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#(at long last I finally returned to this oml-)
anurst · 9 months
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Girl Bradshaw
Summary: the moment of truth. Can you and Bradley work out your differences?
A/n: oml im so sorry for the long wait. i just kind dropped off the face of the earth. i didnt really have any motivation to write but now i'm back! this chap is kinda short but another will be posted on Tuesday :D
Warning(s): angst, estranged family
Part 9: Sometimes I wish I was 10
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Before Jake, you never really fully believed in cloud nine. Now though, as you giddily walk through the halls of camp, your body tingles with newfound excitement. Electricity practically flows through your veins.
"I take it the date went well?" Amy's voice comes from behind you. Normally, you would have chastised her for sneaking up on you, but for now, you just smile as your cheeks slightly redden. Amy's smile widens even more as she latches onto your arm. "Oh my gosh! You have to tell me everything! And, I MEAN everything!" The both of you giggle as you push open the door to the gym.
The rest of your team turns to the pair of you and it's no secret that they're curious about your date. Carlos certainly isn't subtle as he wiggles his eyebrows at you. Jensen's the only one (besides Amy) who vocally asks you how you went. Just as you're about to recount last night's events, the doors swing open and a panting Bradley stands there.
Silence spreads for a couple seconds as Bradley gathers his breath. Offering a shaky smile, he rubs at the back of his neck. "Sorry for, uh, barging in, but I'm here to talk to Braidy."
When Nolan clears his throat, you roll your eyes and turn to face Jensen again. "We'll give you two a minute," he says and your eyes widen. No way he was actually going to leave you alone with Bradley?
Jensen gives you a small pat on the shoulder as your team shuffles by and out of the gym. The door closes behind them and each step that Bradley takes towards you seems to get louder.
Your fists clenched tightly together as you will yourself not to turn around. Turning around means acknowledging that Bradley's standing less than five feet away from you. The brother who abandoned you and seemingly forgot your existence bites his lip as he tries to find the right words. "(y/)– Braidy, please just hear me out."
"What if I don't want to?" 'Idiot, why'd you respond?'
"I'll keep finding you and repeating what I'm going to say. I'll keep apologizing until the world stops spinning. I know that sorry doesn't make up for the years of pain I put you through. That sorry won't just magically fix us. That it won't undo all the words I said. But, please Braidy, at least let me make it up to you."
Make it up to you? What if there's nothing that can be done? What if you're finally done with Bradley and that painful chapter of your life?
"I don't care Bradley. I don't want to fix us."
"Braidy, you're my sister–"
"SO I WASN'T YOUR SISTER BACK THEN?" you yell before you can properly think. There's a heavy burn in your chest and a part of you think it'll burst any moment. Every breath you take feels as though you're inhaling smoke. Your eyes meet Bradley's and the suffocating feeling vanishes.
You feel like you're ten again. A fifteen-year-old Bradley wipes the fat tears that roll down your cheeks. One hand comes up to ruffle at your hair and he quietly cooes at you to stop crying. Soft reassurances of 'everything is gonna be okay' repeat after one another as more tears fall.
The calm and warm reassurance that Bradley constantly provided for you returns and it scares you. It scares you that after so much pain and heartbreak, Bradley can still make you feel so warm with just a simple look.
It's almost as though nothing has changed and time hasn't past. And if you're completely honest, that thought doesn't invoke any fear. Because right now, in this moment as you stare into your brother's eyes, you wish you were ten again.
Bradley slowly lifts a hand to wipe at the tear that rolls down your cheek. His other hand wrap around the back of your head and brings you closer. Soft whispers come from Bradley's lips but you hardly hear them over your sobs.
"Everything's going to be okay. Just let me make it up to you."
"…You can’t…” you whisper as you push yourself out of Bradley's arms. Furiously wiping at your cheeks, your arms wrap around your torso as you direct your gaze to the floor. "I can't even look at you, Bradley. Every time that I do, I'm just reminded of the worst event of my life. I don't think you can make it up to me, so just, please, leave me alone." You take a step back and swallow the lump at the back of your throat. "I'm happy with the life I've made. I'm happy with my friends and family. I appreciate you apologizing, but I don't accept it."
Before Bradley can say anything, you quickly turn and walk out of the gym. Weirdly enough, the weight returns and it feels like you can't breathe. Walking away from Bradley might be the wrong decision, you think. But, that doesn't stop you from continuing down the halls.
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Taglist: @potato-girl99981 @callsign-cacti @caitsymichelle13 @darhk-angel @madkill44 @cherrycola27 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @clockworkballerina @krismdavis @phantomxoxo @piceous21 @laneyspaulding19 @multifandomfangirll @moron-says-what @rhirhikingston @startrekfangirl2233 @mightiestheroes @gizmodear @meritxellao @adaydreamaway
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gingerjunhan · 24 days
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Omg hiii. I've been following you for awhile...not to sound insane oml...and I was wanting to request a fluff au with Gunil 🥺. You've been stressed over work, and he just comforts you with hugs and attentive listening 🤧. Omg ilysm and hope this reaches you ❤︎❤︎❤︎
☆彡 hehe hiii anon 🤭 sorry this took me soooooo long! Hopefully you enjoy!
word count: 664 | pronouns used: none | genre: fluff, established relationship | cws: stress, yelling, searing, pet names (love, honey,), partially proofread, lmk if I missed anything!
Gunil sang softly to himself as he did the dishes, cleaning up the kitchen as a part of his good boyfriend duties for the day. He heard the door to your apartment swing open before slamming shut. His eyes widened, and he quickly put down the dish he was washing. Gunil slowly made his way to the front door, where he found you kicking off your shoes.
“Hey,” he said softly, offering a smile. “How was wo-”
“UGH! I don’t even want to think about that damn job right now!!” You quickly covered your face with your hands, taking a deep breath. Gunil’s eyes went wide. “Sorry,” you mumble, rubbing your hands against your face. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.” When your hands left your face, Gunil could see that you looked exhausted, which caused him to frown.
“It’s okay,” he said, his soft tone continuing. “I know you didn’t mean it.” He moved closer to you, wrapping you in a tight hug which you quickly returned. “You wanna talk about it? Get some things off your chest?” You nodded, breathing in the scent of his cologne and laundry detergent. He smiled. “Let’s go sit down, okay love?” You nodded again, and Gunil led the two of you over to the couch, sitting down and pulling you into his lap- his hands remaining around you. You leaned into him, making yourself comfortable.
“Sorry I yelled at you,” you repeated, your voice soft and guilty.
Gunil chuckled, “Honey, it’s okay. You’re clearly stressed, so I know you didn’t mean it. Are you alright? Talk to me; what’s going on?”
“Today just sucked,” you said simply.
“Yeah? What about it sucked?” Gunil started rubbing your back in a soothing manner.
“Everything!” You whine dramatically, causing Gunil to chuckle. “I swear my boss was out for blood today. He came into my office with a stack of papers this thick-” you hold up a measurement between your thumb and forefinger “- dropping it onto my desk and said I needed to have them looked through and ready for our meeting with the company president that was this afternoon.”
Gunil nodded, his eyebrows furrowing together slightly as he listened.
“So when the meeting finally started,” you continue, “I show up, and the meeting starts, and everything is fine until the president notices a small mistake I had missed.”
“Oh no,” Gunil frowned. “Did he say something?”
“No,” you huff, “but my boss sure did.” Gunil’s eyes went slightly wide. “After the meeting, my boss ripped me a new one. He waited for the president to leave and then he just stood in my office and lectured and yelled at me for like… five minutes.” You wipe your hands over your face again. “It sucked.”
Gunil’s arms tightened around you, and you finally wrapped your arms around him as well. He placed a kiss on the crown of your head.
“Well,” he started, “I’m sorry that all of that happened,” he said softly. “But, look at the bright side: it’s over now. No more meetings, and the president didn’t seem upset with you.” You nod softly. “You did the best you could with what you were given, okay? If your boss can’t acknowledge that, then that’s on him. He waited until the last minute to give you the work. He couldn’t expect perfection.”
You nod again. “I guess you’re right,” you said softly. Gunil moved one of his hands to stroke your hair.
“Besides, I’m proud of you. You did what you could, and you held it together until you got him. You did a good job.” He smiles at you, and you can’t help but smile back at him. “Are you feeling better, love?”
“Yeah,” you shrug. “I just wanna relax now.” You make yourself comfortable against his chest, causing him to chuckle.
“We can do that,” he said, placing another kiss to your head. “We can watch a movie? Order some takeout?”
“Sounds perfect,” you sigh.
taglist: @mon2sunjinsuver , @mini-mews , @mxlly143 , @somethingaboutcheese , @odesonnets , @weluvjeong , comment to be added!⁎⁺˳✧༚
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kumimi3 · 1 year
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could you please also write the idol scenario for chigiri too? i really liked your last one!
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❪ BLUE LOCK BOYS <33 ❫ ❮ a star idol dancing for their lover ⟡⟡ ↳ chigiri and isagi
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continuing | return back to level i !
❪ chigiri ❫
he knew of your performance the day before, Chigiri is observant and has good hearing, listening intently to the producers in the meeting room, the mention of your name took him by surprised
Chigiri was subtle, he knew it was going to be a secret with how quiet you’ve been since last week, practicing on your vocals much strictly than before
bringing you water inside the music studio, putting a humidifier inside your shared apartment, making sure you don’t hurt your vocals by helping you breath, those are the simple services he did to help you since day one
And once your performance is now starting, Chigiri was already at the front seat as he looks at you with a small smile, clapping along with the crowd as you/your group starts to sing and dance
Chigiri has been allured by you since the camera showed your majestic visuals, as if you were looking at him with those sweet eyes of yours
When the performance ended, he was one of the people who stood up and clapped even more loudly, you just did so wonderful with your performance, how could he not?
Taking away your earpiece and entering the hallway, you suddenly stopped when you heard many squeals and screams from all over the people in the stadium, you realized you were on the screen, but why exactly were they loud all of a sudden?
“Congratulations, Y/n, you look marvelous as always."
Turning around, you met Chigiri’s longing eyes stare at you while holding a big bouquet of your favorite flowers, he was holding it tightly in secret, he just couldn’t help but blush when you smiled at him
Everyone was looking at the screen, watching as Chigiri starts to walk forward and hand you the flowers, what surprised them the most was him suddenly picking you up and kiss you so passionately you almost forgot that you and your lover are still obvious to everyone
His teammates whistled at the scene, but Chigiri didn’t care, he is in his own bubble with you
Breaking off the kiss, he smiled as you both press each other’s forehead, and when he heard that the match was about to start, he pecked your forehead with a light kiss and ruffled your hair before walking together with his team, not before saying
“Y/n, I’ll win this game for you.”
❪ isagi ❫
This boy… OML
Once he saw you at the stage, he was stunned, who was that beautiful angel dancing with the most mesmerizing aura? Oh my gosh its his lover, the love of his life!!!
Won’t waste a moment and quickly sprint towards the seat closest to your position, he will scream your name at the top of his lungs and literally combust and short-circuit when you notice and give him a cute expression
“Hey, miss! Do you see them? That’s my sweetheart!” “Mister, look at the one in the middle, they’re so beautiful right? I’m gonna marry them someday!"
Compliments you so much to the other people, he barely couldn’t focus on you because he knows that just one stare across your eyes and he knows his legs will feel like jelly with how much he loves you
If he has his phone with him, he will definitely take pictures and videos of you, you can even hear him screaming behind the camera, “Go, Y/n!” “Gah, you’re so cool!"
The time the performance ends, he runs back to the field and open his arms to welcome you, it wasn’t long before he attacks you with so much kisses, cupping your face gently yet giggles so much
The rush of adrenaline finally dies down and his face now becomes like a tomato, apologizing to you, but he was still caressing your cheek and holding your waist
“I’m the luckiest man in the world. I’m gonna go up to the field and play, okay? And I want you to know that… I will win, for you, for us.”
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lowkeyremi · 8 months
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I found you (Yazukza Eren J x fem!reader)
Basically, you've been messing w his yakuza group anonymously, n he finally finds you (why did i think of the "me when i fucking get you" meme)
Content: Angst, eren's a bitch, suggestive, kidnapping, language, cocky-ish reader, a lil fluff, plot twist btwn u n eren
Oml this prob the darkest thing I've written
banner by: cafekitsune
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It hurt to open your eyes, so here you are in this dark environment; more specifically a cold floor. There's a blindfold over your eyes, not that it matters because once again it hurts to open your eyes.
The smell of mold is so powerful that it's the only thing you take note of. Where the fuck are you? You aren't even sure how long you've been— where ever this is.
Creak, thump, thump, thump. That tiny voice was telling you to pick your head up because someone is coming, the louder voice was reminding you that you answer to no one so you will not pick your head up.
The blindfold was removed and you let out a groan. The light hitting your eyelids already feels bad enough, opening your eyes is going to be a pain in the ass.
"Open your eyes." A soft spoken voice commands. You do so out of curiosity, and boy, are your findings humorous.
"I refuse to believe I was kidnapped by a thin, blond, boy such as yourself." You attack him with your words. Those baby blues widen, the blond smiles maliciously.
"I didn't kidnap you, my friend did. I'm just here to get answers from you." The blond runs his hand through his short hair.
"So you're supposed to torture me? How cute." He only has shown enthusiasm to your behavior, which pissed you off a little.
"Precisely, I may not seem all that scary but I know how to get answers from people." He say intimidatingly.
You say nothing in return because you don't believe him at all.
"F/n, L/n, is it? That little sister of yours is very pretty. Wonder what would happen if I sent some guys-"
"My sister is more than capable of kicking ass, she learned from the best." You imply yourself as the best.
You're twenty-three while your sister is twenty. She's learned self defense and offense attacks in case of an emergency.
"Interesting, most people crack when a family member's life is at stake." He grins.
You are a little bit worried, but you know your sister better than anyone. She can handle anything thrown at her.
Armin, you learn, keeps asking questions, trying to get information out of you.
"You might want to just tell me because my buddy Connie isn't as nice as I am." He threatens.
"Let's hope he doesn't hit like a sissy." You respond.
Armin laughs like he's crazy. Then once again asked, "why have you been stealing our shipments and sabotaging our missions?" His voice no longer held any softness it had earlier.
"Like I said the last time, because I wanted to." A smirk creeped onto your face. Armin was getting impatient with you and your annoying back and forth with him.
He clicks the little earpiece and starts talking, "should I send in Connie or Mikasa? She's refusing to cooperate."
He was silent while the person on the other end spoke.
"Oh... alright I'll wait for you to arrive." Armin smirks at you an evil look in his eyes.
"You've done it now, have fun speaking to him." Armin crosses his arms and begins to whistle.
Excitement flows throughout your body, who are you going to encounter next?
Within a few minutes a man with long brown hair, emerald green eyes, and a well fitted suit walks in with a woman who has short black hair and a red scarf, the other man has a growing buzz cut and a nasty scowl on his face.
"It still surprises me that one woman has been able to cause so much chaos in my group." His velvet voice shook your soul.
"Never underestimate a woman, Eren." The black haired girl speaks, she has the voice of an angel.
"You can go Armin, thanks for the help." The brunnette dismisses him.
"Of course, if you need anything I'm in the main building." Armin smiled at you as he walked out, it was more of a childish 'you're in trouble now' kind of smile.
"Do I look familiar to you?" Eren asks.
You knew an Eren when you were a young girl, that was a long time ago. This man doesn't look the Eren you knew.
"No, am I supposed to recognize you?" Eren looks at your chained arms and he chuckles.
"You should recognize me, does 'Eren's famous mud pies' ring any bells?" He asks folding his big bulky arms.
"I didn't want to believe it was you." Is all you say sighing.
"What was your reasoning, if you didn't know I was the head of this group?" When Eren had found out his childhood crush was antagonizing him, he thought that you were trying to get his attention.
"Your father." Eren's eyes widened.
"My father?" He asks.
"Yeah, at first I thought he just didn't like my family. Recently though, from the test results it turns out he killed my father and once attempted to murder me in my sleep. I was only returning the favor. Seems the old geezer retired and put you in his place to save his ass." Before Eren could respond Connie spoke up.
"How do we know she isn't lying?" He asks.
"That would be a very sick thing to lie about." Mikasa counters.
"So Dad wasn't lying about that..." Eren whispers more to himself than to anyone in particular. You hear it anyway and your eyes squint.
"You knew?" Betrayal starts to seep through your body, even if you haven't seen Eren in a long time he was still somebody you used to trust your life with.
"Well yeah, but when he confessed it sounded too ridiculous to be true but now that I know it's true, I'm angry. I can't believe he tried to fucking kill you." The look on his face is lethal. You understand his anger but it makes you upset that he's more concerned about you than the fact that Grisha killed your father.
"It doesn't matter to you that he killed my dad?" Venom is laced in your voice, Eren's emerald eyes flicker your way and they soften for a moment.
"That's not what I meant. Of course I'm mad he killed your father. I'm... I just- I'm pissed he tried to kill the girl he knows I love! Even if that bastard is my father, he's going to pay." Eren blurts his love confession to you and everyone else is shocked, including you.
"Love? Eren what the actually fuck? Why didn't we know about this?! I thought we were like family!" Connie shouts he sounds more betrayed than angry.
"Yeah Eren, what the hell? Saying you love me won't bring my dad back." You're smug now, it hurts thinking about him but you won't cry, especially not in front of the son of the man who killed him. That would only make his death more pitiful.
"You can't seriously be implying you don't feel the same way." Eren's voice holds none of that comfort from earlier.
"Eren, don't do this. Not everything will go your way." Mikasa reminds him calmly.
"I wasn't fucking talking to you Mikasa! Answer the damn question!" He screams at you.
It seems he's the same as he's always been, your little maniac.
"Eren you are so pathetic, why obsess over someone like me?" His hands ball up into fists and it looks like he might bust a vein.
"Quit stalling, you can't tell me you don't love me after all those years we spent together." Connie grips his shoulder, but it does nothing to ground Eren because he's lunging at you in rage.
"No Eren, I don't love you. How could I? You and your asshole father can rot in hell." You're lying straight to his face, you want nothing more than to kiss him right now. It's not possible, maybe in another life where your father is still breathing.
Mikasa and Connie use all their strength to pull him back. You watch as they escort the love of your life out of the basement. He's screaming and cursing at you. The only thing you seem to tune into is, "This isn't over! I know you love me! You can't punish me for something I didn't do! I still love you." The last part was spoken quietly.
Your heart was beating loudly in your chest from everything going on. When he's out of sight, you mouth, "I love you too."
pt 2??? maybe?????
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chris-continues · 11 months
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Okiiii
Only one bed in the booked hotel room trope? 👀 (not nsfw obv) I read something similar to this but it was Vash so maybe a Nai version?
Star wars convention with Vash? (If u do dis one and if u need any help feel free to ask me anything cuz im a huge star wars nerd)
Vampire Vash and/or Nai?
CARNIVAL!!!! I wonder if the brothers would compete to see who can win the most prizes, also watching the fireworks on the ferris wheel would b cute
Beach episode? 👀👀
Sorry if it's alot-
(I love your au's so much oml, you write all the characters beautifully ♡)
AAA TYSM I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT imma screenshot this message/ask and use it a few times probably but the one that caught my eye most is vampire au PLS SEND SO MANY ASKS ABT VAMP AU I need to write more stuff on it
Ngl I’m most willing to write suggestive stuff for vampire au bc bro… 0///0
Lonely nights lead to delectable frights <3
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In which two vampires with extreme charm have you wrapped around your finger (when in reality it’s them wrapped around your finger). (To be added on to, I wanted to expand on this more later lol)
WARNINGS/TAGS: mentions of depression/loneliness (reader runs into the woods to be alone but also craving companionship), gender neutral reader
Vampire Vash and Vampire Knives meeting reader! I’ll add onto this in separate pieces but I haven’t set a definitive timeline yet!! So any drabbles written may deviate from the last piece
I was debating on writing this in Victorian era type beat or modern au (because I’ve written vampire Nai modern au) but I asked my fav vamp lover @coffinbeananteiku and her word is final 🫡 (I needed to ask someone to decide for me I’m very indecisive sometimes)
Tags: @lune010 @vashfantasy
The dusk of a new night greets you as you run. Far, far away. You had nowhere to go, your feet leading you wherever the wind took you. Nothing truly important lay back in town, perhaps a few less than noteworthy friends in society who’d given an artificial smile and obligatory wave.
Nothing to go back to.
So of course you’d been an idiot to run into the woods. You have one horrible day, and rather than wallowing at home like usual you make the horrid decision to run when others keep berating you for it, fine attire catching on brambles you’d almost tripped over as the haphazard movements of yours fell to a halt. How far had you run? How far did your stress carry you?
Alone. Just as you wished and terrified. Only the moss at your feet and rather barren branches accompanied you, horrors of the night awaiting your person.
Wonderful. Wonderful.
You breathed in shakily, only to exhale into a sob. God, you were tired, so so very tired.
You eventually lifted your head to observe your surroundings. Eerie; yet a welcome sight compared to the bustling cobblestone streets of town, quiet, perhaps too quiet. The wind whistles past your ears in its reverie, encompassing you fully into the charm of the night.
This could be good, you attempt to reassure yourself. That thought is fleeting as you attempt to appreciate the short lived tranquility and struggle to backtrack. It’s futile.
You have no way back. So what must you do? Trudge forward. The next town could be for miles, you have no money and certainly no mode of transportation besides your already exhausted two feet.
You trek forward.
Not long after, your loneliness returns. The peaceful night soon digs into your heels once again, dragging your already worried mind into further disquietude. Your arms wrap around yourself in poor manner to shield yourself from the further night’s chill, vision hazy from the little light and paranoia suffocating you.
But nevertheless, you persist. You were stubborn in that way, never knowing quite when to stop despite the fear you’d be too much. Even now, when you’d done too much, by leaving town entirely to the welcoming yet terrifying arms of the woods did you remain stubborn. In a will to survive? In the pursuit of curiosity? The need for more? To deserve more?
You’d never quite place it, you’re sure. Perhaps all of the above.
Such thoughts plague you as you unknowingly stare down at your feet, eventually reaching a cobblestone pathway.
Your neck snaps up to see- ruins? No, it’s far too neatly kept for that. A castle, complete with gates and stone pathways; warm torches lit at the sides if you squinted from the faraway grounds of the gates. Cool moonlight acted as your light as you traversed forward, feet picking up. Perhaps you could try to see if it was abandoned, fashion yourself a place for the night! Hopefully no dangers resided here, in such a domestic place. Well, perhaps it wasn’t the most welcoming of homes but it certainly was a new sight amongst what surrounded you. Ah, yes, dead trees, dead trees, and.. woah! More dead trees!
..so, quite the refreshing sight.
The pats of your feet are the only noise you truly process, the gates creaking with movement as you walk closer to the manor.
Large metal rings the size of your head hung heavily at the double doors. Should you knock? They appeared to be in usable condition.. so you supposed, lifting one knocker with your dominant hand.
A heavy boom resounded as you dropped it. You’d never really used one- just accustomed to the usual rapping of knuckles on doors, or a verbal call whilst entering a room.
“You appear unfamiliar.” A voice suddenly husks behind you, making you nearly jump out of your skin.
You whipped around quickly, “Holy shit!-“ for someone in the Victorian era, your modern slang (profanity) was rather proficient. Standing before you was someone cold and cunning, towering over you intensely. His presence demanded attention, the need to stand straight and not let him out of your sight in fear of what he could do.
The wind whistled in your ears once more. Like a taunt that it could run far away from here, unlike you. His domineering white- no, almost white, pale blue eyes stared down at you. He seemed inhuman.
Your mind seemed scrambled in a feeble attempt to explain yourself, “Sorry I uh, was walking and needed someplace to stay for the night..”
His eyebrow arches in amusement. “So you decided to reside here?”
The crunching of leaves is what alerts you to a new presence behind the.. man who’d confronted you, wisps of blonde hair peeking from over his shoulder until he stood next to him. “Aw, that’s no way to treat a visitor!” He gave a sweet, yet strangely tight lipped smile. “I’m Vash, this is Nai. It’s wonderful to meet you.” A partially gloved hand adorned in lace outstretches towards yours in a pleasant handshake, small tears in the fabric from overuse. It’s a paradoxical feeling of ‘rough lace’, yet it suits him rather well.
You hesitantly greet yourself, voice meek with unfamiliarity and worry. An introduction slips past your lips albeit shaky voice, he remains ever so friendly and opens the door for you, the.. Nai guy taking care to briskly zoom past and ignore your very presence.
How kind. He’s taken a liking to you.
Vash merely brushes it off as usual banter, perhaps it’s nothing personal, you assume. He seemed unbothered overall and didn’t really acknowledge anything, that much you could observe just from his behaviors so far.
It’s not of importance, not in your mind at least. What truly caught your attention? The ornate structures in the main hall- carvings of angels in rich marble and stone, hell, even the floors had carvings!
Out of curiosity you dipped your toe into the slight crevices in the ground, feeling the divots of some.. geometric swirls and markings that decorated the beauty of the castle.
“Hey, you coming?” Vash peeked over his shoulder towards you- you’d lost yourself in the beauty of the room. He gave a knowing smile at your wonderment, entrancing chuckle reverberating throughout the tall ceilings. “I was the same way when I first came here, it’s definitely a sight to take in!” He jolts his head to beckon you forward,
“You can stay the night. If you wish.”
What other choice did you really have?
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420thewritersroom · 4 months
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A Burning Tree
~ok listen! I know I said that the next part would introduce Revenant!Kung Lao, but I got the brainworm to look at how Liu Kang and Shujinko handled Kung Lao's death and add more Dark!Raiden to the mix. Especially since I was heavily inspired to write a bit more about Dark!Raiden thanks to @sogekii-heii and their recent piece with Dark!Raiden (I still think about that, like oml!)~
~So here we go again! I promise this time, Kung Lao's coming back and it's going to be nasty! Also, this title actually has meaning to it, finish reading to get that meaning! Or skip to the end and get it anyways, idc~
~Before we continue just wanted to put some mild context to ensure this makes sense. Fire God Liu Kang starts getting deja vu as certain coincidences and events start playing out that are too eerily similar to how things played out during the MK9 game. All roads were seemingly leading to Kung Lao dying in his timeline, and Liu Kang struggled with how to cope and deal with this. On one hand, he did not want his friend-…His new teacher…To die, especially since he tried so hard to tailor-make this timeline to ensure everyone got a happy ending.
Yet, at the same time, he refused to stoop down to Kronika's level and start altering the timeline until it was his "perfect" utopia. However, his fears and suspicion about the situation become even more realized when Raiden gets gravely injured, and the only thing that prevented him from kneeling over was the thunder amulet infused with his person (and some other magical shit, idk). From this, Raiden gains his iconic white hair, and this gives Liu Kang a heart attack. To make a long story short, Kung Lao ends up dying at the hands of the villains, Raiden is going through the stages of grief, but he's going down the same dark path as the previous Raiden, now becoming Dark Raiden. And Liu Kang has to finally interfere.~
Still confused? Too late, now on to the story!
Previous // Next
Characters: Shujinko (MK1 Ver), Fire God Liu Kang, Raiden, Past Liu Kang, Past Raiden - Mentions of Kung Lao, Scorpion, Smoke, and Ashra
Word Count: 5,578
Ships: MK9 Liu Kang/MK9 Raiden (Unrequited Love)
Warnings: Canon Typical Violence (with less blood), Heavy Talks of Character Death
No one has seen Liu Kang-not since he disbanded the Earthrealm Warriors. Barely a week after that disbandment, Liu Kang became a ghost in his own academy. None of the monks can confidently say where they last saw the fire god. One moment, he's confined to his meditation area, then he's at the zen garden, or his private quarters. Other times, no one knows where Liu Kang is at all.
Shujinko still remembers that day, when Liu Kang called all his champions to inform them of the news. Old and new Earthrealm warriors were gathered for the news, and it came as a shock to everyone what Liu Kang announced.
"I may have made a…Selfish choice, when I chose each of you to become defenders of Earthrealm. The timeline I originated from, many of you were there as well. Protecting and fighting for our home against threats within and outside of Earthrealm…And with this new era, I foolishly assumed that I could…Replicate the connections that were made before. I have taken up all of your time with new worries, wounds, and ripped you away from the lives you once had before. So…I'm giving you the option…To walk away. From all of this. To return to your homes, your families, the life before I found you. There will be no shame or dishonor if you choose to retire the mantle. I wish each of you a fulfilling life…And I'm sorry."
Shujinko still remembers the near unified gasp and murmurs that filled the room-the questions that erupted in that moment as everyone tried to make sense of Liu Kang's decision. Liu Kang answered any questions that were brought to him, but Shujinko could tell that Liu Kang was set on his decision. Despite Liu Kang's stance on the discontinuation of Earthrealms defenders, many opted to continue their service to their realm, especially when Kuai Liang, Tomas, and Ashra argued against Liu Kang's decision to weaken Earthrealms defenses. And where Liu Kang would've listened to their concerns carefully and worked with others to meet in the middle, the fire god did none of that, uncharacteristically so. It seemed no amount of concrete arguments was going to sway Liu Kang into reconsidering.
If anything, the zeal the Shirai Ryu leaders and Ashra displayed encouraged others to stay and maintain their positions as Earthrealms protectors. After all they've been through, how could one do so? Discovering mystical powers that they all thought to be mythical, experiencing breathtaking realms beyond their own, and for few, the soul-changing truth and reality of their existence. For others, they might not have a home to return to; a life either filled with too many hurtful memories, broken relationships, or homes gone to the wind to never return again. All of that is nigh impossible to walk away from…But walk away few did.
Their reasons for leaving were their own, and they left with their excuses. But there were those who couldn't return to a normal life due to the aforementioned reasons before. They knew too much, saw too much; for some, a bit too much. Like a soldier returning from a grueling war, reconciling an average living after spending years, months, maybe even weeks under the wing of Liu Kang and his academy would be much to bear on the psyche. Almost ominously, Liu Kang promised to fix that for them.
What was done to these warriors was not publicly told, but Shujinko heard rumors and whispers about Liu Kang wiping away the memories of those who couldn't find it in themselves to leave behind their new life to return to their old one. It's presumed it's a consensual exchange, and Shujinko wants to believe that Liu Kang gave them the choice to lose those memories. But there was something disheartening about knowing that old friends Shujinko knew during his time in the Wu Shi Academy now viewed him as a regular stranger. That there are those who returned home who will never recognize the faces of those whom they considered allies, friends, and maybe even lovers.
Shujinko would know that pain. He experienced it before.
-
Raiden, long before he was exposed to the same memory wipe...When he was...Changed by his former master's death, revealed to him why there were gaps and contradictions in his memories. At that time, Shujinko noticed a change that was present in everyone. People were avoiding him, few wanted to train with him, and others spoke to him in such a careful manner as if they were hiding something from the young pupil. Before, Kung Lao, Raiden, nor Liu Kang would explain why he was treated differently, chalking it up to his new classmates needing time to get to know him.
And for a long time, Shujinko believed that...Until Raiden broke the news to him. It practically came out of nowhere when Raiden revealed this to Shujinko. Shujinko's training was placed in the hands of the thunder wielder, and after Kung Lao's death, he was far rougher and blunt than before, pointing out all his flaws but giving little instruction on how to improve. Even Shujinko's ability to copy other's abilities couldn't prepare him how to fight properly. And, at times, Shujinko thought that Raiden used their time training together as an excuse to use him as a punching bag. None of the other masters at the academy was as ruthless as Raiden was, even the ones who were notorious for being a "tough love" type of mentor. Shujinko slowly began to dread training with Raiden...Feared him even. It was almost like Raiden had some...Sick, twisted desire to break his spirit, along with those he encountered.
It was the day when Shujinko practically BEGGED Raiden to stop his assault on him, clearly yielding, nay, submitting, to the thunder wielder. His glowing white hair and eyes, along with the sparks of lightning bouncing off him, becoming an image Shujinko, even to this day, has a hard time disassociating from his idea of what Raiden is. Raiden gave him a light but firm kick, forcing Shujinko on his back after leaning on his side. Raiden walked a short distance away from him, taking in the mountainous view of the academy. Shujinko took that moment to breathe since Raiden rarely gave him breaks anymore.
"...You've been slightly improving, Shujinko," Raiden kept his eyes trained on the scene before him, his voice tainted with a sinister tone.
Shujinko only moved his eyes to look at his master, remaining silent, for he feared that saying anything would rile the thunder wielder. Especially since the clouds have been a dangerous gray for a long time since they started their brawl.
"But you're barely where you need to be. Not like you used to be, anyways." Raiden gibed, still keeping his view on the mountainous regions ahead.
Shujinko KNOWS he shouldn't speak back, he learned a long time ago with this...New Raiden, what happens when he talks back to him. But something deep inside the young monk wanted to bite back at Raiden. After all this time under Raiden's wing, he's been nothing but demeaning to Shujinko. Everything the pupil did seemingly irritated Raiden to no end. If anything, the reason he's 'barely where he needs to be' is because Raiden beats him to near death and doesn't actually teach him! Not like he used to, at least!
Without thinking, Shujinko opened his mouth, venom escaping his lips as he responded to Raiden, "Maybe I would be getting better if you didn't constantly beat the 'lesson' out of me. You know, like how a true master would teach their student. Even Kung Lao knew that."
There was a threatening pause, a silence Shujinko didn't felt until he heard the frightening sound of thunder in the air. It wasn't until now that Shujinko realized where he first fucked up, especially when he put Kung Lao's name in the conversation. Shujinko quickly sat himself up, hissing in pain slightly as his muscles began to strain, and he was reminded that his left leg was sprained. Raiden still paid him no mind, continuing to keep the stillness between them. Shujinko knew that a possible beatdown was waiting for him, so he tried to sneak away as quickly as possible.
"You know, before General Shao, you were the first person to make an attempt on Kung Lao's life."
Shujinko froze upon hearing that, twisting his head to look at Raiden. He almost wished he hadn't that day because the look of Raiden looking at Shujinko over his shoulder, white eyes staring deep into his soul, was another unforgettable image he could never scrub from his mind. His mind was swimming with questions. What did Raiden mean that he almost killed Kung Lao? Never has he ever intentionally attempted to hurt his former master.
"W-what do you mean, master? I would never hurt Master Kung-"
"It's reasonable that you don't remember, you copycat pest," Raiden chastised, making Shujinko feel goosebumps all over his body when Raiden gave him his full attention. "Liu Kang wiped it all away, the memories of the time you got power hungry and nearly compromised the sanctity of the realms."
This all came as a shock to Shujinko as he stared at Raiden stupidly, not registering that Raiden was slowly approaching him.
"And honestly, I think Liu Kang was too kind to you. I should've seen the threat you would become from a mile away. Especially when I watched you nearly snap Kung Lao's neck with your own bare hands. You should've been put down, like the dog you were and the dog you still are." Raiden continued his encroaching walk toward Shujinko, his hair, and eyes now glowing with power as static encompassed him.
Shujinko starts to uselessly crawl away from Raiden, but too frightened to take his eyes off the thunder wielder. "N-no. No, no, no, I would never-"
"JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T REMEMBER DOESN'T MEAN IT NEVER HAPPENED, SHUJINKO," Raiden shouts at the confused pupil, an arc of lightening crashing next to the cowering student, dangerously close for comfort.
"R-RAIDEN, PLEASE, LEAVE ME ALONE!" Shujinko shrieks as he tries to regain his footing, ready to book it out of there.
But he wasn't fast enough, especially with his sprained leg that slowed him down further. Raiden zapped him with multiple streams of lightning straight from his fingertips as he tased Shujinko, the pained screams of his student bringing great inner delight to Raiden, to the amulet. "You're a threat to our realm, to all the realms. You could've been a valuable asset, but Liu Kang is too busy playing the peaceful politician to utilize you as a weapon. Too busy teaching you about harmony and peace when there are actually world-ending threats out there that could be stomped out if we didn't hold ourselves back. That's what killed Kung Lao..."
Shujinko groans in agony as he tries to get away, Raiden's constant assault making it difficult to move any part of his body. "RAIDEN, PLEASE!"
"...So, I guess the only way you won't become a potential threat, is if you are never a threat at all." Raiden began to intensify the bolts of lighting, the sounds of Shujinko howling in pain becoming music to his ears.
"RAIDEN!"
Finally, the lightning stopped, and Shujinko collapsed from the constant strain on his body. Raiden snapped his head towards Liu Kang, the one who gained his attention before he could finally kill Shujinko. The fire god rushed to the unconscious student before angrily looking at Raiden.
"You could've killed him, Raiden! What's gotten into you!?!"
Raiden stared at Liu Kang, not answering him but not showing any signs of guilt either. After a brief pause, Raiden turned his back on the pair and walked away.
"Raiden! Don't you walk away from me! Rai-"
Before Liu Kang could stop him, Raiden disappeared in a flash of lightning. Something Liu Kang was all too familiar with; Lord Raiden would do the same thing if he were to exit a scene.
The next thing Shujinko knew, he was in the many medical care rooms of the Wu Shi Academy, receiving treatment for his wounds. Multiple nurses dressed his injuries before Liu Kang approached Shujinko, expressing how Raiden would no longer be responsible for training him and that he would be assigned to a new teacher. While that was a relief to his ears...Something else bothered Shujinko.
"...Is it true that I almost killed Kung Lao...That I almost destroyed the realms..."
Liu Kang was so taken aback by this that he didn't immediately answer him.
"...Is that why my memories are missing, Lord Liu Kang? Because I'm a threat?" Shujinko's voice starts to shake as he can feel an overwhelming dread take over him.
Even though Liu Kang didn't answer him, the silence was telling. Despite this, Liu Kang didn't conceal the truth from him. Yes, Shujinko did nearly become a threat to all the realms...And yes, regrettably, he did nearly kill Kung Lao when they tried to subdue him. And there were others that Shujinko did kill...His best friend, Apep...Was one of the many casualties that Shujinko caused. All of this because Shujinko, at that time, became puffed up with pride and hungry for power. But it wasn't something that came out of nowhere. Liu Kang admitted that Kung Lao's early years of being a master at the Wu Shi Academy taught him many lessons in being humble; something Lao had to learn the hard way when he was teaching Shujinko the first time.
Liu Kang had no choice but to wipe his memories away, bringing him back to when he was first found by Liu Kang and his warriors. And like a house fire, the flames burned away nearly every inkling of his repertoire, leaving very little for Shujinko to remember. But that also meant, there was no way to recover those memories, even if Liu Kang wanted to give those memories back. Much like a valued family heirloom that was destroyed during a fire, there is precious little that can recover the lost item.
While this meant that Shujinko would not be haunted by the constant reminder of his failures...It still pained him to think that he COULD be a threat to be reckoned with. If anything, he almost wished he never learned the truth. Living in ignorance would've been preferable to living in fear of himself.
-
Shujinko blinks, not realizing that he's been standing idle in front of Liu Kang's private quarters for…Who knows how long. He didn't realize he was deep in thought as he was carrying a tray full of food to the fire god.
No one has seen Liu Kang-not since he disbanded the Earthrealm Warriors. Barely a week after that disbandment, Liu Kang became a ghost in his own academy. None of the monks can confidently say where they last saw the fire god. One moment, he's confined to his meditation area, then he's at the zen garden, or his private quarters. Other times, no one knows where Liu Kang is at all. Oftentimes, it was just best to leave offerings for the fire god at his (once) usual spots and come back an hour later. Usually, the contents were gone upon returning to retrieve them.
Shujinko should leave the tray behind, knock on the door, then go. But something compelled him to linger a bit longer after the initial knock.
"…Lord Liu Kang?" Shujinko meekly calls out. He tries the door, and to his surprise, it was unlocked.
-
"Are you going to l-let me die? Like you did Lao?"
"HE WOULD'VE WANTED TO LIVE WITH ME. SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE WITH ME! HIS FUCKING BOYFRIEND!"
"I LOVED HIM, LIU KANG! WITH ALL MY HEART, I LOVED HIM!!! AND YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME! YOU DID THIS TO ME!!"
"Even if you didn't know fully that Kung Lao would die, why didn't you tell us! Why didn't you save him?"
"BRING HIM BACK! BRING HIM BACK TO ME!"
"Why did you let him die"
"Why did you let him die"
"Why did you let him die"
Those words will always haunt Liu Kang. The pain in Raiden's voice, the intensity of his lightning strikes, the hatred he felt for Liu Kang. That's not something one can move on from, no matter how many years pass by. But these words cut deeper than Raiden, or anyone could ever imagine
-
In his youthful, mortal years, Liu Kang made the stupidest decision of his life, and fell in love with a god. Of all the people he could dedicate his life to, a beautiful Outworlder, a fellow best friend, a Special Forces agent, hell, even the Hollywood star would've (not really) been a better contestant than the LITERAL GOD OF THUNDER. An entity that will outlive him by decades, who probably went through multiple lovers-Liu would become another footnote in their unending life. Not only that, but he was pretty much RAISED by this man. He practically went through the entire spectrum of relationships with Raiden, first strangers, then friends, mentor/student, father/son…And now Liu Kang wanted to add lovers to that?
Liu Kang, even then, tried to psyche himself out of falling for Raiden. He had many other suitors, plenty of girls and boys who threw themselves at the Shaolin Monk, and he had plenty of options to choose from. But no matter how he tried, his heart yearned for Raiden. If you asked Liu Kang how he discovered that he grew an affinity for Raiden…There was no straight answer.
Liu Kang can probably point to his formative years as a teen already trying to traverse and reconcile with his growing and changing body. He remembered many times where he lingered at those he found attractive, one of those individuals being Raiden. But back then, Liu Kang assumed that he was just "admiring his physique" and using Raiden as a means of motivation to get stronger.
But the feelings of desire did not fade away as he grew older. If anything, they evolved. Soon, he was having silly daydreams about Raiden. Wondering how it would feel to be held protectively by the thunder god as he lifted them away from danger. What his white mane must feel like, and how Raiden would react if Liu ran his fingers through his hair or braided it. Or perhaps how would Raiden feel if Liu put in the effort to make him a meal, something that Raiden would love. He started noticing little details about Raiden that none did, such as the light glow in Raiden's eyes when he was talking with someone he fancied or the age lines when he smiled. But then these innocent daydreams became…Fuel for more carnal wants. Soon, it developed into memorizing his physique for…Reasons.
Liu Kang began to wonder how it would feel to have Raiden pull at his hair, to whisper in his ear, to pin him down, speak sweet nothings to him, to claim Liu Kang as his, something Raiden could do at any point in time if he wished. A god could take whatever it wanted, and Liu Kang would've gladly let Raiden do whatever he desired with him.
But what outweighed the carnality and the soft trances was the genuine love he felt for Raiden. On the same note of noticing small characteristics of the thunder god, Liu Kang did know of his favorite food (it's nuclear buffalo wings), he knew about Raiden's brother, Fujin, knew about the many adventures that Raiden partook in, both sad and joyful. Liu Kang KNEW Raiden and it made him fall for the god most spectacularly.
But Liu Kang overstepped his boundaries. He and Raiden were sparing together as Liu Kang wanted to demonstrate to Raiden that he was ready for the Mortal Kombat tournament. It was a sweat-inducing endeavor as there was an intense back-and-forth, each of them blocking and countering the others' attacks before finally, Liu Kang gained the upper hand, pinning Raiden below him.
"Do you yield?" Liu Kang says, out of breath.
"Y-yes. I yield," Raiden, just as winded, replied as he shoots Liu Kang with a reassuring smile. "You have improved thanks to Bo' Rai Cho's teachings."
"And I have you to thank for making me a recommendation," Liu readjusts himself on top of Raiden, sitting up on top of Raiden while not applying much weight to the god below him.
There's a moment where Raiden and he are quiet after some idle talk, Liu Kang only noticing that Raiden was staring at him with a growing smile. "…What?"
"You are ready, Liu Kang. You will be the one who will save Earthrealm from Outworld's attempts to merge the realms under their tyranny."
Liu Kang, even though he was praised by Raiden countless times before, cannot help the growing heat from surfacing on his face. He faces away from Raiden before muttering, "You flatter me, Lord Raiden…"
"You'll need a constant reminder that I, along with every defender of Earthrealm, will be cheering for you during the tournament. The kombatants you will encounter will test your might, your vigor, and your mental capacities. I believe you are ready. I know you will become the chosen defender that Earthrealm needs." Raiden softly professed as he leaned up, using his elbows to leverage himself.
Liu Kang looked at Raiden, meeting the thunder god eye-to-eye. Liu Kang saw his whole world in Raiden's white pupils, soaking in every hint of emotion that was displayed in front of him.
"Liu Kang?"
Liu didn't even realize that he was leaning closer to Raiden.
"Is there something you want to tell me?"
Liu Kang didn't even register that Raiden was asking questions.
Before Liu Kang knew it, he pressed his lips together with Raiden's. At last, his hearing decided to work so that he could hear the surprised "mph!" noise from the thunder god. It was perhaps Liu Kang's first kiss, he wasn't as adventurous as Kung Lao, who definitely had a few run-ins with various individuals. It being Liu Kang's first, it wasn't anything remarkable, but it was memorable to Liu Kang…But not for the reasons he would've wanted.
When they finally parted, Liu Kang felt like he could breathe again. The shocked expression plastered on Raiden's face, however, was unexpected. They both remain in total silence, neither making a move nor taking the first step to speak. Raiden would finally be the first to move, which indicated for Liu Kang to finally get off the thunder god. Liu Kang, courteously, helped Raiden back on his feet, his hand, however, did not leave Raiden's.
"…I…I must go," Raiden quickly excused himself, disconnecting his hand from Liu Kang.
Liu Kang watched Raiden leave, and the feeling of awkwardness and humiliation quickly overwhelmed him.
Since that day, the pair seemed to share the same idea of just avoiding each other. But where Liu Kang was avoiding Raiden out of embarrassment, Raiden...Liu Kang couldn't figure him out (that bit of mysteriousness always being an aspect of Raiden he did like). Before, Liu Kang didn't mind it, but when Liu Kang began to rediscover the courage to approach Raiden, the thunder god was always turning the other way or shortening their conversations considerably. He could never get a moment with Raiden as he was always in discussion with someone else, busy with other matters, or needed to consult those dreaded Eldar Gods.
But they would finally have a one-on-one...A literal week before the official Mortal Kombat tournament. Liu Kang and Kung Lao were sitting with their Shaolin Monk brethren and family, the spiritual brothers jesting from across the table and talking about their eventful day. Raiden was missing from the scene, but he would suddenly appear in the mess hall where they were all meeting.
"Liu Kang, do you have a moment?"
Many faces turn to Liu Kang with curiosity. The same kind of energy children would have when one is called to the principal's office. Liu Kang feels a knot in his stomach, and he wipes his face with an available napkin, "Yes, Lord Raiden."
"Ooh~! You're in trouble~" Kung Lao jokes, releasing the tension effortlessly in the room.
Liu Kang smirks at his friend, throwing a dumpling at the razerhat wielder before skipping away from the table. Approaching Raiden and meeting him out in the hallway, he noticed that Raiden continued to walk further into the Shaolin Temple.
"Was there a reason for my audience, Lord Raiden?" Liu Kang finally asked after a couple turns here and there, but Raiden still remained silent. The knot in Liu Kang's stomach grows tighter as he anticipates their stop, which means he'll finally be informed the news.
Liu Kang tried to calm himself when they finally reached a secluded area in the temple, outside near the zen garden. Raiden stops in his tracks near a still-in-bloom cherry blossom tree. Funnily enough, it was the same tree he and Kung Lao would often play near when they were children before sometimes secretly training together under said tree.
"...Is there...Something wrong, Raiden?" Liu Kang drops the professionalism as he tries to make this personal, trying to appease to the human side of Raiden.
"...About that...Day...When we both...When we both sparred together as we tested your skills for the tournament."
OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK!
Liu Kang visibly (and if possible, verbally) swallows as he stares at Raiden's back, the thunder god still not facing Liu Kang and meeting him eye-to-eye.
"...Yes..." This was all Liu Kang could utter as he waited for Raiden to continue.
"I...Um..." Even Raiden was loss for words, as if he just decided RIGHT NOW that he wanted to talk about this. "...I...I recognize that you have developed a fondness for me."
It felt like Liu Kang's heart was going to jump out of his body or crawl out of his mouth. A large part of his being was vibrating with excitement. Is this it? Is this the part where they finally take the next step? Liu Kang couldn't help but step in place, leaning against one foot before placing added pressure on the other. Liu Kang wanted to say it. He wanted to declare his emotions in from of Raiden before the thunder god could finish.
"I love you. I love you so much, Raiden. You have no idea the night I would stay up with you on my mind. The pain I go through because I wanted to be near you, close to you, with you."
All of this and more, Liu Kang wanted to confess, but he is disciplined, he is patient. He will wait for Raiden to finish his thought, if he has more to tell.
"...And I have that same...Care for you too, Liu Kang. There's much history between us, and I can understand that you may have grown a deeper affinity for me."
There's a BUT in there. There's a MASSIVE BUT in there. But Liu Kang didn't hear it. He was too enamored, far too blinded by his own love for Raiden to even recognize the writing on the walls.
"But I must, respectfully, decline your love for me."
Liu Kang's world felt like it shattered around him. Somewhere, deep down, Liu Kang knew this could be a possibility. A high probability, in fact.
But it didn't make it hurt any less. Liu Kang stared at Raiden dumbfound. There must be a reason why. Is he not his type? Is it due to the circumstances with the tournament? Is Raiden already seeing someone else? What was the reason?
"…Goodnight, Liu Kang," and Raiden proceeded to walk away. Or, at least, attempt to.
It took all of Liu Kang's willpower to surge after him and grab his wrist, "Wait! W-why can't we? I mean, you said you felt the same way, so why do you 'decline.'" Liu Kang didn't mean to sound desperate, but he wanted to know. Maybe there might still be a chance he can still win Raiden's love.
"Liu Kang, you're letting your emotions control you. I said what I said; there's nothing more to it-"
Liu Kang forces himself in his line of sight, "Why Raiden. That's all I ask."
"Does the why really matter, Liu Kang?"
"It matters enough to me as your friend…"
"��We're not compatible," Raiden tries to say with finality.
"And why is that?"
"Liu-"
"Is it because I'm mortal? The tournament?"
"Liu Kang!" Raiden's eyes flare with godly power as his voice booms like thunder. This immediately quiets Liu Kang. Raiden takes a moment to breathe, reeling back his anger. "…You have many admirable qualities. You're handsome, patient, caring, determined, and good-willed. These are aspects that anyone would fall for and would be lucky to have you as their significant other. And…Perhaps, in another life, I could return your feelings. But I cannot provide you the happiness you think I can give. The amount of responsibilities and burdens…I'm sorry, but I just wouldn't be able to emotionally and physically give back to you."
Liu Kang was speechless as he gazed at Raiden. It hurts too that Raiden is just too good at keeping a stoic look, so Liu Kang can't even find any cracks in his "it's not you, it's me" speech.
"We both will have our 'plates filled' during and after the tournament. A lot of opportunities will be heading your way. I know a mortal's life is short; one must grab at every chance of life that one can. But believe me when I say, that you will find someone who will love you more than I ever could. And it might end up being someone unexpected." Raiden smiles as he places a hand on Liu Kang's shoulder.
Liu Kang slowly hangs his head low slightly, not exactly looking at Raiden's feet, but not meeting his gaze either. "I'm sorry for lashing out, Lord Raiden."
"Do not apologize, it's natural. Believe it or not, I have had plenty of experience with such bursts of emotions. I will always love you, Liu Kang, and I pray that someone will love you more than I do."
-
When Liu Kang recreated this timeline, his main goal and motivation was always to provide his friends a new life. A better life. A second chance at being happy. And sometimes, that meant changing and altering events so that his friends and companions could achieve that life they'd always wanted.
That's why Raiden's words cut so close to home. The old Raiden, the former thunder god, his mentor, his father…The one that got away. Liu Kang only wanted Raiden to be happy because he saw, from the outside looking in, the stress and pressure Raiden had to maintain on his own. And being a fire god himself, he can finally reconcile with those tough decisions Raiden burdened himself with. There were times Liu Kang just wanted to hold him, to kiss away any tears or fears Raiden had.
But they were never meant to be, but that never meant that Raiden's happiness never came first for Liu Kang. Liu Kang may not be able to provide for Raiden emotionally or physically, but he can give him a life where he doesn't have to worry about a single thing. So he put Raiden in his shoes and gave him everything Liu Kang would've wanted. A loving family, a best friend, a wise mentor…A home…Everything Liu Kang has lost or never had, he gave to Raiden…In some way, it was almost like a thank-you gift to the one god who gave him everything in his mortal life.
"Lord Liu Kang?"
Liu Kang opens his eyes as he's slightly disturbed from his meditation. He can see Shujinko peeking through the door, a tray full of food. I'm sorry to disturb you. I wanted to bring you a meal from the mess hall…"
Liu Kang's glowing eyes stare at the young pupil, and he gestures for him to enter. The young man hurries into Liu Kang's quarters, taking brief seconds to admire the gods' room before setting the tray in from of Liu. Just as Shujinko was about to leave, Liu Kang speaks up, "Please, sit with me. I…I would like the company."
"R-really?" Shujinko looks at Liu Kang in utter surprise. He doesn't know anyone in the academy who has sat down with Liu Kang ever since the fire god decided to isolate himself. He's probably the first in a long time to actually SEE Liu Kang in so long. "Are you sure?"
Liu Kang smiles as he picks up the bowl of rice and chopsticks. "I don't eat much anymore. You can have some of the items presented."
Shujinko was still dumbfounded as he watched Liu consume the rice. Shujinko would finally sit across from Liu and pick up a slice of bread and carefully takes a bite. The pair ate in silence, which was more than enough for Liu Kang. Just being near someone, even if it was someone he wasn't too familiar with, Liu Kang knew that at some point, he needed to break this cycle. If Kung Lao was here, he would've scolded him and drag his sorry-ass outside, and forced him to to rekindle himself with the world at large. Liu Kang actually chuckles to himself as he thinks about this.
"Hmm?" Shujinko looks at Liu Kang startled.
"Nothing, Shujinko…Just thinking…" Liu Kang smiles.
-
~whoo, I wrote "considerably" less this time around :D! So, the reason why I picked the title "Burning Tree" is because I was thinking of Shujinko because trees are often associated with family ties and how they're connected to each other. In this case, its more memories than any familial ties Shujinko has with the characters. With his memories gone, it's like a tree burning (or a better analogy being the house fire I mentioned in the story). A burnt tree is nigh reversible and you are stuck with whatever was left behind, if anything was even left behind. That can go hand in hand with Shujinko's (and even Raiden's) memories when Liu Kang removed them. Liu Kang, being the god of fire, can take away those painful memories, but once the deed is done, is irreversible. Even the most dedicated of therapy sessions won't return those lost memories. But like embers after a flame, small fragments might still remain. See, I'm hella smart :D. Also, if it wasn't obvious already, I'm a big Liu Kang/Raiden lover and I was shocked to see there was barely any fics about the pair on AO3. The horror!~
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satocidal · 5 months
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Romiee, for the astrology ask game:
sun, IC and 8H👉👈?
And I saw you saying smth about you making them too long on the last ones IDC GIVE ME AS LONG AND AS DETAILED ANSWERS AS POSSIBLE OR WE'LL FIGHT
😭😭😭I’m not answering Sun I struggled ok. And it’s already answered here sweets :)
Also partially a vent underneath ig? ( you wanted it long so lmao)
IC ⇢ do you think you had a good childhood?
Hmmmmm 😭 nice question. Typically, yes—I had everything provided to me, two parents and an amazing house, I was well fed and the best to my education so yes in most senses I was better off than many people and I’m grateful for that. I mean I had friends growing up, teachers have adored me, I was almost never bullied and stuff and stuff it was all cool. But I’ve never felt at home with all this—and I don’t like whining about all this because I’d had a lot offered to me right—but idk. I mean, my class teachers knew more of my achievements than my parents, I’ve felt better talking to said teachers than at home. I grew up with sort of an almond mom, so I don’t have the best relation with food or how I view myself. It wasn’t that they were too busy either? I don’t think they cared enough—the first poem I wrote, they made fun of it. I’ve never shared a single piece of my writing with them since and istg I’m not singing my own praise but the way my English teacher used to adore me for my pieces. I realised quick that my parents wanted extroverted and “smart” (which for them only includes science and maths) and close to perfect kids so I did it for most part— I do dance now, I can speak publicly well enough, people love how I am, my larebts don’t but eh it’s whatever. So to answer you 😭 I had a decent childhood but I’ve been dreaming of leaving this house since I was 9 and sometimes I also don’t wanna return lmao
8H ⇢ what do you consider red flags in a relationship?
Oml. So many😭 I don’t get the whole jealousy thing. I mean being a little jealous is ok but gods some people are soooo off the chart? Then intruding partners? I have this really close friend and his ex, she didn’t want him talking to girls or getting close to them, she didn’t want him making friends with people she had beef with in 6th grade💀even after knowing the dude was close with said people. So stuff like this, said ex would talk to almost everyone this guy was talking to and it’s just weird. People not respecting boundaries? That’s another major thing I don’t get. And finally people who push “gender” roles onto partners. Now I’m not saying that people who do follow said gender roles (like the man providing and woman looking after the house)—it’s not wrong, and if it works for you? Amazing. But for many of us, I know it wouldn’t so yeahhhh
There’s a lot more but yeahhhh lmao
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almalvo · 1 year
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STAR TREK: DISCOVERY | S1E1 "The Vulcan Hello"
[I will react to each episode individually and in full, raw reception and then post as is unrevised here onto my tumblr for the full span of every and all NuTrek episodes and series that have been and will be released. If this falls under your field of interest - I welcome your company in joining me. Enjoy the ride.] -------
im sorry. but the fucking graphics took my breath away. not as if im not a 2023rd year modern dweller. BUT. listen. i have been adrift in the world of pre 2009 Star Trek for the better part of a year straight. I am NOT used to Trek looking this way in a series. This 13 year jump from Enterprise to Discovery REALLY shows. And how the advancements of technology have most certainly carried Trek along in its undertow. 13 years….. when at last Star Trek gets to return to its roots in episodic narration. To return home. And my, how gorgeous it looks. Bring it.
I am ready for you.
oh my god. is this. fucking. KLINGON?? i have seen this charcter on the cover of a trek comic before. had no context. IS THIS KLINGON FOR REAL - KAHLESS?? oh my god. they look so different? what has happened???? IS THIS THEIR MODERNISATION OF KLINGONS oh my god its fucking FULL 4K HD I AM NOT USED TO TREK LOOKING LIKE THIS AND IM A FUCKING MILLENIAL/GEN-Z SPLITTER. BUT OVER HERE TALKING LIKE A CAVEMAN OH MY GOD MY EYES
THE LACK OF VERTICAL BARS ON THE LATERAL ENDS OF MY HD MONITOR. THE 2 NEW HORIZONTAL BLACK BARS ABOVE AND BELOW THE IMAGE I CATCH AND SAY ALOUD - "IS THIS REALLY STAR TREK IM SEEING RIGHT NOW BEFORE MINE EYES???" HOLD THE PHONE MICHELLE YEOH IS IN THIS????? EXCUSE ME ??? OH MY GOD THIS IS THEEE MICHAEL BURNHAM?!?!?! oh man they are both so gorgeous oh my god this cgi is lovely oh my god the SATURATION OF HTE COLOURS THE CRYSTAL CLEAR RESOLU TION THE LACK OF GREEN SCREENAGE is this actually star trek that im seeing though no wait are you for real i cant believe this is trek oml that communicator the flip immpeccable oh man im just i feele such an emotion inside watching this the ALIEN DESIGNS this background their environment is so pretty their wardrobe deisngs those goggles the feeling ENTERPRISE THE MUSIC THE ;M;USIC THE U SIC THE HORNS OH MY GOD THE NX??? IS THAT THE NX?????? oh m;y god the transportation THE TENELEPOTATION EFFECTS THE PATTERN IN THE SAND AAAAAAAAAAAA NO FUCKING WAY NO FUCKING WAY THEY ARE STARTING HTE SCORE WITH THE SONOROUS THEME OF THE ORIGINAL OHHH WHAT AN INTERESTING UPGRADE INBETWEEN SHAPE OF HTE ENTERPRISE?!?!?!?! oh my god this intro sequence is so PRETTY OF MY GOD THE PHASER THE PHASER THE COMMUNICATOR OH MY GODDDDDD THE VULCAN SALUTE OH MY GOD THE INTRO SEQUENCE IS SO BEAUTIFUL OH MY GOD ITS SO DIFFERENT ITS SO NEW UGHHH THIS ENDING SEND OFF OF THE NOTES OF THE OP IM SORRY IM NOT SUED TO ANY OF THIS BEING TREK LOOOOOOK AT IT LOOOOOOK AT IT oh my god space looks so beautiful no fucking way this is trek look at these graphicssss i may be born at the terminus of the 20th century, but i sound much older THEIR UNIFORMS ARE SO FUCKING SNAZZZY THAE BRIDGE IS DARKKKK THE SOUND EFFECTS
OH MY GOD LOOK AT THE BRIDGEEEE SARUUUUUUU OH MY GOD I FINALLY I SEEEE SARUUUUUU i didnt know his name is pronounced like that dude i fucking love their uniforms so fucking sharp they look like the communicators oh my god i fucking love everything bout this all the blueee the colours saru is fucking tall i like his facce oh m;y god the chair look at the screens look at the monitors the viewscreen is massive look at the computer schematics and user interfaces also ASIAN WOMAN CAPTAIN HAHAHAHA IT TOOK THIS LONG????? oh my god… trek has never looked better…… something about saru's face reminds me of archer hahah his voice sounds exactly like what i think saru would sound like dude a telescope amazing im sorry i fucking love all this since 00:00 i am just mouth agape im in awe at what im seeing at the evolution of trek having reached this far dude the SUITS LOOK AT THEIR SUITSSSSSSSS THE SPACE SUITSSSSSSS THESE COLOURS my eyes are wet why i just barely contained myself after Enterprise's finale…. this is so gorgeous. this is one hell of a first episode. oh my god its just tooo pristine dude this is a SHOW AND NOT A FILM?? sorry ok im talking trek ok listen having so often beeen under the graphical shadow of things like its child star wars i feel something immense… immeasurable…. i feel… something rather similar to what had ravaged through me when I watched Star Trek: The Motion Picture. seeing the massive upgrades in everything from what came before…
its…. pride. utter, unadulterated pride. to see its imminence be crowned an ornamentation it is beyond deserving of. to don the clothes that match its lustre. at last. star trek desrves to look this good.
is that… a fucking bird of prey. ITS A BIRD OF PREY THOS ARE FUCKING WINGS THAT FUCKING ARMOUR OH MY FUCKING SHIT THAT ARMOUR THOSE DETAILS OH MY GOD FUCKIGN KILL ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA it just occurred to me the ranking designations in their uniforms through the metallic hue and striping - lovely KLINGON this redesign of the klingons…… wow these designs and shapes of their attire and architecture its so impressive its so beautiful what an intense elegance i cant believe this star trek. oh my god the klingon roar of death's passing whoaaaa medbay whos the doctor? VUL;CAN VULCANNNNNNNNN LEARNING PODSSSS THIS IS SO SIMILAR TO THE AOS FILM IS THIS TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THE FILM???? UGHHHH VUHLKANSU LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER oh my god vulcan who are the vulcans we meet in this SAREK??? i have never seen Nutrek Sarek ever before… WAIT HUMAN HEART WHY DID BURNHAM DREAM THAT WHY DID SHE DREAM THAT unless it wasnt her dream but also that child. human heart. sarek this is a while ago uh uhhhh uhhhhhhh no i know its not him. it cant be. oh i like the badges
OH MY GOD THE DECLOAKING SOUND EFFECT LOOK AT THAT THINGGGGG LOOK AT ITTTTTTTT also saru has feathery tendrils?? i didnt know im at the edge of my seat LOOK AT THE KLINGON VESSEL LOOK AT IT OH M;Y GODDDDDD its floors look so nice even its interesting to hear klingon this way almost soft this makes me want to learn klingon more than ever. pale klingon? UGHH IS THAT A BAT'LETH?? GOD EVERYTHIGN LOOKS SO DIFFERENT im sorry wait these new klingon designs look so nice though hold up they have such pleasant shapes saru is so tall i like his proportions big stickman haha saru's eyes are so pretty god these beautiful graphics… i love the love and care that went into this even visually as much deserved as always i want that uniform give it to me
i like how its like the dark blue of Enterprise's uniform carried over to the uniforms in Discovery at least. im so SOO into this right now. im SOOOO into this right now. WHOAAAAAAAA THE BIRD OF PREY(?) SPREADING ITS WINGS LIKE THATTTTT WHOAOAAAAAAA LOOK AT THE LIVING QUARTERS THEY LOOK SO NICEEE I WANT MY ROOM LIKE THIS Sarek what is your relation with michael oml what what is happening oml more Sarek involvement thats so cool we get to see and learn and know more about Sarek??? oh man…. i love what hes wearing. i see that IDIC thing on her desk what is that behind her?? im so curious what burnham and sarek's relationship is how did they meet etc oh my god im sooo invested im SOOOO into this. IMMMM EATEN UP BY THIS. IM FUCKING EEATTING THE SHIIIT OUT OF THISSSSSSS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRARARRAAAA interesting Vulcan Hello…. Burnham is so pretty oh my god Phillipa is a RULER on that captain's seat. i love these colorus. its so visually alive my eyes are so fucking emotional from whats entering them im eating all of this. these lens flares though EXCUSE ME EXCUSE ME DID SHE JUST DID SHE JUST DO THAT DID SHE DJUST MA'AM MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM MAAAAI09GHGHJGGG JDUSAITJHAHT SGFKJHSEL RTH HRT HRT THR DID SHE JUST NECK PINCH HER CAPTAIN?? WTFFFFFF IS HAPPPENNNNINGGGG?????????????? WHAT THE FUCUUCKCKKK???? HOLLLYYYYY FUCKKKKK!??!!??!?!?! I LOST ALL AIR WHEN I WITNESSED WHAT I JUST WITNESSED PHASER WTF IS HAPPENING THAT IS A GORGEOUS PHASER BTW oh my god im BLOWN. AWAY. OH MY GOD WARP OH MY GOD THE SHEER NUMBER OF SHIPS. OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDD i i i cant. i cant. i cannot. I CAN NOT.
I- Dear Discovery.
You have caught my attention.
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countlesstimes · 1 year
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Oml poor Sol :,( what great characters you have tho.
Can I maybe ask how Sol and reader met ? Or maybe a little Introduction, can’t wait to see this character development
Thank you for liking my ocs! I’m not the best writer and I’m so sorry this took forever. Please forgive me😭 I hope you enjoy this nonetheless♥️
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People claim a ghost haunts the Wolf Pond Woods. Hikers, joggers and mischievous teens claimed to have heard singing coming from deep inside. They say that melody alone had them fixed in a trance, but the voice made them curious to want to know more. It lured them. Coaxed them to come near, but it never lasted long. The pull felt too weak. They would catch themselves before they traveled too far and ran; to never return. Despite all the rumors that spread around town, I never believed them. Nothing would stop me from capturing the beauty Mother Nature offers in my sketches. Especially on a day like this.
The air was crisp. Perfect for a sunny morning in spring. Sunlight trickled through the heavy canopy of tall trees and glimmered across the grassy floor. I have never been this content. Just me, the pretty scenery and my journal. I’ve always been motivated to capture the positive aspects of these woods. Rumors, true or not, they won’t affect how I see this place. It will always be my safe haven. However, today felt a little… odd.
My surroundings turned deathly silent. The birds stopped chirping, leaves ceased their rustling in the breeze. No sound of bugs or any life. Just silence. And that’s when I heard it. Or rather them. The voice was utterly enchanting, filled with intense agony. Like a symphony that covers you in a cloud of melancholy. It was unmistakably male, soft and hypnotic. I couldn’t help but want to find this person. I got up, leaving my belongings on the dirt floor. It was like I was on autopilot, too focused on the song, that nothing else mattered.
As I walk closer, a long gate with a sign that reads ‘RESTRICTED AREA’ came into view. Without thinking twice, I climb over the gate. The vegetation had overgrown the path beyond. It could be easy to get lost in the thick foliage, but it seems like the song is leading me exactly we’re I need to be. The path was long, but soon a clearing came into view. A large pond sat in the middle of the dreary space. The air seemed thicker, and a cloud of fog hung over the pond like a blanket of misery. Despite the bleak environment, there was one thing that seemed to shine.
I stop dead in my tracks when my eyes land on him. His skin was sun kissed tan and seemed to have a glittery sheen. A mop of large curls sat on his head, with water droplets falling from them slowly. He had an unnatural beauty, but what caught my eyes was the bright tail that replaced his legs. The scales glittered in the sunlight. Yellow, orange and black scales fade into an ombre from hip to fin. The sparkle they gave was astonishing. I didn’t even notice his singing cease until he jumped back into the water and hissed at me. His bared teeth were all triangular and sharp. Closely resembling shark teeth. Despite my better judgement, I step forward carefully with my hands up in surrender.
“Woah... I’m not gonna hurt you.” I try to reassure him, but he doesn’t look convinced. His sharp golden eyes watch as I move closer to the edge of the pond. “Are you out here by yourself?” The ground felt slightly damp as I took a seat a few feet away from the edge. His eyebrows furrowed with anger and confusion at my actions.
“Salir.” his voice was slightly husky but still seemed to have a melodic ring.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.” He doesn’t respond for several seconds.
“Leave. Now.” The words seemed final. He left no time for me to react before diving into the water. I stand there staring at the ripples he left in confusion. Why was he alone in the middle of nowhere? I had to know more. However, I knew I wouldn’t be getting any answers out of him anytime soon.
He was nowhere to be found when I went to visit his pond. I figured he needed time to warm up, but I didn’t expect it to be three weeks. It was disappointing not to see him. Every day I went. He may not have shown himself, but I stilled talked to him for a while and left food by the edge of the pond. When I’d come back the next morning, the container would be empty. It made me happy to know that he eats well even if he didn’t show. That was, until he did.
I sat on the bank. My pencil scratched the textured paper of my journal, but something felt off. I felt like someone was watching me. I look up at the pond and find the Merman’s golden eyes staring at me. “Um hello?” The uncertainty was obvious in my voice. The tension between us was strained as he continued to stare. I rack through my brain to come up with something that will get him to talk to me. Then I notice his eyes keep switching from my face to the book in my lap. He looks at it in disgust. A thought instantly sparks. “Do you want to see? It’s not done though.” I turn my journal to him and hold it out. He swims closer, but there’s still a measurable distance between us. Confusion clouds his face as he looks over the page.
“I thought-” He reached his hand out to touch the journal but quickly catches himself. His expression was blank, like he was reliving a memory. He looks back at me after a few seconds. You drew the lake? Why?”
“I think it’s beautiful.” My answer earns me a snarl. He moved slightly to hide his face.
“I don’t.” I place my book and pencil down. My attention was fully on him. This topic seemed to bother him a lot. I don’t want him to disappear again so I should tread lightly.
“What’s your name?” He looks back at me like he got snapped out of a trance.
“Sol.” The answer was blunt, yet it made me smile. I told him my name in return. There was nothing but an awkward silence after that, and it was painful.
“Do you want to see some other drawings?” I reach for my journal again. Sol looks at me with curiosity, then nods. I sit sideways so I can see as I flip through the pages. With every page, there was a different story to tell. Sol seemed to be entertained throughout my rambling. He hung on my every word and asked questions when I finished talking. The conversation flowed effortlessly, like we were old friends. We talked for hours and before I realized the sun was setting.
“Shit. I should go before the sun sets.” I hear Sol fidget next to me where he sat on the bank with half his tail still in the water. He turned his head away before I could get a glimpse of his face.
“Will you be back?” His voice was monotonous. It was a drastic difference from how we talked a few seconds ago. I place my hand on top of his. Sol flinches slightly but doesn’t move away. He looks down at our hands blankly.
“Of course I’ll come back.” I smile to ease his the thoughts running rampant in his mind. These thoughts seem to come from why he’s here. I want to try anything to bring his light back. My gesture seems to work because he’s smiling right back at me. That’s when I realized Sol really did shine brighter than the sun.
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henrysfedora · 2 years
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Self indulgent putting some of my favourite headcanons into one post with more detail.
Elaborating on the road trip moment, but what if it was the day all the stupid wholesome shit happened as well. During the summer of '51, a moment when the main cast is happy just for one goddamn day oml:
As soon as they find out Eddie isn't busy, first they go bowling. Vito and Joe steal the show completely, never shed a single drop of sweat, out of nervousness at least, Henry tries his hardest but his ball ends up in the gutters each and every time, and Eddie is just absolutely awful, drunk from morning drinking, cannot throw the ball without throwing himself too. After countless rematches at Henry's request they finally leave to go and get changed because summer is honestly down right awful sometimes. Agreeing with the headcanon that Henry would wear sweaters, even in summer lmao, some black slacks. Eddie in a yellow or honestly a lavender knitted sweater vest, white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, beige slacks and Vito and Joe would wear the casual clothes they always wear. Except ever since I played chapter eleven I've always had a headcanon that Vito loves to wear Joe's clothes and he's totally wearing one of Joe's tropical shirts on this day, baggy and too big for him, undone because of the intense summer gaze. And look me in the damn eyes - you're telling me Vito wouldn't show off his tiddies.
One of my first headcanons was Henry owning a deluxe convertible Chevrolet because that's just Henry to a T imo. So next they all go out for a ride. You know those days where the sky is clear and completely blue without a cloud in sight, almost being multiple shades of blue because you can see so much of it, the air almost seems fuzzy because it's so damn hot, but the slight cool breeze just barely makes it bearable. Driving around the countryside out at those winding roads surrounded by dry grass fields and paddocks with wire fences, clearly their posts old and aged. Joe and Eddie in the back of the convertible getting more drunk by the minute, singing Dino (definitely in sync), Vito and Henry in the front. Another one of my first headcanons was Vito would totally risk his life to lean up in the passenger seat, so his torso is over the windshield and he gets to feel the thrill of the wind. But in doing so he gets hit in the face by a bee, ass and stinger first. So Henry has to stop the fucking car and Joe cups his face, calling him an idiot and a goofball <3 as Vito's eye get increasingly blacker and more swollen. They're listening to bo diddley most certainly, let the good times roll, long tall sally, got my mojo working, return to me. It's a moment where Henry smiles, where Vito isn't worrying about anything, Joe isn't stressed with work, Eddie faces no unfortunate news from any soldatos- or Carlo for that matter. (Bonus; no one can convince me otherwise that Vito wouldn't sit on the hood of the Chevy and pose for a picture.)
By the evening when the sun's setting, before parting Vito managed to convince everyone to play a few rounds of baseball with him. Eddie is sobering up and starting to properly take in the happy moments with his friends, this time without blacking out and forgetting half of it. Vito and Joe yet again are champions, Eddie might be okay- idk lightweight boxing = good swinging skills I guess imo lmao. Henry, would chicken out last second and flinch and/or lean/look away and completely miss. But by now, when the sun no longer shines on the city, just barely behind the horizon, they end up going to Joe's for one last glass of the day.
Before it properly gets dark, Vito and Henry could go out for one last drive of the night, the sun is down but the sky is still orange - peach - pink and purple. But Vito's cold, so Henry gives him his sweater but it's also just a little big for Vito and because I'm down bad and a sucker for baggy clothing, it barely stays on both his shoulders. They could even go to a diner to get some dinner, the sky grey by now with only a little smidgen of orange across the horizon, the road mostly being coloured by neon light now and the slow turning on of the street lights.
Honestly while I'm here with the serotonin, I whole heartedly headcanon Henry to have a few freckles on his shoulders. And in game, I always notice during chapter eleven when Henry talks to Eddie I swear you can see freckles under his eyes, especially his right one. To me it always sounds cute when you say they're around their eyes too, like Henry with some freckles on his eyelids. And just to kill my fellow Henry x Vito enjoyers: Vito kissing Henry on his eyelids and nose <3.
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daisyvisions · 1 year
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Hello! How are you today? 💜 I hope you're resting lots and taking care of yourself!
Did you decide on which tbz item you want to order? I think you had recently mentioned potentially buying the new photobook that they released.
I have been trying to read through all of the asks and stuff you've posted recently and oml. 😭😳 I am excited for your next work.
Life updates even though you didn't ask:
The weather here has been warming up a lot where I am and it's nice because it's finally kinda melting the snow/ice. It smells really really bad, though.
Last night I went to a bar here for the first time (I moved here just before COVID and am an introvert, hence first time) and my sort-of-girlfriend-person's brother punched a middle aged man in front of me for using casual(?) racism in an attempt to "flirt" with me, so I am trying to figure out what to buy him in return. 👍 I wanted to buy him a pair of shoes that I know he wants but sort-of-girlfriend is insisting that I don't need to buy anything at all so I'm thinking a smaller gift because I do still want to get him something to say thank-you. I will maybe update on my final decision.
Also!! I bought hello kitty mugs today because I'm a bit of an impulsive spender sometimes and I saw them when I went to buy a new shirt for work. 😅👉👈 They are very cute though and I love them. I am a sucker for Sanrio stuff. 😭
Sort-of-girlfriend-person invited me to go to a cat cafe together next weekend also so I am hyped!! The cafe works with a local shelter to adopt out their cats and I know I'm going to be tempted to take one home even though I don't have the space or money for that but I am going to befriend all of them while I am there. 👍
Hey babe! I’m doing good I’ve got a long weekend so I can rest and actually get to writing after a week of work using lots and lots of my brainpower 😭
1. Omg we stan a king you should definitely get him something even if it’s just a meal to say thanks!
2. I love Sanrio too! Maybe not as much as you but I’ve always found it so cute huhu I like gudetama and (I forget the name) the one that’s a red fox? She has a show on Netflix hehe
3. Normally I’m not a cat person but not opposed to going to a cat cafe omg I’ve never been 🥺 you should def keep visiting that place and even do volunteer work if you have the time hehe 💕
And as for the fics? Well… I hope my brain is functioning enough to write more, maybe even seeing TBZ live next week will spark some inspo HAVABAHAAH 😂
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thethreemages · 3 years
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*rises from the grave to finally deliver on a certain new story arc chapter*
...Heeeey everybody lol I know this may not be something anyone expected in like, ages compared to my other recent TTM-content... but well, ever since my last chapter upload from maaany months ago... I've just continuously kept getting blocked from wanting to get back more into the main story, especially with the influx of developing lore and side casts I've been having fun with a bit more in comparison.
But well, after some more heavy thinking and reworking a bit of how I wanted to frame the next few bits of the story to go (while still keeping relatively faithful to my original concepts)... here's the official next part to keep the main story flowing with some rather "juicy" drama ahead~
((Here's the DA Link for the fic itself in case it gets too cut-off here-))
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The eerie stillness of the forest was something all too familiar to those raised around this trek of the woods… but this night in particular was getting all the more “curious” for what semblance of peace was broken left and right....
On one side, a noble prince and a gentle strength mage were connecting all the closer together as they were quietly walking through the woods.
On another, a fiery prince and a gruff healer mage were stumbling into the middle of an ominous find… enough to have stirred up some lingering “threats” following after them.
And finally, as of now… a cunning dark mage was finding herself apprehended by a group she once looked up to, respected, and trusted…
“-I will not say this again! Unhand Me. This. Instant!” Prym Fletcher hissed towards the pair of guards who were roughly escorting her back to the camp, feeling tempted to have blasted them back already with her magic… had it not been for a fierce pair of eyes ordering her to keep still.
“Save it, kid. You’ve snooped upon very classified information against official orders, you’re not leaving our sight.” Taiyin Zhou replied back with a firm tone, “You’re about lucky we haven’t already arrested you as is…”
“Ughhh, I’m telling you I did NOT snoop! I had simply stumbled across your camp by accident!” the young dark mage insisted, her voice already growing exasperated with frustration, “Why won’t you believe me?? I’m Lady Meradyth and Sir Luka’s daughter, for Saint’s sake-!”
Halting in her tracks upon hearing that, Taiyin only turned her head to give a… rather puzzled look, “Sir… Luka? Um, sorry but... no one’s ever been registered in our ranks with that name…”
Rightfully confused as ever by that response, Prym had taken the moment to shove off the guards restraining her as she offendedly exclaimed, “Wait… w-what?? Oh, now this has to be a damn joke… Luka was once one of your top members back in the day! Closest friend to Ivor and my mother Meradyth, what do you mean by ‘never been registered’??”
“-Look, I’ve been here in the Elite for a good number of years, kid... and I think I would know if I was aware of anyone named Luka,” Taiyin furrowed her gaze to Prym in a frustratedly tired way, almost reminding her of one of the strict & overworked teachers back at St. Ravilda’s, “I don’t know what else to tell ya on that front, but we’ll be the ones handling the questions here, thank you very much...”
The younger mage could feel her fists clenching in a rising anger towards this woman’s insensitivity… yet didn’t have time to make another retort as a pair of familiar faces joined to greet them from behind Taiyin.
There stood the imposing General himself, alongside the stoic Alastair who gave a quiet look of disapproval towards his comrade’s harshness to Prym. In the meantime, Ivor’s face seemed to twist with many mixed feelings upon seeing his daughter’s friend. Shock, disappointment, confusion… and perhaps even a bit of fear?
“Prym… what in the Saints’ good names are you doing out here??” Ivor shakily demanded to know, the stern fatherly side of his kicking into high gear as if she were his own child caught in the act, “I told you specifically to stay back at home where it’s safe! Don’t you know what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in, especially at this hour of night within these woods??”
“I… w-well,” Prym struggled at first to find the words, not wanting to risk giving away that Tula and the others were very much out there in the woods too… so, after taking a second to think and compose herself, she retorted back to him with an unamused tone of her own, “Hmpf… I suppose I should be more asking you the same question, Ivor. Don’t think I didn’t hear His Majesty giving you orders to collect this insidious-sounding ‘white plague’ for him… whatever the hell that means for his standards…”
“-Hey, what did I say about watching your tone, kid-!” Taiyin attempted to scold her… only for Alastair to hold up his hand to let the young girl speak her mind. Not exactly expecting Prym to have spun the question onto him now, Ivor gave a conflicted moment of silence… but eventually, an approving look from Alastair encouraged the hulking General the resolve to just admit what’s up, not seeing much else to lose now that she’s already here...
“The… white plague we were speaking of earlier, Prym… is a code name for this strand of white fungal root that had suddenly taken bloom within Graystone. These plants… they’re about the most devastating plant species our country’s faced in these past few decades… once was the stuff of legends within our oldest history books, but then… somehow some twisted, sick individuals decided to recreate these plants and spread them loose to cause countless amounts of destruction among the lands…”
Hearing of these plants made Prym’s eyes widen a bit in recognition… taking a moment to think on it, “Hold on, I… think I might’ve heard of such plants back in this one story Professor Blanchard once told us; an old crone who was jealous of the younger beauties in her town made up a mash of brew from these weird, white twigs so she could poison the girls, and absorb their own beauty to become a ‘goddess’. The plan backfired when it simply made the other men exposed to her inner flaws despite all her good looks, so she was cast off in a ritual fire to pay for her sins. Could… those perhaps be the white plague plants you were mentioning?”
One by one, Ivor and the others had given a nod of yes as Alastair floated up a steel box to open in display… revealing within a sealed-jar the shriveled up remains of a ghastly, half-rotted root… curled into a position like that of a crooked hand. Nauseating as the contents were to look at, the fact that this root was seemingly swimming in a sickeningly thick black liquid near the bottom didn’t help either…
“Indeed, Prym… this is the white plague we’ve been tasked by King Grayle to retrieve,” Ivor continued on to explain, “In our years of tracking them down, they’ve been linked to many terrible cases of people becoming infected when they didn’t expect it. Whether it’d be from injesting the root itself or the snow-like spores spread out into the air… its almost impossible to fully recover from it before its too late...”
“Yes… these roots were the ultimate cause of many terrible tragedies our country will never forget…” Alastair finally spoke up as cleared his throat, his tone serious yet solemn as ever, “Queen Elianne’s death, the double-crossed Wraith Night survivors, the village residents of Yulong…”
‘...Aevri’s hometown…’, Prym thought as she felt the tears prick to her eyes, remembering when her friend was given the grave news of her parents passing away of illness a few years back in school... so sudden and out of nowhere during a seemingly peaceful period of time. Long as it was since the last she saw Mr. and Mrs. Ren, Prym could still plainly recall them both being such kind, healthy-bodied people who wouldn’t hurt a fly… so hearing of them being the unsuspecting victims of such a ghastly plant this whole time was beyond tragic… “...even among our own ranks we’re all too familiar with white plague being inflicted right under us… ” Ivor admitted with a saddened tone, his gaze to Prym signifying she’d know who he’d talk about next, “The night Lady Meradyth had fled, the arrow blades recovered from the crime scene were found to be traced with this blackened poison linked back to the plague root… which, in connection to those other past incidents could only mean one thing..”
Not having to say another word, Alastair let his magic do the talking for him as he enchanted his glowing aura to shapeshift a group of silhouetted figures gathered together, each holding the white plague roots within their hands in an ominous, unified fashion. With that, signifying that whoever was perpetrating these white plague attacks… were all working together in a single, spread-out group.
Hearing all this was already pretty heavy for Prym to bear… breaking her more into confusion as she noticed Taiyin and Alastair turning to leave along with some other guards, “w-wait, where are you going?”
“Continuing the rest of the mission, kid.” Taiyin informed her, thankfully not as harshly as before but still firm enough to try and hold the young dark mage back.
“Yes, if our sensors are correct then its only a matter of time before these plague roots bloom upon the first morning hour. We must give haste at once.” Alastair joined with Taiyin as he packed some quick essentials nearby, looking over to his superior, “General, please inform us if anything stirs around this area while we’re gone, and we shall do the same in return.”
“Noted.” Ivor simply nodded as he gave some silent orders for the two to continue heading out. As much as a part of Prym wanted to say more in perhaps suggesting to go with them or however… her mind was still much too focused on the growing anger she had towards all these suspicions and secrets being kept from her. Not even letting Ivor reach to touch her shoulder in comfort, she had resigned to simply stomp towards the tent to cool off… the shining light of the moon following behind her.
——-
On another section of the sprawled forest, making their way through the thickets was Prince Elas and Tula… seeming to make good headway on the path they were on. Further back they had found some tracks being quite imposing enough to belong to no one else but Tula’s father,
“Okay, looks like it won’t be long to find Papa!” Tula had deducted, feeling some more confidence at finding another cluster of footprints up ahead, “my guess is that he might’ve set up camp just a few trees away, by this rate.”
“Indeed, I can’t say I can find much to disagree with that notion.” Elas gave an approving nod, analyzing some of the tracks for himself, “Seems to me he might’ve had some party members of his own crossing though here, so whatever he may be up to then he’s bound to not be alone…”
Looking on ahead in the direction they were headed to, something inside Tula was feeling… odd, and kind of confused as to how everything was going so smoothly at the moment. Perhaps… a bit too smoothly, as the forest seemed eerily still at this point in time.
“...Elas, does something seem ‘off’ to you?” the young Strength mage pondered, her gaze glancing around for any signs of possible life within the trees or bushes. At first, the prince didn’t seem to detect anything out of place as he stepped ahead… until his foot caught sight of something that made him jump back in shock.
“Oh good Saints, w-what in the world was...?” gathering himself to calm down, Elas took a closer look to find that his shoe had stepped into what looked like a puddle of thick, ghastly-white goo… the contents sizzling a bit under the glow of the moonlight above. Tula had curiously peaked over his shoulder to see what was up… only for them both to jolt back again once the puddle started to bubble and release a hissing, acidic green stench.
“-What is that stuff?? I-I’ve never seen anything like that in these woods!” Tula exclaimed with a clear worry in her tone, “Do you think any of the girls or Kain found-”
Halted in her thoughts was the ear-piercing shriek of something very much inhumane ringing throughout the trees, rattling both her and Elas from standing upright. Careful to at least not fall back in the goop behind them, the two helped pick the other up as within these shrieks, they heard the loud crashing and glowing of magic clashing near the distance ahead.
“-Kain!” Elas deducted, upon recognizing the reddish-orange glow from where he was standing, “He and Aevri must’ve found something dangerous up there, come on!” he encouraged to Tula while instinctively firing up some blue fire in his hands.
Answering back only with a firm nod, Tula didn’t take long to summon up her Strength gauntlets as the two of them hurried on to try and help the other mages. If only they had looked back behind them, they would’ve noticed how that white goo from earlier was beginning to fade away as a figure summoned it back into the darkness…
—-
The normally firm General was in quite an awkward spot having Prym stumbling upon such top secret info as she did… having hoped that tonight could’ve been just a simple detour mission without having to drag any of the kids along. And he knew that hearing the truth about the dangers of white plague had truly shaken her up… so, he knew that he couldn’t have any room to blame her for not being willing to talk to him at the moment while they were alone at the campsite.
A few more minutes would pass before he’d finally make the move to head inside the tent as well… looking to find Prym with her back turned from him, clearly lost in thought and conflicted.
“...Prym, I know what you may be thinking,” Ivor steadily began, trying to keep his tone as delicate as possible, “-But you must understand that this situation was... much too dire and dark for me to just confess it freely among you and the others back home. I simply wished to protect you all-“
“-Protect us from what, Ivor?” Prym finally spoke up, not so much defensively as much as she sounded… tired, “If you haven’t already noticed, me and the girls are not little kids anymore… if you truly meant to be on an important mission regarding these plague plants, then we could’ve understood if you simply told us. Otherwise I thought… well, with the King’s orders and that one lady’s coldness to me, I…”
“...I know. And for that as well, I deeply apologize...” the General lowered his head as he sighed, “Taiyin is quite a strong soldier, noble-hearted as well… but we’ve been meaning to correct her more about not letting her loyalty to the Elite get the better of her towards outsiders. I’ll be sure to have a talk with her when she gets back, I promise.”
Assuring as that thought was, as well as relieved at his genuine apologies… something in Prym’s mind was nagging at her to not let it go. Something regarding one, particular detail that wouldn’t leave her thoughts…
“...Ivor, earlier Lady Taiyin had given me this… really strange response to me mentioning my father Luka. Basically saying he… apparently never existed within the ranks.” Prym had turned to further face the general, looking up with a look of questioning, “You didn’t even directly say that he died within those other plague casualties, simply that there was poison found at that scene where Mother ran away. Is… there something you’re not telling me, Ivor...?”
“...Prym, n-now is not the time to-“ he looked quite shaken by her sudden accusation, but Prym continued to stand her ground further with a firm anger in her tone.
“-No. Now is more than the perfect time to explain- Why is it that all my life, I’ve been told my father was this grand, loving hero of the King’s Elite alongside my mother, giving his life to protect countless innocents… and yet now I learn that’s all apparently been one big lie?? Ivor, please what is the real truth here?? W-Was my father a true soldier, or not?? Was he working for some other party, dealing with some unsavory types?? Please, j-just tell me already, Ivor!”
Steadily her voice began to shake more to a near-sobbing tone, lip quivering as her mind was drifting to all sorts of possibilities… and one more question stuck out the most as she pitifully looked up to the older general,
“Ivor… is my father even alive…?”
Silence quickly fell upon the tent… as Ivor looked conflicted as to how exactly he should answer such a question, let alone in a situation like this. As the seconds were passing into a minute between them, Prym was afraid that… perhaps he wouldn’t give her an answer, that maybe it was a mistake to ask at all after she had already stepped out of line as is… until at last, the still air broke when Ivor delivered a simple, one word answer that changed everything…
“...yes…”
——-
On their end of the forests away from everyone else, things had… really picked up much more chaotically for Kain and Aevri, the two of them now lost in a battle between an eerie group of monsters clamoring around them. Resembling that of tall, ragdoll-like humanoids made of white tree bark… their gaping mouths and hollow eyes dripping with white goo could’ve easily shackled their two foes in complete fear, if they both weren’t so stuck in fighter mode right now.
“-Eat this, bitch!” Kain had exclaimed with some kicks and punches of his crystal magic blasts, encasing the tree-like creatures in red shards that pinned them all to the ground. Aevri in the meantime did her best to defend them both, having summoned her shields to ward off and slice away closing-in enemies.
“Ughhh, will you freaks get the damn hint already?? Piss off!” the Healer mage grunted, swiftly throwing her summoned-shield to knock back some of the foes before it flew back into her arms. Try as they might through their defenses, however… Aevri and Kain could only watch as the monsters had simply risen up more from the ground up, not even seeming phased by their earlier attacks.
“Oh for fuck’s sake… what the hell is keeping these things alive??” Kain cursed while powering up another set of crystal attacks, “Even a wyvern would’ve fallen down by now, shit!”
Before Aevri could’ve answered back with a possibly-snarky retort, their thoughts were halted as they saw a flurry of blue flames burning back the horde of monsters that tried to make a grab at the two… the sender revealing none other than Elas and Tula who had hurried on to join the battle.
“...Greeaaat, perfect timing, bro.” the younger Graystone prince flatly remarked with a roll of his eyes, his brother simply scoffing in response with a flick of his hair, “-Save the backtalk til after we’re safe, Kain.” Letting his companion Tula take the next step in pummeling down some of the creatures with her firsts, she at least gave a more grateful and relieved look to her healer friend at seeing her standing strong in the fight, “-Aevri! Thank the Saints you’re alright! I-I hope these things didn’t hurt you too much…”
“Pff, hey... what would it be a fight without a few scrapes?” Aevri joked a bit to lighten the mood, bringing a small smile to Tula’s face before the both of them turned to ward off the next wave of monsters. It almost seemed concerning just how much these things were reanimating up again despite the waves of attacks… only seeming to keep going and going within the next few minutes to pass.
All… until each of the tree dolls suddenly halted in their place like statues, the melting white goop re-materializing into their eye sockets properly as each of them stood up straight. Confusing the hell out of the mages that were fighting them, the four watched as these dolls started to assemble into some upright positions… almost like an army awaiting their leader approaching. And with a rustle of movement coming from the bushes from behind, that… actually seemed quite closer to the truth as a pair of footsteps came walking out from the dark.
“-Hey! Who’s there??” Aevri turned in the direction of the steps as did the rest of her party, all rearing for another big battle… but then pausing as they finally saw who it was. Turning out to be a pair of hooded, ominous figures greeting them in plain view… their features hidden from where they were standing a lil far back. All until they stepped further into the moonlight was it shown that they were both women, one of them covering their face with a featureless white doll mask… and the other simply smiling back in a rather calm, calculating way.
“Aww… whats wrong, little ones~?” the hooded figure with a mask tilted its head, giggling in a tone that sounded much too saccharine sweet, “Sister and I simply wanted to have a lil playtime with my babies here… don’t be so mean~”
Naturally, this quite frankly creeped out the young mages who were now all the more confused seeing the masked lady stepping over to gently caress one of the tree dolls, as if it were her most prized possession. Compared to everyone else ain was at least trying to mask his unnervedness by standing back more boldly,
“H-Hey, these things of yours attacked us first, lady… what the actual fuck are you on about-??”
“...Hmmmm, temper temper...” came the much more dignified voice of the other woman, shaking her head in Kain’s direction though that smile of hers still remained clear as day, “Is that any way to speak to your family… Kain?”
The once-fierce gaze in Kain’s eyes had… very much evaporated into a look of disbelief upon hearing that voice… the crystal auras in his hands disappearing as they dropped to his sides in shock, “...w-what…?”
Alarmed by his brother’s sudden distress, Elas had turned to try and step up in Kain’s defense as he demanded, “-What in the Saints’ good name are you on about?? Kain is my brother, and I do not recall either of you being anywhere near ‘family’!”
“-Shhhh, manners… young man~” whispered the masked-figure, holding a finger to her lips as all stilled around her… summoning an eerie aura that surrounded the other mages into freezing in place, much like the tree dolls. Unable to do anything but move their heads and faces, Tula, Elas and Aevri all looked on as only Kain was allowed to move on his own… yet all he could do was just shakily stand in place as the unmasked figure slowly approached him… again still smiling that damn smile of hers…
“-No, n-no no you can’t… you can’t be her…!” muttered the now-shaky voice of the usually-haughty prince… trembling as the figure was now up face-to-face with him. Even without being freeze-spelled like the others were, Kain could do nothing but stare as the figure reached up a hand to his face… gently caressing his cheek as her free hand moved to pull back her hood.
Now… there was really no doubt who exactly she was. The striking red hair, the ruby red lips, the amber eyes all too similar to Kain’s… save for the subtle signs of aging, he could never forget a face like that....
“Yes… it is me, my son~”
———
Millions of thoughts were running through Prym’s mind as she recalled what Ivor just confessed to her. Her father… her own father Luka… was alive all this time?? As much as she wanted to celebrate such news, another dark side of her was just reeling at the implications…
Where was her father, all this time she and her mother were in hiding? Why didn’t he come back for them? Was someone keeping him hostage, forcing him in place? What if… what if he willingly chose to abandon her? Not even sparing her a second thought, wherever he’s at now…?
Sensing the growing conflict growing within Prym, Ivor did his best to try and diffuse the situation as he reached to comfort her, “Prym, I… p-please try to understand-“
“-What IS there to understand, Ivor?? Nothing is making sense anymore!” the dark mage exclaimed as she threw up her hands, feeling her tears growing hot as she began to pace back and forth, “You say my father’s apparently alive all this time, but where in Terra IS he?? Obviously he’s not within the Elite ranks now, Mother hasn’t heard from him in ages, and none of the current Elite seem to know who he is! All I want now is the truth, and I want it now!”
“...” Ivor had grown quiet for the moment, heavily sighing as he gestured for Prym to follow him near one of the seats, “I… know this is very much against protocol, but… i-it’s about time you knew, Prym…”
As much as she would’ve liked to argue and stay pouting… the ever-curious side of Prym decided to relent in at least hearing his side of the story out, wiping away her tears with a still-determined look in her eyes. All she could do was watch on as Ivor went and grabbed an old wooden chest to carry over to her, opening the contents to pull out a sealed document folder hidden under some other papers and trinkets inside.
“Prym… your father was a man that had many burdens over him at his age,” the General began to explain, handing Prym the folder as he sat down next to her, “As much as he tried his best to fulfill his duties as a leader… others still feared and hated him for feeling like he took away what wasnt ‘rightfully’ his, on top of the already-detested dark magic he carried. And well… being his oldest friend, I knew that it wouldn’t be healthy for him to linger on all this bad press… so, it was my suggestion that he would involve himself more with our growing Elite forces, to help him lighten up from the stress of it all...”
Within her grasp, Prym flipped open the folder to see the first page contained a picture of Luka’s face on it, with the royal insignia of the Elite stamped below it. With a silent nod from Ivor, she flipped under it to see that inside held some various papers and photos from the old days of Luka’s younger years… from sparring with his troops, to happily posing with some grateful-looking civilians, to joining together with his team to stand vicariously together all at once.
“Overtime, your father grew to fit in well within the Elite for letting him express himself for who he was… beyond all the titles and dark magical stigmas, but as a loyal comrade who’d do anything for the good of Graystone. And since the local civilians didn’t seem to recognize him as a simple soldier like the rest of us, he had even felt comfortable enough to try and help out these communities through his own acts of vigilantism…” Ivor chuckled, unable to resist a small blissful smile at the memory, “Not too surprising that he and your mother grew to get along a lot well in that department, denying as they were at first...”
Pausing for a moment from browsing through the folder, Prym looked over to Ivor with a look of puzzlement, “...So, if you say my Father did all these great things for the people… why would they turn on him because he performed some darker magic spells than normal? I know Mother had mentioned that he enraged some uptight army for his necromancy, but…”
“...W-Well, truth be told, that... wasn't exactly the ‘full’ reason for his eventual attack, Prym...” Ivor admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, “Luka, well-meaning as he was… at the same time was always rather stubborn and reckless when it came to what he thought was the right thing to do, regardless of the possible consequences ahead. There was no better example for when he had stepped out of protocol in one of our missions against a local crime-lord of the downtown New Grayle district… Boss Byzantine.”
“Byzantine…?” Prym blinked, steadily recognizing that surname after a bit of thought, “-One of Kaz’s bully friends shared that name back in school… Cable Byzantine.”
“Ahh, yes… the Boss would’ve been Cable’s father, from what I recall of that man.” Ivor gave a nod of acknowledgement, “Often kept to himself apart from the few public appearances with his family… most wouldn’t even know much else of him aside from that automobile company of his. But well… we as the Elite were having our growing suspicions after examining more of how poorly the downtown area was, and interviewing the locals terrorized from his gang’s past attacks. And thanks to one of our undercover operatives, Sgt. Kodiak, we had not only started to put any and all accomplices in jail, but had planned in the near future to soon put Byzantine to justice too. Luka, however… well, turns out he had decided to take fate into his own hands by cornering the Boss one day in his office with his dark magic… giving into temptation with his soul-ripping spells to really show the crooked man who he was messing with…”
The air seemed to grow heavier as Ivor quickly grew quiet again, his gaze going back to the chest’s contents as he pulled out something else from under all the papers… a locket with a purple moon gem symbol on the front, “...In the end, thanks to some nearby guards catching wind of his actions, Luka wasn’t fully able to be rid of Byzantine as he hoped… but that would soon seal his fate as the Boss had subtly planned a “vengeance” of his own. And so, a few years later Luka and Meradyth had made plans to head into the Downtown area for a quick errand, picking up this upcoming birthday present for you...” explaining as he gently placed the pendant within the girl’s hands, eyes closing as he painfully recalled further...
“...and, just as they were heading back home… they were ambushed. A mix of Byzantine’s own men and a few hired hands from the army Luka has disgraced, together overwhelmed the couple in more ways than one. Within all the smoke, blades, and spells being thrown around it was practically impossible for either of them to evade it all on their own…”
“So, how exactly did my father manage to survive from it all...?” Prym turned her gaze to ask, a hand gently resting onto Ivor’s as he felt himself getting shaken by the recollecting… only pressing on further for Prym’s sake, “-Through having to spend a good chunk of his aura energy on teleporting Meradyth away from safety, and the last of it to unleash one, devastating blast to ward off the remaining foes, they were defeated and got taken into custody… but at a grave cost to Luka, himself. Our troops, try as we did to bring him back to heal him up, just weren’t able to stop the plague-induced infections from slipping him into a deep sleep. Hours had turned to days, and days turned to weeks… and throughout it we were beginning to lose hope. Finally, at last he was able to wake up and face us again, b-but…”
It was here that Ivor had turned to look back at Prym, placing a hand to her shoulder as he delivered the news that had shattered the shred of hope she had earlier...
“Prym… h-he didn’t recognize us anymore, and… neither could he remember either you or your mother when we tried to tell him after waking up…”
“...W… What? No… n-no that can’t be right..!” the dark mage bitterly broke into a sobbing mess, shaking her head in near-denial, “-What kind of father would just up and forget his own loved ones, his own family?? P-Please tell me this isn’t true, Ivor! Please…!”
“...I-I’m sorry, Prym...” a guilt-ridden Ivor muttered, instinctively pulling Prym in for a tight hug despite her protesting sobs, “We tried all we could, believe me we did… but this plague proved to be the most resilient curse on our fellow comrade, even with the best medicinal help. Showing him pictures, records, and home videos did little to jog his memory… after awhile, he started refusing our help all together despite our protests…”
Soon, even as toughened as he usually was… even Ivor has begun to shed some tears as he held Prym close,
“He’s changed so much as time further passed, Prym.. not even going by his name anymore whether he’s off duty or not these days. To the point where eventually we just decided to never bring up the subject of Luka anymore, with the very few remaining soldiers from our old ranks swearing to silence never to speak of him either. As much as we wanted to reunite him with you both in the coming years, we just… w-we didn’t want to task the risk if anything were to… well, go wrong…”
To say that this did anything to soothe Prym’s heartbroken state would be a lie… as in the minutes that passed her furious sobs had silenced into mere whimpers, whilst Ivor continued to do his best to hold and comfort her as if she were his own child. In some ways, this news had devastated her even more than her initial thoughts of her father being deceased. To even imagine having to go through as much as he did, miraculously surviving but erased of his own memories like that… it was beyond crushing of a thought...
...Yet, the more she had paused to think on this info, the more she began to realize the implications of what exactly Ivor meant by Luka not going by his name anymore. Thinking back to the folder left next to her, she couldn’t help herself in pulling away from Ivor… desperately flipping through until her eyes caught sight of the last page. Her father’s medical file.
And this time, even Ivor didn’t move to stop her as he defeatedly looked away, accepting that she had to know this sooner than later...
...our current patient has been confirmed to have been inflicted with trauma-induced memory loss, and by royal order we have been requested to withhold further treatment by his end. Our staff has grown worried with his own past history of ongoing PTSD and Chronic Depression, but well… as our fellow staff had put it, an order’s an order.
With a heavy heart, this concludes our progress into looking after our patient of the past year and a half... Luka Grayle.
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that-yandere-life · 2 years
Note
OML I LOVED YOUR FIVE HEADCANONS! CAN YOU DO ONE WITH AN S/O WHO IS LIKE JUST AS SARCASTIC AND BITTER AS HIM? or maybe his polar opposite? I LOVE YOUR WORK WOW
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[Warnings: Yandere Themes *Obviously*, Five is 18+ as always, Mentions of the apocalypse, violence, blood, murder, kidnapping.]
S/O is Sarcastic and as Bitter as he is:
Five would think that you being just as sarcastic and bitter as him was kind of endearing at first, until you started to talk back to him and use it against him.
Then he won’t like it as much because he is quick to anger, and when you go up against him you are undermining his authority and that is something he will not have.
Definitely isn’t afraid to get physical with you if you severely disobey him, nothing to seriously harm you of course, just to put you in your place in a way.
Will lock you up somewhere at some point because he can’t trust that you won’t do something that puts you in danger, which you have proven you will do at any time just like himself.
Of course you will see this as a gilded cage, it looks pretty but it’s still a prison nonetheless, and you are stuck chained to the bed with little room to roam.
Having to be let out several times a day to use the restroom with Five watching over the door to make sure that you don’t try to escape.
Pure insistence that you obey his wishes, you will counter every point he makes as you are just as cunning and smart as he is, which makes this relationship explosive.
Trying to make things as comfortable as possible, but you still were not satisfied, stuck in space and time always waiting for his return whenever he leaves.
Eventually you will get lonely, and that loneliness will start to weigh on you heavily to where you are becoming down right depressed.
No longer were you quipping back at his snarkiness, instead you just looked at him blankly shrugging your shoulders like it was no big deal.
Part of him missed the sass you always met him with, but the other part saw this as breaking you to where he could mold you into the perfect significant other.
Giving you attention that your mind and body craved now being alone most of the time as he was off trying to stave off the apocalypse to save not only his family but more importantly you.
Not even death could separate the two of you, he would make damn sure of that, his abilities enabling him to go back in time to stop whatever had already happened to change what went wrong.
Meaning that even if by chance you happen to get out, he will just rewind time to the last time he saw you and make sure that you never have the chance to escape, or he will just teleport right to where you were hiding from him.
There is no getting away from him, he was everywhere at once, surrounding you and suffocating you but you had no idea that he was the cause of the feeling of someone constantly watching you.
Sure it should be easy to figure out, but at the same time he wasn’t technically present in the area with you, making you imagine that it was something or someone else entirely.
Telling Five that you felt like you were constantly being watched, worried that it was another creeping on you he checked it out quickly realizing that you were detecting his own gaze on you.
Promising you that he would look into it to make you feel safer, noticing that you seemed super anxious about it, he will make sure that his presence isn’t so demanding anymore to ease the feelings you were having.
Most of the fight had left you long ago, leaving you a fraction of your former self, wishing that you hadn’t lost the fire that used to burn in the depths of your soul.
Falling into the false illusion that Five had created all for you, and you were his little angel sent for him to protect, love, cherish, and fight for giving him purpose in life for truly the first time.
This has to be done to keep you safe, one day you will see that, you have to see that there is no other choice in his mind, you will submit to him and that is final.
A S/O That is Nothing Like Him-
Five might be apprehensive at first when he initially meets you because you are the literal definition of sunshine while he is the definition of a thunderstorm.
There is just something about you though that he can’t place, drawing him to you in his mind begging him to learn more about you.
In actuality having you be the literal opposite as him is probably the best thing for both of you, as you will see things in a way he doesn’t.
Together you make a pretty good team when it’s all said and done, not that he would let you come with him on truly dangerous missions, but lower level things you will be able to accompany him on.
Not feeling the need to keep you locked up as long as you listen to him for your own good, because he definitely knows what’s best for you in this horrible world that might not even exist soon.
You will listen to him, mostly because the images of the future you imagine when he tells you tales of what he has seen were enough to terrify you into submission.
It is easier for you to be yourself rather than someone who was more like him because you were pliant and moldable already so you didn’t need to be broken.
Sometimes your disposition might annoy him as you are typically pretty positive while he is incredibly negative most of the time, but you also help him to see the bright side at times which he is grateful for even if he doesn’t say it out loud.
Acting like he doesn’t want affection, but secretly craving the deep intimacy that you provide him just by touching him or holding him close.
Both of you need each other, that was something he resigned himself to long ago, without him you would be completely lost, and he would be left off far worse.
Hiding you when things get really bad or if you are threatened in any way, he will not hesitate to get you out of the line of fire, even if it puts him directly in front of the threat.
Killing anyone that dares try to find you, or plans to use you to a means to an end and thoroughly enjoys doing it the entire time, many occasions returning to you with a sick grin on his face and blood on his hands.
Every time he leaves you alone you fear that he isn't going to come back rushing to his side whenever he returns, always fussing over any injuries he has despite telling you that you don’t have to worry about him.
Eventually having enough of it telling him that if he can take care of you all the time, then you should get the opportunity to do the same for him, especially in the moments where he is injured.
Not used to you standing up to him, but deep down feeling incredibly honored that this is the reason that you were talking back to him.
It showed that you cared about him, almost as much as he cared about you, further fueling the inferno inside of him that was the need to ensure your safety in his arms now that you held a piece of his heart.
At the same time you wanted to make sure he knew that you believed in him, that he could do anything if he put his mind to it, trusting that he would figure out the right thing to do.
Hearing those words reaffirmed his resolve to finish what was started so long ago, ages before you were even alive and long after your eventual death.
Kissing you on the forehead he promised that the next time he came back things would be over and he could stay with you for the rest of your long lives you were going to have together.
Eyes filled with tears for the first time in front of him, you begged him to be careful and to return home in one piece, reassuring him that you needed him, maybe even more than he needed you.
Five was tortured by the look on your face and watery eyes, never wanting to see you of all people upset or sad because it was incredibly rare that you were anything other than your cheerful energetic self.
Nodding he tipped your chin up to meet his gaze, this time pressing his lips to yours, as you parted he whispered I promise against the corner of your mouth, squeezing you tightly before backing up giving you a small smile before he disappeared in a burst of bright light nearly blinding you.
Alone you simply didn’t know what to do with yourself anymore without Five there to talk to, to provide comfort, or just to hold you safely as you slept through the night.
Each day praying it would be the day you had been waiting for, but each night feeling more lost and disappointed, understanding there was an important job that needed to be done, but you were beginning to lose yourself without him wondering how it got to be this way.
[As you can tell I did this one a little differently as I wanted to imagine how it would go in both scenarios, and I think Five would be more kind towards someone willing to do what he says rather than someone who doesn't give a fuck what he says. Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy it! (Also wrote this at 3 AM sorry for any mistakes!) Thank you for the idea! <3]
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formenis · 3 years
Note
Can you do a oneshot of L Lawliet where he is in a secret relationship with Light's twin sister and she finds out she is pregnant so she shows up at Task Force to tell L and just announces it to the whole task force but its L who announces he is the father.
OML I'm so sorry for the delay, Anon-san 😭😭
Lately I'm feeling so overwhelmed and in the dumps that I lost any sort of inspiration. I hope you like it thou.
.
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TITLE: NEWS
pairing: L x Yagami!fem!pregnant!reader
warning: none.
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«See you later mom»
«Be careful dear. You too Light»
«Yeah bye mom»
And the door was softly closed after that answer. The two Yagami twins, Y/N and Light, always left home earlier than their sister Sayu. Light had to take the train for the Daikoku Private Academy while Y/N was a last year high school student at the Gamou Prep Academy, where her twin brother attended supplemental classes in the afternoon. Actually, it was what her family knew. The reality was a lot different.
Despite the two twins had the same age, the same skills and the same perfect school report, Y/N had that extra oomph that Light hadn't. It was thanks to this oomph that ensured her a special, secret job. She was noticed by no less than the greatest detective in the world, L.
Y/N Yagami had everything L needed: intellect, slyness, excellent rhetoric. At first, they had a simple working relationship made of mutual respect and esteem. But as time passed those feelings changed.
Initially Y/N felt strange: L was this mysterious detective with an extraordinary mind and skills, she never saw him in person. She had the impression that what she felt for him was wrong: what if L didn't exist? Y/N was so curious about him that one of their online meetings, she couldn’t wait to ask him thatquestion.
«L, can I ask you something?»
« 𝚈𝚎𝚜»
«Why did you decide not to show yourself? Can you describe yourself to me, please?»
A long pause followed her question. Y/N didn’t know what to say (or to do). She had the feeling she crossed the threshold.
«𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝙻 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚢. 𝙸𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝙻 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛»
Such an arrogant person. Y/N expected an answer like that. So she gave up with her wish to see her crush' face.
Sometime later, however, the Yagami girl met someone. A pale, tall young man with a simple white shirt and faded jeans; his hair was moved by the wind and they seemed messy yet rather silky. He was standing there, at the top of the Tokyo Train Station's stairs, staring intensely at her, few steps higher than the girl. This man was blocking the way and Y/N was in a rush.
«Excuse me, I have to-»
«You're Y/N Yagami?» he immediately interrupted her and in the meantime he hid his hands in the pockets of that faded jeans.
«Who wants to know it?» Y/N replied defensive. Unlike Light, Y/N had good skills in many martial arts and she was ready to kick his ass, just in case.
«Me»
Y/N hadn’t the idea that in front of her there was L himself. He introduced himself as Ryuzaki but, for some reason, she couldn’t believe him. For her, it was like he had a good answer for everything as if he planned every single (and possible) question from the Yagami girl. That reminded her of…L. Everything about him reminded her of the detective.
Day after day this Ryuzaki started to appear more and more often in her life: at the train station, on her way home or after school. He told her he was studying for the entrance exam at the To-Oh University, that was why the two of them were seeing each other that often.
«I see, what do you want to study?»
«Criminology»
Y/N and Ryuzaki created a strange bond between them. The Yagami twin felt so at ease with him despite his particular (and rather unique) behaviour: she didn’t mind about the large amount of sugar he ate or the sitting position he took. He was so smart and brilliant…once again she thought about L.
It seemed like that Ryuzaki appreciated Y/N's presence too. He loved listening to her or analyse every single feature of her figure. She would find him staring at her such intensity that she would look away.
Y/N, however, had so much in her mind. She was so convinced that Ryuzaki and L were the same person that she felt so anxious around him. She had to know the truth.
«Ryuzaki, can you tell me something?»
«What is it, Y/N-san?»
«Are you L?»
The two of them were waiting for the train and Ryuzaki was standing (or "slouching" actually) right beside her. His dark hair covered the face and Y/N couldn’t tell what he was feeling or thinking. She was afraid that she crossed the threshold.
Ryuzaki smirked and sighed through the nose as if he laughed silently. Then he turned to look at her. «Yes»
He kept staring at her while Y/N got pale and returned the stare with wide E/C eyes. So she was right…he was L. The real L. She couldn’t believe that this man…with faded jeans and a simple white shirt…was L. The same L she started to love.
That was how their story began.
───────◇───────
Now Light was going to finish his last year of school together with his twin sister Y/N but something else what happening outside the Yagami household: Kira.
This person took the role of judge, jury and executioner of the criminal world not only in Japan. Kira was such a disgusting, immoral human being, Y/N hated him. Nobody had the right to play with other's life regardless of their police record. Light, however, didn't agree with his sister.
«I don't understand your point, N/N. The world would be a better place without criminals, you have to realise that»
«Of course it would be a better place without them, Light. But it's not the right method!»
«And what would be "the right method"?» Light asked her making air quotes with his fingers.
«Uhh…I don't know maybe putting them before a judge?» Y/N simply replied. «Kira is not the solution, Light»
Her brother was so different lately. Since this Kira appeared Light started to act strange, Y/N was the first to notice it. Not even her mother, father and Sayu perceived it.
Y/N was feeling strange too actually. After Ryuzaki's "confession" about his identity the two of them admitted their respective feelings. Y/N was so happy that Ryuzaki felt the same as her, she was so happy. Sachiko noticed it and asked her if her happiness was due to a boy but Y/N didn’t give her a proper answer.
Ryuzaki was investigating about Kira and he booked a suite at the Imperial Hotel and Y/N would pay him a visit from time to time. They talked, played, ate and even made love in that room. And it was since one of those times that Y/N started to feel weird.
«Let's not talk about it, alright Light?»
«Fine» her twin shrugged and kept walking home together. After a while they crossed a konbini, a Japanese convenience store.
«Wait Light, I have to buy something»
«Alright, I'll wait you here»
And Y/N ran inside the shop while Light started to read a book outside. She had to buy few things: a new set of pencils, chips and…a pregnancy test. Yes, a pregnancy test.
She had all the symptoms: swollen breasts, nausea, fatigue. And the fact that she missed the last period was a sort of final proof. But she wanted to be sure.
Once she payed everything Y/N left the shop and kept walking home with Light. He was looking suspiciously at her but he said nothing.
.
> TIME SKIP <
«Positive…it's positive» Y/N repeated in a whisper while looking at her pregnancy test. Her E/C eyes were still glued to the test when she heard someone knocking at the door.
«Y/N! I need the bathroom!»
«Me too!»
Light and Sayu were staying right outside the door, Y/N hoped they didn’t hear what she said before. She hid the test in the pockets of her jeans and left the bathroom.
«Sorry» and she ran downstairs. Light, once again, looked at her with clear suspicious and raised an eyebrow. Sayu took advantage of this moment to lock herself in the bathroom.
«Sayu! I have to go with dad, leave the bathroom!»
In the meantime, Y/N already left the house and was literally running towards the Imperial Hotel, where Ryuzaki had his room (and where the Task-force met L for the first time). He had to know it.
About ten minutes later Y/N arrived at the hotel and quickly went to Ryuzaki's suite. She was bouncing off the walls for the excitement.
«Ryuzaki!» she spread the door open and ran inside. She quickly reached him and made him turn towards her.
«What is it Y/N-chan?» he asked calmly.
«I have to tell you something!»
«And what would it be?»
«I'm pregnant!» she said smiling. It, however, faded quickly when she saw Ryuzaki's lack of reaction to that news. Was he…disappointe-
«What?! Are you serious Miss Y/N?» the young voice of Matsuda echoed in the room making Y/N distract from the man in front of her.
The Yagami girl noticed that her father's entire Task-Force was working in the same room as L and she didn’t notice them when she entered the suite. Excitement was replaced by fear.
«Uhm…well…»
«Congratulations!» Matsuda got up and walked closer to her with a kind smile on his young face. That smile cheered her up a little.
«Thank you Matsuda-san»
The rest of the Task-force congratulated to her too, they were all so happy about that news. The only one who didn’t say anything was L, the father.
Aizawa started to give Y/N some "parental" advices when L's suite room opened again revealing Soichiro and Light at the doorstep. Y/N didn’t notice it immediately and she couldn’t stop Matsuda from rushing towards his boss to give him that important announcement.
«Boss, did you know it?»
«What is it Matsuda?»
«Miss Y/N is pregnant!»
Silence.
Silence of a grave, to be precise.
Nobody dared to speak, to move, to breathe. It seemed only Matsuda wasn’t feeling that heavy atmosphere.
At those words Soichiro walked towards his daughter and placed his strong hands on her shoulders.
«Y/N, is it true?»
She gulped and swallowed hard. «Yes dad, Matsuda-san is right» her voice showed no fear, no embarrassment, no shame. Even if her family didn’t agree, she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
«Who is the father? Someone assaulted you?» he immediately asked sounding rather worried and serious. Y/N was going to answer when she heard some sort of mumbling from behind, where L was sitting.
«Did you say something, Ryuzaki?» asked Soichiro.
«I said, Yagami-san…» he took an ice-cream sandwich and divided it in two. «I am the proud father» he turned towards the policeman and licked the vanilla cream without looking away from the man.
Soichiro couldn’t see her but Y/N was smiling widely at Ryuzaki who smiled back for a mere second before
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kpoppwriter · 3 years
Text
Soulmate!ATEEZ Headcanons - Meeting their Soulmate
 ❧ Anon asked: Heyy! I was wondering if you would like to write an Ateez soulmate!au headcanon? like what type of soulmate bond would they have (tatoos, colourblind untill they meet their soulmate, feeling pain when soulmate feels pain...) and how they will meet their soulmate very briefly. I hope is okay for you and i explained it well. Love the blog💞
❧ Anon asked: Hii can i request a fluff non idol soulmate au scenario of yunho? This is specific but can u include it where both of u are able to sense and feel each other's emotions and feelings? I love ur writing. Thank you 🥺🥺💕💕🥰🥰
❧ A/N: so I looked up a bunch of different soulmate aus so no one would have the same one and oml there are a lot of soulmate aus. Some of these are non idol!au as well this took me so fucking long to write omg each one is like the size of a drabble
~※ Main Masterlist ※~
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Hongjoong - You can hear whatever song your soulmate is listening to
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That familiar sound of singing echoed in your head. You were practically hypnotized by it. You were so entranced that you didn’t realize you had been zoning out while standing in front of the recording studio. You shook your head and headed into the studio. The group you were going to work with for the day stood up and greeted you. You noticed they were practicing for the recording. One of the boys got up and went into the booth to record. You put on your headphones, as did he. You started recording then started the track. Your mouth went slightly agape when you heard that familiar voice but this time in the headphones. You pulled yourself out of your thoughts when you heard the man asking for your opinion on how the recording sounded.
“I think...here, try it like this.”
You sang the last part, the part he had just recorded, changing a few of the notes to fit the track better. Now the man in the booth was the one with his mouth open. He blinked a couple times before looking back at the lyrics in front of him. He’d definitely have to say something when the two of you had a moment. 
Seonghwa -  The outline of your shadow is your soulmate
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You stood with your back against the sun, your shadow hitting the pavement in front of you. You stared at the shadow trying to engrave the outline into your memory. You were so curious about the shadow that you saw whenever the sun was bright- What were they like? Did you know them already? What did they look like? Who were they? 
While you were lost in thought, your friend Seonghwa walked up beside you. He called out your name bringing you back to reality. You looked over at him, sending him a smile. You looked down at his shadow. The shape felt familiar to you. Too familiar... 
Yunho - Feel each other's emotions
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You sighed as you leaned back in your desk chair. You were far too stressed out from your homework. You really just wanted to stop worrying about your homework but you had to get it done for class the next day. You ran a hand through your hair, deciding maybe you should take a bit of a break. You made your way to the kitchen to grab a snack and some water. When you returned to your desk, you heard your phone ringing. 
“Hey Yunho,” you said answering the phone
“Hey Y/N. You feeling okay?”
“I’m just a little stressed out right now. How’d you know?”
“I guess I just have a sixth sense,” he chuckled, “You wanna hear what Mingi did today?”
You let him tell you the funny story of his adventures with Mingi, making you feel a lot better. He was always right there the moment you started feeling bad, even if you didn’t tell him. Maybe he did have a sixth sense...
Yeosang - A red string tied around your pinky is connected to your soulmate’s pinky
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You’ve never seen your red string. You knew it was there, everyone had one, but you were never close enough to your soulmate to actually see it. That is, you didn’t see it until you moved to Seoul. 
You were out at a local coffee shop just relaxing on your day off. You sipped on your drink, a book in your other hand. You looked up briefly when a small group of boys dressed in athletic wear wandered into the coffee shop. They were chatting among themselves as they got in line to order their drinks. You didn’t think much of them until you went to take another sip of your coffee. Out of the corner of your eye you saw a bright red string tied in a bow around your pinky. You followed the string with your eyes until you were met with one of the boys. He noticed you staring between him and your pinky, his eyes glancing down at his own pinky. He quickly muttered something to his friends before coming over to you.
“Hi, I’m Yeosang.” 
San - Timer for when they’ll first meet
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“You have to stop obsessing over your timer,” Wooyoung peaked over at San’s wrist
“It’s almost hit 0 though! I’m going to meet them any minute!” 
San and Wooyoung continued to walk through the halls of the KQ building towards the practice rooms. They didn’t notice you also walking down the hall. You were looking down at your phone when you bumped into something- or rather, someone. You apologized profusely, a dark pink blush appearing on your cheeks. The blush was mostly from the embarrassment of running into someone but also because the person you ran into was rather attractive. You quickly scurried away down the hall. San and Wooyoung just looked at each other in confusion and surprise. Wooyoung’s eyes glanced down at San’s wrist. 
“Hey, look!” 
He pointed at the counter on San’s wrist. There was a large zero where the numbers counting down used to be. San looked up at Wooyoung then back down the hall where you went. 
“Wait, were they...?”
Mingi - Write something on your own skin, appears on the other’s skin as well
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You were too young to know. The two of you just thought you both had magic powers or something. No one told you about how soulmates could draw and write on each other. You wish someone had. 
You rushed into your kindergarten class and sat down at your table. You pulled out a piece of paper and your crayons. You started drawing, your eyes constantly glancing up at the door to the classroom. 
“Y/N!” 
In came your best friend Mingi, a large smile on his face. He sat down beside you and looked over at your paper.
“That’s a pretty rainbow,” he smiled
“Thank you,” you giggled, “You wanna draw too?”
You dug around for another piece of paper but you didn’t notice Mingi had already pulled out a pen and began drawing on his arms. You giggled when you started seeing the flowers and stars appearing on your own arms. You took out your own pen and doodled on the free skin on your arms. The two of you happily laughed and doodled together completely oblivious that you were sitting beside your soulmate.  
Wooyoung - Get the same injuries as your soulmate does
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“My soulmate needs to chill out. This is the third bruise this week,” you groaned while putting some ice on your leg
You left the nurse’s office and headed towards the entrance of your school. Just as you were about to leave, your friend sent you a text. You mentally slapped yourself. You had promised your friend that you’d come with them to the school’s dance club meeting. You really wanted to reschedule due to your bruised leg but knew they’d scold the hell out of you for rescheduling on them for the third time. You sent a text saying you’d be there in a second before limping down the hall towards the music room. 
You arrived at the music room a few minutes later, your friend standing outside the door looking impatient. 
“There you are!” they looked down at your leg, “Did you get hurt?”
“I didn’t,” you huffed, “My soulmate did.”
“Ah, well at least Wooyoung won’t be alone then.”
“What?”
“He hurt himself and can’t really participate today so the two of you can hang out.”
The two of you walked into the room, the other members of the club greeting you. Your friend introduced you to Wooyoung before going off with the other club members. You tried to strike up a conversation with him, asking him about his injury.
“I bruised my leg trying out a new dance move,” he said pulling up his pant leg to show you the purple bruise that looked similar to yours, “What about you?”
You said nothing, only showing him your own bruise. He looked between your leg and his, his eyes going wide in surprise. His eyes wordlessly said what you were both thinking.
Jongho - Each other’s initials on their wrist
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“Just come with us, Y/N!” Wooyoung whined, “It’ll be a lot of fun!”
“Will you shut up if I say yes?” you looked over at the boy
You rolled your eyes playfully when Wooyoung promised to leave you alone if you came out with the members of Ateez to karaoke. You hadn’t met all the boys yet so you were a bit apprehensive at first but after Wooyoung’s relentless pestering, you finally broke down and agreed. 
You and Wooyoung walked into the karaoke room, the loud sounds of singing and yelling coming from the room. Everyone, well almost everyone, were on their feet singing along with the song being played through the speakers. Wooyoung quickly joined in on the fun but you decided to sit with one of the boys- one you didn’t know. You introduced yourself, leaning in close to hear him tell you his name- Jongho. You talked for a bit before the boys were pulling Jongho up and shoving a microphone in his hands.You peeked at the initials on Jongho’s wrist. Your eyes went wide when you saw your initials on his skin. Was it just a coincidence or...
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barzzal · 3 years
Text
between halls and thin walls → part four
summary: friends who fool around almost never works. almost.
↳ pairing: mathew barzal x you
↳ warnings: idiots, that’s all <3
↳ genre: fluff, angst, smut, roommates au, best friend’s best friend, friends with benefits, 18+
↳ length: series; part one, part two, part three, part four (6.7k), part five, part six
↳ masterlist: the barn
↳ track: my favorite part by mac miller, addicted by jorja smith, someone to spend time with by los retros
note: finally got myself to update this fic oml zzz quick psa tho, this will now be a six-part series! hope that’s okay and yenno as always, would love to hear what you think about this (validate me in the tags pls im lonely) happy reading babes! <3
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“Yo, grandma. Haven’t you had too much tea to drink?” his voice echoes in the room as soon as he walks into it. You carefully set the cup down on the dining table and looked at him exasperatedly. 
“Haven’t you had too much care to give?” you snark back, earning yourself a disappointed look from him. 
“Really, y/n? That’s the best you’ve got?” he shakes his head at your appalling retort.  What a shame.
You were good at pissing him off to be fair. You just weren’t in the mood to throw teases back and forth especially now that you’re feeling particularly vulnerable.
The week has been far too dreadful for you and you know that you’re willing to grovel your way into the weekend to finally have the time to slack off, not worry about taking a bath, and just go crazy with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
However, just like always, Mathew seems to never run out of ways to get on your nerves. 
He carelessly puts his stuff on the table, causing a fairly loud thud on the surface. 
You let out a deep breath, massaging your temple. 
“Somebody’s cranky.” he grins. Not necessarily the kind you’d want to see from him. 
You try to ignore him for a few minutes but you can’t help noticing how his build easily took over much of the space you’ve already been occupying. You irkingly look up at him, closing the book you were reading. You meet Mat’s eyes who just innocently looked back into yours. Waiting. Possibly plotting on yet another sophisticated way to toy with you.
“You’re a child.” you roll your eyes and return to your reading. He says nothing and instead rests his chin atop his enclasped hands, continuing to bother you with his ridiculously beguiling eyes. He presses his lips together before sighing dramatically. 
“What?” you snap, finally shutting your book down as you look at him. 
“I wanna go out.” he looks up at you in an effort to make his huge physique smaller than it really was. 
“Then go out. You’re a big boy.” you breathe. 
“You just said that I’m a child.” he coos, mimicking a five-year-old’s voice. 
“Stop that.” you glare at him. Mat props himself back and laughs, “Come on. I’m bored.” 
You open your book again just as you reply in a tone that Mat’s getting used to hearing. “Boredom doesn’t give you the right to pester me, Barzal.” 
And as an exchange, he speaks in the same tone rather mockingly, “And so is that attitude, Y/L/N.” 
“Come on, y/n. Let’s go out.” he now pleads, looking up at you with what seems to be his worst impression of a ‘puppy eye’.
“Fine.” you finally concede and you see Mat’s beaming smile instantly. 
“Where’d you want to go?” you ask as you take your reading glasses off.
“Dunno.” He shrugs, obviously teasing. 
On the edge of being irritated, you say, “Are you kidding me?”
“Grandma.” he mumbles before saying, “Do you have anything you want to do? And please don’t say book hunt.”
You suppress a smile and maintain your composure. “I’m craving for pancakes right now but I also wanna drink. Go to a bar or something.”
He nods in agreement. Already stitching his game plan.
“We can do both.”  he bobs his all too fine brows.
He didn’t have a hard time getting you on board with his spontaneity. You actually haven’t gone out in a while and the thought of a possible night out doesn’t seem to be so bad of an idea.
You’ve been with Mat to parties and while the two of you don’t mingle as much as the other guys did, he does know his way around the club. The dance floor, however, he tries. He really does.
For about an hour Mathew waited patiently in the living room as he scrolled endlessly on instagram liking a few photos and laughing at posts the fans tag him occasionally. His eyes were peeled away from the screen when he heard the door to your room click. His irises trail onto your body even if he didn’t plan to originally. 
Mathew, albeit dressed simply in his black turtleneck sweater and a beige overcoat exudes just about the right ‘swag’ (as per how he puts it) to stop you in your stupor. Although what you didn’t know was how you weren’t any different in his eyes. You were dressed quite nicely in a black lace bodysuit with a pair of blackpants accentuated by the black boots you usually wear on a night out. Your coat was slung on your forearm whilst you held your clutch purse in your hand so you could close the door with the other. 
“What?” you blink just as you look down to eye yourself. Feeling a tad self-conscious under his gaze.
Mat immediately breaks it off. He clears his throat, pretending to wipe off the non-existent dust on the accent table. 
“What?” he mirrors with an arched brow.
You shrug off his demeanor, snatching your keys from the accent table before putting it in your purse. 
“Have you called a lyft already?” he nods, absentmindedly scratching his temple. 
“You ready? You look— decent.” He says, trying to act casual and distant when he gives you the compliment.
Not noticing the unfamiliar look his eyes had, you return the compliment and say,  “And so do you. Good job for not looking like you came straight out of an H&M catalogue.” you wink at him with a grin. A thing which was then reciprocated by a deadpan look on his end. 
Before he could even come up with yet another clever way to come at you, you start walking towards the door, looking at him once as you motion the way by curling your finger.
“Haul ass, buddy.”
𖥸
10:15 PM 
Mat decided to bring you to the usual place he goes to when he wants to be alone and just enjoy a couple of beers while he chats with River, the bartender he eventually befriends after years spent drinking in solitude. 
The bar had a rustic feel filled with wine barrels in the corner of the room. The seats were leather (mind you, it wasn’t the kind that gets easily worn out through time) and everything looked new to you regardless of all the vintage stuff displayed articulately on the brick wall. A turntable was set on the table stacked with vinyl records, most of which were from the 70s to 80s underneath.
It was obvious that it wasn’t the kind people would know about. Aside from it being located at such a secluded street leading to the suburbs, it wasn’t the type of bar kids would want to hang out in. It only had a few customers and most of them wore suits and came with company. No one really gave a hoot when you walked in with Mathew, aka, the face of the New York Islanders. Which is basically the reason why Mat kept coming back to the place. He felt comfortable and at peace. Almost in retrospect to being at home hanging with his father. 
“I can’t believe this place exists.” you say, mouthing your thanks to River as he hands you both of your drinks. The man that’s definitely aged like fine wine smiles, nodding his head over to Mat who was doing the same before he headed back to mix another set of drinks. 
“Me neither.” he grins, reminiscing about the time he’s found the small pub by accident. 
“This place looks expensive though.” you whisper, making Mathew laugh. 
“Well, it kinda is.” he sheepishly chuckles. “River’s filthy rich.”
“Is he really?” your mouth falls and you look back over the build of the old man. The way his salt and pepper hair was neatly slicked back makes quite a compelling case for what Mat had just said. 
Mat eventually explains who he was. Apparently, he was just another bored fancy man who happened to love making people drop dead and drunk with his over the top mixes. His dark deep set brown eyes are quite of a crowd favourite too. Case in point, the group of ladies seated from across you and Mathew.
“Hey.” you absentmindedly call on Mat who had just sipped on his drink. “I know what we should do.”
“All right.” he puts the glass down, “Lay it on me.”
“Let’s fix you up with one of the girls over there.” you suggest, leaning towards his body so you could get a better view upfront. Mat does not move and instead follows your finger subtly pointing at the other end of the room.
“What’s with the sudden fixation of getting me bagged tonight, huh?” he smirks, shaking his head at the idea of having to go home with some random girl. You give him a side eye as you move away from him. 
“Fixation is an overstatement. We’ll be here long enough for us to get sick of each other.” you explicitly told him. 
Mat eyes you intently. Searching if there was even the slightest doubt in your eyes. 
Long enough to get sick of each other. 
He clears his throat instead and looks across the room. “Which one?”
A gleeful cheer erupts from you just before you look over the girls in question. “What’s your type?” you ask him, not sparing a glance.
Mat looks down on you underneath the bar lights accentuating your features. Your eyes had a certain glint in them that Mat still can’t get a grasp on. Something that was just enough to spark something inside him. He didn’t want to overthink it nonetheless. It must have been just the lights. 
Once Mat sensed that you were about to look at him he immediately turned his gaze forward, squinting his eyes a little pretending to check out the women you’ve been eyeing for the last minute. 
“I don’t really have a type.” he shrugs, casually taking the fragile glass to his mouth. 
You dismiss what he said at once, “Do I look like a child to you? Just answer it.”
Mat shakes his head, “I told you. I don’t have one. If we vibe then we vibe. Simple as that.” 
You did not believe him but you decide to drop it off. Instead, you look back and return to your new found mission. Across the bar, seated were three girls busy talking to each other. 
“Got it.” you tell Mat, nodding your head towards the clueless girl sitting right across from where Mathew was. “The one in the center.” you add. “The one wearing a white bodycon.”
“She’s pretty.” he nods, validating your taste as his potential wingman. “Nice smile.”
Your hand met a firm slap on the table as you went on cheering for him. “Well? Go then!” you give him a nudge, taking it back quickly when you feel a slight hesitation on his part, “Don’t tell me you need me to introduce you?”
He takes the remainder of his glass and shaked off the kick it had in his throat. “You just sit and watch, babe.”
You do as you’re told and lean towards the bar, your elbow carrying all your weight whilst you sip on your half-full martini. 
Mathew’s stance and the way he carries himself immediately caused the girls to notice him coming. Of course, you weren’t really surprised. You watch him approach her,– reading along the words leaving his mouth. There was an exchange of proper ‘hello’s’ as Mat introduced himself to the girls. He reaches out his hand and the curly noirette in the center gives him a firm shake. 
Mat’s eyes momentarily locked with yours just as you see their hands linger in the air— tangled long enough for him to make a quick segway. He winks your way as he sees you grin from your seat, shaking your head just after you felt the need to take a deep breath. A thing you assumed to be because of the drink. So, while Mat leads the girl to one of the empty booths and sits across from her, you call on River and ask for another drink. 
Mathew must have lost track of time by the second drink he shared with Zoe. He learns that she’s from upstate and was just on the island to visit her friends. She’s still working on her major at NYU; coincidentally in the same field as Lianna so that was one of the things they’ve talked about first hand. She wasn’t really into sports so Mat steered clear of his job because he didn’t want to bore her. 
“So…” Zoe smiles and tucks her hair behind her ear. “What’s the deal with you and the girl you’re with?” 
By the time she asked about you, only then did Mat remember who he was originally with. 
“Oh! She’s—” he looks over to where you’re seated only to find you laughing— no giggling with a man that was obviously a few years older than you. He’s wearing a neat black suit and a button down shirt with a couple of its first buttons opened. Zoe sees him frown, evidently losing his train of thought. 
She calls him with her sweet voice, “Mat?” 
“Yeah?” he absentmindedly answers, not wanting to take his eyes off of your hand that was now gently pushing the man’s arm whilst the two of you continue to burst into laughter. 
“Are you okay?” she asks.
What’s so funny? 
Finally, Mat hears Zoe’s distant voice that eventually took him back to his seat.
“Oh. Y-Yeah.” he apologetically smiles. “Sorry. What were you saying again?” 
She hesitates to ask about you after taking a quick glance your way upon seeing the way Mathew looked at you. Nevertheless, she decides to go for it.
“Aren’t you two together? I don’t want to come off strong here or anything. It’s just that I don’t want to get in between something if there ever is.” 
Mat looks at you one more time and as if you’ve felt his eyes all along you turn your way and meet his gaze. You shoot him a quiet smile, eyeing the guy sitting beside you, mouthing what he assumes to be an exaggerated “So hot!” on your end. He reciprocates your smile and gives you an approving nod.
Once you looked away, that’s the only time Mat finally answered the woman waiting patiently for his attention. 
“What?” Mat shakes his head wildly, blowing out air off his lips defensively. “No no no. We’re just friends. She’s my roommate actually.” he shrugs you off his mind and instead tries to put his entire focus on her. 
The remaining hours were spent with you and Mat getting along with your respective potential hook-ups. Not that it wasn’t the endgame either of you were hoping for at the back of your minds. 
He’s got to admit that Zoe was the kind of girl he’d be interested in. Another fact he’s kept a mental tab not to mention to you because he knows you’ll just get cocky. 
She was sweet and obviously eloquent. He knows she’s way smarter than he’ll ever be. But out of all those qualities, she was just as passionate at her craft as someone he likes to think he knows well enough. And that alone made a small smile creep on his lips. 
Nonetheless, despite all the aforementioned, Mathew found himself a bit more reserved than he usually is whenever he gets to meet and talk to his potential ‘lady friends’ as how you’ve put it countless times. He just wasn’t his exact self.  And he was beginning to question it. 
There were no fancy hockey plays thrown subtly into the conversation. Neither mentions of golfing nor over the top league events.  No butchered french pet names swiftly tucked in his sentences. And no endless questions that would eventually lead to something along the lines of ‘Do you want to get out of here?’
Well, not until Zoe’s friends got up their seats and she told him herself. 
“Hey. The girls and I are meeting up with some friends in Brooklyn. D’ya wanna come?” 
Mat’s eyes trail down to her hand now gently caressing his. He raises both his brows thinking of a possible ‘out’ because he wasn’t sure if it was a smart thing to leave you alone with a stranger. 
He hums, “Sure.” 
Zoe shows him a delighted smile before eventually sliding out of the booth to walk towards the bar she and her friends were formally seated. 
“I gotta use the restroom first. Please excuse me.” she gives him a nod before going back to chatting with her friends. 
You, on the other hand, see Mat leave the table aiming for an archway you presume to be where the loo was. 
“Hey,” you call the man whose name you’ve already forgotten. Your pause was long enough for him to acknowledge the chances that you actually did forget who he was. Obviously.
“Chris.” The man in his early 30s answers with a submitting grin. 
You shyly laugh, squeezing his forearm as you try to apologize for forgetting. 
“Would you mind if I use the restroom?” you politely ask. 
“No, not at all.” he replies and immediately stands to help you get on your feet. Gentleman. 
Once you are in front of the men’s room, you anxiously wait for your wingman. You hug your purse close to your chest. Not a whole minute after, the door finally opens and you meet Mat’s irises with quite a gleeful look. 
A look he wasn’t a fan of for he knew what’s about to come next. 
“Are you taking off?” you eagerly ask, almost hopping on your feet. 
Mat eyes you from head to toe, looking for signs that would stink from a drunk y/n. When he sees none, that’s when he decides to say that he was. 
“Mkay good. I’ll be on my way too. Chris is taking me to New Jersey.” you tell him, briefly looking through the archway to see if there were people listening.
Once you know you’re clear, you lean towards Mat, your lips dangerously close to the sensitive skin of his ear. Mat feels your heated breath sending a familiar tingle up his spine. “I’ll get to ride a yacht tonight.” you bite your lower lip and giddily smile as if you were a cheeky 16 year-old usually depicted in a coming of age movie. 
“Who’s Chris?” Mat, in spite of taking rounds observing you all night, finds the need to ask. “And why are you coming with him to NJ?” he further questions. 
“Uh– okay, dad.” you step back for a second. You let out a scoff, checking if he was being serious about it. “I thought we’re supposed to go get laid tonight? Weren’t you about to take off with that girl yourself?” 
Mat averts your gaze and starts to scratch the corner of his brow. “Well yeah. It’s just that— he looks sketchy.” he pauses, “plus… isn’t he a little too old for you?” 
You roll your eyes as you’ve already expected to hear the words from him. 
“He’s 31. He’s not that old.” you say rather defensively so you turn the ball back on his court. “And what if he was?  Didn’t you ask one of the moms out??”
Mat’s eyes widens and you try to bite back a laugh. He whispers with a biting tone, trying to save himself. “She didn’t look like one! I’m gonna kill Beau I swear to god.”
“Come on Barz. Don’t be such a killjoy. Text me if you need anything, okay? Wrap things up while you’re at it.” you say at once. Mat doesn’t get the chance to talk you out of such a stupid idea because before he even could, you’ve already planted a kiss on his cheek and started walking away. 
Mat waited for the sound of the heavy doors of the bar, signaling that you and your friend have gone, before stepping back to where Zoe was. She waves him near the coat closet. 
“Hi.” Mat greets her friends before eventually turning his attention on the unsuspecting lass. She meets her with a smile (just like what she’s been doing all night). The same smile, however, drops the second Mat opens his mouth. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” 
Zoe nods and willfully abides, letting Mat take her gently by the arm. 
“What’s up?” she innocently asks. 
“Something came up.” he says a little too fast than what he’d originally intended. He was going to let her down either way might as well get it over with and rip up the asshole band-aid. 
“Oh.” she says in a tone Mat knew that she completely understood. 
“No worries.” she looks at him with a knowing look in her eyes. “I’ll see you around then.” 
He gives her a kind smile and nods. “Take care.” 
Mathew walks towards the bar, catching River’s teasing grin whilst he cleans up after the bottles left on the center of the counter. 
“What?” Mat reacts defensively, taking a seat in front of the lone bartender. River faintly shakes his head to leave just enough curiosity in Mathew’s mind. 
“You’re such a tool, old man.” the kid says aiming for the cold beer River has put away for himself. River did not mind because he’s grown fond of the star player for the past years he’s spent going on late night drinks at his bar. Years that even justifies a proper amount of time for him to know the in’s and out’s of one Mathew Barzal. 
“I haven’t said a thing.” he shrugs amidst the already wide grin on his face. 
There’s wisdom in his eyes that Mathew has always admired. He wasn’t the guy who’d want to talk about what’s going on inside his head but with how River’s pub seems to be just the right place, he eventually concedes and takes a shot to pick on the old man’s brain.
“Come on, spill it out. I know you’re going to anyway.” Mat gives in, running his thumb on the moist label of the bottle. 
River wipes his hands before resting it atop the counter. “Well, it’s just that– I ain’t used to seeing you turn down ladies like that too often. And you’re definitely not one to stick around watching me clean up.”
Mat stays silent for a moment, as if to gather the exact reason as to why he chose to stay. He still has a long way to go before figuring that one out. He wasn’t exactly as sharp as he was on the ice.
“I don’t know, man.” he chuckles tirelessly, “I guess I wasn’t in the mood. That’s all.”
“You?” River shots a brow and dismisses him, shaking his head. When Mat doesn’t answer, he carefully picks on his choice of words and lays it down carefully for him. After all, Mathew should have known that River was old enough to not know what’s going on.
“Though I gotta be honest with you, hijo. Never imagined you’d bring someone here.” he starts. 
What must have been a shot in the dark for the old man was just enough to tear Mathew’s eyes away from staring at the water beads on the bottle.
“What?”
“The girl, Barz.” he says, banging on the head of the bottle to knock the cap off. “She a friend?” 
“What? Y/N?” Mat quirks his brows trailing off where River was exactly headed, “What about her?— Oh, her? Yeah, no. She’s just a friend.”
“She pretty.” he speaks in a sound accent, not wanting to let Mat know he’s growing to like catching the young lad off guard. Mathew nods casually despite the continuous blabbering. “She’s y/n. But yeah— I guess, she is pretty.” 
“Then what are you doing being just friends with a pretty girl?” River inquires, taking a sip of his beer. When he sees him trying to register what he’d just said he then adds, “Why not be with her? Date her?”
“Psh. What? Date y/n? That’s crazy.” Mat shakes his head furiously, “You’re crazy.” 
“What’s so crazy about that?” River takes offense, laughing at the child’s naivete. 
“I can’t date her. I mean— I won’t date her.” he takes the bottle to his mouth, taking a large gulp before continuing, “We’re in this weird relationship thing. A setup, actually, and it’s— it’s crazier than dating her. I swear, you of all people won’t get it.” 
“What makes you think I can’t?” he smirks, “I’ve had my fair share of crazy.” River points out despite the hesitation in Mat’s eyes. “I got all night, kid.” he adds, letting him have the floor to himself. 
“You really want in on this?” he second guesses, not wanting to bore the man with his personal life.
River leans against the brass counter just below the lit rack of vintage scotch displayed on the bar. He then gestures him to give a piece of his mind and Mat finally submits to his offer.
“We’ve been in a few… prior engagements,” he starts trying to find the appropriate word. “Well, sort of.”
River hums, not necessarily getting on the same page as him so he decides to be upfront about it.
“We’ve… slept together.” he confesses.
“So you used to date her?” the old man asks. 
“No.” he answers, “I told you we’re just friends.” 
With furrowed brows, River takes a minute. And once Mat hears an all too familiar “Oh.” he sees him break a chuckle, shaking his head at the thought of what Mat had just told him. “You kids have way too much fun these days.”
Mathew shrugs, “Hey, I warned you. Told you you wouldn’t get it.”
“Okay, make me understand something here. You two sleep together, fool around, do all that shit.” he says, “and you swear you’re not in a relationship?”
“Nope.” Mat answers with pride, popping out the word with a hard ‘p’.
“Huh.” River clicks his tongue, “How long have you two been… engaged?” 
He rolls his eyes when River uses his word, “About two months.” he answers shortly.
“Is she seeing anyone since you two started this thing? You know, casual dates, the ones I presume she’s been getting before you got her into this mess?” he asks him in a tone that only fathers would ever dare to use.
Mat thinks for a moment, trying to recall the last time he’s seen a guy pick you up for dinner besides the old man you’ve successfully bagged for the night. He firmly shakes his head no and simply says, “At least not in my recollection.”
River willfully nods, walking Mat right into the trap. “Well have you been seeing anyone lately?” he asks again, this time slipping a hint of assertion. He hears a crystal clear ‘no’ from the forward and that’s when he broke a goading grin. 
“And you’re telling me you two aren’t together?” he asks yet again, getting on Mat's nerves as he continues to flood him with biting queries, building up the final point he was about to break on Mathew.
“Rivs, for the hundredth time, no. We are not.” he clarifies. 
Mat watches River pour himself a glass of scotch, still wearing a smug grin. “Imma give you a piece of advice, yeah?” he smiles rather teasingly and doesn’t wait for Mat to rebut, “I’m a happily married man so I don’t know a single squat about dating nowadays, but if you’re telling me that you kids aren’t sleeping with anyone else but yourselves? Looks like a damn relationship to me.”
With his brows all quirked in confusion (and denial in the very least), Mathew gathers all his might just so he could refute whatever madness River was trying to inflict on him and screw him up in the head. But before he could even open his mouth, the sound of the heavy doors was all it took to tear up both River’s and Mat’s attention.
“Hi.” you say the moment you were welcomed by unsuspecting men talking by the bar. River acknowledges you by raising his drink, his gaze landing on Mat the moment yours did. 
“Hi.” Mathew mirrors you in an attempt to drown his already racing heart. A smile impending to break loose at any moment but he manages to suppress it. Instead of dealing with his adrenaline, he gestures for you to take a seat beside him. 
“Where’s the sugar daddy?” he laughs the moment you drag yourself from across the room, mocking every word he said. 
“His wife called when I got into his car.” you cringe.
“Oof. Lovely.” Mat makes the distinct expression on his face just before the two of you share a laugh.
“He’s not very smooth with adultery. He needs more practice.” you casually state sarcastically, clicking your tongue. 
As you find the narrative funny, you take a sip on Mathew’s beer. “How are you not drunk? You’ve been drinking way too much the entire night.”
“Well. I’ve got some things to think about—” he cuts himself off upon seeing your mouth ajar, “And no, you’re not allowed to ask because none of it concerns you.” 
“I wasn’t going to.” you dismiss him, excusing yourself to River which he gladly took as his cue to leave.
When he disappeared into the kitchen, you turned your gaze on your friend wearing another one of your mischievous grins, “Hey, wanna get pancakes?” 
“Y/N, it’s almost 3 AM.” Mat sighs, the tiring night starting to creep up to him. 
“So?” you question, swatting his hand away when you catch him checking on his watch. 
“Come on. Stop drinking that.” you insist and take the bottle from his hand before putting it over to the side. 
The two of you said your goodbyes to the lone bartender who was just starting to clean up again. River gives the two of you a nod of acknowledgement before landing a knowing look on Mathew. One that he’s thankful enough not to be discerned by you. 
As you walk alongside Mathew, he unconsciously places a hand on the small of your back— feeling it graze on the fabric of your coat as if to guide you towards the door in an almost romantic type of way. Perhaps, a way someone would behave if they were actually in a relationship. 
Mat notices your body tense but he doesn’t move an inch. Instead, his hand travels to the curve of your waist just as he leads you through the brass doors.
Once you’re out on the streets, he lets go.
𖥸
After almost half an hour of fighting over which diner is better to eat and get sober at, you and Mat decide to just try the new diner three blocks from your apartment. Being that it was an ungodly hour, the diner was good as closed when you got in. There were a few people inside and besides the student studying alone in the corner booth, the people lounging in the vacant seats were mostly just staff. Too bad they had to work the grave shift.
Mathew, who was rather preoccupied digging in his breakfast platter, gets interrupted when you call his attention. 
“So tell me,” you ask as you take a forkful of syrupy pancake into your mouth. Finally satisfying your cravings. You put the food modestly in the insides of your cheeks when you ask him a question, “What are you like on dates?” 
Mat disgustingly looks at you. You easily get what such a look meant and you immediately roll your eyes. You let your hand fall in mid-air amidst still holding a fork in it to prove a point. “I’m not trying to ask you out, dumbass. Don’t be so delusional.”
He puts his silverware down and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Why the sudden interest?” 
“Just curious.” you simply say.
He hums, thinking about how he pulls off a first date. He then clears his throat as he takes you down that road. “First, I’m not bringing her to a 24/7 Diner.” you nearly gag. “She deserves a formal one just in case there won’t be a second date.” he explains. 
You sit there, nodding your head every now and then as he further goes on the details of how he’s like on a date. “Of course, I’d put my best foot forward all the time. Talk about her stuff more than mine and make sure she has a good time.” 
“Have you ever had a bad first date?” you curiously ask. To which he only answers with a stubborn look on his face, the one only Mat Barzal could pull off. “What? me? I don’t do bad first dates.”
“Oh, fuck off.” you flick his forehead as you laugh. The sound of his laughter echoing in your ears, drowning all the existing noise inside the lone diner.
But as the laughter dies down, Mat catches your eyes as soon as it falls on his. And just like that, there it was again, the exact same glint it had back in the bar. This time, illuminated by the pink shaded light lining up the wall accents of the diner. 
When he realizes that he’s been staring for too long, he settles on turning the tables on you. 
“How about you?” he props in his seat, “What are you like on dates?”
“You know, apart from the fact that you’re obviously into old men.” he snickers and you throw a curly fry on his forehead.
“Excuse me, I don’t.” you say sticking up for yourself.
Mat takes the curly fry that has fallen on his plate and proceeds to eat it. “Sure you do.” 
You roll your eyes, finding it hard to suppress the fact that you might actually do. “There’s a reason why women like old men, chico.”
He leans back and answers with a level headed and quite teasing reply, “And why’s that?”
“Because they’re men.” you look at him with a jerky grin as you continue, “And men, especially of River’s kind, definitely knows how to eat his french fry.”
Mat’s mouth falls wide in disbelief, appalled that you’ve actually found a way to pick up a stone and throw it straight to his face just to rub more salt on the fact that you had to teach a 23-year-old grown man how to eat cunt.
 “You’re an ass.” he says, rolling his eyes. You let out a laugh and shake your head. You were proud of yourself, sure; but showing just that is far too much for a boy’s already hurting ego. Who would have known humbling this man was such a task. 
“I’m playing! You know how to now.” you tell him, “Thanks to me, of course.”
He scoffs and takes a bite off his pancakes, “Cocky.”
“But you still haven’t answered my question.” he reminds you whilst he wipes off his lips with a napkin. 
“There’s not much to tell. You know I’m not high maintenance.” you tell him, ignoring the fact that you haven’t been on an actual date for so long you’re almost sure you’ve forgotten how to be in one. 
“I know it’s cheesy and corny but I do think it’s still in the littlest things, you know?” you sigh. Trying to remember the last relationship (date even) you had wherein those little things, the ones that are merely the bare minimum, were actually given to you. 
“You know, it’s not much, really. Maybe just a good talk without having to watch him watch me talk all night when he’s really thinking about how I’d look naked, you know what I mean?” you laugh it off, “I know, it’s stupid.”
The arrogant man sitting before you was silent for once, profusely wanting to wash the pool of melancholy he sees in your eyes. There must have been a shit ton of guys who overlooked how great of a woman you actually are just because they couldn’t stop thinking with the head in between their legs even just for a second. 
Mathew knows. And he hates that he’s been ‘that’ guy at some point. Probably until now considering him thinking with his balls on was the very thing that got the two of you here in the first place.
You take a deep breath, smiling. “Anyway, that’s better than almost getting with a married man. Right?”
“Right.” Mat laughs, his gray eyes bright under all the lights as he plays with his silverware,— devoid of how much he looked like as if he was utterly and undeniably in awe of not just the energy of the woman sitting in front of him alone nor the fact that she was by far the most unbelievable woman he’s known, but most importantly, he’s yet to realize how much in deep he’s beginning to be for the woman she actually were. 
Just as she is. 
𖥸
You left the diner a good hour before the sunrise and what must have been a quick five minute drive if you had only taken a cab, became a twenty minute foot race between you and Mathew.
You knew that walking was a bad idea but somehow, Mat’s charm and persuasive antics had a better hold than you thought you had on your very capable cognition. 
As you drag your feet into the confines of the elevator in your complex, you hear Mathew chuckling behind you with a firm hand securely placed on your waist supporting your balance. 
“You know— and not just ‘cause I’m an athlete, can I just say that you’re in a very bad shape?” he says almost a whisper in your ear, his voice low and deep.
You roll your eyes, leaning on the steel cold mirror once he pulls away, “You do it in heels then tell me who’s in a bad shape.” 
“Fair point.” he chuckles yet again, shying away. He presses the number for your floor before resting across from you. As Mat watches you catch your breath, he jokes in the hopes of breaking the ice between the two of you. 
“So…” he clicks his tongue, playful eyes looking at you, “Wanna tap?”
Disgusted to your very core, you let out a scoff just as you shake your head. “You’re fucking sick.” you laugh upon meeting his dumb grinning face. Seconds into laughter, Mat’s silence kills off the humor. The two of you exchange glances, the smiles on your faces receding into quietude. 
Mathew didn’t want to end the night letting you in the apartment not knowing what he’s been feeling the moment you’ve let him drag you out for an impromptu night out. And stupid as it was, the only thing he could think of was to slide his foot across the enclosed space embracing the two of you, nudging on your boot. You on the one hand were rather puzzled as to what caused such language. You send him a mental query by arching a brow. He lets his head fall back on the cold metal surrounding the elevator finally deciding to speak his truth.
 “I’m glad we get to hang out now. You know, just like friends do.” he genuinely says. 
“Me too.” you say, smiling. “I really had fun tonight. Thank you.”
As you meet his eyes, you see a glimmer of softness in his gaze. 
“Good thing I got bored, eh?” he says with a smirk. 
“Good thing I came back for you.” you reply.
A quiet smile parts from his lips.
“Yeah. I’m glad you did.”
It was a few seconds when you and Barzy parted from your respective walls to meet the sliding doors as it opened on your designated floor. You were pulling him closer by the tie of his coat whilst his hand was instinctively placed on your hips letting him press his body on you. Your faces were inches from each other’s, evident of not wanting to prolong the totally unplanned foreplay that’s about to go down in a communal lift. 
But just like every film you’ve watched your whole life, the inevitable cliché befalls the two of you when the next words that filled the enclosed walls you’re currently caged in came from the man who has yet to miss a morning jog. 
“What the hell is going on here?”
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