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danpuff-ao3 · 2 years ago

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Comfort Characters

@givereadersahug wrote about Comfort Characters and I thought I'd do the same!

This was always a weird concept for me to consider. Like...do I have a comfort character? The answer feels sort of obvious, but in the way that both yes and no feel obvious. Thus: the dilemma.

When it comes to fandom, I read so much angst, whump, darkfic, etc. And I favor portrayals of characters that are real, gritty, imperfect, and messy. My fandom preferences feel a bit at odds with the word "comfort." But...I do find a strange sense of comfort in these subjects and these characters, don't I?

And with that in mind...let me answer the dang question, yeah?

To really get the full picture, I think first we need to focus on what the Harry Potter books mean to me.

In recent years, with the author's outrageous and shameless vitriol, being a fan of HP has been challenging. It feels wrong to love this fandom so much, when the author shows such unmitigated hate.

The problem is: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in the U.S. in 1998. (Usually I remember HP was published in 1997, but I just did a Google check for the U.S. publication to make sure I had my facts straight!) I was six years old when the books came out here. I was a bookworm since I could read! I inhaled books at an alarming rate. But no book from my childhood stuck out to me more than Harry Potter. I don't remember life before those books. And they were probably the first books I ever reread. And I never stopped rereading them. I'm not sure I've read anything more times than I've read those books.

Are they a literary masterpiece? Of course not. But they are whimsical, magical, joyful, colorful, touching, adventurous, and just plain fun! More so when I discovered fandom properly and my creativity ran loose in fanfiction.

My childhood was not especially good or happy, and these books were my escape. The fandom was my escape. Whenever life was dark or scary or hurtful, I had somewhere to turn. I had no one in my real life I could turn to. But I had these characters. And I had the friends I made through fandom. Facts that hold true even to this day, though I've escaped all the worst life had thrown at me (up until this point, at least!)

The books and fandom were a great source of comfort to me. And a large part of it must be because of the characters that were such a comfort to me.

Of course, my two comfort characters make up my beloved OTP.

Severus Snape, who I loved from the start. Which is funny when you think about little 6 year old Danni mooning over the "mean teacher." The dark mystery of him seduced me even then! He was clever, and creative, and cutting. He was the bad guy who wasn't really a bad guy, which blew my little socks off!

Harry Potter, of course...our titular character. My partner now likes to joke that I'm a "main character simp." (Hello, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and Rand al'Thor...) I can't help it, okay? But Harry was always such a precious bean. Wide-eyed awe for magic. Spunky and bold, in spite of his poor life circumstances. The sort of fearlessness I admired, but could never quite replicate. My whole life was tied up in fear. I was scared of so much for so long. Harry's openness and honesty and bravery drew me in.

But those were the simpler, surface-level attractions for a young girl. But I'm not a young girl anymore. I'm a woman who grew up with these characters. I watched Harry grow and change; I watched him learn; I watched his trials and errors; his failures and his successes; I watched him save the day. And for Severus Snape, rather than moving forward, we looked back. I watched his story unfold in all of its horrible, messy glory. And I fell more and more in love with them both.

Harry and Severus both came from troubled backgrounds. Severus represents the stark reality. How deeply those wounds impact you, and how they don't always heal. Harry represented the ideals. All that I hoped to be; the behavior I respected and the principles I learned.

Harry overcome his circumstances and became a truly good person in spite of it all. But "good" doesn't mean without flaw. And his strength doesn't mean no damage was left behind.

On the flip side, Severus' trauma pushed him along a dark road. He reacted poorly. He made bad decisions. But hope wasn't lost, was it? Bad decisions didn't mean he could be written off as a villain. He was so deeply wounded, and he carried on despite that. The pain of his past plagued his every moment, but he still moved forward and kept fighting through it all. And for all the ways his trauma had made him flawed, there was still goodness in him. He was still worthy of love and respect. He was still capable of great deeds.

They are both men who were hurt by their life's circumstances, and who were bound by terrible fate. And they chose to embrace that. They chose to keep doing and being better, even when they screwed up. They never let life keep them down.

So much in them speaks to me. They can share my pain. And they give me hope and strength to keep going. And in them and all their messy, imperfect glory, I can reflect upon myself. And in loving them for their best and worst qualities, I can accept and love them in myself.

...and then I make them fall in love again and again and again (and again and again) (and again and again and again.) And that brings me even more comfort. And joy. And endless entertainment. And emotions. And basically all the good things life has to offer. Snarry for life, if you didn't already know I was a massive Snarry stan.

#comfort characters #severus snape #harry potter #snarry mentions cuz ofc #meta #danpuff stuff

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silkflovvers · 2 years ago

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hiiii hope u get to relax this weekend bud! so about that hot modern au diluc..... tell me why you hc him as aroace and did he have any past relationships before he figured it out? love knowing ppls sexuality hcs! please draw more modern diluc in classy sweaters and cute cardigans too btw... i want to show him off at pedigree show

I started a draft of this response on Friday and wrote a whole dang essay, so I am going to go back and make it less chaotic and a little more clear and concise jhskjdfh But thank you for sending in this ask ;u; I was happily playing with kitties and stuffing my face with good food all weekend, so it was a very nice break!

As for Modern AU Diluc, I've always liked the HC that he's asexual or demisexual. I don't see him as someone with much sexual attraction because I see a lot of aspects of his personality that me and many of the other asexual people I have known throughout my life all have shared. The aromantic headcanon is actually just for this specific AU! I have a 2nd modern AU where he is still asexual, but homoromantic! That AU is deep in my google docs and hasn't seen the light of day on social media yet, though. So it's very top secret shush shush lol

As for my thoughts for this specific AU, I thought he suited the aroace headcanon the most. I thought it made him a more compelling character within the story and modern setting and even made some of his relationships more complex to write and plan out. And I like a complex challenge when it means I get to pick apart a character's brain, even if I'm the one who technically gave them the brain since it's an AU....dissecting my own creation, if you will.

Since you asked more about his backstory, I'll leave some more info under the cut so I'm not clogging up people's dash ＊*♡( ⁎ᵕᴗᵕ⁎ ）

*Quick list of warnings for this AU before you proceed:

Crepus is dead in this AU, so there is technically past character death that is referenced often in regards to Diluc

Crepus died in a car accident and this is mentioned at least once or twice

There is past Diluven! They are not dating during the part of the story I've got the characters set in as of right now, but it is mentioned and integral information to a lot of the character's connections and backstories.

There are little hints that Diluc picked up bad habits after his fathers death and that he did not treat himself kindly. This behavior is comparable to self harm, so if that bothers you in the slightest, please proceed with caution. It is only vaguely referenced and never stated or explained outright. Man was lacking that self preservation mindset in-game when he ran off to avenge his father, so he also lacks it here, just in a different form

Kaeya and Diluc are portrayed as adopted brothers in this AU

Before I get into his back story, I'll give you his basic profile so you've got a little background info for him:

Character Profile:

Age: 29 Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Aromantic, Asexual Education: Bachelors of Science Business Management Occupation: Bar Owner, Bartender, Community Garden Volunteer (President) Relationship Status: Single Extra Info: Diagnosed with PTSD and Major Depression, Kaeya's adopted brother (estranged), has a full back piece tattoo done by Xiao.

You get some of that info from This art I posted before, but I actually made some small changes to the AU since I drew that! Sorry for any discrepancies. You should see the chaos that is my spreadsheet of character info for this AU alone. It nearly crashed my phone once just by opening it.

I'll start with the summary/TL;DR and expand a bit further on some parts just because I can!

TL;DR of how he found out he was AroAce:

Diluc dated Venti for convenience in high school, but never felt an attraction to him or anyone else.He only dated Venti to alleviate the pressure Jean felt from the rumors that she and DIluc were dating when they only saw each other as very close friends. He figured he'd eventually develop feelings for either Venti or someone else, but never did. He went through Trauma™ and officially left the main city in Mondstadt to find himself after the death of his father. He later found a trustworthy therapist who introduced him to the possibility of being AroAce.

Expanded Explanation:

In high school, Diluc watched many of his friends develop crushes and date and chase after love interests. He never really understood it. When people would ask him if he had feelings for anyone, he never had an answer. He didn't feel the need to date or flirt. The idea of being romantic with anyone quite frankly felt strange and foreign to him. He cared for his friends deeply and developed strong bonds, but he never considered any of them to be romantic in nature. Many people mistook his friendship with Jean as romantic due to how close they were.

The rumors put pressure on them both to become an item even if they didn’t have romantic feelings for each other. To relieve some of that pressure, Diluc did his best to try to find someone he felt comfortable returning affection, albeit insincere, to. So many people approached him with such sincerity, it felt wrong. So, when a short, bubbly upperclassman approached him with an offhanded flirt, he flirted back. It was a shaky attempt, but he could tell the star of the theater music department wouldn’t take things too seriously and there was nothing to lose. So, he got closer to Venti and asked him out. He wasn’t expecting they’d become the sweethearts of the school, nor that they’d be voted prom kings and cutest couple in the school year book. What was meant to be an unserious relationship to relieve pressure on himself and his dear friend, became a tiresome obligation.

Venti was two years older, and graduated the year after they started dating. Unfortunately, Diluc was still stuck pretending. His last year put more strain on him than he’d like to admit and it became so evident, even Jean began to worry. Before she could ask if he was alright and offer help, tragedy struck.

While driving he and his father to a promotional event for the family business, an SUV lost control on the highway and sent DIluc and his father’s car flying off the road and into the forest at the bottom of the incline beside it. Crepus suffered a severe injury and died before the ambulance or Kaeya arrived. Diluc blamed himself and the SUV that had driven off after the impact.

Tha took a toll on his mental state. The strain of pretending to be like everyone else proved too much on top of the new issues that instantly popped up after the death of his father. As the eldest son, just freshly 18, he was given the reins to the family business. He had to pick up the work in his father’s absence until things could be settled. He also had his finals and college applications to worry about. Venti’s pestering and unwanted advances tested Diluc’s limits and eventually sent him over the edge.

He broke up with Venti at a school dance he had to attend as president of the student council the day before his father’s funeral. Kaeya told him something (I won’t cover in this post) that shattered his hope for the future. In a blind rage he won’t be able to fully remember years later, he kicked Kaeya out and was left alone in a big empty house, save for the handful of staff that still cared for the house. After that, he simply stopped going to class. He did everything in his power to track down the man that killed his father, that the police still had yet to catch.

Within the time he spent obsessively searching for the man, Adelinde and Elzer were doing their best to talk him down and gently guide him towards getting his GED and attending a nearby college in the hopes of helping him back into a stable routine to get his mind off the grief he clearly was not processing in a healthy manner.

At some point, Diluc relented and did as they had asked. His rage simmered out and was replaced with numbness. He would not remember the years of rage or the time spent getting his degree due to his own specific response to the trauma he endured. He took on the family business for a year before he realized it was best to leave it to the people that knew more than he did and the people he knew his father had trusted to keep things running. He stepped down from the company and gave the position to Elzer. Though sad to see him go, the Dawn Winery staff were happy to see him leave to find himself and hopefully work through the grief he’d felt for all these years. He left Mondstadt proper to live in a smaller college town. It was where Jean had gone to pursue her degree and now her Masters. Once there, he opened up a small bar that quickly grew in popularity. He had direct contact with the most well known winery in Mond, so of course he had the highest quality alcohol.

As popularity grew, he was able to hire more staff, leaving him with more and more free time. In the mental state he was in, that free time wasn’t a good thing. Bad habits formed back in college and he still was not coping in healthy ways. As his free time increased, his mental state got worse. He thought getting out and finding something to do would help, so he joined as a volunteer at the community gardens. It was something he could do to distract himself and speak with others in a relatively stress free environment. There he met Zhongli, the person who tended to the beehives in the garden. Zhongli was kind, patient and understanding and very quickly became someone Diluc could call a friend. It helped a lot, the gardens and the new faces, until winter came and there wasn’t much to do when it was too cold for most plants to grow.

It reached a point where Jean was checking in on him frequently. She could tell things were bad. Feeling guilty for worrying his dearest friend so much, he finally reached out for help. With Zhongli and Jean’s assistance, he found a trustworthy therapist who helped guide him towards a healthier path and helped him through his emotions and thoughts. She introduced him to the concept of both Aromantic and Asexual identities. Having that support and direction helped improve his mental state and kept him from dropping back into the worst of his lows. Knowing he wasn’t broken in some way for not searching for romance or intimacy helped quite a bit. It wasn’t so much the label as it was knowing there were other people like him.

He also met Rosaria, who became a regular at his bar. The two later found out they were both Aromantic and bonded quite a bit over the fact. He came to rely on her as a more quiet and subtle source of support and understanding. Zhongli also became much closer to him and revealed they were genderfluid. The concept was somewhat foreign to Diluc, but it opened up his eyes to how diverse humans were in both their identities and presence. Zhongli then introduced him to Xiao, a young man they had taken in after he was in a terrible accident at a young age. Xiao dealt with chronic pain and the heavy guilt of being the only survivor of that accident that killed his closest friends. He and Diluc got along well. Further down the road, Diluc asked Xiao to do his back tattoo, trusting him with a design that symbolized his journey towards healing. Xiao, though he wouldn't admit it outright, was honored to have the bar owner's respect and freedom to design and complete the tattoo.

Now, Diluc is surrounded by and even more diverse community that helps him through the healing and self discovery process.

Thank you for asking me about him and this AU in general :> I have a bunch of google docs with more of his and the other character's stories, but I'll save them for another time, since that wasn't exactly what you asked for ahahaha whoops. Can't wait to draw more of him soon!

Hope you're having a lovely day!

#silkflovversask #txt #mauv1

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psych---ologically-deranged · 9 months ago

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Psychfacts & commentary 1x01

The "they spelled it wrong on mine" bloodthirsty tattoo was bc the makeup department accidentally spelled the car-breaker one's tattoo bloodthristy, which is where shawn's "they spelled it wrong on mine" line came from.

"sweet" was an improv.

"But everything funny you hear is what I wrote" (they don't have captions so I can't hear as well & the voices all sound kind of swimmy sometimes, esp with other noises or through a screen, yay deaf+adhd, so I can't tell who is talking.)

Improvises just to entertain the ppl behind the camera XD

Ooh the interview was the audition scene for omundson (& the director said "nah" to half the stuff he liked abt it XD)

Steve franks: writer, director, producer, creator, music, main cast member, yes he plays both lassie & lucinda

I agree, hearing the background. Chris says "psych" too, love that.

That stubble is... James Roday Rodriguez was very intent on having stubble, the network was very intent on Not. & won that battle!

"He has this thing where he gets the makeup lady to stand on set in view of everybody & pretend to shave him, so it's kind of like air shaving" (it's just like wrestling & you realize the razor is 6-8" away from his face)

Sage Brock is great & he was supposed to only be here for this ep or this scene, but when he raised his hand, they said that's the guy & kept him on

Dang it was 3c here!? That's cold!

One of the prisoners should also raise his hand XD

the foot wiggle, which JRr came up with that day! Huh! He came up w a physical thing for every psychic thing!

Oh yeah, look look look, editing is an art!

may 3 the wedding is dule hill's bday XD

MY MAN RAISED HIS HAND FOR 4 MINUTES?

That's acting! Soft cuddly person playing an angry dude? Love it

magic finger was an improv XD. I love how all the good stuff was written, but then the stuff in between is there too.

Pouring rain? If you listen very closely you can hear the rain on the tarp.

Nobody ever mentions she is pregnant & they actually added a line (bc she was pregnant during the audition tape) but then they cut it out because ss "you're.........." kv 'In charge.' was honestly less funny than just not acknowledging it & I think it's great too, people get preggo somtimes. Script was made, & they just decided, they don't need to acknowledge the pregnancy.

"Her improv was being pregnant"

The windowsill?

He decided to eat XD "nobody was bothered by it but me!"

He ate but they just cut around it

Gus just has his bible on the jurassic temperature windowsill XD, occasionally look over & read a psalm.

"But you're not getting your coat." (improv)

The circle XD. Always ended up adding something fantastic

Forensics guys. Gus? Why do you like that? (Lenny face)

They shoot 40% of their beach stuff in whiterock BC.

This whole oceanfront drive, nice, but why so many fish/chip places.

Wow you can see their breath!

Watch the palm trees, you'll see them everywhere bc they are not real. Only had six.

I like how most of the characters share a name with people irl. Lassiter is from a friend of Franks'.

Heck yeah! Stage Swing sets!

He can Never be caught as a psychic. The only way they'll know is if I tell them.

When he pulls him aside, that wasn't written but it was exactly what they needed & saw in their visions. This is a good pilot.

Canada <3

Oh the mccallum girl was trying to be Lucinda but they liked her so they made her katarina too! Steve franks: bring her back bring her back, put her in another episode, she's great we like her (but by the end of it shawn sends her dad to prison) "couples have tough times, we can make this work, your dad WAS guilty it's ok!"

"At a halloween party dressed as a cat"

Whoever drew that sketch <3

This scene was in the pitch

My man is six foot eight! The tallest person I've ever met was a 6'7" woman (altho she did have a tie with another guy I ignore that fact). Teeny drama room, in a couch 4 feet away & this guy is on his feet acting out his mind, what he thought through.

Twin peaks fans <3

Dulé in b/w takes *running to the coats off frame*

The seatbelt was good, they made it WORK.

The sound design <3 <3 <3 as a deaf musician... yeah

"like shawn is in there baking a cake or someting, & he's just making coffee. Though making a cake is smth he;d be doing"

Oof filming at 2 in the morning on thanksgiving.

Blocking <3

Why would shawn be there in the middle of the night? He apparently hooked up with Kat mccallum, spent time in her room, & then went to gus at 4am.

...??? They chose their actors from the pot they received, & then... got JRr & DH together at JRr's house the weekend before filming???

WHERE'S THE PINEAPPLE

Dule, hands on the dashboard while the cop is there in the car wasn't script, "that's just what you do"

Henry doing his thing, henry style. He was laughing at the end but they were able to cut it!

Lunson lake?

Matt <3

the fog XD

sports illustrated binoculars

"Just Auburn?"

Yes you so need to punctuate scenes!

I like how they have sunglasses.

Named after my sister in law & brother in law <3

The same palm tree

Billy Camp! Hay fever! Line cook! Workin the grill! Hold the chicken higher! Higher!

(practicing the surprised face)

There is a 2h version of the pilot? Gimme!

Doolittle?

Swat team on the funny little comedy

"Oh they weren't real?"

"the dog did kind of look vicious cause it kept going for james' face"

'idk who is in charge of dog face blood. Makeup?' (it was like he dipped his head in a bucket of blood)

Dog runs right into the crime scene

Suddenly shock all the children watching

Pardon me. Ladies. Gentlemen. *runs out screaming*

JRr puts his head down. *an eighth of a second later everyone was laughing*

His screams woul turn into michael jackson songs XD

"this police station is in what like to call the Haunted Insane Asylum" Actually a lot of prison scenes are filmed in dementia wards & mental hospitals bc they have similar layout, even occasionally in schools. Institutional buildings, yk? (it is what inspired scary sherry)

Annie built her own ouija board & they went to the basement in the underbelly & no lihts in the wing?

heck yeah pansies

strawberry festival? No cinnamon! They have arguments that last 20 years!

I do give up, all the time, but only when the moment is right

Aw, I love family. He doesn't believe in santa...??? & tell children that???? whwat???? I mean I grew up without santa. The way the commenters say "He doesn't believe in lying, & since he doesn't believe in santa claus (i don't know why) he says that" & they treat him like he's crazy for not believing in santa.

The head turn XD

Fake sky & a fake palm tree & a fake roof, but a real motorcycle. (I can't believe I watched so much of the show without knowing shawn had a motorbike. It was more important in the first season)

Can't front in front of your father

Ok so in s8 he says he paid insurance when he bought his bike eight years ago, but we all thought he had his bike forever, like in the psych teen shorts where he fails the exam & says he'll just drive a motorcycle (you still need to be licensed, in fact, a different licence) but it is a different bike, or at least that is how it looks.

The "I'm not ounting the one in your pocket" was added on set bc henry put on a hat when he left the house & is not wearing it in the restaurant. Yes, all the bloggers WOULD be mad. I'm blogging right now! "It's for the bloggers!" You're so right besties.

The hat scene was not supposed to be seen ,it was just backstory, but they added it to the script & I am happy for that.

Yes, everyone DID love the flashback, it IS fortunate! Thank you!

I can't hear what they are saying! Weasle Sloan & Jackie Dungeoness?

Shawn's apartment is directly below the barbeque place (at least the set)

You brought your newbrn 9w old, to vancouver! Your kid has canadian citizenship? Good for you bro XD

Oh all that graffitti? Yeah that's vancouver.

Yeah it IS so cold.

Kelly Catering, warm turkey cranberry stuffing sandwiches in the freezing cold. Warm thanksgiving dinner on wheat bread.

This is the action aspect of our show *shawn running ditzily, stealing a bag*

(one whose name I forget bc they don't have it in captions): Dule really really attacked james, absolutely linebackered him. Is linebackered a word?

Just... sixty feet away

This man plays The Heavy in Canada???

How psychouts started: they get stuck in the car together, they always just start singing songs, but um. They would sing about what they did the night before to a michael jackson song. Right they would be in the car with their mics on & we'd be fifty yards away under a tarp in the rain & they probably forgot that we could hear them & they'd start chatting & they'd start harmonizing with each other. It's very sweet. Romantic.

XD wanted to buy a 48c jacket but his price threshhold was too low. My man threatened him with a hanger

Jumps into the car thru the window. Stunt guys!

friends selling each other out, as they do

All eight dollars were my money. I;ve heard it IS illegal to have money shown fully onscreen. "If it is then it's fake money I happen ot have"

My man was accidentally sitting on the folder

that's a real gun & she's firing real rounds /j

JRr *not wearing ear gear* (& never flinched)

They went back & re-edited it for her dad who was a gun nut

this guy CAN do these htings, he's just a goof. He had to fight the network to get that.

My man's a good shot.

*looking to the side* marketing moments

Two page episode wrapups flawlessly? Incredible.

We see bodies but not murder

poor stunt actor hitting his head on the table, weather below 0, looks more & more painful every time, & then the table BROKE

SF, taking really dramatic moment & mixing it with comedy

Shawn knows exactly where to go "put on the fan & flush" if you're going to throw up in the murderer's house

SF I've always wanted someone to call the cops on themselves

spet the morning getting the snow off the grass

Tim likes any time you allow him to pull his gun or manhandle a suspect

Holding him up. Like a two year old not wanting to go into his car seat.

Pregnant, 2am, smoking & drinking /j, bungee jumping /j

Hooray editing

"I wish I knew" lassie will never believe him

Ah the palm scenes

Oh no I'd love to see this with the focus group? "Oh god! My dad! I may be out of a job & in jail"

Rest your teamug on your tummy

Does vick believe him? You never sort of know

She's already hiring him again!

Was the scene with dad in the og script?

His dad is thinking about accepting him. He has the newspaper.

The shows are so often about the cool car. night rider? kit? super cool. hill street blues. supernatural. Magnum PI. This one has the blueberry.

PSYCH NOT SIKE FUCKING THANK YOU

Fizadribble? SF: Making up drug names is impossible because no matter what name you make up, it actually exists as a drug & is registered to somebody. (antidepressants or tolkein)

Yayyyyyy

#psych commentary 1x01 #psych cast/crew

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cfrog · 3 years ago

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Big AF attack post!! This is everything I got done this year, not including my friendly-fire and my final attack (because tumblr has a 10 image limit)

Character credits and tags and links below the cut!

Columbia- Drigglesnork on Artfight

Tali- The0Wah0Man on Artfight

Prayers- @monoah-lly

Tear- lycheeve on Instagram

Frankie- @actualtoad

Clara- @kix

Agatha- @honeybeesinspace (my guy Pat is there too)

Kleinbot- innergreedart on Twitter

Flint- spiderfrog15 on Twitter

Lia and Dia- @morninggl0rys

and that is everybody! I had a super great time this year, can’t wait to see who won cause I was not paying attention! See y’all next year ^^

#artfight #af 2021 #my art #not my characters #well one of my characters #pat the scarecrow #i dont think he has a tag yet #tbh i think next year im gonna stop promising revenges ^^' i got absolutely buried the first week and spent the whole month stressing!#dont get me wrong i absolutely loved getting so much cool art of my characters and im honored people like my stuff but like. dang.#if any of you folks want to stick around for when i open commissions soon thatd be great. just saying.#artfight is my yearly pr stunt where i hand out free samples.#If I drew you an attack and you’d like an altered version (no watermark no background different shading that sort of thing) please DM me!

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sketchmenot-art · 4 years ago

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Cynthia Velasquez - It's Just a Dream Right?

Drew Cynthia from Silent Hill 4: The Room!

Cynthia's screen time in this game is pretty brief, but she made a big impact on me when I was first exposed to this game. When you find her covered in blood after she encounters Walter, dying on the floor, Room of Angel playing in the background and her voice actress, Lisa Ortiz, giving a heart-wrenching performance, that whole scene really stuck with me.

Then, when you re-visit the subway in the 2nd half of the game, you encounter Cynthia's ghost, and oh man, that scene still gives me chills. There's this sound effect used of a woman crying in reverse accompanied with these ghostly whirling and undulating sounds, it's just so dang creepy. I love it, haha (^-^)

Done with Clip Studio Paint EX January 2020

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princeanxious · 4 years ago

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What art are you most proud of? And please show us a pic if you can! <3

Not gonna lie, this was actually p hard to answer. I’m honestly proud of any piece I get done, especially any full body, full color, full background pieces, and I refuse to let myself out-right hate anything that I draw in general now-a-days, unfinished or no. I draw for fun, always have, so I try not to put too much worry on how good something looks so long as it gets my idea across in a way that I like, or that I tried?? (And ik being proud of a piece doesnt have to tie into what the end result looks like, im just covering that base) I looked through all of my recent digital art on my ipad(that i’ve had what, 3-4 years at this point?) and found myself about just as happy with each finished piece-

-Except one. There is one piece that I forget about constantly but I’m honestly super proud of the amount of effort it had put in to reach the end result. It probably sees a number of glances infrequently(due to my sporatic activity on said blog) but isnt posted to this blog’s art tag.

It’s the blog banner I drew for my @thelostguardianau fic, of the(at the time) whole cast in the au. You can find the post to reblog it from here but i’m also adding it below for reference. (* and honestly I’ll mention every other art piece in this au posted to it’s blog stands at having this same proudness, as each individual characters complicated design fed into this big banner, each one having a giant set of uniquely drawn wings, complex body markings, and unique clothing and features. And I would not have been able to complete this banner without having those singular character chart pieces finished first, except for Thomas’s design, who has yet to be posted for ✨reasons✨)

This fricking Banner was and still is(for now, *wink*) the most ambitious piece I’ve managed to finish. It took me so long, my wrist hated me, my ipad hated me, my ipencil hated me, medibang hated me, this piece pushed the limits of the poor app. Every time I try and open this piece up on the app it takes a solid couple seconds to open, save, and close.

From sketching to lining every single character, to having to uniquely match up Their Wing Sizes and Heights, because Guardians are fucking Tall, so Wing size and Height size was hell to calculate and portray. Why, you might ask?

Because I was limited to the proportions that would actually fit into a tumblr mobile banner. Which, funfact, is much smaller than you’d think!

I had to make sure they’d all fit, wings and all. And they didnt fcking want to. But I made it fit, because I wanted a full body + wings cast banner and goddamn it that was going to happen. And I did. And I lost a fuck-off amount of detail-space for it.

Coloring it wasn’t exactly difficult, but I will once again point back to this app hating this piece and it draining my battery because of it. I work in layers. My lineart will have 5-6 different layers in color before I combine them and set the hue to black, but I still keep my lineart seperate in that each character has their own lineart, and the background lineart is seperate.

I had their lineart, and probably still do, seperated into Seven different layers, one per character, each one w/ an extra masking layer for their wing glow. Each character got their own folder for colors, and had multiple layers for each colored section: clothing, skin, skin blush + eye whites, hair, wings, body markings, marking glow. And then there was the background layers, and the glowing affects, ect. The whole piece stands at having about 80 total layers having been used over the course of making it.

So yeah, Medibang does not like this piece when I try to open it. xD

But really, setting aside fighting and babying technology thats being pushed close to its limit, the real pride comes from the fact that this piece has Seven fully colored, near-full body characters drawn, all touching and interacting and accurate to the scale that I made. It is the most amount of characters in one piece that I’ve ever drawn, colored, and finished, and I’m pretty fricken proud of it.

Which makes it all the more daunting that said banner is going to get an upgrade, because it’s a Character Cast Banner after all, and its going to have four more fully designed and full winged characters added into it.

And by upgrade, I mean I get to redraw the whole dang thing. Because I gotta rearrange ✨everyone’s✨ positions. And at this point, the only way thats possible is by starting over.

wish me luck on that. o_o;

#sanders sides #luka draws #thelostguardianau #luka answers #ask to tag #tw long post #kinda #luka rambles

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facets-and-rainbows · 4 years ago

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Blue Exorcist 10th anniversary book Q&A session

The 10th anniversary book has a section where Katoh answers 100 questions submitted by fans on Twitter, so here they are translated/paraphrased! May contain manga spoilers up to the recent flashback arc, so be warned.

(Note that I’m playing it very fast and loose here because there are A HUNDRED OF THEM, so not exact wordings, but it should capture the gist. Lemme know if there are any you want elaborated on)

1. Katoh likes the feel of traditional drawing more than digital but is impressed with how far digital has come

2. Meph THOROUGHLY ABUSES spacetime to watch all his shows and ensure that he gets all the merch he wants

3. Did the girls take all of Yukio’s school uniform buttons in middle school? Yes, they did (apparently it’s like A Thing for girls to ask for a button from their crush at middle school graduation, based on some sad movie from the 60s where a guy who got drafted as a kamikaze pilot gave a girl one of his uniform buttons to remember him by)

4. Rin's tail is about a meter long

5. There are tons of servants working at Mephisto's mansion. Belial is in charge of them

6. Katoh borrows from all sorts of neat real locations when making settings

7. Katoh identifies with pretty much all the characters the most! Except Lucifer.

8. Demon designs she's proud of include the impure king and hachirou, pretty much anything that was the main one in an arc

9. Katoh lists a bunch of her favorite musical artists/music she’s listening to recently: King Gnu, Official Hige Dandism, Kenshi Yonezu, BAD HOP, Sakanaction, Keyakizaka 46, Hypnosis Mic, Aimer, B’Z, Queen Bee.

10. Awww the rabbit manga that characters are often reading isn't just Robo to Usakichi, it's an even older one that she drew as a little kid

11. She likes industrial style interior designs

12. Rin and Yukio alternated who got the top bunk growing up, because they couldn't agree on it lol

13. Katoh cares a whole lot about panel layouts and speech bubble positions, might even be her favorite part of the process (it shows!)

4. Katoh does NOT have a mashou, lol

15. Rin has probably been practicing in secret so he can learn to carry stuff with his tail

16. Izumo probably got into shojo manga around 1st grade, her mom had some around the house

17. Specialty dishes: Rin - lots of stuff but especially nabe Yuri - stuff you can throw together quickly Shiro - stuff he learned from Yuri and/or cookbooks, alongside teaching Rin Yukio - Does. Not. Cook.

18. Can't pick a favorite place she's been on research, but there's no place like Japan

19. Kinzou's band isn't currently meeting because demons, but he's probably still thinking of new songs

20. Hardest characters to draw: anyone with detailed flowing hair. Hardest to write for: Lightning and Gedouin. She had to go read books about serial killers specifically for material for Gedouin, lol

21. Suguro actually gets a dorm room to himself, though allegedly Yukio is technically assigned as his roommate, lol. Didn't end up that way what with Yukio being a teacher and also Rin’s whole...situation

22. Shiemi makes some of her own hair accessories! Cute

23. Katoh doesn't mind if you include stuff with fan letters but check with the editor first

24. Time for making each chapter: Planning/storyboarding: 1-5 days. Sketching: 3-5 days. Drawing/inking: the rest. Just...the rest of the time

25. Neither Suguro nor Izumo have dated before and neither is currently dating. But that's probably just because things were hectic for them! It could happen

26. Yukio breaks 5 or 6 pairs of glasses a year, someone get this kid a strap or something

27. How many spare glasses does Yukio have? Check the fanbook lol it's in there (dang it Katoh)

28. The demon she wants us to pay the most attention to is Lucifer. Because plot.

29. What's under the Order's big meeting table? It's a BOTTOMLESS PIT and if you fall in it you DIE that's what makes it COOL (laughs)

30. What are the job requirements for the angelic legion? Literally just Arthur liking you and inviting you to join

31. She WANTS to do more character profiles but just hasn't gotten to it

32. Rin's tail feels like a cat tail, texture wise

33. The "red Assiah fire" is literally just actual fire nothing special

34. Rin's current hair color is light blue fading to white at the ends

35. Thoughts on Rin's growth: she likes that he stays positive in awful situations and she also thinks it's very main character of him to face the past instead of avoiding it

36. Mephisto didn't purposely surround Rin with stuffed animals when he woke up after going crispy. Mephisto's bed is just Like That

37. Kurikara was based on a cool sword she found in a sword book, but that one was technically just a ceremonial sword. The symbol on it us a Sanskrit letter kaan (sp?) associated with Fudou Myouou

38. Kuro can communicate with normal cats and hangs out with them often

39. Sometimes Shiemi's skirt is extra fancy around the hem what's up with that? Apparently it's an optional accessory that comes with the skirts help I haven't noticed this and don't know any fashion terms in any language

40. When coloring, Katoh always tries to have an overall theme in mind ("emphasis on blue" etc) so it comes together in the end

41. Yes the twins are genetically related to Shiro because of Goro (she says they're like his nephews but I say GENETICALLY at least they'd be indistinguishable from his children)

42. Strongest mom of all the strong moms around here? Yuri! Did you SEE her give birth??

43. Are you careful about your own health Katoh-sensei? Not particularly! Her mom has had to bring her food at work sometimes! Don't do this at home kids

44. At the dating events Shura goes to, does she drink cocktails in moderation? Yeah, she probably downplays her normal drinking habits at these things. But normally she's down for just about any kind of drink

45. Lucifer just really likes oysters okay

46. How many pages of manga does Katoh draw in a day? If she's being good about self-care: three. Maximum number ever: TEN

47. Mephisto is one of those folks who can eat like a garbage compactor and never gain weight. Possibly because his body resists that sort of change the same way it resists aging etc

48. First food Rin cooked: fish burger type patty. Yukio's favorite things Rin cooks: fish simmered in soy sauce, yellowtail with daikon radish. It's fish all the way down

49: Did Rin ever get more monthly allowance from Mephisto? It doubled! He gets TWO 2000 yen bills now (rip) [T/N: That's uh, that's USD $37.26 a month or 33.10 euro]

50. Why isn't Rin more popular with the girls? He gets nervous talking to them, plus he's too oblivious to notice even if he DID have some fans

51. Why change Suguro's hair? She gets bored with keeping everything the same, and she wanted a visual representation that he was getting serious and going into kind of a training arc

52. Things Katoh pays extra attention to when drawing: trying to capture the feel of whatever she's drawing (like "that looks warm and soft" or "I bet that guy stinks" cough Lightning cough)

53: Does Rin take after Yuri more? (He's got her eyes!) Katoh tried to draw Yuri so she looks like both twins. Personality, too - Yukio has her smarts and Rin has her optimism

54: Do you ever wanna be like Mephisto? Well she'd like to be able to get away with just ANYTHING EVER, but no, let's not be like Mephisto

55. Konekomaru not only carries around a cat toy in case he meets any cats, he MAKES cat toys to carry around based on what he thinks the cats would like

56. How'd you come up with Shima? Go read the fan book!

57. Do the kids have Twitter/Instagram accounts? Rin - probably not. Konekomaru might be on some social media. Paku and Izumo are totally on instagram

58. Is there something Rin makes that you wish you could try? All of it! That's the whole idea! He's good at cooking!

59. Will we ever have a (G-rated) reveal of what ALL of Mamushi and her family's tattoos look like? Maybe! She'll think about it

60. Does Arthur have a repertoire of different hairstyles? Not really, he just puts some of it up on the top. Heck he might even have people to do that for him

61. If you wrote a shojo manga what would it be about? She'd have to do a lot of research before even coming up with a story, since there are so many style differences between the genres aside from just the subject

62. The other two of Mephisto's top 3 favorite foods: Cup ramen and....f-fried bubblegum?? Is that a THING???

63. Where do you start when drawing a character? Usually the outline of their face but if it's a complex pose/composition she'll start with whatever's in the foreground (like hands)

64. If Katoh could have a familiar, what demon would she choose? Mephisto. As the all-powerful author, she might actually be able to command him as a familiar!

66. If you swapped Yukio and Rin's relationship around what would change? not much, you'd pretty much have Rin going to the Illuminati and Yukio going to the past

67. Top 3 foods/souvenirs to try in Kyushu? Well she doesn't know what’s good CURRENTLY but when she was there she always used to like burdock tempura udon, hakata torimon (a kind of manju with white bean paste inside), and Chikae style cod roe. today I learned Katoh went to high school in Kyushu

68. Katoh listens to music a lot while she's storyboarding, then when she and the assistants are all drawing and inking they put various videos/movies and stuff on in the background

69. For all his hitting on girls, is Shima actually popular with the ladies at all? He's got enough girls in his life that he probably COULD find a girlfriend if he really wanted, but the double agent thing tends to get in the way. He still wouldn't be as popular as Yukio though (side thought/translator’s note: Shima would be proud of being number 69.)

70. Katoh has the ending planned out in a big-picture way, but there are still a few details here and there that she's fretting over

71. It's cute when the boys put their ties over their shoulders when they're working on something! Where'd that come from? She just figured a tie might get in the way and that seemed like a realistic way to get it out of the way

72. Looks like Yukio is getting some facial hair! What about Rin? They're both about the age for it, but maybe Rin can't grow a beard yet. Maybe a little peach fuzz here and there

73. Katoh's favorite blue exorcist merch? There were some exorcist licenses a while back, and the exorcist pins. Basically it's really cool that these little accessories she drew ACTUALLY EXIST NOW, LIKE YOU CAN HOLD THEM IN YOUR HANDS

74. Okay realtalk how long do we have left, I don't want the series to end yet? We're solidly in the second half by now but it's not, like, ABOUT to end yet

75. Katoh would be a Knight meister, based on what characters she likes to play in games and such

76. How many people in the whole exorcism cram school? More than you think! She doesn't give a number but apparently licensed exorcists also attend classes for new meisters, etc, so there's a wide age range attending

77. How's Arthur feel about, like, studying Taming on the way to becoming Paladin? He's at least mostly accepted that you have to use demons to fight demons effectively

78. Konekomaru started wearing glasses in his first year of middle school, so like 7th grade (more recent than I thought!) He has one spare pair, in contrast to Yukio lol

79. Katoh's current obsessions? Ghost/scary stories! She's even been going to live readings of them recently

80. Media Katoh consumes for inspiration? A wide range of foreign teen drama, horror/suspense, shojo manga, light novels, anime, etc. Special focus on things where two boys are in conflict or there are brothers involved

81. If they weren't exorcists what jobs would they have? Rin - chef. Yukio - doctor. Shiemi - uh, florist?

82. Inspiration for the design of True Cross Town? Katoh and her assistants gathered up a bunch of references, picked out stuff they felt matched the tone, and mashed them all up together

83. Did you use any references etc for the school/exorcist uniforms? She says she probably should have but she just kind of made them up before publication

84. Favorite part of drawing? For color pages, picking out a color scheme. For black and white, drawing in all the little details (though she doesn't always get time to lately)

85. Once again confirms the demon kings' weird hair is a representation of their horns. ADDS THAT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SEE DEMONS CAN'T SEE THE WEIRD HAIR

86. Now that Yukio's at the Illuminati, where's he gonna get his Jump SQ and spare glasses? Well he probably never planned to stay for long, but hey it's a big ship and they might have an optometrist and/or newsstand there

87. Do you base the demon characters on any references etc? Not really, she just gets a general idea of popular demon designs and then makes up her own in her own style

88. Merchandise Katoh personally wants to have made: stuff that an adult could just use in their day to day life. Also, it's not gonna happen, but if her favorite figure brand made AoEx figures she could die happy

89. If Beelzebub's host body was a beautiful woman, how would Shima react? Would the womanizing win out over the bug phobia? Katoh replies that Shima would probably just faint from being near a girl that pretty, before the bugs even got involved

90. Will the twins ever get to smile and eat dinner together again?? We'll just have to wait and see!

91. What do you check at a "scenario check"? what's a scenario check man I dunno They check for people being out of character or the setting feeling off. They had a lot of these checks for the anime, but they also do them for the drama CD, games, and all that other stuff where multiple authors are involved

92. Why does Shura use baldy as an insult for people who are clearly not bald? She feels like they have some kind of metaphorical, mental kind of "baldness" and she's calling them out on it. Whatever that means

93. After Blue Exorcist ends, what do you want to draw next? She has SO MANY IDEAS, SO MANY

94. Did Katoh make up the Shinto chants that, for example, Izumo used against Gedouin? They're assembled from bits of actual Shinto prayers according to what feels right in the scene

95. Yukio reads the Jump SQ, right, and, just hear me out here, he likes gag manga, right? Does this mean he reads Salaryman Yukio? It's something he would read, but let's say that in the AoEx universe there's just a very similar manga that he finds oddly relatable

96. What do Yukio and Shima do in their free time on the Dominus Liminus? oh my god you guys this ship has so many amenities. Yukio probably spends time reading in the library, which they totally have. There's also, like, a gym, and a movie theater, and a THEATER theater, all of which are free. Shima probably hangs out at the pool (!) and goes to the movies, and hits on illuminati girls, lol

97. Easiest character to draw? The ones with boring simple hair, lol. Lightning gets an honorable mention for ALSO not having eyes in most shots, but Rin wins--he was specifically designed to be easy for Katoh to draw because that's what you want in your main character

98. How do demons understand gender? They just possess whatever feels like the best match to how they feel in Gehenna, whether that's a man, or a woman, or a rat, or whatever

99. Where do you start when you're coming up with a story? She starts with character design and how the characters relate to each other. Currently she's just continuing an existing story, so she works on splitting up the overall plot into episodes and fleshing it out with scenes and information about characters

100. When do you feel most happy? She honestly feels like she lives a very happy life overall. Mentions noticing a lot of little things, like how nice her cats' heads smell when she cuddles them or taking a nice cold refreshing drink of water. There's happiness in everything. aww.

#blue exorcist #interview #Ao no Exorcist #translation

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ghstandpucks · 4 years ago

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Cutting Edge ~ Nathan MacKinnon Ch.7

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful day! I was excited writing this chapter and I hope you all love it! I think at this point I’m half way through the serious with the different events I have in my head to take place! Thank you for all the kind words and reblogs! You have no idea the smile it puts on my face! Anyways, enjoy and let me know what you think!

Prologue Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6

You almost did a spit take when the Avs’ media department told you their plan for that Saturday’s home opener. “You know that is in three days, right?” you asked to clarify you heard correctly.

“Yes we do. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal though, you already know the routine,” one of the men spoke up. You looked at him like he had grown an extra head.

“I’ve skated at least five different routines after it. You can’t expect me to remember that one specifically,” you argued. “Also, fans are coming here for a hockey game, not a figure skating event.” The media department was asking you to perform your long program that you skated for the Olympics during the second intermission.

“It would be a fun way to introduce you to the fan base though. Show everyone that we have an Olympic champion as a coach,” you stared at the girl who told you this. They were all smiling at you, but you were starting to feel like a side show.

“I just want to be treated like one of the team, one of the coaches. I don’t want to be a side show,” you tried to reason with them.

“You aren’t. Just this once. It is the home opener after all, everyone will be excited and we’ve had requests on our social media to see you skate.” The man said again, but this time looked disinterested in anything else you wanted to argue. How was skating your performance in a sparkly, little dress going to earn you respect as a coach? The media team looked at you expectantly.

“Just this once please. I’d rather have the focus on the team and blend into the background myself,” you conceded. A few of them nodded, but you weren’t so sure you were being heard. You had this problem more frequently than you would like. Being of smaller stature with a softer voice, you weren’t always taken as seriously as you would like to be. Leaving the meeting, you walked back over to the ice and put your skates back on. The team had a light practice that afternoon after playing two back to back games, you being pulled aside after practice.

Back on the ice, you looked up your routine on Youtube. No one could really blame you for forgetting parts of your routine; you still competed after the Olympics and did have to memorize new ones. Playing the music over the loud speaker you started to mark your program, slowly remembering where your spins and jumps were placed. The footwork was what would be tripping you up. You closed your eyes and tried to remember as best you could, until you skated backward into a wall. Or what you thought was a wall but ended up being Nate, his hands on your waist to steady you. “Dang MacKinnon, you are a fridge,” you laughed as he let go of you. Nate’s cheeks became a little red as he chuckled.

“Why do you look so stressed?” he asked you. You looked down quickly, not realizing that you had a look on your face.

“It’s nothing,” you tried to smile. You knew the home opener game was on everyone’s nerves. They wanted to play well and win, and did not need you panicking for a different reason. “Why are you still here?” you asked, trying to change the subject.

“I was waiting for you outside, but you never came out after media took you off for whatever they needed. I just thought I would come find you,” he said quietly, trying to gauge your mood still. “Why is your music playing?” You let out a laugh.

“You actually know this is my music?” you asked, starting to skate backward away from him. Nate followed, starting to see you were avoiding his questions but also wanting an answer.

“Coach showed us your routine when he told us you would be our skating coach,” he explained.

“You have a good memory,” you commented, stopping the music once you reached your phone. Nate rolled his eyes and took your phone out of your hands. “Hey!” you yelped, trying to take it back from him. He looked at the video and back at you with a raised eyebrow. “Media asked me to perform my routine between the 2nd and 3rd period. The only thing is that I’ve kind of forgotten my footwork for it because I’ve had other routines after it. Plus I’m not entirely comfortable performing it at a hockey game that I’m supposed to be a coach at.” You explained in a huff, turning in circles as you explained because you couldn’t exactly stand still.

“Why did they ask you to do that?” Nate asked, reaching out and grabbing your hand to get you to stop spinning. You shrugged, looking down at your hands and playing with his fingers.

“They said to introduce me to the fan base.” Nate nodded and looked at your phone.

“Well what do you need help with?” he asked. You looked up at him and relaxed a bit under his gaze.

“You don’t have to stay. I’m sure your tired,” you said, but he shook his head.

“Either you tell me what I can help you with, or I will keep your phone so you can’t practice at all.” Nate gave you a straight face. You rolled your eyes but smiled at him.

“Tell me if the footwork matches up?” you asked swiveling away from him, and Nate smiled softly at you.

“You got it Coach.”

~ ~ ~

The feeling at the Pepsi Center was electric. The fans were excited and it made the arena come to life in a way that a figure skating event never had. At your competitions, people sat patiently in their seats for their favorite skater to take the ice, clapping politely for the others. Here at the game the fans were up and yelling, being as noisy as they could. You tried to focus on the team, but your performance was in the back of your mind. Was this really a crowd who wanted to watch a skating routine. You were standing behind Kadri at the moment, half way through the second period. The score was tied 1-1, and you could feel the tension radiating off the team. With about five minutes left, the other team called a time out and a woman from media appeared on the other side of the glass, motioning for you to go with her. Bednar saw her too, and nodded toward you. “Break a leg kid,” he said as you walked past him. Nate was on the ice and skated over to the box opening, offering you his arm before you stepped onto the ice. As you reached out for him, you remembered what you wanted to say during the time out.

“Oh! Cale, try to go to the outside. They keep stopping you when you turn in,” you said and he nodded.

“Good luck,” Nate whispered as you let go of his arm when you got back on the none-slip surface off the ice. You sent him a small smile. As you were changing, you heard the goal buzzard go off and the crowd cheering. You hoped that meant it was one of your boys. Looking in the mirror after you changed, a huge smile lit up your face. You hadn’t worn this dress since the Olympics, and you loved the way it made you feel. It started off white at the top, and faded into (Y/Fav/Color). The whole dress was bedazzled with Swarovski crystals the same color as the material of the dress. The sleeves were sheer netting, bedazzled as well, with an open back. You put on your three-tier crystal choker that you wore for every competition since you were 8. Not one to have a lot of superstitions, your choker was the one thing that would devastate you to skate without since you had it for so long. You had worn your hair into a bun for the game and just had to fix your make up. You did not want to show up with competition make up to the game. Lacing up your skates, you walked out and started to warm up your jumps in the tunnel. Once the ice was clean, you were able to skate out and warm up quickly. No attention was draw to you, though being the only one on the ice drew it to you anyways. After warming up your jumps and a spin, you skated back off to wait for your introduction. Taking off your jacket, you jumped slightly as someone took it from you.

“Didn’t think you could perform without us Coach, did you?” Tyson asked. You turned around and saw the team walking back down the tunnel toward you, most with their helmets and gloves off. The guys piled onto the bench, along with the other coaches. It made you relax slightly having familiar faces. Nate sat on the edge closest to you and gave you a reassuring smile.

“You got this,” he said in a low tone so that only you heard. You nodded, smiling brighter as you heard your name over the speaker. You skated out to center ice, elegantly striking your beginning pose. The music started, and everything around you faded as it always did when you performed. You felt like you were flying when you jumped, and couldn’t help a little excited toe step when you landed your last triple axle of the routine. Also, it did not help that you heard the guys cheering you on, so you knew you were doing something right. The last note of your music played, and you jumped out of your scratch spin to your backward bend, effectively ending your movement and routine. The stadium lit up in applause, whether they were just being polite or not you didn’t know, neither did you really care. You didn’t realize how much you missed performing until now. Smiling, you bowed and waved at the crowd. As you started to head back toward the Avs, a chant of “Coach” started to sound. You laughed and went down the line high fiving them. The ice was set to be cleaned once more, the holes your toe picks made being filled in quickly as there was about five minutes left of intermission. You were bouncing with adrenaline, and Tyson had to practically throw your jacket in your face for you to pay any attention to him. Walking off the ice with the team, you all of a sudden remembered the buzzard that went off while you were getting ready. You turned to Gabe who was next you.

“Who scored?” you asked eagerly. Gabe smiled his charming smile at you.

“Makar. It was your call Coach,” he said. You bounced excitedly and shoved Cale when you saw him. Nate was watching you the whole time, amused at your bubbliness.

The game went on, with the Avs scoring 3 more times, making the score 5-1 when the final buzzard sounded. You were standing on the bench when it happened, and Nate picked you up slightly to put you back on the ground before you tumbled off the bench in your excitement. He had remembered what you said about being clumsy if you didn’t have your skates on. Once the team was in the locker room, you grabbed your bag and your dress and changed. Nate had mentioned that everyone would be going out after the game and that you should go with them. Then when Mel facetimed you to pick out an outfit, you really couldn’t say no. Plus Nate said he would pick you up so you didn’t have to worry about driving that evening. Though you suggested it should be the other way around since he was the one playing in said game, he insisted. After letting down your hair from its bun, you changed into a pair of skinny jeans, a top that just barley hit the top of your jeans, heeled boots and a jacket, and walked back toward the locker room where the families and guests of players were starting to gather. Before you could even question where you should go, a familiar blonde grabbed your attention. “You were beautiful!” Mel squealed, pulling you into a hug. You laughed and thanked her.

“I never want to do that at a hockey game again, but thanks,” you smiled at her. She rolled her eyes.

“I know. Nate said you were apprehensive about it,” she said, eyeing you suspiciously. You gave her a questioning look. “Just cause I can’t get you to spill everything yet doesn’t mean I can’t get something out of him at least. And I got my something. So you look extra cute tonight, your welcome.” Mel smiled slyly at you. You were about to ask her what she actually meant when the team started to disperse out of the locker room. Sinking into the background as everyone greeted their loved ones, you couldn’t help but feel warm at the scene. Competing as a figure skater was so individualistic, you usually didn’t see your family after a competition until after the award ceremony back at the hotel. That was if they traveled with you at all. As you looked around, you locked eyes with a familiar pair of blue ones. Nate made his way over to you, scooping you up into a hug. You giggled; your arms wrapped around his neck. As if you both remembered where you were at the same time, Nate quickly set you down and you brushed your hair behind your ear awkwardly.

“Nice game MacKinnon,” you said, trying to not seem like you were too phased by remembering where you were. Nate chuckled, rubbing the back at of his neck. He felt slightly bad for making you feel awkward, but he was also getting tired of this unspoken line you had both drawn. What he wouldn’t do to just be able to kiss you then and there. He had to admit, watching your routine on video was one thing, but seeing you perform it in person and seeing you radiate with joy after took his breath away.

“Thanks coach. I guess you were pretty good too,” he winked at you. You laughed and shook your head, shoving his arm. Once everyone who was going out decided on where they were going, you walked with Nate to his car. Andre also got a ride with the two of you. You tried to tell him he could sit in the front since his legs were longer, but he insisted that you took the front. Once at the bar, the team got a seat in the VIP section, of course. You had actually never been in a VIP section, except for the time you went out with your friends for your 21st birthday. You had pulled the Olympian card, tipsy you having fun being center of attention when you usually shy away from it when you were off the ice; and it helped you were with a group of attractive people in the first place. Drinks were brought around and you had to fend off Tyson who kept trying to make you take a shot with him. Eventually you gave in and did one, but stuck with your beer for the rest of the night. You were a lightweight, and did not want to get drunk the first time you went out with everyone.

As the night went on, you were definitely tipsy but not uncontrollable. You danced with a few of the girls and just had a fun time talking with everyone. Nate kept a close eye on you, grinning as you cracked up at something one of the girls said. “So what are you going to do?” Gabe asked, taking a seat next to Nate at their table. No one was paying attention to the two; either out dancing, at the bar, or in other conversations.

“About what?” Nate took a sip of his beer.

“Coach. Y/N,” Gabe answered, rolling his eyes. He knew Nate knew what he was talking about. Nate sighed, and figured out of everyone Gabe would probably give the sanest advice in this situation.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I like being around her. I feel like I can just be myself and she doesn’t expect anything from me. I mean, I think she’s amazing,” Nate rambled and Gabe grinned at his friend. “But like you said the first day she showed up, I’m screwed. She’s our coach. She’s trying to work out this whole entire program and I don’t want to be the reason why it may not work out for her. There’s a line that we haven’t crossed for a reason, you know.” Gabe nodded. He felt bad that Nate was in this position. He was honestly just messing with him when he told him he was screwed that day; he hadn’t expected there to be actual feelings between the two. Nate had a solemn look on his face, and Gabe patted his shoulder.

“To be frank, you two seem to have some sort of connection. It’s not obvious, but I’ve been paying attention since day one because I thought it was funny at first. But since then you guys have just grown closer it seems. I mean, you hang out all time. And don’t think I didn’t notice that you went and sat with her on the plane coming home. I don’t know what to tell you, but you are both adults and I’m sure if you just talked to her about it you could work it out,” Gabe finished as you and Mel bounded over to the table.

“Work what out?” you asked, curious as to why the boys looked so serious. Gabe gave his wife a look that you did not understand, and answered as Nate seemed at a loss for words.

“A new play,” he said, and Nate nodded. You took a seat next to Nate as Mel sat next to her husband, and dove into a story of what Linnea did that day. Nate started to relax again, laughing along with you. Soon after the night came to an end, and Nate drove Andre home before heading to your apartment. He carried your backpack for you into your apartment, setting it down by the front door while you ran to your room to put your dress away. With his conversation with Gabe still echoing in his head, Nate sat down on your couch, rubbing his face.

“Do you want some water or something?” you asked, walking back into the main room.

“Yeah. Water would be great. Thanks,” he responded. You grabbed two water bottles out of your fridge and handed him one as you sat cross legged on the other side of the couch facing Nate.

“What’s up? Are you alright?” you asked, worried he was upset about something. It seemed like there was something on his mind. Nate turned to you, debating if he was really going to say it, or if he should leave it and you would both keep playing this game of not being something more to each other even though he was pretty sure you were on the same page as him. He gauged you as you watched him, deciding that you weren’t drunk, in fact you barely seemed tipsy anymore. If he was going to say anything, now would probably be the best. After taking a quick sip, he set the water down on your coffee table and turned so he was fully facing you.

“What are we doing Y/N?” he asked. You looked at him confused, not sure why he was asking.

“We’re hanging out? Drinking water…” you trailed off as he shook his head.

“I didn’t mean right now. I mean kind of but not really,” Nate mumbled, but stopped when you reached for his hand and stared down at them intertwined. “What does this mean to you?” he asked, giving your hand a light squeeze.

“Um,” you started, not sure if you actually wanted to say what it actually meant to you.

“Because this,” Nate squeezed your hand again, “means something to me. And I think it means something to you too.” You nodded at his assumption. That was all the reassurance Nate needed to keep talking. “I like you Y/N, a lot. Like more than I thought was possible.” You smiled shyly, but then you remembered why you were in Colorado to begin with.

“Nate, I’m your coach…” you started, but Nate shook his head.

“I know that. I would never want to put you in a situation that cost you that, but I also don’t want to pretend like these feelings don’t exist anymore.” He moved closer to you and your heart picked up a bit. “You looked beautiful skating today. I think you look beautiful everyday and I want to be able to tell you that without feeling like I’m crossing some imaginary boundry.” You blushed and looked down, but Nate used his other hand to gently lift your chin back up so you were looking at him. He looked slightly worried that he had said to much, so you knew it was your turn to talk.

“I really like you too Nate. I just don’t know how we’re supposed to navigate this. I’m worried that the program won’t be taken seriously if we start dating,” you said and Nate nodded, slowly letting go of your face. You could see the doubts start to form in his mind, and quickly grabbed his wrist, effectively keeping him there. The two of you stayed quiet for a moment, letting all the words that had been said sink in. Nate took a tentative breath, not sure if he wanted to know the answer to his next question.

“So then what do you want to do?” he whispered, but at your proximity to each other it could have been a shout. You were pondering what to say next when he spoke up again. “Because I would like to see where this could go Y/N.” If you had any more doubts, that sentence pushed them away. You smiled softly up at him and nodded.

“Me too,” your voice was barely over a whisper, but Nate heard you loud and clear. He smiled warmly at you, looking down at your lips then back into your eyes. This time when he leaned in, no phone went off to drag you both out of this blissful bubble surrounding you both. Your eyes fluttered shut as his lips finally met yours, the butterflies in your stomach working overtime. It was short and sweet, and you both had smiles that could light up a room when you pulled away. You knew there was a lot to discuss and figure out, but in that moment you could have cared less. The rest of the night was spent with stolen kisses and talking about nothing and everything all at once. Neither of you had ever felt so content. And as the sun started to rise over Denver that Sunday, it found the two of you cuddled up and fast asleep on your couch.

tags: @bqstqnbruin @avsfans95 @andreiaafaria also @gravygravygravy @comphybiscuit (I know you two didn’t ask, but you’ve been so nice to me <3)

#nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl x reader #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic #nathan mackinnon imagine #nathan mackinnon x reader #nate mackinnon imagine #nate mackinnon x reader #Nathan mackinnon #Cutting Edge

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demonslayedher · 4 years ago

Video

youtube

As a Kimetsu and Kojiki nerd allow me to just say AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH Or I can try to keep this simple. This will not be a translation of the video, but an explanation of why I’m screaming about the Seventh Form of Thunder Breathing, Honoikazuchi-no-kami. EDIT: AND SCREAMING ABOUT A KAMADO CONNECTION STRONGER THAN I ORIGINALLY NOTICED, AHHHHHHHHHHH

Okay so. Guh. Where do I start. To dive into the very basic background, the Kojiki is an 8th century collection of Shinto basic Shinto mythology and one of the primary myths is how the god couple Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto together birthed the lands and godly population of Japan, but Izanami died giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi—whom, OH MY MUZAN, I DREW LIKE THE LITTLE CARETAKERS OF TANJIRO’S UNCONSCIOUS INNER SPACE, FUUUUUUDGE, I KNEW THOSE THINGS FELT FAMILIARRRRRR

(This is a panel from an old project in which I retold some of the Kojiki legends for the sake of introducing associated locations around the San’in region. Instead of retelling the whole legend here, this will make more sense if you just read that over here (you’ll want “To Yomi and Back Again” for this). I’ll borrow a few panels and photos as necessary here.) Oh dang, in the video this fox-nerd even mentions how Kagutsuchi is more of a commoner’s hearth god, which totally ties him in more with the Kamado family, and the charcoal associations are tied with protection from evil and purity, but I digress, I DIGRESS. So anyway, setting this little fire god aside, Izanami dies and goes to the underworld, Yomi. It’s not necessarily “hell” unless you’re following a mythology version that interprets hell as where all dead souls go instead of just the bad ones (after all, even Oyakata-sama says Rengoku-san won’t be lonely for long, since he’ll be heading to Yomi soon too, DON’T SAY THAT MAN, IT MAKES ME SAD—-and OHHHHHHH HANG ON, OYAKATA-SAMA, I GOT MORE TO SAY ABOUT YOU IN THIS POST). Izanagi, just like a certain character in Greek mythology, marches down to Yomi to bring her back, and ultimately that’s cool as long as he doesn’t look back and see her rotting flesh. And yeah, he does. Jerk. He’s like, “ew, nevermind” and she’s the embodiment of “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” and goes after him with a bunch of rotting women of hell whom Izanagi keeps off his back with your typical bag of mythology tricks, and then Izanami just right then and there births eight thunder gods at different parts of her body to shoot after him. As the fox-nerd explains in the video, each of these named gods who only makes a very, veeeery brief appearance in the Kojiki, are thought to represent a different aspect of Thunder, like how the clouds get darker, the sound, the freshness in the air afterward, the ground being struck, etc. So then the one she bore at her chest, right at her heart, that one was called 火雷神, Honoikazuchi-no-kami. The 雷 is lightning, and you find a handful of lightning related gods with this is their name and pronounced “Ikazuchi.” The 火 is fire, so it is thought that this name is in reference to fires started by lightning, as opposed to the lightning itself. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE 1. The video mentions Honoikazuchi-no-kami is a very, very rarely mentioned god, but in noble people’s homes, rather than humble Kagutsuchi, Honoikazuchi is the god worshiped at the hearth. NO, I DIDN’T DIGRESS, LET ME KEEP GOING. 2. Fire seems like more of a Kamado thing, yes, but a video I saw the other day pointed out how the 照 in Yoshiteru’s name is in reference to the light of the sun (日) while the 燈 in Touko’s name (which means ‘lantern’) includes the radical for fire (火), thus bringing in more of Nezuko’s family history because ZENITSU’S WIFE IS IMPORTANT, YO 3. Kind of aside but back in that legend when Izanagi ran away to safety, there was a PEACH TREE outside the gate to Yomi

and Izanagi used those peaches in his escape from Yomi, which he then turned around and sealed with a rock. (Lame photo, but this is the labeled peach tree at Yomotsu Hirasaka, the canonical but probably not the most popular hell-associated spot in Japan (AND BY THE WAY IT’S NOT FAR AT ALL FROM AN AREA THAT WAS FAMOUS IN THIS MYTHOLOGICAL PERIOD FOR MAKING MAGATAMA JEWELS LIKE THE ONES KAIGAKU WORE BUT SERIOUSLY I DIGRESS, TAMATSUKURI ONSEN IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOT SPRING AREAS ANYWAY AND EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT IT))

And then when they have their final parting they have this little symbolic exchange about how Izanami, now associated with death, will bring about death in the populace, while Izanagi, who was about to go on to birth a famous sun, moon, and storm god trio, blathered on about how he was going to keep bringing about new life.

Now. Now, when he said ‘birthing huts’ the word he used was ‘産屋’ (ubu-ya) but if you’d rather an upgrade to a mansion rather than a hut, we can do that with 産屋敷. As in… UBUYASHIKI. GOSH, DANG IT, GOTOUGE, YOU BRILLIANT GATOR, YOOOOUUU!!! This is as far as I’m gonna go, but there’s a part of me jumping off a mental cliff screaming about how Izanagi and Izanami abandoned their first child who had no bones and how Zenitsu was abandoned and THAT MEANS ZENITSU IS EBISU, LOOOOOOOLZZZZ—no. Even I have my limits out here on these limbs. EDIT: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Those Kamado-Kagutsuchi connections I made were by accident, but Gotouge had that in mind FROM THE VERY START

Circled: “Kagutsuchi is a fire god” Two possible titles considered: “Onigari Kagutsuchi” (Demon Hunter Kagutsuchi), “Sumi no Kagutsuchi” (Kagutsuchi of the Charcoal) I’m (still) screaming. And like, this is all the more interesting because Kagutsuchi is the first god to kill another god, what’s more, his own mother; yet this fire is still associated with purification; which is about as close as Shintoism comes to having a moral code. And then you’ve got Tanjiro, who feels the oni are kindred former humans even as he must rid the world of them. UUNNNNGGGHHHHHH, GOTOUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE————

#KnY fandom theories and meta #Kimetsu no Yaiba #Demon Slayer #KnY nerdery #Agatsuma Zenitsu #Kamado Tanjiro #Ubuyashiki Kagaya #shinto mythology

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feirceangel · 4 years ago

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Imagine | Lost Brother (Dwayne)

Imagine reuniting with your brother twenty years after he ran away from home

Word Count: 1077

What drew you to this strange city?

Was it the odd atmosphere? The fact that all sorts of outcasts come here to escape their past lives?

Or was it something else?

You don't really know why you came here of all places but you don't question it any further as you haul boxes into your new apartment.

Santa Carla is your home now.

That's all that matters.

Setting the box down, you look around the small space and smile. Ever since your mom passed, you didn't have a reason to smile it off moving. And now you've finally done it.

You unpack for most of the night before passing out around four or five in the morning. Good thing you don't have work or anything important to do tomorrow.

By the time you reawaken, it's afternoon. You finish unpacking and decide to go exploring your new neighbourhood.

Of course, you have to go to the boardwalk, but you decide to go there last, deeming it more appropriate to go at night to get a better grasp of the nightlife here in Santa Carla.

As you walk, your eye catches sight of a bunch of missing posters. They remind you of your brother who ran away from home when you were only five years old.

You can't blame him for running, especially after you discovered the whole truth behind his sudden departure.

It turns out, your father was abusive and one day, Dwayne finally had enough of him. So, he dealt with your father before running off to escape the police.

Your mom never really talked much about the incident and you get it. You don't like talking about it either.

Sometimes, if you try real hard, you can picture what he looked like and remember the times you spent with him.

He was a great older brother and you wish he could have stuck around.

Turning away from the posters, you make your way towards the beach to watch the sunset. Your feet dig into the soft sand as you walk in the direction of the boardwalk.

Faintly, you can hear a concert going on - some form of rock band playing to their hearts content.

The music enthralls you, drawing you towards the crowd as a smile grows on your lips. This is what you've always wanted - a carefree existence without worries or priorities.

You sway to the music for awhile before wandering away. Your feet lead you to the shops and you glance over all of the merchandise as you hum along to the tune playing in the background.

A shadow flickers in the corner of your eye, alerting you to the close proximately of two strangers. Grins adorn their gorgeous faces, their eyes alight with mischief.

Disconcerted, you walk a bit faster, irked when they keep pace with you before cutting in front of you.

You stop and cross your arms, "Can I help you?"

"Nope," the one with a mesh shirt and long blond hair says, popping the 'p'.

The one beside him smirks - truly a dazzling sight to behold - as he looks you over. His distinguishing feature is his wildly curly blond hair.

"Okay," you push between them, continuing on your path.

"Hey, wait up!"

Of course they follow you.

You keep walking even as they try to strike a conversation.

"Where you going?"

You don't answer.

You're not trying to be rude, you just don't talk much and you also believe in the saying 'stranger danger'.

"What's your name?"

Sighing, you stop in your tracks and face the persistent boys, "Look, I don't know you-"

"That's what we're trying to fix," Mesh Shirt exclaims with a grin.

Dang, he's got a point. If I never talk to strangers, then I'll never make friends.

You scowl at the thought.

They realize you've given up your escape, restarting their questions.

"So, what's your name?"

"Y/n."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Paul and that's Marko."

You nod your head.

"You new here?"

Another nod.

"You sure don't talk much do ya?"

Another scowl.

"Hey, it's alright. One of our friends doesn't talk much either."

"Why bother when all you two do is yap," you comment with a small smile.

They gasp in mock offense, turning to each other.

"Marko, can you believe how she wounds us?"

"She's not wrong though," a new voice says, revealing a platinum blond with a mullet. "You two never shut up."

He tosses a finished cig on the ground as Paul laughs and shakes his head.

"Ouch."

You cross your arms again, uncertain now that they outnumber you three to one. What have you gotten yourself into?

"David, this is Y/n," Paul introduces, seemingly picking up on your discomfort. "She's new to town."

"Hi," is his flippant response.

The fact that he's not really paying much attention to you is oddly comforting. Marko strikes another conversation, with you giving short answers to his varying questions.

With night thickening around you, you've actually started to enjoy yourself around these strange men. So much so that you've failed to realize that they've drawn you away from the crowds.

They lead you off to the beach until no one is in sight.

"Should we wait for Dwayne?" Marko asks his brothers through their mind link.

"No, he should be here any minute."

Sensing danger, you turn to face the men, now understanding your dire mistake.

As they approach, snickering at your panicked expression, someone new joins them.

Your eyes meet his and you feel like you know him from somewhere. Dark eyes, long dark hair, a jacket with a leopard on its sleeve - you wrack your brain trying to remember where you know him from.

Meanwhile, he knows who you are instantly. Call it brotherly instinct or vampiric senses or whatever you want, but he knows you are his sister.

The sister he thought he'd never see again.

Marko lunges for you as you shy away, but a rough hand on his shoulder stops him.

"Wait, don't hurt her!"

The others stare at him in confusion.

"She's my sister."

At that bombshell, everyone seems stunned into silence.

"Dwayne?" You finally say, tears welling up in your eyes, "Is it really you?"

He nods, unusually emotional as his throat closes, drowning any words he would have said. How many times has he thought about this moment? Dreamed of seeing his family again?

How many times have you thought of this? Wished for this?

You hesitate for a second before dashing into his arms, embracing him with tears falling down your cheeks.

David shares a look with the others at this unexpected turn of events.

Clearly they won't be eating Y/n anytime soon.

#lost boys #the lost boys #80s movies #reader insert #x reader #imagine #Dwayne

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letsbenditlikebennett · 3 years ago

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FroYO What The F&*% Is Up, Kyle? || Ariana & Kyle

TIMING: Before Kyle did Bex a big yikes PARTIES: @darkh0wl & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Just two wolves who sniffed each other out in a yogurt shop, as you do.

Okay, so maybe it was winter and maybe it was too cold for frozen yogurt. But a craving is a craving, so Kyle had to satisfy it. He headed down to Flagg’s Froyo, avoided the sticky tiles inside the shop, and found a table with his cup that was honestly more topping than yogurt. He leaned back in his chair, eating specifically the popping boba one at a time. Kyle closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the mouthfeel of boba, but he could smell...something. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what, but there was a familiar sort of smell. His brow furrowed as he breathed in deeper and looked around for the source of the smell.

The only reason her frozen yogurt hadn’t melted had to be due to the temperature alone. Even with talking through what she was feeling, Ariana still found visiting Chloe had left her feeling heavier. Like so many other effort she’d made to help others, it just seemed to crumble in her hands. At this point, she wasn’t sure which felt worse-- trying to help or not trying at all. She had stopped by here after class as a means of killing time. Athena was out at the sorority house planning some sort of event and the thought of just hanging around the apartment alone felt like too much. At least here, the constant thrum of background noise kept her somewhat stable. She stirred around her frozen yogurt with her spoon yet again and almost didn’t even pick up on the smell until it was practically hitting her in the face. Her head whipped up as she saw a guy not much older than her standing in front of her who was undoubtedly also a wolf. It was likely what drew him over to her to begin with. “You can sit,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, “I’m Ari. Take it your nose brought you this way?”

Kyle didn’t honestly know what his game plan was once he was already headed toward the other table. He didn’t know why he was following this scent or what it even was. Now that he was standing in front of this girl, he felt like a major creep, but she seemed excited. Kyle did as she said and sat across from her in a bit of a daze. She smelled so familiar. Like home in a way that Kyle hadn’t really experienced before. Sure, he’d smelled the same thing out and about before--in passing, on full moons, maybe on some patrons at the bar--but never in a context that meant anything. “Uh, I’m Kyle. What do you mean my nose brought me this way? How did you know?”

As Kyle took a seat with her, Ariana quirked a brow up. Almost immediately it was easy to tell he hadn’t met another wolf before. How new was he to this? Hopefully not quite as out of the loop as Luis. Even there, she wasn’t even sure how good her help did. She swirled some of the strawberry froyo around in the cup and shook her head. “Like, literally, your nose brought you here. It’s a wolf thing,” she said nonchalantly. Sure, this was serious, but she couldn’t beat around the bush. Not right now. It was too exhausting, but she did quickly add, “You do know what you are, right?”

The bold, blunt statement of, “It’s a wolf thing,” caught Kyle off guard. He couldn’t help the look of surprise that washed over his face. He hadn’t met another, he’d just sort of figured everything out on his own, trial and error style. Kyle set his cup of froyo toppings down and ran a hand through his hair. Was she--was Ari a wolf, too? Or how had she known? He sighed in mild annoyance. “Of course I know what I am. But how did you know? Are you--y’know, a wolf, too?” He paused for just a beat before adding, “Or are you, like, a mindreader?”

It was hard to keep a straight face as Kyle was clearly taken aback by her words. Ariana had never been so great at the whole beating around the bush thing. It didn’t help that it was also the exhausting route and she was already pretty tired. Then he was asking if she was a wolf or a mind reader and she shook her head. Oh, Kyle. She’d only just met him, but this felt like a very Kyle thing to do based on all the internet memes. “Both,” she said to him with a nearly convincing serious face before a smirk broke out. “Okay, just a wolf. But you made that way too easy.” If he couldn’t immediately discern she was also a wolf, she had the feeling he was still new to all of this. Or at least he hadn’t met other wolves before. “So, how long have you been-- well, you know?” She made a little claw motion with her hands as she asked the last part.

For a second, Kyle’s mouth hung open in surprise. A mind reader?! That was incredible, and already his mind was churning with a hundred questions. But then Ari was smirking and his excitement waned. “Wait, so you’re not a mind reader? Bummer. That sounds dope as hell.” The pieces were clicking together now. Why Kyle could smell her so well, why she smelled so familiar, and even why he felt so oddly at ease with her. He tried to shove that last feeling down. He was a lone wolf and no one was going to change that. “Oh, me? I’ve been a wolf since high school. But I’m kind of the only one I know. Or, I guess I was until I met you.” He shrugged, brow furrowing as he looked back down at his froyo. A creeping question lurked at the back of his mind. Would things be different if he’d met someone sooner? Would he have become a part of some kind of pack? The thought unsettled him in a way he couldn’t pin down, so he cleared his throat and began talking again. “What about you? How long have you been…?” he mimicked the claw motion with a hand, a smirk crossing his face now, too.

Ariana almost felt bad that Kyle had seemingly fallen for her joke about mind reading. As cool as that skill may have been, there was a lot she preferred not to know. That and the world was loud enough already. Especially closer to a full moon. She didn’t need the additional ruckus of other people’s thoughts filling her head. “No, definitely not a mind reader,” she said as she shook her head, “Wolves are cooler anyway.” As she took a bite of her lemon raspberry froyo she could see him beginning to understand. So, he wasn’t necessarily too new to this wolf thing, but new enough that he didn’t know others like them. “High school… how old are you now? Had to be a tough change to make during high school, but you seem to have a pretty good grip of the whole wolf thing.” At least as much as she could tell from their current setting. Hell, at least he knew what he was already and wasn’t trying to actively push her away. She found herself laughing a bit as he mirrored her own motions. “I was born a wolf,” she explained, “My parents were wolves, too. I didn’t really- It wasn’t until recently I actually got to meet others like us. I was pretty young when my parents died.” Murdered would have been a more accurate term, but Kyle seemed comfortable with her, it was probably best to not totally freak him out. “Have you been staying safe? Do you have a good place to spend the full moons?”

“Dang, I was starting to hope this whole being a wolf thing had the added bonus of mind reading. Like, maybe I just had to unlock more levels,” Kyle said, grinning. “You’re right, though. Wolves are cooler.” He took another bite of his topping cup and nodded along with what Ari was saying. She was right. It had been a hard transition in high school. He was just figuring himself out and then he had added being a wolf on top of it. It had shaped him, for better or worse, into sort of who he was now. “I’m 22,” he said and shrugged. “I feel like I have a pretty good hold on things. Give or take.” Take. It was definitely take, but he’d just met this wolf. He didn’t want her to know too too much. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. So Ari had had a long time to practice this whole wolf thing. Maybe that’s why she was so calm about talking about this over froyo. He had questions to ask about being born a wolf--he hadn’t even really thought about werewolves being born, though it made sense--but then Ari casually dropped it on him that her parents were dead. Any smile from his face slowly fell and he let his spoon sink back into his cup. “Oh-- I-- I’m sorry about your parents. I can’t imagine that’s easy, on top of being a wolf.” But she pressed on with questions, so Kyle did his best to oblige her. “What do you mean good place?” he asked. “I mean, I’m staying as safe as I can in a weird town like this. I’m kind of just...driving to the edge of town during a full moon, and I just roam the forest, you know? Usually, I make it all the way out of town, too.” Oops, had that been too much? She didn’t need to know how fragile his grip on control was. Not now.

So Kyle wasn’t too much older than she was, though she had kind of guessed as much. Ariana was eager to have another wolf that was her age to hang out with. Part of her immediately thought that Kyle and Luis would probably get along well. “Nice, I just turned 19 a few weeks ago,” she told him with a smile, “That’s pretty amazing. It’s always a give and take sort of thing, but easier to stay safe if you have a better grasp of the whole thing. I think really riding into it helps?” It was hard to control something you denied, which at least Luis was past that phase. She could tell Kyle seemed surprised she had been born a wolf. So, outside of being a wolf and her being the first one he’d met, he really wasn’t all that well versed in this stuff. That was okay, she’d fill him on everything he needed to know. Plus, she’d introduce him to the others which would give him a whole little community. She took another big bite of her yogurt before she realized he was apologizing. No matter how much she’d heard it, she was always thrown off. “Oh, it’s fin- I’m okay,” she assured easily, “My older sister had always taken good care of me. Don’t get me wrong, losing family sucks, but like, I’m okay. And I think the wolf stuff is a little easier if you don’t know anything else, you know?” Or, at least it felt like she was starting to be. She’d had plenty of time to grieve her parents, it was the more recent losses that seemed to haunt her recently, but she was healing. She was having more good days than bad and that was something, right? She shook those thoughts away and answered his question. “A good place far away from town where you can just be a wolf without worrying about others,” she explained, “It sounds like you have a pretty good setup in place though. Still, I wouldn't mind having someone to hang out with on the full moon. I go pretty deep out into the forest. I have a few different spots I rotate between to keep hunters from catching onto where I am. So if you wanted to join…” She didn’t want to force him, but she’d feel a lot more secure that the other wolves were staying out of trouble if they were together.

So, Ari was younger than Kyle and clearly in better control over the wolf thing. That made him feel unexpectedly bad, never mind that she had had way more time to gain control. He nodded along with what she said about embracing the wolf thing. “Yeah, I agree. The whole being ashamed of what I am thing, it’s--it’s not for me. I like being a wolf. It’s way cool.” He took another bite of his toppings, popping boba in his mouth one by one as he listened to Ari speak about her family. That was heavy. He wouldn’t be coping as well as she seemed to be, that was for sure. “Still,” he said, once his mouth was empty, “it’s not easy and I’m sorry you have to go through that. I’m glad you’re doing okay with it.” He balked at the offer to join her on a full moon. That wasn’t something he’d ever considered. What if he hurt her? It wouldn’t be intentional, sure, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a possibility. He barely knew her. How could he even be sure she wasn’t somehow working with hunters? That was a ridiculous thought, though. One that Kyle brushed aside as he considered her offer. “Uh,” he started. Did he want to say yes? Did he want to commit to something he was probably going to regret later? “I don’t know,” he said, his brows pulling together. “I think I’ve been doing pretty good by myself. I haven’t seen any hunters. I’ll think about it, though.” He wouldn’t think about it. Kyle had already made his decision, whether he would admit that to himself or not. He didn’t want to be connected to someone who could possibly count on him. Not now. The circumstances didn’t feel right. He was a lone wolf, and he didn’t want to change that now. Ari seemed nice enough, but he didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of someone else.

Ariana found okay to be a fairly relative thing. She’d had nearly sixteen years to cope with what had happened to her family. Even Celeste, Sammy, Winn… time had passed. There were still days where a memory or thought could throw her for a loop, but she could manage easier now. She could keep moving forward even though her life would no longer look like she had always pictured it. She could adjust, mostly because she had to. She’d always had to adjust in some way or another and grief, pain-- it wasn’t all that different except in the fact it was harder. “Thanks,” she said as she moved some mochi around with her spoon. She wasn’t sure what else to say so she eagerly awaited his answer about joining her on the full moon, only to be disappointed. For some reason, he’d rather spend the moon alone even though instinct seemed to pull them together. “Oh,” she started slowly, “I mean, I have too, just thought it’d be nice to spend it hunting together. See who can catch the biggest buck and all that.” She wasn’t sure why the rejection stung so she busied herself with her yogurt again momentarily. When she really thought about it, all she really wanted was to help and have it go well. She wanted to fulfill that purpose of bridging the supernatural worlds together in a way Celeste had started, but Celeste had always been so much better with people. What would she do? A joke to lighten the mood was all Ariana could come up with. “What,” she said with a smirk that felt forced, “You think I’ll slow you down or something?”

Kyle’s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t miss that Ari had genuinely wanted him to join her on the full moon. After what he’d done to his mother… He shuddered and tried to play it off by setting his spoon down and mumbling something about brain freeze. That bought him enough time to consider her request even more fully. He hadn’t known that other wolves hunted on the full moon. It made sense, but he hadn’t really considered it for himself. Would they eat the deer they took down? Kyle wrinkled his nose at the thought. “Do you eat the deer?” he asked, prodding at his frozen yogurt. That didn’t sound like the most appetizing way to go about things, but he didn’t want to judge Ari too harshly. “I’ve never hunted anything. I guess I’m almost worried you’d speed me up,” he said with a chuckle. “I usually just...run, I guess.” He didn’t really think about it, he just went to the forest and let himself go. He let himself forget all of his human worries and just be free. Most of the time, he was in the woods, anyway. Sometimes, he didn’t quite make it out of town. But even then, he just spent the night chasing rabbits or the occasional stray cat. He never caught them, but he had fun trying.

Ariana watched Kyle carefully as she tried to make sense of his body language. It seemed as if he was considering her offer at the very least though she couldn’t be too sure. As she set her own nearly finished yogurt down, confusion crossed her features. Her head tilted curiously and her eyes widened a bit that he asked if she ate the deer. The answer seemed obvious though when he mentioned he just ran, concern started brewing in her stomach. “Uhm, yeah,” she looked around carefully before lowering her voice to a whisper, “The full moon makes us kind of bloodthirsty and all. Better deer than the alternative. So, I fuck off deep into the forest and just let instinct take over.” The thought of just running didn’t quite add up to werewolf nature though and she had the feeling he wasn’t being entirely truthful with her. While she didn’t necessarily want to call him out and push him away when he likely needed her experience, she had to bring it up somehow. “You just… run,” she asked slowly. Her wide eyes didn’t do much to hide her disbelief as she started to fiddle with her spoon again. “That’s… I really think you should join me. I’d really enjoy the company and we’re kind of pack creatures by nature and all.” Her mind briefly thought of Luis who was also new to this and went through struggles she couldn’t quite understand. She sat up a little straighter and quickly added, “Actually, I have a friend I want you to meet. He’s-- well, he’s really new to all of this and trying to figure things out. Since I’ve always been like this, I kind of worry I can’t really relate to him as well as he needs, you know?”

Kyle had to take a moment to process that Ari ate the deer. He hadn’t eaten--...had he? The creeping realization that, in fact, he probably had eaten the stray cats and wild rabbits he chased made his stomach flip. He set the cup of yogurt down and nudged it away from himself. How many missing cat posters had been put up because of him? Kyle swallowed thickly and bit his lower lip. “I--I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t eat--or I didn’t think I ate things like that? Maybe I do? I don’t know. I’m not new new to this, but I don’t know if I’m the right candidate to--what did you say? Fuck off into the woods?” He didn’t know who this friend Ari spoke of was, but Kyle knew that he couldn’t relate to them either. He hadn’t exactly embraced pack life as much as he’d just embraced the idea of being a wolf. Ari had a point that they were social creatures by nature, but the thought of being so tied down in such a specific manner had Kyle feeling uneasy at best. “I guess I could meet your friend I--I don’t know. I don’t want to disappoint, but I don’t think I’m any help, you know? You’re kind of the only wolf I’ve really met. I don’t have experience on that front. I don’t know that I could be relatable in the way he needs, I guess.”

There was no hiding the wide eyed look that crossed her face when Kyle said he didn’t think he ate things. Ariana knew that couldn’t be true, not when the full moon had such a hold over them that made them basically insatiable. Even with her memory of her full moons crystal clear, there was no denying the hold it had on her. How the hunt was the only thing that drove her during those midnight hours until she reached contentment and fell asleep cozily on the forest floor. “Right,” she said slowly, “You probably do eat things… it’s like-- the full moon makes us pretty much bloodthirsty and hungry, but not like, to each other. Pack instinct kind of kicks in there.” Her voice was low but her hushed tone was serious. The yogurt cup was long since forgotten on the table and she watched him carefully with concern in her eyes. “I think you two would get along. It’s not necessarily about tips, but it’s a pretty big life change to go through. Everyone could use someone who knows what they’re going through.” Really, Luis could use all the support he could get though now she found herself worried for Kyle, too. She noticed the sun was getting lower in the sky and glanced down at her watch before she fumbled in her bag to grab a pen and paper. She quickly scrawled down her number and told him, “This isn’t the best place to talk, but text me soon, okay? We can go for a hike if nothing else.” She only half meant that. She had every intention of working on wolf things with him, but she didn’t want to scare him off just yet. “I’m supposed to meet my girlfriend soon, but take care, okay? This town can be dangerous for people like us.”

#wickedswriting #kyle #froYO wtf is up kyle #parental death tw #sibling death tw #both tws are mentions

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spartanguard · 4 years ago

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even death won’t part us now (2/?)

Summary: Two covens, both alike in dignity, / In fair New York, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes / A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; / Whole misadventured piteous overthrows / Do with their death bury their sires’ strife. (Captain Swan + West Side Story + vampires. But not as sad. Probably.)

rated M | part 1 | AO3 | 3.9k words

A/N: I was going to post this update yesterday but *life*. We really get into the story, though—I hope you enjoy it! Thanks again to @optomisticgirl for being an awesome beta; to @thesschesthair for her amazing art; and to @kmomof4 and @cssns for putting this event on and pushing me to continue this story!

say what you will about Glee, but Darren Criss’s version of this song is amazing

part two— the air is humming, and something great is coming...

2020

The sun was setting on another day, just like it had for the last 5000-plus. At least, Emma figured the number was up there; she’d stopped counting around day 4,588. Which was really an absurdly long time to count considering her days were no longer numbered, but old habits died hard, even if she never would.

She’d accepted that fact somewhere around day 4,040, which ironically was her 40th birthday. But instead of dealing with gray hairs and wrinkles and aching joints, she was still in her 28-year-old body, fairly spry and with exactly one white hair blended into her blonde. (Not that she could see it in the mirror anymore—or, you know, anything—but she knew it was there and that was all that mattered.)

She knew she’d finally settled into her new life when she was looking forward to drinking the deer blood she had at home and not longing for chocolate cake like she had the past several birthdays. Well, she still wished she could eat it—real food didn’t digest properly anymore—but the blood sounded just as good.

“It probably took me about that long to come to terms with it, too. Longer for your dad,” her mom had told her about the revelation.

That had been another epiphany: that the kindly undead couple she’d somehow ended up on the doorstep of—David and Snow Nolan—were her parents. Her actual birth parents. You know, the ones she’d been looking for her entire mortal life? (Had once dreamed would save her from one shitty foster home after another until she finally gave up hope, and instead turned to counting the days until she moved again?)

As it turned out, they’d been attacked and turned shortly after she’d been born—which apparently had been in a backwoods cottage in Maine that her grandparents had owned—and were taking her to the hospital for checkup after the fact. They didn’t trust themselves to face their new reality while also in charge of an infant (an infant with delicious-smelling blood, no less—creepy, but true) and so finished the journey to the hospital, but left her there alone.

Coming to terms with that had taken 1,187 days. There would have been lots of tears, were any of them able to cry; but instead, there was just a lot of emotion, which Emma had never dealt well with. But she was getting better. Who knew the kind of personal growth one could achieve after death? And it was a good lesson in how to handle (or not handle) things should the son she herself gave up ever manage to track her down.

(She looked—once, before she was turned. All she’d been able to find out was that he ended up in the foster system, too. She just hoped he was having a better time of it than she did. Well, had—he’d be an adult by now, wouldn’t he? Damn.)

So. Anyways. Sunset. Which Emma was watching from the roof of their building, which had become something of a refuge for her over the past 15 years. She had her own bedroom, but after so long on her own, being an adult suddenly under the same roof as her parents (who, despite being physically younger than her, still acted like her parents) was a bit stifling at times.

It wasn’t much, but it was her own space: she’d cobbled together a tent with some reclaimed tarps, filled with gently-used cushions, and on nice nights, would bring out a sleeping bag and let the lights and sounds of the city wash over her. It had been overwhelming at first—she kind of envied that her parents only had to deal with forest smells when they turned, and not the incredible everything of New York—but it had dulled over time, which she probably should have expected; it had only taken her a week or so to get used to the smell the first time, right?

That’s to say—the overwhelmingness did; she learned to tune things out and let them fall to the background. But her senses themselves were the sharpest they’d ever been, consequently making her even better at her job than she’d been pre-death. Having ethereal beauty compared to a mere mortal easily drew in most of her targets; her preternatural sight, hearing, and strength made it pretty simple to track them down and subdue them (she loved it when they ran); and she’d found out they were extra willing to comply with her demands when they were down a bit of blood. (It probably was connected to the whole your-sire-can-control-you thing but it didn’t last once they’d recovered from the blood loss and it kept her from murdering random ne'er-do-wells on the street; the lower a body count a vampire kept, the better.)

On a normal night, she’d be getting ready to catch another skip: either gussying up for a honeytrap, revving up her old Bug for a stakeout, or trying to track them down on Tinder while binging Netflix in the background (they kept up on technology...for the most part; she still wasn’t sure what a TikTok was). One thing a lot of the stories leave out is that it takes a long time to build up the kind of wealth and decadence you see with old vampires; even Emma’s parents still had to work, 40-odd years into this thing (David was an after-hours vet and Snow taught night school) and their townhouse was not rent-controlled.

Of all the vampire media out there, their existence was far more What We Do In The Shadows than Twilight.

(Emma had always preferred comedy anyways.)

God, she was really getting sidetracked tonight. Anyways. No one was working because it was the anniversary of her being turned—her rebirthday, so to speak—and her mom was very much Leslie Knope when it came to anniversaries, but especially this one, given that it marked them finally coming together as a family.

That, and they were all going to get drunk.

“My class is a bunch of assholes this semester—I need this,” Snow had gushed earlier that week, grading papers behind their blackout curtains. (Vampires didn’t sparkle, thank god—at least, not without the help of glitter—but they were dangerously susceptible to sunburns, so the whole pale thing was accurate.) “And David—you’ve worked every weekend the last month; they can definitely operate without you for one night.”

“I put in for it a month ago, dear,” he tutted as he gathered the laundry, placing a kiss on her cheek as he went.

They were definitely one of those nauseatingly cute couples, so it was a good thing Emma’s gag reflex was dormant. And, though she’d never admit it, she was a bit jealous that they’d been able to find—and keep—something that had evaded her her entire mortal life, and likely would for her afterlife, too.

Every now and then, a flash of blue eyes blinked into her vision; the same pair she’d seen on the night she transitioned. She still wasn’t sure they were real, and her parents genuinely knew nothing when she’d asked, so she never did again. The fact that she hadn’t ever seen them again, despite knowing just about all the vampires in this part of town (for better or worse), had her pretty convinced it was a mania-induced hallucination. But damn, was it a good one.

“Emma, are you ready?” Snow’s voice pulled Emma from her daydreams (nightdreams?). “It’s time to go,” she shouted—not loud enough to annoy the neighbors, but enough for Emma to hear.

“Coming,” she replied, then took one last glance at the night sky. Maybe there was something different in the stars? She didn’t know; she just had this feeling that something was going to change tonight.

She brushed her hands down the skirt of her light pink dress; it wasn’t what she’d usually wear, but since this wasn’t her typical honey trap, she’d borrowed a dress from Snow. It was definitely sweeter than her taste, with its pastel color and A-line skirt, but just cut low enough to not be demure. Her high ponytail fell somewhere in between. Her fangs would probably take it in another direction, but it’s not like she was going to pose for photos—she only just showed up in those.

In a moment, she was back in the house, grabbing her purse and joining her parents (who equally straddled the line of sweet and seductive; it was a vampire thing).

Out of nowhere, a flash of light blinded her. “Seriously?” she cursed, blinking away the temporary blindness, only to see her mother holding a Polaroid camera. That was the one thing that could document them; thank god the hipsters over in Greenwich Village had clung to them.

Snow just grinned and shook the picture while David lectured, “It’s not like we got to see you off to prom or anything.”

“Yeah, but are you going to do this every year?”

“Yes,” Snow stated matter-of-factly, smiling at the photo before setting it aside. “Now come on; there’s a bloody mary calling my name.”

“Where are we going?”

“That new underground club at 43rd and 10th. Figured we should try it, and it should be trouble-free.”

‘Trouble’ meaning the Aurum coven. Emma still hadn’t figured out the reason for this centuries-long blood feud, but she did know that she’d been dragged in on the side of Coroza, under a woman named Cora; turns out Walsh had been one of her cronies. And it normally wouldn’t affect her, save for the fact that her parents were turned by someone in Aurum (led by the mysteriously mononymed Gold) and that had dangerous implications, not to mention the rising tensions between the two groups as they began to encroach on each other (and each other’s feeding grounds) on the Upper West Side.

“You sure? That’s awfully close.” 43rd had become an arbitrary border between the two factions, and there had been more than a few skirmishes while people were on the prowl for a midnight snack. She’d had a couple close calls of her own while tracking down skips in the part of town, but had somehow managed to evade notice.

“It’s on our side of the street,” her mom shrugged in response and grabbed her purse.

(Why one side couldn’t just move to another part of town, Emma didn’t know, but she was definitely aware of how stubborn vampires could be. And she wasn’t going to move; there’s no way they’d be able to get a place like this anywhere else for a reasonable price.)

She’d hardly gotten out the door when a familiar scent caught her nose—and not necessarily a welcome one: Graham.

“Uh, hi, Emma,” he stammered, while giving her a shy yet adorable grin.

“Hey,” she answered back, not meeting his eyes—and instead finding Snow’s, who was intently studying the sky. Snow had been trying to get the two of them together for at least 10 years, and while Graham was a great guy, a good friend, and handsome to boot, Emma had never been attracted to him like that. A fact that seemed to keep falling silent on Snow’s ears despite her enhanced hearing.

(His blue eyes were pretty, but they weren’t the pair that kept haunting her.)

Given the sudden awkwardness that settled over the group—because that was apparently something you had to deal with whether you were dead or alive—it was up to Emma to break it. Not that she had any skill in that department.

“Alright, uh, let’s go,” she said with little confidence, and set off towards the club, with the others falling in behind her; Graham stayed close and if she wasn’t mistaken, attempted to put an arm around her, but she walked a bit faster to avoid his reach. The bar was only a few blocks away, which they could normally cover in less than a minute, but they had decided to blend in with the crowd tonight; it was nice to be normal every now and then.

But still—every now and then, the hairs on the back of Emma’s neck rose, and it had nothing to do with Graham’s proximity. Something was coming; she just didn’t know what.

That wasn’t for her to worry about tonight, though. Tonight was for fun and drinks and dancing. And once they got to the darkly-lit club, that’s what she focused on for the next hour or so—

—Until her gaze locked with the blue eyes from her dreams.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Killian took a deep breath as soon as he exited the jetway—and immediately regretted it. He didn’t know why he expected LaGuardia to have changed at all in the past 15 years. Despite all the reconstruction, it still smelled the same: of old coffee, questionable sushi, and stale humans. (The latter was a double-edged sword: despite eating shortly before he got to Heathrow, there had been a few delays before takeoff and he was feeling rather peckish now, although nothing here seemed appetizing. Which was probably something he had in common with mortals at the moment.)

He didn’t know why he’d assumed that he might have been routed through JFK this time—why would he think Gold would care enough to properly welcome home his best operative from abroad after 15 years?—but he tried to push that ire to the back of his mind as he summoned an Uber.

At least the delays meant he landed just as the sun was setting; his previous plan had been to hang around the terminal until dusk, so at least this prevented any awkward encounters with some overtalkative Midwesterner on their way back to Cleveland. Signs pointed him to the ride share lot, and a gentleman named Marco was waiting to take him home.

On the ride into the city, he marveled at how New York always seemed like a living, breathing thing, constantly evolving and changing. He could still sharply remember the dusty bustle of the town more than 200 years ago, the sound of carriages running over dirt and cobbled streets. He’d watched as the city grew, sprawling both across and beyond the Manhattan island and up into the sky, the smell of horses and people and sweat replaced by the acrid stench of exhaust (although, even his extra-sensitive nose had gotten used to it in short order).

So it was both surprising and not to see how much the city had changed even in the last 15 years, most noticeably in the skyline: the Twin Towers were still fresh in everyone’s memory when he’d left, so to see the new One World Trade Center in their place was a bit jarring. But the sun still glinted golden off the skyscrapers the same way; pedestrians still hardly waited for the crossing signals to give the okay to go; and though he wasn’t in a yellow cab, a language barrier still lay between him and his driver.

Cash tips were understandable to all, though, which Killian handed over once they’d arrived at his apartment building on 34th—the Chelsea side. He’d owned his flat since the building was constructed, which was fairly impressive, but did require him to occasionally change the name on the paperwork lest anyone notice anything suspicious.

(Someone had figured out at some point that it was helpful to have an ally in both the Social Security office and the DMV; Archie and Jefferson traded off every 20 years or so in order to help create revolving identities for the members of the vampire community. The name on his ID at the moment was Kyle Johnson, and during the past 100 or so years since he’d been required to have one, he’d also been Killian James, Ian Joseph, and—though he had to admit, he’d picked this one just to see if he could get away with it—James Hook.)

And thankfully, he’d had a reliable roommate for the past 80 years. “Honey, I’m home,” he called out after braving the still-shaky lift to the top floor.

“About bloody time,” Robin called back from the couch. “You know I had dinner ready for you before you left?”

“Ha,” Killian answered. “I’d hate to see what that looks like after all this time.”

“Oh, I let him go. And good thing, too—he ended up writing Hamilton.”

Killian had barely poked his head into his musty bedroom before he returned to the living room. “You didn’t actually have Lin-Manuel Miranda in here, did you?” To most people’s surprise, Killian was a bit of a theater nerd; the West End was great, but he was looking forward to catching up on Broadway again.

“No. But maybe that’s a good strategy if we want to get tickets.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

His stomach grumbled in agreement.

Robin chuckled. “There’s a bottle in the fridge you can have; figured you’d be hungry when you got back.”

Killian tossed his luggage in his room and emerged again. “Have I ever mentioned that I love you?”

“Maybe a few times over the past several decades.”

He downed the bottle quickly; the black blood market never gave the best stuff—considering the type of mortals who would be willing to sell their blood for money and didn’t qualify to sell plasma—but it hit the spot in a pinch, and every now and then had something good. This definitely wasn’t, but it sated his thirst long enough to take a shower and wash the airplane off of him.

As he stared at the fogged mirror with nothing looking back at him, rubbing his palm over his permanently well-trimmed scruff, he realized he hadn’t yet checked in with Gold. Even if he’d spent the last decade-plus doing the man’s bidding from abroad, it was still easy to forget about him.

Well, mostly—until he glanced back down at his blunted left wrist. Then it just brought ancient memories to the surface, as fresh as the day they’d happened, no matter how many centuries had intervened.

Which reminded him: he was still missing something. He shot off a quick missive to Gold as he pulled some clothes out of his depressingly dated closet (having left anything more modern in a consignment shop in London), managing to put together something vaguely timeless. But before he dressed, he turned his attention on the nightstand drawer.

He slowly pulled it open, though he knew what would be inside: his hook, as sturdy and sharp as ever, with its well-worn leather brace. Sure, he had a fairly modern prosthetic hand—one that TSA didn’t mind so much—but the hook had come first, and was definitely his preferred artificial appendage. He hadn’t meant to go so long without it, but then again, he hadn’t expected his London assignment to take so long.

(Although, 15 years to him was roughly the same as 2 or 3 to the average mortal.)

Slipping on the soft leather was like greeting an old friend (well, another one, albeit he’d known this one longer than Robin). And snapping in the hook settled a part of him that he hadn’t realized had been adrift all these years. It didn’t fully still the odd sense of anticipation he’d had ever since he landed, but he definitely felt more at ease.

With that settled, he finished dressing and then headed back to the living room and flopped on the sofa next to Robin. “When did we get a new couch?” he asked indignantly, inspecting the unfamiliar upholstery.

“As soon as you left.”

“And what was so wrong with the previous one?”

“It was from the 70s! It was hideous and uncomfortable and you know it.”

Killian could only sigh; Robin was completely right.

“Anyways,” Robin continued. “We’ve plenty of time to argue about furniture but very little to decide what we’re doing tonight.”

“Why? What’s tonight?”

“You arrive back in North America for the first time in a decade and a half and you think that’s not a reason to celebrate?”

“Well, I was in Toronto a few years ago.”

“Still the Commonwealth. Doesn’t count. What do you want to do? There are quite a few people anxious to see you.”

Well that’s good for them, he thought, but he wasn’t so sure of the same. The time away in the UK had definitely made him reconsider some of his connections back here in the States; getting away from the drama with Coroza had made him realize how petty he found it all. Though he’d never be completely extricated given that Gold was his sire, he’d definitely be alright with staying distant from the other frivolous disputes.

(And after spending a bit too much time in Brighton—particularly with some headstones bearing the name Jones and some rather divy taverns that were still somehow open all these centuries later—he wished more than ever to be free of Gold’s influence. Alas.)

He supposed he could placate them for one night, though; it’s not like he was going to sleep anyway. “Are there any new clubs to check out?”

“For you—plenty. For all of us...aye, there’s one that’s just opened up about...10 blocks away? Ish?”

“In which direction?”

“Up, but kind of midtown so it should be in the clear.” Meaning no one from Coroza would be there.

“Sounds fine, then,” he replied; after so many years, every club started to feel the same, but he was willing to give it a shot.

It wasn’t long before he found himself dressed in a waistcoat and slacks that were trendy a decade ago, hoping his hair was styled appropriately (he stopped caring about 130 years ago), and waiting outside the apartment building of Robin’s girlfriend Regina.

“Jones, it’s the 21st century; why do you still have a fish hook on the end of that arm?” she greeted when she emerged from the tower, with a young vampire behind her.

“It’s nice to see you too, Regina,” he tossed back. They’d known each other for well over a couple hundred years and this was just how they communicated. Nodding at the young man, he continued, “Who’s this?”

“This is Henry; he’s new.” The statement was matter-of-fact enough that Killian knew she wouldn’t say anything else. But he seemed friendly, albeit nervous, and Gold never complained about new vampires on their side—just Coroza.

It didn't take much for him to immediately think of Emma. His thoughts had drifted to her more than he cared to admit over the past years, wondering if she’d acclimated or if she’d burned out. It was definitely odd that such a brief encounter had left such a lasting impression, but at the same time, it had taken him well over 250 years to get over his first love; he was a romantic at heart, even if that heart no longer beat.

He of course said nothing about it as they continued on; if no one had discovered what he’d done that night by now, he was content to leave it that way. There were other ways of him finding out if she was still around, such as—

—Such as the green eyes staring at him from the other side of the club, barely a minute after he’d entered it, freezing him in place.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

thanks for reading, friends! let me know if you want/don’t want a tag! @kat2609 @xpumpkindumplingx @shipsxahoy @amortentia-on-the-rocks @mryddinwilt @cocohook38 @annytecture @shireness-says @ohmightydevviepuu @profdanglaisstuff @wingedlioness @word-bug @distant-rose @wellhellotragic @welllpthisishappening @let-it-raines @pirateherokillian @bleebug @its-imperator-furiosa @fergus80 @killianmesmalls @sherlockianwhovian @ineffablecolors @laschatzi @ive-always-been-a-pirate @nfbagelperson @stubblesandwich @lenfaz @phiralovesloki @athenascarlet @ilovemesomekillianjones @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snowbellewells @idristardis @scientificapricot @searchingwardrobes @donteattheappleshook @lfh1226-linda

#cs ff #cssns20 #cs vampire au #even death won't part us now #my ff #cssns 2020

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