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kulemii · 11 months ago

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Lover Pretend Ep. 1 Thoughts & Recap*

*(not professional by any means. some dialogue may be heavily paraphrased because i think i'm funny and i make my mama laugh*.)

Potential Spoilers Ahead

well, i've met all of the potential love interests and just as i thought from my intial card reading, my interest lies in: eiichirou, riku and yukito. no beef with the other two they just aren't my type! though, i will say, so far i do think that kazuma is a sweetheart. if you haven't read my thoughts on each character from the prologue you can check them out in the kulemiiplaysloverpretend tag.

with that out of the way, i can start rambling about episode 1! so, i wanted to write as i went along but i started super late at night and wound up falling asleep. i probably forgot some shit but i'm gonna try to hit on what stood out to me most, okay? then the rest i'll do as i go along as planned!

this chapter we followed mc and eiichirou asagi to her first day at the studio as an official staff member of "team makino". she introduces herself to two new characters (supporting cast, and actually quite literally supporting cast-- i'll get to that):

takaya hanai (40)- he's popular for being a supporting actor and never really main cast- crazy but go off king. i'm not shaming. i just thought that was funny thing to specify lmao. so, takaya is HUGE. like, his sprite is larger than everyone else's and if you know anything about me, that's right up my alley. he's super light hearted and playful. he seems like the type to try to keep spirits high and keep a cheery attitude. he's cool. he made a comment about having of money tho. and i'm like, you fine ass hell. don't make me run your pockets old man. as it stands rn, i would be his sugar baby and not care nothing bout it- MOVING ON

yuzo makino (52)- he's the director everyone's been dickriding since we started playing this game. he's got ALL the accolades apparently. i like his voice. he seems very no nonsense. he's super blunt and to the point with all of his lines. i'll be honest, he sooo.. he seems to be the type to not speak if it's not necessary to do so? because like, there have been times where i deadass forgot he was even IN THE SCENE he was that quiet. he seems to be very professional. he told mc he values her opinion and i thought that was dope because she's literally just a nobody staffer and he doesn't seem to want to treat her like that. perhaps because she's got asagi backing her? go off, sis!

so, now that i've mentioned them, i can tell you about how after meeting these two harumi tiptoes his ass in the room not wanting to speak to anybody and takaya puts him in a headlock for it LMAO. no joke.

then forces him to introduce himself to mc whilst in said headlock. oh! by the way, i completely forgot to mention, i wasn't sure before if mc was one of eiichirou's students or not- well, mc introduces herself as such. so, if it wasn't confirmed before, it certainly is now 😬

annnnnyway, after the headlock, takaya decides to shove the two kids (harumi and mc) out of the door on their first team makino staff mission: secure snacks.

and girl, tell me why 😭 tell me why mc ass was like "u-um.. snacks?? is that some kinda industry lingo?🤡" and harumi was like, "bruh nah, it's snacks. like snacks. tf ?"

oh but before i get to what happened outside, there was something about harumi i peeped that i wanted to mention! when speaking about his father, he refers to him as "Director Makino". both me and mc was like ???

idk, so, harumi seems kinda weird about his dad. riku also seems to have something going on with his dad? mc doesn't know her father! i'm getting ahead of myself but yukito's father and mother divorced when he was in junior high and his dad left him behind with his mother. idk nothing about eiichirou's or kazuma's dads yet but shit they prolly gone too and hell, my dad's dead! so, i pulled out my whiteboard, ran the numbers (by hand, mind you) and found out that THIS, this is the daddy issues game! COME ONE, COME ALL! lmaooo

where was i? ...oh! right, so, we go to the convienence store or whatever to secure the snacks and harumi and mc have The Most Loser ass interaction. they're so funny. honestly, i think making fun of them is gonna be the highlight of this game for me- if my posts are ever found by someone that likes harumi, sorry babe lmao. so basically it went like this:

H: hey, can i have the drinks?

Mc: what? no. if you're thirsty you should've gotten your own when we were in the store 🙄

H: K.

MC: *internally* omg, he wanted to CARRY THE BAGS!!!!

MC: *to harumi* earlier, you wanted to carry the bags, didn't you?

H: it doesn't matter anymore! (now carrying the bags)

MC *internally* he's nice and all but he should really work on his communication skills 🤓

GIRL! you should work on your critical thinking skills! lmao why didn't you just ask him what he meant??? why you had to grill his ass about being thirsty??? like damn 😭 wild interaction

right, so, she goes into another store or whatever and i forgot to mention that while they were walking, something apparently caught harumi's eye? so while she was in there, he dips without shooting her a message or anything to let her know where he went. when she comes out she's like ??? and LMAO she had, i think, two assumptions on what might've happened; either 1) he got tired of waiting and went back to the studio without her or 2) saw an elderly person walking (i think with heavy stuff) and went to help them. idk that was funny, like you're IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY why is that your only two options? she just assumed ol' dude is a good samaritan. haha. good for her, though. that's that pure hearted heroine shit, front and center.

well, she was WRONG. poor harumi and is being SWARMED by snakes! lmao, jk, it's worse than that, it's some thirsty bitches from this unofficial fanclub that's like obsessed with him and can't take a hint. they're all in his shit and won't leave him alone. so, mc swoops in to save the day! PRETEND TIME, BABY! if you read my prologue posts, you know, idk how routing works yet, and you also know that i do not have interest in harumi- needless to say, i did not want this to go well. i was just concerned with not giving these girls the impression that harumi and mc were dating.

like, one of them implied that if they were she'd have been STABBED by his fanclub or something???? WHUUUUUT? knifed???😭over HARUMI 👎🏾👎🏾HNNHG!

luckily i managed to pull through and mc got out with the exact amount of holes she came in with. so, she should thank me for that. then, she and harumi walked back in silence-- couldn't have been me though because i would've had QUESTIONS! because um SIR what these bitches mean, i would've been stabbed????

after they return with the snacks, they get down to business- business being looking over the resumes and then we see a couple familiar (beautiful) faces.

turns ooout, riku actually was an actor on Pretend to Love himself when he was a child alongside his father.

despite being a model whose only acting experience is limited to comic relief and cameos, yukito has name recognition by way of his father. though, it would seem that his name isn't associated with the cleanest of reputations. they call his dad a philanderer LMAO. guess that apple don't fall too far from the tree. director makino says that they even look alike, which scares me because yukito is hot. so an older version of that must be TO DIE for 🤤. i get stabbed by a fanclub over that. i will say though, although they called his daddy a hoe, they did give him his flowers and say that he was good at what he does and it was a shame he left the industry..

side note: why all the slutty boys gotta be february babies? at least they didn't make it so on the nose that they made his bday valentine's day lmaoo (i'm look at you, jinguuji)

because of the appearance of these two, mc started thinking about her MIA father again. she's not good at hiding it i guess because it got the attention of both asagi and the director. it was at this point that they asked if she was interested in anyone. i was given the choice of riku, yukito, harumi OR "no one in particular". curiosity got the best of me, so i made a save file and then chose that option to see what would happen and then, she wound up thinking of kazuma.

sooo, if i have to guess, this is where it branches off into routes? and where i choose? with that likely assumption being at the forefront, i backtracked and chose riku!

after doing so, hanai mentioned that riku had been trending lately and asagi followed up by saying that of the candidates, riku might've been the most fit option given that the director even knows of him. the meeting is adjourned. everyone goes home. eiichirou and mc have a bit of a moment, i suppose? we get a time skip!

basically, it's the day of the big audition and we get a scene between harumi and mc and i won't go into specifics about what was said because nothing really interesting happened except it does establish that harumi's has opened up more to her which is cool. also, we get this moment:

when i say, took me out-- it's not funny but like, at the same time, i was not expecting that kinda language here lmao

at some point after this, the camera man starts barking orders for someone to go and grab a tripod for him. harumi offers to do it but he's not very firm (is he ever?) and mc decides to do it herself. while she's out in the hall looking for the tripod she hears a familiar voice. this guy:

kazuma! and he and mc have a really cute moment~ ya know after he tells her, "damn b, you look like a ghost. you sick or something???" he pulls her to the side and he does her makeup for her. we get some background info- apparently this isn't his first time doing her make up. mc tends to struggle with her finances so, he would practice doing her hair and makeup at "huge" discounts and stuff. mc was being all bashful but listen, if it were me?? i wasn't even into kazuma but with the tone of voice he was using?? i would've folded HAHA i would have 😭i'm sorry bout it. it was too sweet.

nah, i say that but when given the opportunity to respond to the moment, i chose the harsher option because again- routing. annnnnd that somehow turned into mc beating on him?? lmao! she even thought he looked cool but she got embarassed and responded with abuse. sooo, that's a great look. 👍🏾👍🏾 ok, girlie, tsundere much?

ah, a little note, kazuma referred to her as "ueda-senpai" now that they're technically colleagues which i thought was super cute!

then we meet kazuma's actual senpai- she's a baddie. when girls have beauty marks on their face>>>>>>>>>:

yu kayama (27)- she was kazuma's senior in cosmetology school. she's one of the bosses at their agency and i guess kind of a hotshot? she's super hard on kazuma. she be beating his ass too. he's not getting it easy with the women in his life, i'll tell you that. she's mean af to him but she was really nice to mc. could be because she's a makino staffer but could also be because she's just a kazuma hater? i'll be watching on the sidelines with the shades on to get to the root of this. yu and mc seemed to hit it off really quick though. wanna see more of that. girlfriends when?

after this interaction, mc's break is over and she's sent out on another errand where she runs into none other than~

mr. yukita seeeeena with his hot girl shades on! mc mistakes him for a salesman of some kind and tries to blow him off but just as she walks away, she realizes that she recognizes him. so she asks for confirmation and he's actually shocked that she knows who he is... this is like the second time he's seemingly shocked about being acknowleged. idk why but that piques my interest, so i'm sticking a pin in that 📌.

anyway, turns out homeboy just wanted directions- not sell her a vase or carpet or whatever she said lmao. her assumptions about people are so funny. yeah, so, conveniently yukito is lost and looking for directions to the studio that mc just so happens to work at! he's on his way to the auditions that are being set up.

okay, so, sidebar-- this part kinda irritated me. so, mc says:

"If I recall correctly, he was on the list of candidates who passed the screening."

and let me tell you why that bothered me: she's been OBSESSING over his father for god knows how long. her heart damn near stopped when she saw his resume that first day and like, sure, i am aware she's been busy- but i find it hard to believe that she wouldn't be keeping a close eye on one of the characters who is so very close to the mystery that been plaguing her since childhood. sorry, not to nitpick and i'm not trying to rag on our girl but that was just a gripe i have to get off my chest. i dont like that. 👎🏾👎🏾hnng.

back to this, so, yukito asks for directions with the promise of some unspoken reward and mc's like, sure, uhhh, don't need whatever that is but i can take you bestie. while they're walking yukito is whining about his manager flaking on him because he got sick and mc is being kinda dry with him- which, girl, ??? you didn't like that when harumi was being cold to you. why are you suddenly incapable of small talk?? didn't like that either.👎🏾👎🏾hnng.. she deduces that yukito is "flippant" all the while gets it going with her staring problem again- this time with him AND THIS TIME, I GET IT! when yukito asks what's up she tells him he has a nice profile and he's like, "uh ya babe lol i know 💅🏻 this is me all day no filter" like...

he took off his shades and then THIS HAPPENED

and i'm just telling you right now.. IF IT WERE ME???? I WOULD HAVE FOLDED LIKE A LAWN CHAIR. but that's just me though. i don't got time to be befuddled like this, okay? he looks like he smells like sauvage by dior- i've never smelled that shit but it sounds like it smells like panties around the ankles and manicured hands on the wall, alright??? i want him, right now. LESSGO!

uhhhhh? oh! so she's like, "my guy?? what is you doing??" and he's like, "lol, what's it look like? thanking you, you silly billy 💞 so what'll it be? autograph, handshake and hug sound good for your troubles?"

mc is freaking out internally because he's all up on her and she's not really good with dealing with men. she wanted to slap him but she remembered her job, so she didn't and i was prompted to respond. now, remember: i want this man. so i chose what i thought was the best option for once lmao which was "decline politely"

this confuses yukito and he's like, "waaah? so you don't want none of that? and you know i'm famous? but... you went out of your way to help me? and you kept staring at my face?" (that last part is not me paraphrasing to be funny lmao he actually said that) he thought that because she did all those things she MUST have been a fan.

mc was like, "nah bruh. i was literally JUST doing my job. not personal interest. stop being weird." there was a silence between then yukito burst out laughing and was basically like "damn b, there's a such thing as being too honest but you funny tho. i'll give you that."

after that, it's time for the auditions! oh man, this chapter is long- idk if it's because i keep stopping to update this recap or if this chapter is vastly longer than the prologue was but damn, does it just keep going. i mean, i'm not really complaining. just an observation.

director makino is out btw and from what i took from the conversation, this is going to be a regular occurence. he's just too busy of a man to be on set of his own movie, i suppose ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. so, asagi is heading up the operation with resident supporting cast sexy man takaya hanai assisting by acting or reading along with the auditionees. we get to see little snippets of some randos' auditions all the way up until candidate number 21 which isssss:

you guessed it and his appearance caused a bit of a stir amongst the panel. can you sayyyy dick riding?

apparently because he's an experienced actor unlike the last 20 candidates so far, director makino has different rules for him and others like him. those rules being that he isn't able to perform his audition with hanai, he must perform with an amateur. with this being the stipulation, hanai looks around the room and who does he choose? none other than:

me.

that lead us to a riku Pretend Time and the objective was to 'bring out riku's acting prowess' or something like that. listen, i REAAAALLY wanted this to work out. so this was the first pretend time i actually took seriously and what do you know? ya gworl got a 100% complete! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS POSSIBLE! they've only ever said 'success' before lmao. so i guess i was just barely skirting by. his pretend time was soooo good! it had me on the edge of my seat getting to see him in actor mode! he did really well- all thanks to me 💅🏾ofc

after that was number 22, mr. yukito sena sans sunglasses. and chile, when i tell youuuu. the judges started gossiping like bitches omg. they were running their mouths amongst themselves about his father's scandal. saying stuff about how he's only there to generate buzz basically but they're sure the director wouldn't choose him. stuff like that. and i will bust up in that building with a bat. so they better take it easy on that one and treat my pretty baby with some respect before i force feed them metal.

oh, so, you know how i keep mentioning how yukito is a model with limited acting experience? well, it comes up at the audition. remember what i said about experienced actors, right? they perform with an amatuer while inexperienced ones got to have takaya hanai as an audition partner? well, when hanai was setting up to give him the run down, yukito interrupted and suggested his own rules.

he wanted to audition with mc as well. and everyone's like "uhhh???? you sure you wanna follow riku's performance by doing THAT?" and yukito's like,"lol, well. i know my performance is not gonna match up to his but i'm sure i get more pussy than he does. so it should be fine i guess.😘" and everyone just accepts his logic because picking up girls= acting in Lover Pretend apparently!

don't believe me?

so then, we get our very own yukito sena Pretend Time! i was super excited for this one and just like riku, i took it very seriously! I EVEN GOT ANOTHER 100% COMPLETE!!! it was so fun- he was a fucking psycho in his audition. he basically began by casually but vaguely talking about meeting mc out in town and then used that as a jumping off point to create a dramatic love confession scene out of it. he stressed her tf OUT! to the rest of the room they were acting, internally, she felt sexually harassed which made me feel bad lowkey because i was eating it up lmaooo. by the end of the scene asagi and hanai were happy with it and the other judges reluctantly gave him his flowers.

after the scene ends, mc is discombulated because she really thought he was trying to humilate her in front of everyone but he really was just acting. i guess he just knew he'd get authentic reactions out of her? yukito delivered some more lines to break my joints and then he returns to his seats and mc is left more confused than ever.

there's yet another scene between mc and harumi where not much happens. i mean, this isn't just my bias speaking. nothing interesting happened. like, asagi sent him out to check on mc and he did then they sat there in mostly silence and he didn't leave when she said he could. aww. great. moving on. oh, i won't be mean. there was a mention of feeling as if he doesn't belong by harumi which i'm sure we'll explore at some point later. so. i guess i lied? something did happen.

in the next scene, mc trips on something in a stairwell- it's a boy! a pretty one at that.

i was given the choice to or not to wake him. (he talks in his sleep btw) i woke him. they had a little chit chat in which she scolded him for sleeping on the stairs because he could catch a cold. it's a short interaction and honestly the only reason i'm really mentioning it aside from the cg is because mc says that she swears that he glared at her as he walked away despite him being perfectly pleasant while they interacted just before. i thought that was hilarious bc why would he glare? was he mad bc she woke him up or is hiding a secret personality? i'm intrigued! >:D

after all was said and done at work, she and kazuma walk home together and during this time, mc finally confirms what i'd been theorizing was the angle being hinted at here. amongst the LIs might also potentially be her brother.... bro :/ when she was riku's audition partner and she suggestion he play her long lost brother i joked to myself that it was "a little on the nose" but i was really hoping that this was a case where i'd be wrong- nope.

i've really been enjoying this game so far! i really have but now with this, it's kinda making me wanna put it down. granted, it's too soon to tell which direction this is going to go. there's a possibilty that amongst the three candidates, none of the men she's thinking of is her father and it's actually some rando she'll never find and lowkey, that's what i'm hoping for. or, if that's not the case, that whichever of the guys IS her brother, if he is amongst them, the route is entirely platonic turned familial but... i know what kinda game i'm playing. idk man. i'm kinda bummed. i don't like this lol fingers crossed this ends well.

ALL IN ALL: since nothing is for sure and all i can really do is theorize on how things will go and how the writing will handle it, i'm going to try and have hope that things turn around for the better since this was only chapter 1! i mean, up until the wrap up, i was reaaaaaally enjoying myself. i'd been seeing a ton of potential here. so, it bums me out to think that it's something i won't be able to enjoy because it's going in that direction. i wanna give it a chance to prove me wrong.

opinions of certain characters have changed since the prologue. i'm a little more into kazuma than i thought i'd be. idk, that make up scene was precious. i feel bad i got him beat up though. i still find riku attractive but his personality feels very.... fake, to me. it's like he's got this wall up as if he's ON all the time, constantly attempting to keep up a facade of perfection. if that's true, i reaaaally need to see what's behind that. if that's really what he's like, then.. idk. maybe i'll give him more time before i say much. yukito was the star of his chapter for me tho! everything he did had me 🥰 i am ENAMOURED. eiichirou is still attractive to me but i just wish he wasn't mc's professor. who knows maybe i'll make her drop his class or something idk. as far as side characters go, hands down, takaya!!! uogh baby he is just my type! big, burly AND HE'S GOT LONG HAIR? love his personality too. that's one hunka man. my truth? if he were an LI, i might've picked him over eiichirou. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ whoops.

anyway, soooo yeah! those were my thoughts for episode one of lover pretend! this was super fun and hopefully i can keep playing and keep doing these. it's super time consuming but it keeps my mind busy which is just what i need right now. if this manages to find anyone- feel free to share your thoughts on this chapter of the game or the characters or whatever! but please don't spoil the chapters ahead. i don't wanna lose interest.

*she does not make her mother laugh

#kulemiiplaysloverpretend #lover pretend

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al1x00 · 4 months ago

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HELP MY PHONEE DIDN'T GIVE ME THE NOTIFICATION SO WHEN I WENT TO CHECK YOUR BLOG I ALMOST JUMPED IN PLACE LMAO😭😭

⚠️CHAPTER 5 SPOILERS!!⚠️

Also I always read the tags before starting to read the chapter and I was relieved but also kinda concerned at the same time when I didn't read anything like "TW death" because like what? Not even a Katy moment™? NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINING OF COURSE I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO DIE EXCEPT THE PEOPLE THAT GET IN BETWEEN R AND HOBIE

OF COURSE WHEN WE FINALLY DECIDE TO TALK TO HIM SOMETHING HAPPENS, also I'm pretty sure he didn't actually mean to respond in that tone, he was probably worried by something OR SOMEONE, because why the fuck was he preparing his guns for? HUH?🤨🤨

The little girl with her parents reminds me so much of Mayday, Peter B. and MJ but I'm not sure about it😭😭 anyway Clementine is such a sweet kid she just made me go "aww🥺🥺" all the time

NOO WHY ARE THEY ARGUING FJSOCJJSFLAAAA😭😭😭 I THOUGHT WE MADE SOME PROGRESS COME ONN

Also the song "Breaking the girl" by Red Hot Chili Peppers is literally OPIN Hobie and R😭😭

EXCUSE ME R'S AUNT DID WHAT? NAH THAT'S JUST CRUEL IT'S EVEN SOME SORT OF "PUNISHMENT" ANYMORE. R is really god's strongest soldier because I couldn't have endured what she went throught.

OH SO IT WAS R'S UNCLE WHO TRIED TO KILL HOBIE? THIS BITCH. Seriously though, can't he be happy if his niece has someone special? CAN'T THEY DO ONE FUCKING THING RIGHT?

AND NOT ONLY DID HE SLASH HIS THROAT, BUT HE EVEN TRIED TO BURY HIM ALIVE UNDER THE SAME FUCKING TREE THEY ALWAYS MET UNDER? THAT IS TWISTED AND SO FUCKING SICK

"You're my peace" SBSJKFKAKAAAAA KATY HOS DARE YOU MAKE ME VIOLENTLY SOB FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE I STARTED READING THIS CHAPTER. THEY LOVE EACHOTHER SO MUCH, EVEN AFTER ALL THEY'VE BEEN THROUGHT😭😭 JUST LET THEM HAVE WHAT THEY WANT FOR ONCE IN THEIR LIVES PLEASE

AND OF COURSE WHEN THEY FINALLY HAVE A GOOD MOMENT BETWEEN THEM SOMEONE HAS TO COME IN AND TRY TO KILL THEM BOTH. KATY WHEN I CATCH YOU KATY I SWEAR👹

AAAA THEY KISSED!!! AAA I'M SO HAPPY I'M BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE

Atleast we didn't have to wait so long like for BDAS💀 poor R and Hobie were getting interrupted every goddamn time

Hobie while R kills a man with a kick from her horse like: "Ah yes, the love of my life🥰"

ALSO YES, KILL ALL THE FUCKERS WHO GET IN YOUR WAY

"He takes one last look at you, as if this is the last time he'd ever set eyes on you"

Katy? I'm keeping an eye on you. Y'know, just to make sure YOU DON'T END UP KILLING ONE OF THEM, OR WORSE, BOTH🥰

BUT OH LORD THIS WAS A HELL OF CHAPTER I LOVED ITT, can't wait to see what happens next but at the same time i'm really scared because it's really close to ending and what if something bad happens yknow?😭😭 Anyway thanks for the awesome chapter! Ly❤️

(Also I may finish one of the drawings next week! I finally finished my exams and I finally have free time again!!😽😽)

On these Metal Tracks I Lay Myself Bare

Pairing: Cowboy! Hobie Brown x fem! Reader

Word count: 6.5k

Tags: Use of Y/N sparsely, no specific physical description of the reader, CW food mention, CW guns, TW violence, CW injury, Cowboy AU, wild west AU.

Our Place in the Middle of Nowhere Masterlist

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CHAPTER 5 >>> CHAPTER 6

The train station is packed with people, all finely dressed, waiting along the tracks, their luggages weighing heavy in their hands. The place smells of iron and steel, sweat soaked wood and rough leather. Your eyes wander around the station, domed ceilings loom above, carvings of horses and birds decorate the chestnut wood. Sunlight filters through the cracks, rays of light acting as a spotlight to the ornate building. It's a busier train station than the town you were in, the city you've stopped in is huge in comparison to the little towns you've passed by. The station is full of ticketing booths, lines stretching a few feet away that are full of impatient passengers. You look across the train tracks, seeing parents chastising their children, hearing hurried murmurs from husbands, holding their wives’ hands even though the luggage in their hand slows them down. You look at Hobie's gloved hand that's resting upon the ticket booth, you stare at it longingly, eyes getting glossy by the minute.

He's taking you home, and just like back home, you have no say in it.

A train whistle echoes, a signal of its metallic arrival. Its steel body creaks as it stops, its copper inlay is slowly turning green, and there's rust around the wheels. Soon, the station fills with smoke, dark tar belching smoke that sticks to your lungs as you cough. You feel a warm hand on your back, in a second you look back, the warmth is gone.

“You alright?” Hobie asks, lighting up a cigarette in-between his lips.

“It's the smoke,” you say, scratching at your throat that he cannot keep looking at for the scar in his neck throbs at the memory from the mundane act.

“Alright,” without a second thought, he takes his freshly lit cigarette from his mouth and then flicks it away from you, embers fly off in the distance just before it lands on the dirt outside.

You feel like the golden light in the summer. “I was talking about the coal smoke from the train. But that works too, thank you.”

He scoffs, a small smile ghosting over his lips. “Right, didn't do it for you, I did it for myself. Heard it kills people y'know.” Nudging you, he doesn't expect for you to shuffle away. Blinking, he avoids your eyes, “that's our train, it's an overnight one so we can rest in our cabin.” He tugs you in by the sleeve of your coat that's tucked in between his middle and forefinger, guiding you towards the waiting doors.

“That's good.” You follow, eyes trained on his back lest you get lost.

As much as you don't want to go home, you still don't want to leave him despite your mind telling you to forget about him and just leave on Cherry and wander around the west like a tumbleweed caught in the wind. You'd probably last a week.

Hobie stops by the doors, waiting in line with the other passengers. You flick your eyes downwards, his fingers wrapped around your sleeve, not taut, just holding you close to him as the crowd grows. So close to your own hands, yet so far from your heart.

“Tickets?” The man clad in a blue uniform asks, Hobie shows the pink papers and the man nods.

You enter the train car, it's a cute little thing filled with blue velvet curtains with golden tassels, and carpeted floors that run towards the end of the car. On your left are filled with little cabins, with clear windows that you can see through inside. It's big enough for at least four people, five if possible, though it would be a tight fit. The hallway is already small enough that only two people could walk side by side, you'd like to walk side by side with him, unlike now that you walk behind him, behind his shadow that gathers around you like dandelions in the spring.

“This is us,” he stops at cabin number three, opening the door with a creak, he leans away to let you enter first. Closing the door behind him, he pulls down all the curtains so that wandering eyes can't watch your every move. It's bad enough that there's a bounty on both of your heads, you don't want gossiping passengers peering inside.

There are four collapsible beds on each wall, all held by golden ropes, bed sheets in rich red cloth, pillows fluffed to perfection and blankets neatly folded. Hobie scooches in between you and the beds to close the top bunks so that there's more space for his tall frame. He has taken his hat off not for politeness but if he wore it inside it'll be squished by the low ceiling. Then there's the large window that sits across the door, before you could take note of the people outside, Hobie shuts the curtains close.

“What do you think?” He asks, taking his jacket off with a flourish. “It's not even close to the ones back home but it'll do for now. We'll be train hopping to get our scents off the lawmen.”

“It's nice— wait, train hopping?” You sit down on one of the beds, the mattress is surprisingly soft under you. “Please don't tell me we'll be jumping from train roof to train roof.”

Hobie chuckles, copying your actions, sitting across from you. Back resting against the wall, comfortably slouching. “Think you can handle it?”

“God, no.” You can't help but rest your tired head upon the goose feather pillow.

“Good, because we're not doin' that, love.” Again, he copies you. Arms tucked under his head, eyes above the ornate ceiling. “We’re not gettin' off at the last station, so we'll be ridin’ with Buck and Cherry for a bit and then to another train station. Confuse the wankers with our brilliant wiles.”

You lift your head off the pillow, and in turn, Hobie turns his head to look at you. “Wait, what about the horses?”

“They'll follow the train.” He smiles.

“Follow? Like they have our scents?” Hobie laughs, not teasingly, no, it's full of endearment, chuckling softly, but it flies over your head.

“Don't laugh. It's a genuine question.” You roll your eyes with slight amusement.

“They're in the back carriage,” he tamps down his laugh but his smile stays.

After that silence prevails in your cabin as the train slowly chugs on, sharp whistles piercing your eardrums, and the hum of machinery bringing you back home. You want to speak to him, to finally tell him of all your concerns about going home, going back to them. But most of all, you want him to speak to you about everything, to tell you how he was faring for the last five years, and how he became such a terrifying figure to outlaws. You want him to just…talk, and make up for lost time. You gather the courage, but just as you were about to speak, he no longer lies across from you. Hobie is sitting on the bed, body facing the door, hands busy with oiling his guns.

“Hobie…I—”

“What is it?” He flicks his eyes briefly to you, his tone was sharp, but he didn't mean it, blaming it for his own worries and fatigue. He'd say something about it but you're already facing away from him. Back turned, blanket shielding you from him.

“Nevermind,” you mumble into the covers, falling into a deep slumber where the conversation happened in your dreams.

This goes on for three days, hopping from train to train, from busy cities to dead empty towns. You barely speak, talking only when Hobie asks you something. It's like you're back at that empty mansion, with only the plants to talk to.

Hobie silently hates it, he doesn't know what to make out any of it. You seem hungry so he gives you a can of strawberries, you look tired so he lets you sleep without him saying a word. When goosebumps appear on your arms he gives you a blanket, when you're nervous, lips bitten until it's bleeding, he leaves you alone to calm yourself down. None of it works, he misses your chatter that has kept him sane the entire journey. The silence gives him time to think though, a situation that he despises since nothing good has come out of all the thinking.

—

The rest of the journey goes without a hitch, except for that one bit where Bucky was stolen by an outlaw while you and Hobie were buying train tickets. You panic while he sits and waits. People look at you like you were a mad woman pacing back and forth, hand petting Cherry, voice whispering your thoughts to the poor hitched horse. And Hobie just…stares. After what seemed like forever, or fifteen minutes, Bucky returns, riderless, still has his saddle on his back, and seemingly chipper. Turns out, Hobie trained Buckeye to throw off would-be thieves, and this time, Bucky found a convenient ledge to throw this particular man off. You and Hobie quickly ushered both horses into the back just in case a sheriff comes looking for a murderous horse.

You've been seeing a few familiar faces in the crowd of travelers, the same children that's tugging at their father's coat, the same old couple that helps each other up on the platforms. Some have taken notice of you too, to which you smile politely at them while they wave kindly at you.

—

It's another warm humid day, another train to ride in. You don't bother to look at the interior this time, only deciding to sit on the cushy seat you were assigned to, sliding inside the booth, eyes already staring longingly at the outside world. Hobie once again tries to speak about something— anything to try to get you to finally speak your mind, but his rapid pulse tells him otherwise. So he clamps his mouth shut, deciding to sit across from you instead of sitting next to you like he wanted to.

He feels eyes on his form as he picks mud off his spurs, raising his head, he comes face to face with a freckled child staring at him curiously with her big blue eyes. Her tiny hands are curled around a teddy bear, her fiery red hair is tied into a neat ponytail. You notice her a second later, smiling softly at the child.

“Hello,” you greet kindly, and the girl scampers back to her family's seat, hiding her blushing face behind her mother's skirt.

“Sorry about that.” Her mother apologizes, round pregnant belly prominent as she tries to coax her daughter out. “This is Clementine, she's a bit shy.”

“That's alright,” you speak on behalf of Hobie. “Hi, Clementine, my name's Y/N, and this is my companion, Hobie.” The second your eyes meet his own, Hobie's breath gets stuck in his throat.

“Say hello, Clem, be polite.” The girl's father playfully pokes her side. Blue eyes hidden behind rounded glasses.

“Hi,” she says in a small voice, giggling when she looks back at Hobie.

“I think she has a crush on your husband.” Clementine's mother chuckles, patting her daughter's back for a job well done.

“My husband?” Panic sets in your chest until you see her gesturing towards Hobie. “Oh,” you chuckle shakily, fists bunched around your trousers.

Hobie notices, he doesn't say anything about it. He takes your reaction as something else, so to keep your embarrassment at bay, he tells the couple otherwise. “Not her husband. Just escortin’ her.”

The air becomes awkward. “Oh,” the mother rubs her belly, smiling gently. “Sorry, you two just look like a good pair.”

Her husband taps her shoe with his. “Just like us, eh, sweetheart?” The wife shakes her head with a bashful smile, bringing a grin to the man's lips. You start to think that this is what marriage is supposed to be. Caring, loving, clinging onto each other in the best way that doesn't stifle or choke, just love in its most natural form. It's unlike any marriages you've seen and experienced back home. “So where are you folks off to? I'm guessing south? We've been seeing you two around since Valentine, it's nice to have some company during the journey don't you think?”

Hobie doesn't sense malicious intent from the parents. “Sure, whatever you say, mate.”

“You're not from around here aren't you?” The little girl listens to the conversation, head moving from side to side whenever someone speaks. “That's alright,” she laughs softly, rummaging for something in her bag. Hobie has his thumb pressed along the side of his gun. “I can tell you'll be good neighbors,” she hands you a small jar of honey, it's bright yellow and clear, you wish you had some tea to go with it. Hobie breathes a sigh of relief. “Here you go!”

“Oh no thank you, we can't possibly take it.”

“Please do.” The husband says, “we used to have a colony of bees, but we had to sell them all before we moved.”

“We have dozens of unsold honey, we're honestly just looking to get rid of it before we get to our destination. They're heavy, y'know.” His wife finishes for him. “Clem, can you give it to sweet Y/N for me?”

“That's so kind of you.” You smile, nodding. “You're moving to the south?”

“Okay.” She happily takes it, walking across the aisle to you and Hobie. Unsurprisingly, she gives it to Hobie instead of you. “Here you go.” She copies her mother.

Hobie takes the jar with trepidation. “Thank you?”

You quiet down a laugh while Clementine’s parents guffaw across you.

“Oh she's in love.” The mother says, arms raised to embrace her daughter who welcomes her touch. You can't help but feel a pang in your heart at her love for her child. “And yes we're going to be living there with my in-laws. Rent has gone too high in the west, y'know.” You nod along, making friendly conversation.

“Wish I had tea,” you hear Hobie mumble. You smile softly at his words.

—

It's been a couple of more trains, and more smoke in your lungs, you start to feel like your hands are starting to smell like the steel that you now know as your temporary home. The scenery outside your window has changed. From grassy dusty plains of tumbleweeds and windmills to rolling mountains that rise up high with large looming trees that shield you from the sun. Soon your view will be full of the southern charm, but you don't look forward to it, being there means that you're closer to getting back to the place you dread.

You've grown quite close to Clementine and her little family, even the other familiar passengers that are heading the same way as you are quite fond of you as well. You eat breakfast with them, have afternoon tea, and have even introduced Cherry and Bucky to the children. They've lovingly named them both ‘horsies,’ to which you'd always giggle at.

Clementine has latched onto you, you teach her about plants and flowers, and have her draw them for you just like you've sweetly described it to her. But when Hobie's near, she opts to be his shadow for the time being, following him everywhere until her mother calls her back. Hobie is half annoyed that he can't find the time to speak to you, but he's glad that there's someone as a mediator between the two of you or he'll start vomiting out words that may or may not make the situation worse.

Your back aches at the lumpy mattress that you've unfortunately landed into. You can't help but give up the assigned cabin for you and Hobie to Clementine and her family since the beds are much more comfortable in that cabin. So you offered to exchange it, citing that the mother, Florence, you've come to know, needs it more because of the growing baby in her. She gratefully gave you another jar of honey for your sacrifice.

Hobie enters the booth, heavy boots thumping against darkened wood, spurs clicking, footsteps rolling along like a thick heavy fog of loneliness.

“Where were you?” He asks even though he's afraid that he'd be overbearing. His worries win over him.

You grip the spine of the borrowed book, knuckles tightening, eyes drawn downwards to the written word that spells out ‘grief.’ “I visited Cherry, I don't want her to be lonely.” You barely look at him.

Hobie flexes his hands not out of anger, no, out of fear of losing you, this time, just like the last time he did, he doesn't know why or how he could even lose you. He sits down across from you, bed creaking from his weight. He tries to play as the nonchalant cowboy like he always had for the past five years.

“Clementine was lookin' for you.” *I was looking for you. “Cherry won't be lonely, she has Bucky with her.”

“Bucky hasn't been much help when all he does is look at her. Not much of a conversationalist.” You flick your eyes over to him, flashes of anger and hopelessness are melted into your irises.

“Maybe Bucky just doesn't have the words.”

“And maybe Cherry just wants to talk to him.”

“That fuckin’ horse,” he laughs, you don't find the humour in his words. But he clearly does. Your anger flies over his head. “that horse is already worth half of your bounty.” His words are a sharp sting in your arteries. “If she actually speaks she'll be worth it.”

“And what if she doesn't? That she's not worth your damned money?” You toss the book aside. Anger seeping out of your pores. “You'll sell her after you bring me in to my aunt?” Your voice breaks, and you hate yourself for it. “Am I just that to you? A bounty?” The dam breaks, and everything you've kept to yourself bursts open.

“That's not—” The heart that he has sewn together breaks at the seams.

You abruptly stand up, tears pricking your eyes. Inhaling, you stare down the man you love. The only man you've ever loved. “You are not what I hoped to find when I escaped on that ship.”

Before he could say something, anything, you disappeared into another train car, and amidst the metallic halls.

—

Another grueling day, another steel cage to get into. The train whistles as it comes to a stop, you've grown acclimated to the smell of burning coal, you let it coat your lungs as you enter the train with Hobie silently trailing after you.

Your eyes are glossed over, red and swollen from the sobs you've let out over the course of the last sixteen hours. Hobie hasn't talked to you since then, always looking at your back, face unreadable. You pass by familiar faces, you don't acknowledge them. You're tired, bones aching, muscles twitching from lack of sleep and water. Head thrumming, you enter your designated cabin like a doe who has lost its way.

There's a sinkhole underneath your feet, slowly it eats at you, up to your shins and up your thighs, coating your flesh in mud and dirt. You don't tug at him anymore, the small ember of hope in your chest has diminished, instead, you let the ground swallow you whole— letting it suffocate you, letting it drown your lungs in soil.

Just like he did on the first train ride, there's four beds on each wall, but instead of an empty space in the middle, there's a little foldable table. You close the top bunks and lay down on one of the bottom ones, head heavy against the soft pillow. You feel his presence behind you, and then a cool steel atop your bicep. You flinch away, thinking it was a barrel of a gun.

“I figured you're thirsty.” He says, hand hovering above your shoulder in an attempt to calm you down. The train whistle rings out, and the engine whirrs and starts up as more smoke bellows outside your window.

You take the flask, sitting up to take a drink. He sits across from you, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped in front of him.

Hobie sees the glow of your ring, he instinctively brings his hand up to his own that has made its home around his neck; hidden behind his clothes, finding comfort in its gilded form, the closest thing he can get to you.

“Why do you still hold on to me? After all these years?” He asks, eyes swirling with unknown emotion.

“Why did you let me go?” You answer, and that was the end of the conversation. Then it hits you, he truly doesn't love you anymore.

—

Night comes, and with it your sadness comes flooding through you, getting in the corners, slithering around every crevice— it has memorized your form and made it its home.

Weirdly enough, Hobie hasn't left the cabin, his lingering presence doesn't stifle you, unlike the man back at home who watches you with piercing glares. Even with your fury, your mind still finds comfort in Hobie.

He hears your almost silent cry, he wants to hold on to you, to brush his palms on your cheeks, to wipe away the tears and press his lips against your own. But he can't, or you'll think that he didn't mean it, that he only did it to make you calm down. It would be a cheap satisfaction for the both of you.

“I didn't let you go, I had to go.” He suddenly says above the quiet cutting of an apple in his hand, leaving pieces of it on your side just in case you want it. His voice doesn't waver, perhaps he has been saying the exact words to you in his mind for the past five years. You still have your back turned facing him as the deep rumble of the train goes on. “I was young and stupid. I was forced—”

You suddenly turn towards him, sitting up on the lumpy mattress. “And I was young and stupid too, yet I knew in my heart that running away with you wasn't foolish. Was it stupid to you? Escaping with me? That you'd rather run away, alone, to another country than be with me?” The memory of a young you waiting for him with your luggage in your grip has you seething.

Hobie matches your anger, hunting knife pausing on the red apple. “Did you hear what I said?” He angrily skins the fruit, slicing and dicing at its flesh. “You have no idea what I've done to survive. I have endured a lot to be where I am now—”

“And what of what I endured?!” You stand up, taking your bag, rummaging through it. “I'm truly sorry for whatever happened to you— but how could I apologize for something that I don't even know?” You toss the letters on the desk after struggling to take it out of the bag. “There! The letters that were sent back to me because I had no idea where you would be! Read them, and you'll know of the things I've endured. Unlike you who would rather look at me with contempt than tell me why I deserve that horrid gaze.” You gasp for air, he lets you speak, his own anger dissipating, fear once again encompasses him. “I thought you were dead, everyone kept telling me you were, but I didn't believe them. It's been years, my hands are raw from— I mourned you.” You pause, watching your golden ring glow in the lampshade. “Do you know how much that hurt? To start to believe their words? To lose hope? I didn't know where you were but you knew where I was and yet, not a single fucking letter went my way.”

Hobie stares at the letters spilled all over the table, apple juice seeping into the yellowed paper. He takes one, the oldest looking one that has its edges burned. Breaking the wax seal, he reads as he listens to your words coated in venom and grief.

“One letter, Hobie, and I would've understood. Then I wouldn't have come after you if you just told me you didn't want to be with me anymore.” You nod, “and now you're bringing me home, to the same people who would rather keep me locked up and tell me lies. I don't know how your letter got in my possession, but now I know that you didn't mean anything you wrote in it.” For five years you've asked yourself, ‘was it me?’ ‘Was I the reason you left?’ you never got the answer to your question, so now you ask him finally. “Was it me?”

Hobie raises his head to look upon your sorrow, his hand shakes at the act they've done to you the second he escaped. He had thought they'd leave you alone, that they'd finally let you go once he was gone and forgotten; but he never thought it would get worse, the hurtful words and slaps on the wrists were nothing compared to what they've done after that night he was almost buried alive— the night you tried to escape with him. His mind draws the scene, blood coating your knees, your pained cry as your aunt jabs your hands with the tip of a fountain pen. And then her words of hollow apologies as she heals your wounds so that it wouldn't scar. You're filled with them, invisible to the eye, but not to you, the only person who has felt every single torturous wound.

‘It's terrible,’ you wrote, ‘not ever seeing you again.’ And he agonizingly read it. No, it wasn't you, it was them, them who would rather commit murder just to mimic what he had. Hobie can't form coherent words at what he just read, anger and sadness piercing his veins like a poisoned arrow of guilt.

You sniff, wiping the tears in your eyes as he just stares back at you. His hands shakes, paper crumpling under his tight grip, he needs to bring you home. But not there, not at the gilded cage he left you in.

The cruelty of memory has plagued you, you try to remember, you reminisce, but did it actually happen? Did all his love for you even happen?

“You don't have to keep reading,” you say solemnly, “it doesn't matter now, we're nearly there.” With a slide of the door, you leave.

—

After the twelfth tear stained letter, with his own tears flowing down and leaving moistened webs on the paper, he has had enough. His eyes always seem to see the same words now, ‘was it me?’ ‘Are you alive?’ and ‘When will you come back?’ Hobie hasn't even made a dent on the letters, barely reading half of the pile of longing you've left. Hobie's mind swirls into different emotions, going through every scenario where he didn't run away, where he came back for you while clutching his still bleeding throat and body covered in moist soil.

He was foolish to try and push you away, to hold you at arm's length, to only look at you like he has let the poisonous words thrown at him by the very same man that gave him the scar curl around him like blackened smoke that stains his clothes. He thought that wanting you back would bring nothing but hurt, especially that he thought that he didn't deserve it. To want is his demise, to have you again in his arms is his folly, but what a wonderful folly it would be.

How could he do all of that to you when his scarred flesh is in the shape of your name.

He pockets the letters, tucking it inside his waist coat, right above his heart just to feel your words through them. The door opens with a click, and he walks towards your direction like a compass built inside him that always points towards you. His fingers glide along the scar on his neck, raised skin felt through his gloves as he walks from carriage to carriage. Where there's open air in between, cool breeze stinging his moistened cheeks. Then he stops at the edge of a crowd, a jaunty tune plays from a traveling musician, playing for a scrap of coins in the corner. People gather around the brightly lit bar, alive and happy, and there you are standing as if you're frozen in time. As if he's seeing you just how he left you.

Amidst the familiar faces within the crowd that gathers in the small bar to converse, he stares at you, and by some miracle, you stare back at him, meeting his jade eyes that are surrounded by a sickened red. There's a soft, ghost of a smile on your lips, even after what you've told him— eyes full of love for the same man who has your heart in the palm of his hands; gentle, caring and yet unknowingly the only person that could truly hurt you the most without the painful slap of a wooden board against your back. It brings him back in time, under the cloudy gas light and the whir of the metal machines whose maw opens and closes to reveal heated metal— His mouth opens and he says the exact same thing that he has been saying every single time his eyes meet yours in secret— ‘meet you back at home.’ He utters, a promise kept under the smell of unlit gunpowder and cheap champagne that your aunt always buys to placate the workers. And you say the same words back without a bated breath— ‘wait for me.’ You almost cry out into the crowd, you'd scream it if it weren't for the forbidden relationship. It has been like that through every cheap congratulatory milestone the factory and your aunt has thrown. You don't speak to him, but your longing eyes do. He doesn't come near you, but his hand would always gravitate towards your velvet clad hand. ‘No one else knows.’ ‘No one else knows,’ those words echo in your mind like a root taking its place. Yet, someone saw, it only takes one good pair of eyes to see the growing love between you— ‘no one knows,’ he mirrors, but one does. It only takes one to set off a domino effect, an effect that would lead to his attempted murder, and to your demise that he isn't fully privy to. ‘No one knows,’ ‘no one knows,’ you whisper to yourself as you pack your bags to escape the life you haven't got a say in. No one knows, and yet, one did, and that one got your love's neck slashed and buried alive in the same soil you once kissed above on, under the same tree that you were supposed to meet in.

He wondered why you didn't show up, but the one that knew did. No one knows, and the one that did lived in your house, ate your food, shared a bed with your aunt— a story told through a letter from a man he once worked with, a man who now has one eye, a man that helped dig him out of the shallow grave they've put him in, waiting to bleed out in the earthbound soil. A dangerous letter that he had burned in the fire from anger. He wanted revenge, but you would be the cost. So he survived and killed, and survived again, always seeing you in the corner of his eye, always hearing your almost forgotten voice when he's on the edge of sleep. He survived and now he's here, meeting with your eyes amidst the crowd once again— with the evidence of his survival curling around him like a heavy rope, and your own hovering above you like a grey cloud that threatens to spill, yet he still utters the same words above the murmuring happier crowd, “meet you back at home.” His throat closes in around the words, almost screaming it to the crowd.

A tear slips from your eyes that are full of woe, and you say the words back, quieter, unsure, yet, the love is still there— “wait for me.”

Hobie breathes for the first time, his feet carrying him around the crowd, weaving through bodies to get to you while you stand still, waiting for him, watching as he desperately trudges to get to you.

You look just like how he remembered, standing by the oak tree, waiting for him even if his hands are stained black from grease— you'd still hold his hand. Now his hands are soiled in crimson that drips onto the floorboards, and yet you still hold your hand out towards him. He would atone for his sins if that's what you'd ask of him, but no one would grant him his penance, he has accepted that fact long ago. Only your touch could mimic it.

Hobie finally makes it to you, now he stands in front of your form, now he notices your hand grasping his own. Featherlight, unsure, if he'd reciprocate, giving him enough time to shake you off. But he doesn't, instead, he holds on to you tighter as he leads you outside of the noisy carriage and away from prying eyes, what he should've done all those years ago.

Hobie tugs you out of the hole that has consumed you.

Silently, you follow him, squeezing his hand twice to let him know that you're right behind him without him looking over his shoulder to inspect. You feel his fingers run along the ring on your finger.

The sound of the metal wheels are loud in your ears, steam rolling off in waves as it warms your back. It's dark out, the moon above guiding his path while he opens the other door leading towards the last carriage that carries horses and baggage.

The moon has always been a comfort to you. You thought in those years without him that he'd be staring at the same moon as you, that at least you've still got a connection with him. Even if you weren't sure he'd be alive to look up at the sky. Arms suddenly envelopes you, hands cradling the back of your head to keep you close to him, face hidden in the crook of your neck.

You're the first one to speak while you tentatively raise your arms to embrace him back. He's warm, warmer than you remember. “Do you mean it?”

Hobie sniffs, diamonds rolling off his cheeks, a promise falling from his lips, “yes, I'll bring you home, my home.” He molds himself to the shape of you once again. An act that you've been trying to attain since the beginning of the journey, now you're both perfectly aligned with each other, heartbeats synching and full. “I'll tell you everything, everything you need to know.”

“Just the ones you're willing to tell, Hobie. I'm so sorry for yelling those words at you.” You hold his head in your hands, gentle, caring, cradling him like you're holding the moon. Guiding it upwards so you could stare at his viridescent eyes that's full of hope for the first time in years. But the gnawing in your mind draws too close to you. “They'll never stop, they will keep hunting us down.” A sob breaks through your throat, “You have to bring me to them.” Tears flow out of you, “or we'll never be at peace. You'll never be at peace.”

The horses neigh behind you, Cherry huffs while Buckeye just stares at the scene. The carriage rattles for a moment before Hobie leans, laying his forehead atop yours, squeezing the soft skin on your nape. He closes his eyes, inhaling you in, you almost crumble in his arms. You've dreamt of this day, dreamt of holding him like this once again.

“You're my peace.” he whispers, “They can try to ruin that peace, but I'll stop them. I'll kill them if I had to.”

“Okay,” you close your eyes, just as he opens his own. “Take me home.”

“‘m sorry,” he kisses your forehead, lips lingering, a heavy kiss that brings you back to life, mending all your doubts. “Let's go home, yeah?” Leaning away, his eyes dart over to a man coming your way, he doesn't find it suspicious, but then the stranger brandishes a gun, raising it over your head. “Y/N—!”

Your body flings off to the side, hip hitting harshly on the corner of a crate. Then a loud cackle of a gun goes off, the sound bouncing off the walls, gunpowder flying over head, hiding Hobie from your vision. You yell his name, but you can't hear your own voice from the ringing in your ears.

Everything happens slowly in your eyes. Smoke spreads as you see Hobie still standing and unscathed, gun raised, barrel aimed at the man's head. Said man runs towards him like a bull, making Hobie miss his shots. Yet the man still shoots at him, slower than Hobie but just as deadly. Hobie leans his head slightly to the side, effectively dodging a bullet. You scamper towards Cherry, lifting yourself up, waiting for the right moment. And then you slap your precious horse, making her kick before he could reach Hobie. Cherry's deadly kick hits the perpetrator right on his back, where a sickening crunch can be heard. The sheer force of the kick has dust flying off his body, and now he lays motionless on the wooden floor.

“Fuckin' hell.” Hobie gawps at you, smile spreading across his lips. “You alright?” He walks over to you, or tries to while Cherry gives one last kick towards the dead man.

“Yeah,” you nod, patting Cherry, Keeping her calm. “It's okay, girl. I'm so sorry.” You coo at her, Hobie goes around the horse to hold you. “Are you—?”

His arms wrap around your waist, lips smashing on yours. You inhale and it's already over. Even if it was quick, it wasn't a cheap satisfaction, it's everything. He pats your cheek affectionately, beaming at you, holding you close. “You're brilliant.” His thumb rubs softly where you hit your hip on the crate, a silent apology.

You smile, heart thumping loudly like an engine. “It was all Cherry.”

“Should I snog the horse now too?” Hobie says smugly, eyebrows raised in amusement.

“No, preferably just me, for now at least.” You tap his chest, bashfulness encompassing you.

“Nah, it's you until the end, love.” He clicks his forehead against yours, making you chuckle.

A scream rings out from the other carriage, hurried footsteps bounding away. “Do you think—?”

Hobie reloads his gun effortlessly, giving the spare one to you. “You're a better shot than me anyway.” He takes one last look at you, as if this is the last time he'd ever set his eyes on you. “Whoever they are, I'll cut through them. Cover my back?”

“Always,” You nod, taking the silver six-shooter, “then we'll go home after this.”

He grins, hope in his eyes. “Home, you'll love it there.”

“Let's cut through all of them then.”

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macbethvsromeo · 5 years ago

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yo here I’m thinking Varys died for simply telling Jon he should be king and someone just pointed out that he was actually trying to poison Daenerys LMAO

he’s a fucking savage

#game of thrones #game of thrones spoilers #spoilers end tonight #well tags for them #im not consistent I knowwww #but damn wtf I didnt even know he was trying to poison her #im stupid #I thought that scene with him and the little girl meant he was caring for dany #and making sure she eats to better her wellbeing #NAH LMAO MANS WAS TRYING TO KILL HER #im weak

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itsallyscorner · 4 years ago

Note

I was wondering if you can write something about reader x marvel cast where they go on the tour bus with James Corden. Maybe reader is dating a costar (you can choose who)

💌

We Are Avengers

Pairing: Marvel cast x reader, Sebastian Stan x Fem!reader

Summary: Basically what happens during James Corden’s Star Star Tour😌

Warnings: None :)

Hello darling, thank you for the request! I apologize that it took so long for me to write, but I’ve been busy with school and I’ve been lacking motivation in general. But thank you so much for this request, it gave me the chance to rewatch one of my favorite Marvel cast videos so thank you for that as well, it never fails to make me smile. I hope you don’t mind that I chose Seb as the co-star you’re dating! Also, yes, I know I’ve been writing a lot of headcanons but writing this as a headcanon seems like the best way to write it for me😭 I’m gonna add in some pictures that the cast took with their disposable cameras, so enjoy😉

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(GIF from Pinterest)

✧───── ･｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

When it was mentioned that you and some other members of the Infinity War cast were going to be on James Corden, you were very excited.

You enjoyed making appearances on late night talk shows; Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel—they were always fun to be on. Though you’ve always loved making appearances on James Corden’s show.

When you first heard about being on The Late Late Show, you were expecting to do a typical interview in the studio that would lead to playing a game later on in the show.

What you didn’t expect was to be led out to the parking lot with the rest of the cast, only to be greeted by a double decker bus with James’ face plastered alongside it.

At first you were all a bit confused but one of the producers came up to you all and explained the segment you were all filming.

Everyone was buzzing with exhilaration waiting to get on the bus. One by one you were called up, you being paired with Sebastian.

Wait, he would make you go up the stairs first so he can stay behind you, making sure you don’t fall. Omg and he would place his hand on your lower back too😭🥺

“Wow—Marvel’s own power couple, it’s such an honor to have you both on here. Thank you for coming!” James greeted the both of you. Partially acting because the cameras were rolling.

You and Sebastian beamed at him, proud of the title the fans and your cast mates have given you both over the years. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, James.”

James gives you both your name tags, pausing mid way while he was handing Seb his. James’ gaze shifts between you and Seb, “I’m sorry, you’re just both so beautiful.”

Seb bashfully thanks him, pulling you towards the seats, as you giggle behind him.

You and Seb sit towards the back, behind Don and Tom.

You all sit tight, talking amongst yourselves as you wait for the bus to start. In the seats were disposable cameras and some Late Late Show merch.

The bus hasn’t started driving yet, but you were all having too much fun with the disposable cameras.

Everyone was just taking pictures of each other. You and Seb took a couple selfies and some stolen shots of the others, mostly Anthony.

You even got a cute shot of Don and Tom:

Yes I know they used disposable cameras but I decided to tie in my ‘Polaroid’ series into this even though they’re not using Polaroids—just go with it😭

Being the more social one in the relationship, you were going up and down the aisle talking to everyone.

Seb stayed towards the back with Anthony and Winston. While you were at the front talking to Lizzie and Chris.

Being sad when you were all told to go sit down because you had to leave Lizzie.

Though it probably wasn’t shown in the video, I just KNOW that the filming for this segment was chaotic as fuck.

Chaotic in a good way.

But the whole bus was loud I just know it.

You could hear Mackie across from you talking loudly and laughing that contagious laugh of his.

You, Lizzie, Pom, and Zoe attempting to talk to each other from different spots on the bus over everyone else’s voice.

Chris and Paul can also be heard laughing all the way from the back.

James feeling like a parent because it felt like he was babysitting a bunch of toddlers.

The whole thing was freaking chaotic from the start, I mean ya’ll started the ‘tour’ with Benedict and Chris rubbing sunscreen on James’ legs.

Everyone passing around the sunscreen after, because it was sunny as hell and no one thought of wearing sunscreen.

Seb being a cheeky asshole and ‘accidentally’ smearing sunscreen across your face.

“Sebastian!” You gasped before a flash of light went off on you. When your eyes recovered from the flash you see Seb holding up a camera at you, snickering to himself.

James began to act as your guide, pointing out things like a coffee shop and explaining what it is.

All of you being childish and pretending to not know what a coffee shop or what a line is.

Laughing at Don when he got out of his seat and took a picture of the coffee shop. Like how he got into an over exaggerated position just to take a picture was funny.

Everyone being childish and acting as actual tourist in Los Angeles. Like pointing things out and asking about them or taking pictures of literally everything you drove by.

When Reggie Watts began that sing along thing everyone joined in, bopping and dancing along to the beat.

Like you guys are just having a really great time, happy to be in each other’s presence.

You could hear Sebby singing along to Reggie beside you, and you couldn’t help but just adore him singing and having fun.

He’d notice your stare, he may have had sunglasses on, but you could see the crinkle of his eyes from behind his sunglasses as he smiled at you.

��Na, na, na, na, na, na!” Seb repeated, leaning towards you to press a kiss on your temple.

Throughout the whole ride, he’d have his arm along the back of your seat or have it across your lap.

After the sing along, James went back to acting as a tour guide. He pointed to a red building—whatever it was—and deemed it as “Barbra Streisand’s holiday home”.

Josh Brolin, who was sat along at the back of the deck, raised his hand. “Excuse me! I—uh don’t mean to interrupt, but I have to use the bathroom. Can I use the bathroom?”

James pretending to cringe and telling him that in order to use the bathroom you have to be in three or more Marvel movies to use the bathroom—end credits don’t count.

Everyone being childish once again and yelling “OHHHHHHH!” Like a bunch of school kids.

James points to Tom, “Tom Hiddleston do you need the bathroom?”

Tom, with his soft voice and a small shrug says, “I’m actually okay!”

James then points to you and Seb, “My lovebirds at the back, Sebastian, (Y/n), do either of you need the bathroom?”

You and Seb glance at each other, “Nah we’re good.” Your boyfriend answers.

“Yeah, I used the bathroom before we came here.” You look behind your shoulder at Josh, a smug expression on your face, “Unlike some people.”

Josh flipping you off while everyone laughs at him.

Since Anthony and Seb aren’t sitting together, I just know that Anthony would be yelling at Seb from across the bus to get his attention.

No seriously, I saw them in the background of the video and even heard Mackie yelling lmao😭😂

“(Y/n) call Sebastian!” Anthony yelled at you from across the bus, pointing to the man beside you with a grin on his face.

You chuckle and nudge Seb, “Your boyfriend’s calling you.”

Seb would shake his head at you and turn his attention to Anthony; who just wanted to take a picture of Seb from his side of the bus.

James trying to get spoilers out of all of you but thankfully you all aren’t Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo.

“Does anyone on this bus die in the next Avengers?” James asked. Suddenly you were all quiet, not a word coming out of any of you.

Until Paul began to scream his infamous line, “snITCHES END UP IN DITCHES!”

Getting confused when James suddenly asked the bus to stop and ran off the bus.

Next thing you know, you’re all hopping off the bus and walking into a comic store with a Spider-Man statue at the front.

Seb motioned to the statue and looked back and Anthony, “We gotta get a picture with that.”

Anthony instantly agreeing—he was willing to do anything to tease Tom Holland.

Seb’s not that huge with PDA, but he always needs to be touching you. So he’ll be interlocking your hands with his the moment you walk off the bus and all the way into the comic store.

Feeling thrilled to surprise the people who were shopping at the store.

You all walked around, mingled with some fans, taking selfies with them, and signed a few things.

You were looking at some Funko Pops with Lizzie when you felt a small tap on your leg.

You looked down to see a small girl looking up at you with wide eyes full of admiration. In her tiny hands was a Funko Pop of your character.

You and Lizzie instantly coo at the toddler, crouching down to her level so you can talk.

“Hey, sweetheart!” You greet her, taken back when she suddenly wraps her arms around you into a hug. You laugh wrapping your arms around her small figure and hugging her back.

“I love you so much!” She squeals into your ear, arms tightening around you. Your heart swelled as she excitedly babbled about how much she loved your character and how you were her favorite.

“I love you too! Oh my gosh, you’re so cute!” You decide to carry the toddler, who you later learned was named Lila. Her parents scolded her for distracting you from the other fans in the store, but you brushed them off, your attention focused on your tiny fan.

You carried her around while you met other fans and signed more comic books and merch.

You even introduced her to your other cast mates.

Sebastian’s heart absolutely melting at the sight of you with a baby.

Homie wants to wife you up one day and seeing you with a baby made his baby fever sky rocket.

“Lila, this is Sebastian! You know who he plays right?” You ask the toddler in your arms. Sebastian ducking a bit so he could hear her over the commotion in the store.

“Yeah, he’s the wiener soldier!” She replied. Both you and Seb had to hold back your laughs at her answer.

Lila bragging about how she loves you more than Sebastian.

Seb having to agree because he doesn’t wanna make a toddler cry.

Before you all left, you took pictures with Lila and her parents and signed a bunch of her merch.

^ the boys got their picture.

You guys get back on the bus only to come back to rolls of paper under your seats.

You all sang the “Avengers” song, singing screaming the lyrics dramatically.

Don and Anthony bringing on the vocals.

Before you guys get off the bus you all take a selfie together.

Leaving Chris Hemsworth on the bus and walking off the bus with your heart all warm and fuzzy because you had an amazing time with your boyfriend and your friends :)

This is so long holy shit

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🏷 Tags ↴

*if there’s a line through your username, Tumbr won’t let me tag you*

Marvel Cast/ Avengers Tags

↪︎ @ximaginx @lozzypoz321 @sunwardsss @pokemonbong @pjokotlcmarvel201 @whoslili @111111111111111sblog @marvel-is-a-mood @blckyungblood @astroponyo @universemarvel @imthebadguyyy @roseke @bi-myself-forever @httpscarletwitch @millenniumloki @cristin-rjd @swords-are-cool @melaninfalconbucky @deamus-liv @elvish-sky @catsandbooksandsstuff @ellajoy419 @moonlight-babe99

Sebastian Stan Tags

↪︎ @theresnoplatypus @wintersoldierlover @peacelovehobbitness @milea @sunwardsss @thedenimjacket @roserose26

General Tags

↪︎ @quxxnxfhxll @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @thegirlwiththediary @agustdowney @bi-lmg @rqmanoff @sesamepancakes @stardustofreading @dracoswhore007 @swiftmind

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starfrayed-blog · 7 years ago

Text

in regards to the last jedi , a meta .

so , tlj happened . i have mixed feelings , but overall i really did love the film . i’m going to touch on 4 points the movie brings up / 4 points that are essential to my rey charaterization ( or that i won’t be using in it ) .

1 . hope , which is the strongest part of rey that has always been my motto for her . hope blinded / hope filled , that’s what she is . her hope is the driving force for her arc -- hope that luke would come back , hope that luke would train her , hope in knowing her parents , hope that kylo would turn , hope that she found the key to save the galaxy . & in the end , holding out hope for the resistance is why she didn’t accept kylo’s offer , even with their bond .

2 . balance , which is what she wants to achieve . for a moment , i truly considered making rey a gray jedi , but in the end , i know she is light , despite the dark . but i do think that if a few more things push her , she will be a gray jedi for sure . time will tell .

3 . parents , which were a background to this film , but were a driving force for her . she is the daughter of nobody important -- thrown away & sold off . i’m glad they didn’t make her apart of a lineage , because honestly rey is far too special to be weighed down by lineage history / expectations .

4 . rey / kylo’s force bond , which led to such deep & interesting development for them both . i reject the notion that snoke linked them , because even after he was dead , they still shared the bond without him . do not mistake this for me shipping it , because i don’t & never will . but they’re foils to each other -- both conflicted , but he lacks the hope she has in abundance . he is the dark , she is the light . both of them are so strong yet felt so alone -- but whereas kylo chooses to remain alone on the dark side ( despite rey begging him to not fall deeper into it , because of her hope he could be saved & save the resistance ) , rey chooses to not be alone anymore . she chooses friends , she chooses hope , she chooses light .

#tlj spoilers /#/ yeah idk this movie had me conflicted but i do love the characterization of rey in it EXCEPT ONCE SCENE !!!!!! WHERE SHE'S SOME ??#/ BLUSHING SCHOOLGIRL OVER KYLO SHIRTLESS ? NAH. LMAO NO. REY IS NOT GOOD WITH TOUCHING UNLESS UR CLOSE TO HER (AKA FINN & LEIA & POE) BUT..#/ NOT TO THE EXTENT OF BEING LIKE THAT SO... I REJECT IT FROM MY CANON #✧ * ・ ` ╰ ⁰⁰² ˑ ▰ › 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷 𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴 ᵎ / META . ‘ﾟ✶#meta tag.

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notepadsandtealeaves · 3 years ago

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Team Karasuno in: Snow Day? Snow Day!!

Winter Wonderland Series

MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT || 18+ ONLY ||

|| ao3 version | series m.list ((pending)) | hq tag | main blog ||

↠ Requested By: The spirit of the season?? Idk man lol… ↠ Reader Gender: Neutral ↠ Content Type: SFW winter-funtimes fluff ((but my blog’s 18+, so if minors want to consume my sfw stuff while still respecting my wishes of them staying out of this space, they can head over to my AO3)) ↠ Chronology: Post time skip ↠ CWs: None ↠ Betas? Nah, we don’t do that here. ↠ Total WC: 1.7k~

This is just a lil something I wanted to do for the holidays. It’s nothing major, just some short(ish, because lbr, this is me we’re talking about here lmao) HCs about our volleybae’s seasonal/holiday habits. Speaking of which—this isn’t Christmas-specific, so no worries if that’s not your holiday of choice.

I’ll be doing this for all of the major teams, which means things may get a bit repetitive, but I’ve done my best to (hopefully) avoid that.

But anyways! I’ve gone on long enough. I’ll leave you to read (and hopefully) enjoy…

|| A Snow Day, You Say??

❄ Note: The sections that have their name in bold font are what I imagine to be their default setting.

❄ 2 Hyped Crew

Lives for snow days, absolutely cannot wait for them. Probably knew this was coming even before the meteorologist and has been planning accordingly lol. Definitely May or may not have taken the day off for this. Has all the fixings ready to go—from cold weather gear to warm drinks and things you probably never knew you needed but totally do, they’ve got you covered.

Asahi A. | C. Ennoshita ((dude’s always had his shit together, tbh)) | Daichi S. | H. Yachi ((between her fear of potentially losing an extremity to frostbite and her natural love of planning this isn’t exactly surprising)) | I. Takeda ((definitely a planner, it’s the teacher in him lol)) | K. Narita ((out of all the people listed here he’s probably the most chill about it lol)) | K. Sugawara ((ngl, he’s the kind that’ll wake you up at some ungodly because he’s just that hyped)) | Kiyoko S. | S. Hinata | Saeko T. ((not so much on the preparedness tip, but her enthusiasm for snow days is unmatched)) | T. Yamaguchi ((he absolutely LOVES the snow, so much so that he’d been tracking the cold front for damn near a week before it landed lmao)) | Y. Nishinoya

❄ It Snowing??

Somehow wasn’t aware that it was going to snow at all, despite the season… and the forecast… and your excited babbles beforehand. Still, they’re more than willing to get out there with you and enjoy the day.

Daichi S. ((look, being a cop is tiring/hard, okay, so sometimes stuff slips his notice)) | H. Kinoshita ((not oblivious as much as he’s just indifferent to it all lol)) | K. Sugawara ((tho he has no idea how he managed to be so oblivious to this when he teaches small children)) | K. Ukai ((I’m sorry, but this man can be unobservant af lol)) | R. Tanaka | T. Kageyama ((I love Kags, I swear I do, but he just gives me Wii Store Music vibes lmao; honey doesn’t know what’s going on like 67% of the time))

❄ Yeah, but Snow’s Gross Tho :/

Did not know and-or does not care that today’s a snow day. They’re not overly fond of colder temperatures in general so adding snow to the mix is… not ideal to say the least. Still, they love the hell out of you, and said love will see them braving the elements—just don’t expect them to like it. ((spoiler: they end up enjoying it more than either of you expected if for no other reason than they like spending time with you.))

K. Tsukishima ((stubborn as all hell, will not bend on this… well until you give him The Eyes™, anyway)) | R. Tanaka ((don’t ask me why, but he just gives me the vibe that he doesn’t like being too cold; won’t bitch about it tho because that’s not ~manly~)) | T. Kageyama ((absolutely hates the way the cold effects his fingers, i.e. the stiffness; he’ll do everything in his power to try and convince you to stay inside with him lol))

|| Playing Outside Gives You So Much More Room for Activities

❄ A Battle for the (Ice) Ages

They have only two words for you:

Snowball War.

And they do mean war, btw. This isn’t just some happy-funtimes tossing of snowballs. They want to absolutely pulverize the opposition, so you had better hope that you end up on their team for your own sake lmao. Goes all the way in, naturally. Builds a fort, makes a stockpile of snowballs (regulation, per your demands), and pulls everyone in the neighborhood—hell even those outside of it, if they can manage it—into the madness. Definitely calls up all of your friends to join in the fun as well.

Daichi S. ((definitely Pied Piper’s the neighborhood kids into this mess we don’t call him ‘Dadchi’ for nothing lol, tho he goes a bit easy on them, naturally)) | H. Kinoshita ((generally he is calm and collected, but he's also a part of this team so…)) | I. Takeda ((potentially a semi-hot take, but look me in the eye and tell me that this man doesn’t have a feral streak, I dare you)) | K. Sugawara | K. Tsukishima ((but like only if he’s feeling extra salty lol)) | K. Ukai ((if he’s feeling saucy/isn’t too tired from work)) | T. Kageyama ((will blast a kid in the face with a snowball with absolutely no remorse)) | S. Hinata ((he’s the one that hits Kags in retaliation for blasting said kid, a fistfight ensues, Sho wins but only because the kid helps him lmao)) | Saeko T. ((ngl, she’s here purely to cause discord lmao; will also team up with her little bro and Noya to wreck shop)) | Y. Nishinoya ((this cute lil ball of energy has absolutely NO chill…)) | R. Tanaka ((a bit more chill about it than Noya, but that’s not saying much lol; he’s still gonna do some damage))

❄ The Chill Ones™

These folks have a bit more chill about things. They aren’t opposed to a good snowball fight, but they’re not going to go to the same extremes as the others. They’re pretty much down to do whatever, tbh. You want to make snow angels? Cool, leggo. Perhaps you’d rather sit back and watch the snowfall, maybe even catch a few of the frozen flakes on your tongue? They’re all about it. Hell, even if you wanted to attempt to make a sentient snowman via some dark arts type ish, they are 100% down. They’re here for it/you.

Asahi. A ((he definitely uses the cold as an excuse to keep you close)) | C. Ennoshita | Daichi S. | H. Kinoshita | H. Yachi ((tho she’d admittedly rather have a plan in place, she’s noticed that since meeting you her anxieties aren’t nearly so bad as they once were)) | K. Narita ((this dude’s vibes are immaculate, tbh, we love to see it)) | K. Ukai ((we’ve all seen how chill this dude can be, he has that ish down to a science, truly, so it is hardly surprising that this is his default state)) | K. Sugawara ((doesn’t really care what you get into, tbh, he just wants to spend some time with his baby)) | Kiyoko S. | S. Hinata ((once you let him burn off a good chunk of his energy he’s surprisingly chill)) | T. Yamaguchi

❄ Hates the Cold, Loves You

These are the people that would much rather be enjoying the snow from behind the warm comfort of a window, and yet somehow you managed to get them outside anyways. Much like the abovementioned group, they’re here for you, ultimately, so whatever it is you want to do is what’s being done. May or may not gripe a bit—it really just depends on how cold they are lol—but not to the point where they make you feel guilty. After all it was their decision to accompany you, and if you’re just going to make a day of it, it may as well be a good one, yanno?

((Side note: pls be kind and periodically take them in to warm up/grab a snack, and don’t keep them out too long. In some cases there’s a v. good reason why they’re not overly fond of cold weather, and it’s due in large part to how it affects them physically.))

K. Tsukishima ((he’s gonna bitch for the first little bit, but as he starts to loosen up you’ll notice that his bids to go back inside disappear altogether; don’t comment on it tho, or he’ll start back up just to mess with you lol)) | R. Tanaka | T. Kageyama

❄ That Good Rom-Com Experience

This lot totally wants that Hallmark rom-com experience. Expect to run through all of the classic tropes—from those cute/sweet lil nose nuzzling kisses to holding hands while you lazily drift around the rink to legit frolicking through the snow, you’re gonna do it all.

Definitely takes a grip of pictures/vids for the Gram, complete with sweet lil captions; they are absolutely gonna rub your cuteness in the internet’s collective face with a slew of Couple’s Goals-esque posts lol.

Asahi A. ((he’s gonna want to hit up some fun outdoor events, esp. ones showcasing ice art and the like, and the resulting pics will be *chef’s kiss*)) | C. Ennoshita ((he is so damn sweet about the whole thing; he’s not super into social media, but he won’t mind if you wanna put up the pics on your accounts)) | H. Yachi ((this girl is hella soft for you; she can be a bit camera shy so majority of your pics involve her burying her face against you ;n;)) | I. Takeda ((this is probably the more standard experience with him; dude gives me those good storybook romance vibes and I am SO here for it)) | K. Narita | K. Sugawara | K. Tsukishima ((he hate’s social media with a weirdly intense passion—well aside from Twitter b/c he loves that particular brand of drama lol—but will still insist that you post about your date on your accounts)) | Kiyoko S. ((what can she say—you make her soft 💖, tho like Ennoshita she’s not too big on social media in general)) | R. Tanaka ((will push past his disdain for the snow to Do It For You; seeing your smile makes the small bit of discomfort more than worth it)) | S. Hinata | Saeko T. ((she absolutely loves showing her baby off, so expect to take a grip of pictures; her favorites always get printed out and pinned to the memory board that she keeps over her bed—bless ;n;)) | T. Kageyama ((lbr, this man’s socials are like 60% volleyball stuff, 40% you)) | T. Yamaguchi ((this precious bby stay droppin’ cute couple pics on all his socials)) | Y. Nishinoya ((what he lacks in chill, he makes up for in, well being really fucking cute lol; so many pics, many of them blurred because he’s usually in the middle of kissing you/pinching your cheek/backflipping over a snowman))

No matter your chosen beau or belle, or how the day plays out, it’ll always end the same: the pair of you curled up together under a blanket, warm drinks in hand to chase away the chill from your bones, and a smile on your lips and you bask in the afterglow of a snow day well spent.

Taglist ((open to 18+ users only)): @screamin-abt-haikyuu | @scarlettriot ((if you guys wanna be removed and-or just get tags for certain teams let me know!))

© notepadsandtealeaves, 2021 || Please do not repost, translate, or otherwise alter or distribute my works without my express permission. And for the love of god keep it away from Youtube and TikTok lol…

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alfredolover119 · 4 years ago

Note

I looooove your zukka rec lists! I recently became Avatar-obsessed, never got a chance to watch it as a kid and only just got through it all! I was wondering if you'd consider doing a specifically angst rec list? I love fluffy zukka everything, but sometimes you just gotta have your heart ripped out of your chest and put back in after being thoroughly blended.

thank you! i relate heavily to “recently became Avatar-obsessed” haha. as for the angst list, i sure can try! warning: all of these have happy endings because im a crybaby who can’t read unhappy endings. also, p much all of the fics in the completed section were featured on my other lists but this is specifically the ANGSTY ones >:^)

angsty zukka wips

first, most obviously, feels like we only go backwards by @oldpotatoe

-currently at 102k with 19/27 chapters posted; rated teen

-the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. you know. i haven’t actually read it yet because, as previously mentioned, i’m a crybaby and am waiting for it to finish up but, from my understanding, this fic will murder you in a dark alleyway with no remorse. if u like zukka angst, you’ve probably already read this, but just in case!

An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage. // But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends.

Yeah, nah.

and i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands) by @goldrushzukka

-currently 38k with 6/8 chapters posted; rated mature

-holy shit. holy SHIT. modern au based on the “my cat likes my fuckbuddy and i am falling in love” trope(?). maybe it’s just because of how the last chapter ended, but oh my god. this one made me cry. made me want to commit violence. when it’s not angsty as hell, it’s pretty funny, but holy shit. ao3 user nebulastucky please.

It’s supposed to be a one night stand. Pick up some guy at a bar, barely remember his name and never learn anything real about him, send him packing in the morning with a thanks for the ride and a cup of coffee to-go. That’s how it’s supposed to go. // But then it’s the best sex Sokka has ever had, and he thinks he’ll hate himself if he never gets to have it again.

Violet Blossoms and Celestial Objects by @hollypunkers

-currently 15k with 2/? posted. rated teen.

-this is the sequel to blue (an angsty, zukka rewrite of book 2-- go read it if u havent!)! !! this is a book 3 rewrite. only two chapters in and mrs hollypunkers is really abusing the miscommunication tag, as zukka writers seem to enjoy doing. im excited to see how the world and story develops with the changes to the story! you should be too!! its very good! obviously spoilers for blue lmao

Having sided with the Avatar in Ba Sing Se, Zuko not only must navigate his new relationship with Sokka but returning to the Fire Nation as a banished enemy. His own journey of self discovery and personal growth must now coexist alongside the personal struggles of every other member of the Gaang as together they blaze a treacherous path toward an unsure victory against Zuko's own father and nation.

breakable heaven by @fruitysokka

-currently 71k with 9/11 chapters posted. rated teen

-swt ambassador zuko! soon to be chief sokka! fake dating ur best friend to get out of an arranged marriage! what could go wrong!!! i also haven’t read this one ((see: i’m a crybaby who is being hurt by too many zukka wips already)), but it has been hanging out in my marked for later for months. from what i understand, this fic has: angst.

With his twenty-first birthday looming just around the corner, the Southern Water Tribe Elders have decided that Sokka, next in line to be Chief, needs to get married. Sokka does not want that, but he does need to get them off his back until he can figure his way out of it. What better way to do that than to pretend to date his best friend (and newly minted Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe) Zuko? // Seriously, this is a foolproof plan. Maybe one of Sokka's best. Absolutely nothing can go wrong.

angsty zukka fics (completed!)

(i’ll put these in wc order)

lighthouse beam by @incorrectzukka

-7k, rated g

-a modern college au!! zuko’s inner-monologue is very angsty in this fic. typical zuko. also per usual, theyre both fucking dorks. they sort themselves out in the end, but not before The Angst. zuko is semi-deaf in this fic and also he has a bit of internalized homophobia.

Sokka’s breathtakingly beautiful and he’s smart and makes other people laugh. Zuko has a half-burnt face and a deaf ear. It’s not rocket science. // Or, Zuko falls in love with the boy in his Philosophy class.

This Isn’t My Idea of Fun by @khaleeseas

-9k, explicit

-moon spirit/nwt prince!sokka, no war to be found here! admittedly this isnt THAT angsty but like. the angst IS present. zuko is still the prince. a lovely childhood friends (though they hated each other for a minute haha) to lovers story.

If you asked Zuko, he and Azula saw far too much of Chief Hakoda of the Northern Water Tribe’s children growing up. It wasn’t until they were older, and Azula pointed out that - duh - their families were trying to set them all up, that he realized why. // He was told by his mother to be polite. These people were their friends and allies, and though their nations were as different as they came, harmony between nations was the most important thing. // It wasn’t his fault the Chief’s children were so annoying.

put your lips close to mine (as long as they don’t touch) by @celestialceci

-9k, teen

-modern au! zuko and sokka are college roommates. zuko goes to spend the summer with sokka. again,, not really that angsty but-- its there!! the detail and feeling of Home in this story make me happy. zuko is insecure as hell here too. if ur into that.

Zuko hates his home. He likes college alright, but he likes Sokka even better, his assigned roommate turned best friend. Spending the summer with Sokka will be fun, a welcome change of pace he desperately wants. It probably won't awaken anything in him... right?

the thing about dancing by anodymalion

-9k, teen

-yes. this one right here officer. it makes my heart ache. also trans sokka! which is cool. but the zuko angst in this one. hurts me. not so much relationship angst as it is zuko learning he deserves happiness angst. i’m sure u know The Type.

The first time a attendant spills Zuko’s tea and doesn’t immediately fall to her knees, begging the Fire Lord’s forgiveness, it is not anger but a resounding warmth that fills his chest.

i could (never) give you peace by @zukkababey

-10k, mature

-OUCH. OUCH OUCH OUCH. boys please learn to communicate im begging u. also zuko.. zuko, dude. as the tags of the fic say, hes “really going through it” in this one. YOUCH. post-canon.

Zuko almost said it. He almost said the words I think I’m in love with you, but he choked them back down at the last second. // Zuko would never be able to be what Sokka wanted. They might have needed each other during the summer, when two boys with too much weight on their shoulders found comfort in each other in the only way they knew how. // But now Zuko was Fire Lord, and Sokka was leaving.

this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by @meliebee

-18k, teen, major character death

-i lied. THIS is the one, officer. found family.. good mai and zuko and toph friendships.. . ozai escapes prison and tries to overthrow zuko. OBVIOUSLY angst ensues. poor boy. he Does heal in this but it gets worse before it gets better. angst angst angst angst.

Ten months after Zuko is crowned at seventeen, he faces his first coup.

Anything for You by beersforqueers

-23k, explicit

-istg. this is probably one of my favorite zukka fics. its PAINFUL. modern au where theyre broken up but sokka hasnt told his family yet so zuko goes home with him for kataang wedding. a bit smutty, but the plot oh my god ohgm y fuvk. made me cry the first time i read it. (see: crybaby!me) insert that one picture of the horse with the caption PAIN.

In which Sokka and Zuko have broken up but Sokka hasn't told his family yet. So when Katara and Aang's wedding weekend rolls around and he doesn't want to break Gran-Gran's heart, he asks Zuko to pretend to be his boyfriend for one last weekend. // Things don't go as planned.

Moving Mountains by @thefangirlingdead

-64k, mature

-so. when i read this the first time it was in one sitting. soulmate au set within canon era / the comics, to an extent. soulmates can hear each others thoughts. i will happily say this is slowburn, jesus christ. champagne without the cham.

Soulmates are chosen by the spirits and can hear each other’s thoughts. Sokka thinks it’s cheesy and dumb. Zuko thinks it’s poetic justice that he doesn’t have one because he doesn’t deserve it. Cruel irony is finding out that the prince of the Fire Nation (and the person currently hunting you) is your soulmate.

In the Soft Light by @voidcenturyscholar and @romancedawning

-83k, teen, graphic depictions of violence

-moon spirit!sokka living in the northern water tribe. zuko is sent to the northern water tribe as a cultural liaison. iroh is the fire lord but while he is away taking care of lu ten after his injury ozai steps up. i cannot express how many emotions this fic made me feel. background yuetara. i would almost say found family?? but. anyway. plenty of angst to spare here with a healthy dose of enemies to friends to lovers.

As the newly appointed cultural liaison to Northern Water Tribe, Zuko is the first Fire Nation Citizen to step foot inside the city's walls in nearly a century. He's determined to prove himself—to the Fire Lord and to his father—even if the Water Tribe's spirit-touched prince seems to want nothing to do with him.

That Midnight Sky by @zukkababey

-103k, teen

-now now now. tms... modern college au where sokka agrees to tutor zuko in physics because zuko has to maintain straight a’s and physics is just not doing it for him. so. thats cool but THEN azula moves in, randomly, with zuko. to hide the fact that sokka is tutoring zuko, they fake date! what could go wrong!! the mutual pining in here combined with the angst... wonderful, tasty. everyone read it rn. also SLOWBURN

In Zuko’s strict family, needing a tutor is just about the worst thing you could do. Failing a class, however, is even worse. The only rational solution? Take up Aang on his offer to find him a physics tutor and have Sokka—beautiful, smart, handsome Sokka—tutor him in secret. // When Azula’s arrival threatens to reveal Zuko’s secret, it’s up to Sokka to convince her this definitely isn’t what it looks like. See, he’s actually… Zuko’s… boyfriend? // Hmm. There’s no way this could get complicated, right?

#zukka #zuko #sokka #angst #zukka angst #atla #avatar: the last airbender #fic recs #zukka fic recs

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itsnothesameasitwas · 3 years ago

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hiii! this month I’ve read a lot of great fics, so I decided is time to start my monthly fic rec… that means I’ll be doing a short fic rec and recap every month with my favorite fics of the month

note: the fics I’ll be mentioning weren't necessarily posted recently

!!! - please be careful and read all the tags and/or warnings before start reading and left kudos and nice messages to the authors <33

❀ Divinely Blessed by thinlines @thinlinez | 17k | Explicit | ABO | fic post

“I heard you, Ni. But what do you mean?”

“What do you mean what I mean?”

Harry rolled his eyes as he shoved his alpha friend down onto a seat. “Did you mean you lick someone out or…?”

“Nah, mate! It was me! I got licked out!” Harry could only stare at Niall in horror.

Alpha Harry prides himself on having the bravest and most caring omega who might or might not just fulfill his sudden curiosity.

note: for some reason i don’t know i fell in love with the ABO and found this fic someway and WOW! it’s really fluffy and sweet and while i was reading all i could think about was “god! i really want someone who love me like Harry loves Lou and viceversa” and also has a great smut scene, funny and well writen (cliff ily babe)

❀ Promise me you won’t run away by thinlines | 23k | Explicit | ABO | Español

“Does kissing me stop you from having bad thoughts?” Harry asked, voice muffled into the collar of Louis’ dress shirt. Louis chuckled at this. He trailed a hand down Harry’s back, feeling the muscles tensing along with his touch.

“I guess you can say that. You’re a good distraction.”

“Then I will be the best distraction.” Harry answered, pulling back and watched Louis’ lips unashamedly.

“Come distract me, then.”

Or the Prince/ Knight AU in which Harry left Louis, but the omega never once gave up on them.

note: this fic is beautiful and really REALLY well written, i need to say i cried and im the most cold person in the world but this caught me and I LOVED IT! but also when i finished it i got mad because in the end notes was the spanish translation and i read it in english lmao; anyway i love it!!!... summing this up, the fic made me thought about that LOVE ALWAYS WIN <33

❀ Twist the knife by jishler @jishlerfics | 6k | Explicit | Angst / Smut | fic post

Infuriating, but Louis missed it. Louis missed him. His thighs and his chest and breath and warmth and toothbrush next to Louis’. He missed sex with Harry but he missed his presence more: Louis would settle for watching Harry get himself off if it meant he got to see him; hear the voice that was like a soothing balm over all his wounds.

Two weeks after their breakup, Harry wants his toys back.

note: i definetely don’t read smut in purpose and the reason i’ve read this was because i love the moodboard BUT i need to thank the person who put it on my dash because i liked it so much!! was fun to read and the smut is pretty well written :))

❀ Hold you now by solvetheminourdreams @solvetheminourdreams | 131k | Angst with happy ending | fic post | playlist

The string within Harry's own sweatpants is now dangling outside of his pocket, stretched so far out that the seams of his pants have tightened. His eyes remain hyper focused on Louis, how oblivious he is—scrolling through his phone without a care in the world, while Harry feels his tilt on its axis.

Three years ago, Harry Styles said goodbye to communications consultancy firm McQuiston Worldwide, leaving a life of travel and agency PR behind. When he accompanies his best friend to a family wedding across the Atlantic, he'll be forced to reopen old wounds and face his past—one that no one wants to hash out, but may just have to.

note: at the end of the first chapter i was emotional, is the kind of fic that you feel every single emotion, the one you literally feel are part of it... it’s perfectly well written and please give it a chance and check all the stef’s works because she’s a super talented writer... if i say something else i’ll probably do spoilers so, shut up ana.

❀ The money mark by brightgolden @brightgolden | 52k | Explicit | ABO | fic post

Harry's heart beats faster in his chest as the name sinks in. The Tomlinson name is awfully familiar, and he isn’t sure how many rich Tomlinsons are out here in London, but he knew one. Seven years ago.

Like all fine things in the world, Louis Tomlinson ages exceptionally well.

Where Louis is Harry’s first sugar daddy who dumped him over text and their paths cross, seven years later.

note: THIS IS MY FAVORITE FIC OF THE YEAR. sorry, but this fic is super well written, is omega harry + alpha louis and find smth like this is almost impossible! but i loved the fact that harry could be an omega and a sugar baby but he’s independant and strong and wow! it’s amazing; everyone should read it because it’s really good!! (ps. louis is the alpha of my dreams, he’s a complete gentlemen)

❀ Sweet like candy by neodiamond @neondiamond | 4k | General Audiences | ABO | fic post

Louis is an Alpha with an odd obsession for gummy bears. Harry is an Omega who makes friends a little too easily. They meet on the bus.

note: this is the cutest fluffy fic I have ever read! strangers to friends to lovers <333

❀ Literally making love by Brooklyn_babylon @twopoppies | 30k | Explicit | Robot/Human Relationship | fic post

Holding up one of the android's eyes to the workshop’s windows, he smiled as the light picked up the gold flecks in the pale green of his irises. Louis had always paid attention to even the tiniest details.

All Louis intended to do was rescue someone in need from loneliness. He had no idea it would be himself.

note: science + me = signal error BUT this fic. OMG. how to say this is one of the fics would be in my recap at the end of the year; i have read another fic by Gina and was really good but this is probably my favorite between both of them... all i know and want now is to create my perfect partner lmao.

❀ I’m gonna keep this love, if you let me by pixies @tomlinbuns | 26k | Explicit | ABO | fic post

Louis makes Harry pretend to be his boyfriend one night out. The rest is history.

note: this one is simple to discribe... the best of the best. one of my favorites abo fics, funny, teasing and very romantic. i enjoyed so much read how these two guys fell in love with each other. god bless this fic <33

❀ Beautiful stranger by lovelarry10 @chloehl10 | 66k | Explicit | ABO / Mpreg | fic post

“Did you want to- oh. Uh, sorry, I-” Harry stuttered, licking his lips as he looked over Louis’ bare torso, not focusing on the ocean ahead of him. “You’re very distracting, Lou.”

“Trying to tell me you haven’t seen a topless Omega before?” Louis asked, walking back to his rucksack and grabbing a bottle of suncream out of it before returning to stand by Harry.

“Not one as stunning as you,” he thought he heard Harry mutter as he started to rub the cream into his shoulders.

*****

When Alpha Harry Styles attends the Gucci Cruise 2020 show, he knows what to expect: clothes, clutch bags, and a few too many pretentious people. What he doesn’t expect, however, is to run into an Omega who is more beautiful than anything on the runway.

note: this fic is from 2019 but who cares, i loved it so much and i want to thank/blame @justalarryblog because she unintentionally recommended it to me in her abo fic rec post and now i want someone like this harry in my life... is it too much to ask? because is one of the most beautiful abo fics i’ve read this month and wow. if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for??

❀ Waiting on you by beckywritesthings @beckydoesthings | 21k | Mature | Mpreg | fic post

“Do you want to touch?” Harry asks, taking one of his hands off to tangle with Louis’. His open invitation finally drags Louis’ attention away from his baby and up to his face, blue eyes wobbly with emotions. It’s clear that he’s too taken to really form words, so Harry takes the initiative to press their laced hands against his shirt fabric, warmth from the skin radiating through.

Louis pushes his shirt up to his chest, taking Harry’s hand and pressing it to hold the fabric in place. His hands return to warm skin, palms even more scalding now that there’s nothing in between them. And then, as if that wasn’t enough for Harry’s heart to handle, Louis leans in, pressing his lips right above his belly button.

“Hi, baby,” he says, lips moving across his skin softly. “I’m your… I’m Louis.”

Or Harry is pregnant with a stranger’s baby and Louis doesn’t know. It’s a minor detail that Harry’s both living with Louis and in love with him. No big deal.

note: this fic is really new, someone reblogged the fic post and when i saw it first i was like ‘huh?’ and then suddendly (in less than a minute) decided it was the next thing i’ll be reading and now i’m completely in love with it. Lou i need to say you’re the kind of guy everyone wants in their life <3

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❀ all the love, ana. xx

#monthly fic recs #larry fic rec #trackinghome #1dsource #tracksintheam #it's too late to publish this??? idk and idc hope someone like this #and again thanks to the author for their amazing fics!!!#28th appreciation #my fic rec

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