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btsgotjams27 · 9 months

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things you don't know (2) | jjk

summary: the aftermath of jimin's party is weighing on your mind and you wonder if you have the courage to face jeon jungkook again.

✨ title: things you don't know (part 2) ✨ pairing: jungkook x f!reader | ✨ rating: PG-13 ✨ genre/au: angst | ex best friends!au | ✨ word count: 3.8k ✨ warnings: pov switch, we get to find out what happened to reader's panties, jimin's a menace, but overall a good friend :'), minor language, reader loves to threaten her friends (in a loving way ofc), jk & reader talk (properly), not really a warning but a mint mojito is a iced coffee drink not alcohol lol ✨ a/n: hi??? we're back with these two :') I didn't think anyone would like the first part that I wrote bc it was so angsty! lol but I'm so happy it was well received. i hope this gives everyone some closure. also, i'm scared of this flopping bc so many people asked for another part. i was so close to not writing it, but alas here it is. as always, i'd love to hear your thoughts. don't be afraid to drop any questions or comments. gonna go hide now, byeeee!

✨ mini-series masterlist ✨

~ JK POV ~

A haze of darkness loomed in the early hours of the morning. The night sky should've been clear according to the weather icons on Jungkook's phone. Could it be that his eyes are deceiving him? Were they hazy and cloudy? If he rubbed them, would the sky finally be clear? Or maybe you have blurred his vision, distorted his mind.

As if you weren’t already on his mind 24/7, 365 days for the last seven years. Your prodigal return has made him want to be close to you again, see how you were doing, and see if you had somehow found a way to forgive him. Your appearance at tonight’s party confirmed you must’ve hated him and could never find it in your heart to forgive him. At least, that’s what he thought.

On his late-night drive after dropping off Josie, he went the long way home through the city streets. He ended up at the park where you used to stargaze when you needed to clear your mind, and it was one of those nights for him.

You had taken over every fiber of his being, capturing his heart and holding him hostage. You’ve haunted him every day of his life since you left. At least when the two of you were in school, he could see you in class and the hallways, but once you left, there was no way to keep track of you, that is, until you started posting your college adventures on Instagram. He’d see your stories and how you’d come home to visit your parents and old friends, but of course, you wouldn’t see him. Why would you? He hurt you.

He replays tonight’s events—studying every word, every facial expression, your body language. He’s looking for a way to make it right, a way back into your heart. He doesn’t like it when you’re hurting, doesn’t like it when you’re mad at him, and especially doesn’t like it when you hate him.

He wished he could redo the last seven years and the moment when he decided to kiss Josie. He should've just left Jimin’s and come to yours, confessed his feelings, said how much he’d missed you, maybe even been brave enough to ask if he should go with you to college. Maybe he could’ve saved a lot of heartache for you, himself, and even Josie.

He took a deep breath, exhaling the unease lingering throughout his body. Opening his eyes, he realized the sky finally cleared out. He tucked one hand behind his head, and with the other, his finger traced constellations into the shape of animals—a little game you used to play together.

Thoughts raced through his mind: Do you still have a love for stargazing? Did you find a new spot? Did you have someone to accompany you? Or did you go by yourself? He guessed he’d never find out the answers to his questions.

“You’re coming in late. Or early. Were you with Josie?” Jimin’s sitting at the dining table, sipping on his coffee.

Jungkook shook his head. “Just out.”

“Man, it was good to see ____, right? I haven’t seen her since we graduated. Did you catch up with her?” He shifted in his seat, his foot pushing against the table’s leg, causing his chair to lean back. He licked his lips, suppressing a smile.

“Kind of.” Jungkook shrugged.

The chair made a loud thump when Jimin leaned forward. He set his coffee aside, his eyes narrowed, hands folded. “What happened between you guys, anyway? You were so close in high school, and whenever I ask you, you always change the topic.”

Jungkook looked at his friend, hoping he’d get the drift and move on from this conversation. He wasn’t keen on being bombarded with questions this early in the morning. He pulled out a chair, the legs screeching against the floor as he buried his face in his arms on the table.

“Or you quiet down whenever I bring her up. Well, whatever happened, you should just make out—I mean makeup with her since she’s back,” Jimin suggested, grinning at his mistake.

Jungkook looked up. “I don’t think she wants to see me.”

“See her anyway.”

Jungkook raised his eyebrows.

“What? You’ll either sit here and keep wondering what could’ve been, or you can talk to her like an adult and hash things out—get everything out in the open.”

“I hurt her, Jimin.”

“So? Go and apologize.”

“I don’t think she’ll accept it.”

“It’ll be up to her to decide, but at least she’ll hear it from you.” Jimin sipped his coffee again. “And don’t think I haven’t seen you lurking on her Instagram throughout these years.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Your Instagram handle is the alphabet without ‘JK’ in it—so obvious.”

Jungkook's eyes widened. He thought he was careful all these years, hardly posting anything but random food dishes he’s cooked.

Jimin let out a hearty laugh. “Oh—you thought you were slick, huh? I’m quite the detective myself, Jeon.” Jimin pushed his chair out to stand, massaging his friend’s shoulder, shaking his head at him. “It’s time, my friend. Don’t let the past continue to haunt you.”

He lightly tapped his fingers on the table, debating his next move. He knew he had to break things off with Josie once and for all. No more letting her hover, giving into her, or letting her manipulate him. He let her have too many years of him–it was finally time to cut off the head of the snake.

~ reader pov ~

The early morning sun peeked through your curtains, beaming rays of light reflecting off of your mirror, making you sneak a glimpse of the time on your phone.

7:30 AM. It’s too early for anyone to function like an average person.

Propping yourself against your pillows, you begin scrolling through Instagram. You were tagged in one of Jimin’s photos.

The caption read: Look who’s back.

You were tipsy when the photo was taken. You had let Jimin wrap his arm around you, kissing your cheek, as you made a kissy face at Lana, who snapped the picture.

You looked at the amount of likes and comments. Jimin was still popular after high school. Your finger tapped on ‘view all 90 comments’, and then you realized it was just Jimin and Josie arguing back and forth in the comments about you.

Rolling your eyes, you were ready to exit the app, but then you couldn’t help but notice the username of ‘abcdefghi_lmnopqrstuvwxyz’ in the comment section, also telling Josie to ‘stop.’ You recognized the username because they liked a few of your posts and had seen your stories but never interacted.

You never bothered to look at everyone who followed you, but this username was too creative not to have a look.

When you clicked on the username, their profile picture was a sunset; their bio only had an emoji of a cookie and photos of food dishes. You guessed this person was an aspiring chef. Everything they posted looked scrumptious.

A series of knocks on your door interrupted your train of thought. It’s so early. Who could be here at this hour?

You peered through the peephole, your hand ready to unlock it, until you saw it was none other than Lana. There was a burning feeling in your chest, and your jaw clenched as you debated whether you wanted to let her in. She claimed not to know who Jimin’s roommates were, and you so happened to come to the party where Jeon Jungkook lived? Coincidence? Yeah, right.

“I can hear you breathing on the other side of the door,” she said, moving back to show you she had brought coffee from one of your favorite places.

You unlocked the door knob but left the chain lock intact. Opening the door, you peeked through, staring at the coffee in her hand.

“Leave the coffee, and I shall let you live to see another day.”

Lana rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re thinking–I set you up, but I swear on my mother’s grave that I did not know Jimin and Jungkook were living together.”

You tilted your head and crossed your arms. “You are correct. I believe you set me up, and I won’t be forgiving you.”

Lana sighed, digging through her bag. “I have something else for you too.” She pulled out the very thing you were looking for last night–your blush-pink panties.

You reach out to grab them, but she withdraws, clutching them in her hand. “I did you a favor by swiping them, washing them, and getting your favorite coffee. You’re still not going to open the door for me?”

You huffed, closing the door and unlocking the chain. Crossing your arms, you stood in the way, unwilling to let her in.

She showed off her biggest grin, holding up the tray of coffee and your panties.

You grabbed the coffee before grabbing your panties, leaving the door open if she willingly wanted this to be her last day on earth.

Lana follows you, closing the door and plopping beside you on the couch.

“Anything else you need to get off your chest before you breathe your last breath?” you ask before sipping the mint mojito iced coffee. You forgot how much you loved this drink.

“Yeah. How did the conversation with Jungkook go?”

“I swear to god, you’re addicted to drama.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve me, then I’m all ears,” she beamed from ear to ear, sipping her coffee. “And I also want to make sure you’re okay.” She elbows you before laying her head on your shoulder.

You couldn’t be upset with Lana. You knew she just wanted you to heal from what happened with Jungkook.

Last night felt like a fever dream, bumping into Jungkook. He sprang up on you with no warning. You had no time to prepare yourself—your heart, for what you’d say.

It’s like you had traveled back to that 18-year-old girl watching her best friend repeatedly hurt her. The scene replayed in your mind like an endless film reel–Jungkook and Josie holding hands, finding a letter in your locker, tearfully reading it in your room, and realizing you didn’t have a friend anymore after that day.

“So?”

“He blames me for everything that happened.”

Lana’s eyes widened, and jaw dropped. She put down her coffee, got up, and pulled her hair back. “You better hold me down before I beat his ass.”

You dragged her back beside you. “Stop being so dramatic.”

“How was it your fault?”

“He said he was upset that I was leaving for college and didn’t care to include him in the conversation. Then he went to one of Jimin's parties and kissed Josie, and they started dating.”

Lana’s upper lip raised in annoyance, glancing up at the ceiling. “I'm gonna punch him and his little girlfriend in the face the next time I see them.”

“And apparently, he says they’re not together or whatever.”

She gasped in disbelief. “Not together? She was practically all over him! And he was letting her do it!”

“That’s what I said, but he says it's complicated.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“What am I going to do? Nothing? Absolutely nothing. Avoid them like the plague. What else am I supposed to do?”

“What if he comes looking for you?”

The thought crossed your mind, but you had nothing to say to him. What more did he want from you? Since he blamed you, it’s not like he’d come asking for forgiveness.

“I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t have moved back.”

“Stop. I'm so happy you’re back. This place is so fucking lame without you.” Lana curled herself into your couch, hooking her arm in yours.

“Yeah, I didn’t think I had to endure all this drama with Jungkook the week I returned.”

“Maybe you should just talk to him and clear the air once and for all,” Lana suggested.

“I don’t know if I can do that without strangling him.”

“I’ll bail you out of jail, don’t worry, or I can help you. We can be cellmates.”

You loved how at least one of your best friends would go to such lengths for you. “God–I don’t wanna be an adult. I don’t want to talk to him.”

“I know, but I bet you’ll feel a million times better if you do.”

You didn’t want to hear the truth but you knew it was what you needed to do. You and Jungkook had unfinished business. Maybe it’s better to just talk to him and close that chapter of your life and finally be able to move on.

You Jiminie 🦗

JAMAN Oh, are you sliding into my DMs?

You 🙄 In your dreams

JAMAN 😂 I’m kidding. What’s up?

You Can I ask you for a favor?

JAMAN Anything for you

You Can I get Jungkook’s number?

JAMAN Huhuhu…the plot thickens

You Oh, stop it. Will you give it to me or not?

JAMAN Idk it depends.

You On?

JAMAN If I get to see more of you

You Jiminie…

JAMAN 😞😞

You You saw me once, that’s not good enough?

JAMAN Let me take you out to dinner. I want to catch up with you.

You Then I’ll never have to see you again? 🙂

JAMAN Sure…

You Fine fine fine Give me his number

You waited a few days to call Jungkook in case Jimin told him he gave you his number. You didn’t want to seem desperate; at least, it would be at your discretion. You’d be more prepared with your heart and your mind.

You sat there, staring at his name, tapping on the screen, and before you knew it, the line began ringing. Ah, fuck.

There’s no going back now.

Hello?

“Hey, Kook. It’s ___.” You can hear him shifting through the line.

Oh, hey. Jungkook cleared his throat. What’s up?

“I wanted to see if you’d be up for coffee or something. If you’re not busy, that is.”

Like today?

You hummed.

Just tell me where and what time.

“Philz Coffee at 2?”

Yeah! I’ll see you then.

You quickly ended the call. Well, the easy part was done. Now, onto the rest.

Even for a Thursday afternoon, the street where the coffee shop was located was rather crowded. You blamed the increased remote jobs and everyone flocking to work from there instead of their homes.

Walking toward the shop, you looked up to see Jungkook sitting outside with two coffees on the table.

He gave a small wave and stood when you approached him. “Hey!” His voice was enthusiastic as he flashed a warm smile, dimple on display. Jungkook gestured for you to sit.

“Do you still like mint mojito iced coffees?”

You chuckled to yourself. You didn’t think he would still remember your coffee order. “Yeah, I do.”

“Cool, figured you still did.”

You gave a half-smile.

Jungkook leaned forward in his seat, eyes on you. “So, why did you want to meet up?”

Your lips thinned before you cleared your throat. “I guess we have some unfinished business.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

You sighed, pulling yourself together to turn to him, looking him in the eye finally. Never in a million years did you think you would be sitting here, talking. His doe eyes sparkled, his boyish charm lingered, and that sweet smile made you swoon.

“I’m gonna say my piece, and then if you have anything to add, go for it.”

He nodded, listening intently to your following words.

Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath. “When you stopped talking to me—it hurt, fucked me up for a long time. I convinced myself for years I was over it, but that wasn’t the case at Jimin’s.”

It felt weird to finally say everything that had been building up aloud in front of him.

“It was hard going through college without you. I couldn't talk to you when I wanted, come over when I was bored, and experience new things with you. It was like this big piece of my life was missing, and no one could fill it. Sometimes, a song would come on shuffle that reminded me of you; then I'd get sad because I didn't know your new favorite songs or if you had seen the new Marvel movie.”

Most of all, you missed his presence and how he’d light up when he was excited to show you something or how he’d put a smile on your face when you were down.

“You were my best friend, Kook. I shared everything with you. So it hurt when you felt like you couldn’t talk to me. I would’ve understood if you couldn’t be friends with me because of Josie—I mean, it would’ve sucked big time, but I would never want you to feel like you can’t be honest with me.”

Jungkook stayed quiet for a bit before responding. “I’m sorry about what happened. I was hurting too, and I guess I wanted you to hurt too.”

“Well, it worked.” You let out a sad chuckle; your hand began playing nervously with the coffee cup before you.

He looks at you, scanning your face. “This might not mean anything now, but I know you. I know what songs you like, movies you watched, what made you sad and happy.”

Your gaze slowly flicked to his, your eyebrows knitted in confusion.

“I don’t want to sound like a creep or anything, but I’ve been following you on Instagram.”

“You have an Instagram account?”

“Uh, yeah. I just don’t post my face or anything.” He pulled out his phone to show you.

Your jaw dropped. “Oh my god. You’re alphabet boy?”

“Alphabet boy?” Jungkook’s forehead furrowed.

As soon as he said that, you began to piece everything together. So he was on social media. He was just good at hiding it.

“So, you’ve been keeping up with everything I’ve been doing?”

“You were my best friend. I missed you and wanted to know what your life was like.”

You didn’t know how to process this information. You had been lurking on Instagram, trying to get a glimpse of Jungkook, but after all these years, he was trying to keep a part of you with him.

“Just because you’ve liked my posts or watched my stories doesn’t mean you know me.”

He nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I don’t, but I would like to get to know you again.”

“What about Josie? What is she going to think?” You didn’t want to get in the way of whatever they had going on.

“I’ve tried breaking up with her multiple times, and she keeps on coming back, and I’m pretty dumb for letting her back in. I think we’ve just gotten into that rhythm where we’ve been comfortable with each other that it’s hard to let it go, you know?”

You chuckled to yourself. He was never really good at speaking up, was he?

He looks at you. “Do you think we can start over?”

You take a deep breath. “I don’t know. I—I don’t think I can lose you as a friend again.”

“You won’t,” he responded immediately.

You liked how sure he was of himself. That nothing or no one could get in the way of a new friendship again. But with Josie still in the picture, you didn’t think it would be as easy as he was making it seem.

A car drives by, music playing loudly from their speakers. It stopped the conversation, giving you time to think.

A part of you would love to be friends again, and the other part was ready to let go and start fresh. You weren’t the same person you were in high school. You had grown up, lived, and loved a little, and after finally getting to speak everything you’ve held onto—you were ready to close that chapter you had kept open for so long.

Jungkook waved his hand, calling out to you.

“Hmm?”

“What happens now?”

You shrugged, and your mouth twisted to the side. “I don’t know, Kook. How about we just take it one day at a time? And I don’t mean like we talk every day or something, but if we see each other, we’ll be able to say ‘hi.’”

Jungkook nodded. “Baby steps.”

“Right. Baby steps.”

“I can do that.”

JAMAN Dinner. Friday. 6 PM.

You Why, hello, Jimin.

JAMAN Right, hi. Dinner. Friday. 6 PM. Be there.

You You didn’t tell me where.

JAMAN My place.

You Is Jungkook going to be there?

JAMAN No, he’s outta town. Going somewhere with Josie.

You tut. Of course, he hasn’t broken it off with Josie. Why would he? No one changes within a week, right?

You Okay, fine. See you on Friday. Can I bring anything?

JAMAN Just yourself 😘

Friday.

JAMAN Hey, I’m running late from work. But make yourself at home! I’m going to grab some food on the way back, too.

You Am I supposed to break in?

JAMAN Oh, you silly girl. The code is 0613.

You ‘Kay, see you soon.

You couldn’t believe you agreed to come to Jimin’s place for dinner. Meeting up somewhere would’ve been safer if you bumped into Jungkook again. But you two did decide to take baby steps.

Keying in the code, you stepped in, eyes wandering around the house. Surprisingly, it was well-kept. No throw pillow or blanket is out of place. All the coasters were neatly lined up. Even the house plants were flourishing.

You closed the door, then heard a shatter of glass hitting the ground along with a ‘fuck’. You didn’t see any cars outside when you arrived. Maybe Jimin was dropped off.

“Hello? Jimin?”

You walked into the kitchen, peering around the corner, and saw someone’s head bobbing up and down.

“Kook?”

He looked up with doe eyes, and his jaw opened. “Oh—hey.”

“What are you doing here?”

Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows. “I live here,” he said slowly, sweeping the glass in a dustpan.

“Yes, I know that. But where’s Jimin?”

“Jimin’s at work. He asked me to make dinner.”

You huffed, throwing your head back. “Did you plan this?”

“Plan what?”

“This. Us. Dinner.”

“What? No. I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Your phone buzzed in your back pocket.

JAMAN Oh, hey, friend. I can’t make it to dinner. Guess you’ll just have to eat with Kook. 😘😘

You I’M GONNA BLOCK YOU PARK JIMIN

JAMAN 😘 I love you.

“I’m—just going to go. See you later, Kook,” you said, turning around to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“Home. Bye, Kook.”

“Why don’t you stay? I already made dinner and don’t want it to go to waste.”

You stopped in your tracks. Whatever he made smelled good.

He set down the dustpan and walked over to you. “Come on. It’s just dinner.”

You turned back to him, scanning him from head to toe. Why did he have to look so boyfriend in his all-black outfit and matching baseball hat?

You pointed your chin to the ground, staring at him. “Just dinner.”

✨ read part three ✨

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook fic #jungkook angst #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #bts fanfic #bts fic #bts x reader #bts x you

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idlerin · 4 months

Text

nonsense — 38. hard to love

“baby, i have something to say and… could you not open any social media app for a few—“ you cut oikawa off before he could finish his sentence.

“too late,” you said softly, lips pursed and brows wrinkled. the article you just read about you began to actually sink in. your name. your information. spread for thousands of rabid people on the internet to see.

“you… saw the article?” oikawa asked, dread immediately seeping in. how were you going to react? what do you want to do now? he was planning to ease you into the news, his plan on how to say it wasn’t completed yet. he hoped this won’t make you want to leave him.

“articles, yeah,” you say, suddenly forgetting how to breathe properly. still trying to process the fact that thousands of people now know your name and now have more untoward malicious feelings directed at you. tons of people you know are flooding your inbox, asking if the article was real, and you weren’t really in the mood to reply. the worst ones are probably your roommates, you live with them–even if you rarely stay in the dorms these days–and now they were probably reading about how the secret boyfriend they suspected you had was oikawa tooru, the celebrity they idolized (if the mini shrine in the living room wasn’t enough of a tell about how much they adored him).

you knew you had to announce your relationship with oikawa to the world, one way or another. that was just one of the clauses in pursuing your romance with him. you didn’t want it to go like this, announced by some gossip news outlet without knowledge or preparation from both you and him. you didn’t want to get bombarded, you didn’t want to feel overwhelmed, and yet it already happened.

so it was completely rational that you were internally panicking.

you were still on the couch when oikawa sat beside you, reaching out to hold your hand, making you face him, “i’m sorry,” he starts, “this must be very overwhelming, i’m sorry.”

“stop..” you say, “it’s not like you chose for the articles to be published, don’t say sorry like it’s your fault,” you grip his hand back.

“the pr team is going to handle the aftermath. we’re going to take the article down, okay?” he says, “i just… the one who leaked your information…” his jaw ticks.

“do you know who it is?” you ask. could it be one of the staff? but the only ones who know of your relationship with oikawa are akane and riseki… and they wouldn’t do that? would they?

“i have a hunch,” oikawa admits.

“oh,” was your pathetic response, you didn’t want to think about who the person who caused the disruption of your life right now.

“what do you want to do, darling?” oikawa asks, beginning to caress your hand. “honestly right now.. i don’t want to think about it much. i’m.. i just.. can i process this in the morning?” you gulp, right now, all you wanted was for oikawa to hold you. you bury your face in his shoulder, he instinctively wraps an arm around you to pull you closer, you feel him kiss the side of your head.

“of course,” oikawa sighs, “i’m sorry again, i know it’s hard to love me because of things like this..”

“i said stop saying sorry, and don’t say that, you’re not hard to love at all,” you mumble.

“this wasn’t how i planned movie night to go…” oikawa’s hand raised to your nape.

“how did you plan it to go?” you raise your head, playing along to his light change of topic, it made you feel better.

“hm well i thought we’d watch movies till 4am, there would be a lot less depressing sequence of events and a lot more kissing,” oikawa leans in to give you a peck on the lips then came back to give you a deeper one, a hand caressing your arm and the other curling in your hair.

“sounds nice,” you hum, wishing for what could have been.

“unfortunately, i have to leave you for a few minutes to make some calls, darling,” oikawa wet his lips, “i don’t really want to leave you though.”

“do you promise to be back in 15-20 minutes?” you raise a brow.

“i promise, darling,” he gives you one last kiss.

masterlist — previous | next

✦ fun facts !

oikawa left sato delivered on purpose so sato could have time to worry and overthink

nonsense ! an oikawa tooru social media au

synopsis. you were oikawa tooru’s #1 fan, until you became his #1 hater. you hated him so much you went viral on twitter (accidentally) and literally became known as “the oikawa tooru hater”, doesn’t help that he keeps fueling the fire by subtweeting you. everyone is all in for this new drama. what isn’t known to the public, is that this particular drama’s been on hold for three years (him being your ex and all).

a/n — sorry kind of short !! but this had all i wanted to say hehehe.

taglist is closed ! + (1/2) @kawaii-angelanne @ceneridiankaa @kittycasie @rukia-uchiha-98 @polish-cereal @kellesvt @rockleeisbaeeee @kashxyou @imsoluvly @jjulliette @tooruchiiscribs @littlefreakjulia @gomjohs @qualitygiantshoepsychic @mellowknightcolorfarm @konzumeken @migosple @kuroogguk @sangwooooo @katsu-shi @wolffmaiden @rijhi @2baddies-1porsche @yeehawcity @aishkaaa @crueldinasty @renardiererin @yyuiz @llamakenma @penguinlovestowrite @princelingperfect @hearts4faey @yoonabeo @pantherhappy @julia-1901 @godsbiggestmenace @angel-luv-04 @noideawhothatis @bethbat @natsvmie @luna-mothii @lylovw @apinu @leave-rae-alone @kamikokii @bananasquash @eitaababe @minimari415 @hanabihwa @nilopillo

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findafight · 1 year

Text

Ohhh fic where Steve and Robin and Dustin and Erica all casually make funny little haha jokes with each other about getting tortured/almost caught by the Russians under Starcourt because they all have that shared trauma and had many a long late night calls reassuring each other they're alive and playing dnd together and fulfilling lifetime supply of icecream obligations.

They do this because sure the rest of the party knew there were Russians under Starcourt but everything they went through in that basement was sorta...forgotten in the aftermath of literal flesh monster. And with Hopper dead and the Byers moving, there's so much happening that whatever happened to Steve's face (lost another fight...) and why he and Robin went from mildly antagonistic co-workers to codependent goobers who couldn't go literally a day without seeing the other or what made Dustin always ask if Erica was going to come for party hang outs are all sort of brushed under the rug. Not a big deal, really. Bigger things happening after everything.

And they cope together and scoops troop is a weird little section of the party no one but them really understands. Robin and Steve are attached at the hip and to a lesser extent so are Erica and Dustin (but they'll never admit it), and they all have mini gatherings together.

So, the casual mentioning of starcourt and specifically what went down with the Russians is commonplace for them. (Erica is quick to remind them she saved their asses, and are they so lame they need her help again? but she smiles and Steve and Robin just laugh and give her a big hug.) And somehow, they forget that not everyone really knows what went down before July 4th 1985.

And I want them to do it in front of everyone. I want them to have their stupid "this was so fucked up but we're alive and we got through it so now we have to laugh or we may never stop crying about it" banter at a big "we saved the world again!" Barbecue. I want the rest of the folks there to go silent and them not to notice.

I want someone to mention Steve not getting a black eye this time, congrats! and Robin going "the only reason why I didn't get one last time was because the Russians said-"

And Steve, who is lying with his head in her lap, reaches up to gently cup her cheek and says in a terrible Russian accent "don't worry, we will not ruin your pretty face!" (everyone is quiet around them, they do not notice)

She laughs. "And punched me in the gut a few more times. I peed blood for like, three days."

Steve goes "ewwww" only to be pinched by robin.

"you peed blood too, dingus. You got it worse than me and my pretty face."

He giggles and opens his hand up for a high five "pissing blood buddies, hell yeah!" And shifts in her lap. "But they bruised my pretty face. Rude."

"aww. It's okay, Stevie, your face is still so pretty. Prettiest boy in Hawkins."

"thanks Robin."

"at least Dustin and Erica got us out before they started ripping out fingernails." She shudders.

"or used the bonesaw"

"mmm. Unfortunately not before we got funky truth serum drugs though."

He leans up, looking at the two "y'all couldn't have been a bit faster?" But he's smiling, teasing. A well worn joke.

Dustin and Erica respond simultaneously with "I'm missing bones, Steve, what do you want from me?" And "I was ten and my legs were short as shit. Beggars can't be choosers." Respectively.

It is at this point an Actual Grown Up butts in.

"what. What do you mean ripping out fingernails?"

Robin and Steve look towards Joyce, who asked.

"like. To interrogate us? Because we just kept saying we worked for scoops even with the truth serum."

"because they thought we had to be superspies to get into their creepy lair and not a bunch of kids."

"mmhmm"

Hopper jumps in "wait. You were tortured by them?"

Robin and Steve give him eerily similar looks that express how obvious the answer to that is.

"yeah, duh."

"I don't go looking to get brain damage every year, you know."

Hoppers eye twitches. "Why didn't you say anything?"

#steve Harrington #robin Buckley #erica sinclair #dustin henderson #scoops troop #the party #stranger things #platonic stobin #stobin #i want eddie to be the only one who knows bc they were assigned to fill him in on the upsidedown so obvs it came up #and he is like that is so fucked up but i guess it works for you? hopefully?#steddie #mayhaps....if i ever write more of this lmao #finda writes stuff #finda's rambles

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hunnieknight · 1 year

Note

Ello! Hope youre having a good day!

I don't know if you accept request. If you don't its fine to not do this request. But if you do then, what's Yandere!Soulmate! Aether, Bennett, and Xiao's reaction to seeing reader with the same soulmate mark as them or just having a confirmation that reader is their soulmate in general?

Anyways hope youre having a good day! ^^

"The fate sealed our destiny" (+Art)

General yandere, possesive behaviour, murder and blood (on Xiao), slight angst and misunderstanding (Bennett)

Soulmate AU where you got their constellation mark on your body

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Aether

Context (You are a resident in a nation)

He first saw it when you offered snacks for them as a gratitude for saving your hometown. The wrapper had a constellation mark that is awfully similar to his. Paimon brought it up like a clueless little one she is, when it clicked, both of you guys' faces went red.

He always try to spend a time with you between his heroic work and commissions, he HAS to. He already looking hard for his sister to the point this soulmate thing never crossed his mind, now that you are here, he won't ever lose you.

Usually when you guys are together Paimon will always do the talking. But when it is just the 2 of you, he will look confident and taking a lead in conversation but never forgetting to ask your opinion. It is often just you listening to his heroic adventure whilst eating your goodies.

He will give you the Realm Dispatch so you can visit his teapot. Oh? Did you stare at a flower too loong during a walk? It is in the teapot now. Hm? You like to read books? Oh wow look at this mini library he made. You want to pet the wild animals? Look at all these tamed animals he brought in!

He will asked you to tag along during his adventure. Of course, he will ensuring your safety, even as far teaching you on self-defense. Although in his head you should never touch a weapon, it is his job. He really wanted to make a new memory with you together. The whole world is too big to be explored just by him and Paimon, another companion isn't bad right? You just need to be his supporter, that's all.

If you reject his request on go out adventure. NO No no no no no no, you will not reject me, you cant stay here, please follow me, please be with me, i cant lose you, you will never leave me, i will take care of you. I promise. I promise. You are mine. MINE. It seems his teapot will be your new home....

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Bennett

(soft yandere) | Context : You are part of the adventure guild

You and Bennett have been friends, working together on commission. You both work and fit perfectly like a glove. As an adventurer, you both have been busy. Topic about soulmate never been crossed in all of your conversation. You enjoy Bennett's companion so you don't really care about it. Him, on the other hand, absolute smitten over you. He does not care at all if you don't have HIS mark. He will still love you either way, for now let him enjoy this moment.

It was the aftermath of a fight during commission, you had a large scratch on your back and Bennett automatically told you to strip so he can heal your wound properly. Before he can apologized and look away, you already turned around and strip, his gaze caught onto a beautiful constellation right between your shoulder blade. It was his constellation.

At first, he doesn't want to tell you. He will keep pretending that he never seen it. His bad luck always reminded him that living with you will make your life hell because of his misfortune. Because of that , he started to avoid you.

You were confused, after that healing moment shared between you, he started avoiding you. Although you caught a glimpse of him staring at you somewhere.

"Huh...is it..because of my constellation?"

You rubbed your back where your soulmate's mark lies. Is it a weird mark?Is that why he is avoiding you?

It hurts. It hurts. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. But it is for the best..It is for the better . I dont want you to hurt. Im sorry. I love you. I love you. I love you. Im sorry

It was guilt that brought him back to you. Everyone in the guild asked Bennett about you. You had been looking sad lately and asking everyone if Bennett say something wrong about you so you can change . It hits him like a brick. He ran around Mondstadt searching for you, just to find you with Windwheel Asters hunched in your hands. You noticed him and walked towards him while sputtering apologizes.

"I don't know what i did wrong or what is going on and i'm sorry for not going to you sooner. But i hope this can suffice until i can apologize proper-huh?"

He didn't let you finish and hugged you. You felt your shoulder damp and a muffled "i'm sorry, i'm sorry" , confused, you just hugged him back.

After he showed you his constellation mark and his reasoning, you just chuckled which caught him off guard. Your voice...your smile.. the wrinkles in the corner of your eyes when you laugh...did...did he really trying to leave all these percious thing behind? Did he really just gonna ABANDON you? His soulmate??He gripped your hand tightly.

You are the fortune in his disastrous life. He will never ever leave you.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

Xiao

(possesive yandere) | Context :You are an apprenticer cook under YanXiao's wing)

You are a apprentice cook learning under YanXiao"s wing. You have been learning there for some times but never actually interact with Xiao. So, he suggested to cook Almond Tofu for the Yaksha living on the upper floor. You diligently followed the recipe and slowly making your way up to the floor where he suppose to be.

You called out his name, no respond. You just staring off the balcong, the wind blew around you, cold yet comforting. As you shivering, You turned around and just saw him right in front you. You gasped, trying to calm your heart down. His eyes just staring at you up and down, well, this is the first time you both see face-to face. You gave him the Almond Tofu and- huh? He is grabbing your wrist?!

His eyes gone wide as he stared at your wrist. It is your constellation mark, as much as you are proud of your mark, this is the VIGILANT YAKSHA standing in front of you grabbing your wrist. You cleared your throat to get his attention. Before you could ask, he swiftly pulled of his left glove and showed you a constella- wait...it looks like yours...huh.. w-wait.

The day ends with Verr Goldet called you to help her out. You gave him the almond tofu and just scurry off, overwhelmed. Since then, you haven't seen Xiao for the most of the time and...it seems like he is avoiding you? Whenever you tried to give him the Almond Tofu, he never shows up, but when it's Verr Goldet, he always comes in seconds. You never approach him, thinking it would be rude. So you settle with just glance at him when he is eating in the kitchen, or when you saw a glimpse on the balcony.

Yet, you also feel the same of someone staring at your back.

You told Verr Goldet about everything, she just chuckled and explained that Xiao just need time to process everything. But you started to think he might be against the Soulmate idea. Besides, you are a mortal, he is an adeptus. It will never gonna work out. He probably hates the fact that his suppose to be partner for life is a normal human bei-your thoughts cut off as you see a Qingxin on the windowsill of your bedroom.

Your training with YanXiao had come to the end. A gourmet dinner made by you was held in the kitchen. You gave your gratitude with YanXiao. With a short bow you gave your thanks to Verr Goldet and her husband for the hospitality.

"I will visit again as soon as possible!"

Verr Goldet just gave you a soft look, that felt more like a pity. Perhaps she would miss you as much as you miss her later. Ending the night, you bid goodnight to everyone and walked up the stairs to your room. You need to pack up your stuff for tomorrow journey back to the harbor.

Has it ever been this chilly in your room? Well, no matter, you just need a blanket to sleep tonight. It is been a while since you see Xiao, he didn't show up during dinner and when you passed the balcony

"Oh welI, i can bid farewell to Xiao tomorrow then"

"Why bid goodbye if you will never leave?"

You don't remember the last time you went downstair of the Wangshu Inn. Since that night which suppose to be your last stay here, Xiao been keeping you inside your room. He only allows you walking around the balcony and the kitchen. When the sun is down, he will sit on your window sill or at the edge of your bed, holding your chained hand. He seems mesmerized by HIS constellation mark on your hand.

You had been asking him why he kept you here.

"You are a mortal, the world isn't kind. I need to protect you."

Yet when you pointed out that the least he can do is not avoiding you, he explained something about karmic debt and how precious you are to him. He can't fathom why are you so upset with him just protecting you. Yet, he say nothing as you hit him with pillow or sulking by hiding under blanket.

Xiao glanced at the red puddle under his feet. The moonlight gave the red crimson stain on the ground a sparkle effect. He looked at his shoes and clothes, stained with blood. As much as he like the blood of the enemy as thropy, he knew you'd hate it to see him all bloody and smell like iron.

"This is all for you, my Qingxin"

The things he will do to protect you from these people who has been looking for you. Don't you understand?They are trying to take you away from him. He had been waiting for decades for you, now that you are in his grasp hold he will protect you with all his might. The least you could do is stay with him.

#imaginedraw #yandere xiao #yandere bennett #yandere aether #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin #xiao x reader #bennett x reader #aether x readee

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romana-after-dark · 1 year

Text

The Wrong Way Master List

Gif by @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog

Raider!Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Raider!Tommy Miller x Fem!Reader

Spotify Playlist

Inspiration came from @toxicanonymity and her fantastic Raider!Joel.

Summery: You are sold to Joel to clear up some of your fathers' debts, and he takes you back to his house where him, Tommy, and high ranking members of his raiding trope stay. Joel is mean, cruel, and hash, but had small moments of softness that confuse you in your venerable state. Over time, you get to know him and Tommy, and see different sides of each, an both are hiding secrets. Was it possible to fall in love under these circumstances? Or was that just another way Joel was fucking with you?

Aka: my mom sold me to One Direction

WARNINGS FOR FULL FIC, NOT CHAPTER BY CHAPTER UNLESS SOMETHING NEW IS ADDED AFTER MASTER WARNING LIST: DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT!!!! Fic contains graphic depictions of sexual assault, rape, molestation, dubcon/non con. Blow Jobs, PIV sex, lose of virginity, sex trafficking, past incest, death/people dying everywhere, Stockholm syndrome, falling for your rapist, victim blaming, torcher, branding, physical abuse, rape (not Joel), somno, dub con on tommy? idk he's not really into it but feels like he has to, self-harm/depression/suicidal thoughts (not a lot) but fair warning, major age gaps, love triangle, pregnancy/birth, threats of abortion, major character death, mentions of potential csa/child abuse but does not even come close to happening, forced pregnancy, forced housewife shit, breeding, breeding kink?!?!

This is a reader fic, reader is early 20's, Joel is 40's at this point, reader is small enough that the men can lift her, but these are strong men. Reader is also refered to as little one, little girl ETC, but that's more in reference to her age/innocence than physical size.

Unknown chapters at this point but heres a starter

Chapter 1: Joel takes you away from everything you know

Chapter 2: Joel takes what he wants, Tommy tries to make things easier

Bonus Chapter: Tommy takes Little One's virginity

Chapter 3: Joel softens up, and readers learns her roll in all this

Chapter 4: Little One is getting cocky, and finds herself in trouble, but Tommy and Joel are there for her

Chapter 5: Joel and Tommy don’t feel good

Suggested drabble: Period sex

Chapter 6: Things change with Tommy, and Joel shows a more vunerable side during a near disaster.

Chapter 7: Little One and Lorenzo spend some time together, and Lorenzo drops a bomb on Little One.

Chapter 8: For 6 months of Little One's pregnancy her relationship with Joel and Lorenzo shifts and changes.

Suggested Drabble: Brotherhood

Chapter 9: The aftermath.

Suggested Drabble: “It Wasn’t Always Like This”

Chapter 10: The escape does not go as planned.

Alternate ending: a happier end

Canon Sequel Mini Series, Ghost of You

Follow Ellie's life sifting through to lies to discover the truth of her creation.

Dark Ending Timeline: Going Under

Going Under: Chapter 1:

Going Under: Chapter 2:

Going Under: Chapter 2.5:

Going Under: Chapter 3

Going Under: June and Tommy

Going Under: Chapter 4

Going Under: Finale

Suggested drabbles to see how the uncles are doing after the canon ending: Lorenzo, Zach and Tommy, and Better Than Revenge

If neither ending satisfied you or if there was something you wanted to see but didn’t, if you wanna write something in universe will be happy to link it to my masterlist!

Art by @melodymakesart

Drabbles, One Shots, Thots

Period Sex: Period sex with Joel makes Little One more confused than ever at what she is to Joel

Well, That’s Alright Because I Like The Way It Hurts: Joel is gone for longer than expected and you worry about him. When he comes back, you let him take his frustration out on your body

Brotherhood: Tommy and Joel reflect on their relationship as brothers.

“It Wasn’t Always Like This”: In Tommy’s arms, Little One thinks over her year with Joel

Lorenzo, Zach and Tommy: Lorenzo is slowly recovering, meets his niece for the first time

Better than Revenge: Lorenzo and Tommy can’t get revenge on Joel, but they can get revenge on the one who started it all

Zach and Lorenzo’s Wedding

Gateaway Car by Taylor Swift, thoughts by @fandxmslxt69

Art by @k-ra

Joel and Lorenzo by @fen-is-unwell

If this sort of thing doesn't interest you or triggers you, hide dub con and non con from your tags as I will be tagging any fics like that as such

Main Blog (filled with more normal fics lol): @romanarose

This is absolutely not anything anyone needs to do bc ur lovely comments are enough but if anyone makes a book board, art, a fic or anything based off this series, you absolutely can! I know some creators aren’t for it but I love when people do that, and I’ve written a few fics for a few series myself. If you are so inclined and are okay with it, I’ll attach them to this master list (that includes if you don’t like my endings you can make your own 😂)

But as always, nice comments mean the world. I know with this sort of content you may not want to Reblog it on your page, but if you leave a comment or send an anon, that means the world and keeps me writing!

#Joel Miller #Joel Miller smut #tw rape #dub con #non con #dark joel miller #romana after dark #dark!Joel #the last of us hbo #joel miller fic #joel miller reader #joel miller reade smut #dark joel miller reader #tommy miller fem reader #tommy miller smut #tommy miller fem!reader #the wrong way fic #the wrong way series

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ofstoriesandstardust · 1 year

Text

maroon pt. ii (j.h.s.)

a/n: welcome back to kylie’s pure self-indulgence. you really thought i’d write a part two without writing in some angst? anyways there’s a playlist and a pinterest board for these two (because of course there is expect nothing less from me) anyways do you want a part 3 i’d write one

summary: The aftermath of the night you spent with Jake.

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | maroon pt. i

warnings: angst, swearing, implied/referenced sex, misunderstanding, family issues, divorced parents, age gap

word count: 3,943

“and i wake with your memory over me/that’s a real fuckin’ legacy to leave”

The first thing you realize when you wake up is that you’re alone.

Which shouldn’t be as alarming as it is until you realize that it’s not your bed you’re in.

And it’s not your shirt that you’re wearing.

You groan, sitting up in the bed as you look around the room, recognizing the familiar soreness over your body.

The Navy shirt you’re wearing isn’t like the old ones you’ve stolen from your Dad, frayed and filled with holes, the ones that smell like cheap detergent you got from the grocery store in your college town.

No, this shirt is soft and clean and smells faintly like bourbon and leather.

It smells like Jake.

You take a shuddering breath, realizing what you’ve done.

You quickly rifle through the list of people you could ask to bail you out, ones that wouldn’t ask you any questions (at least not immediately) as you lean over to the nightstand where your phone is sat.

The house is quiet, you note, as you scroll through your contacts, searching for the person you know who won’t hesitate.

Reuben.

You and Reuben had gone to high school together, always sort of circling each other without ever really meeting until your senior year when you had both taken a concurrent enrollment class in Political Science.

Penny had also hired him, a few months before she did you, as extra help on the weekends. He worked a bit more now that he’d graduated from San Diego State University and it was how the two of you had reconnected after years of not talking.

As a “reformed frat bro”, Reuben had always told you that if you ever needed him to pull you out of situation, bad date or otherwise, he’d do it, no questions asked. It wasn’t a favor you hadn’t planned on invoking until now.

I fucked up.

I did something stupid and I need you to come pick me up.

Your eyes flicker to the door as your teeth worry over your bottom lip, the grey bubble popping up almost immediately.

Send me the address.

I’ll be there in ten.

You swipe over the keyboard, sending him the street name you recall seeing on your way back to Jake’s place last night before clicking the phone shut.

Tossing it on the bed, you pull Jake’s shirt off of you, reaching for your pants on the floor. You tug them on, pulling your top on not long after. You grab your phone from the bed before grabbing the boots that had been chucked by the door when you had come in last night.

You pull the bedroom door open, slipping down the stairs hurriedly. You can hear someone in the kitchen but you don’t stay long enough to find out what they’re doing, slipping out the front door as quietly as you can before heading up the road.

You feel slightly silly, fleeing from Jake’s like this as you half-jog up the hill barefoot, but you’d rather end it here before Jake could tell you that you were a nice girl and he had a good time but he didn’t see this moving forward.

It was silly, this schoolgirl crush you’d developed on Jake.

He was a grown man and he certainly wasn’t going to settle down and end his womanizer ways for some fresh faced college girl who had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

Reuben’s mini-van, the car he’d inherited from his Mom at sixteen, that was barely hanging on, that he named Dolly after Dolly Parton, turns the corner and pulls to the sidewalk as Reuben spots you. You pull the front passenger door open before the car has ever really stopped, earning you a look of surprise from the brunette.

“You good?”

You shake your head, breathless as shame and embarrassment crawls through you. “No.”

“Are you hurt in anyway?”

“Aside from my pride?”

“Do we need the hospital or the police?”

“No.”

He nods, pulling away from the curb. It’s quiet for a few moments as he drives down the road before turning left to head to your house.

“If my either of my Dad’s ask, you picked me up last night from the bar after I got wasted and Alice left me there.” You say, keeping your eyes locked on to the road in front of you. He chuckles.

“You might want to hide those then if you want that story to be believable.” He says, nodding his head toward your chest.

You glance down before pulling the sun visor down and flipping the little mirror open. It reveals a chest littered with hickeys and you briefly recall that Jake had left more hidden by your top.

“Dammit Jake.” You hiss, flipping the sun visor back up.

“Jake? Jake as in Jake Seresin? Jake Seresin as Bagman?” He asks, eyes going wide. When you don’t reply, Reuben lets out a low whistle. “You bagged Hangman. Can I say I’m proud?”

You toss Reuben a withering look before twisting around in your seat, searching for the sweatshirt Reuben keeps in the car. It’s his sweatshirt from when he played lacrosse in high school, something you teased him endlessly for. He glances at you through the rearview mirror.

“On the floor behind your chair.”

You grasp onto the black material, tugging the sweatshirt over your head as best you can with the seatbelt on. It doesn’t smell like Jake’s shirt had, smelling distantly of ocean water and McDonald’s fries.

You blow a stray piece of hair from your face as Reuben laughs at you.

“I thought you didn’t do hookups or one night stands.”

“I don’t.”

“Well, you still went for it. You’ve been pining after Seresin since you got back in town. Good for you.”

You groan, sliding down in your seat. “It’s not good for me.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not- I don’t do one night stands because I get attached. I hurt my feelings and I was already attached. I was stupid. I’m not the kind of girl he wants.”

“Did he say that?”

You shrug, pulling your legs up into your chest as Reuben turns down the road leading to your house. “I don’t want to talk anbout this anymore.”

He glances at you but does’t say anything as he drives down your street.

After your parent’s divorce the summer before freshman year of high school, your Dad’s relationship with your Uncle Mav had quickly stopped being a secret. He and Mav had bought a house together your sophomore year, a nice sized house that sat beachfront in a gated community. It was a nice place, with two floors and easy access to the beach from your back porch. It was nicer than your Mom’s place, which was the same one-story, two-bedroom, one bath house you’d grown up in.

This house was so much easier to come home to than your Mom’s had been, despite the fact that in high school, you’d bounced between your friend houses and the park more than you did either of your parent’s homes.

Your Mom had checked out not long after the divorce, disappearing entirely after you started college. What had been your Dad and Mav’s house had quickly just become your home, spending Christmases and breaks with the pair.

You didn’t make a habit of going home too much though, the house consistently being empty with your Dad’s long hours and Mav’s deployments.

Still, they’d promised that after graduation, things would be different. With the Dagger team in San Diego, with Bradley and Mav permanently in San Diego, your Dad had promised they would be better.

Reuben gently shuts off the ignition in the car. “You opening with me tonight?”

You nod.

“Well, why don’t you go in and take a shower and change and then we can go to lunch. Get you some hangover food.”

“That’s the thing, I’m not hungover. I think I had half a White Claw last night and that was it.”

Reuben pauses as he pulls his seatbelt off. “So you hooked up with Bagman completely, stone-cold sober... and you still think it was, what? A mistake?”

You sigh, pulling your own seatbelt off you. “I said I didn’t want to talk about this anymore.”

He follows you out of the car, door locking shut behind you as he follows you up the pavement towards the house. You reach for the doorknob, realizing it’s unlocked as you push it open, the cool air of the AC welcoming you into the home.

Mav spots you first, smiling as he unloads the dishwasher. “Hey hon. We were gonna see you you wanted to go to breakfast but you weren’t here and then Alice came by to see if you made it home after last night.”

You shrug, tucking your hands in the pocket on the sweatshirt. “Sorry, I got super fucked up last night and Reuben had picked me up and just took me to his place.”

“Hey Reuben.” Your Dad says, coming in from the back porch, watering can in his hand. “Hey kiddo.”

“The line dancing was so boring you had to drink to forget.” Reuben says, coming around you to sit at one of the chairs at the kitchen island. You snort, rubbing your eyes.

“Something like that. Hey, I think my shoes are still in your car.”

Reuben shrugs, pulling his phone out from his jean pocket. “You can grab them later. Do you still want to change and go get lunch?”

You nod. “If that’s okay with you.” You say, looking to your Dad.

He hums. “Told you kiddo. You’re welcome to come and go as you please.”

You shrug. “Still feel like I should ask. Give me like 20 minutes so I can shower?”

“Take as long sa you need, I know you still have some of those chai cookies Amelia made so I’m gonna go dig through your pantry for those.”

“Fourth shelf on the left.” Maverick says, setting a plate in the dishwasher.

Reuben gives you a goofy smile, sliding off the chair. “Perfect.”

You breath out a laugh, rolling your eyes as you turn to go up the stairs.

“Bagman’s been watching you all night.” Reuben whispers in your ear as you glance up at him from where you’re leaned over behind the bar.

“Yeah, I know.” You whisper back, not daring to spare the blond a glance. “Coyote too.”

He hums, curls bouncing as he stands up. “Hey, after we’re off, you wanna go get In’N’Out and then watch the High School Musical movies?”

You snort, sliding the beer you’re pouring across the bar. “Out of a frat for five months and suddenly you’re all for nights in?”

He shrugs, leaning across the bar as he crosses his arms. “For a Saturday night, it’s pretty slow.”

“Reuben.” You say, giving him a look. “I know what you’re after here and I’m not gonna give it to you.”

He sighs. “Fine, no High School Musical or In’N’Out. Be that way.”

“Why’re you watching High School Musical?” Amelia asks, a confused look on her face as you both turn.

You shake your head. “Nothing.”

“Well, Mom said to tell you’re both free to go.”

You glance at your watch. “It’s only 7:30?”

She gives a half-shrug. “Yeah, Mom said she’s got it from here tonight. I’m just waiting for Ruby to come pick me up.”

Reuben nods, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “Well, have a fun night little Benjamin.” Reuben turns to you as you both move to the back to clock out. “I’m still serious about the In’N’Out and High School Musical, though. I won’t ask you about him, I swear.”

You’re two glasses of Peach Bellini from Aldi, a burger and animal-style fries, and two and a half High School Musical movies into the night when your front door opens. You assume it’s your Dads as neither you or Reuben move.

“I wish someone loved me like Troy Bolton loved Gabriella.” You say, your chin tucked into the blanket you’re curled up under.

Reuben snorts. “C’mon, he sets the standard. Pizza and chocolate strawberries? Who could ask for more.”

“Chocolate strawberries and pizza and you consider that romance? The bar is in hell.” Comes Jake’s voice from behind you.

You shift, seeing Jake standing in your living room. He’s still dressed in his work khakis and you force yourself to look away before you get too caught up in admiring how good he looks, pulling yourself off the couch as Reuben pauses the movie.

“What’re you doing here, Bagman? It’s like 1 am.”

He bristles as you round the couch, following after you. “We need to talk.”

“I should go.” Reuben says, standing up from the couch. “Um, bye.” The sound of the front door opening and closing follows Rueben not too long after as Jake places his hands on his hips.

“Let’s talk.”

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“Why’d you leave this morning?”

You turn again, heading into the kitchen and towards the fridge. “Isn’t that what you do after a one-night stand?”

“No. Not us. Not after- You didn’t tell me your dad was Admiral Kazansky!”

You let out a bitter chuckle, shaking your head as you grab a beer from the fridge. “Not exactly a secret. Thought that was the whole point of you going after me.”

“What?”

You pop the beer open, finally turning to face him. “Thought that was the point. You sleep with me, you’ve just found one more way to piss off good ol’ Pops. Get under his skin.”

“That’s really what you think of me?”

“And when have you ever shown me any different Jake?”

He pauses. “Last night, that was real. And I- I really like you.” His voice drops to a whisper as he takes a few tentative steps towards you.

“Yeah, I’m sure you loved the chase Seresin. And now that you got what you wanted, the satisfaction that you were the one to fuck Admiral Kazinsky’s only daughter and child, you win.”

“That’s not- That’s not what any of this was about!” He exclaims, looking around in bewilderment.

“Then why’d you leave me alone this morning?”

“I was-” He bows his head. “It’s stupid.”

“No, tell me. I want to know!”

“I was making you breakfast! Okay? I was making you breakfast because I remember Rooster told me one time you liked to make yourself breakfast sandwiches. I was making you breakfast. And I was hoping that while we ate breakfast, we could sit down and talk about this like adults because I really like you.”

You let out a laugh. “Oh, I don’t believe that for a second. Making me breakfast? You do that for all your hookups or just the ones you want to keep in your back pocket?”

“What the hell are you even talking about? I was going to ask you out on a date! I- I wasn’t even sure if you’d go for me, a guy who’s a decade older than you, that’s why I never said anything before!”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from Mr. Carved By the Greek Gods.”

“Why are you searching for the worst meaning in everything I say?” He asks, throwing his hands up in frustration

“Because!” You snap.

“Because why?”

“You don’t get it, Jake. You don’t know what it’s like to know you were only born because of what your Dad couldn’t have. You have no idea what it’s like to grow up with your parents in a loveless marriage. You have no idea what it’s like to be the kid who everyone tells their kids to be friends with so you’ll tell your Dad their family is cool and maybe he’ll give their Dad a promotion. You have no idea what’s it’s like to not be invited around because people are afraid you’ll snitch. You have no idea what it’s like to be cozied up to just for a promotion. You have no idea what it’s like, to be a kid of one of the greats, with the expectation to become a great yourself. You have no idea what it’s like to have a legacy you have to follow knowing you don’t want a single piece of it. You have no idea what it’s like to know that the kid that isn’t even theirs will always be better than you because he took the path you didn’t want.

Happy endings don’t happen for me, Jake Seresin. So why should I pretend this is any different?”

Jake stares at you as tears roll down your cheeks in fat lumps. The front door opens again, Maverick’s voice echoing through the house. “Kiddo? You home?”

He comes into view as you lift up the collar of the sweatshirt you’re wearing to wipe away some of the tears.

“Is everything okay?” You hear your Dad ask.

“I was just leaving.” Jake says cautiously and you hear him walk towards the front door as you avoid eye contact with Maverick.

“What’s going between you and Lieutenant Sereisn?” Your Dad asks sharply and you sigh, dropping your head.

“Nothing. I’m going to bed.” You say, sucking in a deep breathe as you walk past them.

“So... I was thinking.” You say, pulling the carton of orange chicken from the plastic bag.

“Dangerous thing in this family.” Maverick jokes, pulling out the chopsticks.

“What if I quit my job at the Hard Deck?” You ask, keeping your eyes locked on the meat in front of you.

Your Dad hums as he opens the teriyaki broccoli. “I distinctly remember us agreeing that you would have a job if you were going to live here after graduation. Things don’t just get handed to you, you know this.”

“I remember the job being a suggestion, not a requirement.”

“What’s wrong with the Hard Deck?” Maverick asks, pulling out his chair out from the table. “Someone giving you trouble or something?”

You shake your head. “No, nothing like that. I just want to try out something else, you know? Like volunteering with the Midway, like we talked about over winter break?”

“You could do both, but you’re not quitting your job. Not if you expect to live here, nope, no way.”

“Ice...” Maverick whispers under his breath. “Honey, he doesn’t mean that-”

“No Mav, I’m serious. My parents didn’t hand me everything and I’m certainly not going to hand her anything either.”

“No, no one gets handed anything unless your name is Bradley Bradshaw in which case he gets handed everything because Mav and Ice feel guilty over his Dad’s death.”

Bradley’s head flies up from where he’s picking through his stir fry at your words.

“That’s not fair.” Your Dad says sternly, pointing his chops ticks at you. “We paid for UVA because the agreement was that he’d join the Navy after he went.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to be in the Navy!” You snap.

“And that’s fine-” Maverick tries, voice soft.

“Is it? Because I’m starting to get the idea that it’s not.”

“We should leave.” Comes bob’s voice, a quiet whisper. “This is family stuff, we shouldn’t-” You look over to see some of the pilots standing near the front door where the dining room is.

You huff, chair screeching against the floor as you stand up. “Don’t bother. They’ve got their happy Navy family. Doesn’t include eme.” You push past Hangman and Coyote on your way out, front door slamming behind you.

As you walk down the sidewalk, you can hear Jake’s voice call out for you.

“C’mon, where are you going? You don’t even have any shoes on.”

“Go away Jake.” You call back, wincing at the heat of the pavement, baking in the San Diego sun all day.

“Come here, will you at least put shoes on for me?” You turn, seeing him holding your flip flops that you usually chuck precariously by the front door that Maverick always trips over when he comes home. “Please.”

You sigh, holding out your hands as he tosses you the shoes. You slip them on as a silence settles between the two of you.

“This wasn’t always just about me.”

You let you a bitter chuckle, letting your arms fall to your side. “Nope, you caught me. I actually have daddy issues which is insane considering all he’s ever done is love me.”

“Just because they love doesn’t make them any less absent.” He says, taking a cautious step towards you. “You know, the house always feels too quiet when they’re gone. You grow up knowing you got to be just like them, knowing they’ll see anything less as a failure, even if they’d never say that out loud. I know you, a little too well. Because you were wrong that night. I know you. I know what it’s like. You’re at least better than me and put your foot down and told them that wasn’t what you wanted.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that. I’m 22, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, and here I am picking fights with my brother figure just because I’m mad for something he can’t control.”

He finally closes the distance. He reaches out for your cheek, guiding you gaze up to meet his sea-glass eyes. “I should’ve done this right from the beginning. Ask you out on a date, bring you flowers, take you somewhere nice. I never should’ve let you think this was just a one-night stand. I just always liked how easy it was with you. How fun it was. I reveled in the fact that you’d blush when I would flirt with you. Your cheeks would go scarlet, almost maroon, you know? But you were just-” He shakes his head. “I just liked you.”

“Jake...” You whisper, pulling back from him. “We’re over a decade apart from each other.”

“I know that.”

“My Dad would kill you.”

“I know that too. But hell, darling, I’m willing to try for you.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this right now.” You say, shaking your head.

He sighs. “You’re right. We’re not doing this right now. We can discuss this later. Right now, you need a friend. And because in all your storming out glory, I’m assuming you forgot your phone, so... can I call anyone for you? Reuben? Bob, maybe?”

You shake your head again, reaching out for his hand.

“You, Jake. I just want you.”

He watches the door shut behind Jake as he turns back to the group of pilots. “Anyone want to cough up as to why my daughter’s acting so weird?”

Natasha throws up her hand in defense. “I know nothing.”

Mickey shrugs, looking at Bob. “She hasn’t said anything to us.”

He eyes Javy, who’s suddenly staring the cream white ceiling like it’s the most interesting ceiling he’s seen in his life. He steps a few feet closer to him, catching the man’s attention.

“Lieutenant Machado?” He shrugs, sticking in his hands in his pockets as he continues to walk forward. “You want to cough up to what’s going on between Lieutenant Seresin and my daughter?”

“Not particularly. Bro codes and all that.”

He fixes Javy with a look. “Hm, okay. And what about the code of doing what your commanding officer asks?”

Javy withers under his look. “They um- they hooked up. Slept together.”

It’s dead silent in the room for a minute before he speaks again.

“I’m going to kill him.”

#jake hangman seresin #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin fic #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin fic #top gun: maverick #top gun: maverick fic #maroon

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cupcakeslushie · 6 months

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Okay. I've been tip-toeing around this AU for a while now, but I just got caught up, and now I think I have a (decent) grasp on what's going on. So I wanna go over everything I know so far to see if I'm right or wrong on anything. Don't know if you'd be willing to correct me or not. Either way, I hope my mistakes can help you understand what to clarify to other fans like me. But, I also have some questions. You probably won't be able to answer most of them, but it's at least worth a shot.

First, where's Venus? Like, why is she not in your comics that are (sort of) separate frome the canon now story. The ones that skip to the future way after all the turtles reunite. Did she die? Did she escape? Is it because she wasn't introduced yet when you made those comics?

Two, why do you keep on making references to the future timeline? I know you're planning on possibly making your own stuff leading up to the events of the movie. It just gives me a jumpscare when I see certain...imagery in those comics. I guess you're hinting at what your version of the future apocalypse would look like, but it just hurts to see. Specifically in the comic explaining both the events and aftermath of the movie and the bad future timeline. It's starting to really confuse my brain as to where this story is headed. What's meant to be the main focus? The Hamto's reuniting? The aftermath? Or the future?

Third, did you make all those min-comics before you started the actual AU? Or did you do them during?

Fourth, are any of those mini-comics relevant to the actual story now? Or have you changed your mind on a few things? It's just that everything is so all over the place, I don't really know whether to trust if they're accurate. I know most of them are just there for funzies, but the longer ones concern me. I guess I'm just not used to the storyteller doing sequel, start, prequel, start, sequel, prequel, prequel, sequel, and then end. Or maybe it's just me, and I'm sleep deprived.

My little observation speech is gonna take a while for me to get out in your asks because when I get theoretical, my speech gets long, and my proper English goes down the drain. So I'll be back. I appreciate your work very much. Despite the pain it causes me, it's still amazing.

I’ll try my best to clear up what confusion I can!

1. As far as Venus. The answer is kind of a mix of, I was still figuring out her design and backstory while coming out with some of those early comics, and then, once I had that down, I wanted the boys to grow strong bonds as a main cast. That’s why a lot of the side characters are only making small appearances in the Sep!AU Life stories, as those are mainly for the boys reconnecting. (Usagi shows up the most because I love him and am totally biased towards him).

This maybe hasn’t been stated outright, but I wasn’t really expecting so many ppl to like Vee as much as they do, and now im trying not to spoil too much of her story. It’ll unfortunately just take us a while to get to the meat of it. Since the boys reconnecting takes up a lot of the early s1s2 story, Im trying to follow the familiar Rise blueprint of Draxum, Shredder, Krang, and then in s3 we’ll have crazy fun new stories with the extra characters.

Ive also decided to take this little nugget from one of the Q&As, and use it for Venus instead of Jennika. It was a much needed bit of inspiration to explain why Venus sorta disappears for a while and will go through some major physical changes (not yet revealed) before the family can figure out a way to reach her.

2. I’m not sure if you mean jump scared in a bad/triggering or neutral way, but if you need me to tag anything on those posts please let me know!

The glimpses of the future timeline, are being scattered throughout wherever they parallel the present story in little ways, but that’s only for now. As we get closer to the movie plot, bigger chunks of the future will be revealed, because the future versions of the boys will have a larger role to play in the present timeline. So we will need more backstory than what the canon got. And also I just enjoy drawing my future versions so sometimes I don’t think too hard on a reason. I just like throwing them at ppl with no warning or reason.

When s2 ends, I plan on collecting all the future related stuff that’s been released, and recapping it for easier reading. Right now, it’s just little sprinkles of foreshadowing to give ppl an idea that, ‘oh crap. The doomed timeline is a bummer’. In my mind, I guess i thought it’d be kinda like a fun scavenger hunt for clues, but maybe ppl don’t like that 😅

3. All of the side-stories were written as the main comic was/is being released. A lot of them resulted from asks that just spawned the need to expand on certain ideas, or a desire to give all the turtles their time to shine.

For instance, when I was doing Donnie’s section of the main comic, it was a good few months where we hardly saw anyone but him and Venus. I wanted to just mix it up, and give Raph some love with his ‘Raph Time’ short. When Leo was front and center in the main, we hardly saw the others, so Mikey and Donnie got their little ‘Secrets’ short (and it was also I fun thank you for EW making it so far in the tmnt sep competition).

4. Anything that has been reworked/revised or just plain dropped should have an ‘Edit’ note because yes—I have gone back and changed some things, but more so from the asks i got in the early days, and some movie idea drafts.

All the short comics done in the last year, especially the ones that are listed in my pinned post, are canon and fall somewhere in the timeline. They’re like supplemental reading though—extra meat to give the world and the characters more personality. They do have particular backstory plot and important info in them, but nothing that shouldn’t eventually be re-visited/repeated in the main story.

um I hope that cleared up some things! I know it’s kind of a crazy amount of lore. I’ve tried my best to organize it in the pinned post, huge timeline, and search bar tags, but I know it’s getting harder and harder for newer ppl to jump in as it just get bigger. Thanks for reading regardless!

#rottmnt #tmnt #ask slushie #separated au #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt separated au #sep!au infodump #ew au #Empyrean Weeping Au

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ezdotjpg · 7 months

Note

ok but know I need you to Tell Me Things about the Zeldas. all of them. I am literally*bouncing*.

(I love how both your TP Link and Zelda have RBF. they have truly Had It)

HEHE sorry i held onto this ask until I had all the Zelda designs posted, and then I,,,forgot to do that lol.

some Bonus Zelda thoughts! some of this i've maybe said before idk:

ALTTP Zelda

her armor is more ceremonial than practical. While I didn't give this to every Queen Zelda, I liked the idea of the princess's pauldrons progressing to more plate armor in the queen's dress. That's also why I changed her color scheme to blue to differentiate from the princess' pink (exceptions for this being HW Zelda who wears red as queen, ST Zelda who still wears pink as queen and BOTW Zelda who wore blue as princess)

anyway. she's more of a scholar than a warrior but she still has killer aim with a bow

her pet project has been recovering, restoring, and filling in the gaps of the royal library and archive. Mage helps her out with this as he has a knack for stumbling upon forgotten ancient texts in his travels

A lot of ppl assume she's rather prim or austere but she's actually got a lot of whimsy and humor in her. It's why she and Mage get along so well :D

She lets Mage get away with a lot of shenanigans and keeps the royal guard from arresting his ass all the time

if mage is ur weird uncle she's like. ur cool aunt

Tetra

she's still sailing the seas with her crew!

she and Wake have had a bit of a falling out though, partially over disagreements about searching for New Hyrule, and have gone their separate ways for now. There's not any real animosity between them, just like,,,frustration. They'd still do anything for each other.

She's got 2 pistols and a cutlass and she knows how to use them

She could bench press Wake. easily.

She's brash and commands a lot of respect but she's also a lot of fun to be around. She's brutally honest and says what's on her mind.

I think she still feels a lot of confusion and frustration about the revelations about her lineage and the role King Daphnes seemed to force on her because of it. She doesn't want much to do with what the divine. She values the freedom sailing on the sea gives her.

TP Zelda

she's. so tired. a lot of the responsibility of rebuilding the kingdom has fallen squarely on her shoulders. She's holding shit together by a thread but by god is she holding it together.

Looks pretty cold and unapproachable but she has a kind heart. She cares deeply for the people of her kingdom. She would sacrifice a lot for them and already has.

Never relaxes. Works like 24/7. get this girl a hobby

Midzel canon. Midna also had a thing with Link but it wasn't a polycule more of a this is my girlfriend Midna and this is Midna's boyfriend Link kind of a situation. Anyway she misses Midna.

Wolf and Zelda are like. coworkers. They haven't really gotten any closer in the aftermath of everything. Wolf wants nothing to do with playing the role of the hero in a political sense like Zelda keeps asking him to. I don't think Zelda necessarily blames him for escaping that responsibility, but she Is frustrated she doesn't have that luxury.

MC Zelda

a little cutie!! very bubbly and extroverted and curious about the world. She spends a lot of time outside of the castle running around with Mini. The King is so glad she's safe after everything he still just lets her do whatever she wants lol

She used to be the one dragging Mini into shenanigans all the time but he's gained a lot of confidence over his quest and is less timid now. now they are equally engaging in shenanigans

Hangs out with Malon too!! The three of them are besties

I like to think she can also still see the minish even if she can't shrink down to their size. she thinks they're so cute. Maybe mini gives her a jabbernut so she can speak to them too :-)

She helps Mini build his fucked up little trash robots. She also pretties them up with paint

scolded by castle staff frequently for getting grass stains and dirt on her nice clothes lol. She probably isn't usually running around in her full princess garb though.

Like Mini, has mostly refused to process most of what happened to her and is just trying to enjoy life.

Prince Zel

I went back and forth about whether or not I wanted to go with naming him Sheik or not. I decided against it since this is the version of him that never had to become Sheik. He keeps Zelda as a legacy name and shortens it to Zel most of the time.

Pretty lonely in the castle without many friends his age. He desperately wants to be better friends with Mask but is mostly rebuffed.

Even though he doesn't have to become Sheik in this timeline, I think he has begun training with Impa. Just under a lot less duress

Still occasionally has prophetic visions but has become somewhat hesitant about sharing them. I think he understands a little more of what went on in other timelines than he lets on, but he doesn't know or put together all of it.

Often described as odd or intense or standoffish by ppl who meet him but he can be really chatty and lively under the right circumstances

HW Zelda

Her armor is also mostly ceremonial, even though she's definitely more of a warrior queen. She and War are both dressed to project 'peace time' and 'prosperity'. She has other sets of armor that are more suited for combat.

She and War are a lot alike, calculating and cunning, which is why they understand each other. It's also why they're often at each other's throats. They're not really above backstabbing each other, though has Queen she has a lot more leverage.

She's not exactly warm or particularly kind, but she does care about the safety of the Kingdom.

Also never relaxes and works like 24/7

Constantly dealing with a tense, power-hungry and antagonistic court looking to undermine her authority. She has her own private ambitions she's working towards.

ALBW Zelda

She's a really charming and fun person! very down to earth as Queen and a lot more willing to eschew tradition.

She comes across as carefree but she's been ruling Hyrule by herself since she was young and has been subject to a lot of pressure. She had to grow up pretty fast and is wiser than she seems at first glance. She has her court and the people's respect.

She and Mirror share an interest in fashion and the arts. They're,,, they're both theatre kids.

I don't have a lot of other headcanons abt her yet sorry but. i love her

ST Zelda

Has been crowned Queen at the ripe old age of 16 because the last time they appointed a chancellor he turned out to be a demon who stole her body. so

She does not feel ready to be Queen at all but she's doing her best. She's determined not to let anybody push her around again.

She's taken an interest in learning how to fight after the events of spirit tracks. She never wants to feel as helpless as she did then, trapped as a ghost outside her body. Also she really enjoyed hitting things with a giant sword in her big phantom armor. She's become a much better swordsman than Spirit ever was lol

She specifically requested her own suit of armor to mimic the phantom armor

she's pretty protective of Spirit

BOTW Zelda

I think she was conscious for all 103 of those years fighting ganon, even if it seems somewhat blurry and surreal to her now. She remembers it in fits and bursts. She often feels disconnected from her body.

She has no interest in reviving the monarchy or ruling over Hyrule again. However she does have an interest in rebuilding Hylian towns and helping all of Hyrule recover. She still feels like it's her responsibility, not because of her role as princess, but because of what she perceives as her own failure to avert tragedy.

she doesn't just blame herself though- she blames the gods and her father too.

Right now though she's mostly taking a break to get her bearings and recover from 103 years of endless fighting. She and Slate travelled around Hyrule for a while at first, and now she's settled in Hateno trying to figure out how to be normal again. Some rebuilding efforts have already started spearheaded by Hudson and she helps out with those.

SKSW Zelda

honestly not even she is sure what parts of her are herself and what parts are hylia. it's as disconcerting for her as it is for Loft. She's both frustrated that he looks at her differently now and understands completely why he does. She still wishes he wouldn't.

she remembers more about being the goddess than she necessarily lets on

she's really invested in the settlement on the surface and is basically its unofficial leader. she puts a lot of time and effort into making sure everything is going according to plan and that they have everything they need to keep living on the surface

she's protective of Loft and worries a lot for him. She blames herself for a lot of what he struggles with now and wants to make it better.

she's not the fun police though, she likes a death-defying loftwing stunt as much as the next person

she did become a knight after the events of skyward sword! They don't really wear the uniforms down on the surface much anymore though and it's become less of a formal order while everyone focuses on building and improving the village.

She's been working on her swordsmanship

I think she really loves music and singing

#long post #bonus lore #dusting off that tag #bonus alttp zelda #bonus tetra #bonus tp zelda #bonus oot zel #bonus albw zelda #bonus mc zelda #bonus botw zelda #bonus hw zelda #bonus skord zelda #bonus links #bonuslinks #bonuslinksdotjpg

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blackmoonlightexpress · 7 months

Text

A Guide on Ashes of Love (for TTEOTM fans)

For TTEOTM fans debating whether to watch Ashes of Love (or struggling with how long it is), I highly recommend that you CHECK IT OUT and STICK WITH IT!

Why? A lot of people think that it's Luo Yunxi at his best looks-wise. It's the role that made him a household name and really defined the ethereal white-robed male god in Chinese pop culture. Runyu has much more screentime than is typical for a second male lead. And while it has a lot of filler, it also has some of the best scenes, lines, music, cinematography, and fight choreography among xianxias.

Now, there are problems with the drama... especially in retrospect, the two biggest are: (1) It's infamous for stretching 36 episodes into 63 because mo' episodes, mo' money. On the bright side, this gave the drama a bigger budget to play with, hence grander sets, better CGI, nicer costumes. (2) The naive female lead and love trumps all plot now feel dated and perhaps even problematic. However, Yang Zi is a compelling actress and there's enough politics to keep mature viewers around.

So here's a guide to the 63 episodes, for those who want the "lay of the land". You can decide for yourself what to watch or skip. Naturally it's hard to avoid spoilers, but I've kept them mild.

Episodes 1-5: Jinmi travels to the heavenly realm (Bloat Score: 3/5)

This is mainly Jinmi meeting different characters and having fun in the heavenly realm. You can speed watch as it's light on plot. Runyu only appears for 1-2 scenes per episode, but his fight scenes are beautiful (EP1-35m, EP3-27m, EP5-37m)!

Episodes 6-8: The four leads travel to the Demon Realm (Bloat Score: 2/5)

This part is pretty action-packed. Jinmi surprises everyone with her powers. Blossoming romance between the leads. Runyu has a more consistent presence. Would watch at normal speed.

Episodes 9-17: The two brothers compete for Jinmi while uncovering her true identity (Bloat Score: 1/5)

The plot really picks up here as you start to get hooked on solving the mystery of Jinmi's identity and affairs of the past generation. I particularly liked the mini climaxes in Ep 12 and 15.

Episodes 18-34: Jinmi & Xufeng undergoes human trial + Runyu's backstory (Bloat Score: 4/5)

This is the plot within the plot that was not in the source novel and has no reason to exist other than to increase runtime and give viewers more romance between the leads. If you didn't like the dream arc in TTEOTM, this will be even worse. Lucky for us they've also fleshed out Runyu's backstory and perspective in Ep 29-32, where viewers started rooting for Runyu instead.

Episode 35-45: Jinmi decides who to marry as the brothers head to epic showdown (Bloat Score: 2/5)

The drama takes a more serious tone here, with more angst, tragedy, and power play. Runyu sheds his innocence and fights for his own corner. You also get to see him confess his love to Jinmi in one of my favorite scenes in Ep 37.

Episode 46-59: The aftermath aka a big stew of tears, blood-spitting, regret, hurt (Bloat Score: 4/5)

Frankly I found this part painful to watch and repetitive. I can't recall what happens other than it builds up to another epic fight between the brothers Helen of Troy style. Runyu is at his darkest and there are a few TTJ-like obsessive love scenes between him and Jinmi (EP50-19m, EP56-28m, EP57-15m, EP58-25m)

Episodes 60-63 The Ending (Bloat Score: 2/5)

A pretty satisfying ending. The big battle itself takes place in Ep 61, so there are 2 full episodes to resolve things between the characters and give them a proper ending. Runyu's final scene is done very well and always gives me the goosebumps (EP63-39m)

Also, there are lots of scenes of the third couple (demon princess and her bodyguard) spliced throughout. If it doesn't do anything for you, just skip - it has no impact to the main plot.

Have fun watching!

#till the end of the moon #black moonlight holds the be script #luo yunxi #cdrama #chang yue jin ming #chinese drama #tteotm #tantai jin #ashes of love #runyu #jinmin

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kess-in-the-perthchimzone · 6 months

Text

Mini fic: Wind & windmill tattoos

For @naomi-obsessions — I so deeply appreciate that you love the Critical Obsession podcast as much as I do and have shared your feedback with them! And based on this absolutely phenomenal post by @srnileforme (who also gets the credit for the image immediately below)

The week of a major conference at the university, Sailom walks away from his shifts at the coffee shop with hundreds of baht in tips from international visitors looking to get rid of their banknotes. The money burns a hole in his pocket during his rainy walk home. Even years later, even with his debts fully paid, he can’t turn off the voice in his head that tells him to save it for the end of the month. He has to argue with himself for a few minutes until the thought subsides — he doesn’t need to save it. Between his scholarship and his part time jobs, he has plenty stashed away.

What he really wants to do with it is use it for something nice for Kang. Their fourth anniversary is coming up and he knows from experience that Kang is going to go all out. It’s one of two days a year — his birthday being the second — that Kang has negotiated to be able to spoil him without protest. At an absolute minimum, Sailom can expect some expensive dinner, at least one new outfit, and a night in a five-star hotel. All of which he genuinely appreciates — and he knows Kang loves the time together.

But Sailom wants to … “beat” is probably not a good word to use when thinking about the person you love. He wants to win this year. He wants to do something so romantic Kang can’t possibly top it. It’s his turn.

As he passes under a tree, fat drops of water hit against the umbrella and the splattering sound makes him glance up. He stares at the windmill motif emblazoned overhead. In a brilliant flash, the idea comes to him. He smiles the entire rest of the way.

It takes some real finagling to avoid Kang seeing him shirtless for a week. Given Kang’s complete disregard for privacy, Sailom can’t risk showering around him. Or changing. Or just wearing a particularly nice shirt that Kang might want to take off him.

To be safe, Sailom invents a major test the morning of their of anniversary plans. He’s out the door every single day before sunrise and home late enough that Kang is usually asleep by the time he climbs into the bed. By the end of the week, Sailom is a month ahead in his work, so tired he can barely keep his eyes open, and desperately wanting to take a nap with Kang’s hand splayed across his chest.

All of that fades into the background at the way Kang looks at the tattoo like it’s the most precious thing he’s ever seen in his life. He has a huge smile on his face but his eyes have been brimming with tears since he first recognized the design now permanently marked below Sailom’s collarbone. Water threatens to spill over at any minute.

“I — you — that—“ Every time Kang tries to speak, he has to break off on a hitching breath.

Sailom starts laughing then, although he feels suddenly like crying too. He takes Kang’s hand and pulls it until his palm rests over Sailom’s heart, completely covering the windmill.

“If you ever doubt my love for you, just look here,” he begins. As he continues, his voice drops, losing all traces of amusement. It’s the most serious promise he’s ever made. “And know you have my entire heart.”

Kang starts crying in full then, the hardest Sailom has seen in a very long time. Sailom pulls him forward, wrapping him in a tight hug. He feels Kang’s wet nose brush against his collarbone.

“Can I get one too?” Kang finally asks, some long time later in a muffled, choked voice.

They don’t make it out to dinner that night. Kang spends what feels like hours kissing the skin around the ink until the skin is as pink and tingling as it was in the immediate aftermath of the appointment. Then, when Sailom is flushed and swearing at him, barely able to stand it anymore, he keeps going downwards.

((A few weeks later, catching glimpses of the inked lines of the wind above Kang’s heart when the deep vee of Kang’s shirt parts tantalizingly further, Sailom fully understands the feeling.))

((Want your own mini fic? Show me proof that you submitted a question or feedback to the Dangerous Romance Celebration hosted by @criticallyobs before midnight your time on this Thursday and I’ll tackle the Kang/Sailom prompt of your choosing))

#dangerous romance #kanghansailom #kess sometimes writes fic not meta

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capn-twitchery · 3 months

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Tell me some fun snippets from your brain (not winning at getting them out without invitation but I also want to Know)

OOOH thank you let me see what i've got,,,,here is a definitely incomplete list of incomplete concepts rattling around in my brain that i wanna expand on sometime

backstory stuff for both of them! red honey stuff for twitch i still gotta iron out the details for

& stuff for grace pre-neath which is very vague currently, and i FINALLY figured out why he's doing nemesis--but it's not for himself. it's for a dead guy that he murdered

also wanted to do an interactive story from grace's pov of the aftermath of the ship ending up in the neath & the search to find help, slowly losing crew along the way (tragically Or murderously) up to when twitch bails him out

evolution gripped me by the brain and i really wanna clink twitch against the second sacristan (as Enemies of some kind) but i gotta figure out where i'm going there. you can definitely get a bad ending AU out of it but i'm not sure what else!!

speaking of bad endings, sending grace to the grand geode to get Dawnpilled >:3c he ends up there in canon anyway (and gets out before he ends up as a sequencer) but both would be fun to explore

i have some wips for this already but some ideas for the SSea officers on twitch's crew, their dynamics, their history with twitch, etc etc. there has to be some drama there, i can't imagine murdering and resurrecting the navigator for purely selfish reasons does nothing to the crew dynamics

i also have about 100 unorganised snippets of dialogue or mini comics in my head,, most of them are just silly goofy things based on me trying to figure out wtf grace and twitch have going on

their first meeting(s), feelings about developing crushes (horrified, mostly), overdramatic arguments bc neither of them can verbalise their feelings if it kills them, twitch being a goddamn weirdo, but also cuter things. because i am nothing if not a hurt/comfort fan 😌

(i hope this was even semi understandable to anyone other than me!! i am notorious for never pinning my ideas down. thank you for asking me to ramble it is Always appreciated♥︎)

#i am also So willing to expand on anything if anybody wants to know #but i also hope i'll keep gaining courage to just post about it without prompting >:3 gotta take my own advice. no more npc syndromr #anyway thank you again for the ask ;;♥︎#this is a very optimistic list of things to write for a guy who is too afraid to write or post writing #londonmusings #inquiries #hurdygurdywizard

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jaxteller87 · 3 months

Text

Where I Need to Be

had just pulled into the clubhouse after returning from New York to see how everyone’s been. It’s been six months since my parents passed away, and I was feeling particularly down about it. I wanted to stop by to check in on the boys, but more specifically, I wanted to see how Teller was doing. Even though we weren’t dating the whole time I was in NY, I was hoping to spend some time with him dor the few days I was in Charming. When I wheeled into the clubhouse, it was wrecked. They must have had some hell of a party. I made my way past all the garbage, hung over hang-arounds, and knocked on the dorm door. Receiving no answer, I gently pushed it open.

There, I saw my best friend in bed, lighting a cigarette. I looked over to the bathroom and saw Ima standing in the doorway, tits out, with a smile playing on her lips. “Good morning,” she smirked. I looked back at Jax, and I felt the room start to spin. I felt nauseous and dizzy, but of all things, I felt like I was in the right place at the wrong time.

“Well, I’ll leave you guys to whatever it is you were doing,” I said. I meant to simply shut the door, but I put a little too much mustard on it and slammed it instead. I didn’t care, though; I just rolled back out to the bar where Tig was.

“Well, hello there, babydoll; good to see you,” he looked like shit, but Tig usually did when he was surrounded by a dozen Coronoa’s at 1 PM on a Wednesday.

“Hey, Tiggy.”

“What are you drinking, doll face?” he asked, brushing off the table, clearing it of cigarette buts, ashes, peanut shells, and some mysterious fluids I hoped were spilled beer.

“Coke with lime, please,” I smiled and rolled up to the table.

“Did you know Jax was with Ima?” I asked curiously as Tig reached over the bar to grab my drink from the mini-fridge.

“What? He was?” Tig was a shit liar, and I heard it in his tone before I even had to look in his eyes.

“He did what?” Donna shouted from behind us. I didn’t even know she was there, nor did I hear her come in.

“Yup. I walked into the aftermath a few minutes ago. I opened the door to the dorm room, and there they were.”

“Damn. I’m sorry, bestie,” Donna sat down beside me, “I guess I knew too. Opie said something about it last night, but there was alcohol involved, and I thought he was just talking nonsense. That’s usually all he ever finds at the bottom of the bottle.”

“Well, we all know what Jax found at the bottom of his bottle,” I quipped, “And if you go look, I bet you she’s still in his room getting dressed.”

“Are you okay?” Donna whispered in my ear.

I rested my head on her shoulder. “No, not really,” I whispered back.

Just then, Ima came walking down the hall with the smuggest of smiles. If I could have lept out of my wheelchair to kick her ass, I would have. I think Donna wanted to beat her ass too, but for the sake of keeping it civil, at least for the moment, she just glanced at her with the devil’s eyes.

“If looks could kill,” I heard one of the boys say from the half-packed clubhouse.

I had no right to be angry. We aren’t together anymore, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting a little. I don’t know what I expected out of him either; I mean, just because I wasn’t out and about spreading my legs didn’t mean he couldn’t do what he did with— with her. Even thinking her name made me want to throw up in my mouth.

“We could go slash her tires,” Donna whispered.

“Hey, let’s fight nicely, ladies. Keep it to hair pulling and slapping,” Tig winked. “I can get the kiddie pool out of the storage shed, and we can fill it with Jello or pudding, your choice.”

“You’re gross. Has anyone ever told you that?” Donna winced.

“Not today, but it’s early,” Tig blew her a kiss and then went back to his own little world, letting us to our conversation.

“Donna, we aren’t together. He can sleep with whoever he wants,” I dipped my finger into my soda and stirred it around, a clear sign I was feeling overly anxious about the whole ordeal.

“I know, but it’s Ima. He knows better than this,” Donna said. “I love Jax, and I don’t think this was personal, but you really got to think, sweetheart—”

“What’s that?” I asked, sipping my drink.

“He could have any girl, and the ones he can’t have, he could probably find a way to get. Why Ima? Why did he fuck the only one that you’d give a shit about?”

That was true; it did really hurt, but at the same time, I don’t think I would have liked to walk in on him with anyone. I was perfectly fine with the illusion that neither of us was hooking up with anyone else, but I wasn’t ready to do the math right now.

A few minutes later, Opie walked back the hall, I’m guessing to get Jax. They were only gone a moment before they both came out. Jax looked like he had just gotten out of the shower, and Opie gave Donna and me a little side-eye. I couldn’t tell if he was saying, ‘Have at it’ or ‘Go easy on him,’ but the truth was, I wasn’t looking for a fight. Jax came over and pulled a chair up between Donna and me and sat on it backward like all the teenagers do. He had a shameful, disgusted look on his face, but I couldn’t tell if it was because he felt guilty or if it was the fact that I caught him in the act.

“Hey, how have—”

SLAP!

Without missing a beat, Donna whacked him upside his head. “Please, for the love of all that’s holy, Teller, tell me you put a hat on little Jax before you jumped into that cesspool,” she said loud enough to garner a look and a scoff from Ima, who was now sitting with two prospects.

“Ow! Christ, Donna! I was horny, I didn’t have a death wish!” he responded. Ima heard that, too, and her mouth dropped to the floor. It was funny, and I smirked, but I didn’t laugh.

Jax looked up at me with those puppy dog eyes and a disappointed look on his face. “Sorry, you walked in on that. Everyone was drinking last night, and honestly, it was a hole in the dark before I realized who it was. Not that it makes it right, but I don’t want you thinking there was a deeper meaning behind it.”

I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse. Just a hole in the dark? Maybe guys just go through it differently than girls. Although, I knew Jax long enough to know when he was full of shit, and this was not one of those times. “Hey, we’re not together anymore. You can sleep with whoever you want.”

Next thing I knew, the two prospects sitting with the queen of the crows had started fist-fighting each other, a scuffle fueled by Ima, no less. Needless to say, Jax had to deal with it, and that was pretty much it.

Later on that evening, I ended up at Jax’s place. I don’t really remember how I got here, but it started with heading out to the park with Donna and Ope. They got hungry so we stopped for burgers, and low and behold, I now found myself sitting on Jax’s porch. Ope had a surprise for Donna and said I could go along if I wanted, but I didn’t want to be a third wheel. Plus, I think they kind of wanted to get Jax and me together to talk about what happened earlier. These two red birds showed up shortly after I got here, and I’ve been infatuated with them while I replayed the past few months in my head.

“You’re the only face I see,” Teller said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Huh?” I said, confused.

“When I’m with someone, you’re the only face I see,” he clarified. “I need you here. This is where you need to be!”

I just rolled my eyes, “Yeah, I’m sure.” I started to lead my chair inside, and he followed right behind, helping me get my wheels over the door ledge. “I can do it, but thanks.”

“I’m not even going to try to explain myself because I already said what it was. I was drunk and stupid, and she was willing and easy.”

“I get it. You don’t need to say shit, really. You’re a big boy, and you can do big-boy stuff with whoever you want. I’m not sure if it would have made a difference, but I just can’t bear the fact that it was Ima. Fuckin Ima, Jax! Maybe I don’t want to see you fucking anybody, or maybe I just don’t want to see you fucking anybody but me, but of all the crows in the nest you got with Ima!” I yelled. I can’t believe I just told him I didn’t want to see him fuck anyone but me.

Before I knew it, he had my face sandwiched between in his hand, and he was kissing me like we were the lead roles in a romance movie, and this was our big, sappy ending. In the heat of the moment, I dug my fingers into the chest of his shirt and ripped it off his body.

“I’ll buy you a new shirt, I promise.”

“I don’t care about the damn shirt!” he said, helping me out of my pants.

A little while later, we were both lying on the floor, all cuddled up. I gently scratched his beard as he smiled and kissed my forehead. He was right; this is where I needed to be.

#jax teller imagine #jax teller x disabled reader #jax teller x oc

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queseraone · 3 months

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Who are 5 guest actors that you would love to see return to the show? (Doesn’t matter how big or small their roles were in the first place)

Oh fun! This was actually pretty easy, because between the characters who have been killed off (and thus can't really return) and Nolan's former love interests (no thank you), there's not that many to choose from...

Kojo (Macklin the dog) - I know, I know, it's hard to film with animals, yadda yadda yadda, but please let us see this good boy again in season 6. Just one appearance?? PRETTY PLEASE??

Genny Bradford (Peyton List) - They moved her character back to Los Angeles, so it would be damn shame to not see her again! I loved seeing her interacting with both Tim and Lucy (and Tim and Lucy together), so I really hope she'll be back around soon.

Percy West (Michael Beech) - He had such a commanding presence, his friendship with Grey was really nice, and the extra layer to the LAPD he brought was so interesting. Do I want him around all the time? Absolutely not. But to have him pop up on occasion in the aftermath of a case (say, Tim's shooting in 5x19 for example) would be great!

Pete Nolan (Pete Davidson) - This may be a controversial choice, but I personally find him hilarious in small doses. He's such a great foil for John Nolan, and I think that's why I enjoy it whenever he shows up—he knocks Nolan off-balance! I know Nolan is the main character, but frankly it's boring to see everything be so easy for him, and you can always count on Pete to throw a wrench into things.

Abigail (Madeleine Coghlan) - It was cool to see her interacting with both Tim and Lucy when she was on her ride-along with Tim and Nolan, and I would just love to see her back one day, ideally as a rookie herself? She was fun! (At minimum I'd love to see her - and Henry - back for Nolan's wedding, but I'm not holding my breath!)

Honorable Mentions:

Rosalind Dyer (Annie Wersching) - Sadly we all know this one can't happen, but she was hands-down the most interesting baddie, and thus one of the greatest guest stars, so I just can't exclude her from this list.

Valerie Castillo (Rosalind Sánchez) - Listen, I'm just such a sucker for guest stars that are connected to cast members (spouses, former co-stars, etc.—I'm looking at you, mini Castle and Firefly reunions) and so for that reason alone I'd love to have her back. The reason she didn't make the top 5 is I'm not entirely sure what they would do with her character, but if it happens, I'm here for it.

Vanessa Chen (Lauren Tom) - She only gets an honorable mention because I fucking hate her... but I would love to see some kind of follow-up to her previous appearances. And I'm weirdly conflicted about what I want to have happen with her. I would love to see Lucy tell her mother off, to shove her happiness and success in her face... but I would also like to see some kind of resolution there too?

Did I miss anyone??? Do you disagree with me? Who would you add?

Hit me with more fun questions! 😊

#the rookie #fun questions #asked and answered #roguetwelve #chenford

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baratiddyappreciator · 4 months

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Baki boys with a reader who’s a majorette? Search it up and if you don’t mind its kinda apart of black culture (i’m black myself)

I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I had that monster of a post brewing up and am slowly catching up! Also fun fact the first thing that popped up was a toy company and I was so confused.

Baki:

Flabberghasted. You do what?! He's kinda dumb so you do need to just explain to him what a majorette is, but once you do he thinks it's the coolest thing out there, he wants to see you pop off and just go.

He's honestly impressed once he does see you in action. From the costumes to the choreography, he thinks it makes you look stunning, and he admires the coordination that it takes to pull some of those moves off.

He's got the water and a snack ready for you for when you finish up with practice or a performance, he knows it's hard work and he wants his baby to stay hydrated and well-fed. Especially if it's hot outside? He's going to make sure that your sugars are up and that you're not sweating too much.

Will he wear the costumes you've worn? Absolutely. Will he try some of the simpler moves? Definitely! It's something you're passionate about and that is important to you. Granted, he makes it all look like a fight, but that's just how he does things, and he'll have you both rolling on the floor with laughter because he'll do some dumb shit.

He'd absolutely love to go and watch others perform with you too. He still thinks that you're the best he's ever seen, but he won't lie when he says that he's impressed by how much effort some people put into their performances.

Kozue:

Your biggest cheerleader, she's there at every performance, practice, or even just a "hey does anyone want to get together to practice for this event coming up?". She's there and she's hyped.

She's jealous. She's not that graceful and she doesn't have the best stamina in the world, but she thinks you look stunning the entire time and she wants you to know that. Give her the chance and she'll coordinate outfits with you and get some really nice pictures for your socials.

Water? Ice cold. Snack? Varied. She's even got a mini hand-held fan at the ready and a cool towel she wrapped around an icepack. She's going to make sure that you go in and out of practice or events looking and feeling perfect.

PLEASE let her wear a costume with you at least once and show her how to do a few easy tricks and moves. She'll be in absolute heaven, especially if you're practicing with friends. She meshes in so well even if she's not at your level.

Once she finds out what majorettes are, she can't get enough. Is there a football game? She wants to see the bands play just to catch a glimpse if any majorettes are performing. Concerts with majorettes? She's watching them the second she's able to get her hands on them.

Hanayama:

Human personification of 👍🏻. It's nice that you have a passion and a good hobby, don't get him wrong, but it's just so far removed from his world that he doesn't really know what to say to show that he thinks it's cool.

Is he impressed? Absolutely, he thinks you're a class act and that you've got some serious skill. Does he show it? No, lmao, he stands there with his arms crossed and a neutral expression the entire time. Just know that he thinks you're cool, he's just stunted.

He won't bring you drinks and snacks himself, he's busy watching you to worry about stuff like that. What he will do is get a caterer. Practice or actual performance, the aftermath is always catered. Only the best for his baby.

Yeah you're not going to get him in any costumes, but if you do something he thinks could be useful in a fight, he might get you to show it to him. He will butcher that move in front of you, but it's one of the few times he gets outwardly excited.

If you want to go see others perform, he'll go with you, but only if you ask him to. The others aren't you, and while they may be skilled, they're not you, so why would he care about them???

Chiharu:

What the fuck is a majorette? He's got no idea, non whatsoever. You can explain it to him all you want, he's just gonna sit there saying "huh?" over and over again. (He's a visual learner). He'll figure it out eventually though.

If Kozue is your #1 fan, he's... also your #1 fan. If he could be better than a #1 fan he would, but the saying really only works with that phrasing. He loves bright colours, especially purple, and sparkles? Oh he could die happy. Flips and that are cool too, don't get him wrong, but the fashion is what gets him.

I'm going to be completely honest: he forgets the drinks and snacks at home. He gets so excited to see you do your thing that he just straight up leaves them on the counter, the only thing he remembers is a change of clothes. Don't worry, he'll run to the store to grab you something though, whatever you want! It's on him!

Oh HELL YEAH he'll wear the costumes! Are you kidding?! The second he lays eyes on one he'll want to wear it, the more flashy the better. He'll make it an entire thing, you'll have pictures of him doing the most ridiculous shit but he looks fantastic. Just don't teach him any moves, he will hurt himself. No self-preservation instinct at all.

He'll drag you to every big performance he can, just so he can look at the outfits with you. If the costumes are boring, his entire day is (mostly) ruined, but he does have to admit that the choreography is at least nice to watch!

Katsumi:

He may be a dumb karate jock, but he's been to America in the past and he saw a marching band once when there was a football game going on. Blew his mind, so finding out that you're a majorette dancer gets him all excited, he'll want to tell you all about the performance he saw. (Bonus points if that's when you two met and he was just too stupid to realise that it was you.)

The choreography has him hypnotized. You can do something you see as a basic move and he's all over you, talking about how it's the coolest thing he's ever seen and how he thinks you're the coolest person he's ever met. He'll talk your ear off about how fun he thinks doing this is.

He always has water for you! He's got water for himself, he knows how important it is to stay hydrated. Given the chance, he shows up like a damn soccer dad with a backpack cooler with drinks and snacks. Anything to restore electrolytes and keep you well hydrated. Just be sure to remind him to keep his distance or else he'll interrupt your practice to make sure you drink.

He might wear something a bit more tame, like a vest or a fun shirt, but he won't really do more than that. The dancing, on the other hand, THAT he will try. He's stiff and awkward to start, and much like Baki he'll make it look like fighting, but he's doing his best!

Fully willing to go to performances with you, he'll make sure you both have the best seats in the house, especially if it's a game performance. He'll make it a whole date given the chance, and it'll be pretty nice, regardless of drunk sports fans.

Jack:

Pretty impassive, much like Hanayama, but he shows his interest in the subject more openly. He never got to really see any performances when he was younger, though he has actually heard a few going on. He's fascinated and supportive, but he's mostly enthusiastic about the technical skills behind it.

The endurance that majorettes display is something he greatly admires. The stuff that dancers pull off is honestly impressive, and he's not afraid to admit that he thinks it's really cool, though he'll say it in his weird fucked up nerdy way.

He's bad at taking care of himself, and he's also really bad at remembering that other people have basic needs too, though he's fantastic at recognising when someone needs a break. You can be dying on the floor, sweating your ass off and he'll just look at you and go "do you need a water or something? You look beat, take a break." completely unaware that you can't move.

You're not going to get him to wear anything flashy, but if you want to slip an accessory onto him or get him to put on a sweater for you (and only for you) then he might oblige you. As for pulling off any moves... That's a solid maybe, it takes a lot of convincing, but he's shockingly agile. (seriously, he's done several flips effortlessly, it's impressive)

If you manage to convince him to take a break from his training, you deserve a damn marching band performance up and down the street. It's impressive, it's rare, and more importantly, it's special. Getting him to actually come with you and see a performance is one of the few rare moments where he's not thinking of anything else. Until the next day, you have his full attention.

Kosho:

Surprisingly geeky about majorettes. He thinks they're pretty and skilled and he loves loves loves the power that their performances emanate. One of the rare few times that Kosho just full-on nerds out. It's actually kinda cute, just don't bring it up because he'll never do it again.

Much like Jack, he admires the technical skills that go into being a majorette, but he does kinda like the makeup and hairstyles that come with it. Subtle? He loves it. Vibrant and bold? He loves it. He thinks the individuality is nice, and it's a great method of self-expression and empowerment.

He's a quiet admirer and supporter. You can be doing a handstand or something to warm up and you'll just see him get down and join you to talk about how your day's been going or if you need help with your warmups. He's got water, but he doesn't usually bring snacks unless you specifically request them.

He'll honest to god just sit and let you do whatever to him as long as you're not wasting good stuff on him. Wanna put some eyeshadow on him and put his hair up? Sure, hell, he'll even help you find accessories. And moves? Yeah, he'll try to learn them. He's a bit awkward about it, but he tries.

You wanna take him to go see a performance? You're going to have to keep up with him and not the other way around, because the morning of he's packed up and ready to go watch some people just move. He's not there for the music or the sports (if there are any) he's there for the energy. Taking him to pride would make him simply ascend.

Kureha:

The kinda bitch to tell you about the worst injuries he's heard of majorettes getting just to piss you off, but it's his way of telling you that he looked into it. You're welcome btw. ❤️

He respects the technical skill and the history, and he does appreciate the effort that majorettes put into looking nice for their performances. That being said, he's still a massive bitch and will absolutely nit-pick at every little thing he sees wrong with someone's conditioning.

He's busy, so he won't likely come to your practices, but he will have your water and a healthy snack packed and ready for you to take with you to practice, as well as for when you come home. You're going to have the best damn conditioning, he swears it. Your performances are one of the few times he'll actively request time off. He wants to see you in action and evaluate your progress.

Also one of the few occasions where he'll let you play with his hair. You wanna style him for a big day? If it helps you calm your nerves then sure, have at it. Just don't pull, because he'll use that as an excuse to whine about a headache all day. He means well, he's just being annoying so you won't feel as nervous.

You can't take him anywhere, because everywhere he looks he sees people with conditioning sub-par to his own. Is he an exception to the norm? Absolutely. Does he care? Lmao, no, he's still gonna be a rude ass about it.

Retsu:

He has no idea what a majorette is or what goes into being one, but he's so supportive that you won't figure out that he doesn't actually know wtf a majorette is until a full two months later. He's eager to learn about your passions though!

Oh he absolutely is a flustered mess when he first sees you in action, especially if it's a proper performance. The atmosphere is just so alive and energetic that it makes him just happy to be here. He's glad that you're sharing your passions with him, and that he gets to meet your friends who also share that same passion!

He packs you cold tea and a healthy snack for after practice. Not water, not juice, cold tea. It's refreshing, there's no denying that, but the first time you take a sip of the heavy ass thermos he hands you you're probably going to choke because it's not what you expect. Is it bad? By no means, it's just a surprise.

He might agree to wear a few things here and there as long as it's just the two of you, and he'll do his best to try and copy whatever moves you show him. He's graceful, so it's not that hard, but he makes it look a bit too much like ballet if I'm being honest. It's so undeniably him that there's nothing bad to say about it either.

Take him to a performance and watch his brain explode. They're doing what?! In this weather? With the music this loud?! The atmosphere is electric and he's sweaty and hot, but he's having the time of his life with you. He doesn't even like sports that much, but if there's one involved he winds up cheering for a team anyways.

Doppo:

Doesn't know what you mean my majorette, but he's too stubborn to ask so he'll just google it when he thinks you're not looking. The only way you'll find out is either Natsue rats him out or you catch him in the act. He'll deny it, of course, but there's no lying his way out of it.

He thinks you're pretty neat. He's got a fine eye for skill, so you can trust when he says that you're very talented and that you've got amazing potential. Beginner or experienced, he's going to help you improve rapidly before you even know what's happening. Be warned, he will try and teach you karate under the pretext of endurance training.

He instilled Katsumi's soccer dad habits when he was younger, and he's no different, though he might bring coffee or tea for himself, you get freezing cold water or juice, and he's got options. You want mint in your water? He brought fresh leaves. You want snacks? What are you craving? He's got a few options, but if you want something else he'll go grab it.

He'll wear some fun accessories with no hesitation. The old man knows how to have fun, but he's not going to dance. You and Natsue can ask him, beg even, but he's gonna have to say no on that front. He can be silly, but throwing out his back because he tried to keep up with you isn't in his cards. Is he being dramatic? Absolutely.

He'll take you to some of the best performances out there. Football game in America has a famous marching band with majorettes? He'll take you to see them, and then you can enjoy him being an average sports fan.

Natsue:

She's more open to admitting that she has no clue what a majorette is, but once you tell her and explain it she's all in. She'll rat Doppo out for not knowing, but that's because she watches videos of majorettes performing with him so she can see what stuff you're doing.

You know how she was before Katsumi's fight with Pickle? She carries that energy with her. If you perform with a marching band, she's encouraging all of you. If it's just you and a few other majorettes, she's still encouraging all of you. She wants you all to know that she thinks you're doing great!

She has drinks and a snack on hand, and a change of nice comfy clothes ready for when you finish practicing or performing. She even goes a step further and gets you a nice bath prepared for when you get home that you can jump right into. You'll feel rejuvenated even if you didn't break that much of a sweat.

She, much like Doppo, will dress up and accessorize, but she'll have to politely decline doing any dances or tricks. She's not a fighter, nor is she a performer, so she's more likely to actually hurt herself if she does something wrong, but she'll have a great time either way.

Shibukawa:

Definitely doesn't know what a Majorette is and you'll never find that out unless he outright tells you that he doesn't know. He can and will bullshit his way out of an "I don't know" situation by just playing along.

Oh he thinks you're amazing! He admires people who are able to put that much energy and passion into something they like doing, and when eh actually does his research and finds out cultural significances and history? Yeah, he thinks majorettes are pretty cool.

He brings you juice and light snacks for your practices, same as your performances, but he's likely to sip at your drink while you do practice. He won't be there for every practice, mind you, he's a busy man and he's gotta teach people aiki or judo at the precinct, but he does his best to show up. He never misses a performance though.

He'll politely have to decline wearing outfits/costumes/accessories, or trying out any of the moves/tricks. This being said, he'll watch you during practices. He's small, agile and graceful, so if you watch him fight you'll definitely see him pull a move that you've practiced at least once against a larger, younger opponent.

Sure he'll go to a performance with you! You'll have a really nice time, admittedly. He'll behave, no mischief on his part, just bragging once the majorettes get to work that you do that too. He just wants to have a good time with you doing something that you love, especially if you do the same with him.

#baki the grappler #baki son of ogre #baki dou #grappler baki #baki headcanons #baki hanma #kozue matsumoto #hanayama kaoru #chiharu shiba #katsumi orochi #jack hanma #kosho shinogi #kureha shinogi #retsu kaioh #doppo orochi #natsue orochi #shibukawa gouki

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crow-stars · 1 year

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Hiyaa! I read your Ace and Deuce fics and i find them so adorable! Especially Ace's like sulky Ace bc his plan fell through just adorable. Your writing too is absolutely stunning and expressive keep up the good work!!

Also I dont know if you do requests like this but if its allowed can I request the first years dealing with the aftermath of the prefect going back home like them coming in terms with the fact that they may or may not never see the prefect despite all the things they went through, i just imagine Adeuce and Grim would deal with it the hardest

hello there dear little reader~ i'm so glad you enjoyed those stories, i'm quite fond of those two troublemakers. and i accept requests like that, yes, but you always have to make sure to read the rules and, if you're not sure on anything, always ask me dear reader.

now then... let's see what we have here;

the first year characters from the stories of twisted wonderland. and the aftermath of the prefect going back home, how sad they must feel! oh, the story this will create will be wonderful! now let's see how this book turned out...

❝IF ONLY YOU HAD STAYED❞

❦summary; good things don't last forever, people don't stay the same, places change, and you can't expect everyone to stay

♪the characters in this story; ace trappola, deuce spade, jack howl, epel felmier, sebek zigvolt, grim, prefect!reader

✎word count;

❀what do the ghosts say?;��reader is referred to a few times, but not solely focused on reader, format of headcanons + mini written section, angst, crying, depictions of grieving, platonic or romantic relationship (can be viewed as either), grim is also incorporated a bit in every section

☛the author's notes; i love writing sadness. it's a specialty of mine. it's also a bit of a personal headcanon of mine that the first years take care of grim once the prefect/player leaves twisted wonderland. also man, i just realised i'm talking like you died or smth. huh

☪look at the catalogue?

❛ACE TRAPPOLA❜

✧ Ace didn’t take it well

✧ He knew that it would happen eventually, they all did. But he didn’t expect it to come so soon

✧ When you had gathered everyone at Ramshackle, he didn’t assume anything was wrong. When you had told all of them, time seemed to freeze

✧ You.. you were leaving? Going back to your own world?

✧ No, that surely wasn’t true! You were probably just messing with them all! But you weren’t, oh no, you weren’t

✧ Ace was... he felt devastated. He wouldn’t admit it aloud, no, but he felt like something important was being stolen away from him. Something important to him was getting taken away and he couldn’t do anything about it.

✧ Ace was silent during the sendoff, what could he say? When it was his turn for a goodbye, the only thing he did was hug you tightly and wished you to be safe, to not get into any stupid trouble. And then you were gone. You stepped through the mirror and it swallowed your body

✧ Ace missed you, life at NRC didn’t feel the same after you. Nothing did for a while.

✧ To everyone else, Ace just seemed to dismiss your leaving, sweep it under the rug and go back to being the mischievous person others knew. The rest of the group knew different.

✧ Every so often, Deuce would find Ace sitting in the dark of their dorm, staring silently at his phone. Old pictures of you all. Sometimes he would find Ace crying, silently, shoulders shaking with every sob

✧ Ace would claim sometimes that you’d come back, come to visit. Truly, he believed that you would come back one day. But he had to come to terms with it in his junior year.

✧ Even years later, Ace refuses to talk about you to anyone that isn’t the others of the group. It hurts to talk about someone that never really existed in his world. He feels he should talk about you to the others and only the others.

❦

A hand dragged down Ace’s face as he slumped in the chair in his living room. It was late, too late and he just wanted to knock out on this chair.

“Oi! Ace, you’re late! Where’s my tuna?”

Ace shook his head and huff, but there was still a faint smile on his lips as Grim hopped onto his lap, tugging at his disheveled suit. He pushed the cat monster off his lap and stood, laughing when Grim yelped in surprise.

“At least give me some time to rest, you weasel.”

Ignoring Grim’s agitated rambling, Ace walked to the kitchen and opened the cabinet where he kept Grim’s much desired food, placing it on the counter so that Grim could snatch it up. The cat cheered, ripping into the canned fish as Ace watched silently.

But, unexpectedly, Grim paused. He looked up to Ace, beady sapphire eyes swirling a bit with some nostalgia. He didn’t say anything for a bit, which was uncharacteristic of him. It was silent for a few beats, Grim gripping his still open tuna can tightly in those paws of his. Ace purses his lips a bit, waiting for Grim to say something before deciding to break the silence.

“Hey, don’t hurt yourself thinking, weasel. Spit it out!”

This got a response immediately, as expected, and Grim hissed at Ace. “Shut up!” There was a little pout on the cat’s face and Ace found it amusing. Grim’s ears pressed against his head, the flames that fluttered from his body dimming a bit and Ace knew what he was thinking.

“Are you thinking about them?”

The ears perked up and Ace knew he was right on the spot. Grim only nodded, ears flattening against his head again. Ace sighed heavily, placing a hand on Grim’s head. He gave the cat a few scratches behind his ear and heaved another sigh.

“Just eat your tuna and we’ll go to sleep soon. Deuce is coming to get you tomorrow.”

Grim nodded and began digging into the tuna, flames brightening a bit. The sight made Ace smile, despite the heavy sadness that set in his chest.

❛DEUCE SPADE❜

✧ Deuce was one of the few that took it better. Don’t get him wrong, he despaired when you told them that you were returning to your world. But he understood. Or at least he said he understood

✧ Oh, how he wanted to be selfish, he wanted to beg you to stay, you were important to him, close to him. But he also couldn’t imagine the pain of being away from family, people who cared for you as much as he and everyone else at NRC did.

✧ So he was only silent, he only smiled as you left, wished you the best as you readied to go through the mirror

✧ Deuce cried that night, surrounded by the other first years

✧ He felt so unmotivated for months afterward, not wanting to do anything, even in track and field he was lagging behind

✧ But he eventually had to come to terms, realize that he wasn’t the only one grieving.

✧ Oh, when he first found Ace in the dark of their room, furiously wiping at the tears that rushed down his cheeks, Deuce felt so bad. That was when he finally realized that he wasn’t alone in his grief

✧ He cried with Ace that night and the next morning, while they didn’t speak much of it, they shared a silent understanding.

✧ From then on, Deuce made sure to periodically check on the others. If they were okay, how they were faring.

❦

✧ Even if you had left, Deuce was determined to not let the group fall apart. He couldn’t bear the thought of it.

✧ Even in the present, he’s one of main reasons that all the (former) first years still talk with one another.

Deuce could hear his phone buzzing, subtly moving across the counter as he cooked some food for him and his companion.

“Grim, could you check the chat for me please?”

The cat perked his head up from his napping spot, eyes lazily roving over to the device. “Myeh? Why don’t you get it yourself?”

Deuce motioned to the cooking omelets on the stove with a pointed look. “How about it’s because I’m cooking your lunch and if you don’t want a burned omelet, then you better pick up the phone.”

Grim glared at Deuce, even hearing a low hiss from the cat monster, before he begrudgingly picked up the phone, with a bit of trouble due to not really having opposable thumbs Deuce couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight for a bit before turning back to his cooking.

“Nyeh, they’re talking about the picnic.”

“Oh shoot, I almost forgot!” Deuce sighed, now remembering the event that was planned three days from now. He looked back at Grim, who was still holding the phone, staring back at Deuce. “What’re they saying?”

Grim looked back down, squinting a bit. “Eeeh... Jack’s asking if he needs ta bring anything.”

Deuce looked back at his cooking, wracking his brain. Ace was going to bring some patties and other meats to grill along with the coals needed, Deuce planned to bring some of the main dishes and some egg dishes, Epel was planning to bring apple pie and a few condiments, and Sebek said he would bring fish dishes. He snapped his fingers, realizing that no one had any plans to bring refreshments.

“Tell Jack to bring some drinks. Sodas, tea, water, that stuff.”

He heard Grim hum, then the recognizable clicking of the phone’s keyboard. Deuce placed the finished omelet on a plate and walked to Grim, placing it beside him with a fork. “Oh, also tell him to bring a snack for you to have when you leave with him.”

“Nyeh?!” The flames in Grim’s ears burned a bit brighter as he looked at Deuce incredulously. “What am I, a baby?”

Deuce didn’t answer and was swiftly met with Grim attempting to claw at his arm. He laughed and was quick to move out of the way. He still heard Grim typing anyway.

❛JACK HOWL❜

✧ Jack got it. He knew it would happen eventually and, now, the time has come

✧ While he wasn’t much for crying, he was much quieter than usual, tail swaying limply when you announced your leaving

✧ He was a bit clingier than usual and did as much as he could for you before you left. Jack felt sad, really he did, but he didn’t cry. If anyone asked on his thoughts, they would think he didn’t care.

✧ Jack did care though, he did. But he also cared for you, and wanted you to be happy. If going back to your original home would make you happy, then so be it.

✧ The hug he gave you before you left was next to bone crushing, but he poured all his care for you through that action

✧ Once you left, he worked harder to become someone you would be proud of

✧ There was a low chance of you ever coming back, but he wants you to not be worried about them while you were back home.

✧ He was also the one to try and gently push the others towards accepted your departure. He just wanted his friends to be able to cope well.

✧ Jack, even years after, still tries to improve. He talks about you casually, making comments about how you would have liked this certain thing, or suggests going to this one place you would have wanted to see.

✧ He talks like you’re still there with them and that’s how he likes to remember you.

❦

His heartbeat rang in his ears as he jogged, the cold air revealing the small puffs of air he exhaled. Jack paused as he reached his doorway, lifting his wrist to check his time. He shaved off a few minutes, not enough to see good results, but it was good for the day.

Opening the door, Jack was met with Grim, who was rummaging through the cabinets for food. The sound of the door opening made the monster turn, grinning that sharp little smile of his.

“Jack! You’re back! Now you can feed me.” Grim laughed that little laugh of his and Jack could only smile.

“Don’t you know where the snacks are?” Despite saying this, Jack trudged over, giving Grim a quick pat on the head as he pulled out the small baggie filled with snacks made specifically for the cat monster.

Grim snatched it up, cackling as he rummaged through the bag and ripping into a snack. Jack, meanwhile, went into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He was quick to open it, chugging the cold liquid and letting it cool down his hot body.

Looking to Grim again, citrine eyes studied the sight of Grim, messily chewing on a pack of peanut butter crackers. A thought crossed his mind, wondering if you were eating well, maybe eating your favorite snack. Jack chuckled at the thought and a somber smile spread across his lips.

Grim lifted his head from his mini feast, staring at Jack with a confused stare. “Wha’re you staring at?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Just keep eating. I need to call Epel.”

“Eh?! Is it that time already?”

Jack nodded, walking to where he kept his phone as Grim whined about having to go with Epel the next morning and that he hadn’t packed, despite the fact he never had to in the first place.

❛EPEL FELMIER❜

✧ Oh Seven, what to say about Epel

✧ He cried. He cried a lot much to his chagrin. He didn’t mean to sniffle when you said you’d be going back home, but he did. And he felt so humiliated about it too

✧ In the upcoming days, Epel felt so disconnected. It was like he was there, but also not. He was still hanging out with the rest of you, laughing and smiling, but it all just felt like he was drifting along

✧ The day you were leaving, he was still feeling adrift, the hug Epel gave on the weaker side as his head lolled to lean against you

✧ In the aftermath, Epel had felt like a ghost or maybe undead. Only nodding along to whatever was said by Vil or just doing as he was told. It was a bit disturbing to see, if you asked any of his dorm mates

✧ It was only when Vil confronted Epel about it did he finally break down.

✧ He allowed the tears to flow down his cheeks and he would have felt embarrassed about doing this in front of his housewarden if he wasn’t distracted by the fact that he missed you so much.

✧ For Epel, it was a long process. He didn’t ‘bounce’ back like he wanted to, but it was still a process.

❦

✧ Sometimes, he forgets that you’ve left too. When Epel opens his messages, expecting to see a text from you, he sees nothing. Only a dated message from you so long ago.

✧ It’ll make that pang hit his chest again, but he’s usually fine after a bit.

The sun was beating down on him and Epel huffed as he climbed down the ladder, a basket under his arm and full of apples. He looked to where Grim was supposed to be, sighing softly once seeing that the cat monster was still in his spot.

Grim had his tail curled up by his face, silent as he napped silently under the shade of an apple tree next to another basket. Epel was quick to pull out his phone, snapping a picture of the scene before him and opening up his messaging app. He had to stop himself, though, before he pressed on the contact he was about to click on.

There was a pause, a brief pause as a soft ‘oh right’ slipped past Epel’s lips. His phone fell a bit in his hands and he looked down at the brown earth. He was silent as he sorted through his thoughts, that familiar tight feeling still in his chest.

After a minute or so, Epel sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly just as he was taught. “Alright.”

Instead of clicking on the contact he had planned to, he pressed on a separate chat, the one that was much more active than the other. Sharing the picture, Epel pocketed his device and walked over to where Grim was. He sat silently next to him, sighing as he let himself relax. Epel sat with his thoughts as a hand mindlessly ran through Grim’s fur. He sat with all the good thoughts, the bad thoughts, the saddening thoughts. Epel let himself feel it all as he rested.

But once he was finished, that tight feeling in his chest softened to a light prick and Epel sighed. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and picked it up, chuckling at the messages he was getting from the others. After sending his own contribution, Epel leaned his head against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes.

He was supposed to meet Sebek soon, but a quick nap would do him good.

❛SEBEK ZIGVOLT❜

✧ He didn’t like it. Sebek didn’t like the thought of you leaving at all. While yes, he knew it would come someday, he also refused to acknowledge that it would ever come. But now it has.

✧ Sebek wanted to scowl at you, scream at you, yell and shout his lungs out. How dare you leave! How could you leave, weren’t you happy here with all of them? In Twisted Wonderland? He felt betrayed.

✧ During those last few days, he didn’t want to see you or even speak to you. Maybe if he didn’t see you before you left, he’d feel better about it all. Sebek dedicated himself to being Malleus’ knight more than ever during those days.

✧ Still, he had to confront the fact you were leaving, especially since, when you stood in front of him, arms wide, Sebek didn’t think twice to engulf you in a tight hug and not let go.

✧ But he had to. He had to watch you leave, get swallowed up into the murky green of the Dark Mirror and leave them all behind.

✧ Afterwards, Sebek acted like everything was fine, but he felt so numb. Or maybe he was mad, simmering with anger until it was ready to pop.

✧ He didn’t want to talk about you, refusing to acknowledge the fact that you existed. Sebek avoided his newer friends, Grim, and places he associated with you. It was a bad way to cope, he knows, but it was better than that heavy feeling in his chest, the despair.

✧ It was Malleus who brought him out of this grieving. Well, it was more unknowingly, but with how much the Young Master talked about you, Sebek couldn’t ignore the topic of you anymore.

❦

✧ He got better as time went one, getting more comfortable with talking about you or coming across things that reminded him of you.

✧ Nowadays, he’s still hesitant with the thought of bringing you up, but he won’t deny you existed, that you were a part of his formal years

“Grim! Get off of his Majesty! You were just outside in the garden.” Sebek stormed towards Grim, who was sitting in Malleus’ lap, being stroked by the fae king. He heard Malleus’ deep chuckle and bowed quickly.

“It’s alright Sebek. I do not mind.”

“B-But your majesty!”

Grim cackled lightly, smirking at the distressed knight. “Yeah! He doesn’t mind.”

Sebek felt a deep sigh escape past his lips, but he relented. “Fine... Just be sure to come to my quarters soon so I may bathe you! You can’t be disheveled for tomorrow’s meeting!”

His footsteps echoed throughout the throne room and he left Grim to be pet by Malleus. Sebek made his way to his quarters, walking to the calendar that hung by his bed. Taking a nearby pencil, he crossed out another day on the calendar.

One day closer. It was one day closer until he would have to make the try back to NRC and meet up with the others. He dreaded it, but he looked forward to it.

For once, Grim did as he was told, having eventually made his way back to Sebek’s room as the knight was running the water for Grim’s bath. Though as always, it was a pain getting the cat bathed, as he would whine and yowl about the water, how it was getting in his eyes (it wasn’t) and that he wanted out. It was always a struggle to get him bathed, but Sebek somehow did it.

Grim laid on Sebek’s lap now, dry and his tail swinging from side to side. Sebek was quietly reading and he didn’t dismiss the agitated swish of Grim’s tail.

“Are you nervous?” Sebek’s usually booming voice had softened to fit his tone and Grim only lifted his head a bit, tail pausing.

He mumbled out a meek ‘yes’. Sebek sighed, fingers running through Grim’s fur a few times in an attempt to soothe him.

“We go every year and yet you always get so nervous.” Sebek chuckled. “I am too, Grim.”

The only response Sebek got was a small ‘mrow’ and he knew that Grim had fallen asleep. He smiled softly and shut his book. Tomorrow was a big day.

❛GRIM❜

✧ Grim... oh, poor, poor Grim.

✧ He was one of the worst out of all of them in response to you leaving

✧ He clung to you, refusing to let you leave his side

✧ When you announced you were leaving, Grim couldn’t fathom it. You were his henchman! His servant, the one that’s supposed to stay with him and serve him forever! You were... you were his first friend.

✧ But you were set on going back home. Grim still couldn’t accept it, but could he really stop you?

✧ The day you were leaving, the mirror chamber was filled with soft sniffling or muffled sobs, but Grim was the loudest, yowling and hissing as Jack held onto him.

✧ You said your goodbyes to him first, but no! He didn’t want you to leave!

✧ Once you were gone, Grim was inconsolable. He was uncharacteristically quiet, he wasn’t the boisterous self anymore. No offers of his favorite can of tuna or Ace’s lunch could even get him to talk.

✧ Grim didn’t talk, only going through the motions of school. He didn’t want to move out of Ramshackle, despite the Headmaster’s offer to have him in the care of the first years

✧ He refused to leave the first place he was able to call home. The ghosts of Ramshackle did their best to care for the cat monster, but there was only so much that a spectre could do for the living.

✧ Once the first years graduated, Grim had been able to accept that the possibilities of you coming back were slim. He was reluctant to leave Ramshackle, but he did.

✧ Over the years, slowly but surely, he was able to adjust to life without you. Yes, it hurt him a lot sometimes and whoever was currently taking care of Grim would hear soft whines during the night, but he got better.

❦

“Grim! Wait up!”

He couldn’t wait for them though, excitement was running through his body and electricity was spiking through his skin. Grim was getting to go home, his first home.

While it wasn’t truly complete, it never was without you, it was still his home. It was the closest thing he had to being near you. Grim’s little feet tipped and tapped as he waited for Ace to open the door to Ramshackle, nerves wracking his body so much that Jack had to pick the cat monster up to keep Grim still.

When the door was finally opened, Grim scrambled to get out of Jack’s grasp, sprinting into the old home and up the stairs. He could hear the others setting their things down on the old couches, but Grim could care less.

He scrambled to get the door open and was thankful when one of the ghosts appeared, greeting Grim before opening the door for him. Grim rushed into the room, hopping onto the only bed that was in the room.

There was a layer of dust on the sheets and Grim could see a few dust specks fly about after he had jumped onto the mattress, but it smelled like you still. He doesn’t know how but he could care.

The curtains were open and shining warm summer light on Grim as he curled up on your old bed, comfort curling around him as he closed his eyes. He imagined the warmth was you holding him close, petting and cooing at him as you used to do before.

It wasn’t you and Grim knew this. But right now, curled up and surrounded by something that he knew as you, for the few hours he was here, Grim could imagine that you were still here.

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