#will cure that soon unless it annoys you haha

[sonnenreich]

🚆 💕 POSITIVE TRAIN! send this to anyone you admire whether for their personality traits, their edits or their overall creativity. share it to spread some love. have a lovely day! ♥️

( ⸻ also send by @heartofglass-mindofstone, @ausgetrieben, @the-heros-sidekick, @vergeltvng @daemonoria & @vcnenum )

You guys are all literal rays of sunshine & there's nothing I love more! I manifest only the best for you. I'll even light a candle and burn an incense for your well-being! Stay safe and take care, you gorgeous fellas!

[lnarizakis]

red string of misfortune | a. keiji

masterlist

pairing: akaashi keiji x fem!reader

foreword: hi everyone! i wanted to post something else other than mim?! so i have some good akaashi content for you. i was attempting to do a social dummy thing just to test it out in case i wanted to do a smau in the future... but it’s hard! i don’t know how to delete messages very easily... anyways, please enjoy!

look out for: soulmate au (red string of fate), angst

Akaashi Keiji always had a habit of fiddling with his fingers. So when one day he wakes up to find a mysterious red string attached to his left pinky, he cannot help but begin to play with its threads.

(Y/N), on the other hand, had been so annoyed the entire day after feeling a strange tug on her left pinky. She rubbed on the knot that was tied with the red string, hoping that it was just some strange way her soulmate was communicating with her. It seemed that she was rubbing too hard, however, because one of her classmates warned her that if she loosened the thread of her red string and the knot came undone, her relationship with her soulmate would be severed.

That was the misfortune of having soulmates in this world; despite having the ability to find one’s other half, everyone was warned not to mess with the mysteries of the thread, or the punishment would be to live a life without love.

—

Keiji walked to his school, Mori Middle School, and as a way to pass the time, he played with the string that hung loosely from his finger. The thread was thin, even though it held a strong grip on his finger. Keiji threaded the string between his fingers on his right hand, and spun the thread around a couple more times around his wrist before one of his classmates had caught up to him in walking to school.

“Hey, Akaashi-kun! I see you’ve got your threads now.” The classmate greeted Keiji, and the latter did the same. It was evident to the classmate that Keiji had gotten his threads, for his hands were up in some strange posture, as if he’s tangled himself in the string. Getting one’s threads was like a part of adolescence; by the time a person turned 15 years old, they were to wake up the next day with a red knot around their finger. No one else could see their string except for that person and their soulmate alone, unless, of course, the string comes undone and then the whole world is able to see the unfortunate happenings of a severed relationship of two soulmates. 

Keiji watched as his classmate ran off, greeting more people as he passed by them. He looked down at his left hand, and observed the delicate thread. With two of his fingers on his right hand, he pinched a part of the thread and rolled it around on the pads of his fingers. He tugged on it again, and to his surprise, he felt another tug that was not produced by him. He realized that it was a tug done by his soulmate, and his cheeks then warmed up, and the December coldness was not the reason.

Later that day, Keiji sat at his desk, bored out of his mind in class. He tried desperately to pay attention, but he just couldn’t. Of course, he needed to maintain his good grades so he could be able to attend Fukurōdani Academy next year, but today was just not his day. Placing his chin on the palm of his hand as he stared out the window did not help cure his boredom. He tried sketching little images in his notebook, but that did not help either. Keiji resorted to cracking his fingers and playing with them, until he remembered the red string whose knot was fit snugly on his finger. He toyed with the string, threading his fingers and his pens on his desk. Keiji then rolled around the loop that was around his pinky and began playing with that. Slowly but surely, the knot loosened. As observant as he was, Keiji noticed its undoing, but like any other teenage boy his age who was curious about the newfound thread on his finger, he inserted a pen through the enlarged loop. Keiji was able to fit it all the way through, and the thread rolled off his finger.

Keiji widened his eyes at the thread that lay on his desk. The sun that shone through the window did not help the red color glow, as the thread gradually darkened into a gray tone. Keiji felt his breath hitch, and in a panic he tried to put his finger through the loop again. His teacher noticed what was going on long ago, but began to pay no attention to what shenanigans his most focused student was up to. Keiji’s breathing grew shallower as he felt his chest, his heart, writhe in pain. It felt like a part of him was gone, as he gripped his chest, and excused himself to the restroom. He ran off, and felt an unbearable pain that was much more than physical. It was emotional, spiritual, even.

What he left on his desk was his gray thread, which was now visible for the whole world to see. His classmate, who so conveniently sat next to him, saw the string, with its enlarged loop, and tears welled up in his eyes.

—

We now switch our scene to a classroom in Kitagawa Daiichi. It was a couple minutes after Keiji accidentally pulled the thread off his finger, and it was a peaceful lunchtime for (Y/N) and her friends. They all talked about attending Aoba Johsai together in hopes of seeing Oikawa-senpai again. Of course, their soulmates were dear to them, but Oikawa held a special place in their hearts.

(Y/N) got ready to take another bite of her lunch, a bento she had prepared the night before with rice and chicken, when she suddenly felt the strongest pain in her chest. She gripped her chest and groaned, but it was worse than the period cramps she felt earlier that week. It was an unbearable pain, one that brought her to tears as she felt so emotionally driven to cry for some unknown reason. Her friends gasped as they stopped their eating and held their hands to their mouths.

“(Y/N), look! Your… your thread! It’s gray!”

She raised her left hand and saw that it was visibly gray and the loop upon her finger loosened and dropped to the base of her finger. (Y/N) began bawling, holding her left hand while still gripping her chest. She called out for her soulmate, who so foolishly loosened the knot of their soon-to-be love, asking him how he could do such a thing. It was such a tragedy, really, for in the empty bathroom he was in, Keiji choked back his tears as he asked the same question.

—

yes, this was my attempt at angst. haha

@hqkeiji @nekoglasses (ik its not the 1 paragraph thing but it’s soulmate prompts? lol)

[emsylcatac]

Heyy, I wrote a little dumb and fluffy Adrinette thing tonight inspired by Marinette’s instagram story here and some discussions with friends ♥

(also yes still figuring out the concept of AO3 and finding titles haha)

* * * * *

Adrien was bored. That much wasn’t new. Having free time when stuck at home and not being allowed to go out with friends wasn’t much fun. He had already finished his homeworks, and he had worked on his piano lessons so many times that just sitting on the bench hadn’t any appeal anymore. So Adrien was bored.

He turned on his phone and opened his Instagram page. No news from his friends since the last 30 seconds. He closed the app. He sighed. He re-opened the app. Still nothing.

This wasn’t working either to cure him from his boredom. He let his head fall on his pillow in frustration. He glanced in Plagg’s direction. The little piece of cheese was lightly snoring on top of one of his oh so precious camembert. Adrien glared at him with envy. It was unfair. Maybe he should try to sleep, too.

...Or not, if the constant tapping of his right hand’s fingers on his mattress was any indication. He brought his phone in front of his eyes again. And that’s when he saw it: the little light blinking, indicating a new notification.

Adrien straightened up as fast as lightning on his bed and switched on his phone.

“Marinette has updated her story!”

He smiled at that. Marinette was always sharing cute baking tips or pictures of the bakery’s pastries (yum!), or shared some snippets of her designs. It was —in Adrien’s opinion— very refreshing from all of Chloé’s makeup selfies or new shoes, to name only those.

Adrien clicked on the notification to load the story.

“Circle skirts are my favourite 1 afternoon sewing project! Highly recommend if you’re trying to start making your clothes! Anyone else working on learning a new skill? ♥” is what greeted him, in a cursive and pink font. Adrien chuckled. Well, he thought, some people know how to occupy their free time.

He unconsciously made a quick inventory of the objects in his room but soon realised that fabric, sewing scissors and needles weren’t amongst his possessions. Too bad, he was not going to learn how to sew a circle skirt today.

The story disappeared all too soon and Adrien clicked on it again to watch it a second time. This time, he noticed that there was some other text above that looked like... her search history?! He quickly read from the bottom to the top:

“levain cookies”

“scrunchies diy”

“bon appétit”

“draw off”

“adrien agreste catwalk”

“circle skirt tuto—”

“—adrien agreste catwalk”?!

Adrien did a double take and— yes, that was indeed well his name, as in Adrien, as in Agreste, as in catwalk, no, that one was not his name, but he did catwalk a lot, yes, that was him alright.

He let the story vanish and stared blankly straight ahead. Why would Marinette look for me doing a catwalk on the internet? He thought. Unless she wanted to see a model wearing a circle skirt? But I don’t think I have ever worn one, have I?

“Plagg,” he said out loud, “why would Marinette look for me doing a catwalk?”

Plagg grumbled loudly. Oh, right. He had been sleeping.

“Sorry...what did you say?”

“I asked why Marinette would look for me catwalking. On google,” Adrien repeated.

Plagg slowly blinked his eyes at him and flew in his direction, looking annoyed.

“I...do not...know,” he answered tiredly. He then wiggled his eyebrows. “Maybe she just likes to watch you doing it. Because she likes you.”

Adrien frowned. It didn’t make any sense!

“I know that she likes me, Plagg. We’re friends, remember? No, I meant...why didn’t she just ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

“To do the catwalk for her?” Adrien raised an eyebrow at his kwami. “I am booored out of my skull today! I could do that for her once she takes a break from her sewing!” Adrien grabbed his phone eagerly and started to type out a message.

“Waaaait wait wait wait wait. You want to do what?” Plagg said in a panic.

“Offering Marinette to catwalk for her,” Adrien replied, still typing. “So she doesn’t need to look it up on the internet.”

“Hum...I don’t think that’s...such a good idea, you know…”

Adrien lifted his head to Plagg, just after having hit “sent”. “Why not?”

“Well, because—”

A ‘ding!’ interrupted him. “She said yes!” Adrien exclaimed. “I’m calling her now.”

Plagg’s eyes widened but there wasn’t much he could do now.

“Hey, Marinette!” Adrien waved at her through his device.

“Hi, Adrien! What did you want?” she asked, her voice muffled and deformed by the phone.

“I saw your story and how you looked up for me catwalking on google and—”

What sounded like a high-pitched scream cut him off, and Adrien saw her disappearing from his screen.

“...Marinette?”

“I AM HERE!” she shouted, while her head popped on the screen again. He chuckled. She was funny.

“I thought that since I didn’t have much things to do right now, maybe I could do a catwalk demonstration for you if you wanted?” he asked happily.

Another high-pitched screech. Maybe there was a spider scaring her in her room?

“Sorry, hum, YES OS COURFE! I mean, of course! Please! Only if you want to Adrien, I don’t want to force you or anything but hum, I would very much appreciate the view— I MEAN, like you—it!— if you do.”

He chuckled. “Alright then. Let me set up the phone...there, it should be good. Are you ready?”

She nodded eagerly.

Adrien prepared himself. And then, like he was used to doing, he did his best model walk from his desk to his window. He was halfway through it when he heard a loud “BANG” coming from his phone. He turned around only to realise that Marinette had disappeared from the screen and that her camera was seemingly pointing towards her ceiling. He rushed back to his phone.

“MARINETTE!” he called, worried, “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

She didn’t answer. “...Marinette? Youhou, Marinette??” Adrien grabbed his phone and approached his face of the screen, hoping to catch a better glimpse of her that way. It didn’t work. He turned it around, to try and move her camera. It didn’t work either.

Adrien started to panic. “Marinette, can you hear me? Oh my god, Marinette, please say something! Where are you?”

He started to shake his phone frantically, hoping it would somehow reanimate her.

“Plaaaaagg, this is not working!” he said.

“What? What’s happening?”

“I heard a loud sound and then, nothing! What if she fainted?” he was still shaking his phone in every way. “Why is this not working?”

“...Adrien. Shaking your phone is not going to do anything.” Plagg uselessly informed him. Thank you, Plagg.

“Well, what else am I supposed to do, uh? You’re really not helpful right now.”

“What you’re doing isn’t helpful either, you know.”

“At least I am trying something, Plagg!” Adrien snapped.

“...Plagg?” a faint voice said.

Adrien brought his phone back to his face. “Marinette!” he exclaimed, relieved to see her again. “You’re back! What happened?”

“I think...I think I fell off my chair. Did you just say...Plagg?!”

“Errrr...noooooo… Not at all…! I was saying…‘wow, what a plague, this spider climbing on my wall’! Hehe.”

Marinette blinked in the phone. “Oh. So it wasn’t you saying Chat Noir’s kwami’s name then.” she said, still dizzy.

“Pfffffft, Chat Noir? Hahaha, as if! I mean— Wait. Did you just say Chat Noir’s kwami’s name? As in, Plagg the kwami?” Adrien asked, surprised. Plagg was making huge NO signs with his paws.

“...How do you know Chat Noir’s kwami is named Plagg?”

“Well, how do you know Chat Noir’s kwami is named Plagg?” Adrien contered.

“You told me!” she said.

“And you told me!” he replied.

A beat of silence passed.

“Oh my god…”

“You are…”

They dropped their phones and screamed, pointing a finger at the screen.

Once they stopped, they picked up their phones and came face to face with each other. They screamed again.

They took deep breaths and tried to calm down. Adrien recovered first.

“Well…,” he said faintly, “at least now I can show you what a real catwalk is.”

“Adrien…” she warned, raising a finger to her screen.

“Plagg—”

“Don’t…!”

“—Claws out!” he shouted, letting his transformation wash over him.

He looked at the screen. Marinette fainted.

[pastellhunny]

•Under the Red Sky•

Chapter 1. The Introduction

Alastor walked mindlessly down the side walk of a crimson world with an everlasting smile upon his lips. His golden yellow teeth sharp as razors always glaring at passerby's. With all the killing he could do Alastor found himself to be quite bored with things nothing that interesting has happened besides his normal day to day things like talking to Rosie and laughing about the other low life's flooding into hell. That's the thing though instead of evil and tormented petrified souls coming to the place they belong in they're getting fished out like side dishes at an all you can eat buffet. The yearly purge or "cleanse" as it's called due to overcrowding flushes out hundreds upon hundreds of demons every 666 days. Alastors smile stretched as he remembered that the all mighty god and his children orchestrate this event. "How pitiful" Alastor thought to himself. A God who destroys his own misbehaved children by having his well behaved children wipe them out of existence. Ironic maybe..

Alastors thoughts were interrupted by the sound of static and a female voice singing, an annoying sound to him at most, the tv static not the singing. Thanks to his "pal" Vox just hearing the incoherent noises a tv makes in it's void of connection makes him wretch. But still with a smile on his face he turned to the source. Almost instantly demons crowded around the class that guarded the tvs. A flicker of intrigue shined through the red demons florescent eyes as he looked on at the screens. A closer look was indeed needed as the princess of hell herself was beaming upon the screens. Alastor stepped forward his presence alone sent chills down the other demons spines as they swiftly moved away from the radio demon. On the screen the princess of hell seemed to have been promoting that new hotel that was built. yet she was singing about a "happy hotel?" Alastor laughed to himself, "What and absolute sham.." Yet Alastor couldn't shake the feeling of interest the young demoness sparked within him. He certainly couldn't resist after a quite hilarious fight broke out between the princess and one of the demon news reporters. "Oh what a nasty brawl wish i were there in person to see!" Alastor yet again laughed to himself, his mind was made up and his boredom seemed to be quenched, it had found its next source.

Charlie returned back to the hotel which in a sense was her home. Well especially since she lived there after all. After a sh!t show that was the news broadcasts only meant to promote he hotel she felt quite terrible. An overbearing feeling of dread filled her as she suspected her fathers words to be true. Vaggie and Angel were getting into it so charlie just slipped out the front door to make a quick call to her mother. Not that her mother would return it, it just felt nice to at least pretend like someone was listening to her.

Little did she know someone was listening to her. Alastor had arrived at just the right time to see a gleam of dispair shine through the usual happy and giddy princess. A side he figured lingered within her like everyone else but seeing a lady cry never made Alastor happy. Alastor stood proper and prim as he made his way over to the damsel in distress only to have her turn and shut the door on his nose as soon as he reached out to tap her on the shoulder.

Charlie walked back inside and closed the door but not a second later a knock came to the door with the sound of radio static outside. Charlie's eyes widened as she carefully reached for the and opened it to reveal a demon in a red suit and color scheme.

"Hell-" the door closed but charlie's opened it again to make sure what she saw was real.

"lo!-" she closed it again.

"Oh god." she said aloud to herself. She opened the door slowly this time and peered her head around it carefully.

"May i speak now?" the Radio demon said as his smile widened. His eyes lowered to her soft rosy cheeks. "what a sight" Alastor thought.

"Um you may but can i ask are you here to be redeemed?" Charlie asked with a glint of hope and a little smile on her face.

Alastor noticed this little smile it made his eyes soften for a moment before he went back to his usual demeanor. He opened the door with a burst of energy letting himself in. "HAHAHhaha, no ofcourse not my dear!"

Charlie was a bit bewildered, "Then why are you here? Please if you've come to mock me you can let yourself out i know you've probably seen the news anyway." Charlie said as she gestured towards the door with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"What? No ofcourse i don't want to mock you my dear! Why that show was quite entertaining and it's just what i was looking for!" Alastor beamed as he projected his voice enough for the other patrons, aka Angel and Vaggie, to hear.

"Oh yeah and what's that?" Charlie asked referring to what he was searching for.

"Why something to cure my boredom you devilish girl!~" Alastor said whilst spinning round charlie and ending with an arm around her shoulder and his face awfully close to hers

Charlie blushed at the sudden closeness and creeped her way back to her own little bubble. "So you're gonna help with the hotel just cause you're bored?"

"Precisely! Let's call this investment for my entertainment." Al said with a big showy smile on his face once again leaning down to meet charlie's gaze and popping her little personal bubble of space. "I want to watch the scum of the earth and all sinners alike climb the ladder of redemption only to fall back down in the firery pit of failure" Al finished with a red glow in his eyes along with an amused expression at the very thought of it.

"Um Yeah." Charlie brushes off nervously. Just then the other patrons, aka Vaggie and Angel come scurrying you're see who the new person was.

"Oh hey guys." Charlie said with a nervous smile as the tall red demon loomed over her and stared at the other patrons with a sickening smile.

"Oh charlie tell me you did not just make a deal with the radio demon!?" Vaggie blurred out as she drew her spear and pointed it at Al.

"No no relax Vaggie i didn't make any-"

"Unless you'd like to make a deal my dear!" Al quickly proposed as his brow furrowed and his smile widened.

"NO no no deals! Okay?" if charlie knew anything it was to not make any deals with a demon let alone the radio demon himself.

Angel piped in with a little giggle, "What? you scared of this guy. He looks like a strawberry pimp HA!"

Vaggie slapped Angel on one of his arms, "Show some respect he could kill us in the blink of an eye." she said quietly as she gritted her teeth.

A little rumble of static sifted its way through the air around Alastor not before stopping the moment Charlie turn to Al suspiciously.

"Okay so no deals but by the power and status invested in me i hear by ask you to stay and aid the hotel.. for as long as you'd like... and no tricks or voodoo magic or anything got it." Charlie finished as she eyed Alastor up and down.

"You have my word my dear." Al said with an unusually more sinister smile than before. Little did Charlie know his shadow had its claws crossed. Al stood confident as he forged an idea of what exactly he could obtain from this little adventure with the princess. His smile grew ever so widely, his pupils small he had somewhat of a deranged look in his eyes as he realized what he really wanted to do. He laughed to himself quietly as Vaggie and Charlie talked back and forth about their situation. "Those angels will get what they deserve and so will the big man upstairs." and with that thought Al stepped forward and swooped his arm around Charlie as he pulled her forward and away from Vaggie. "Now come my dear enough of this senseless bickering its time to do business!"

(So the rest just follows in suit to what happens in the pilot, like Alastor bringing Nifty and Husk into the whole ordeal.)(to note Charlie and Vaggie are not together in this au but still are really close friends)

A few weeks have passed since Alastor joined the gang. No other demon has showed up to the hotel other than to maybe throw food or make fun of the mere idea of the hotel. Funny thing is even if Alastor has no care for the cause he still scared the living daylights out of anyone trying to tarnesh the hotel and its name. On the outside could be mistaken for Alastors boredom getting the better of him, afterall demon hunting was a fun hobby of his. Yet perhaps it was something deeper than that that kept him around going out of his way to do things for the hotel. Besides what Alastor was plotting, the hotel was rather enjoyable especially when the princess would be around him. He did enjoy her company though and found himself to do things in her favor. Maybe just to please her to get closer to her and his goal or rather something else. Alastor shook away his thoughts when he saw the young princess scurrying around like a madman. "What is she up to?"

Al snuck up behind Charlie as she fumbled around with books looking to be some sort of old phone books.

"My dear may i ask what you're doing?" Alastor said whilst leaning over with a curious grin on his face.

Charlie jumped in surprise, "Oh god you scared me Al"

Al huh a new nickname for him but he didn't appose to the sudden change. He kinda liked how comfortable she was getting.

"I'm just uh sorting through some old phone books to see if i can rent out a place for the hotel" Charlie said as she flipped through pages.

"Space? Don't we have enough of that here! haha" Alastor joked while he spun and gestured to the wide open space of the main area.

"Yes but it's not preferable for dancing." Charlie laughed with a little smile.

A sudden radio blip crackled through Alastor.

Charlie thought to herself "Did that startled him?"

"Dancing? DANCING? Why my dear no need to waste money this room exact is perfect for a ball. Why i'll have this place ready in no time for you my dear-"

Charlie jumped up and put her arms on Als shoulder for just a second then retracted them a little out of fear but just to calm him down. "Hey, hey that's okay look i know we have plenty of room i just don't want the hotel trashed by people who don't even care about it."

Al noticed the sudden jerk of her arms when they retreated. Another blip cracked through him with a little static as he tilted his head to the side with a smile. For a moment Charlie mistook it for sadness in his smile but when she looked again it was gone and back to its normal sinister self.

Alastor hummed in response then took up a few books.

"Hey i need those?" Charlie said with a confused look on her face.

Angel who was passed out at the bar awoke to a giant book being slammed next to his face.

"AGHHHHHHH jeez what'd you do that for smiles?!" Angel cried as he jumped up from his nap.

"Hey you insulant porn star help Charlie look for a dance room or so help me." Alastor threatened as static loomed around him and radio cracks and blips seemed through but this was to no avail.

"Yes sir, i like it when you take charge~" Angel commented with a perverted joke as always and a wide smug smile present on his face.

Alastor pretended he didn't hear that and reluctantly went over to Vaggie. Him and Vaggie haven't gotten along in the slightest since his arrival at the hotel. He glared at her as he handed her the book, Vaggie sneered at him as she took the book from his grasp. And with that Al gave a book to both Husk and Nifty and had the whole hotel staff searching for a place.

⎯

part 2 part 3

[writingkeepsmewhole]

I Do Not Know

This is part 13 of halfway I know it’s been forever since I posted anything for this but eh why not I was bored haha I know it’s crap and not that great but I need to rewatch the show and get a feel for everyone again but either way I hope you liked it tell me what you think please.

Fic Summary: Reader is faced with questions she can’t answer.

Bellamy Blake x Grounder Reader

Warnings:None

Taglits: @booknerdinator3000 @kingofpythons @dontstopxx @jodiereedus22 @littlegirl-fox

Part 1  Part 12

Bellamy decided to bring Lincoln back to the first ship the sky people came from. We were lucky he didn’t wake up on the way. It took all three of us to tie him up. Octavia quite the whole time.

“Can we save him?” She asks me once we are done.

“It’s never been done before. Once you become a reaper you never come back from it. We have tried this many times before and they always die.”

“Well we have to do something we can’t just let him die.”

“We need Clarke’s help.” Bellamy says his forehead wrinkles.

“Oh right like she’s gonna help us she’s never been a fan of him and you know it.” I say looking at him, shocked he would even suggest it.

“The moment she finds out I’m here she’ll report it back to her mother and I’ll be locked up again.

“That’s not going to happen, I won’t let it. Besides that it’s the only plan we got at this point so not unless you have a better one.” He says softly. 

“No, go get her, I'll stay here.” Octavia says moving to climb back up the ladder.

“Will you stay with her?” Bellamy asks me once we are alone.

I nod not having any words to say to him. If he wasn’t going to listen to me I wasn’t going to waste time talking. I had other things to worry about. My closest friend was going to die and I couldn’t stop it.

“Hey.” Bellamy says touching my arm.

I look at him, his eyes looking black in the dim light.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

“It won’t. Go.” I say looking at the door then moving to climb up the ladder.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes and I’ll be here.” I say us, both going our separate ways.

By the time Belamy returned Lincoln had woken up. He fought his restraints like a while animal.

When Clarke climbed the ladder he jumped out at her screaming.

“Don’t worry he’s tied up.” Bellamy says to her.

“I can’t believe we're back here again.” Clarke says in shock.

“Can you help him?” Octavia asks from sitting in the corner.

I stood close to Lincoln waiting for him to break free. I’ve seen it before with reapers.

“I don’t know.” Clarke says taking a step closer to Lincoln, it only makes him get wilder.

“I knew mount weather controlled the reapers.” She says shocking me with the knowledge

“The mountain men can control them?” I ask, wondering how anyone could control them.

There was no getting through to them, no since.

“Yes, but I didn’t know they were creating them.”

“If they can do that to Lincoln then what are they doing to our friends?” Bellamy says with his eyes meeting mine.

“Well you know what they are doing to my people. Outsiders don’t mean much to them.” I say  as Lincoln screams louder, him jumping in my direction.

I take a step away from him, him pushing as hard as he can to reach any of us. I take a breath when I watch him start to twitch his head drawing towards his shoulder and chest.

“He’s convulsing.” Clarke says it almost sounds like a question.

“So what does that mean?”

“He’ll die.” I say honestly.

“He’s going to die.” Octavia says looking at me.

“Well he’s not going to live either. You can’t come back from this.”

“What happened to his leg?” Clarke asks as if neither of us were talking.

“I shot him.” Octavia says.

“Clarke he’s lost a lot of blood, can you do something?” Bellamy asks.

I sigh and shake my head as I feel my eyes prickle with tears. I look away from them, all of them and stare at the wall, not wanting to cry.

“Can you shine the light on his neck?” She asks about the flashlights Bellamy and Octavia were holding.

“Needle marks.”

“So you think he’s been drugged?” Bellamy asks.

I glance at Lincoln then at his chains. I stop when I see them bow out from the wall.

“Wait.” I say seeing Clarke trying to get closer.

Hearing a loud pop I quickly move between them. I gasped loudly as I felt Lincoln wrap his free arm around my neck and began to squeeze.

I start punching him hard in the ribs, him only making his grip tighter. My heart and head pounds from the lack of air, but I don’t care. I faintly hear someone yell the sounds becoming muffled by the sound of my blood rushing through my veins. I keep pulling back and hitting him over and over again my arms seem to grow heavy and move slower and slower. It doesn't take long before everything goes black.

I wake up feeling someone leaning over me. My last memories rushing back into my mind my heart jumps into fight mode. I don’t think, as I push myself from the floor and into the person over me. I wrap my hands around their throat ready to kill them before they kill me.

It’s not until my mind clears do I realize I’m choking Clarke, her scared eyes begging me to stop.

I quickly drop my hands and take a step back, us both breathing hard.

“Sorry.”

“What happened?” Bellamy asks, coming into the drop ship.

Us on the lower level.

“She tried to kill me.” Clarke says threw gasps pointing at me.

“I attacked her.”

“Why?” Bellamy asks shocked, by my confession.

“Instinct.” I say shrugging, not knowing how else to say it.

“I was checking on her and she choked me.”

“Well she was under attack last time she was awake.”

“Why do you always defend her?” Clarke says sounding hurt, her moving to walk past him and outside.

“She’s right.” I say looking at him.

“You shouldn’t defend me, I’m the enemy, remember.”

“Well you don’t act like it. Come on let's go check on Lincoln.”

“He’s still alive?” I ask us to move towards the ladder.

“Yeah, Clarke has been keeping him that way for now.”

I nod at him following him up the ladder.

He was right Lincoln was alive. I was surprised to see him asleep.

“What happened?”

“He died. Clarke gave him CPR.”

“CPR?” I ask looking at him not knowing what that meant.

“She got his heart pumping again.”

“How?”

Bellamy smiles softly, seeming amused with my lack of understanding. Walking up to me he gently grabs my hand and places it on his chest.

“By pushing in his chest like this.” He says placing his hand over mine and roughly doing what he just said.

“It pumps his heart making it start again.”

“She is a healer.” I state looking up at him, his dark eyes meeting mine.

“Yes.”

“I should probably stop attacking her then.”

“That would be nice.” He says smiling.

I smile back as a silence settles over us. The only sound is our breathing. With my hand still placed over his heart I can feel it speed up as his eyes travel down to my lips.

I’m confused when my face heats up. Things like this never seem to affect me. But I kept finding myself affected by Bellamy in one way or another. 

As if we were the same mind we both take a step closer to each other. I tighten my grip on his chest grabbing a handful of his shirt. He moves his hand from mine, running up my arm sending a warm tingle in its wake.

I take a slow breath as he leans down, blocking my view so all I see is him. It’s my heart that starts to speed up when our faces are only a few inches apart.

“Umm am I interrupting something?” Octavia asks, making Bellamy pull away from me. Him clearly his throat and scratching the back of his head. His face flushed.

Sighing I let my hand fall from him and turn to face her. I have to resit the urge to roll my eyes seeing Clarke standing behind her. Her glaring daggers at me. 

“Nothing that can’t be done later.” I say earning a weird look from all of them.

“Do you always have to talk so plainly?” Clarke says crossing her arms.

“Yes, it saves time not having to explain myself.” I say smiling at her.

She glares at me which I ignore

“Did you have something to say to you, are you just here to annoy the both of us?” I ask her bluntly. 

I felt like at this point I had been as nice to her as I could be and got even more hated for it.

“They are here.” She says not needing to explain who, Abby coming in the door behind her.

“Y/n glad to see you haven’t betrayed us.” She says looking at me.

“You haven’t done anything for me to betray you.” I say arching his eyebrow at me.

I shrug and follow them up the ladder having a good guess as to why they were here. I was surprised to see Nyko standing over Lincoln.

He was now restrained to the floor.

“Is he okay?” Octavia asks, dropping down beside him.

“I promised you I wouldn’t hurt him.”

“What happened while I was out?” I ask turning to look at Bellamy.

“Octavia went and got Nyko to heal Lincoln but he was only going to kill him.”

“Because you can’t save a reaper.”

“But I did.” Clarke says making me a bit annoyed with her joining our conversation. 

“Look at him, he is alive because of me.”

“And we are going to keep him that way.” Abby says, dropping next to him.

“We can cure the reapers, it's just about keeping them alive while they detox. With this we can make a deal with the grounders.”

I snort and shake my head.

“What?” She asks, glaring at me.

“You still call us grounders, you don’t bother learning anything about us but you want to make deals with us? You're more pig headed then I thought.”

“Alright that’s enough.” Bellamy says making us both look at him.

“Y/N go take a walk.”

“I didn’t-.”

“Just go.” He says making my heart drop.

I clenched my jaw at him and the way my body reacted.

“Fine, I’ll go hunting.” I say moving away from them and back down the ladder.

I leave the drop ship, my anger getting stirred up. It was foolish I new that but I didn’t like when he picked Clarke over me.

I walked through the forest not really looking for anything to hunt. I really did need to take a walk to think. I was starting to feel like I didn’t know what side I was on. 

But I always felt that way I was always never enough. Never belonging to a clan and it made me who I was.

Now I wasn’t so sure. I cared for Bellamy and Octavia. I even enjoyed Raven but the rest of the sky people could burn for all I cared. But what about my people? What people? I had Lincoln nothing more.

I was alone and I was growing too attached to someone who seemed to care for me as well or at least like me enough to want me around.

But that person always seemed to pick someone else over me. Well maybe not always he does defend me from time to time. But Clarke is his leader. A selfish one but a leader nonetheless.

So what should I do? Return to my cave? Back to the wild where I belong or do a I go join the sky people and learn about all their strange ways. I was caught between a rock and a hard place and I couldn’t stand it.

“How’s the hunting going?” Asked a voice cutting through my thoughts.

I look down from my perch in a tree just within hear shot of their camp. Bellamy stood below me, gun in hand but he was relaxed.

“It’s not. Come join me.” I ask but it sounds more like a demand.

“I don’t think I can climb this tree.” He says looking it over not seeing the foot and hand holds I do.

Sighing I start to climb down but stop seeing him put his gun on his back.

It takes almost too long but he finds his way up and next to me.

“Wow you can see everything up here.” He says looking around smiling.

“It’s why I climbed it. I needed to think.” I say earning his attention.

“Think about what?”

“What I’m doing with my life. Who’s side I belong to?”

“Why does there have to be sides?”

“Bellamy we both know you don’t believe that I remember the speeches you have given since your time here you don’t like my people the same as I don’t like yours.”

“You don’t like people?”

“Some I like some.” I say earning a smile.

“I don’t like all of them either. Something tells me you are talking about one person more than everyone.”

“We all know me and Clarke don’t like or trust each other.”

“Why?”

“Because trust is earned not given. I have tried to show her who I am and it’s not what she wants.”

“Well what do you want?”

Sighing I look up at the sky or at least the small pieces you can see through the leaves.

“I do not know.”

[arts0uls]

Eighteen.

(Short Story)

Dela Rosa, Rebekah Charm G.

12-Jotham

          I have hated you for the longest time, Hiraya. The reason is still unclear. Maybe it is because the only times I remember you were bad encounters. It could be that time when you made fun of my art in 7th grade which ruined my perception of my craft, or when my mom died of cancer and yours was her resident doctor. Though you barely have contact with her, it still bothered me. Your faces were remarkably similar in my defense. It could also be insecurity, the way you are always talking with everyone in classes like it was the most important thing in the world—socializing, the only thing I hate more than you. But whenever we talked, it would always be about something that would trigger me. You like long talks and deep conversations; I like peaceful silence and short awkward exchanges that were enough not to be labeled as disrespectful.

          Despite these unfortunate encounters, I did not loath you the day I saw you in the emergency room that one night. It appeared that you were waiting for someone to attend to you, or maybe your dad took care of that and that is why he left you in the waiting area. I looked away then looked again to avoid seeming like a creep, I also tried if my hatred would come back after a second look. However, it did not. It could be that The Beatles shirt you had on, even though you picked on me for liking that band—accusing me of being a wanna-be-hipster. Maybe it was the way you sat restless in that metal chair. You still looked like that girl who had so much to say in high school, but your eyes were different. Your eyes gave up.

          When I met you, we were in 7th grade. You already knew which president should be elected and which one would win even though the debates just aired. I could not describe how annoyed I was. It was just the way you never lost a debate or even everyday arguments that made you seem so impossible. I stutter on greetings, yet there are people like you who talk for hours. And you still have the guts to rant about your self-esteem issues on Twitter, you are unbelievable. I always thought of why you couldn’t just be content for being an extrovert. This world was made for extroverts like you, not for people like me. I should’ve been the one ranting on Twitter to death.

          As the nurse started to escort you, I had a feeling I would meet you again. I knew you were going to make another one of those unnecessary exchanges. You all were walking towards my direction, of course, you’re going to be escorted to the bed next to mine. I am not certain with other things, but with this, I was. And I was not wrong either.

          “Nick.” You said. Surprisingly, I didn’t hate it at all. Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen you for so long. I looked at you and you had a sly smile. “Hiraya.” I said. I gave you a quick nod, then I looked away. You chuckled. “You haven’t changed a bit.” You add. What did you even mean? Is it the way I looked? Was it my mannerisms? I shook my thoughts away asking you what you were doing in the hospital. “I’ve been passing out and vomiting my brains out. I don’t know what’s up with me yet.” You said. You’re always straightforward. You continue, “It sucks. I was gonna see Ely Buendia live next week but look at what stupid crap I have to put up with.”

          “How ‘bout you?”

          “I’m having surgery tomorrow. I mean, hopefully, tomorrow’s good.”

          Your eyes widened. They were still beautiful—your eyes. Your eyelids’ folds grew a bit more though. And yes, you had really beautiful eyes. It was not the only thing beautiful about you though. You once made this beautiful speech for History in 8th grade, your eyes were burning as you ran your mouth on colonialism. Your hands were beautiful too, I reaffirmed that as you tucked your hair behind your ear, apologizing for my state.

          Of course, I tell you it’s fine. You had nothing to do with it, you didn’t know anything. You didn’t know my dad didn’t want to push this through because it’s what killed my mom and my other relatives. I still wanted to do the surgery. ‘It’s just a stage one tumor anyway’, I keep telling myself. Besides, it’s true. We all are going to die at some point, this surgery just has the probability of extending me like a text subscription. And what’s the point of wanting a life if you won’t fight for it?

            “Tomorrow night is available.” My resident doctor says after a day of meeting you again. I got transferred to a room and so were you, but I still did not know then. Our awkward silence is disrupted by what appeared to be a distressed woman coming from the hall. A nurse enters to assist my doctor and take note of our confirmation. My doctor, later on, asks the nurse what the fuss was all about. They quietly converse but not quiet enough for me not to hear.

          “Oh, that’s Dr. Palma. Her daughter just got diagnosed with Brain Aneurysm.”

          “What? Unbelievable. Ella and Anna are just grade-schoolers.”

          “No, no. Daughter from her first husband.”

          I could not believe what I just heard. You. You were diagnosed with a Brain Aneurysm. Someone like you? I could not have thought. People like you are those characters that either overthrow a corrupt government or become a superstar at the end of a story. But this is real life and in real life, you were diagnosed with a Brain Aneurysm.

            That night, all I could think of was the confirmation that you were in fact human. You weren’t a super-being; you weren’t a character in a story. At that moment, maybe you did feel vulnerable too, I thought. What if your strong personality was because of your parents’ separation? Maybe I didn’t understand you enough. I loathed myself for loathing you—you’re just another person after all. I’m not a deity to judge you for your actions nor am I someone who could cure you. Yet I hit you up that night as if I were a supreme being. As if I could cure you.

          I open an overused messenger application to contact you. I asked the most stupid question.

          “How are you?”

          I hated myself so much. What was I thinking? Yet it seemed to be the right move, you replied quickly.

          “I’m going to die.”

          Nope. Still a bad idea and a stupid question.

          “I’m so sorry.” I replied.

          “I’m gonna die. I don’t have any music downloaded on this phone. I have them on my other phone! God, I’m really stupid, aren’t I? Haha.”

          You really are unbelievable. What is more unbelievable is the favor you asked of me. You asked me to record myself singing. You even brought up our video for CLE in 9th grade where we had to make a video of us singing a gospel song and everyone noticed my voice. “Too bad you’re not at home. You could’ve accompanied yourself with a guitar too.” You add, teasing me about learning Magbalik’s song intro at school. What’s even more unbelievable was that I did the favor you asked me of.

          You were human, I remembered. You were a human who was diagnosed with Aneurysm, and I asked you the most stupid question. How could I turn you down? You just wanted to hear ‘Eighteen’ by One Direction through a voicemail of someone who listens to a completely different genre. But we’re both 18, and everyone who turns 18 knows that song. You continue to say you only have a year to find someone and make that the anthem of your wedding in a few years. The unbelievability of that night continues as you compliment me. Not a single mockery. You thank me and say goodnight. I say it back.

             My surgery was a success. As I said, it was only stage one anyway. It was definitely worth the risk. That time, I wondered if you went through surgery or if you even still had that on the table. You’re still young yet you have this disease limiting you from living a life like how a One Direction fan would want. So curious, I decide to visit you a day after I got discharged.

          I wish I didn’t visit you. You told me you weren’t having surgery because it wasn’t worth the risk. You proceeded to tell me you plan on donating your organs. We all know what that meant. You have accepted your death. I wish I didn’t visit you because it made me realize why I truly did hate you. In 4th year of junior high school, you told me you were leaving for senior high. I had this feeling I did not like, a wave of loneliness just crashed onto me. I felt like I was drowning. You were leaving, I did not like that. Because at that moment, and I didn’t know, I already liked you.

          But you left for senior high school, I couldn’t blame you. We were in the same institution from grade school to junior high school and we could attest to its poor performance. That’s why we were always in the same class because no one went there unless you’re from that area and it’s the nearest school. That was our case. So you left, I guess I hated you ever since.

          “Hey, could you come back tomorrow and bring your guitar with you?” You shook away my thoughts as you gave me a request. Let me tell you, a request is harder to turn down in person. It would always be hard to say ‘no’ while looking at your eyes. So I come back and visit every time you ask me to.

            Your songs were the soundtrack of my day and night. In the night, I would practice the song you asked for like it’s my very last gig ever. In the day, I still get nervous like it’s my first time singing to you. We were classmates so that means that you have heard me play and I’ve jammed with you all more than I could remember. Yet I’m still nervous every time I go into your room to visit. I’m thankful that you made efforts to make me feel comfortable. Like how you tell me to visit when your dad’s gone or when your friends aren’t over because you’d know how uncomfortable it makes me feel. It must be the time that we’ve already spent together. But now, our time is limited.

          There was this one time I fell asleep waiting for you to wake up. As soon as I woke up, I saw you just starring at me. We smiled at each other and you looked so beautiful. I was about to get my guitar, but you held my hand stopping my tracks as if you wanted us to stay like that longer. But I understood your touch, it meant we won’t have moments like these anymore anytime soon. There won’t be a future with us waking up next to each other, because one day you won’t ever wake up again.

          Our smiles fade, you understood as well.

          “Not that it counts now, but I like you.” You said.

          “It counts. I’ve liked you for the longest time.” I answered.

            You were way ahead of your time. Literally. It’s not just how you told me before that you had to grow up immediately to cope with your mom leaving both you and your dad, it’s also the fact that you told me you only have a week left. It made me upset.

          “Why can’t you just fight it?”

          “There’s no chance, Nick. I won’t risk it.”

          “Why? Don’t you want a future? Suddenly it’s alright for you to just stop living?”

          You paused for a moment and then answered, “Do you know who’ll get my kidneys? She’s a single mother. She lives off of contractual work and her 3-year-old daughter will go to school this year, My heart goes to this kid who will be having heart failure, they told me all about him. He has imaginary friends. I used to have those. I hope my eyes go to this sixteen-year-old though, she’s still not sure but I hope she says yes.”

          “If I risk it, my death won’t mean anything.” You said. “My whole life, I’ve been for the people. Believing in advocacies and in serving the people. But I’ve done nothing. I’ve been all talk, Nick. But now, I have the chance to save more lives. Do you how much that means to me? My death will actually mean something. I might’ve actually answered the Trolley Problem.” We both chuckle at your last statement. I nod trying to be understanding and hide the way I was so selfish that time for wanting to keep you from doing your most selfless act.

          I eventually meet your friends and your dad. They were alright. All I wished for was that you stayed just as alive as we were.

          On the day before you go away, I stayed with you until sunset. Of course, you had to spend the night and your last day with your dad. “If I had tomorrow with you, I’d bring you to this place in Baguio where I went to every year when my mom was still alive,” I said. “We didn’t even get to try Tiktok.” You say and I chuckle. “I wish I had more time with you, I would’ve brought you everywhere so that everything would remind you of me.” You said. “I’ll remember you. I’d go to our high school every time just to remember you. Hell, I’ll remember you even in my room trying to sleep because I can’t forget you.” Needless to say, we both wish we had more time.

          “Hiraya, It’s too soon to say, but I’ll never get to say it anyway.” I said. “I don’t know what love is, I’m still trying to figure it out. But if I had to define it on my own, I’d say that you’re my very own kind of love.” I said. “I love you too.” You respond. Whether we mean it or not, it doesn’t change anything. We both won’t get to say it to each other ever again. And if this is love, if I actually do love you, it still doesn’t change the fact that you’ll be gone tomorrow.

             Tomorrow came, so did the next day after that, the next month, and the next year. You forgave your mom. You said goodbye to your dad. You put other people first. You leave me again. You haven’t changed a bit, Hira. Because of your broken pieces, many were mended. I know I’ve hated you for the longest time, but I’ve loved you in our short time together and more. Also, I get to say I’ve loved you since we were Eighteen.