistakes came from.

But even though he isn’t harsh, being scolded by an authority figure like Eraqus is never pleasant.

It gets even worse when your teammates are dragged into it, awkwardly forced to watch said scolding and then told to assist you in cleaning said mess.

Now the quartet of you are in the process of cleaning up the physical side of the disaster.

To hear Terra and Ventus gripe about it, doesn’t make it any easier. They don’t outright blame you for the current predicament, but their complaints make their mark nonetheless.

Though she’s also miffed at having extra work, Aqua watched your face while you were facing Eraqus’s stern talking to—like a kicked puppy.

So she refuses to add to your misery and keeps to her work (which may not add to your crestfallen mood).

Once the work’s done, she shoos the boys away, ignoring their grumbles.

Then, by the hand, she leads you to her room, still yet to really say anything about the situation you put her through.

But once you’re in the privacy of her room, she wraps you up in her arms with a heavy sigh.

She asks you a few probing questions about what happened, but doesn’t poke at open wounds too much.

Whether you’re frustrated or in tears, she holds you, both of you decompressing together—the rhythm of your breath slowly falling in sync.

Gentle fingers ghost across your skin, drawing aimless designs while a soft voice hums in your ear.

If you ask her if she’s mad, she’ll be honest: she didn’t love the extra work but everyone has off days.

Then she reminds you of the time she blew up a pot in the kitchen using fire magic, spraying soup everywhere.

Or the time Ven fell off a playground slide and got a concussion, so he had to be rushed to Master Eraqus.

And that Ven fell off the slide because he was trying to free Terra who got stuck in said slide, who then had to wait over an hour while the Master tended to Ven first.

There’s really no end to the shameful stories in this hodgepodge family, you included.

So she assures you that today will pass and there will be happier days ahead.

Kisses press against your face, instigating a laugh from you.

She would never ask you to, but if you feel like making it up to her, she won’t say no to a massage (girl has some tense shoulders).

Or she’s a real sucker for little gestures, like making her favorite food or helping her out with chores/missions without being asked.

“Oh my little troublemaker. I’m only kidding; you know I love you. Don’t worry too much about it. Today is done and tomorrow will be better as long as you learned your lesson. You learned your lesson, right? Haha, I’m just making sure.”

[twstdreams]

I've loved your non-romantic/platonic content that you've done so far! Adding on to that list, could I please request a short story surrounding MC, Ace, and Deuce? An accident occurs which ends in MC turning into a little kid and now it's up to the two boys to put their differences aside and babysit their friend until she's back to normal. Girl pronouns plz! Lol I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue. If you don't feel comfortable with this ask you can skip it! Thx for reading :)

I am always up for platonic content and shenanigans! Long story, so the rest is under the cut!

Warning: Minor spoilers for side stories (briefly alluded to)

Length: ~2.3K

“It’s this one!” Deuce declares with unfounded confidence.

“No, it’s not!” Ace rebuttals despite not making it past page 10 in his textbook.

“It’s mine!” Grimm shouts even though he most definitely does not understand the experiment at hand. 

The magicless student can only sigh. Deuce and Ace suck at potions. So when the two bicker about what to add to their cauldron, the prefect doesn’t even blink an eye. Deuce mispronounces an ingredient, Ace corrects him, but neither are even talking about the right thing. She can practically sense Crewel’s glare despite her eyes remaining on the cauldron, cautiously waiting for bubbles to appear so she could add the indigo milk cap mushroom. 

What is added next to her cauldron is not the mushroom in her hand but a random root Grimm throws in. In Deuce’s haste to catch the gremlin, he spills over his own cauldron and some of their potion spills into hers.

“What are you doing?” she asks, but it’s too late. The mixture in her cauldron is boiling profusely and suddenly envelopes her in a cloud of smoke.

“Funya! MC, are you okay?” Grim inquires. Deuce and Ace also call out her name but there is no response. When the smoke clears, everyone in the room is left speechless.

The potential beast tamer hasn’t moved but an inch but she’s at least two feet shorter and with rounder cheeks and wide eyes. 

“WHAT?” she screeches in disbelief, suddenly too short to even reach the cauldron, “Fix this!” 

And this is how the group’s long catastrophic day begins.

Adventure 1: The beginning

“What?!” Grim shouts. If looks could kill, Crewel’s glare would have toasted the monster.

“Yes, it is hard to predict when MC will return to normal because you carelessly threw together that potion. It should wear off in a day, but there’s no guarantee,” the teacher explains through gritted teeth. The bell rings but the quartet barely registers it.

“Go to the headmaster! It’s not my problem anymore,” Crewel declares. 

Unfortunately, as most meetings with the headmaster are, the conversation is fruitless.

“Hah? We’re supposed to babysit her?” Ace asks.

“Yes! It’s your fault, is it not? Take care of her until the spell wears off,” Crowley declares.

“Isn’t there any way to break the spell?” Deuce inquires while nervously glancing towards MC.

“It’s hard to tell because you added in unknown amounts of various ingredients,” Crowley answers before muttering, “It takes too much time! I need to know what happens next in my novel.”

“Tch, what a lazy adult,” MC comments with a bored expression. She figured this would happen. She can’t even recall a moment when the headmaster had actually been helpful.

“What did you say?” Crowley demands. Deuce immediately picks up MC and heads for the door.

“Nothing! We’ll take care of her! See you later headmaster!” Ace explains while the two boys dash out of the office. They book it out of the hallway and then set her down on the ground.

“Hey! What was that about? It’s usually Grim saying stuff that gets us in trouble, not you,” Ace comments.

“Don’t tell me…Now she acts like a little kid too?” Deuce wonders.

Adventure 2: Stranger Danger

“Oh? Ramshackle prefect, you seem to be caught in quite the predicament.” MC glares at the Octavinelle dorm leader in return. Ace and Deuce are in the midst of calling Cater and Trey to ask for advice, giving Azul the perfect opportunity to approach her.

“I have an offer for you,” the second year begins.

“No.” MC is firm in her answer and has no intention of making any deals.

“Are you sure? I treat children well,” Azul adds but it only results in her frowning. There’s suddenly a glimmer in her eyes but before Azul can deduce what it means, MC begins shouting.

“STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!”

“Stop that!” Azul insists but his wide eyes give away his flustered state. With a smile that looks a little too much like Chenya’s, MC continues her call for help. Soon enough, Deuce and Ace rush to her side.

“Stranger? That’s Prefect Azul! Have you forgotten him?” Deuce inquires with a look of concern. MC decides this is the perfect time to practice her puppy eyes and simply looks up at Deuce, wide eyes and with a pout.

Azul silently admits defeat as he forms a tight-lipped smile accompanied by some false pleasantries before exiting the area. 

“I’m hungry!” she announces before anyone can question her further. 

“Yes! Let’s go eat!” Grim agrees.

Adventure 3: Sweet Dreams

Getting lunch is a surprisingly painless affair. Though Night Raven College students could be quite self-centred, even they balked at harming a little girl. MC easily orders her favourites before sitting with her friends, though she has to sit on her knees to be at a comfortable height compared to the table.

“Wow! It’s true!~” Cater chimes while taking a seat at the table.

“How are you feeling?” Trey asks.

“Okay! It’s kinda weird but at least it was easy to get lunch,” she replies while taking a bite of her food.

“Now you really look like my minion!” Grim declares. MC shoots the monster a glare but doesn’t give him a response.

“You’re actually a little kid, huh? So, what do you wanna do when you grow up?” Ace teases.

“I want to control all the ghosts and have an army,” MC answers nonchalantly as if she had been discussing the weather.

“What?” Trey asks, slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this the person who was gullible enough to think that oyster sauce went in tarts?

“A ghost army,” she repeats confidently.

“Anyway! Aren’t you lucky? You get all these handsome guys to help you today!” Cater interjects, not wanting to unpack why the prefect wanted an army of the dead. 

Her gaze scans the table before looking up at Cater, eyes wide and expression void of malice, and asks, “Where?”

Grim howls with laughter while the four Heartslabyul students try to recover from the blow to their ego. It’s definitely going to be a long day for them.

Adventure 4: Smiles and stares

“Hey wait!” MC whines. One disadvantage of becoming short is that her stride decreased accordingly, thus her struggles to keep up with her classmate’s pace.

“Just walk faster or we’ll be late for class!” Ace retorts, glancing up ahead to see how far away the next building is. 

“AHH!” Ace turns around to see MC a couple of meters behind him face-first in a patch of grass. 

“Uwah! Are you okay?” Grim asks while flying above the fallen girl. Ace groans at the predicament. Deuce ran ahead to warn the other teachers of MC’s unfortunate condition so the redhead was the only babysitter at the moment.

The situation only worsens when MC begins to sit up, knees scraped, eyes glistening with tears, brows furrowed, and lips pressed tightly together. Ace’s eyes widen at the sight.

“Please don’t cry,” he mutters under his breath before trying to think about how to soothe kids.

“Oh my, that was quite a fall. You’re okay now though, right?” Jade asks while extending a gloved hand. His face is calm, showing no signs of concerns or worry with only a placid smile to demonstrate any emotion. MC stares at his face, analyzing his expression for a few moments. After finding the answer to her unsaid question, she accepts his hand and quickly sniffles before nodding. 

Ace watches in amazement as all signs of pain and panic vanish from her expression. He decides not to question her mood change before ushering the prefect to their next class.

Adventure 5: What came first? The egg or the chicken?

“You have to!” Deuce insists.

“NO!” MC shouts back, sitting firmly on the ground. Deuce is startled by the force of her words but stands his ground.

“It’s for your own good! Kids need exercise!” Or at least that’s what Cater told him before going to light music club.

“You can’t move me an inch!” MC retorts.

“I’m older, you should respect your seniors,” Deuce adds, doing his best to retain some level of patience.

“At least I know where chickens come from!” she rebuttals and Deuce feels at a loss for words. It is certainly not honour student behaviour to yell at a young girl but the first year is at his limits. He came to NRC to learn about magic, not dealing with children!

“Let’s play tag,” Jack suggests. Being the only one with little siblings, he is quickly enlisted to help. While disappointed in Deuce and Ace’s carelessness, he didn’t want to risk MC’s safety by leaving her in their care. Thus making him a reluctant member of the babysitting team.

“Tag?” MC echoes before a bright smile forms on her face. “Can it be teams?”

“Sure,” Jack agrees nonchalantly. 

“Jack and I are on the same team! We get to chase Deuce and Ace!” she declares gleefully.

“Huh? I didn’t agree to this,” Ace interjects.

“We need even teams!” MC responds with puffed cheeks.

“Too bad, so sad!” Ace replies without remorse.

“This is our fault Ace. Plus we promised the headmaster to take care of her. As Heartslabyul students and men, we can’t go back on our words!” Deuce declares. Jack’s firm gaze and Deuce’s blazing spirit give little room for negotiation and Ace sighs in defeat. Ace really does hate alchemy class from the bottom of his heart.

Adventure 6: Idiots, all of them

MC closes her eyes and enjoys the breeze while resting. Deuce and Jack had gone to the cafeteria to get drinks for everyone after several rounds of tag while Ace lay on the ground to catch his breath. It was quite entertaining to see the fastest first years engage in a game of tag and even more fun to watch Ace try to avoid his inevitable fate. Agile as he was, Ace couldn’t run fast enough to outdo Jack with his insane stamina and speed. She giggles at the memory.

“Bonjour petite princesse!” Rook looks down at the little girl with a shining smile. Her eyes snap open and follow the source of the cheerful voice. 

“Isn’t it delightful to see a new side to your friends? Like escorting someone on their first dance, like watching a lazy lion transform into a beast for the sake of the hunt, like observing night flox bloom under a full moon!” Rook beams but MC merely shrugs in response.

“Yeah but I’ve also seen Ace fall off his broom, Deuce compliment plants, and Jack mistake onions for a chemical leak.” 

“Oh? Is it not like having several princes tend to you?” he inquires. 

She scrunches her nose in thought before replying, “If my prince got stuck in a tree and I had to go save him.”

“Dear me, and I thought you were une petite princesse mignonne [1]! Perhaps that was a misunderstanding,” Rook remarks though he doesn’t seem displeased with the discovery.

Adventure 7: Mandatory nap

“Let’s go to the infirmary,” Ace suggests, “MC needs a nap and it’s the closest building with beds.”

“I’m the one that needs a nap?” she asks while side-eyeing her tired friend.

“She hasn’t even run for 3 hours,” Jack comments.

“Kids need naps! Plus, who knows what the side-effects of the potion are?” Ace adds, “We shouldn’t take any chances with her health.”

“You do need proper sleep to grow strong!” Deuce concurs.

“Sure, sure,” she concedes. When they arrive at the infirmary, there is no staff in sight. Ace guides her to a bed with an expectant smile.

“Well, go to sleep now!” Ace announces.

“It doesn’t work like that. I’m not sleepy,” she responds.

“Just lie in bed and close your eyes!” Ace insists with a huff.

“Shut up. You’re so noisy,” a voice growls. Leona appears on the other side of a room divider. Jack lets out a sigh, disappointed but not surprised by his dorm leader.

“I was having such a nice nap and now I’m… hah?” His sentence trails off as he eyes the little girl before him.

“Well,” you launch into an explanation of what happened, Leona shooting a judgemental look towards Deuce and Ace midway, before concluding, “It should wear off by the end of the day.”

“Tch, what an annoyance. I’m going back to sleep, don’t be loud,” Leona warns before flopping back onto the bed.

“How do you fall asleep so fast?” MC inquires. Leona glares at her, lips pressed together to form a thin line, but he lets any threats die in his throat.

“It’s nap time. Count sheep like a good herbivore until you fall asleep,” he instructs before turning his back towards the group. More than she’d like to admit, her small body requires rest and what better excuse than this? Besides, it’s not like magical history homework was particularly appealing, so she plops onto the bed to rest.

“I’m exhausted. Taking care of kids is tiring,” Ace says before falling onto another bed.

“It’s been a long day. I’m glad MC is okay, though. Haaah…I’m sleepy,” Deuce murmurs before resting on a different bed. Jack doesn’t comment but quietly begins his homework while keeping watchful eye on the little girl, not that he’d admit it if asked.

Adventure 8: The End. For now, anyway

She stretches after waking up, pleased to find her body back to its normal size. Ace snores lightly, Deuce’s mouth is agape, and Leona is nowhere to be found.

“Are you feeling okay?” Jack asks.

“Yeah, I actually feel pretty good!” Their conversation awakens their friends.

“You’re finally back to normal! I’m relieved,” Deuce interjects.

“You’re a lot of work for a minion, ya know? You’re lucky I’m so great,” Grim comments.

“That was a pain! You owe me big time!” Ace adds. MC shakes her head and wonders if she has the greatest or most chaotic friends.

[1] une petite princesse mignonne = a cute little princess

[reflection-s-of-stars]

We have the wind

Or, the first installment of the TLOK ghost quartet au, based on Usher pt. 3! @theatergirl06

Tenzin hasn’t been able to sleep for the longest time.

It may have to do with the fact that his poor wife no longer sleeps in the bed they’ve shared for decades. It may be Meelo, gone to the city in hopes of learning the cello. It could just be the unexplained rattling that’s shaken Tenzin’s bedroom floor each night since his daughter died, the sound that makes Pema moan and rave in the cursed hours of the morning.

It could also be memories of said daughter keeping him awake.

Ah, the night, when she was most alive. When Tenzin’s daughter was only a little girl, she danced around their home, catching fireflies and giggling when they escaped her hands. “Starchildren,” she called them. Oh, how he’d love to hear her voice. How he’d love to say her name without sour acid on his tongue.

And yet, here Tenzin lays, eyes wide open. That cursed rattling is going to haunt his dreams if he ever gets them. That’s what he told Pema, in a feeble and ineffectual attempt to make her smile. It’s true, though. There’s something… unsettling about it.

The driver can’t stop. The ghost is here.

Mako stands on the platform, playing a game on his phone. It’s gotta be his lucky day today, he just knows it. The gorgeous subway driver finally glanced his way today after months of trying to catch her eye, and to top it all off, he just beat level 23 in Sarajevo Rose. It’s the best day he’s had in a while.

There’s a girl standing across the tracks from him. Is it Mako, or is she staring at him? If she is, she’s not hiding it. Her eyes, darker than jet, shine with something that scares him a little.

It doesn’t matter. The train is coming, and the driver is noticing him of all people. Mako can barely believe his luck. It’s understandable. Historically, he hasn’t been all that lucky with women. But she’s definitely looking at him, because she’s gesturing his way. Is she waving at him? Oh, sweet spirits, she’s waving at Mako. This is the best day of his life.

No, she’s not waving. But why is she gesturing for him to turn? There isn’t someone behind him, is there? Oh, god, has the subway driver been waving to some other guy this whole time?

Mako whips around just in time to see a face he hasn’t seen in years, pushing him into the path of the subway.

“Bolin!”

This has all happened before.

The rattling beneath Tenzin’s bedroom is growing unbearable. It doesn’t even sound like a floor noise anymore. There’s something else, growing louder. It might just be his imagination, but it almost sounds like-

“Can you hear her?”

The shout of his wife startles Tenzin out of a half-dream state. Pema bangs on the door, her shrill voice sending chills down his spine.

“Let the storm in!”

It’s odd, but her words bring his attention to the storm outside his window, something he hadn’t previously noticed. Actually, Tenzin’s senses seem to be heightened right now. He can hear footsteps from floors below, and he smells blood.

Neither of those things make sense.

“Let me in.”

The voice isn’t Pema’s, but rather, the same haunting voice from the floorboards. But after that, it’s all quiet, until Tenzin hears words that make his heart stop.

“Ikki? Ikki- Oh!”

There’s crying out, but Tenzin just can’t bring himself to look. It isn’t her. It can‘t be, she’s been dead for a month. What on earth could be making that noise, though? Not the wind. Tenzin’s an airbender. He’d know if it were the wind. Pema’s mind has been playing tricks on her for the longest time. It hurts, but he doesn’t move.

“Tenzin, help!”

Why can’t he move? It must be a trick of his mind. Pema‘s probably not even at the door right now. Why would she come in, anyway? But as he rolls over in bed, the door creaks open, little by little, and the smell of blood grows stronger.

“The dead can’t sleep,” sings a voice from behind the door. “Sleep will not come.”

And horror of horrors, there stands Ikki. She came back for her poor mother, and now she’s here for Tenzin.

There’s blood upon my robes.

When Mako Shen is pushed onto the subway track, time slows. Light dims, and blood pounds in his head. Only three faces remain.

The beautiful driver’s eyes are wide in fear. He won’t blame her when the train hits him. She can’t stop it in time, Mako knows that. What he doesn’t know is everything he wanted to know. That her name is Asami Sato, that her voice is soft and low like a brass bell, that she noticed him too. That his terrified face will haunt her dreams for years on end, and that she will blame herself long after the memory fades from her mind. The train is ten seconds away.

The girl with the sparkly black eyes does nothing. She doesn’t reach out, or scream, or even look away. Instead, she draws from her bag an old-fashioned camera and snaps a photo. Mako’s not offended or anything. Instead, he’s fascinated with her choice to take a picture at this of all moments. Is she looking at the train? Does she even see Mako? Or is she taking a picture of the objective tragedy that is happening now? Five seconds away.

Bolin’s face shows no emotion. There’s not a drop of remorse at having pushed his only family onto a train. When they were little, he would’ve cried a river at the mere suggestion of that. Mako’s still not angry. There’s no point in being angry right now, as the train is about to rip through him.

Mako shuts his eyes and thinks of a memory that he hasn’t thought about in years. A little gap-toothed boy smiles in bed, holding a teddy bear. Little bits of stardust dance in his vision, and he hopes they can forgive themselves.

[phantomphangphucker]

Ectober Day 6: Year - A Warriors Body

The (half)lifestyle Danny (half)lived was bound to affect him in many ways; some more visible than others. He was a fighter after all, and with enough time a fighter is gonna look like one.

Tucker pats Danny as they begin walking to school, “man it’s gonna be so weird being back huh?”. Making Danny chuckle, “tell me about it”, sighing and rubbing his neck, “and what with the lack of classes there’s been so much more time for hunting ‘n stuff. I’m gonna be so jittery just sitting in pointless classes for hours on end”.

Tucker laughs and grins like an idiot, knowing that was an understatement. You’d think the kid would take it easy when given a break, but no. Instead he basically fell face-first into fighting everything. And if there weren’t any fights then he went off training. “You just don’t know how to relax anymore I think”.

“Eh, you might have a point there. Jazz says I’m becoming an adrenaline junkie”.

Tucker gives him another pat and deadpans, “she’s right”.

“Fuck you”.

Tucker just laughs at that before poking Danny’s bicep, “though all your fighting sure has done you some favours”, attempting at flexing himself but just looking kinda ridiculous, “now if only I could pack on muscle that fast! Then the ladies would be all over me!”.

Danny rolls his eyes with a small smile, “you would if you actually did literally any physical activity outside of when you absolutely had to. Plus, you know my body’s more manipulatable”. Which was a blessing and a curse... and also the reason he was going to wear exclusively baggy clothing for the foreseeable future. He’d rather not have the fact that he rather looked like he low-key lived at the gym be on display. After all, he was supposed to be the weak little loser that blended into the background and slacked off; there was no logical reason to an outsider for him to pack on muscle, especially as much as he had. But hey, at least he hadn’t hit a growth spurt on top of it; though that would probably happen sometime in the future. Ugh.

Tucker rolls his eyes and puts his hands behind his head, “still man. You probably look way better naked than me”.

Danny actually pauses on the sidewalk at that and stares at Tucker, “Ancients, you’re such a pervert”. Tucker just looks back and winks at him, making Danny shake his head and start walking again. Smacking Tucker’s stomach as he catches up, “maybe you should focus less on how big your arms are and more on how big your stomach is, Mr. Eats Five Burgers In One Sitting. You’re gonna wind up like my dad... just shorter”.

“Ouch, low blow. But what can I say? All that tasty juicy meat is just begging to be devoured. How can a guy say no to that?”. Tucker digs in his pocket and flips out his PDA, “oh and Sam's still not gonna be back today”.

Danny groans, “great, so first day is gonna be even more shit. Wonderful. And don’t we have gym first block? Zone, the Universe just hates us, huh?”.

Tucker grins, pocketing the device, “like that’s anything new. But hey, at least you probably won’t die this year”, pointing at him, “and you’ve got some bully protection now too”.

Danny quirks a very confused eyebrow, “huh?”. Making Tucker roll his eyes disbelievingly, “dude seriously? There is literally no way you fit in a locker now. Sure your horrible clothing choices-”, tugging on the mustard yellow sweater with a little green puppy pin on the bottom, “-makes you seem small, but Dash isn’t that stupid”, laughing and tilting his head, “sure is close though. As soon as he picks you up he’s gonna notice something’s off, even I know muscle weighs a lot”.

Danny blinks at him, pausing his walking again, “Tuck pal, just how heavy do you think I am? I’m barely a-hundred pounds”. Tucker pokes his arm, “bullshit. I think you need a new scale”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “dude, most of my muscle and stuff is ectoplasm-based. Just my built-up ectoplasm storing itself overtop of my bones and fleshy muscle. And ecto’s weightless, remember? Heck, it can be anti-weight or whatever; me having more ecto muscle makes me weigh less not more”. Tucker blinks, “huh, didn’t think of it like that”, and decides what the heck and promptly wraps his arms around Danny to lift him up. Easily noting that yeah, Danny really doesn’t weigh much. A-hundred might even be being generous.

Danny shoves him off as Tucker puts him back on the ground, “so ha, no Dash won’t notice”, looking at the ground a little worriedly, “though yeah, I probably won’t fit in a locker anymore. Maybe I could...”, glancing at his arm before shaking his head, “hmmmm yeah no, that’d just make me look fat”.

Tucker chuckles, “what? Trying to redistribute the ecto? Hate to break it to ya, but you’ve got way too much to be a skinny twig again”.

“Hey”.

Tucker points over his shoulder at the school, “it’s true and you know it. And it’s not like I was any better”, both of them chuckle at that before Tucker continues, “anyway, welcome back to Hell I guess. Ready for another year of suffering and Highschool inequality”.

Danny snorts, “and suitably started off by the worst class of all, which will probably involve both of us getting rubber balls to the face”. Tucker just snorts right back as they climb the steps to the doors that both of them kinda wanted to never see again. Especially Danny, not like he was ever going to actually need or make use of the crap the teachers shoved down their throats here. If he was more of a delinquent then he’d just drop out here and now.

But hey, at least the whole quartets lockers -yes, even Valerie’s- were all together this year. Small miracles.

Danny groans as the two boys push in the gymnasium doors, making a be-line for the locker room and hoping to continue successfully avoiding the entirety of the football team. At least in the locker room they wouldn’t be total jackasses, since they had some weird level of respect for the ‘sacredness’ of the locker room. Probably some weird sports guy thing.

Pushing? Fine. Ass slapping? For some reason, fine. Hiding someone’s clothes? Sometimes fine. But actually shoving someone into lockers, or giving someone a swirly in the locker room bathroom, or actually wrecking the gym clothes? Off-limits; and messing with the showers was only cool if someone was taking waaaaaay too long. It was weird but hey, at least it made the locker room something of a semi-safe zone. So long as you were cool getting mocked for changing in the showers or out in front of everyone. Chance to show off for the jocks, chance to get mocked for everyone else.

Tucker chills against the wall, waiting on Danny who always took stupid long to change. Dude had bandaging and scars to cover after all. Whistling and inspecting his nails, being the only one still actually in here besides Danny; as per usual. It was kinda weird, felt like they had just finished freshman year days ago and yet here they were again. Back in the same routine. Danny’s voice breaks through his thoughts, “uh, I think we -or more so I- might have a slight problem”.

Tucker sighs, at least Danny’s tone wasn’t serious which meant less ‘danger/ghost fight incoming’ and more ‘mild inconvenience or some general halfa weirdness’, “what?”.

Danny gives a very awkward chuckle, stepping out and holding his arms out to the side before looking down at his shirt, “I may have updated my wardrobe, but I think I may have forgotten something”.

Tucker blinks before sputtering and laughing, bending over a bit to wheeze, “dude, haha, that so doesn’t fit you anymore!”. Tucker absolutely forgot that Mrs. Testlauf was super serious about wearing fitting clothes, pretty sure Danny had too. She always went off about how it ‘showed the value and worth of a person and their progress’ course she’d always add on ‘and shows who the weak pipsqueaks are’. Laughing some more, “how did you even get that on? I get that the underaumour is, like, super-duper stretchy, but the shirt? Looks like it’s gonna burst apart at the seams!”.

Danny huffs, “again, more manipulatable. I’m ‘squishy’ remember?”, and crosses his arms. Both of them still and stare at the air at the sound of ripping; proving Tucker right.

Tucker falls on his ass laughing after a beat, “guess you have to ask for a new one now! Ha! Testlauf’s gonna be pissed”.

“Fuck you man”, Danny starts laughing himself though and glances around before just phasing off the shirt; yeah, he wrecked the sleeves. Stupid Testlauf and her stupid ‘wear your proper sizes or it’ll be detention for the rest of your life’ rule. Least the shorts were supposed to be a bit loose, not that they currently were.

Both boys’ jump a little at hearing a rather masculine female voice shout, “where the Zone is Fenton and Foley! Those two slackers better get their butts out here! Or they’ll be running laps all class!”. Danny and Tucker both panic a little at that, and justifiably so because talk about harsh. Promptly bolting out of the locker room, Danny with his ruined shirt in hand.

Unfortunately, though obviously, everyone is pretty much staring at them as they run out. Most looking to be partway through rolling their eyes but stop. Dash -because of course Danny would get stuck having gym with Dash- is the one to actually point shit out though, “Fenton? What the Hell happened to you?!?”.

Danny quirks an eyebrow, “huh?”, while walking over to Testlauf and speaking rather awkwardly, “I, uh, need a new gym shirt”.

Testlauf blinks, “like Hell you do”, and snatches the shirt. Holding it up and looking from it to the boy, clearly seeing that it’s torn and stretched out. Then giving Danny an almost happy appraising look, “well I’ll be, Fenton, so you do”, and gives him a clap on the arm that is absolutely a pleased one.

Danny blinks, confused, and looks to Tucker, who also looks confused, “what the Zone is happening here?”.

Todd blurts out, “what do you think? You have a bloody six-pack and the arms of an ox. Did you take steroids or something?”.

Danny and Tucker blink, then look to Danny’s chest. Danny instantly blushing a bit and attempting to cover up, belatedly remembering that Testlauf actually took the shirt, “uhhhh. No?”. Tucker has to turn away from everyone to laugh at Danny’s expense. Danny shoves him over for that; Tucker just lays on the ground laughing, not bothering to get up.

Testlauf tosses a larger shirt at him, “get that on and let’s see what you can do with those new muscles. Glad to see you ain’t no bloody wimp anymore”, huffing to herself as she walks off to get the balls, “to see youths shaping up, nothing makes me prouder. I couldn’t give a damn how he did it, kid’s not the type to go to unhealthy measures”. Danny, actually being able to hear her, blushes a little.

In the meantime, all Danny’s fellow classmates rush up and start trying to poke at him. He, of course, bats them off erratically; Tucker springing up to also try shooing people off from his best friend. The fact that Danny’s shirt is still practically skin-tight honestly doesn’t help; less so than the underarmour at least.

Dash scowls at Danny, while aggressively snatching up a ball, “seriously, the goddamn Zone Fenton. Weaklings ain’t supposed to bulk up”.

Danny glances from side to side before steeling his expression and meeting the bully's eyes, effectively deciding screw it, “not my fault you were too busy stuffing me into things to notice things were changing”.

Jesse blinks at him while joining the side Danny’s on, “so wait, you’ve been working out or some shit for a while and straight up no one noticed?”.

Danny shrugs, “it’s also not my fault no one cares to really pay attention to me and besides, I like being left alone”.

Testlauf blows her whistle, which of course results in Dash instantaneously whipping a ball straight at Danny. Which again, makes Danny decide fuck it, and just catches the ball nonchalantly. Dash scowls as Danny smirks, Dash walking off to the side.

Everyone on Dash’s side pauses for a second and glance at each other, before all silently agreeing to bombard the boy. Todd speaking while whipping a ball at him just like everyone else, “so this is why you always wear such baggy clothes huh? Can’t say I understand why or how though!”.

Danny just choosing to dodge with a sidestep this time, “because you people are dicks honestly. And my mom’s a black belt and knows more fighting styles than I can shake a stick at. How the Zone do you think?!?”. More than a couple nod to themselves while running around throwing and dodging.

Mikey, who just so happens to be trying to hide behind him, readjusts his glasses, “and don’t they want you to be a hunter like them? That’s a pretty physical job”. Emily shouting, “and Jack has totally tossed an RV through a wall before! So packing on muscle easily must be in your DNA!”. Danny isn’t about to argue against that, that might actually have something to do with it after all. Even if it was more his ghost halfs fault.

The rest of the game devolves from there, becoming more wild throwing and teenage shrieking than pestering Danny. Which Danny’s perfectly content with, though that results in someone getting practically thrown into him after getting blown back by a ball to the stomach. Which then results in Danny getting flipped over and throwing his ball way harder than he meant to. The entire gym pauses at the ball hitting the back wall and actually cracking the fake brick a bit.

Tucker bends over wheezing with laughter from the sidelines, looks like someone might have gotten a little too used to chucking round -though usually glowing- balls at beings that could handle being rammed by semi’s. Least he didn’t hit anyone and break their arm!

Danny blinks at the wall, “heh heh, whoops”. The few people still remaining on the other side honestly just look impressed rather than the more reasonable reaction, which would be fear and concern for their own safety; but Amity Park and CasperHigh were crazy like that though.

Mrs. Testlauf blows her whistle, “at that I think it’s a good time to wrap this up, before Fenton murders someone”, Danny rubs his neck at that while she points at him and continues, “learn self-control boy, these walls see enough damage as it is”. Which gets quite a few people to start snickering at his expense; Danny just nods awkwardly and blushes a bit. Learning self-control was generally pretty high on Danny’s priority list as it was.

Tucker snickers at him as everyone goes to clean up, “guess someones gotta relearn they’re surrounded by meek little regular old humans huh”, with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. Danny smashes his face into the wall, not hard enough to do actual damage though, “shut up, Tuck”; making a few people around chuckle.

Tucker grumbles a fake, “ow”, as he pulls his face off the wall after Danny let’s go of his head. Then turning to him and smirking meanly, pulling out his PDA. Danny eyes it and Tucker’s grin, “oh don’t you dare”.

“You started it”, and jabs him with the device, giving him a mild electrical shock.

A couple other teens blink and watch the two boys pretty much beat each other up slightly. Emily muttering, “I think I don’t actually want to know what the Zone the defect quartet gets up to in their spare time”.

Todd snorts, “you’re just weak”. She glares back at him, “I don’t hear you asking”. He waves her off, “now why would I waste my precious energy on that”, earning a few snorts from the rest of the class just as the bell goes off.

Jesse runs up to Danny as everyone’s walking to leave, pulling at the ugly yellow sweater, “what I don’t get, is why you dress like such shit if you've got it going on under there”. Danny shrugs, “just don’t care”, he did care, he cared that people didn’t notice literally any of his weirdness. But obviously that wasn’t working out here. Especially with Dash giving him a weird look and clearly choosing to not go and bug Danny. But maybe, judging by how no one really seemed to care beyond being impressed and he had had fun, maybe that didn’t matter.

After all, it had been a year since he died. Since he started fighting day and night practically every other waking moment. Since he started Highschool. Things had changed. He had. And try as he might, people were going to notice that. He wasn’t that same kid anymore. The little living weak wallflower Danny Fenton didn’t exist anymore, and there really was no point in trying to pretend that he did.

End.

[yumeiii]

Chapter 1

Love can be great. It makes you feel warm inside, be so invested in a person that you don’t know what to do with your feelings, be loved and give love. But the majority of the time, love is ruthless. It can be unrequited, it sometimes doesn’t work out and it can make you feel so miserable you don’t have any strength left in you. Being young and having to deal with school, social life and love isn’t as easy as it seems and it’s been quite the ride for a certain group of students in Seoul.

Seo Seyoung, a junior in highschool with light brown hair and brown eyes, stopped by her family’s cafe before going to school, getting her daily bagel before heading out. The cafe was a side business so her parents entrusted the cafe to her older brother, Johnny.

Johnny Seo was tall, athletic, smart, funny and attractive with his brown hair, deep brown eyes and impeccable fashion. He also took good care of Seyoung and she knew she was basically privileged to have the most perfect brother. They were one year apart but she wondered why they were so different.

Seyoung arrived at school to see her best friend, Nanase Ayumi, sitting at her desk, probably doing the homework she forgot to do the day before. Ayumi was average in height but a bit taller than Seyoung, with black hair and light brown eyes, she was energetic, friendly and an amazing person to confide in.

— “Hey Yumi-ya” Seyoung greeted.

— “Oh, Seyoung-ah! Goodmorning!” Ayumi exclaimed energetically. “Did Jinyoung text you yet?”

— “Not yet...” Seyoung replied.

Jinyoung was Seyoung’s boyfriend. Tall, smart, popular and handsome but these days, Seyoung noticed that he was acting differently. He wasn’t replying to her texts, he had been a bit cold with her and not to mention that he was always busy for whatever reason.

— “See? I told you that bastard wouldn’t be good for you! He’s been paying you pure dust lately!” Ayumi complained.

— “Ayu, it’s not that big of a deal… he’s just busy,” Seyoung said.

— “But you do realise that you’re his girlfriend, right? There’s literally no reason why he should be ignoring you like this. What if he ends up ghosting you?!” Ayumi replied.

— “You worry too much! He’s not the type to do that” Seyoung exclaimed

— “Okay, then but if he does anything to you, I’m murdering him, understood?” Ayumi asked with a frown on her face.

— “Yeah, fine,” Seyoung laughed.

The homeroom teacher entered the classroom, marking the start of the first lecture of the day. Seyoung didn’t dare to think that Jinyoung would ghost her or that he was ignoring him on purpose but she still couldn’t get the thought out of her mind. She had better get rid of those feelings before her brother found out and started asking her about it, knowing how protective he is.

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunchtime as two boys came to Seyoung and Ayumi’s shared desk. They were Seyoung’s childhood besties, Donghyuck and Mark.

— “Hey can we go buy some banana milk? I have a strong craving today” Mark asked.

Mark Lee (or Korean name Lee Minhyung), was born in Jeju before moving to canada when he was 7 and coming back to korea when he was 13. He was the average height with black hair and bright eyes. He was adorable, a dork and a bit clumsy sometimes but he was the best friend anyone could have.

— “You have a craving for banana milk everyday, Mark Lee,” Hyuck complained.

Lee Donghyuck, nicknamed Hyuck, was the self-appointed #1 Seo Seyoung and Mark Lee bully. He was about the same height as Mark, with tanned skin, light brown hair and a bright smile. He’s known for being pretty mischievous and a bit over-the-top when teasing his friends but he will fight anyone who dares disrespect anyone he loves.

— “Damn Hyuck, give the man a break” Ayumi laughs as she rolls her eyes.

— “Not my fault that banana milk is the only thing he drinks,” Hyuck responded as he defended himself.

— “Well, there’s no use fighting about it so let’s go get Minhyung his milk” Seyoung smiled.

The group of friends were on one of the hallways as they made their way to the canteen just to be stopped by Johnny, who went up to his sister and his childhood friends.

— “Hey Elena!” Johnny exclaimed cheerfully. Elena was Seyoung’s english name but she didn’t really like using it but since Johnny and Seyoung communicate in english, Johnny saw it as the perfect opportunity to tease her about it.

— “Bro seriously, when will you stop using that name on me?” Seyoung sighed, annoyed.

— ”Never. So hey, I just wanted to ask you if you were short on money” Johnny said.

— “I’m fine but why?” Seyoung asked curiously.

— “I mean, I really wouldn’t want you to not have money because I don’t want you skipping any meals” as Johnny lectured his younger sister, another tall figure approached them.

— “Johnny, Xiao’s looking for you,” The tall young man said.

— “Oh Yuta, wait a sec,” Johnny responded.

— “Sunbae, hello” the younger group of friends greeted as they bowed.

— “Guys, you don’t need to bow! All of you know how close we are” Yuta smiled.

Nakamoto Yuta was a guy from japanese descent studying in korea, while also being the soccer team’s captain. He was tall, handsome, with dark brown hair reaching the middle of his neck and bright brown eyes. He was also one of Johnny’s best friends so he got to know Seyoung and the others very well.

— “So, sunbae! How’s the soccer team doing?” Mark asked politely.

— “Well, we’re getting in a little bit of extra training because inter-highs are in 2 months. We’ve also got some pretty good new additions to the team” Yuta responded.

— “It’s gotta be hard being the captain,” Ayumi commented.

— “I love doing it so I personally think it’s not that hard,” Yuta laughed as he was interrupted by a voice calling his name.

— “Sunbae! The coach is calling you!” Seyoung recognized the owner of the voice as Na Jaemin, one of the most popular guys in the whole school. He had everything: tall, smart, good at sports, kind and funny. It was no surprise that he had a girlfriend.

— “Oh, I gotta go. It was nice seeing you guys!” Yuta said before running off.

— “Wow… Yuta sunbae is so cool...” Mark said surprised.

— “I have to agree,” Hyuck nodded.

— “Well brother, we gotta go. We need to get Mark his daily dose of banana milk” Ayumi stated.

— “Right. I’ll see you later!” Johnny answered as he smiled and left to look for his friend.

After the quartet went to the canteen and got Mark his much desired banana milk, they went outside and sat down at their usual hideout: an old clubroom in the third building of the school. It was a bit dirty when they first found it but after Ayumi forced everyone to clean it up with her, it became a quiet space for the group to have fun since not many people knew of it and they were the only ones to have the key to the room itself after they begged faculty for it. They were currently sitting down on the table and chairs they had brought into the clubroom talking about whatever they wanted as they enjoyed their breaktime.

— “He hasn’t talked to you yet?!” Donghyuck asked, surprised.

— “Yeah but maybe he’s just busy...” Seyoung answered quietly.

— “But even if he was busy, he can actually put aside like two seconds of his time and text you? It’s not that hard” Mark said as he sipped a bit of his banana milk.

— “That’s what I told her! They’re dating and it doesn’t make any sense that Jinyoung is ignoring her like this” Ayumi agreed.

— “Seyoung, bro, he’s literally ghosting you at this point” Donghyuck commented as Seyoung tensed up.

— “Hyuck, don’t say that!” Mark exclaimed as he rubbed Seyoung’s shoulder in empathy.

— “He’s right, though. Seyoung-ah, if you want this relationship to last, you need to confront him about it! It’s really not fair for you” Ayumi said.

— “I want to but I really can’t do it!” Seyoung whined as Ayumi took some time to think of an alternative.

— “Oh, I know! Let’s make a deal” Ayumi smiled. “If you promise to confront Jinyoung, I’ll confess to Jungwoo”

Mark and Donghyucks’ jaws dropped to the floor as Seyoung went deep into thought. Jungwoo Kim was Ayumi’s one year crush. They were casual friends and they got along well and she fell for his kindness, calming presence, as well as his humour which never failed to brighten up her day. She could never find the right time to confess to him but she would do it if it could help her best friend.

— “... tempting,” Seyoung said after a long silence.

— “Tempting?! This is more than tempting! Just do it!!” Donghyuck exclaimed.

— “I don’t want to force you into anything but you should really do it” Mark agreed.

— “So, what do you say?” Ayumi asked as she put her hand out for a handshake.

— “Call” Seyoung answered as she took Ayumi’s hand and shook it. “We both need to do it before classes end today or else we’re getting a punishment chosen by Lee Donghyuck himself”

— “Oooh this is gonna be good” Donghyuck smiled evilly as a thousand ideas went through his mind on how to embarrass them in the most cruel way possible.

— “Call” Ayumi agreed as both friends sealed their promise.

Some time later, Seyoung mustered up the courage to look for Jinyoung and tell him how she felt. Her heartbeat sped up like crazy as she walked down the halls of the school in search of her boyfriend. She got to his classroom as she was met with a surprise: Jinyoung kissing another girl. Seyoung felt her blood boiling and all of her feelings of timidness faded away as they were replaced by pure anger.

— “Choi Jinyoung!” Seyoung exclaimed in anger.

— “Seyoung-ah?!” Jinyoung said surprised as the girl at his side was equally confused

— “You ghosted me and to make it worse you’re also cheating on me?!” Seyoung asked

— “Cheated on you?! Jinyoung-ah, what’s the meaning of this?” the other girl inquired.

— “Wait! Seyoung-ah, Minju-ya, I can explain!” Jinyoung said hastedly

— “There’s nothing to explain. We’re over” Seyoung said as a tear ran down her face and ran out of the classroom.

MASTERLIST

[passionate-reply]

On this episode of Great Albums, we explore a fabulous mini-LP by one of the most underrated stars of New Wave: Bill Nelson! (Not to be confused with the former senator of Florida.) Full transcript under the break.

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today’s album of choice is a bit less than an album, but more than an EP--a mini-LP, if you will. It’s Bill Nelson’s Chimera, released in 1983. Chimera features six tracks, and plays at 33 ⅓ RPM, so I’m going to go ahead and count it as an album. Whatever it is, it’s certainly something great. To quote the Bard of Avon, “though she is but little, she is fierce!”

If you aren’t familiar with Bill Nelson, I, and many other enthusiasts of his work, would be quick to recommend Chimera as an ideal introduction. Its brevity and tight aesthetic focus certainly make it an accessible listen, for one thing. And for another, Chimera captured Nelson at the arguable peak of his career, while he enjoyed the unfettered creative freedom that came with releasing music on his own private record label, Cocteau Records. Nelson’s early 80s releases were all over the map: he experimented with ambient electronic music, scores for stage and screen, and the continuation of his previous work in the 70s: New Wave art rock with a substantial synthesiser component.

Music: “Flaming Desire”

Nelson’s preceding LP, 1982’s The Love That Whirls, is a mix of poppier cuts like “Flaming Desire” as well as pieces that show his more progressive, psychedelic side, like “The Crystal Escalator In the Palace of God Department Store.” Chimera leans towards the former, but it isn’t without touches of the latter, either. Its opening track, “The Real Adventure,” is dense and complex, but its soaring refrain makes it rather easy to love from the get-go.

Music: “The Real Adventure”

Side one of Chimera is dominated by these more forceful, driving pieces. All three of them were composed around drum tracks sent to Nelson by Yukihiro Takahashi, of Yellow Magic Orchestra. Nelson is one of those artists who’s consistently resisted settling down and getting too comfortable with any particular band, and the contributions of his many guest musicians add substantial character to his releases. The second track on side one, “Acceleration,” features one of Nelson’s more consistent collaborators: his younger brother, Ian Nelson, who plays the saxophone here. I think that sax lends the song a lot of its free-wheeling, liberated sense of excitement.

Music: “Acceleration”

While there were no proper singles released from Chimera, “Acceleration” did receive a dedicated 12” in 1984, and its hooky appeal certainly justifies that. On its flip side, Chimera is much more dreamy and playful, though it maintains a strong pop core. “Glow World,” the second track on side two, features the bass guitar work of Mick Karn, formerly of Japan. I like to think “Glow World” approaches the same sort of misty, beguiling exoticism that Japan had been aiming for on their final LP, 1981’s Tin Drum.

Music: “Glow World”

The bittersweet final track of Chimera, “Another Day, Another Ray of Hope,” is both a favourite of Nelson himself as well as many of his fans. As the title suggests, the lyrics encourage listeners to look ahead with optimism, but the song’s downer melody seems more grounded in a tumultuous present than a promising future. On this track, Nelson makes remarkable use of “E-Bow guitar”--that is, using a device that allows players of electric guitar to produce sounds akin to those achieved by playing an acoustic guitar with a bow. Nelson was a pioneer of this technique, and a virtuoso guitarist in general. He may be something of a guitarist’s guitarist, but his intricate solos have always been stirring to my lay ears as well.

Music: “Another Day, Another Ray of Hope”

Chimera’s cover features stills from the music video for “Flaming Desire.” Stark and mysterious, they quite clearly channel Nelson’s interest in the experimental films of the Surrealists, like Cocteau Records’ namesake, Jean Cocteau. I suppose they’re a somewhat misleading inclusion, as “Flaming Desire” doesn’t appear on the album, but they do create an atmosphere of intrigue and mystique. Its rich fuschia background is quite striking and eye-catching, and when combined with the golden text makes for an overall pleasing colour scheme.

Chimera was originally going to be titled “Sextet,” in a clear nod to its six track length, but Nelson changed it in response to the release of Quartet, the sixth LP from Ultravox, his arguable rivals in the arena of synth-rock. I actually like “Chimera” much better as a title. If nothing else, simply being more abstract and open to interpretation makes it more interesting. Chimeric beasts composed of opposing parts, such as satyrs and minotaurs, were a common theme of the Surrealists Nelson admired, and they were often used as symbols of people torn between Freudian ego and the desires of the subconscious mind. The name fits not only the way the album’s two sides pursue different themes, but also the composite nature of the individual tracks, which were mostly stitched together in the studio. On “Tender Is the Night,” for example, Nelson himself is credited with playing every single instrument we hear, from synthesisers to marimbas.

Music: “Tender Is the Night”

After Chimera, Nelson spent several years focused almost exclusively on ambient music. But he never fully lost interest in making vocal-oriented pop, and in 1986 he aimed to release another album in that vein through a major label--in this case, CBS Records. But, as is often the case, his artistic vision for the LP ended up getting sacrificed in certain markets. Its sleeve design was replaced, due to controversy over the conflation of occult symbols and Christian imagery, and its title changed from Getting the Holy Ghost Across to On a Blue Wing. Not to mention a confusing reworking of its tracklisting!

Music: “Rise Like a Fountain”

After this release, Nelson seems to have retreated back into the world of small-time publishing for good, and it’s hard to blame him. Given the choice between kowtowing to higher-ups and sticking to his own aesthetic guns, Nelson maintained that he wanted to do the latter, and it’s hard not to respect him for that. These days, you’ll find most of his latest releases on a new private label of his, “Sonoluxe.”

My favourite track on Chimera is the last one featured on side one, “Every Day Feels Like Another New Drug.” While it starts out sounding similar enough to the first two tracks, its outro blossoms into something surprisingly experimental--a cacophony of samples, showing Nelson’s remarkable willingness to lean into advancements in electronic music technology. It’s something that sets him apart from other art rockers of his day, whose electronic dabblings were often much lighter, and something that I simply enjoy the sound of a lot. That’s all for today--thanks for listening!

Music: “Every Day Feels Like Another New Drug”

[littlx-songbxrd]

TSC song recs

Part 2

So it seems y'all enjoyed this and wanted more which I am HAPPY to obligue, thought it gets more.... theatery as I go on. Lets go!

In the embers/Sleeping at last

Jesse Blackthorn

"We live and we die, Like fireworks. Our legacies hide, In the embers. May our stories catch fire, And burn bright enough, To catch God's eye"

"May we live and die, A valorous life, May we write it all down, In cursive light, So we pray we were made, In the image of a figure eight,May we live and die"

Icarus/ Bastille

Will Herondale

"Standing on the cliff face, highest fall you'll ever grace, It scares me half to death, Look out to the future, but it tells you nothing,So take another breath"

"Icarus is flying too close to the sun, And Icarus' life, it has only just begun, This is how it feels to take a fall, Icarus is flying towards an early grave"

Two/ Sleeping at last

Jem Carstairs

"No, I don't want to talk about myself, Tell me where it hurts, I just want to build you up, build you up, 'Til you're good as new, And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too"

"Tell me, is something wrong?, If something's wrong, you can count on me, you know I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat"

Monster/ Imagine Dragons

James Herondale

"Ever since I could remember, Everything inside of me, Just wanted to fit in , I was never one for pretenders, Everything I tried to be, Just wouldn't settle in"

"Can I clear my conscience, If I'm different from the rest, Do I have to run and hide? I never said that I want this, This burden came to me, And it's made it's home inside"

The projectionist / Sleeping at last

Lucie Herondale

"When I was young I fell in love with story, with the eleventh hour with the blaze of glory. The theater lights dim and all goes quiet. In the darkest of rooms light shines the brightest"

"Though truth is heavier than fiction, Gravity lifts as the projectionist rolls tape. And it makes us brave again"

Line without a hook/Ricky Montgomery

Kitty

"You're a pond and I'm an ocean, Oh, all my emotions, Feel like explosions when you are around, And I've found a way to kill the sounds, oh"

"He's singing, "She's a, she's a lady, and I am just a line without a hook", Baby, I am a wreck when I'm without you, I need you here to stay, I broke all my bones that day I found you, Crying at the lake, Was it something I said to make you feel like you're a burden, oh, And if I could take it all back, I swear that I would pull you from the tide"

Dream/ Imagine Dragons

Clary Fairchild

"And I watch from a distance seventeen, And I'm short of the others dreams of being golden and on top, It's not what you painted in my head, There's so much there instead of all the colors that I saw"

"We all are living in a dream, But life ain't what it seems, Oh everything's a mess. And all these sorrows I have seen, They lead me to believe, That everything's a mess. But I wanna dream, I wanna dream, Leave me to dream"

One of the drunks/ Panic at the disco

Mathew Fairchild

"This is what it feels like when you become one of the drunks, Searching for a new high, high as the sun, uncomfortably numb, This is what it feels like when you become one of the drunks"

"Every day you're thirsty, bourbon high, Sip up 'til you're tipsy, night's young, Searching for a feeling, big fun, Dancing with the demons, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Grips you like a pistol, wet the whistle, wet the whistle, abyss of ice crystals"

I'll be good/ Jaymes Young

Alastair Carstairs

"I never meant to start a fire, I never meant to make you bleed, I'll be a better man today"

"My past has tasted bitter, For years now, So I wield an iron fist, Grace is just weakness, Or so I've been told, I've been cold, I've been merciless, But the blood on my hands scares me to death, Maybe I'm waking up today"

Emperors New Clothes/ Panic at the disco

Sebastian Morgenster

"Welcome to the end of eras, Ice has melted back to life, Done my time and served my sentence, Dress me up and watch me die"

"Heroes always get remembered, But you know legends never die"

Little Miss Perfect/ Taylor Louderman

Ariadne Bridgestocks

"I was adopted when I was two, My parents spoiled me rotten, Often I ask myself, "What did I do?"To get as far as I've gotten. A pretty girl walks by my locker, My heart gives a flutter, But I don't dare utter a word, 'Cause that would be absurd behaviour, For little miss perfect"

"Deny the truth, that's easier, You're just confused, believe her, When she says there's nothing there, It's never worth it"

Starchild/ Ghost Quartet

Grace Blackthorn

"When  I  was a baby, I was blessed by a stranger, In waters  I  didn’t understand. And now  I ’m infected, With disbelief and blasphemy, I’ll never have a holy land. I am ghost, In the eyes of my god"

"And the starlight  I  see, Is a billion light years old, A ghost just like the rest of us, Nothing  I  see, Is there anymore"

First Burn/ Hamilton

Charlestairs

"Heaven forbid someone whisper, He's part of some scheme, Your enemy whispers, So you have to scream, I know about whispers".

"Don't take another step in my direction, I can't be trusted around you, Don't think you can talk your way, Into my arms, into my arms

I'm burning the letters you wrote me, You can stand over there if you want, I don't know who you are, I have so much to learn"

She/ Doddie

Arianna

"Am I allowed to look at her like that, Could it be wrong when she's just so nice to look at"

"and I'll be okay, Admiring from afar, Cause even when she's next to me, We could not be more far apart, Cause she tastes like birthday cake, and storytime, and fall, But to her I taste of nothing at all"

The astronomer/ Ghost Quartet

Christopher Lightwood

"I am the astronomer, When i look through my telescope, I am certain of the universe, I am filled with wonder from the stars, And i never saw anything, I couldn't blame on my mind, So I don't believe in ghosts"

"I'm confounded by music, And stories and laughter, Goodness and babies, Infinity and luck. I'm confused by the notion, That somebody loves me, And drugs make me crazy, And a clairvoyant told me i've got an old soul, Oh lord I wish I could sing like that, But i don't practice enough"

Part 3? Mayhaps? If anyone want to leave their recs in the comments I'd appreciate it

[utapriyanderes]

Hi, could you please do QN with their crush loving singing/music by another idol who is noticeably less skilled than they are? Like "I'm a pro so why are you such a big fan of this musically challenged person?" (Also I sent an ask while you were on hiatus and I'm not sure if you got it, it was about dealing with loneliness/sadness from being kept in isolation for too long)

   Hello! I actually know what ask you are talking about! I actually had it finished before I came back as it was the one I worked on before my official announcement. So it’s been done for awhile. I have just been hesitating on posting it. Though I’ll make sure to post it either today or tomorrow!

Though it will be like my usual posts instead of like this one since I got it done before doing this. Either way this took awhile just due to motivation hitting me then leaving me. Though this is how I prefer to do things since it's more like mini oneshots and I love writing oneshots/more story based things like this so it actually makes the process more fun! I also think it helps to build the world and characters for all of you guys as well! So please enjoy!

~~~~

Reiji Kotobuki:

    Reiji comes home from work for the day, excited to see you as he always is. He was even expecting you to greet him as soon as the door opened, but you're not there. He walks in closing the door behind him, worrying as to where you could be. He takes a peek in the living room and kitchen. When he finds you're not there he starts thinking about, every horrible thing that comes to his mind. Realizing he has another room he could check, he goes into the bedroom you two share. 

    There, he finds you. Sitting on the bed surrounded by CDs, listening to music through your headphones. Your back is facing him as you sway to the music. The frantic Reiji's beating heart calms down as he smiles in relief. He goes towards you with a hand reached out, but stops quickly after as soon as he hears your voice sing out a line from a song. 

    Reiji notices right away that it wasn't one of his songs you were listening to. That definitely wasn't a lyric he wrote. His smile drops and his expression turns serious. Hand still reached out he moves to grab your shoulder. You jump in surprise at the contact. As you're quick to stop the music and take off your headphones he notices all the CDs surrounding you. 

    The new rookie idol in the agency? Reiji doesn't understand it. He was by far the better idol, but you're listening to someone else that wasn't near where he was! Reiji lifts his head to find your bright orbs filled with surprise and worry and, shame. Reiji can tell you're trying to find an excuse.

    Reiji looks back down at your hands. He grabs one ever so tenderly. Your all he thinks about all day. You're the reason he is able to be so happy in his life! You're his reason to keep on living and breathing! But you're here, listening to someone lower than him. Someone who will never notice you or love you like him.

    It makes him so upset to see you like this. He's never felt this betrayed before. He knows he has to do something. He runs over his thoughts as he stares at your connected hands. Then he looks back up. Your excuse is clear in your head and you're about to speak, but he stops you.

    "(N/N), I love you very much right? You know that don't you?" Reiji's question seems innocent enough. It stops you from saying whatever excuse you had. Instead you close your mouth and nod at him, looking down. Reiji calls you by the nickname he gave you again. 

    "Do you love that idol more than me?" You're quick to shake your head. Your eyes, already starting to fill with tears. Reiji's heart breaks at the sight. He doesn't want to see you in tears. He moves his arms to hold you. Letting you rely on him. 

    "(N/N), if you love me… then you know what we have to do with those CDs right?" Reiji whispers it into your ear. Your body freezes at the dark tone in his voice. Slowly you nod your head at his question.

    Feeling your response, Reiji's heart becomes much lighter. His grip on you tightens despite his mood. Reiji promises to never let you go, and he won't let your heart be taken away so easily by another idol. Especially one below him.

Ranmaru Kurosaki:

    Ranmaru opens his eyes to stare at the bland ceiling overhead. Waking up from his mid-afternoon nap he feels a warmth on his stomach. Remembering you slept with him he places a content hand on the warmth. Except, that warmth wasn't you. He looks down to see one of his cats curled up into a ball sleeping peacefully on his stomach.

    He sits up in a state of rush, but not so much that it hurts or startles the cat. He quickly places the cat down on the sofa and stands up to go looking for you. He can feel the racing in his heart as he goes into the bedroom to look for you. Luckily, that was exactly the right choice. 

    You were by the window. Looking out as you held an MP3 in your hand and had earbuds in your ears. Ranmaru's heart calms down at the sight and he makes his way over to you. As he walks you notice him. You're quick to stop the music and take out your earbuds.

    You smile up at him as you move to place the MP3 beside you. Ranmaru is quicker and grabs your wrist to see the screen. 

    "Hmph," Ranmaru makes a noise at who you were listening to. His grip tightens around your wrist as boiling rage fills him up. You let out a small whimper at his hold, but he's too focused on the fact that you chose to listen to an amateur artist. Someone below him who had all your attention. You were sitting so peacefully just listening to him!

    "Were you thinking of him coming to your rescue?" Ranmaru could see the fear in your eyes as he spoke. 

    "Ranmaru- please-!" You tried to squirm out of his grasp. He only held on tighter as you did so.

    "Oi (Y/N), answer me," Ranmaru spoke in a low voice. You stopped your squirming and tears started to fall down your face.

    After sucking in a shaky breath you replied, "N-No, that's not what I was thinking! I-I just wanted to listen to their music!"

    Ranmaru wasn't convinced at your plea. He let out a low sigh and then roughly pulled you up, you making a small noise in the process.

    "If you're sure about it, then smash the MP3," Ranmaru eyes glance to the MP3 still in your hand. You hastily nod your head at him. Somewhat satisfied Ranmaru unhands you and gives you the space you need. Shakily, you raise the hand up giving out a small sob. Then you smash it.

    Then you step on it until you're sure it no longer works. Once you're done you stare at the pieces laying on the ground. You cry to yourself as Ranmaru wraps an arm around your back.

    Letting out another sigh, "It's alright. Go to bed and cry it out. I'll clean up this mess."

    Ranmaru's satisfied with the outcome. He allows you to rest as he stares at the same broken pieces. Content with making you his once again.

Ai Mikaze:

    Ai looks at the screen in front of him. Finishing up some last minute ideas for QUARTET NIGHT's next song. After his last thought was down his eyes drifted away and moved over towards the person sitting in the corner of the room, listening happily to music on their phone. A ghost of a smile found its way upon his lips at the sight. His eyes then go back towards the screen and he opens up a software.

    He clicks your phone on the program to see what you are listening to. When the name and album shows up Ai isn't sure what to make of the situation. All he can feel is something heavy pulling him down. In order to figure out what this feeling is he goes over beside you, and when your beautiful eyes fall on him you can’t help but to feel a shiver run down your spine. You're motionless as you stare at him.

    He bends down to your level and grabs an earbud from your ear that’s still playing music. He brings it to his left ear and hears a voice of an idol that's not his or the Quartet's. This sinking feeling drops even more inside of him. He takes out the bud and let's it fall. Ai's crystal clear cyan eyes look you dead on.

    "(Y/N)... Why are you listening to this person?" Ai asks you innocently. A lump of saliva goes down your throat as you try to find an answer. Ai sees you searching. He looks down and sighs.

    "Fine. ...Then why do I feel like this?" Ai proposes another, different question. You tilt your head slightly in confusion. Ai can see the question still processing in your head so he takes your hand and puts it over his heart. You can feel it beat, move oddly. You look back up at him.

    "Ai… I'm sorry, I don't know," despite how you are feeling you answer him softly. This makes Ai stand back up, your hand still in his.

    "The cause is from you listening to him," Ai holds your forearm with his other hand and lifts you up from the couch as gently as he can. You don't feel any pain but you're scared. He picks up on it.

    "(Y/N). You don't have to be scared," Ai tells you but it doesn't stop you from trembling. He walks with you over towards his computer setup. He gently places you on the ground in the corner and proceeds to take the all too familiar chains from their place on the wall. You sit there and watch as he opens up the cuffs and slips them on you. As a tear rolls down your cheek you hear the sound of the cuffs clicking locking you in place.

    Ai reaches a hand up and pats your head with a smile on his face, "it's alright (Y/N). I'll get rid of him for you. So you don't have to listen to his music again."

Camus:

    Camus walks out of the room for a second to clean up the table's mess of the tea party you two just had. When he came back he saw that you were listening to some music on the tablet he provided you with. Along with this task you were performing one of your hobbies while doing so as well. Camus content with your being he picked up a book and sat facing you. He opened his book and started to occupy himself with his book.

    Occasionally he would look up and stare at your focused face, the smallest glimpse of a smile reaching his lips. When he went back to his book he could hear the faintest sound of your music. Listening in on it more he could clearly tell it wasn't one of his or the quartet's. He sits there taking in this unknown singer before closing his book and standing up. Even as he stands you're focused on your task at hand.

    He walks over to stand directly by you. His shadow overcasting onto your activity causes you to look up. Camus stares at you with an icy gaze. Your hands shake as you reach up and pull down your headphones. Camus reaches over and grabs the tablet right beside you. He turns it on and sees the album being played is from an idol he is not familiar with. Yet can he tell that it is someone far less spectacular as him.

    He pauses the song. Ice starts to spread throughout the tablet but doesn't follow through to your headphones.

    "(Y/N). What's the meaning of this?" His voice is stern and serious. He stares at you and you have to shift yours eyes away as you tremble. You can feel yourself starting to cry.

    "C-Camus, I-I-I'm… s-so… s-sorry," your apology is slow and unsteady. Camus watches as you continue to stare down. Tears are starting to stream down your face as you breath in and out shakily. Camus then moved to place the tablet down, the device cracking in the process.

    "Do you really think that's enough?" Camus' voice is steady and unwavering. You move your face away from him.

    "O-Of c-course n-not," you reply, trying to steady your voice. You can feel ice cold fingertips brush under your chin before it gets grabbed. Gently but forcefully your head gets turned to look back at him. Looking back into that icy gaze you can't help but to freeze. You're scared- no, terrified.

    "Then what else must you do for me to forgive you?" Camus asks you, his grip on your face only becoming a little more tighter. The answer is ready to pop into your mind.

    "I-I promise! I-I w-won't listen go-to them a-again! N-Not t-them or a-any o-other i-idol or g-group! I s-swear!" You end up closing your eyes at the end, body shaking your reply was shaky and erratic. Camus watches your form for a few moments longer, soaking in your promises.

    Then you, suffering in this silence as you let out small whimperings of sadness. Soon enough you can't take it and grip onto him.

    "C-Camus… please! I'm so s-sorry!" Your apology is desperate but in earnest. Camus now satisfied with your answer and state let's go.

    "If you know this then you will know not to do it again," Camus' deep voice reaching you makes you nod your head profusely making Camus content once again. With this Camus touches you gently. Pulling you close into his chest, he gives you the much needed affection you desire.

[chelsfic]

Part Five - Wish You Weren’t Here - Diego Jiménez x Reader - Starz Power fanfic

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

A/N: This part introduces two more characters from the show Ghost and Tommy. Ghost is the main character of the show. Tommy is his best friend and what you need to know about him is that he kills people unapologetically and seems to often find it fun. He’s emotional and impulsive. (Yes, I am also in love with him. Okay? Fine. God.) Sorry if...nothing much happens in this part? I mean I found it compelling to write about the weather. I don’t see the issue? Actually I’m kind of setting up Plot for the next part.

***

It’s not like you expect Diego to send flowers and chocolates and a barbershop quartet... But...you’re disappointed when your Netflix and chill suggestion seems to evaporate from his thoughts over the next few days. He’s obviously very busy. You spend your days flitting around the penthouse while Diego takes non-stop phone calls. It’s clear something big is going down although you only understand one in five words with your high school Spanish. You decide that’s probably for the best. Even if you secretly love listening to Diego’s rumbling voice enunciate the unfamiliar syllables. Maybe he’ll teach you one day…

One day...when he gets his head out of his ass? 

By the end of the week you resolve yourself to Diego’s caprice. Either he’ll grow up and make a move or he’ll...continue to taunt you with his sexiness from afar. Ugh. Friday morning is frigid and it’s sleeting as you walk from the subway station to Diego’s apartment building. The freezing rain soaks through your knit hat and scarf, leaving you damp and shivering despite your giant, dowdy winter coat. It’s been pretty mild this year so this is the first time you’ve walked into Diego’s building in your complete winter get-up. The security man does a double take when he sees you walk in, not recognizing the roly-poly, chunky knit, walking L.L. Bean ad. You’re sure the girls that Diego hangs with will continue to go out in miniskirts and strappy sandals all winter long. But you don’t like being cold. 

Diego’s leaning on the kitchen counter sipping a cup of steaming coffee when the elevator doors open to reveal you in all your glory: soggy, dripping and miserable. He nearly spits out his coffee as you slump your way over to the closet and begin peeling off your layers of outerwear.

“Shut up,” you grumble miserably. “It’s freezing! And you might have noticed it’s raining--I mean your windows are big enough.”

Your jacket falls off the hanger and lands with a wet plop on the floor of the closet. You leave it there, shutting the closet door and going to join Diego in the kitchen. 

“Gimme coffee!” you demand and--feeling bold and edgy--grab the mug out of his hands and take a big sip from his cup. You grimace, “Ugh! This needs milk!”

“Well, it was my coffee, actually. You can have your own…” but you’re already going over to the refrigerator and pouring Diego’s almond milk creamer into the cup, filling it almost to the brim before taking another taste. 

“Better,” you sigh and watch him make another cup for himself. “...thanks.”

He looks up and smiles at you and the dimple in his cheek makes you weak in the knees. How can he look so boyishly charming when he’s an actual…

Your hands are slowly thawing, cupped around the ceramic mug but a shiver wracks your body nonetheless. It’s partially in response to the memory of his fingers wrapped around the golden handgun and partially because you’re still pretty damn cold and you’ve only worn a t-shirt under your coat like a moron.

“Come here,” he says, holding out his arms, eyebrow arched expectantly.

Murderer, schmurderer. You set the cup down on the counter and step into his arms. Diego wraps his hands around your bare arms and hisses in sympathy at how cold you are. He rubs his palms vigorously over your frozen skin, warming you with the friction as if he were a boy scout trying to light a fire. Heh--he’s already lit a fire…

You’re boneless, wavering before him as his hands run over your arms until you finally lean forward and let your forehead rest on his chest. You feel his chest rumble against your cheek as he purrs in response to your closeness. 

“Should have brought a sweatshirt with me,” you mumble into his shirt.

“Hold on,” he says, pulling away. You curse yourself for speaking and breaking the moment. He goes upstairs and comes back a moment later holding a black cashmere sweater in his hands. “Put this on.”

He hands you the bundle of fabric and you let your fingers roam over the rich fibers. You can think of more amusing ways for him to keep you warm but you’re still touched by the gesture.

“Diego. This is too nice to wear doing housework…”

He rolls his eyes at you and smirks, “Just put it on. You feel like an icicle.”

Of course you’re quietly--stupidly--thrilled. You pull it on over your head and delight in how the sleeves fall over your hands and the bottom hem extends halfway down your thighs. Diego’s eyes glimmer as they drift over your form, secretly pleased to see you dwarfed in his shirt. He clears his throat and turns away abruptly to fiddle with the coffee maker. With his back to you, you bring the collar of the sweater up to your nose to give it a little surreptitious sniff. Mmm...beefy boi scented. You try to squirm your way back into his arms but he’s already distracted, looking down at his phone.

“By the way...I need you to leave early today. I have a lunch meeting,” he says absentmindedly as he scrolls through text messages.

You throw him a withering glance. Leaving early as in doing the same amount of work in half the time?

“Fine, but I’m just doing your sheets and laundry. The rest can wait,” the words themselves sound authoritative, but your tone wavers a little at the end. You’re still unsure in asserting yourself to this man who can intimidate you even if he occasionally dissolves into a needy puddle at your touch.

He looks at you with that enigmatic gaze of his. You try to keep your chin up even as your insides quake. He finally nods wordlessly and turns back to his phone.

***

You’ve just finished putting away the folded linens when Julio walks up to you, “Boss says time to go. I’m driving you home.”

You look up at him and frown in confusion, “You’re driving me home?”

Julio just shakes his head in shared bemusement, “Diego wants me to drive you from now on. I’ll pick you up in the morning and take you home at the end of the day.”

Julio tries to rush you out the door but you stop him at the elevator, “I need to grab my coat, hold on.”

You get your coat from the closet and head back into the living room where Diego is lounging on the couch. He looks up at you with a self-satisfied expression, “Julio told you he’ll be driving you from now on?”

“Yeah?” you answer, “Diego, I don’t--I don’t really know him that well?”

You’re actually thinking about the way Julio’s hand dug into your arm, the way he seemed so ready to deliver you to his boss like a sacrifice when you’d witnessed too much. The memory doesn’t exactly make you feel comfortable spending time with the man.

Diego stands, his height towering over your small frame. He cups his hands around your face and tilts your head back to meet his gaze, “I trust Julio with my life, little girl. And yours. He’ll protect you. Besides...it’s still raining. And soon it will be snowing…”

He leans down quicker than you can process and pecks a chaste kiss to your forehead. What the fuck? My lips are right here, buddy. Before he can pull away you grab his shirt collar and tug him down to smash your lips against his. He responds to the kiss, opening his lips and letting you slip your tongue into his mouth, stroking, lapping, nipping. He growls as he tears himself away. 

“You need to leave now,” he pants. “I don’t want my...guests...seeing you here.”

“But...,” you smirk, licking your lips and giving him a knowing look, “I’m just the maid.”

***

Julio is silent on the ride down to the lobby. You fidget, balancing your bag and your still damp jacket on your arm. You catch his eye at one point and try to give him a little smile. He looks like he’s still puzzling out why the hell his boss is spending so much effort on you. 

Cool. Start to a beautiful friendship and all that.

When you step off the elevator into the lobby Julio turns to you and finally speaks, “Wait here, I’ll get the car.”

“Sure!” you answer in your chipper, we-can-be-friends voice. If Julio is Diego’s right hand man, or whatever, then you want to be at least friendly, if not full-fledged friends.

You watch him walk away and you notice two men approaching the private elevator. You shuffle out of their way but not before one of them catches you with a penetrating gaze. He’s a white guy, blond buzz cut, tall--hulking really would the correct terminology--with definite crazy eyes. He stares at you like he’s trying to see into your soul. You stare back not because you’re trying to seem unaffected but because you just can’t look away. You watch his eyes widen as they flick downward. You glance down at yourself, realizing that you’re still wearing Diego’s over-sized, expensive sweater. When you look back up the man is still watching you, this time with a malicious looking grin on his lips. 

“Excuse me, ma’am,” he says with false sincerity, grasping your elbow in his large hand and giving the slightest squeeze as if to hint at the strength withheld. He doesn’t let go right away. Not until his partner, an elegant, handsome black man, finally addresses him.

“Tommy,” there’s a hint of warning and exasperation in the man’s voice. 

The man--Tommy--finally lets you go. You watch them both step onto the elevator, unease shivering down your spine. Even as you walk across the lobby and go outside to meet Julio...you still feel Tommy’s gaze crawling over your skin.

Tommy...

Ghost...

Tags:

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[krispyweiss]

Sound Bites’ Favorite Albums of 2020

- In a bleak year, music comes through

The year 2020 didn’t leave much to celebrate - unless pandemics, racism and the crumbling of American democracy are your things.

For all the bad - and there was a ton of bad - there was also a ton of good music. What follows are capsule reviews of Sound Bites’ favorite studio releases of his least-favorite year; read the contemporary pieces in the blue links.

The Wood Brothers - Kingdom in My Mind

Born from jams, authorship of the 10 tracks - plus a short reprise - is credited to guitarist Oliver Wood, bassist/harmonica player Chris Wood and multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix. Taken as a whole, the 38-minute LP - the band’s best to date - is full of lively numbers even as the trio spends an inordinate time singing about dying on cuts such as “Little Bit Sweet,” “Don't Think about My Death” and “Satisfied.”

David Bromberg Band - Big Road

If eclecticism equaled commercialism, David Bromberg would be one of America’s biggest artists. But it doesn’t and he isn’t. And instead, Americana’s best-kept, 50-year-old secret keeps the quality high with Big Road.

Gospel, rock ��n’ roll, bluegrass and country are represented and Bromberg sings it all like Willie Nelson with a baritone - sporting the same quaver, the same emotional breaks in his voice and the same conviction.

Sarah Jarosz - World on the Ground

These are songs about “Eve,” who wants to ensure the world doesn’t spoil her inner goodness; “Johnny,” who just needs a bit of luck, love and light; and “Maggie” whose Ford Escape will hopefully live up to its name. Sarah Jarosz’s subjects - and sometimes Jarosz herself - drink cold coffee and wine; they want to stay and they want to leave; and they wonder why they left or why they stayed. Whether working with I’m With Her or on her own, Jarosz is among the best working these days.

Tyler Childers - Long Violent History

Nothing about Tyler Childers’ Long Violent History should work. Yet everything does. It’s a statement LP, yet it's mostly instrumental. It finds Childers standing with Black Lives Matter against a backdrop of old-timey fiddle music. And it opens with a creepy rendering of “Send in the Clowns.”

Childers, who plays fiddle exclusively, is joined by a band that includes Mandolin Orange’s Andrew Marlin on mandolin and Josh Oliver on guitar; fiddler Jesse Wells; and Dom Flemons on virtually everything else including banjo, bones, quills, jug, bass drum and harmonica. Together, they burn through seven additional trad tunes such as the mournful waltz of “Midnight on the Water” and the celebratory high step of “Sludge River Stop,” before Childers makes his point on the title track.

Tim Heidecker - Fear of Death

On Fear of Death, Tim Heidecker flips the script.

No longer simply a comedian who happens to make music, Tim Heidecker, on his fifth solo LP since 2016, proves himself a fully fledged musician who happens to be funny in the intelligent way Procol Harum and Crash Test Dummies are funny. Musically derivative, Fear of Death derives wisely from the Mamas & the Papas, the Byrds, Widespread Panic and others; special shout out to Weyes Blood, whose harmony and co-lead vocals add immeasurably to the proceedings.

Steve Earle & the Dukes - Ghosts of West Virginia

Steve Earle’s emotions are raw on the entirety of Ghosts of West Virginia, on which he and the Dukes tell the story the Upper Branch Mine disaster and the Mountaineer State’s coal-mining history with bluegrass on “Union, God and Country;” miners’ fates on the hard country of “Black Lung;” a widow’s side of the story on the heart-wrenching, “If I Could See Your Face Again;” and bring native son Chuck Yeager into the mix on the hard-stompin’ rockabilly of “Fastest Man Alive.”

Robby Krieger - The Ritual Begins at Sundown

After 10 years of studio silence, Robby Krieger returns with a killer Frank Zappa album. OK, the Ritual Begins at Sundown is a Krieger album masquerading as a Zappa album. But it’s killer, indeed.

Fine-tuned on stages before being transferred to the studio, the eight originals and two covers bear all sorts of Zappa hallmarks like odd time signatures, quirky tempo shifts and an overarching, unconventional quality that keep them interesting over repeated spins.

Willie Nelson - First Rose of Spring

A melancholic collection of 11 numbers, Willie Nelson’s First Rose of Spring covers country themes like death (“Stealing Time” and the title track, a sequel to “He Stopped Loving Her Today”), doing crimes (Johnny Paycheck’s “I’m the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised”) and doing time (Merle Haggard’s “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight”).

Ben Harper - Winter is for Lovers

Through the pieces have titles and demarcation between them, Ben Harper’s all-instrumental, lap-steel-only Winter is for Lovers is essentially a 30-minute suite to be taken in totality. Sparse though it may be, it never lags and is a fulfilling listen in any number of settings.

Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile feat. Aoife O’Donovan - Not Our First Goat Rodeo

No one player dominates the mostly instrumental proceedings as the quartet of Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile - with appearances from vocalist Aoife O’Donovan - works together to create long-bowed, deep grooves on “Every Note a Pearl,” which seems a good thematic statement for the supergroup’s second Goat Rodeo. Every one of these musicians is a certified genius, which means the music is occasionally too complicated for its own good. But those moments are few on the 45-minute recording and Not Our First Goat Rodeo will leave the listener hoping a decade doesn’t pass before this quintet gets back on the horse again.

Honorable mentions

Chris Smither - More from the Levee

Recorded in 2013, including a slew of reimagined pieces from his songbook and featuring appearances from Alan Toussaint, Louden Wainwright III and Morphine drummer Billy Conway, More from the Levee is vintage Chris Smither, literally and figuratively.

Jeremy Spencer - Live in the Studio

Spencer’s fourth album of 2020 was actually recorded in 2005 and finds the former Fleetwood Mac axeman playing the blues for which he is best known as opposed to the languid, mostly instrumental atmospherics that characterized his most-recent LPs. This is the Spencer of light-touch, Elmore James-inspired slide guitar and Elvis Presley-esque vocal phrasing working his way through 14 songs in just under 50 minutes.

12/28/20

[ruensroad]

The Ghost Boys

A silly AU with the Junior Quartet that sits in my Psychic Dective AU, believe it or not, though in the future quite a ways. Featuring ghost hunter chaos boys, Empath!Jin Ling, and Fairy being the best emotional support doggo.

For @this-solaris-life because she’s been having a rough couple of days. Hope this makes you smile! --- “I want it known, for the record, that this is a terrible idea,” Jingyi said the moment the red lights of his friends’ cameras turned on, so they and the world at large would know he was the only voice of reason in this whole fiasco. Of course, he was ignored, as he usually was, which probably meant they were going to die.

No one ever listened to the smart one in horror movies, after all. And maybe this wasn’t exactly a horror movie, but it was close enough!

“Alright Ghosties, listen up,” Jin Ling huffed at his camera, as though Jingyi wasn’t currently whining at his back, flawless as ever, “do not try this at home, or do not do it alone if you do it anyway. And remember, safety first. Always protect your dog’s feet if you bring them along.”

Jingyi sighed as the camera panned to him, or rather to Fairy, who was happily leaning into the hug Jingyi was giving him. The huge husky’s tail wagged and he lifted a paw when Jin Ling wiggled his fingers, which had a proper shoe-booty on it.

“Keep your ghost hunting dogs safe,” Jin Ling ordered, all seriousness, and Jingyi pouted up at him.

“What about your ghost hunting boyfriends?” he demanded, already fighting a chill, and it wasn’t just from the cold. This place was seven levels of creepy and it was just the outside.

Jin Ling’s expression was all coolness, a front Jingyi knew for the camera given his warm eyes were downright laughing at him. Rude. “Eh. You can be ghost food.”

Yuan quickly lifted his own camera and stepped between them, running over Jingyi’s squawk of outrage with a soft laugh. “No one will be ghost food,” he reassured, before beaming at their unseen audience. “Hello Ghosties! Today we’re in Hong Kong to film an abandoned Love Hotel.”

He tilted his camera to pan behind him while Zizhen’s followed him too, as it usually did, the man’s eyes soft and content over his fluffy scarf. “It was built in a housing boom during the eighties, but abandoned in 2003. Lots of interesting stories about this place too…”

As he rattled off a few, filming the discreet outside of the building, Jingyi moved over to Jin Ling with Fairy in tow, shuddering as a breeze blew over the back of his neck.

“We’re not going to die, right?” he asked, needing reassurance. The perks of dating an Empath, he’d found, were that said boyfriend could feel out all ghosts and warn him beforehand. Even if he used this power for evil teasing more often than not, it was still a valuable skill to have and Jingyi leaned on it every time he agreed to do this insanity with the rest of them.

Jin Ling considered that. “Well, it won’t be ghosts that kill us if we do,” he said, because he was a demon, and Jingyi swatted his arm, cracking his cool exterior with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I got my pepper spray.”

“And I got the dog with fangs,” Jingyi said, struggling for some calm. He knelt down to muss the dog’s squishy cheeks, which did nothing to make the dog seem frightening. “You’ll protect me, right Fairy? You’re the best boy. You won’t let anyone hurt me!”

Fairy wiggled in agreement, wagging his tail so hard his whole butt moved too. Jingyi laughed, feeling slightly better, and for a blessed moment cooed at Fairy and pretended he was not about to walk into a death trap because he was obviously an idiot.

It didn’t last nearly long enough before Jin Ling was calling them all to order and holding open a break in the chain link fence they’d found to get in. Yuan ducked in first, followed by Zizhen, who finally moved his camera off of him to film a broken window; then it was Fairy’s turn to pull Jingyi along, followed by Jin Ling, who set a comforting hand on his lower back as he passed by.

“They said a woman hung herself from the third floor banister,” Yuan said as Jin Ling tried the door handle. “I think that’s a great place to try our spirit box.”

Zizhen hummed a little, considering that, as the door creaked open in an ominous scream. “Do we know why she hung herself?” he asked Yuan, doe eyed. “Was it a broken heart?”

“You will make a love story out of everything, won’t you?” Jingyi asked, appalled, and Zizhen just shrugged a helpless shoulder.

“It’s romantic, though.”

“Guys,” Jin Ling sighed, drawing them back to focus, and pulled his breathing mask out of his hoodie. “Safety first. Masks on, I can already smell the mold.”

It was another blessed pause, where Jingyi could pretend he wasn’t about to enter some apocalyptic nightmare. He pulled on the breathing mask, then knelt down to slip on Fairy’s. He gave Jin Ling the thumbs up when he was certain Fairy was having no trouble breathing through it.

“Remember, everyone,” Zizhen said, turning his camera on himself as he adjusted his scarf around his mask, “mold is no joke. If you’re going to be as crazy as us, you need to be as smart as us too.”

“How is this smart?” Jingyi scoffed, ignored as Jin Ling led the way inside. He wanted nothing more than to hide behind his boyfriend’s confident back, but he’d been put in charge of Fairy and Yuan’s spot was always after Jin Ling so they could watch for glass and nails on the floor. He had to settle for sighing and doing his best not to jump at every tiny noise, which was much harder in practice than he’d like.

Already the floor was creaking under their feet and his mind flashed to horror movies all over again. “We’re going to die.”

“We’re not going to die,” Jin Ling sighed from the front and panned his camera slowly around the front atrium. “Maybe lost, though. This place is huge, so stick close to me.”

“It must have been so pretty when it was in business,” Zizhen gushed, gooey-eyed already over a heart-shaped archway. “And didn’t you say something about themed rooms, A-Yuan?”

“I did!” Yuan grinned in excitement, eager as always to share the facts he’d researched. “I’m not sure what all is still here, but I know they had an ‘under the sea’ love suite, as well as one based on Camelot.”

Okay, so that was kind of cool. Still, “I would not sleep in a room with a suit of armor watching me,” Jingyi shuddered. “No thank you.”

“Agreed,” Jin Ling said, nose wrinkled in distaste. “Armor is such a ghost magnet. You’d have so many eyes on you while you slept. Disgusting.”

“It’s because of the iron, right?” Yuan asked, curious, and Jin Ling nodded.

“Metal is a conduit, no matter what type,” Jin Ling said, shrugging a shoulder as he pointed his camera up the stairs. “It draws in energy, so it’s easier for a spiritual imprint to remain on it.”

“Like fingerprints,” Zizhen hummed and slowly turned down a long hall. “Do we want to check this one out? Or just look upstairs?”

“The energy down here is more residual,” Jin Ling told him and started up. “We won’t get anything more than a few standard bumps in the night. The good stuff is up here.”

“I am more than okay with standard bumps,” Jingyi lamented as he was more or less pulled up the steps by Fairy. “What’s wrong with lame noises? It’s still creepy.”

“Come on, Jingyi, you know the viewers want the really good stuff,” Yuan laughed, though sweetly as though to soothe him. It only had him more on guard. “And I’m curious about a few spots that actually have stories attached to them.”

“That’s worse,” Jingyi sighed, then squeaked as something above them slammed. He was instantly behind Yuan and squishing Fairy close with a hand. “Oh no, oh fuck, I’m not ready, no, no.”

“You’re never ready,” Jin Ling pointed out, already hurrying towards the sound like an idiot. Yuan, ultimate traitor, hurried after him, which had Fairy tugging Jingyi along. Zizhen, unconcerned, followed at a more sedate pace, getting them all into a clear shot.

“Hey, another heart arch!” he said when he’d caught up and peeked into the room that it led to. “Do you think this room was a heart theme?”

He asked this of Jin Ling, who stood the best chance of feeling out the truth of the past out of all of them, Empathy and all that. Even with the room in obvious, vandalized shambles, he took it in with a slow sweep of his camera and his eyes focusing hard.

“Definitely red, is what I’m feeling,” he said after a moment. “So a heart theme wouldn’t be a big stretch.”

Zizhen sighed happily and made eyes at Yuan, because of course he did. “Romantic.”

“I think a flower room would be nice,” Yuan mused, smiling back at Zizhen, and Jingyi felt the urge to smack their heads together because they were going to die, this was no time to be gooey!

“Is there a flower room?” Zizhen asked, excited.

Jin Ling considered that. “Third floor, second room.”

“Oh hell yes.”

“If you two make out in a ghost love hotel and consider it romantic to be surrounded by spirits and mold, I will disown you both,” Jingyi threatened, though his voice jumped at the end when another bang echoed above. He immediately squished Fairy’s head into his leg again. “Fuck… how could you even be thinking of romance when we are clearly about to die.”

“I mean… it is a Love Hotel,” Zizhen wiggled his eyebrows, charming Yuan into a round of sweet laughter. Jingyi needed new, less insane friends stat. “And for a good chunk of our viewers, it’s close to Valentine’s Day. Romance is in the air.”

“So is death!” Jingyi waved his arm out at all the wreckage. “And mold! And shit, what was that noise?”

He squished in behind Jin Ling and under the hood of his jacket, whimpering as what sounded like footsteps creaked up the next flight of stairs. “We’re going up there, aren’t we.”

“Not a residual haunting,” Jin Ling agreed, a grin in his voice, and immediately left Jingyi without a hiding place as he charged up the stairs. “There’s something up here!”

Yuan was hot on his heels, as were Zizhen and Fairy, who whined when Jingyi didn’t move fast enough. Swallowing hard, he followed them all up to the infamous third floor and immediately felt far too cold. And watched. With nothing but black ruins behind him, he felt like he was being followed, and quickly reclaimed his spot in the group.

“I don’t like this,” he said and lifted his arm to Zizhen’s camera, pulling back his sleeve. “All my hair is standing up, you see that?”

“Mine too,” Zizhen agreed, though looked far less worried about it than he should. Jingyi maybe mimed strangling him when the camera turned away.

Jin Ling, meanwhile, was edging around a fallen post to get to a door, this one with peeling, off-yellow paint around the rim. “It came from in here,” he told Yuan, who immediately gasped out some facts about the room while Jin Ling slipped inside.

There was a beat of quiet, save for Yuan telling the viewers about the room - 32 - which had been the room where the woman had stayed that had hung herself, before a low curse startled them all quiet. Then Jin Ling was hurrying back out, blushing hard, and quickly dusted himself off, like whatever energy in there was contagious.

“That… nope,” was all he said, and despite the chills and feeling threatened, Jingyi started to cackle, because for all his cool guy routine in front of the camera, Jin Ling was also easily flustered, and that wide eyed look was hilarious. 

“Spirits still in love in there?” Zizhen asked, laughing too. Even Yuan was covering his mouth and shaking in silent mirth.

“Something like that,” Jin Ling muttered and glared when Jingyi busted up even harder.

“Oh my gods. Only you would walk into a ghost love session!” he wheezed. Fucking karma. “That’s what you get for trying to kill us on the regular.”

“You come willingly!” Jin Ling sputtered and smacked him in the stomach when he got close enough. Jingyi doubled over, losing his grip on Fairy’s leash, and kept on laughing. At least until the creaking started behind him, and given he had a good view of everyone's shoes, a creaking that should very much not be happening.

“There’s something behind me, isn’t there,” he whimpered, feeling a full body shiver shoot from his toes to his head.

“Yup,” Jin Ling said, smug bastard, and immediately he shrieked. It said far too much about him that Jin Ling’s arms were already up and ready before he started climbing his boyfriend like some rich housewife would jump onto a stool to flee from a mouse. Fuck.

“Oh my gods, get it off, get it off!”

The treachery didn’t stop with Yuan, it seemed, because now Zizhen was laughing at him too. He flipped them both off, but refused to detach from Jin Ling until the creaking stopped.

“That is not how it works,” Jin Ling sighed, all long suffering, and obediently stayed still until Jingyi was willing to let go. Well, willing was perhaps a stretch. He would stay in Jin Ling’s arms forever if he could, but that would mean being stuck in this place even longer, and that would never do.

“I don’t care, keep them away from me,” Jingyi ordered and wrapped Jin Ling’s arm around his shoulders, pouting there. Zizhen had already grabbed Fairy’s leash and handed it to Yuan with minimal kissing of his gloved hands, which meant he could stay here as long as he wanted and Jin Ling could just put up with it.

Amazingly, he seemed agreeable to the unspoken plan, arm tightening around him in a soft squeeze. “I will always keep them away from you,” he promised, warm and almost sweet, and Jingyi could believe it, even in this terrible place. He’d believe anything Jin Ling said when his boyfriend looked at him like that.

“Well good, because if I die I’m haunting you forever,” Jingyi pouted and wrapped his arms around Jin Ling’s middle to anchor himself there when they moved on to the next room. “And into the next life if I have to.”

A soft sigh, but a smile followed that, and he grinned despite himself.

“Noted.”

[lokimostly]

Polaris (Ch.3/?)

Loki x Reader, Pirate!AU Word count: 2,834 Warnings: none Summary: Your life has always been set in stone. Born to a wealthy merchant family in the Caribbean, you’ve spent your years as an heiress in the daytime, escaping at night to wander the streets of St. Thomas. Now, on the eve before your life settles into mundanity for good, you discover someone who could change everything– if you choose to trust him, that is.

A/N: HUGE round of applause and thanks to @yespolkadotkitty, my friend AND beta reader (!!!), whose writing you should also check out! Enjoy!

Chapter One ~ Chapter Two ~ Chapter Four ~ Chapter Five ~  Chapter Six ~ Chapter Seven ~ Chapter Eight ~ Chapter Nine ~ Chapter Ten ~ Chapter Eleven ~ Chapter Twelve ~ Chapter Thirteen ~ Chapter Fourteen

The noise of the ball could still be heard until the late hours of the night.

You, however, decided to retire as soon as you returned from the gardens, returning to the main hall as discreetly as you could and requesting that you be showed your rooms.

Your father had obliged and blamed  “overexcitement” for your eagerness to retire, which you didn’t bother to argue. Whatever aided you in escaping this night– in escaping Loki – you would gladly endure.

It felt like an eternity before your father made a motion and drew your attention to the far corner of the room. Thor was there, smiling like he’d never left as he took your arm and escorted you to the guests’ wing.

As the sounds of the string quartet quieted, your thoughts only increased in volume. Once again you found yourself at a loss for what to say to Thor. But before you could think of anything, he beat you to the chase.

“Did my brother keep you entertained?” He asked, looking down at you.

Your grip on his arm tightened subconsciously when your mind returned to what Loki had said in the gardens.

Tell me, little one, when you’ve finally wedded him and resigned yourself to a life full of everything you despise, how long will it take before I find you in my bed, whimpering in the dark, begging me for the comfort your husband cannot give?

You cleared your throat, hoping that the crimson rouge on your cheeks would hide your blush. “Yes. He was… charming.”

Thor chuckled. “That does sound like Loki. He has a reputation for charming his way into a woman’s bed on a whim.” He smiled, like this was a fact he was unbothered by.  “Though I’m sure he behaved for you.”

You tried to laugh, and it sounded hollow. What would Thor think if he knew what Loki had said? How he’d pinned you down like a cat with a mouse, watching you squirm beneath the claws of his words if only for his own amusement? Or worse, that you might have, possibly, maybe, enjoyed it?

Luckily, the gilded door to your room saved you from continuing that train of thought.

“Well,” you said quickly, letting go of Thor’s arm and giving him the briefest of smiles. “Good night, then.”

Thor returned the smile – though his was certainly longer and more genuine – and kissed your hand in farewell. “Goodnight, my lady.”

The term of endearment rang unpleasantly in your ears and you did your best not to grimace, slipping inside your room without a word.

The door clicked shut behind you and you slid unceremoniously to the floor, letting your head fall back against the wood while the most miserable sigh of your life passed your lips.

You hated it with every fiber of your being, but Loki was right. You were tired of Thor already.

Your eyes shifted listlessly over the room and you pulled off your slippers, pushing yourself up again. Despite the size of it, the bedroom felt stuffy and confined. A four-poster bed canopied with luxurious red curtains took up a ridiculous amount of space. There were a few dressers, a vanity, a clawfoot tub hidden behind a folding screen. Your window – the first thing you checked – was sealed at every edge, with no hinge or latch in sight. No nighttime escapes, then.

You went into the bathroom, wriggled your way out of your dress, undid the last curls of your hair, and scrubbed your face red until the garish makeup was gone and the water from the faucet turned clear.

When you changed into a chemise and fell onto the bed with a dramatic exhale, all you wanted to do was sleep.

But once your head hit the pillow, all you could think of was Loki.

Try as you might to push him from your mind, Loki wormed his way into your subconscious. The light of the sun faded from your window, the stars came out and twinkled, the music from the dancing hall permeated the walls in low tones, and still you couldn’t escape him. When you finally fell asleep somewhere in the long hours of the night, he walked through your dreams. Your sleeping eyes could see him more clearly than if he stood in front of you: his white billowing shirt, raven hair curling in the wind. You thumbed over the curve of his lips in your mind, traced his jaw and ran your hands down his chest.

Your dreams pulled you deeper. He was everywhere, now – his hands gripping your hips, pressing his lips fervently to yours while a pleasant buzz filled your nerves and warmth pooled in your stomach. Even in sleep you could taste him, the salt of the sea on his lips mixed with something sweeter. You moved with him like the tide, gasped for breath at his attentions, arched your back when his hand disappeared between your legs, and––

You jolted awake with a gasp. The quilts were quickly abandoned when you threw them off and swung your legs over the edge of the bed, setting your bare feet on the cool floor while your chest heaved for breath, a thin layer of sweat over your skin.

“What the hell?” You breathed weakly, pushing your hair back and trying to quiet your pounding heart. Your eyes were wide in the dark.

You didn’t sleep again that night.

~

The terms of your engagement were solidified that morning.

While last night’s gala had been a stressful coming-out to high society, today’s more mundane events were much easier to keep up with. You saw nothing of Loki, and barely any of your fiancé – there were a few more words spoken, engagement rings gifted. The golden band and heart-shaped garnet around your finger felt more like a pair of handcuffs.

What vague idea you had of your future was outlined more clearly over breakfast: you would leave this week on a ship called the Marie Valette for a town in southern Norway – Thor’s original home, apparently – and the wedding would take place there, in about six months’ time. According to your father, the traditional waiting period would “allow you time to acclimate to your new life.”

To you, it sounded like plenty of time to conjure an escape plan. Or, if all else failed, plunge into the ice-cold waters of Scandinavia and drown.

Thoughts of a similarly dreary nature were occupying your mind when you took to wandering the halls on the third day of your stay, looking out at the gardens through the tall glass windows. It was too hot to be outdoors, and even inside the sweltering temperatures couldn’t be avoided. Strands of hair clung to your skin and beads of sweat trickled down your back. What you wouldn’t give for a shirt and trousers instead of the heavy, cotton dresses you were expected to wear.

You twisted the ring on your finger and stared up at the thin wisps of cloud against the blue sky, thinking about your betrothed – who you’d seen exactly none of since your second day here. He was always called away to the tasks that required more attention and care from him than you did. Though, it may not have been through any fault of his own; Odin was grooming Thor to take over his empire, and no doubt it was a challenging and time-consuming task. Had your father ever entertained your interest in his business, you might actually know something about it.

Maybe then I would’ve had something to talk with Thor about, you surmised.

Apart from his constant absence, there was nothing inherently wrong about Thor. But as kind, as polite, as congenial as he was, you still couldn’t bring yourself to love him. Every brief interaction was entirely performative. You couldn’t help but feel like it might be the same on his end: he always said just enough, had some practiced excuse to leave, and whether or not it was legitimate, the fact remained that you were left alone.

And then there was Loki.

Your mind had plagued you with insatiable dreams of him for three nights in a row. You tried desperately to convince yourself that it wasn’t him you desired – just the freedom he represented, the mystery and allure of a life to call your own. So why were your dreams full of nothing but tangling your hands in his raven locks, pressing yourself against him and kissing him, tearing open his shirt and running your hands over the warm skin beneath?

Something large and hand-shaped pulled you from your thoughts when it ghosted over your back, and you shrieked.

“Heavens, aren’t we skittish,” Loki observed, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. His handsome face was decorated with a smirk – the kind that inclined you to think he startled you on purpose.

You pressed your hand against your chest to calm your pounding heart and glared at him. “What do you want?”

Loki clicked his tongue in mock disapproval, raising an eyebrow. “If I didn’t know better, little one, I might think you didn’t care for me.”

Your mind flashed back to the dreams you’d been having, and your face flushed. “Evidently you don’t,” you managed, smoothing down your dress and pushing a strand of hair back to retain some semblance of composure. “I want nothing to do with you.”

“Don’t you?” He asked, tilting his head and clasping his hands behind his back. “I came to say goodbye.”

Your irritated demeanor faltered. The only interesting thing in your life – loathsome and irritating as he was – was about to leave you. “Oh?”

Loki’s sea-green eyes caught the change in your voice and he chuckled. Damn it, he had you positively wrapped around his finger.

“My ship leaves in a few hours. It seems our coincidental encounters must come to an end. Your journey to Europe is not a short one, so this will be our last meeting for some years, I’m afraid.” He turned slightly solemn at this, and you were suddenly reminded of the polite, eloquent Loki you met in the tavern.

“Oh,” you repeated, and tried your best not to look disappointed. “Where to?”

Loki shrugged, unclasping his hands to pull at the dark fabric of his wide sleeves. “West. I’m overseeing a shipment of goods to Kingston.” He said it like he’d practiced and recited the fact many times.

Your eyebrows pulled together slightly and you took a moment to marvel at the fine features of his face. If you didn't know better, you would’ve thought he was carved from marble. The sharp lines of his jaw and mouth, combined with the softness of his ocean eyes... he was a mystery inside and out.

You remembered what Thor had said about him. He has a reputation for charming his way into a woman’s bed on a whim.

"You're staring again," Loki pointed out, smirking.

Your eyes snapped a bit wider and your forehead wrinkled in a defensive frown. "Well, if this is the last time I get to see you, I'm allowed to look."

Loki chuckled deep in his chest- a musical sound that echoed against the walls. He took a single step towards you, but it enclosed you. You moved backwards out of instinct, staring up at his face as the honey-coated words slipped through his lips.

“But you want to do more than look, don’t you?”

This time, you didn’t slap him. Instead, you stood speechless while your face burned and your stomach twisted into pleasant knots. Of course there was no way he could know about your dreams, right? Or were you truly that easy to read?

No, he couldn’t possibly know. He was trying to goad you for his own amusement. 

You blinked. Of course. He’s only teasing me because he can’t have me.

The realization was strangely freeing. To your surprise, you smirked. “Well, I might suggest that you stow me away aboard your ship and get me out of here, but…” You raised an eyebrow suggestively. “Like you said before– you would rather I resign myself to misery and come crawling to you later, yes?”

Loki’s smile still hovered over his lips, but you could tell that you’d caught him by surprise: his hands had dropped, and his beautiful eyes were narrowed. Calculating. Curious.

“I couldn’t,” he said slowly. His eyes flickered over your face, and he shook his head as his smile faded. “I couldn’t take you away. Not for the reason you think, but I… ” A distinct moment of palpable silence stretched between you like a chasm, and you found yourself wondering who you were looking at. This merchant’s second son, this courteous stranger, this aggravating man you couldn’t stop dreaming of.

Who was he, really?

Then, just as quickly as it happened – gone. Loki smiled easily and took your hand, raising his eyebrows as he pressed a farewell kiss to your knuckles. His breath was warm on your skin.

“You must write to me, though,” He said, straightening with a wicked smirk. “I can’t wait to hear of your plans to escape. I’m sure they’ll be positively thrilling.”

“Something tells me that if I confided in you, my plans would mysteriously fail,” you insinuated, narrowing your eyes.

Loki shook his head, stepping back. “Little one, if there’s one thing you can count on me for, it’s not to spill your secrets.” He winked.  “I already know one or two, don’t I?”

~

“Daughter, have you heard a word I’ve said?”

You were pulled out of your thoughts with a jolt and cleared your throat. “Yes,” you lied, turning your head to look out the carriage window. The green palm fronds and cobbled buildings of St. Thomas passed by as you journeyed towards the docks, where The Marie Valette was waiting.

You were leaving today.

“I’m told the estate and grounds are even grander than the ones here – it’s been a family home for generations. You’ll be well-occupied until your fiancé arrives.”

“Why isn’t he going there now?” You asked sullenly, glaring at the people who you passed like they were to blame for your state of being.

“He is the heir to the largest shipping company in the Caribbean. I think you can count on him to be busy.”

“Of course I can,” You spat sarcastically, feeling your blood heat up and rush to your face as your anger crested. “A husband who’s never there, while I live in a country I’ve never been to, away from everyone I know. How could I possibly be unhappy?”

“I know you’re still cross with me,” your father said, notably exasperated, “but I believe you will come to respect Thor in time.”

“Respect,” you repeated.

“Yes.”

“What about love?”

“Love?” Your father chuckled, like it was a ridiculous question. “I had no idea you were interested in such a thing. You never have been.”

Your nostrils flared and your blood boiled, but you didn’t respond. There was no point to it – and if this was the last time you would see your father for half a year, you didn’t want it to end in a shouting match.

The carriage slowed to a stop and the valet opened the doors, helping you out. You stepped onto the road and the smell of the sea hit your face, warm and salty-sweet, and your heart wrenched. It was the same scent that permeated the memories of your nighttime excursions.

The sea in Norway wouldn’t smell the same. It wouldn’t look the same, either– there would be no aqua blue or pale white sand, only deep, dark green and ice-cold waves, breaking endlessly against the rocky shore.

You wished now that you knew how to swim – maybe then you could jump ship while still in the southern hemisphere. Compared to the cold and lonely future that awaited you across the Atlantic, living alone on a desert island didn’t sound so bad.

The valets took your trunks away to be loaded onto the ship. Your father exited the carriage and came up beside you, smiling and squeezing your shoulders. “Come now, chin up. You’ll be living in luxury, after all. Odin’s ships are the Caribbean’s finest.”

You hummed flatly, looking out at the row of ships docked in the port. Big and small, old and new, their names printed in wide letters along the hull. Carved birds, mermaids, and other figureheads posed stoically on the bows of their vessels. Sailors and merchants hauled cargo, passengers fussed over their belongings. But something was missing.

“Father?” You asked slowly, gripping his sleeve to get his attention while your eyes trailed along the docks. Your brow furrowed and you shook your head. No, you weren’t mistaken.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Look,” you said simply, and nodded to the bay.

The Marie Valette was nowhere to be seen. 

-----

A/N: thanks for reading! The tag list is still open. xx

Tag List: @neontiiger​, @un-consider-it​, @jessiejunebug​, @nerdypisces160​, @lokiisntdeadbitch​, @e-wolf-90​, @cursedmoonstone-blog​, @kikaninchen-2​, @bluebellhairpin​, @evy-lyn​, @midnight-queen-1​, @travelingmypassion​, @harrybpoetry​, @adefectivedetective​, @absolutecraziness13​, @kumikokagato, @randomfangirl7​, @timetraveler1978​, @tarynkauai, @arcanethamin​, @ornate-ribcage​, @julianettedoe, @kinghiddlestonanddixon​, @yespolkadotkitty​, @befearlesslyauthenticc​, @ladybugsfanfics, @thisisaclusterofablog, @groupies-do-it-better, @just-the-hiddles, @quenilla, @amyy-moonlightt, @pandacookieowo, @thatweirdwalangpake, @alexakeyloveloki

[3amhauntings]

I tried writing something inspired by a recent ask that @shinyspooks answered so uhhhhh if you want to read a cryptic short story about Danny being followed by birds and cats here’s something!

There's a story in my town. It's not like most local legends- it's not really scary. There are no morals to it, nor is it really much of a story. If it were an actual story- it definitely wouldn't be fictional.

There's a boy in my town. Nobody knows much about him, or why he is here. People speculate, but it's all just rumours, with little substance to it. He's rarely ever seen, to the point that some people aren't even entirely sure he exists, or that he's alive. Nobody has ever talked to him, nobody has really been able to; either freezing up, having their voice drowned out by cawing and meowing, or if they're really unlucky; being clawed at.

Now would be a good time to explain the 'story'. As I said, it's more of a theory, pure speculation, the search for an answer to a question. The boy, everyone calls him. That's all he is after all, a boy, who looks to be around fourteen, always wearing the same simple white-red shirt and baggy jeans. A boy surrounded by cats and birds, walking through the town like a ghost through a graveyard, silent other than quiet humming, so low that it melds together with the purring of the felines weaving round his ankles, which could be mistaken for a single writhing mass by anyone who doesn't quite know what they are looking at. Some people claim that if you're friendly and bring a treat, a cat might let you pet them. I don't know if that's true. Some also claim the same for the birds, one girl even saying that a crow had landed on her shoulder. I believe that story- I trust her, I've seen her try to lie before. She can't.

It's not always the same animals following him. Sometimes he doesn't even have more than a simple quartet of cats with him, either silently stalking him or mowling loudly, as if begging for attention. I once read that if a cat sticks its tail straight up in the air it means that they're happy and content, so there's no doubt about how much this boy means to them.

If you see him enough, you can start telling the animals apart. One of the most common cats is a white and orange tabby, lovingly named Bobby by the town. A less common, yet definitely not rare, is a fluffy black cat that looks less like an actual animal and more like a moving black hole; Nobody knows who named her, but we all call her Void. It definitely fits- apparently someone had found an old journal that said a woman named Sam used to own Void, but that can't be true. That would make that cat older than my great grandma.

I could go on all day about the cats and their names, but that's not the point of today's tale. I'm sure I could gather more information if people really want to know.

The boy himself has shaggy black hair, so messy that people can't really even tell how it's cut, assuming there even is a pattern to the madness that is his entire presence. His eyes are the brightest blue anyone has ever seen someone's iris be, yet they someone don't seem to reflect light. It should be impossible, to have your eyes be so bright and dull at the same time. It's like he's alive and dead all at once- a corpse possessed by the same soul that inhabited it while it was alive.

The crows that surround him most days just make the illusion of a dead person walking even more intense. Did you know that a group of crows is called a murder? No wonder they're considered a death omen- their screeching is awful.

However, very rarely, if you have a four-leaf clover, a rabbit's foot, and whatever other luck you can gather; you may, just maybe, see the boy at his most vibrant, surrounded by a flurry of exotic birds, feathers of every colour of the rainbow on display; the noise from the squawking, singing, chirping being heard through at least half the surrounding area, like a small parade dedicated to the honour of the local anomaly.

That's all we have time for tonight. Good night, dears.

[irwinkitten]

knockout round | a.i

(gif credit to @asht0ns-world )

pairing: reader x boxer!ashton notes: so the who do you love video lowkey inspired this. even tho the majority of the video is lowkey pointless, the looks that ashton was giving the camera gave me such a boxer!ash vibe and lets be real i’m a hoe for possessive and jealous ash. thank u to @asht0ns-world @singledadharrington, @gorgeouslygrace, @sugarcoated-pain and @5sosnsfw for letting me throw out my ideas of this and killing you all with the potential plot ideas. also thank u christa for being the best cheerleader, i love u angel. and massive thank u to lena for finding the gif bc my laptop has issues warnings: violence, smut word count: 3.1k!! 

---

Boxing had always been apart of Ashton’s life. He’d never really known a part of his life without it.

As a child, his temperament was always short. Teachers called him the problem child and people never wanted to be his friend. But he still managed to find three friends and forge a tight bond with them that people often called them brothers without even realising there was no familial resemblance to the quartet.

When his mother had enrolled him into boxing classes, after expressing an interest in the programs that he watched with his parents, they soon realised that with the lessons that he went to, his anger simmered down and his fuse seemed to get longer with each passing year.

By the time that Ashton had reached his late teens, he was the lightweight champion of the area. As he continued to grow, put on the muscle, and move up in the divisions, he was making a name for himself. He was one that wasn’t to be messed with.

As his name gained traction with the media, so did stories of his childhood, his anger. And he was a lot more honest about his childhood than most boxers.

“I had a good environment. But I have anger issues and I know that I have them. It’s taken years of hard work to get to where I am today, but I know that the driving force has always been my anger. It’s both a blessing and a curse.”

His competitors could never find his achilles heel. His love life was never a subject that he talked or posted about, and despite a few competitors going below the belt and making remarks about his mother that would’ve angered any man, he’d held his cool and then thoroughly beaten them the next day.

When she came into his life, it was steady. She’d just come from a bad relationship, her heart in tatters and the two of them shopping late night. He’d been running for last minute prep and she’d decided to drown her sorrows in alcohol and ice cream. She knew his name, knew his title that he held in the boxing world.

But she didn’t care. All she cared about was he’d picked up the last tub of her favourite ice cream and just at her absolutely defeated look, it prompted him to offer her a deal.

“Let me at least take you out somewhere for the day where we can be kids again. I’ve got some days off coming up anyway.”

His words had prompted the smallest of smiles as she accepted his offer as he handed her the ice cream and she gave him her number, under the stipulation that he wouldn’t be creepy about it.

And despite giving her a mock offended look, he understood her wariness of giving her number to someone who was essentially a complete stranger.

From then on, she became a rock in his life who seemed to have his back regardless. His three friends from childhood who’d all become apart of his management team as he gained status with his boxing, noticed how he was always in better moods, he stuck to the plans before fights and before long the friendship blossomed into a relationship that he was protective of.

But of course, whilst in the media spotlight, he knew that keeping such a relationship quiet was always going to be impossible.

But the day that it’d been announced that he was against her ex, the very one who left her a broken woman in the ice cream aisle, he knew that this fight was going to be important, whether she acknowledged it or not, this was payback for hurting the beautiful woman he was resolutely in love with.

He’d never been so revved for a match before.

Ashton knew that she was worried, that her bottom lip would be shredded beyond belief from her teeth. But he wasn’t.

Dean Martin has gone the wrong way to rile him up, to use his girl as verbal bait. And hearing the derogatory terms, Ashton wasn’t too sure if he was grateful that Calum’s hand on his bicep reminded him where he was, or if he was still annoyed over it.

He was certainly annoyed that the hand turned into a restraining arm when Martin had made a comment of bedding his girl, with or without her permission. He’d seen red and as rage flooded his body, his muscles locked up, ready to pound the fucker down.

Calum had hastily pulled Ashton away from his opponent, opting to keep the distance between them so that Ashton wouldn’t be tempted to knock Martin out before the match.

The headlines went wild with those shots and the look of undiluted rage on Ashton’s features. People were very quickly realising that even he has his limits and Dean Martin had managed to break those limits clean.

Being with her before the match, his hands were firmly around her waist as she stood between his legs. Despite his trainer telling him no distractions, she was never a distraction. Only an anchor. And right now he needed to ground himself because the last thing he wanted to do was lose this fight to someone like Dean Martin.

“Baby, you’ve got this fight in the bag.” She hummed softly, her lips ghosting across his cheek. Ashton sighed.

“I hate the fact that it’s your ex I’m fighting.” He finally admitted and she sighed, her fingers running through his hair. His eyes fell shut of their own accord, her touch soothing the rage that was bubbling under the surface. Martin’s comments still rang in his ears.

“He wasn’t a good man. You’re the better man, better partner.” The words were soft, almost caressing his soul and he felt reassured.

“Only because of you, sweet girl. I’m better because of you.” Her lips curved up into a wry grin as she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“I’m proud of you Ash. You’ve got this fight in the bag, and if that boy tries what he did for the weigh in, I won’t be angry or upset. Lord knows you’ve told me time and again that anyone disrespecting me within earshot of you will earn them either a verbal lashing or a physical one depending on their words.” Her tone was teasing, reminding him that she wouldn’t be angry with him.

It’d been an issue at first, his verbal and physical responses to people being either disrespectful or derogatory about his girl. But only when he told her his reasons, how he was raised to respect a woman, regardless of any kinds of relationship, she understood that it was something that he could tone down but not necessarily control.

And they compromised on it. He tried to keep it to verbal smackdowns, and only if someone threw the first punch, did he defend himself. His reputation grew within months and soon when they’d been together for two years, he was at the top of his career.

“Irwin, ten minutes. Your girl needs to go.” Calum had re-entered the locker room, giving her a brief smile. “Seats for you are close to ringside. He’s on the blue corner.” She nodded, pressing another gentle kiss to his forehead before making her way, ruffling Calum’s hair as she did.

Ashton laughed at the disgruntled look on Calum’s face and he could feel his body begin to gear as he did the last minute stretches.

“Martin’s going to hit hard and fast. You need to be swift. Don’t use everything you have until he starts to wear down.” Ashton nodded, focusing on the aspect of the fight, rather than who he was fighting. He couldn’t let his anger cloud his judgement or moves, not so early on into the match.

Calum was soon hustling him to the entrance corner, both of them knocking fists together before he rushed ahead to prep his area. As the music began playing, he pulled the silk robe on, the hood falling just over his eyes as he made his way out, loud screams causing a smirk to slip on his features as he began the walk through, Luke and Michael following behind at this point and keeping people on the floor seats from mobbing him.

Martin was stood scowling, doing a last minute stretch as his gloves were being put on. Once Ashton was in the ring, Calum was there, pulling the robe off and getting the gloves onto his wrapped up hands.

“Remember, you might be fucking angry with him, but I swear to god Irwin, if you let this fucker beat you, I’ll kick your ass myself.” This caused Ashton to crack a smile before Calum put the mouth guard in and Ashton went and met the ref in the middle. He and Martin touched gloves before the bell went and the first swing came from Martin, aiming for the jaw, causing Ashton to bend backwards to avoid getting clocked.

The noise was deafening and Ashton knew his focus was slipping as Martin landed in some good punches. It was getting close and he could feel himself dropping as he lost the round, his lip bloody and a cut on his cheek, half staggering back to Calum who seemed to be trying his best not to berate him.

But then she was there beside Calum, her hands on his cheeks once he’d been checked over.

“Do me proud, Ashton Fletcher. I know you can beat him.” And his second wind came as the next round got ready.

“Gonna let your bitch lean over for me later when I win? It’s all she ever really was good for.” The comment was crass, but the fuse was lit.

“Irwin, don’t let anger cloud your judgement here.” Calum snapped harshly. The last thing they needed was his focus to be lost, but if anything, his focus was sharpening. And he could feel the anger bubble under his skin.

“C’mon Irwin. Make sure to share the spoils. I mean, she’s second hand goods, surely you’re not still with her?” Ashton’s eyes caught hers and he could see she’d heard his calls. His fuse seemingly got shorter as he gave her a reassuring smile, taking the offered water and taking a few seconds to calm his racing heart.

“How about this, I share her with some buddies and drop her back to you. She might be in reasonable condition if she doesn’t fight like she used to. Always feisty until I got her to see sense, if you catch my drift.” The smirk on Martin’s lips as the words left his mouth snapped something inside of Ashton and the anger that had been bubbling, flooded.

And he was furious.

The bell went and Ashton immediately had Martin on his back foot, unable to even get close for a hit as Ashton’s fists repeatedly went for him, reminding himself to not murder his opponent.

It didn’t take long before there became a real look of fear in Martin’s eyes and Ashton felt no ounce of sympathy as he landed a knockout and the crowd roared in approval. It didn’t take long before the last round was won and his arm was being raised, a bruised rib protesting as he was handed the belt and his lips curved into the widest smirk.

Martin was lucky to get away with the injuries that he got. Two visible black eyes, a few cuts and Ashton was almost certain he managed to at least fracture a rib with the force of his hit at one point. Part of him wished that he broke something clean but he’d take what he could get in this fight. Knowing that he’d gotten what he deserved, settled the anger to a simmer, the adrenaline still flooding his body.

As he exited the ring, he couldn’t stop himself from pulling his girl into his side, his lips meeting hers in a soft, sweet kiss, ignoring the disappointed noises. Once he pulled away, his gaze moved to Martin, staring at him out, his grip only getting marginally tighter until he left the opposite side.

Ashton retreated back to his side, his arms still firmly around her as the medic double checked the rib to make sure it was only bruised and not broken, before clearing him to go and get cleaned up.

She didn’t protest as he pulled her with, her back pressed against the cold tiles as his lips met her neck, the hot water beating down on his back.

“All mine to care for, to love on.” He murmured against her skin, lips and teeth gently pulling at the skin. Her fingers lifted up to run through his hair, gripping the damp strands gently.

“All yours.” She whispered in return, a sharp gasp escaping as his lips had moved to her breasts, his teeth pulling on one nipple carefully as his hand worked the other. She was whining softly, his name escaping occasionally.

His lips moved from her breasts, trailing down as he got to his knees, a whine escaping her lips.

“Shouldn’t it be me rewarding you, handsome?” He shook his head at her words, moving her fingers back to his hair.

“All about you tonight, doll.” She was about to argue, but his tongue licked a stripe up her folds, a startled noise escaping her instead as she gripped his hair, his lips attaching to her clit. He worked two fingers inside of her as he nipped and sucked on her clit, the noises were somewhat beautiful sounds to his ears as she got closer to her orgasm.

Her fingers got tighter around his hair as she called out his name, his lips immediately beginning a journey back up her body slowly sliding his fingers out as he stood up, lifting his fingers to her lips, tapping them gently.

They parted under his touch and her tongue swirled around his digits, a groan escaping his lips as she cleaned them. He wasted no time as he pulled them free, his lips meeting hers as he lined up against her entrance.

“You’re far too good to me, princess.” He groaned as he slid in, her legs lifting off the ground to wrap around his waist. His hands immediately moved to cup her ass as his hips began to move against hers, moans escaping the both of them.

He knew that he wasn’t going to last too long, not with the protesting rib, so one hand slid from her ass, moving to her clit as he picked up his pace. Her words were half begging, incoherent as he brought her closer and closer to the edge.

As she came, her eyes falling shut, his head dropped to her shoulder as he reached his own orgasm, her name tumbling from his lips like a prayer, her fingers still working through his hair, their breathing heavy as he pressed gentle kisses on the marks he’d left on her skin.

“I love it when you mark me like that. I know I’m always yours, but seeing them, just sets my insides on fire.” She murmured as he pulled out from her, finally allowing her under the stream of hot water. She kept her hair from the stream of the water as she allowed it to hit her skin.

“Just as I’m yours, sweet girl. I’m sorry if I hurt you though.” His fingers ghosted across the red marks left by his fingers, and she shook her head at him.

“You of all people know that I love seeing them.” She murmured as she reached over, taking the shampoo and working it into his hair. His eyes fell shut at her ministrations and didn’t argue with her. She always told him she loved seeing the marks, but sometimes it didn’t stop the guilt flooding him.

He worked the shower gel along her body as she conditioned his hair. They worked in silence until she’d gotten the suds of the shower gel off his body. His hands switched the water off as her lips slowly moved across from his shoulder, along his collarbone before finding the junction of his neck and shoulder, trailing her lips along the column of his throat.

A soft noise escaped his lips as she reached his jaw, before her lips reached his once more, her hands taking a hold of his head, her palms firmly planted against his cheeks. He knew better than to look away from her when she was this determined.

“I love you, Ashton Irwin, and that won’t ever change. We have words for a reason, and you know I use them. Please don’t beat yourself up, sweetheart.” His lips met hers briefly before a sigh escaped.

“Sorry angel.”

“Your forgiven. Now, we need to get ready and head back home. I know that the boys will want to at least spend a quiet night in celebrating with you.” Her voice held amusement, knowing that despite her want for the two of them to continue their own celebrations, the other three would deliberately ruin that.

Ashton laughed.

“They’re too frightened to cross you, y’know. If you said that you were taking me home, they wouldn’t argue.” He commented as the two stepped from the shower and dried off. She lifted her shoulders into a shrug as she got re-dressed.

“I know, but I don't want them bitching at me, because I want days with you, not just a few hours. So they get the few hours and then I get days. And they know better than to show up unannounced after a match.” The grin that she wore made him laugh as he got dressed.

Once they were ready, his hand slid into hers, fingers interlacing as they headed out back to the waiting cars to get the two of them home. Michael was the first to throw his arm across Ashton’s shoulders as they trio caught up with the two.

“So, we’re drinking at yours then?” She raised an eyebrow pointedly at Ashton, Michael’s words simply proving her point. He rolled his eyes before grinning.

“Of course. M’lookin’ forward to the headlines that are gonna come out from this fight.” Calum laughed as he threw his own arm around her shoulders.

“They’re gonna point out how no one can seemingly knock you down. You’re like a rock.” Luke teased and Ashton rolled his eye as Michael moved his arm from his friends shoulders.

Once they reached his place, the other three didn’t protest as she helped check him over before all but ordering him to put his feet up. The others were about to make a comment, but one look stopped the thoughts dead in their tracks and she received sheepish smiles in return as she finally settled into his good side.

It was worth it all in her eyes.

---

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