#I want to do more art + fiction I find this really satisfying ugh I love some illustration with a story

[mikodaiyo]

[skfw] The Inn Encounter

Summary: Sesshomaru is looking for Kagome.

  Day 1: Courting

  Word prompt: Love Letter

  Scenario Prompt: Character A has been acting strange so character B confronts them.

Sesskag Fluff Week Prompts ♥️

  “Kagome isn’t here.”

   Sango smiled apologetically to Sesshomaru while Rin abandoned training to hug her hogosha.

That morning, with the children all stuffed into her hut for their warm ups again, Sango had decided it had been raining for long enough and ushered them out onto the dewy lawn.

From above, Shippou worked out his magic by providing them the coverage of a large canopy, though it looked like a large towel struggling to stay stretched out in the breeze. Sango had relieved him of his duty several times just for him to refuse, saying a village hero such as he could at least do this much.

Sesshomaru noticed the sweat that beaded down the child’s form as soon as it ran down his sleeves, interrupting his reunion. Sighing, he released his moko into the air and it swirled and swirled, startling the large towel with a bushy fox tail as it became a large cloud all its own, shading them all from the rain.

“Enough, Shippou.” He said, and it was. 

Shippou released himself and fell to the earth unsteadily, his little paws holding him up still. 

“Well done, Shippou!” Rin applauded him, walking over and patting his panting back. He looked at her and then at Sesshomaru, grinning shyly when even he nodded.

“Rin. Jaken is making your favorite dish.” 

“Break-time!” Rin translated. She grabbed Shippo's hand but froze mid stride, now looking to her Master Sango.

Sango nodded, “You heard Lord Sesshomaru. Jaken is making everyone’s favorite dishes!” She smiled at her children standing at attention behind her, “You better hurry.”

The relief of children’s laughter filled the wet air, the sound of Slayer uniforms slapped the earth and Mokomoko followed the children to keep them dry. The rain fell on the adults again but they didn’t mind it. The rain was a refreshing blessing as well as natural conversation cover.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Come again another day

Inside the Inn we will decay

And though the keeper will let us stay

It's been – and we want to play

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It was just something to pass the time, Kagome insisted to them. A phonetic rhyme that would help them keep track of time, if nothing else. But to the children it was a blessed chant from Priestess Kagome, a chant that if they sang loud enough it would make the rain go away. They sang it so much recently that Sango didn’t even notice the number of rainy days, she just knew the children were blessedly occupied with a suitable answer instead of asking her to teach them how to beat it up.

Sango stretched her arms and they both heard her bones popping graciously, “You hurry too. What if you catch a cold?” She walked toward the entrance of her home and kept the door open by invitation.

“This one does not get colds.” Sesshomaru followed after her calmly.

“You never know. Stranger things have happened.”

“Such as?”

“You, looking for Kagome.”

“This One is always looking for Kagome.”

“You’ve become such a romantic, Lord Sesshomaru! That nearly made my old heart skip a beat.”

“Old?” Sesshomaru raised his brow. He rested his swords against her door frame and took a seat at her low table, “even demons in my court would question your slow aging.”

“My Lord,” Sango guffawed, moving to another room with a screen dividing the view, “You are making me blush. May I remind you I am a married woman.” 

After removing the armored guards of her uniform, she worked on the wet leather itself. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and listened to the rain, listened to all the patterns in the mud, the grass, the farmers footsteps. He sifted through the noises, searching for a particular Priestess’ heavy footfalls.

Reemerging refreshed, Sango set fire to her hearth and began preparing her favorite tea set, an adorable white and purple accented gift from The Lord of the West with his red, hexagonal crest glazed into plates and the handles built like gold clouds were whipped against the porcelain cups. The set had instantly become the main reason Sango entertained guests.

“Speaking of being the only married woman-”

“You did not speak of that.”

“Did you know I am the only married woman in the whole village?” Sango fixed, “Speaking of which-”

“This one is looking for Kagome.” Sesshomaru emphasized, as if to say it wasn’t his fault that she was the only one. Sango placed the tea set down and then sat herself with a mortar and pestle, grinding sweet smells into the air.

“She’s been so busy lately.” Sango sighed, “Everyone has been; Demon sightings are picking up in neighboring villages, Kaedae can only be in one place at a time, Kagome goes everywhere else. Miroku wrote that he and Inuyasha have been making more progress rebuilding east.” Sango stretched then, as though talking about everything worked out the knots, “More children want to be taught to be Slayers so I get to see Kohaku only briefly while he and Kirara drop off more to me and take the ones I’ve trained to study further in the mountains.” 

The kettle whistled and Sesshomaru got up, to which Sango sighed in appreciation.

She lightly brushed her mixture into their cups and Sesshomaru poured in the hot water. Hers first and then his own. 

“You are all busy.” Sango breathed in the steam, her eyes closed but one peeking open. “ Yet, I seem to always find you.” 

She worked with children all day. She had three of her own.

So, Sango could tell when a little pout was forming and it was such a shame Kagome was missing it.

“Well, I mean, it’s not like Kagome to not want to be found, is it?” Sango mused. Sesshomaru, who had been lifting his own cup, paused. He hadn’t considered that.

Just because he could not locate her, didn’t mean she didn’t want to be located.

In fact, when did she ever stay away from Sesshomaru? Kagome didn’t even hide from him when she had good reason to.

“When was the last time you spoke?” 

“Hmm… what the…” Sango squinted, staring hard into the empty space above to try and form the image of the last time she had seen Kagome. “Actually, It’s been weeks… has it been weeks?” 

Sesshomaru knew she wasn’t asking him and the irritability of the unknown began to tense his form. So no one had answers, for this long?

“This one last saw her before the rain fell.” He supplied.

“Rain, rain go away…” Sango mumbled, her hand coming to rest on her chin in deep thought. If she concentrated, she could hear the children singing just that morning. Sesshomaru didn’t dare break her concentration.

“Come again another day, inside the inn I’d rather not stay, and the keeper would let me stay, but it's been… it's been 12 days and we want to play…”

They shared a look.

According to the children who sang songs and chants that Kagome taught them when they were bored, it had been raining for two weeks.

                                                           -

   For the past week, Kagome had been staying at an Inn. It wasn’t the largest or most lavish like Miroku preferred, nor as sparse as Inuyasha preferred. There were five rooms, an outdoor pool and an old Innkeeper who liked chatting in the mornings while they drank their tea and didn’t charge Kagome on account of her status. Graciously, Kagome offered to clean the rooms for the Innkeeper and bless it regularly, just in case her presence brought misfortune. 

There was plenty of room for her goal; According to the Village Leader, women had been disappearing. Kagome had asked the Leader to keep him informed, but upon receiving no reply, Kagome let her gut instinct kick in. She only told Kaedae she’d be gone and hopped on the last cart of that night, napping amongst the hay and waking to an Ox licking her cheek, she and the farmer arriving at the inn. 

Kagome huffed, the cool night air materializing puffs that lifted her bangs. While she was stuck, waiting, how many girls were being taken in by that orange, malicious energy that filled the sky? The one she noticed sipping tea with the Innkeeper while they chatted? The dawn that pooled across the sky like blood and tricked regular people into thinking it was a normal sunset?

They sat there in the evening, after Kagome finished cleaning the floors and the Innkeeper made sure the snack portion was doubled. They sat and Kagome smiled and traded pleasantries and hid her unease behind her teacup when the Innkeeper remarked they’d never seen such a beautiful sunset. Kagome lost sleep these past few nights just watching the Innkeeper, making sure it wasn’t the beginnings of hypnotism. But so far no change. Just she and the Innkeeper and the orange blood hiding a perfectly good sunset.

Again, she wished she had time to learn how to work with shinigami. Or time to train a messenger bird. What kind of Priestess didn’t travel with a companion? Even her bike would have sufficed.

Had she known it would take so long for another lead but she didn’t know because she always worked in groups, and in a good group like hers, everyone did their fair share. It never seemed like there was a moment's rest because someone or someone else was always gathering information.

But now, Kagome was all alone and there was all at once too much to do and nothing to do. Too much information to work with and none at all. The perfect time to take Intel but, Intel on what?

“Perfect time to invent e-mail.” She muttered into her cup.

“You’ve been grumbling since your arrival yesterday, dear.” said the Innkeeper. “Have I become such a poor companion?” 

“Yesterday...? Oh! No! Not at all.” The truth sounded so unconvincing. Kagome cleared her throat, “It’s my fault really. I’m not working hard enough.”

So lax in fact that what felt like a week to her had only been a full day at the Inn.

“You’ve done nothing but work since you’ve been here, dear. This tea is the only way I’ve gotten you to take a breather.” The Innkeeper tapped their brass kettle and laughed, “You’ve left me no choice but to break out the good stuff in fact!”

The Innkeeper closed one eye and leaned into Kagome, peering into her personal space, “Are you sure you’re not a swindler? How old are these robes?”

Kagome jumped, her body moving almost against her will away from the Innkeeper’s hands and eyes and questions. Setting the tea aside, Kagome tucked her knees, turned to her host and bent at the waist.

“I’m sorry!”

Her youthful energy nearly knocked the Innkeeper backwards, “I promise I’m not swindling you and if you have been swindled before, specifically by a Monk wearing purple robes, I’m sorry for that as well!”

The Innkeeper blinked, “Ah-well, thank you. I haven’t been swindled by a purple robed Monk yet, Priestess, but I’ll be on the lookout from now on. Thank you.”

Kagome was so happy her face was shielded from view. Her embarrassment should only been seen by the nicely polished floorboards after all. Why did she react so strongly?

“Do you perhaps have any parchment and ink?”

The Innkeeper smiled, wide and perfect, “Ah, so that’s it. You’re missin’ your lover!”

Kagome sat ramrod straight with a blush that could match the sky and the Innkeeper guffawed, rising slowly and steadily and a little shakily from their seating cushion. Kagome could hear them behind her saying things about youth and young love. Kagome swore right then to take her shinigami training much more seriously. 

                                                          -

   Night fell and Kagome was left alone with her bone white incense burner, parchment, ink, a slop of orange stars in the night sky and a freshly brewed pot of tea.

Would Sesshomaru know anything about this? He had become her encyclopedia on demonic tactics, trickery and horrors that befell sleepy villages that women disappeared from. Or would he be just as blind because he didn’t even know she was here? Was he waiting for her at home or had he come and gone to tend to more important matters?

She could write Sango, Sango slayed thousands of demons and had even begun record keeping but could Sango afford to leave? When Kagome left, it had just been them and Kaedae. Five days changed many things but not the distance it would take the boys to get back home to take up guard duty.

She wished Inuyasha were here.

She could send it to Jaken…

“Maybe I should ask Rin.” Kagome mused, figuring if she was going to think ridiculous things she may as well say ridiculous things. Then, only smart things would be left. 

She put pen to paper and decided whichever name she wrote down would be the person she asked.

Dear Sesshomaru,

She blushed again. She never called him dear. Focus

I don’t know why I’m writing. It’s only been three nights but I miss you a lot so, maybe that’s it? Do I miss you?

Sighing, Kagome crossed that out and tried again.

Dearest Sesshomaru,

I miss you. 

Sleep isn’t as restful and tea isn’t as sweet and, have you ever seen an orange sky? Not like the afternoon, we’ve had some of our best afternoons up there. Not like persimmons either. It's a strange, runny, bloody orange. I figured I’d ask you, being the blood expert. Let me know if I should’ve written Myoga instead.

I’m not very good at writing letters. I need your help.

Kagome held the parchment up to her red face, pursed her lips and inhaled. Then she placed the page face down, turned her face upwards and exhaled.

She hoped her words reached him.

                                      -----------------------------------

When Kagome woke up the next morning, it was groggily facing the window. She had only come to this inn yesterday, but she was so tired. No matter, the Innkeeper said she could have free lodgings if she helped prepare the rooms and Kagome was eager to get to work.

She cleaned all four rooms quietly to not disturb the Innkeeper, she blessed the grounds and then, a bath sounded nice.

                                                              -

When Kagome woke up the next morning, it was groggily facing the window. She had only come to this inn yesterday, but she was so tired. No matter, the Innkeeper said she could have free lodgings if she helped prepare the rooms and Kagome was eager to get to work.

She cleaned all four rooms quietly to not disturb the Innkeeper, she blessed the grounds and then, a bath sounded nice. 

                                                              -

When Kagome woke up the next morning, it was groggily facing the window. She had only come to this inn yesterday, but she was so tired. 

No matter. The Innkeeper said she could have free lodgings if she helped prepare the rooms and Kagome was eager to get to work.

She cleaned all three rooms quietly to not disturb the Innkeeper, she blessed the grounds and then, a bath sounded nice. 

                                                               -

When Kagome woke up the next morning, it was groggily facing the window. She had only come to this inn yesterday, but she was so tired. 

No matter. 

The Innkeeper said she could have free lodgings if she helped prepare the rooms and Kagome was eager to get to work.

She cleaned three rooms quietly to not disturb the Innkeeper, she blessed the grounds and then…

                                                               -

   When Kagome woke up the next morning, it was groggily facing the window. She had only come to this inn yesterday, but she was so tired. No matter, the Innkeeper said she could have free lodgings if she helped prepare the rooms and Kagome was eager to get to work.

She cleaned her room and the guest room quietly to not disturb the Innkeeper, she blessed the grounds and then… 

Huh? 

Kagome stopped cleaning the floorboards. 

Why was she still at the Inn? The village was still up ahead. 

Far off in the distance where she could see it touching the blood orange sky she definitely saw a village. 

She definitely saw it. 

If she just turned around and looked it would be there still and she could put one foot in front of the other without bidding a proper farewell to the Innkeeper and continue on her mission.

But, her head wouldn’t move.

Her body wouldn’t move. 

“Thank Heavens,” said the Innkeeper from far away, from above, from below, “You know girlie, you used up all my water.”

                                                                -

“Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin’s voice rang out and Sesshomaru heeded her immediately with Sango in tow, Hiraikotsu firmly in her grasp.

“Mama! The rain is clearing up!” Sango children crowded around her hips gleeful and fed and Sango leaned down to them.

“And how long was it raining?”

“14 days!” Her eldest daughter piped up, her siblings agreeing.

“What is it, Rin?” He watched the girl and Jaken attempt to gather all of the fur into their arms to avoid getting dirty as they made their way to him but the mud hardly mattered. Why was Mokomoko leaning at all?

“A message appeared, My Lord!” Jaken squealed from behind, his stubby form holding up the latter pelt while Rin stood on tip-toe to reveal its underside. Sesshomaru’s frown deepened and he reached for the soggy thing and it dried immediately before affixing itself around his shoulders. It was heavy with holy magic and would remain sluggish until the holy magic was removed and Sesshomaru only knew of one Priestess who could place such intent upon him at such close proximity.

It was even in her handwriting. And as the weather cleared, her scent came at him with a force it hadn’t had in fourteen days. His hand gripped the pelt tighter when Sango came over to survey the message. 

“Dearest Sesshomaru, I miss you?” She read aloud.

With his free hand Sesshomaru waved his palm over the words and captured the false letters in his hand then placed his palm up. The letters evaporated like steam and he caught whiffs of tea and polished floors and blood not her own. 

Sango could say she’d never seen steam with feelings until her eyes caught those last glimpses of Sesshomaru’s stoic face crack in anger before clouds of billowing smoke swallowed him up until he vanished.

                                                           -

…Was that snow?

“What trickery is this, witch?”

Kagome squinted. 

No, not snow, though the consistency was similar. Small, white petals fell from a large, white cloud that descended from above the grounds, creating a flurry that threw the Innkeeper off kilter as it clumped into their ears and nose and sucked into the Innkeeper’s indignant maw.

A larger shadow fell over Kagome and she felt instantly relieved.

Sesshomaru made time for the brief caress of her cheek and Kagome swooned a tad before Sesshomaru caught one of the falling petals on his fingers and pressed it to Kagome’s lips. 

“Sesshomaru,” Tension easing from body, Kagome nuzzled her cheek into his palm, “I did miss you.”

He brought their faces closer, “You were expecting Myoga.” He accused her.

“Obviously.” She giggled, “But you’ll do.”

While Kagome waited for the feeling to return to her legs, Sesshomaru surveyed the area for irregularities. 

… There. The strange, orange liquid attempting to bubble itself back into a brass teapot sitting on the veranda. That was irregular.

Sesshomaru shot out his hand and produced his poison whip, snapping it across the liquid surface and causing it to bubble. The Innkeeper retook a human form from the reaction, their yowl agonizing and arms blistering.  

“Guess that means my letter worked?”

”Well enough.” He lifted the side of mokomoko that her words ink-stained into the underside.

“I can get that out.”

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. The Innkeeper was struggling so he tightened his grip. 

“I just need to get–” 

He turned and shook his hair to the side, revealing her weapons attached at his hip. Even with his back turned, Sesshomaru could feel Kagome’s grateful expression while she removed the bow and quiver. 

He harshly flicked his wrist and sent the demon skyward to screech and snarl into the blood orange sky. Above all else, Sesshomaru could not stand much more of the noise that was drowning out their conversation. At least this way he could admire the way Kagome adjusted her aim.

“This One had already been looking for you.”

Kagome could barely concentrate on charging her arrow when he was being such a sweet-talker, “Thank you for finding me, my Lord.”

Her arrow struck the teapot and Sesshomaru’s acid did quick work of the false form.

As the demon puddled to the ground, Kagome placed her sleeve over her mouth as she approached. She waved two fingers in a uniform pattern across the puddle and it purified. Then she raised her fingers and chanted, and the sky began to resemble the sky, the sun was setting, the horizon was empty and her mission was complete. 

Sesshomaru stepped next to her when it was done and offered her his hand to take. She obliged, then laced their fingers together.

“What of the Inn?”

“I’ve been purifying it for the last few days. The spirits left easily enough because they didn’t want to be there in the first place. They wanted to keep walking toward the horizon.”

Sesshomaru looked to the horizon, but all he saw was the sunset, “Was there something there?”

“Something for anyone who's looking.” Kagome answered in her strange way. Sesshomaru was certain she didn’t even notice when she spoke nonsensically.

“Hungry?” Kagome questioned perkily, “Only the tea was cursed. The snacks weren’t bad. And we have the whole place to ourselves.”

Kagome led Sesshomaru back to the Inn.

“Pardon the intrusi–Ah!” She stumbled backwards, caught by Sesshomaru’s big frame. When had he removed his armor?

“This One had been looking for you prior to your ‘invitation’.” His hand tightened in hers and Kagome gulped. Something was rubbing salaciously between the pleats of her hakama.

“O-oh? Well, you found me. Did I thank you for that yet?”

“You are about to.” Sesshomaru bent over her and her body followed slightly until they were both on their knees at the door.

Kagome could always see things behind her but it was a different thrill entirely to somehow feel the grin slipping over Sesshomaru’s lips. 

“Pardon the intrusion.” He whispered.

#sesskag #sesskag fluff week #SKFW23 #sesskag fanfiction #ok I haven't written anything since maybe 2016? idk its been a long time and I didn't know what to edit out and what to keep ugh #hopefully there is enough fluff? I feel like there's not enough fluff lol I got to excited about writing I forgot to make it more fluff #demiko #fic tag: demiko #I didn't know where to fit the dialogue prompt so I just didn't lol if I did this would've been a gratuitously fluffy fiction #I hope you enjoy! #I want to do more art + fiction I find this really satisfying ugh I love some illustration with a story #the original idea for this was going to be Sesshomaru just missing Kagome a lot like literally he keeps trying to go on dates #but she's too busy and they keep narrowly missing her and it was going to have hurt puppy sesshomaru lol #but I ended up exploring Kagome's trip more dangit. More Sess emotion to come then! #yoart

[roving-boi]

Dear Diary,

My dad pressured me the other day about career/school, because I don’t know what I want to do after school. He wants me to go to some sort of technical school or I dunno, get some sort of education so I’m not stuck making minimum wage. But no field really sounds good to me. Everything, all of my options just sound miserable. I’m scared to even find a career in writing or art because I know people will have expectations for me and when that happens I’m stuck fearing that I won’t satisfy anyone. I’m not really a magic machine that can write and or create the best piece of fiction ever out of thin air. I mean I guess that’s sort of how it works, but on short notice I should say. Everything that comes to me just comes to me on its own, and I take forever to actually get it down on paper. I’m not even anywhere near done my novel that I started like 2 months ago.

In other news, my mom bought a house (well it’s more of a mortgage), and it’s going to be ready to be moved into soon. It has 3 bedrooms, one for me, my brother, and my mom (and unfortunately my ex-step dad that she got back together with for some fucking reason. God I hate that guy). My mom wants me to move back in with her and be a family again. Though she wants me to graduate high school where I’m at currently and then make the choice to come live with her. Now here is the problem, my dad is quite unaware of all of this and telling him is going to cause arguments and other discourse I don’t really wanna deal with.

My aunt told me I should do whatever I want, and not worry about pleasing or hurting others. And I think it’s something I’m gonna do. I need my own space, and it lets me live somewhere more free, and much closer to work. Where my dad lives, is quite literally out in the desert in the middle of nowhere. There’s no opportunity here, there’s no work, there’s nothing. I don’t know how I’m supposed to do anything here.

I was looking at comments on an Instagram reel about people getting rejected from jobs. Like Walmart and food jobs. The basic crap. It kind of started stressing me out. I don’t plan to go to college and I don’t know what I’m going to do for money when I leave this place. I have no idea what I’m doing I’ll be honest. And I’m scared I’ll never really make enough to keep myself afloat. There’s nothing at college I even want. And the ONE thing I’m passionate about, fucking jay told me she wants to go to college and get a degree in. Ugh. Fucking great.

I’ve been having nightmares about jay. I had about 4 in a row almost. In one of them I remember driving away and driving and driving until I reached this little food area in the middle of nowhere. It had a sushi restaurant right next to a Mexican restaurant. Really weird but I stopped by and went into the Mexican restaurant. Things were peaceful for a good few minutes I think until I saw jay roll up with her stupid friends. They were going to head into the sushi restaurant but she noticed me sitting at the Mexican restaurant and decided to come in. She walked up to me and I just lost it. I grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the floor, and I started slamming her face onto the tile floor. But she wouldn’t react to it. It was if it wasn’t even hurting her. It started freaking me out and I think screamed for her to shut up because she wouldn’t stop talking. I kept slamming her head into the floor until I guess I got tired and stopped. I don’t remember how to dream ends but it was so freaky. I wanted her to stay down. She wouldn’t.

I don’t wanna see her face at school. She’s dead to me now but, I’d probably just get so angry. I’m so stressed. In other news I got a new friend group and they live really close by. Remember that boy I met at the fair in real life? He let me join his friend group and it’s been great. We voice chat together and play video games together and they make me feel included. They ask me questions, joke with me, ask for my opinion on stuff, they share stuff with me. They just make me feel like I’ve always been apart of their group. My friends at school never did that. I’ve only been hanging out with my new friends for like over a week and already it’s been a better experience than my stupid fake friend group at school.

[hackedxy0x]

I posted 1,328 times in 2022

That's 1,184 more posts than 2021!

79 posts created (6%)

1,249 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@botanicallyinclinednerd

@will80sbyers

@hipster-rapunzel

@buggachat

Top tags

#byler - 64 posts

#merthur - 13 posts

#boreo - 10 posts

#merlin - 9 posts

#bbc merlin - 8 posts

#boris pavlikovsky - 7 posts

#the goldfinch - 7 posts

#dasey - 7 posts

#stranger things - 7 posts

#will byers - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 116 characters

#every hero in every piece of fiction had that doubting destiny moment where they try to fight it but not merlin nope

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Cupping the back of someone's neck is very romantic, actually.

584 notes - Posted September 19, 2022

#4

So I'm a Stranger Things newbie and I've just finished season 3 (spoiled myself some season 4 - worth it) and I knew byler was a thing so I payed attention to Mike (because we already know Will is gay for sure) and I was thinking that, objectively, it could go either way with him. Until his goodbye to Eleven, that is.

There is absolutely no explanation for that.

I mean, first we get to see Jonathan and Nancy (who have been in a relationship for as long as Mike and Eleven have) say goodbye to each other. We see them sharing an emotional moment, Nancy asking Jonathan not to go. The two of them kissing and clinging to each other.

And then we get a Mike and Eleven goodbye. Eleven turning back and saying how she heard Mike say that he loves her and her saying that she loves him too. It was the PERFECT opportunity for a tender, romantic moment between the two. Instead, we got to see a really awkwardly one-sided kiss featuring Mike just standing there like he's not sure what to do with himself. And then Eleven leaves and he's still just standing there. We see the slight shock and then a frown. I could practically see his thoughts going from "Eleven told me she loves me" to "That doesn't feel satisfying. Why doesn't it feel satisfying?"

Mike was standing there contemplating why his girlfriend loving him didn't make his heart race as it should have. The answer: he loves Eleven, but not romantically. And he's finally beginning to see that. (I would also like to note that he was standing in front if a literal open closet.)

"Okay, so that would mean he doesn't actually love El. But how does that mean he's queer?"

Hopper's letter was a major clue. When we got to the part where Hopper is talking about not wanting to grow up, the camera is following Mike and what he's doing. Not Will who was struggling with that this season. It was following Mike.

We all know that Will is actually gay and that he didn't want to grow up mostly because growing up meant liking girls and he just didn't. And now Mike was referred to as the one who didn't want to grow up. Mike who was telling Will to grow up like the rest of them. And by the end of it, he was the one stuck. He was fine with growing up, until he realize that maybe he doesn't love El as he should.

764 notes - Posted June 29, 2022

#3

I find it hilarious that we were fooled into thinking that Eleanor was gonna apologize after Gabbi called her out for being a dick to Drea.

She was literally like:

1,683 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

#2

Fanfiction is canon because it's literally just the content the original writers were too scared to post themselves.

1,831 notes - Posted July 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I just realized that you can see if someone is open minded from the way they look at pairings they don't ship.

There are people who are going to say "I don't personally ship this pairing, but I can understand the potential appeal of it" and there are people who're going to say "Ugh, I don't understand how anyone can ship this. It's obviously wrong".

Now apply this to any other topic.

It's kind of like art. You may not like a painting, but you should still keep in mind that it was put in a museum for a reason. It was a masterpiece to someone else.

2,832 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

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#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[thebooktopus]

@the-sinking-ship is the best. she's a fantastic cheerleader- she's been reblogging and commenting on these MM posts like the goddess she is. she alphaed my very first drarry fic back in july and totally made me feel at home in the fandom. later, she was my beta for my Herbtamer fic and was so patient and supportive throughout. i can't thank her enough for everything she's done for me! I've been listening to some of her fic soundtracks while putting together the last of the MM posts this weekend and they're so satisfying and creative!

because she's awesome, sly participated in @fandomtrumpshate this year, raising an exceptional amount of money, but not only that - she's doing so in exchange for a longfic. 👀 she's an incredible writer- I've reccomended fics of hers before, so it was really fun to read a bunch of new works of hers to put this list together. you're sure to find something you like!!

random superlatives and recs:

contrary Draco tries SO HARD not to admit his feelings: Stupid Love // E // 16K // Drarry // I absolutely adored this fic. it's clever, full of confident Harry and prim Draco who absolutely hates everything about Harry. until he doesn't. what's better is that sly gifted us herself artwork by @bluebutter-art as a fanniversary present and my goodness I could look at it forever. added a new fic to my favorites list with this one!!

further proof that sly is the queen of longfic: Criminal // E // 83K // Drarry // 83K and not a single word wasted. sly does many things well, but her Draco is exceptional. he's snarky and unashamedly posh and horny and - he's just the whole package. and the way that harry is able to cut through all of that, get to the soft, squishy center of him. ugh, it's too good. also ft. artwork by @3lvendork and by @fictional.

let me be the first (probably not but let me have this) to proclaim this a perfect piece of fiction: Finely Drawn Lines // E // // Drarry // thanks, sly, for finishing this up just in time for this rec list, you're the best! what's the opposite of slow burn? flash flood? whatever it is, this is that. it's hot from the get-go, but filled with sly's amazing and particularly lovely brand of pining and idiots in love. I tore through this and know you will, too.

I would do anything for these two, for the record: Things We Do // E // 16K // Drarry // I just want to keyboard smash because this was sweet and perfect and hot and captured that essence of having a crush and then having it come together and then the panic that it might not work out and then the elation that you're going to try and and and and...

sly, you're just such a gem and I feel very lucky to be in your orbit. I hope you're having a great day! 💚

for more info on mutuals march and/or to figure out why the hell I just wrote an ode to you, check out this post.

#booktopus fic recs #mutuals march #drarry #drarry fic #drarry fic rec #fic rec #hp fanfic

[sinisterlyhan]

03. seo changbin /  9211 words

sugardaddy!changbin, virgin! sugarbaby!female reader, faint daddy kink, oral (m receiving), unprotected sex, fingering, romance

tw: none, except for a small disclaimer that this is pure fiction and hyunjin would in no way disrespect anybody in real life, he is a very good boy. 

cw: body image (reader is on the skinner side)

a/n: this took me so long and the smut isn’t even that good, i’ll unfortunately admit 😭 and i’m sorry i couldn’t fit everything the request asked for in a oneshot. 

req:

changbin found it absolutely endearing that you went out of your way to research how to properly behave in an extravagant business party after he invited you to one. yet, even then, you still trailed behind him timidly as he threaded through one big name after another, throwing out company finances and business plans in between all the courtesy talks.

that was disregarding the fact that you looked stunning in the silk dress and diamond jewelry he prepared for you beforehand. the curves of your body further accentuated through the tight-fitting material, and your skin glowed under the old money hung around your neck.

he almost wanted to ditch the party so he could spend the rest of the evening with you back in his apartment, specifically at a spot where the big windows stood overlooking the vibrant city of seoul.

but it was an important party he has to attend, out of business purposes, so he had no other choice but to keep his lust (and possessiveness, as everyone seemed to be undressing you with their nosy fucking eyes) hidden in the secret glances, the suggestive whispers, and occasionally grabby hands.

besides, you still haven't quite agreed to the sex part of the contract yet. you were still a little anxious about it, he supposed. after all, it would be your first time if you agree to do it with him. either way, the farthest he could go was a make-out session with roaming hands, and that seemed to be enough for him.

"ah, shit."

you heard changbin curse from next to you, his low voice hidden under his breath so nobody would hear him. you glanced over, surprised. he has been so calm and collected this evening, with all his time spent speaking eloquently and intelligently. this sudden outburst completely deviated from the atmosphere he was carrying tonight, and you wondered what got him so agitated.

moving your eyes toward where he looked at, your brows raised at a familiar face standing in a circle of people. you were never extremely invested in the business field, as your brain was diving headfirst into the art field (one which changbin has shown to fully support, with both his money and his heart), but you still knew that face.

hwang hyunjin—the young and outrageously successful entrepreneur whose face was plastered all over the media because of his underdog story and womanizing tendencies.

and who, also, as you knew, has unfortunately grown to be very arrogant and condescending after his lucky success. and if there was one thing he has made clear during interviews and conferences, it was that he despised old money.

or, simply put, the kind of people hyunjin liked to fuck around in the head with was changbin.

"do you have to talk to him?" you asked, scooting closer to his side and taking your eyes off the blond-haired man.

"i would look petty if i talk to everyone but him," he muttered back, leaning toward you without tearing his eyes away from the man. "i just... i was hoping we can have a one-on-one conversation instead. that way i can be a piece of shit without any witnesses."

"huh..." you frowned, not understanding the logic going in his head.

it wasn't like everyone was sweet and polite in here, especially not hyunjin, out of all people. why not be blatantly rude as well if it was to return to favor? this wasn't an 'employee and customer' situation, like in the coffee shop you worked in where you always had to blame yourself for the customer's wrongdoings.

changbin is a rich, powerful man. he shouldn't have to be forced to take the heat in if he doesn't want to.

"if you're thinking i can do whatever i want just because i'm rich, you're... well, you are partially correct," changbin hummed, shifting his weight to the side. "but not in this situation."

"really?" you crossed your arms, your naked breasts pushed up with the action and luring his eyes to cast down, but he kept his gaze at your face, amusement lingering at your curious expression. "care to enlighten me about it?"

"hmm..." he pursed his lips, pretending to contemplate before he shrugged. "i will, if you will talk to me about your artsy things."

"why do you want to know what i'm learning!" you asked, happily exasperated as you took a small step back, laughing.

"what? i'm super curious!" he exclaimed incredulously, a smirk growing on his lips. "i see those paintings on your lecture slides all the time but i have no idea what those are!"

"would it make you happy if i tell you about it?" you asked then, having calmed down lots after learning that he has been paying attention to what you do on the dining table in his apartment. "it might be a little abstract for a businessman like you."

"abstract? baby, please, you underestimate me," he cooed, pinching your cheek playfully before his hand soothed out over your face, gripping your jaw. he smiled, fondly. "come on, give me a kiss before i have to talk to blond boy over there."

"boy? he's an adult," you laughed, and instead of letting him reply, you leaned in to press your lips against his.

changbin smiled, the words falling off his tongue upon the taste of your sweet lips.

it has taken him a while to be kissed by you. you were such a shy girl; when he so much as suggested the idea of it during his offer to become your sugar daddy, your face immediately flushed red, and he had been reluctant to talk to you about the more... sexual aspect of the contract.

but you had grown to be more comfortable around him now. kissing him hasn't come naturally yet, but you were willing to do so when he asked for one, whether it was around the apartment or in public places.

he could still remember the first time you pressed your lips against him—it was like he became a high school boy again, all giddy and excited on the inside but having to act calm and confident on the outside.

but you could tell he was satisfied with it as he had impulsively bought you an array of art supplies the next day. he didn't know what you wanted, so he went ahead and got whatever he heard was good. and now you've probably got semesters' worth of paint stacked in your dorm room.

"ah, well, i am still years older than him," changbin said after pulling away, his hands settled on your waist despite the public eye. "which i reckon you have a thing for."

"what? older man?" you joked, giggling with your hands flat against his broad chest. "hmm, maybe just you."

christ—where did that confidence come from? the giggling, the hands, and the words. you were driving him nuts, alright! was it the clothes, or even the atmosphere of this extravagant setting? ugh, either way, he loved it! he loved seeing you all giggly for him.

"you're gonna make me melt, baby," changbin whined under his breath, causing you to laugh a little louder.

"thank you, it's what i aspire to do in life," you commented, patting his chest in comfort before your hands roamed up to his collar. you carefully tightened his tie, keeping the warm smile on his face. "do you want me to join your conversation with mr. blond boy?"

he hummed, his eyes squinted as if he had to think, which he didn't. he knew he wouldn't want you in any part of his work, not even the casual chatters of it. besides, having hyunjin stand within your vicinity might not be the best idea for him. after all, no matter what, hyunjin was still a young, youthful, and wealthy man. and he likely knew a thing or two about snatching unavailable women.

not that changbin didn't trust you. but you two haven't gotten far in terms of a relationship yet, and it wasn't like you were already taken by him. he was your sugar daddy. you were stuck in a situation where you could always leave for a better option, and hyunjin might just be the better option for you, he was afraid.

"definitely not. you can join the snacks table at the side until i come to find you, and no flirting with anyone unless you're trying to talk me up, okay?" he said, sternly but with a hint of mischief. his eyes cast to the side, and his brows furrowed for a brief moment before he turned back to you. "and kiss me again, because i think the blond boy is ogling you."

he had no idea how he kept his voice so calm. hyunjin was blatantly staring at the curve of your hips wrapped in the tight, silk dress. whatever was going on in his mind, it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out after seeing the smirk that arrived at his face.

oh, how changbin wanted to hide you from his sight. what dilemma—he both wanted to shield you and show you off. as if you were an art piece in a museum. and you most definitely were one in his eyes, one that he could auction his life for and still be unworthy for.

"really? this dress is doing more numbers on people than i expected," you said before leaning in, sealing your lips in a sweet kiss.

changbin laughed at your comment.

no way, it was definitely your face that was doing numbers on people. the dress simply accentuated the effect.

"okay," he nodded, "time to go to hell."

"good luck, binnie," you cheered quietly, waving your hand as he left your side, his rough hand slipping away from yours until he was too far out of reach.

you watched him approach the group of people, your eyes lingering on his back before they shifted up to meet eyes with hyunjin. your heart shuddered when you found him staring straight back at you, intrigued and curious, and you found no trouble in tearing your gaze away.

changbin paced around in his room, agitated from the commotion he just caused in the business party he impulsively left.

it wasn't so much about the way others would perceive him after tonight's unfortunate event. he had faith that everyone in the room knew much about hyunjin's tendency to step on nerves, and that he wouldn't be the irrational type simply because of one mishap. especially not when it was made very blatant that hyunjin was, once again, going after a 'taken' woman.

what changbin was concerned about was the fact that his actions tonight spoke millions of words he has been trying to suppress for months. the fact that you saw how protective he was of you when he saw your uncomfortable expression, how angry he got when hyunjin so much as looked at you the wrong way, how hard he had shoved the young boy when his fingers brushed past your waist.

those were all obvious tell-tale signs that he might just care about you over the extent of just being your sugar daddy. and he was panicking because he had no idea how you would react if you pieced it all together that he has fallen quite hard for you. not just as a sugar baby, not just someone who provided him company because he was a lonely, rich man.

he has fallen for you as yourself, as an equal partner, as a close friend. everything about you he adored—your passion for art, your shy personality, your bad jokes on dates, and your unforgettable gratitude toward all the money he could never wait to spend on you.

changbin almost wanted to laugh. he has probably heard you say 'thank you' more than he has ever heard you say anything else.

he loved you, every aspect of you, and he didn't know how to deal with it aside from hiding the truth.

"hey..."

your meek voice paused him in his tracks. he turned to look at you, his glare harsh until he saw you move away from the half-opened door. you were drowned in one of his white dress shirts, the sleeves going over your palms and the hem overflowing to your upper-thigh. you wore nothing else but undergarments, he knew, because you knew he liked it that way.

he won't see what's underneath, but he liked the idea of it, and it was good for him that you were willing to wear so little in front of him despite your initial awkwardness.

christ, you knew him too well, and you were far too considerate. even at a time like this, you remembered to do something that would lift his sour mood. and many other times, whenever he was upset or stressed or frustrated, you always knew to put down your task at hand and console him with your lips all over his face.

what has he ever done to deserve that?

"hey," he muttered, looking away with a defeated sigh.

you frowned, deducting that he must have been very ill-affected by the previous incident. that simply made you feel even more guilty than before. you were so sure you have got the situation under control, but it wasn't every day that a rich, handsome, young man comes advancing toward you like hyunjin did. you were caught off-guard, and the next thing you knew he has your small waist squeezed in his hand.

it wasn't your fault that changbin had to jump in, but you sure felt like it was so. and now he was suffering from what he did.

"are you upset...?" you asked softly after approaching him. you stood before him, head up and eyes round as you looked at him.

he gave himself a moment to soak you in, letting the sight of your face consume him. then he sighed, his hand reaching up to caress the side of your head, an act much too gentle to be casual. "yes, but not with you, baby."

leaning against his hand, you gave him a short melancholic glance before you carefully walked closer to him with your arms held up. they went around his neck, pulling him into a genuine hug where you buried your face to his shoulder and spoke with a muffled voice.

"i'm sorry. thank you for standing up for me back there, even though it risked damaging your image."

you had a thought about it when you were alone in the guest room of his apartment. it has partly become your room if you could say so yourself. living in the dorm alone could not compare to having someone's presence around when you were about to fall asleep, and changbin always stayed up late enough for you to sense him until you drop into slumber.

but you were thinking, as you changed out of the silk dress and put on something you fished out of the closet in the room, about everything that went down tonight and how it had made you feel.

for sure, you had a sense of guilt because what changbin did was definitely going to be deemed as unprofessional in others' eyes. but a part of you was quite giddy and warmed that he cared enough to step between you and hyunjin. 

and it wasn't out of possessiveness; not because he didn't like to share you, or because you were strictly his to touch. simply because you obviously looked uncomfortable, because he saw that you didn't like the proximity hyunjin closed on you both, and he was annoyed that the boy didn't choose to respect your boundaries.

not for you to applaud a man for doing the bare minimum, but in the face of someone who didn't even meet the bare minimum line, changbin sure was attractive in that fleeting moment. not to mention, your heart was already wavering for him anyway. rather than making you fall in love, the act merely magnified your feelings.

"of course," changbin said, patting his hand against your head. "no one should ever touch you when you don't want them to, okay? and it's not your fault when they do."

you nodded, a hum of agreement going directly to the fabric of his shirt before you slowly moved away from the safe spot where you laid on your head on. your eyes searched for his face then, your affection for him hinted all too obviously on your face. and when your hand moved away from the back of his neck to his jaw, you couldn't wait for a second more to kiss him on the mouth.

changbin reciprocated immediately, his eyes shut tight as he melted into the sweet taste. the hand that went around your back shifted to your waist, holding you securely as he brought you forward to him, your breasts pushing against his chest more prominently than before.

your mouths moved together perfectly, sparking up a sensational heat within your chest that even the sun couldn't rival. it wasn't the first time you two have kissed with such passion lingering in your movements, sometimes just a casual make-out session would go for long because neither of you knew how to stop, but you could never bring yourself to get enough of him.

unconsciously pushing him backward, changbin continued to stumble upon the strength you added when you leaned your weight on him for more. when could feel the back of his legs touch the back of his desk chair, he moved a hand over to turn it around so he could slump down on the seat.

you chased after him, your torso leaning down to catch his lips as your legs moved to climb on top of his lap. your knees met at the side of his hips and his hands circled your small waist, holding you in your place carefully as you kissed him without a care.

changbin's heart was thumping quickly. mostly from the fervent way you were sucking on his lips, making him feel swollen and red. you always felt so eager, making his lonely heart feel appreciated and wanted. it was times like this, or just any moment he spent with you, when he was able to stop self-isolating.

but the more overwhelming feeling laid beneath his body. the fact that he could trace the curve of your bare skin underneath his thin shirt, and your lower body sat weighted closely against his erection was making his heart wage war against his conscience.

all he could think about was how much he wanted to go further than just making out with you. he wanted to touch you, intimately; he wanted his lips all over your beautiful, scorching body; he wanted to make you feel good, really good.

lord, he wants to fuck you so bad. he wants to fuck you so, so, so damn bad.

"oh, there is something i want to show you. don't make fun of me, okay?" you giggled after pulling away, your hands fumbling with the button of his shirt as a blush crept up your cheeks.

you began to slowly pop open the buttons, revealing more and more of your naked body until you finally shrugged the shirt off your shoulders, pulling the hem behind you to reveal the set of lacy lingerie you wore underneath.

lord have mercy on his soul—what was happening? the first time you found the set in a box shoved in his closet, you had thought they were art supplies he got you again, only to be dumbfounded to see undergarments that probably cost you your year's worth of paycheck at the coffee shop.

"i thought it might make you happy since you seemed like you wanted to see me in it the time i found it in your closet," you muttered, fiddling with your fingers as you looked at him through your lashes. "oh, wait! don't–don't stare at me like that! i feel like you're judging me!"

changbin shook his head, still in complete awe but he found it in himself to snap out of it.

he had bought that without the intention of asking you to present yourself in it, he simply got it because (a) he has the money, therefore why not? and (b) he thought you would look amazing in it, which you have proved him right, you do look spectacularly enticing in the set of lacy lingerie.

your perky breasts sat prettily under the floral-patterned pads, the roundness pushed up perfectly with the tightness of the bra. the black, lace garter belt cinched in your waist and draped over your panties, little ribbons handing around the hem of the clips.

and, of course, his dress-shirt falling off your dainty shoulders, adding a hint of adorable innocence in the face of absolute sex.

he held your waist, his calloused hand quite a contrast to the softness of your skin, and he eyed you up and down before taking a deep breath. you were both exposed and not entirely naked, your barely visible body urging him to just tear the lingerie off of you so he could worship your body right then and there, so he could finally let loose and fuck you senseless.

control. he let out a shivered breath. self-control.

"do... do you like it...?" you asked meekly then, fully meeting his eyes with small and shy gestures hanging off your hands.

"oh god, baby, please," he replied. "of course i do, you look stunning."

you smiled, beaming in relief, and you leaned forward to shut his eyes with an excited kiss. changbin moaned a little at the force, feeling your hip rub against his clothed member when you pushed toward him.

he figured it was just a mistake, perhaps you were as shocked at the friction as he was. but instead of pulling away, all you did was continue to grind down on him, trying to meet his arousal out of rather needy attempts.

oh, he couldn't do this. too much, too much. he has to get inside you, he couldn't even think.

"oh, actually–wait, hey."

snapping his eyes open, changbin gently pushed you away from his neck when he realized you planned to move even further down, your lips planting kisses so calculatingly he almost got lost in them. he swore he thought his heart would rip him apart and jump out right there.

you looked at him, bewildered. "what...?"

he stared at you, unsure. if you wanted to go further, he surely would comply with you. lord knows how long his cock has been aching for your permission. but if this decision was made out of the fleeting guilt you felt because of what happened tonight, he didn't want it. he wouldn't want your first time to be out of the need to provide compensation, he needed it to be special for you, and he was well-prepared for the person to never be him.

"hey, look at me," he pressed his palms to your cheeks, "i know how you are about sex, and i know you feel like you don't give me enough because you won't go to bed with me when i–uh, when i obviously wanted to."

you furrowed your brows, your eyes rounding innocently at him as he squeezed your cheeks together.

"i'm sorry if i have ever pressured you into feeling like you have to. you absolutely do not have to do anything of that sort for me, okay? your first time should be with somebody you love." he rubbed your cheeks, pressing his forehead against yours with a faint smile. "i will be just as entertained if you want to sit here and tell me all about frida kahlo."

you watched him, unblinking and unmoving.

one of your favorite artists. you never even mentioned it but she was all over your room. he must have noticed.

see, this is the kind of man he is. you have seen him through and through.

starting from the unbelievable tip of a hundred dollars he left you at the coffee shop, to your awkward first date at an expensive restaurant where you used his hundred dollars to pay for the meal, to the first time he held you in his arms because you got overwhelmed by his support of you choosing art as a career path, to the millions of times he has ensured you that you could just stand around in his apartment and he'd be happy to just feel your presence,

he has only been gentle and considerate, generous and patient—so, so patient—with you. and you could see him, thoroughly, not just as somebody who paid for your tuition and brought you to pretty places.

changbin was someone who kissed you goodnight after a nightmare, who took time out of his work to visit your university art exhibition, who was willing to sit through a ramble of things he couldn't care less about, because he loves you.

changbin was someone who loves you, and you loved him with just as much soul you could give.

"who said i wasn't trying to do it with someone i love...?" you whispered, looking into his eyes as your hands moved up to cup over his own. "who says you aren't the person i love?"

changbin took in your words. wavering strongly was his beating heart, uncertain and hoping that you meant what you said.

you sealed his confusion with another kiss—a much tentative one; careful, slow, and confessing. you were imprinting your affection for him with your lips, leaving a mark in his mouth he could never forget.

and there was only one thing in your mind when you brought his hands away from your face, your head moving lower to his neck, and his collarbones, until finally your feet touched the ground and you were kissing him through his clothes until you knelt at the floor between his legs: you were to make changbin feel good, you were to give him all the love you could offer, to both his heart and his body.

changbin stopped breathing at the sight of you kneeling before him, your hands slowly caressing up his inner thighs until they met at his belt. the permanent pout on your face as you undo his belt made him go batshit crazy imagining how those pretty little lips could wrap around his cock.

you popped the button open and unzipped the fly, not bothering to slide his pants down as your fingers tugged at the waist of his boxers, pulling it low enough for his cock to spring out from underneath. you flinched, startled, and your eyes widened in surprise at his size. it was only how you remember you have never actually sucked anyone off before, and neither have you watched a lot of people do it.

oh hell, you would have to wing this.

suppressing the urge to laugh, you let the curiosity overwhelm you and, finally, moved your hands up to wrap themselves around his thick shaft. he sucked in a breath, the warmth of your hands engulfing him as you slowly pumped up and down. your movement irregular but solid, your palm squeezing around his tip whenever they meet, adding pressure to his nerves and causing pre-cum to leak from his tip quicker than he thought.

your hands got sticky really quickly, the whiteness coating between your fingers as you continued to pump his cock until you saw that his tip of red and protruding. bringing yourself closer to him, then you brought your face toward the tip and, before you put your lips on him, you looked up to catch his eyes.

changbin's head rattled at your gaze—so naive-looking yet so affecting. you held more control in this situation, in every situation, even though you were always the more shrunken one.

"may i?" you asked, your breath hitting his angry tip.

he hummed, groaning at the welcoming sensation, and he nodded. "yes, baby, please."

the gate in his chest opened when you finally put him in your mouth, releasing him of his suffocation and all the hidden stress he never let out. your gentle lips sucked on his tip, your tongue licking across his slit to taste the bitter pre-cum, and the whine you let out in distaste gave him shivers.

throwing your mind off the liquid on your tongue, you pushed yourself further down, taking more of him in you as you suck your cheeks carefully, hoping it was enough stimulation for him. whatever you were doing, it was all from hearing people talk about it and mirroring the little of what you've seen, and you could only hope that it was good enough for him.

and it was. it was so, so good, you wouldn't have any idea. your mouth felt so warm and soft and wet around him, your teeth just barely grazing against his skin, and your tongue flat against his visible veins. not to mention the occasional look of uncertainty you would flash him, your pretty eyes wide with your mouth stuffed full of his shaft as you asked him for approval.

he could only give them in grunts and moans. the stimulation was too magnificent, he was at a complete loss for words that he got the privilege of feeling you suck him off.

"ah... ahh, fuck–" he threw his head back, the back of his neck leaned against the soft cushioned headrest. when you hummed around him, acknowledging the pleasure he was feeling, he immediately hissed upon the vibration. "fuck, keep–keep going–ahh..."

you bobbed your head irregularly, your inner-cheeks hallowing to touch his shaft and to given him suction. your tongue continued to flick on his skin, adding a gentle sensation to the overall wetness. it felt weird to have something stuck between your teeth, but hearing the grunts above was nothing more than satisfying to you.

a short gurgle escaped the gaps of your lips when you suddenly went beyond the length you were already taking, letting his cock reach further into your mouth and stopping when his tip brushed against your throat. changbin let out a louder moan then, the softness of your uvula poked by his tip and making his mind shatter.

"shit, baby, ugh!" he groaned, his hand flying to your hair and grabbing a fistful of it. he tugged at your scalp, unable to control his movement when his dick was engulfed by the warmth of your mouth.

you pulled away after a quick second of deep-throating him, but you didn't let yourself pop away for air. instead, your lips sucked at the skin of his tip when you reached dangerously up, and before you continued by taking him in your mouth and bobbing your head along his shaft again, you let the droll hanging by the tip of your tongue roll out the mouth.

the wetness dripped down his cock, a feeling changbin never knew he would take such notice of, but he has grown as an obsession for you that he'd memorized the feeling of your saliva on his skin. and he certainly would have this moment memorized as well—your mouth taking most of him while your hands stroked where your mouth couldn't reach, and your eyes getting all wide and teary whenever your nose hit the base.

he was bucking his hip into you soon, wanting to go at a pace he liked. his hands spread across your head, pulling your hair out of your face while semi holding you in place, but still giving you the freedom to move as much as he could. he knew he wasn't going to last much longer, the tension in his abdomen was building him up to an eventual release he wasn't sure if he was to empty himself in your mouth yet.

you could sense his silent impatience. anytime you were to pull your lips to the tip, he would thrust his hip up to your face, wanting you to take him back in. and each time, after you quickly swirled your tongue around his soft tip, you'd listen to his pleas and take him in your mouth again. it was all rinse and repeat—suck and lick, up and down. until his grip on your hair tightened with a hoarse groan, and you felt immobilized under his hands.

changbin squeezed his eyes shut at the feeling, his head thrown back slightly as he lightly thrusted into your mouth to chase after his release. his cock pulsated, his skin moving as he shot his hot cum into your mouth with an uncontrollable moan.

you coughed at the taste, finding them unpleasant to swallow. when he finally pulled out of you, you coughed, and his cum trailed out with your saliva, dripping down your chin alluringly as you looked up at changbin as an instinctive response.

his chest heaved as his eyes flashed with a sex-crazed affection. he couldn't even care whether you swallowed all of him or not. the view of your lower face covered with white wetness—his cum—was so devastatingly sexy. and the way they dripped and rolled down your breast made him insides twitch.

he felt like he got a recharge, and he could go on and on, he could stay inside you for the entire night.

changbin moved his hand up from the nape of your neck, caressing the side of your head with a much gentler approach, almost in a praising effort. he smiled at you, endeared. "such a good girl... such a good girl for me."

you held down a beam, but the quirk at your lips still flashed shyly upon his praise. changbin watched you with care, his eyes hazing out as his lids dropped in a tender manner. you have always been such a sight for sore eyes, he knew, but he had no idea he could love looking at someone so much—just looking and nothing else. no hands, no words, just the eyes and the glorious view of you.

and it was enough for him, it really was.

you turned your head to kiss his palm after a moment of silence. and your body swayed for a bit, side to side, until your head laid itself on his inner thigh. you looked up at him, your eyes yearning as you glanced between his face and his glistening cock. the pout on your face, and the slow gliding of your hands, were suggesting something, something big.

he shivered out an exhale, anticipating what you had in mind.

standing up slowly, you returned to your previous position where you straddled him on the chair. changbin helped you navigate around, keeping you ground on his lap as you found a better position. you kissed him in the meanwhile, your hips moving awkwardly as your lips kept the weak man occupied. until you could finally grind down on his length, you kept his busy with the swipes of your tongue.

changbin gasped when he felt the shape of your heat against his shaft, rubbing for friction and warmth, asking to be pounded and abused. he pulled away, his eyes wide at your pink cheeks, and you could only hug him closer by the neck, a slight grin escaping your lips.

"i can keep going..." you said, laying your head on his shoulder and burying your face to his neck as you ground against his abdomen. a moan left your lips, high and whiny, and you begged. "i want to be fucked, daddy, please."

woah. where the hell did you learn to say something like that? not that he didn't enjoy it, he was just very shocked to hear such words leave with your sweet voice attached to them! and also very, very turned on. unexplainably turned on.

"did you just call me daddy?" he muttered out, pushing your away so he could see your face.

you pursed your lips and nodded. you never knew the term could be used in a bedroom before. albeit you found it quite fascinating at first, but after digging a little deeper into it, you started wondering if changbin would be one to enjoy the use of that title. it was a slip of the tongue, you didn’t plan to say it, but judging by the look on his face, he didn’t seem to oppose it either.

“yes… daddy."

he could only laugh.

big mistake.

you yelped when he stood up, his hands clenching your waist to hoist you up with him. he reached one hand over this desk, impatiently swiping the papers and books off the floor so he could sit you tight on the surface. he pushed your back against the table, his chest pressed against yours and his hands on both your waist and your arm, holding you down.

you couldn't find a trace of softness in his eyes now. they have gone dark and lidded, the way you have never seen him look at you before. his hand snuck through your body, trailing along your torso and meeting at your neck. his hand fit around the bone perfectly, giving you just a good enough squeeze to make you gasp.

"now where the fuck did you learn that, baby girl?" he whispered close to your jaw, a smile on his face.

you wanted to answer, but his hand was dancing down your body, quickly and energetically, and your mind simply vanished when it met at the hem of your lace pantie. changbin watched you carefully, with a hint of anticipation, as he slipped the tip of his fingers beneath the soft fabric. you pursed your lips, heart beating excitedly as his hand inched further and further down until his hand was cupping your pussy.

his curled his middle finger, making the tip trail along your wetting slit and dipping into your hole just slightly out of tease. your hand flew up to grab his arm, your eyes rolling down to stare at him; you weren’t stopping him, but you always couldn’t do anything but wait for his next move, so you just looked ahead, unmoving.

“ever been fingered before?” changbin asked suddenly, his cheek leaning against your covered breast as his fingers teased your entrance. 

“n–no.” 

“not even by yourself?” 

“just once–“ you gasped at the stretched out feeling when he slowly slid his middle finger inside. your legs trembled at the sudden intrusion, surprised, but changbin made sure to keep them open by pushing himself between your legs. 

this was not a new feeling—well, not new per se. you have fingered yourself once before, out of plain curiosity after changbin suggested the idea of sex to you when you two were discussing your give-and-take  relationship. but you could barely get past the first several shoves of your fingers before you had to pull yourself out and wash away the filth sticking to your hands. 

you had been too shy to do it yourself, and thus never once felt the true pleasure of having your walls rubbed with the delicacy of the human hands. therefore, when changbin began to pump his middle finger in and out of your wet heat, you could barely contain the shocked whimpers he was eliciting out of you. and the quicker they did it, the more he began to stretch you out with the insert of his fourth finger, his thumb rubbing circles on your clit, the more you shivered at his touch.

he laughed to himself at the way you gasped when he spread his two fingers inside you, stretching you out and gathering your juices on his skin. he was getting you prepped and ready for his cock, making sure you were all wet and slippery before he could safely slide himself inside you. yet, even though it was still just simple foreplay, you managed to give him such lovely reactions. 

“you feeling okay, hmm?” leaning up to your face, he asked in a huff before kissing your lips, muffing your incoming moans as he sped up the pace of his hands.

the squelching sounds became more audible from beneath your hips, making your ears perk up when you realized how wet you have become. changbin smirked at your expression, so hopeless and weak, and he asked, “daddy’s making you feel good, isn’t he?”

you nodded, focusing on the way his fingers moved in your, thrusting against your walls and adding pressure to your weak spots. "yes–yes... daddy is making–ahh!"

he placed a hand in your hip, forcing you down when your body jolted from the sudden head-rush of an approaching orgasm. he watched your face scrunch up, moans leaving your lips in splits and ragged breaths, and all he could feel was satisfaction. for how long has he yearned for this sight? for how long has his mind been infiltrated with the imaginary image of your naked body?

it was all under his fingertips now, everything about you.

he could feel your release approaching with the tightening of your walls, and that excited him, but instead of bringing you over the edge, he paused his movements and pulled out of you instead.

you went down from your almost high, your eyes snapping open at the ceiling and your head lowering to look at changbin. his fingers glistened with your essence, causing everything you wanted to say to him to fly out of your head. you watched him, wondering what he was planning to do with it as he raised it to face level.

"sorry about that. i promise all i want to do tonight is to make you cum," he said, bringing you closer to the edge of his desk with one hand harsh against the lower side of your ass. "but if you're gonna do that, i'd rather you do it around my cock."

your faces were close once again, but instead of kissing you like you thought he would do, he moved his hand up to your face and tapped your bottom lip with his wet fingers. you reluctantly parted your mouth for him, and he slowly slipped his fingers between, reaching in for your tongue and resting his fingers there.

"suck, baby girl," he demanded softly.

you listened to him, your lips wrapping around his fingers and you began to lightly suck on them. you hollowed your cheeks, tasting yourself on him as you let out tiny, silky moans between the action. changbin gave himself a second to watch your blissful face, the rounding of your lips a replica of when you had them wrapped around his cock.

his arousal twitched, horny and impatient. taking notice of it, he finally broke away from looking at you and stood forward. his hand left your ass to move to your lace pantie, and after giving the hem a few gentle tugs, he grabbed a firm hold of the weak fabric and tore it down in a swift motion. it broke at the side, the coverage dropping off your body and the front half of it falling off the edge of the table.

changbin looked down at your naked cunt, his eyes flashing with red lust immediately. leaving the broke undergarment underneath you, he moved his hand down to his cock where he pumped his length a few times before he positioned at your entrance without any notice.

when you felt his tip against your hole, you gave his fingers an abrupt suck, surprise ridding your body. changbin gently pulled his hand out of your mouth then, his face getting much closer to yours where he could judge his nose against yours gently.

he kissed the corner of your mouth, his dry thumb stroking your jaw. "are you sure you want to do this?" was all that he asked.

you scrunched your nose up into a smile, bumping your forehead against his when you nodded in agreement. "yes."

"okay," he took a deep breath, "this is going to hurt, so tell me to stop if it's too much."

you grinned, laughing your playful laugh that he adored. "yes, daddy."

he smirked—adorable. just when he thought he couldn't love you more. "good girl."

with that said, he carefully laid you on your back, pushing away anything that could be in the way before he moved down to you just for the sake of keeping you close to him. and he slowly and surely tried to ease himself into you.

you felt the tremor from your chest increase when your hole greeted his cock, finding the stretch unfamiliar and uncomfortable due to his astonishing size. your grip on his clothed arms tightened as he moved, pushing himself further inside you with suppressed groans of pleasure.

he thought he could control himself and wait, but you have proven to him time and time again that his self-control may not be as good as he coined it to be. especially now, when your tight walls suffocated his cock with such delicious pressure, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to a territory where he abandoned his sanity and allow himself to fuck you immediately solely to satisfy himself.

oh, but he could never do that. he could never prioritize himself over you. everything he does was for you now, from the workplace to the bedroom, everything has to cater to you now.

"are you okay? does it hurt?" he asked after he has himself stuffed inside you. placing his hand on your cheek, he hovered closely over your face and smooched your eyes. "are you feeling okay, baby?"

"yeah, it just–" you laughed, moving your head to shake off the breathlessness. as painful as it had been, the stretch was fascinating to feel, and it felt strangely good to be so full. "it hurts a little but i'm fine, you can keep going."

changbin moved slowly from the start, wanting nothing more than for you to adjust to him. he knew that if you wanted more, you would ask for it, and there would be tell-tale signs from your face and your actions that tell him exactly what you wanted. it hasn't been a terrible lot of such intimacy happening between you both—actually, this was the first time, but he has got you down at the back of his palm, from the scrunch of your face to the hiss from your throat.

changbin has got you memorized, like everything else he has ever cared about, like your paintings and your coffees. and being inside you now, hearing as your discreet pants slowly turn into loud, euphoric moans, feeling as his cock rub sensually along your walls to scratch up a heat that could never rival that of his affection, he knew he loved you.

he has learned to love you, just as you have learned to love him. and he wanted to continue to do so for as long as you allow him, he would be ready to do that whenever you are.

your hands began to fumble around his body, unsure of their duty and therefore aiming for the one thing you wanted the most. your fingers worked clumsily, popping the buttons of his shirt one by one, two by two, until most of his chest was exposed. you let out a giddy laugh when you could see the traces of his pecs and the smooth skin of his tummy, feeling rather drunk on the pleasure and more so on fascination.

"you have a little tummy, bin, haha!"

he looked down, not realizing you had opened his buttons. when he looked back up at you, there was laughter on his face and he reached up to pinch your cheek as he bit lower lip in embarrassment. "when did you do that, hmm?"

"like... a second ago...?" you replied, "but awe, that's very cute. i'm gonna kiss your tummy later."

and you would blow raspberries on his skin, and he would laugh, and you two would just be on the bed as any other lovers would.

changbin felt more than just adored at this point. growing up focusing on his father's business and expanding his studies to keep up with his father's expectations, even though he has always been a friendly one, he was never able to gain the romantic life he always longed for. the people he likes either don't like him for who he is, or he doesn't have feelings for those who do.

you were a miracle. you were his miracle. how did you land on his hands so delicately?

he kissed you when he decided to pick up his previously slower speed. the spur of sudden endearment made him want to give it all to you, and he wanted nothing more than to feel you quiver around him in a haze. moving his lips down your neck to give you space for your sweet noises, his hands moved to fumble with your bra, slipping them off below your ribs and exposing your round breasts to him.

you moved your legs with a jolt when he wordlessly began planting bruises across your breasts, but something told you he was beginning to a deeper part of you and spreading such electrifying flow across your body.

the scrape of his teeth was a frighteningly joyful sensation, the thought of him sucking hickeys in your chest for both of your to see also was a newfound thrill you never thought you'd enjoy.

everything he was doing brought you over the moon and back. his strong thrusts built up tension at your abdomen, and his kisses adding to the pleasure you were already feeling from his cock hitting against your sweet spot. your moans became shameless, your hands longed for more to touch, and your words were bold as you asked him for more, more, and more.

"oh god, changbin–changbin, right there," you squeezed his arms, "please, more, give me more."

your feminine, sultry voice made his head swoon, and he could do not anything else but to oblige you. he couldn't even bring it in himself to care about the sudden loss of his bedroom title, his name sounded awfully lovely in your voice.

a curse flew past your lips when he placed his elbow next to your head, his body leaning down for leverage so he could better utilize his lower body. he snapped his hips into yours, listening to your pleads and increasing his pace as you asked. you moaned and moaned against his ears, and your body hugged him tightly to you, making him feel engulfed and warm.

"bin, bin, i feel close–ahh!" you patted his shoulder, your breasts moving against his chest.

"good," he hummed, holding your hands down to your side as an instinctive response. "cum around me when you want to, just let go."

the taste of your skin etched against his lips as he kissed your neck during the last of your endurance. his pounded into you, his strength immeasurable along with the tightening of your walls, and you were falling apart in seconds.

changbin groaned, his eyes rolling up when you pulsated around him. the euphoric scream of his name went straight into his head, repeating and repeating itself to get him off. he snapped his hips into yours, feeling his own high approaching as your walls continue to tighten down on him as the aftermath of your first orgasm.

"oh, fuck–" he cursed, feeling a ting on his tip so he pulled out immediately.

your cum slipped out at the action, a watery noise accompanying the slip of your cum trailing out your pussy. you watched as he pumped himself, his length glimmering with your filthy essence and staining his hands once again. knowing what he wanted to do, you quickly sat up and gently pushed him a step back.

changbin looked at you as you got down on your knees in front of him, your hands replacing his own to rub along his length for him. your hands were slippery as you watched him with wide, blazing eyes. and, the more he breathed with heavy exhales, you finally picked your time to reach up to take him in your mouth again, the bitter taste of yourself more permanent this time as you had just came around him.

he cursed out loud at and tilted his head sideways at the feeling of your warm mouth around his cock, his hands meeting at the back of your head while he slowly rocked his hip into your mouth. you focused on his tip, swiping your tongue along his slit and hallowing your cheeks around the sensitive bud. it didn't take long before he emptied himself in your mouth again, his cock going limp against your tongue as you swallowed around his tip.

you pulled away with a pop, a saliva string stretching between your mouth and his tip, only disappearing when you wiped your mouth to clean yourself up.

changbin slumped against his chair then, exhausted from the high he felt. his eyes moved to your knelt form, and he softened. opening his arms, he nudged his head toward you and said, "come here, baby."

you stood up, feeling the faint soreness between your legs but continuing to walk toward him anyway. he pulled you to his lap when you were close enough, your legs straddling his hips once again, but this time without the arousal interrupting the moment despite your bare skin touching.

you laid your cheek on his shoulder, with your face turned toward his neck and your arms around his waist. changbin stroked your hair despite the drying wetness on his hand, his eyes hazy as he stared ahead of him.

"you did so well, baby," he praised after a moment, "thank you for letting me be your first."

you smiled, shaking your head slightly. "i should thank you for taking care of me, just then and for so long."

"you don't have to," he mumbled, tilting his head so he leaned against you. "i wanted to do that."

you pursed your lips to let out a hoarse hum. the sleepiness was taking over you slowly, and despite your burning desire to talk more, you could fight the urge to fall asleep against his chest and his protective arms. therefore, rubbing your cheek on his shoulder, you looked up and mumbled, "i want to sleep."

"oh?" he chuckled. "are you sure you don't want to take a shower first? i can run you a bath."

"sleep first," you yawned, adjusting your position before fully letting yourself slump against his figure.

he caught you in his strong arms by wrapping them around your small figure. his chest heaved along with yours, feeling your breath in silence with him, and he gave you a very tiny nod in agreement.

"okay," he said, caressing your arms. "rest well, baby."

and he would be here when you wake up.

#inkidz #stayverse #stayhavennet #changbin smut #seo changbin smut #stray kids smut #skz smut #stray kids dark hours #skz dark hours

[quickspinner]

Killer Combo Ch 7 - The Final Showdown

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Epilogue | Bonus Tidbits | ART inspired by this story! | AO3 | Fiction Master Post

I sincerely apologize to everyone who prefers short chapters, as this is another really long one. Pace yourselves as necessary, and thank you so much for persevering to the end with me. I'm so grateful for everyone who has read and liked or reblogged or replied, and I hope though the journey is uh, long, you will find it satisfying. You can search *** for the scene breaks if you need to stop and come back.

Kagami, predictably, was not happy when Marinette returned alone, but Juleka’s vindictive smirk when she heard what her brother was doing was enough to convince Kagami to delay any plans of vengeance she might have been making. “I hope he gives that bitch the earful she deserves,” Juleka muttered darkly, and then snorted. “But knowing Luka, he won’t. He’ll be all gentle and patient and she’ll keep arguing for way longer than he should let her before she realizes she might as well be talking to a brick wall.” 

“You don’t think,” Marinette began, and then stopped, reaching up to smooth her hair self-consciously, shifting her weight on her feet and feeling like a fool as several pairs of knowing eyes turned her way.

Juleka arched an eyebrow, but her smile was sympathetic. “I definitely don’t think,” she said warmly, reaching out to squeeze Marinette’s shoulder in a move that reminded her strongly of Luka. “Luka’s very perceptive and empathetic. It makes him too gentle sometimes, but he’s no pushover. She might think she has a chance, but he’s been over her for a long time. Even if he hadn’t... met anybody , she wouldn’t get anywhere with him.” She grabbed Marinette’s hand and pulled her towards the dance floor, reaching out her other hand to snag Rose on her way. “Now enough about my stupid brother, we only have like an hour of party left, let’s go have fun.” 

Marinette giggled, grabbing Kagami’s arm and pulling her along. 

Kagami had offered to let her stay overnight at the mansion, but Marinette had declined in favor of a ride home. She crept into her room as quietly as she could, sent her parents a text to let them know she was home just in case one of them woke up and worried, and went to wash her makeup off and get ready for bed. 

Her phone beeped just as she was drying off her face, and she picked it up to find a text from Luka. Just letting you know I made it home. Sorry for leaving so suddenly. 

Marinette sighed, and smiled slightly as she answered him. It’s okay, I understand. Did you get everything worked out in the end? She chewed her lip as she sent the message, but she needed to know, and there really wasn’t any good way to ask the question. She finished up with her moisturizer and climbed the stairs up to her bed, wincing at the ache in her feet.

She sat cross-legged on her bed to read his reply. As much as it can be. She’s not happy, but making her happy isn’t my job anymore. She got the message, finally, and that’s all that matters to me. 

Before she’d even finished reading that one, another message came in.

I know it’s really late and I’ll understand if you don’t want to, but I’d really like to hear your voice one more time. Is it okay if I call?

Marinette really wanted to hear his voice too. Before she could second-guess herself too much, she hit the call button.

He picked up immediately. “Hey,” he said softly, voice a little rough and tired-sounding but still enough to make her feel warm and remember the soft touch of his lips against hers. 

“Hi,” she said shyly, suddenly breathless.

“Marinette,” he sighed, and she had to smile at the way he said her name, like he was relieved and happy and exhausted all at once. “I just wanted to say I am so, so sorry about how everything went down tonight, and also...thank you. I think I got some closure tonight that I really needed, and it was really thanks to you and your friends, and...and I’m just incredibly grateful. And I totally owe you a rain check on the party date because I was having a great time until—” he sighed again. “All that other stuff. Your friends are pretty cool.”  

“Yeah,” Marinette smiled, picking at the hem of her pants. “They really are. We’ve had our ups and downs, but the ones that have stuck around, they’re really amazing.” She sighed slightly through her nose, brow furrowing in annoyance. “And I’m really sorry you haven’t had the same experience.”

“Well,” Luka said, and the smile in his voice made her smile too, “I got a taste of it tonight. It’s nice to know friendships like that really exist. I mean, I know they do, I’ve had some...still have some, even if they’re far away, but...okay, I’m rambling and I’m keeping you awake and you’re probably just as tired as I am, but I just, um...I wanted to…” He took a deep breath, and went on a little too quickly, “When I kissed you tonight, I wasn’t, I didn’t do anything right and I was kind of overwhelmed and not thinking clearly, but I want you to know I really—” 

“Wait,” Marinette said quickly, her heart suddenly pounding. “Wait. I think...Luka, if it’s okay with you, I think I’d rather talk about this in person. Maybe when we’re both a little clearer headed than we are right now?”

“Yeah,” Luka said slowly. “Yeah, okay, I guess that makes sense. So...when can I see you in person?” 

Marinette winced, turning and pulling down her schedule. “I have so much to do this week,” she nearly moaned, fisting a hand in her hair and tugging hard. 

“Hey,” he said, and something in his voice made Marinette cringe. “It’s okay.”

“No, I want to, I promise I’m not blowing you off, I really want to talk about this with you, it’s just—of course everything always has to happen at once and…ugh, timing. ” Marinette chewed her lip, scanning across the week, trying to find some time. Surely she could spare him ten minutes somewhere...but was the conversation they needed to have something that she really could rush? What was she even doing, why didn’t she just let him say what he wanted to say, why was she...she was…

Hesitating. Why was she hesitating? Marinette chewed her lip and blew out a frustrated breath, forgetting that Luka was still on the phone. She jumped when he spoke again.

“Marinette,” Luka said, his tone gentle, and she made a distracted noise of acknowledgement. “Listen. Don’t sweat it. I know you have your presentation this week and the tournament, right? If you’re busy and you need some space, that’s fine. Don’t worry about it. We can settle this afterwards. I’m not going anywhere. Well. Not until we talk, at least.” 

Marinette’s eyes landed on the weekend, colored in red and outlined in black. “The tournament,” she said softly. “The championship. We could...we could talk there? Maybe after?” 

Luka was silent for a moment, and Marinette heard him take a deep breath. “Is that the best time?” he said cautiously. “Do we really want to have that on our minds?” 

“You know what,” Marinette said, beginning to smile. “I think it’s the perfect time. It’s where we met, afterall.”

“Well,” Luka said, and she could tell he was smiling too. “There is a certain poetry to that.” 

“Okay,” Marinette said, her smile growing into a grin. “After I’m done kicking your ass in the finals, then.” 

“Oh, brave words from the lady with the forty percent win rate against me,” he laughed, and Marinette made a face.

“You’ve been spending too much time with Max,” she accused. 

“Max is a fun guy,” Luka chuckled. “Not as much fun as you, but you know, he has his moments.” 

Why was she so pleased at that, that he preferred her company over Max, ugh she was pathetic. She covered a giggle anyway, but it turned into a yawn.

“I’ll let you go to sleep,” Luka said, amusement clear in his voice. “Good luck this week, Marinette, and I’ll see you this weekend and...we’ll talk.” 

“Yes,” Marinette nodded decisively, though he couldn’t see her. “We will.” 

***

Two days later and elbow deep in unfinished clothes that were supposed to be runway ready in less than twenty-four hours, Marinette was actually feeling good about her decision to defer her talk with Luka.

Not everyone agreed, however.

“ Girl ,” Alya screeched from Marinette’s floor, where she was hammering rivets into a jacket. Max winced from where he was sitting at Marinette’s desk, pliers in his hand and a spool of jewelry wire next to him. “Why did you do that?” 

Marinette sighed, and bit her lip. “Because—” 

“Because what? ” Alya demanded.

“Because I need to be the one to say it,” Marinette sighed, as she rearranged the fabric on her sewing machine. “It’s just...it’s something I need to do, Alya. I don’t expect you to understand.” 

“Oh I understand,” Alya sighed. “I just think it’s silly. You could be making out right now if you’d just let him say his piece.” 

“First of all,” Marinette grumbled. “You don’t know that, you’re making assumptions. He could have been about to say he really values my friendship and he doesn’t want anything to change. Second, I have way too much to do this week. I wouldn’t have time for making out even if I did have a hot new boyfriend to do it with. Third, I just...I told you, I need to do it. I need to know that I can put myself out there and tell a boy I like him and not just...let it happen to me.”

“You must have done that lots of times, Marinette, what about all those guys you made out with that last year of high school?” 

Marinette rolled her eyes, glancing at Max with a blush, though he was studiously ignoring the conversation, focused on the task in front of him. “It’s not even close to being the same thing.” She felt a little ashamed, actually, of the way she’d used some of those guys, even though they were usually more than happy to be used and she’d never been dishonest with any of them. “This isn’t about just kissing and proving to myself that someone can like me and be attracted to me. It’s not just as simple as asking a cute guy to a party, I just…” She sighed. “It’s the first time I’ve really felt like this since then, with all the butterflies and the fear and the...the…” 

“Passion?” suggested Alya smugly, and Marinette rolled her eyes again.

“Whatever. The point is, I just need to be the one to say it, and I want to do it face to face.” 

“Well, maybe you’re right and I don’t really get it,” Alya sighed. “It sounds like he’s pretty into you, so it seems like you’re splitting unnecessary hairs. But I guess you do what you have to do, girl.”

“I will,” Marinette said firmly, “And what I need to do now is get these garments finished for my presentation so I can put that to bed and focus on beating my gorgeous potential boyfriend this weekend before I confess my—”

“Yeeees?” Alya teased.

“Feelings,” Marinette finished with a flush. “Look, can we be done talking about this now?” 

“Fine,” Alya rolled her eyes and put the hammer down, stretching her fingers. “I’m going to go grab some water, do you guys want some?”

“Yes, please,” Marinette and Max chorused together, and Alya stood up. Before heading to the trap door, she crossed the room to look over Max’s shoulder at the wire he was twisting to match the sketch Marinette had given him. 

“Wow, Max, you’re surprisingly good at that,” Alya commented, and Max gave her a look over his glasses.

“I know my way around wires and a pair of pliers, thank you very much,” Max sniffed. “It’s not that different from wiring a circuit board.” 

“Well, the next time you need help with something like that, count me in,” Marinette said, frowning as she tried to untangle the mess her bobbin had mysteriously become. “I owe you guys sooooo much for this.”

“I will give your offer due consideration when the time inevitably comes,” Max replied. “Incidentally, do you happen to have another ticket to the show? I seem to have misplaced mine.”

“Max, really?” Alya sighed, heading towards the trap door. “You’re going to ask her that now? Have you checked under your piles of nerd crap?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Marinette said, reaching over to grab a decorated box on her desk and rummage through it. “Here you go, Max. Kagami can’t make it so I had one more than I needed anyway.” 

“Thank you, Marinette,” Max said, with a grin that would have made her look twice if she hadn’t been so preoccupied. 

As it was she barely noticed it, and forgot it entirely until much later, when her presentation was over and the high of achievement and the exhilaration of her first really professional fashion show were finally wearing off and she was about to fall into bed for the night. As she fumbled to plug her phone into the charger, she noticed a text on the screen and paused. 

It was from Luka.

You were fantastic up there. Sorry I couldn’t stay long enough to see you after. Congratulations, all the hard work paid off. 

Marinette gaped at the phone for a moment. You were there? she texted back, and then berated herself for not checking the time first. He was probably asleep, he must have sent that text hours ago.

Even as she thought it, her phone pinged with a response.

Yeah, I hope that was okay. Tell Max thanks for the ticket. ;) 

Marinette gaped again, and then pouted for a moment before hitting the call button. 

Luka picked up right away. “Surprise,” he said, laughter in his warm voice.

“Max is a sneak,” Marinette pouted, though she was trying not to smile. “And I’m going to kill him.” 

“Max is a sneak,” Luka agreed. “But don’t be mad. I ran into him the other day and asked how you were, and we got to talking, and I let it slip that I really wished I could be there, and he gave me his ticket on the spot. Made me promise not to tell you until after, though. I would’ve stayed to say congrats but I had a gig I had to get to, and...well I didn’t want to make things weird.” 

“I’m glad you were there,” Marinette smiled, and then added shyly, “You really think I did well?” 

“You did amazing,” he said sincerely, and Marinette felt a thrill that made her wiggle a little in place. “I know a thing or two about stage presence, and you’ve definitely got it. I’m really glad I got to see you present. And...well I can’t claim to know much about fashion, but I really liked what you did.” 

A hot flush raced up her face and she slapped a hand over it even though he couldn’t see her. 

“Marinette? You okay?”

Marinette made an affirmative noise. “Sorry. I just...that makes me really happy. That you think so. That you liked it. I—” She made a high pitched whine. “I’m not making any sense.” 

“It’s late and you’re tired,” Luka chuckled. “It’s fine. I don’t want to keep you up any longer, I just wanted to let you know I was there. Juleka said it was creepy to show up without telling you.” 

Marinette giggled. “Well, she maybe has a point. I would have gotten tickets for you and Juleka both if you had asked.”

“Sorry,” Luka sighed, and she heard a thump that she thought might be his head hitting a table. “I promise, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just...I knew it was important to you and…I know you needed space and I didn’t want to confuse anything and—” He cut off with a strangled noise and sighed. “Okay, I’m going to tell you good night now and hang up before I dig myself any deeper.” 

Marinette had to bite her lip to stop her giggling, “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m really glad you were there, Luka. Really. That...it was important to me, and it’s an important part of me, and I didn’t think about it before but...I’m really glad I got to show you that. Seeing you play on stage, I felt like I really got to see an important side of you that I didn’t know anything about, so...I hope maybe tonight was like that for you.” She bit her tongue, feeling like she wasn’t explaining herself well. 

“It was,” Luka said, his voice softening a little in a way that made her shiver. “It really was, and…” He paused, and cleared his throat. “Well. I know you’ve been working hard and I don’t want to keep you up any later. I just wanted to tell you I thought you did great tonight and I’m super impressed, as always. Get some sleep, okay?” 

“Sleep,” Marinette repeated, hand still over her face. “Sleep would be good. Maybe for like a week.” 

“You’ve really been running hard, huh,” Luka said sympathetically. “Once all this is over, we’ll take some time and just hang out and relax. I’ll play for you.” 

“Really?” Marinette perked up.

“Yeah,” Luka chuckled. “Just like that day on the boat.”

“That was nice,” Marinette smiled, finally letting her hand slide down off her face. 

“Mm. It really was.”

There was a long pause. 

“I should—” she began, just as he said, “You should—” and they both laughed. 

“Good night, Marinette,” Luka said at last. “Rest well.” 

“Good night, Luka,” Marinette murmured. “See you soon.” 

“Soon,” he repeated, and hung up. 

A few minutes later her phone beeped with one final text.

Can’t wait to see you this weekend.

Marinette sent back a single pink heart and fell back giggling onto her bed, kicking her feet for a second in a brief burst of energy before she crawled under the covers and fell asleep with a grin on her face. 

When Max showed up for practice the next day, she punched him in the arm, and then threw her arms around his neck. “You’re a great friend,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “And I hate you.”

Max just chuckled and patted her back.

***

The morning of the UMSIII Master League Championship, Marinette was a fluttering, nervous wreck. That wasn’t totally unexpected, and her parents put up cheerfully with her clumsiness, absentmindedness, and confusion, giving her gentle encouragement and moving the breakables quietly out of her path. Finally they kissed her goodbye, handed her the bag she’d been about to forget, and promised that they would be in the stands with the rest of her friends. 

She leaned her head on the cool metal rail of the subway and tried to breathe. There was a lot on the line today. Marinette was fairly confident she could place, but...she wanted to win. There was a steep drop in the prize value between first and second place and an even sharper drop between second and third. She wanted to do well, yes, but really she wanted to win. 

Luka wanted to win too, and that made her stomach twist. She hadn’t seen him in person since the night of the party. Other than their brief conversations, Marinette had been trying not to think too hard about him, to focus on the competition in her practice sessions with Max, but she wasn’t entirely successful. A lot of things had fallen into place for her since she’d seen him on stage. Now she understood how he played to the crowd in his interviews, the way he could project his voice in a crowd, the calm, easy going demeanor he kept up even in the heat of competition. He was used to pressure, he was used to crowds, he was a trained vocalist, and he enjoyed having an audience. Marinette felt like she had a much better picture of him in her mind now, a better understanding of who he was, and everything she knew just made her want to know more. 

She was determined to tell him so. 

But first she had to get through the tournament. And some small, ugly little part of her was afraid. Would he still want to talk to her if she beat him? 

Of course he would. It was ridiculous to think otherwise. It was just a game, after all.

A game with both their dreams on the line.

She almost missed her metro stop. 

Marinette swallowed hard as she walked up to the huge stadium and showed her player pass to the guard. She was on her own for the moment; the individual finals would be held in the afternoon and the team competition in the evening, so Max couldn’t come with her. Marinette was the only player in the finals for both the individual and the team championship. Well, and Luka. Technically he was still part of the team, even if he wouldn’t play.

She was escorted to a small lounge area where other players had already begun to congregate. She scanned the room but didn’t see Luka. Marinette wandered back and forth aimlessly, growing more and more restless the longer they were stuck waiting, her thoughts growing scattered and fragmented and her hands starting to shake slightly. She wished she’d brought her sketchbook, or some knitting. Something, anything, to vent her energy on and focus her mind.

A touch on her shoulder made her jump and she whirled around to find Luka behind her, looking surprised and then apologetic, shoulders hunching slightly. “Sorry. I called your name, but…” He shrugged and held out a bottle of water, a slow smile spreading over his face. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Marinette smiled shyly back. “Sorry, I guess I was zoned out.” She took the bottle and twisted off the cap. “Too much energy and nowhere to spend it.” She took a sip, peeking at him around the bottle. He wasn’t wearing his Viperion hoodie, but his old one, with her red stitching at the seams. She focused on the logo on his chest as she lowered the bottle. “New shirt?”

“Yeah,” Luka rolled his eyes. “The league sent it to me. Apparently they don’t want their vintage branding on the livestream tonight, so they asked me to wear the new logo.” 

Marinette huffed a quiet laugh. “Naturally.” She wrinkled her nose slightly. “The old one was better.”

“Right?” Luka groaned. “I almost wore it anyway, but…” He shrugged. “Wasn’t worth the fight, to be honest.” 

Marinette started to ask why he hadn’t worn his Viperion hoodie, but changed her mind, not sure that she wanted to know the answer. Instead she blurted, “You look good,” and promptly wanted to kick herself. He did look good; the new shirt fit him better than the old one, his hair was styled more deliberately than usual and the color in it looked recently touched up, bright and vibrant. He was freshly shaved and, she was pretty sure, wearing a touch of makeup, probably to keep from looking washed out under the lights. Of course he would consider those things. Was that peach lipstick? It was a good color on him.

Oh God she was staring. 

“You do too,” Luka smiled, reaching up to brush her pigtail back behind her shoulder. suddenly he winced and jerked his hand back quickly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t—sorry if I’m—”

“It’s okay,” Marinette said, catching the hand he was pulling back. “Really, Luka, I don’t mind. I know it’s how you connect. I know you won’t do anything inappropriate, and I don’t mind the rest, so just don’t worry about it.” 

Luka relaxed, and she squeezed his hand before letting go of it. “Thanks,” he said, reaching up to run a hand through his hair and stopping just in time. He tilted his head slightly, looking at Marinette, who found herself beginning to fidget again. “Are you okay?”

Marinette smiled, but her face felt like wood. “I’m fine. It’s fine.”

Luka raised his eyebrows slightly, and Marinette noticed absently that he was wearing eyeliner. “You don’t look fine,” he observed, and nudged the hand holding the water bottle. “Drink. It’s going to be crazy once things get going. Better to start hydrating now.” 

Marinette drank, more because she didn’t feel like arguing than from actually believing she needed it. “How can you be so calm?” she asked with a gusty sigh after she lowered the bottle.

Luka shrugged and flashed a grin. “Don’t forget I’ve done this before. Helps that I was practically raised on stage, so the lights, the effects, none of that really bothers me.” He put a hand on her shoulder and massaged gently. “I’m honestly a little surprised to see you so tense. I didn’t think anything would rattle you after seeing you up on stage before. You owned it and you didn’t look nervous at all.” 

“That was fashion,” Marinette hissed, glancing at the other competitors. “And I was busy. I didn’t have time to freak out. Not like this, with all the...the waiting. ” She tugged at her pigtails and resisted the urge to whine. “I just want to get started already! Just—all this—” she flapped her hands, trying to indicate the pent-up energy inside her. “There’s nowhere for it to go.” 

“Ah.” Luka glanced away, and then looked at her again. “I don’t know if it would help, but...want to meditate with me? I always try to meditate for at least a few minutes before I have to go on stage. Or into a competition.” 

Marinette blinked at him, for a moment and he shrugged. “But if you don’t want to, it’s fine, I know it’s a little weird, to think about sitting still when you’re so worked up—” 

“No, I—that sounds good.” Marinette glanced around. “But where—”  

Luka tipped his head to indicate a direction and Marinette followed him to a corner of the lounge where there was an old, battered, but currently empty sofa. He sat down and Marinette sat next to him. She glanced around a little self-consciously but most of the competitors were focused on their own pre-game rituals. The nervous chatterers were congregated together, fidgeting back and forth as they all talked over each other. Several others had headphones and closed eyes, a couple were pacing, and the only other female competitor in the room was staring at the ground, mumbling with her eyes closed and her weight shifting from foot to foot. No one was paying the two of them any mind at all. 

“Everybody’s too worried about their own game to care what we do,” Luka murmured, slipping a guitar pick out of his pocket and rotating it in his fingers. “Don’t worry about them, just focus on you.” He held the pick between his thumb and forefinger and breathed in slowly, and then out, closing his eyes. 

Marinette watched him for a moment, then placed one hand over the other in her lap, palms up, and did the same. It took some effort to keep from fidgeting, to force the circumstances from her mind and bring her scattered focus to her breathing and the flow of her energy, but Luka’s calm presence and the slow, regular swell of his ribs moving his arm against hers, helped her settle her mind.

As she breathed, the nervous flutters ebbed. She felt more solidly in her skin than she had all day. The tension was still there, but it was more focused now, less chaotic. She felt worlds better...but a little guilty.

“You shouldn’t be helping me so much,” Marinette murmured, her eyes still closed.

Luka’s shoulder vibrated against hers as he chuckled. “Have you looked at the brackets? Clearly the marketing geniuses have been at work because we don’t face each other until the finals. I want you to be there, not flame out from nerves in your first matchup.” After a moment he added quietly, “And you’re my friend. I can’t see you unhappy and not help. You’ve done a lot for me too, you know.” 

Marinette unfolded her hands and fumbled blindly beside her. She found his forearm and slid her hand down to slip her fingers through his and squeezed. 

“I’m really glad I met you, Luka,” she whispered. “Whatever happens today, I hope we can...” She hesitated, not wanting to say stay friends, because that wasn’t what she wanted. She opened one eye and peeked at him, and saw his eyes open as well as he smiled at her. His thumb caressed the back of her hand lightly.

“I hear you,” he said softly, and the drop in his voice made her insides quiver pleasantly. She was suddenly extremely aware of the rough skin of his hand enveloping hers, the warmth of where their shoulders pressed together. “I’m glad we met too. I want you to be in my life, no matter what happens today.” 

Marinette had to press her lips together to contain her smile. “Yeah...me too.” 

Luka glanced at the other players and gently extracted his hand. He took Marinette’s wrist and put her hand back on her own knee before curling his fingers back together and closing his eyes. Marinette understood, folding her hands back together and deepening her breathing again. It wouldn’t do for them to be cuddling too obviously in front of everyone else. There would already be talk, she was sure, if Ladybug and Viperion began dating after the tournament was over, no matter who won. 

But before she could think of that, she had to win.

And before she could even think about beating Luka, she had other competitors to worry about. He was right. She needed to focus and not let the situation get the better of her.

She stayed there, meditating alongside Luka, until the handlers came to get the players and walk them through their entrances and the procedures between matches. The sight of the jumbotron overhead and the giant stadium full of currently empty but soon-to-be-packed seats made Marinette’s nerves flare up again. Luka’s hand squeezed her shoulder, bringing her focus back to the moment.

“Hey,” he murmured when she looked up at him. “It’s just another match. The livestream’s just a little more up close and personal than we’re used to.” He grinned at her. “They’re all coming to see Ladybug and Viperion face off.” 

Marinette grinned back, and then brought her attention back to the handler explaining the procedure and reiterating the rules.The quarter finals and semifinals would be best two out of three, and the finals best three out of five. Matches would be held simultaneously using the pyrapods set up at ground level, and at the back, an elevated stage contained two pyrapods that would be used for the finals. 

None of this was news and Marinette was back to shifting from foot-to-foot impatiently, checking the time. Luka seemed as calm and relaxed as ever, but she could see the tightness beginning around his eyes and knew he was ready to get started too. 

Finally they were dumped back in the lounge, and Marinette went to the restroom. She’d done the rest of her routine at home, but she wanted her makeup mask fresh and bright. The ritual of putting it on, dusting the red mask across her eyes and drawing in her spots, calmed some of her resurging nerves, and when she straightened up from the mirror, Ladybug looked back at her. 

Ladybug was not going to lose because of stage fright.

Marinette reached back into her makeup bag and hesitated as her hand found her tube of black lipstick. She bit her lip and looked at her reflection again. The championship seemed like a bad time to be making changes, but…

Marinette swapped the black lipstick for red and painted her lips with quick, decisive movements, and then snapped the cap back on with a quiet click. She made sure her pigtails were still tight and secure, tapped her lucky earrings three times, and then zipped up her bag and went back to the lounge, already feeling more confident and ready to compete.

Luka caught her eye immediately when she stepped back inside, and she saw him grin at the change, but then the competitors were being herded out of the lounge and into the tunnel they would take into the arena.

In the chaos, she felt Luka’s hand wrap around hers and squeeze, and quickly let go. The competitors milled around in the tunnel aimlessly, well back from the fog machine spewing smoke near the entrance, until two production assistants dressed in black brusquely took charge and lined them up in a supposedly randomly generated but very important order, warning them to not, under any circumstances, shuffle the order or cross the line before their names were called or move from their place in line. Marinette found herself in the middle of the line, with Luka right beside her. “Random, huh,” Luka chuckled. “Yeah, right.” 

“They’re really hyping us up,” Marinette agreed. 

“Guess we better not let them down.” Luka and Marinette exchanged a look, and then a fistbump. “See you in the finals, Ladybug,” he grinned. 

“I’ll be there,” she grinned back. “You better not stand me up, Viperion.”

“Never.” 

“Oh my God, get a room,” muttered the guy on Marinette’s other side. “You two are disgusting.” 

Marinette flushed, but Luka just chuckled again. “Aww, Pharaoh, you know I love beating you too, it’s just not in the cards today, man.”

Pharaoh scowled over Marinette’s head at him. “Kiss my ass, snake boy.” 

“Oh, when Ladybug here’s done kicking it you’re gonna need somebody to,” Luka said, winking at Marinette. “‘Fraid I’ll be busy, though. Tagger can do it for me, he’ll be free.”

“I hate you so much,” Tagger, Luka’s first round opponent, grumbled from down the line. “Fucking cocky bastard.” 

Marinette giggled, and Luka nudged her shoulder playfully with his. She looked up into his face and she could see the thrill of competition beginning to get to him, in his pirate grin and the sparkle in his eyes, and the challenge there sparked Marinette’s own competitive spirit.

“He’s not wrong,” she said, arching an eyebrow. “I thought the very same thing to myself during our first match.” Luka feigned being struck in the heart. 

“Betrayal!” he laughed. “I’m not cocky, I’m right. It’s not boasting if you can back it up.” 

“You can back it up all the way to second place.” Marinette poked him in the chest and he grabbed her hand, leaning down over her with a grin.

“Don’t make me break out Max’s win percentages again.” 

“The numbers can’t help you now,” Marinette shot back, pulling her hand free. She stepped up close to him and looked up into his face, shoulders back and hands on her hips. “We’re starting with a clean slate today and all that matters is here and now. I hope you enjoyed winning all those matches, Viperion, because it’s only going to make it sweeter when I finally take you down.” 

Luka bit his lip, and Marinette quirked her eyebrow a little higher, and then Pharaoh coughed, making them both jump. “We’re still here, you know,” he said sardonically as Marinette and Luka turned away from each other, Luka clearly fighting a grin, pink coloring the high points of his cheeks, and Marinette turning a brilliant red that she could only hope would fade before she was announced.

Mercifully the announcer began calling names, distracting everyone as a murmur of excitement went down the line.

Suddenly there was no one in front of Marinette and her heart began to pound.

“Ladybug!” the announcer roared, and the crowd erupted into a deafening roar that startled her. Marinette wasn’t given time to hesitate, though; the production assistant planted a hand in the middle of her back and shoved her forward into the fog. For a moment she was blind and confused, but then she stumbled out of the fog and into the bright lights of the stadium. Marinette quickly pasted on a wide smile and raised her arms to wave with both hands to the crowd, though her knees felt like jelly at the sight of so many people and her own promo picture on the jumbotron, smirking at the camera in full makeup and a challenging posture.

Somehow she made it across the field to her mark next to Pharaoh, and then the announcer was calling Viperion, and she turned her head, clapping automatically as Luka emerged from the fog and waved, looking completely at ease with his usual relaxed smile as he sauntered over to stand next to her. Part of the stadium started up a chant for him and he waved again, ducking his head slightly. Suddenly a competing chant of Ladybug! Ladybug! came up and Luka nudged her with a grin. She raised a slightly shaky hand to wave back, and then Luka made a settle down gesture with his hands. Marinette copied him and the chants died down so the announcer could call the next player. 

Marinette curled her fingers together, willing herself not to take Luka’s hand or grab onto his sleeve. Beside her, Luka folded his arms, and she wondered if he was fighting the same urge to touch her. He glanced at her and then quickly away, and her cheeks warmed, and she quickly aimed her suddenly much more sincere smile at the crowd, waving again. 

“You’ve got this, Ladybug,” Viperion leaned down to whisper when the announcer dismissed them to their pods. “I’ll be cheering for you.” 

“Worry about yourself,” Ladybug grinned and winked. “Like you said, I’ve got this.” 

Viperion grinned and shook his head as they separated.

Marinette was still nervous but smiling as she stepped into her pod and picked up her headset. “Viperion’s going to be so disappointed when I beat you,” Pharaoh said as soon as the channel was active. “Poor little Ladybug’s about to get squashed.” 

Marinette snorted. “I hope your game is more interesting than your trash talk,” she snickered. “If that’s as creative as you can get this is going to be really boring.” Pharaoh spluttered and Marinette grinned as the countdown began to blink. The controller in her hands felt like a part of her by now, and she bounced on her toes a little, eager for things to finally begin.

It wasn’t easy; crappy trash talk aside, Pharaoh was a highly ranked player and skilled enough to be a challenge. It was a perfect first match for her, actually, because she had to think to beat him and once her mind was focused and fully immersed in the game, she overcame the few mistakes she’d made early on. She was grinning broadly as she stepped out of the pod and raised her arms to acknowledge the cheers that followed when the announcer boomed out her name as the winner. Even as she did, though, she was looking for the leaderboard on the giant screen above them. At first she saw only her own flushed and happy face, but then the leaderboard reappeared, Viperion’s name blinking and then advancing to the next level. 

“Yes!” Marinette squealed, jumping up and down in place. She whipped her head towards Luka’s pod and watched him emerge. He looked up immediately just as she had, and punched the air and looked back at her with a broad grin. They both stood and watched as one by one the other players turned red or blinked green and advanced. 

Like Kagami’s party, like her presentation and fashion show, everything seemed to go by in a whirl and a blur. Months of preparation and planning and practice and the slow-motion waiting of the morning gave way to a heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping whirl as she faced down match after match, dominating some and barely squeaking by others. Before she knew it, she was staring up at the jumbotron while the crowd screamed and the announcer cried, “And this is what we’ve all been waiting for, this is what we all came here to see! The final matchup in the Master League Championship will be! Ladybug! Versus! Viperioooooooon!”

Marinette raised her arms and waved with both hands again as the crowd cheered then she was being ushered off the field, back into the tunnel and then to the backstage area to wait while the runners up duked it out for third and fourth place and the crew made sure everything was set up for the final.

Marinette stared up at the steps to the stage and felt herself start to shake. She didn’t even notice Luka speaking at her side until he took her arm and turned her to face him. 

“Marinette, are you okay?” he asked, the grin quickly dropping from his face as he looked at her.

“Yeah,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m f-fine.” 

“You’re pale as a ghost.” Luka’s expression was grave and worried and he pulled her over to a chair and pushed her into it. “Sit. Breathe, Marinette. Are you dizzy?” 

“I’m fine,” Marinette said, trying to take his advice and slow her breathing. “I’m okay. I just...I need a second.” 

She felt Luka move away, but he was back in moments, kneeling in front of her to press a bottle of water into her hand. “Drink,” he ordered, helping her sit up. “Look at me.” He put his fingers under her chin and gently tipped it up so he could look into her eyes. “You’re sure you’re okay? Do you need the medic?” 

“No,” Marinette said, taking a deep breath before lifting the water to her trembling lips. “I’m all right, Luka.” She drank and then sighed. “That was just really intense.” She shot a sardonic smile up at him. “It felt really good though.”

Luka grinned as he took her hand between both of his and rubbed it gently. “It’s a rush, no doubt.” 

Marinette took another drink and mumbled weakly, “Gonna be even better when I beat you.” 

Luka laughed softly and leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers. Something about that touch was very comforting and she leaned into it. “I’m gonna give you a fight, I hope you know that,” Luka told her. “I’m not going to just hand it to you because you’re—” He paused, and Marinette back to look at him. He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, and Marinette wasn’t sure what might have happened if the production assistants hadn’t come looking for them just then. Luka stood up quickly, turning away from her for a moment, and Marinette put a hand over her chest, feeling the frantic flutter of her heart against her palm. 

“Head in the game, Ladybug,” Marinette murmured to herself before she shoved up out of her chair, shaking out her limbs and noting that at least her hands weren’t trembling anymore. 

It was time. The handlers lined them up shoulder to shoulder, in front of a fog-covered arch similar to the one on the field. 

Luka caught her hand and Marinette let him lace their fingers together. His hold was tighter than she expected and she glanced up at him. That competition spark was in his eyes and she could see the tension across his shoulders. He really was pumped up for this. 

He let go of her hand before they walked out together through the fog, waving at the cheering. The lights were hotter and brighter on the stage and Marinette’s nerves increased. She turned to shake hands with Luka and met his eyes, feeling like she was standing outside of her body, but simultaneously hyper aware of his touch and the blue of his eyes and the quirk of his smile before his hand slid away and they each turned to get into their pyrapods. 

Marinette came back to herself a bit when the pod slid closed behind her, shutting out the lights and the noise. She became aware of how fast she was breathing and made an effort to slow it down before she picked up her headset and put it on. 

“Hanging in there, Bug?” Luka asked, and though his voice was teasing she knew he was checking on her.

“You wanted it,” she replied, “I’m gonna bring it.”

“Show me what you got, Ladybug,” he chuckled, and Marinette grinned, pleased that he remembered after all this time. “I can take it.”

The countdown flashed on the screen, and Marinette took one last deep breath. “It’s been a long time since that first match,” Marinette pointed out with a smile. “I’m not the same newbie you played back then.”

“I know,” he said, and she could see his pirate grin in her mind (and she was kind of glad she couldn’t see it projected on the big screen outside; at that magnitude it might actually kill her). “I can’t wait.”

Once they started playing, there was no time to think about anything but the game. 

Luka won the first match, and Marinette couldn’t help her sigh, annoyed with herself. She’d been nervous and jumpy in the beginning and it had cost her. She and Luka were so evenly matched at this point that both knew they couldn’t give an inch or make a single mistake. She was going to have to do better. 

“It’s just the first match,” she heard Luka say over her headset, and she wasn’t sure if it was meant to comfort her or steady him. 

“I never thought it would be easy,” Marinette replied, and then smiled. “So let’s give the people the show they came for.” 

“You know it,” he laughed.

The next match was closer but Luka won that one too, and Marinette bit her lip hard, fighting the churning feeling in her stomach. If she lost the next one, that was it; she couldn’t afford to lose any more. 

Luka groaned as the third match ended. “Man, how do you do that. I was sure I had you there.” 

“I’m full of surprises,” Marinette replied, putting down the controller and shaking out her hands. They trembled slightly from the close call; he really had almost had her, and that would have been the end.

“You really are,” Luka chuckled. “Playing you is never boring, that’s for sure. Okay, just one more match to go.” 

“Oh, don’t count your trophies before they’re in the case,” Marinette muttered, narrowing her eyes though a smile tugged at her mouth. “No way I’m letting you take it that easily.”

“We’ll see,” Luka said, and then the countdown started again. 

The fourth match turned out to be an easy win for Marinette; Luka misjudged his timing early on and Marinette gave him no time to recover.

Marinette had to take a few more deep breaths as they prepared for the fifth and final match. Her stomach felt like jelly but her hands were steady. One more. She just had to beat him one more time. Either way, all of this would be over soon. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that so she pushed it aside, needing all her focus for the game. 

It was close, it was so close. Both of them had just a sliver of health left and Marinette was starting to panic. She’d managed to deflect his first venom strike, but the fight had gone on long enough that the ability had recharged and she hadn’t been able to dodge a second time. He didn’t even have to land another attack; if he held her off long enough, he would win with the recurring damage from the venom strike. She needed to take him out, but he kept interrupting her attacks, taking low level damage from her defensive moves to prevent her from getting a combo attack together. He was gambling that he could hold out until the venom strike wiped out the last of her health bar, and it was a bet he was going to win if Marinette couldn’t get off a decent attack. 

She bit her lip and tried to think. His armor has always been his weak point; she just needed to get one killer combo off and he’d be finished. Luka knew it, too. If he failed to interrupt her even once she’d take him out. Every time he attacked her directly, though, he took damage from her shields and counterattack. He could keep gambling on his health to hold out until the venom strike, or if he timed it just right, he could get his stun attack off and freeze her. If he could get the move off, she’d be held just long enough for the venom strike to finish her. 

But he couldn’t interrupt her attacks while he was charging the ability. If he tried it, and she was fast enough...she’d have to be so fast. It would have to be bug bombs, they were the fastest, and they should be enough. She’d have to be ready and watching, and...

Will he still want to be with me if I beat him? Or will I just be another girl that ruined his dreams?

The thought was both terrifying and unwelcome but even as it hit her, she saw Viperion draw back and begin to charge a glowing ball between his hands. Marinette had no time to deliberate, no time for hesitation. Her fingers moved and her mech exploded into action. She executed the attack and dropped the controller, grabbing her hair with her hands as she watched.

The stun left Viperion’s hands—and her bug bombs landed. Even as her mech froze in place, Viperion went down in a series of dramatic explosions. 

The screen flashed GAME OVER. It flashed up a picture of her mech with the word WINNER over and over.

“Holy sh—,” she heard Luka whisper, but the channel cut off.

She won.

She won.

Numbly she reached up and took off her headset as the pod door slid open behind her. 

She stepped out shakily, looking up uncomprehendingly at the crowd.

Across from her, Luka’s pod door was sliding open. The second there was room, Luka exploded out, leaping out with one of his deafening whoops as he caught her up in a bearhug that nearly took the breath from her. He swung her around. 

“That was amazing,” he shouted, nearly in her ear to be heard over the crowd. “I thought there was no way you could get an attack off fast enough, but you knew—you knew I was going to do it, didn’t you, you were ready, you’re so incredible—” 

“Luka,” Marinette gasped, and laughing, Luka set her down on her feet.

Before Marinette could do more than gasp in a breath, he had ducked down and—well she wasn’t sure exactly what he did, but suddenly she shrieked as he ducked his head under her leg and somehow managed to lift her onto his shoulders despite her flailing. He caught her hands and steadied her, and then let go of one hand to pump his fist in the air and cheer for her. Marinette kept a death grip on his other hand but she managed to smile and reach up to wave at the crowd, letting out a breathless laugh once the shock wore off. The crowd was cheering and her face was on the jumbotron, smiling but still looking more stunned than victorious. Luka turned in a slow circle so she could wave at the whole crowd until her arm was sore. 

It took her a minute to realize the announcer was trying to get her attention. “Ladybug, you are the Ultimate Mecha Strike III regional champion! Congratulations! How do you feel right now?” A slightly hysterical giggle escaped her at the way he had to hold the microphone up above his head to catch her answer. 

“I feel amazing, but my day isn't over yet,” she laughed. 

“That’s right, we’ll see you as part of Team Lucky Charm in the team competition later tonight! We’ll be looking forward to that. Viperion, you and Ladybug have had quite the rivalry going on and you were heavily the favorite to win coming into this event. How do you feel about taking second place tonight?” 

“I can’t be sore about a loss like that,” Luka laughed. “Of course I wanted to win, but—” He shook her head. “You can’t deny that was brilliant.” He patted Marinette’s leg on his shoulder. “Congratulations, Ladybug. The best player definitely won today.” 

“All right, look for more exclusive interview content with Ladybug and Viperion on the blog later tonight,” the announcer said into the microphone, looking up into the crowd. “We’re going to take a short recess to get things ready here and then we’ll be back to bring you the Master League team championship. “Congratulations again, Ladybug and Viperion.”  

He gestured them back towards the arch, and Luka carried Marinette back through it, both of them waving at the crowd as they went.

Marinette’s legs felt like jelly as she scrambled down from Luka’s shoulders, and he held her elbows as she swayed slightly, and when she was steady he hugged her tight. “Congratulations.”

“You’re not mad?” she asked softly, looking up at him through her lashes.

Luka curled a finger under her chin and tipped her face up so that she was looking at him more directly. “I’m not mad,” he promised, and the soft smile he gave her and the gentle look in his eyes made her believe him. “I’ll be disappointed, probably, tomorrow. I’ll have to scale back my plans. But that’s okay. I took a chance and it didn’t work out in my favor. You played your best. No regrets here. I’m so happy for you, too, and impressed, and…” he paused, and took a deep breath. “I’m definitely not mad.” His hand moved up to cup her cheek, and his thumb brushed over her face for a moment. 

“Viperion, Ladybug! Press room, let’s go.” 

“Oh,” Marinette gasped, but Luka just chuckled and put a hand on her arm. She went with him a little numbly until they were separated for the post-game interviews. Marinette wasn’t sure anything she said was coherent, but she had enough presence of mind to work in a mention of the bakery and her fashion business, so hopefully it wasn’t a total loss. 

“I’m sure you did great,” Luka told her as they walked out. 

“I hope so,” Marinette sighed, putting a hand against her forehead and flapping her hoodie to get some air under it. “But it’s over now, so no point in worrying about it.” 

“Yeah,” Luka smiled, and then nudged her shoulder with his arm. “I guess you better go. You’re not done yet, remember?” 

“Yeah,” Marinette nodded, turning to face her. “But...you’re going to stay, right?” 

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Luka grinned. “I’ll be cheering you on, no fear. And...I’ll be here after. Assuming you still want to talk?” 

“I do,” Marinette said quickly, blushing. 

“Okay then. You go get ready and find Max, and I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Marinette whispered, and rose on her toes to quickly kiss his cheek before following a production assistant with a clipboard back to the player lounge.

Max nearly knocked her over in his enthusiasm as soon as she walked in, and she clung to the back of his hoodie, laughing incredulously. “I still can’t believe it,” she whispered. 

“I believe the evidence is irrefutable,” Max pointed out, and Marinette rolled her eyes, pushing him away. 

“You changed your lipstick,” Max observed as she looked up at him, and Marinette’s fingers flew to her mouth. 

“Oh, I forgot. I can—I can go change it back, if you’re afraid it’ll jinx us—” She knew how Max would react as soon as she said the words and pouted while he snorted with laughter.

“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t think the color of your lipstick will be the deciding factor,” Max snickered, and Marinette shoved him, making him stagger.

“Jerk,” she muttered. 

“I bet Luka liked it,” Max observed smugly, and Marinette’s face flamed red. 

“We’re not going to win this tournament if I break your arm before it starts,” she threatened, punching Max (lightly, as she knew her skinny friend bruised easily) in the arm. 

“I’m sure Luka would comfort y—ow!”

The waiting dragged on again but at least this time she had Max to talk to and strategize with. Once they walked out of the stupid fog tunnel, the whirl began again. It wasn’t any easier, Marinette found, but this time it was Max, confident in his calculations and their abilities, who was her steadying influence. She had more leeway, too, with Max there, they could cover for each other's mistakes. It felt like only moments before they were ushered into the backstage area, waiting to face their final opponents. Marinette felt a bit shaky and weak in the knees again from the rush, but this time she sat herself down and breathed through it while Max paced, muttering strategy and calculations to himself.

Someone cleared their throat beside her and Marinette looked up to find Luka standing there. Now he was wearing his Viperion hoodie, his face made up in a very good approximation of the mask Marinette had put on him when they played together, and he grinned widely at Marinette’s staring eyes. “Surprise.” 

Marinette sputtered for a moment, leaping to her feet as Max reversed his pacing and came over. “What are you—how did you even get back here?”

Luka shrugged, still grinning. “I’m on the team roster so I’m cleared to be here. I just wanted to wish you good luck,” he said, addressing them both though his eyes kept coming back to Marinette. “Not that you need it. I um, I hope this is okay.” He gestured vaguely at himself, and Marinette shut her gaping mouth with a snap. “I didn’t feel right wearing it while we were going head to head, but I just...I wanted to be here and support you guys as much as I could.” He held out his hand to Max, though he sent a worried-looking glance at Marinette, who couldn’t seem to move. 

“Absolutely,” Max said, stepping forward to meet Luka’s fistbump as if he didn’t notice Marinette was suddenly paralyzed next to him. “You’re a part of this team, and it wouldn’t feel right doing this without you.” 

Luka shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t do that much.” 

Marinette’s mouth dropped open again, this time in outrage, but Max beat her to it. “Don’t conflate the magnitude of the effort with its importance,” he told Luka, reaching out to pat his arm awkwardly. Luka’s eyes flicked to Marinette for a moment and she could see his amusement, though he kept a straight face. “Without your assistance we would never have finished the tournament in such an advantageous position for the finals,” Max continued, drawing his hand back to adjust his dark glasses. “We are indeed grateful and your position as a teammate is by no means honorary. I hope when we emerge victorious, you will join us in the awards ceremony.” 

“Oh, I—” Luka looked thrown, but Marinette nodded enthusiastically, catching his arm and squeezing it.

“Max is right. You belong up there with us.” She aimed a reassuring smile at him. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

The tension left Luka’s shoulders and he started to say something, but he was cut off.

“Team Lucky Charm!” the man with the clipboard shouted without actually looking at them. “Prep for entry. Go up the stage steps but do not cross the yellow line until you’re announced.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened slightly, and her whole body tensed. Once again she put a hand over her wildly beating heart and tried to breathe. One more time. She just had to face the lights and the screaming one more time.

Luka’s hand covered hers on his arm and Marinette realized she was digging her fingers into his sleeve. “Hey,” he said, gently detaching her fingers from his sleeve. “You’ve got this. Just like before, right? Own it.” He drew her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips lightly. Warmth spread from her fingers down her arm and through her body, pooling in her face and stomach. “Come on, before Max leaves you behind,” Luka said, letting go of her hand and placing his on her lower back, pressing gently until she began to move. He walked with her to the bottom of the stage’s metal stairs behind Max, who was marching forward with determination, confident that the numbers were on their side and determined not to be swayed by something as illogical as stage fright.

Marinette paused at the bottom of the stairs, Luka’s hand still warm on her back, her heart beating wildly in her throat. 

“Remember,” Luka soothed from behind her. “All you have to do is get across the stage and it doesn’t matter how. Once you’re in the pod you’ll forget everything else, just like before. Besides,” he grinned. “They’re just people. You’re the champion.” 

Marinette turned impulsively and hugged him tight. “Thank you,” she muttered, not quite daring to press her face into his chest. Luka’s hands went to her shoulders and squeezed. “Thank you for everything today.

“You’ve got this,” he repeated, sliding his hands down to her arms and shifting her gently back until she stepped up onto the first step, and once her eyes were level with his it became a little easier to breathe in the face of his calm confidence. “Whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen, right? So just get out there and play.” He grinned. “Good luck, Ladybug.” 

Marinette felt an answering smile growing on her face.

“Marinette!” Max called from where he was waiting near the top of the stairs. “Hurry up!”

Marinette looked up at Max as Luka let go of her, but she turned back quickly, grabbed Luka’s face in her hands, and pressed her lips hard to his. He made a startled noise, and when she would have pulled back his hand came up to cradle the back of her head, prolonging the kiss as he swayed after her. Max hissed her name again from the top of the stairs and Luka let her go, breathing hard, something kindling in his blue eyes that made her flush and grin stupidly back at him. 

Then Max was grabbing her arm and hauling her, stumbling, back up the stairs with him. “The sooner you two have that talk, the better,” he muttered as they went up the last few steps together, Marinette trying to contain the stupid grin that kept wanting to break out on her face. "May I remind you we have a competition to win? The sooner it’s over, the sooner you two can go make out in a supply closet.”

“Max!” Marinette whisper-shouted in horror, and Max just grinned. 

“Win first,” he told her, adjusting his horseshoe pendant. “Kisses later.” 

Before she could retort, the announcer roared out, “Team Luckyyyyyy Chaaaarm!” and there was no more time to think about anything besides the bright lights and roaring crowd, and then the blink of the countdown and the hard plastic of the controller against her palms.

***

Luka was waiting when Marinette came flying down the stairs, a laughing Max following in her wake. 

This time she leapt into his arms, making him stagger, and her feet never touched the ground as he laughed and spun her around. He bounced her a couple of times before she let her feet drop to the floor and gave him enough room to share a fistbump and back-slapping hug with Max. 

Then everything was a whirl again, as all three of them were ushered to the press room for interviews and soundbites, and Marinette wasn’t sure whether she managed to get out anything coherent or not. She and Max both kept a hold on Luka, dragging him into the interviews with them, and they presented as a team. Luka’s experience bailed them out a couple of times when unexpected questions gave them pause, and his hand on her back was steadying when she started to stammer. Marinette paused and took a breath and steadied her voice before answering the next question. 

“You guys did great,” Luka murmured when they were finally released, and then there was another flood of bodies on them, and Alya was screaming in her ear and Max’s mother was screaming in his and then Kim wrapped his arms around both Max and Mrs. Kante just as Marinette’s dad did the same to her and Alya, and for a few moments it was a fight to breathe. Marinette saw a flash of Juleka’s purple hair and heard the Captain’s voice boom but everyone was talking at once and Marinette was too overwhelmed to focus on any of it.

Finally, the families were ushered back out to the stands with instructions to be back in their seats in forty-five minutes for the official awards ceremony. As the room began to clear out, leaving the top players milling around with varying expressions of elation and exhaustion. Marinette looked around and found Luka. He was looking right at her, and when their eyes met he tipped his head slightly and indicated the doors. Marinette nodded, heart suddenly in her throat, and Luka flashed her a quick grin before turning away. 

“Max,” Marinette whispered watching Luka slip out of the doors, “What are my odds?”

“The human heart is impossible to calculate, Marinette,” Max said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Although that kiss would argue for a positive response.” He squeezed her shoulder lightly. “No matter what happens, I support you one hundred percent.”

Marinette’s brain was already humming, giving her a list of excuses and reasons why it would be better to put this off, starting with the looming awards ceremony and moving on from there, but Max’s hand on her shoulder and Kagami’s words in her mind got her moving forward. No more hesitation. 

Marinette wormed her way through the bodies between her and the door and slipped out. She nearly collided with Luka, who was clearly waiting for her. He flashed her a grin and caught her hand, tugging her down the hallway. 

“Luka, where are we going?” Marinette hissed as he walked quickly, pulling her along.

“Somewhere we can talk,” he told her, keeping his voice quiet. “Just don’t make too much noise, okay?” 

Marinette frowned. “We better not really end up in a supply closet.” 

“What?” Luka nearly choked trying to muffle his laughter. “No, I promise, I can do better than that. My mom’s played this arena a couple of times, I know my way around.”

“But—” Marinette began, but then closed her mouth as Luka opened the door to a stairwell and started up it. “I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here,” she whispered as Luka checked the floor number and peeked through the window of the door. 

“Nope,” he grinned, opening the door and motioning her through. “Do you trust me?”

She did, so she went through. “We’re not going to the roof this time, are we?” she asked skeptically, and Luka chuckled. 

“Not this time.” She followed him down a dimly lit hallway and did her best not to squeal in incredulous dismay as he jimmied a door lock with a credit card. 

“All the security on the entrances, and crap locks up here,” he said, swinging the door open. “Typical.” 

“I didn’t realize you were a cat burglar in your spare time,” Marinette muttered as he took her hand and drew her inside what turned out to be some kind of private viewing lounge. She could see through the big windows down into the stadium, and the room was scattered with couches and cocktail tables. 

“Nah,” Luka laughed quietly through his nose, slipping his wallet back into his pocket. “I’m a pirate.” 

Marinette looked at him, and he winked at her with that grin, and she couldn’t help breaking into giggles. “You are, aren’t you,” she laughed, covering her mouth. Luka snickered with her, and for a moment they could only stand there trying to stifle their laughter. Luka made no move to turn the lights on, probably to keep anyone from noticing that the room was occupied, but there was enough light from the windows that they didn’t need it, and eventually their laughter died down, and they were left just looking at each other. 

Luka cleared his throat, pulling two bottles of water from the pockets of his hoodie. He held one out to her and she took it gratefully, suddenly aware she was parched. 

“I feel like you’ve been taking care of me all day,” Marinette said, stifling more slightly hysterical giggles, and Luka grinned at her. 

“Sorry. Big brother thing I guess. Or...well, maybe not,” he blushed and looked away. “I just know you’ve been pushing yourself a lot lately, and today was…” He blew out a breath and shook his head with a grin. “A lot. It can really take it out of you if you’re not taking care of yourself, so...sorry if I’ve been pushy.” 

Marinette smiled at him over the rim of her water bottle as he reached to twist the cap off his own. “I didn’t mi—whoa, are you okay?” she reached out to steady him as he suddenly fumbled it, spilling water over his hands.  

“Fine,” he said, a little too quickly, shaking the water off his hand without looking at her. “I’m fine.” He took a drink and then coughed, and Marinette pounded his back, concerned. 

“Geeze, slow down,” she said, torn between amusement and exasperation. “Maybe somebody ought to be taking care of you.”

He coughed through an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry. God, you always catch me off guard.” 

Marinette blushed, though she didn’t understand exactly what he meant. Getting control of himself he added quickly, “Congratulations. You and Max both did amazing. I think I screamed myself hoarse cheering you on.” 

Marinette hunched her shoulders slightly with a pleased smile. “You did really great too. I can’t wait to watch the replays, I heard you destroyed Desperada in the second round.”

Luka winced. “Yeah, that was rough, our skills just…” He shook his head. “She’s an amazing player with what she’s got but she’s basically never beaten me because of the way our stats stack up. She’s done so well, I hated for her to go down like that, but…” He shrugged and grinned. “I did what I had to do. Wasn’t going to miss going up against you in the final.”

Marinette grinned back, and then dropped her gaze, a silence falling between them that threatened to become awkward if one of them didn’t find a way to start. Determined that it would be her, Marinette began in a rush. “Um. Well I wanted to—we haven’t really talked, a-about, and we said we would, and I know maybe it might seem like we don’t need to, and, well this might not actually be the best time but if we wait for the perfect moment it’ll never happen, and I know we, uh, before, and then tonight, and so maybe we don’t need to but I just, I hate it when there are all these misunderstandings because people don’t talk and we should talk and—stop laughing!”

“Sorry,” Luka said, bringing up a hand to cover his mouth as he continued to chuckle. “I can’t help it. I’m happy and you’re really cute.”   

“Damn it,” she hissed, reaching up with both hands to pull on her pigtails in frustration, “I’m so bad at this!”

“You’re doing fine,” Luka said, taking the bottle of water from her and setting both hers and his on one of the tables. He stepped closer and put both hands on her shoulders, and rubbed lightly. “I can go first if you’d rather.” 

Marinette groaned and buried her face in her hands, suddenly mortifyingly close to tears. She was being an idiot. He’d kissed her, and let her kiss him, and acted like he wanted to keep kissing her, and with the texts during the week, and the way he’d been smiling at her all night, and he came to her fashion show, and bringing her up here and the way he was acting now, he really couldn’t be more clear, so why was she still so terrified? 

“Marinette,” he said, his voice soft and affectionate, “Listen, I think you’re—”

“No!” she yelled, throwing out her hands and stepping back from him, breaking his hold on her shoulders. “No, I have to do this, please.” 

God, she was going to ruin everything, he must think she was insane. There was no way that she could explain to him the utter train wreck that had been her years-long crush-obsession with Adrien Agreste, all the things she’d said and completely failed to say, all the time she’d spent analyzing their least little interactions, all the times she’d practically stalked him only to lose her courage and lie at the last minute, until finally, finally, the words passed her lips in a jumbled wreck and were met with— 

She peeked one eye open and could see that Luka was looking at her with concern. His eyes were blue and not green, his hair dark and not blond, and the expression on his face was concern and empathy and not blank confusion.

It wasn’t the same. She could do this. It wouldn’t be the same. It wasn’t the same. She wasn’t the same.

“Are you sure?” Luka said hesitantly. “If it’s this hard for you, then—I mean I thought you’d know by now that I—but you don’t have to say anything you’re not ready for, you know that, right?” 

“No, it’s not that, and it’s not you, it’s me, and I need to deal with it. Please, Luka,” Marinette added desperately. She needed to put this ghost to rest and this was the only way she knew how.

“Okay. Okay, Marinette.” He reached up and took her hands, tugging them gently away from her face and then pulling her over to sit on one of the small couches. “I’m listening. Do what you need to do.”

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, slumping back for a minute. “It’s just, the last time I did something like this it...it didn’t go so well and I know this is different, I do, but it’s...it’s hard. But I want to. I want to do it. I...I kind of need this, Luka.”

“Okay.” Luka slid a little closer, his hands still wrapped around hers. “I hear you. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“Right,” Marinette whispered, half to herself. “Okay.” Luka squeezed her hands and she realized they were shaking. She needed to get this over with before she went completely to pieces. Why did he always have that effect on her?

No.

Adrien had that effect on her. 

Luka—Marinette forced herself to raise her eyes to Luka’s, and saw only warmth and encouragement there. She straightened and put her shoulders back and took a breath to steady herself, though the shaking didn’t stop.

“I r-really like you, Luka,” she began, wincing slightly at the stutter and feeling her lips begin to tremble too. “You’ve been a wonderful teammate and a good f-friend, but you’re—” She swallowed hard; this was too close, too close to the words she’d used back then, but it was too late, she had to keep going. “You’re so much more than a friend to me,” she went on in a rush. “At least, I—I want you to be. S-so maybe, if you, um, if you want to, maybe we could go out. Sometime. On a date. A real date, not a just-friends date.” She squeezed her eyes shut and looked down quickly, face burning, suddenly feeling totally inept and like a complete fool and what had she been thinking—

“Yeah.”

Marinette looked up. “What?” Luka was grinning broadly, and he looked oddly...proud. Of her? 

Maybe he really was as perceptive as Juleka said.

Shit he was talking, she should listen. 

“I said yes. Yes, hell yeah, I’d love to go out with you.” 

Marinette blinked at him uncomprehendingly. Luka laughed at the look on her face. “You’re unbelievable,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Smart, sassy, gorgeous, tough, incredibly brave, why wouldn’t I go out with you? Do you really think I’m that big an idiot?” 

She gaped at him like a fish.

“Can it be my turn now?” Luka asked, when she didn’t find anything to say, and she nodded dumbly, not entirely sure her soul was still inhabiting her body.

Luka leaned toward her and gently framed her face in his hands. “Marinette, these last few months have been the best I’ve had in a long time and you’ve been a huge part of that, as an opponent and a friend and...honestly the more time I spend with you the more amazing you are to me. I know there’s probably still a lot we don’t know about each other, but I want to. I want you to know me, and I want to know you. All of you. I want to be an expert in Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

Marinette had to giggle at that, slapping her hand over her mouth in horror at the high-pitched girly sound of it. Luka’s grin widened as he shook his head and pulled her hand away from her mouth, threading his fingers through hers and lowering their hands to his lap. “Don’t cover it up, it’s so pretty,” he told her, and his slow grin set off an entirely different panic as he tipped her chin up with his free hand, brushing his thumb lightly across her lips. “I was right about the red,” he said, and when did his face get so close, oh no, but also yes, but wait was this too soon or should she—but she wanted to and if he wanted to then that was good enough, right? ”Can I kiss you now?”

“Okay,” she said shakily, and he leaned in slowly, watching her face. 

“You sure?” he said, pausing and sitting back a bit. “You don’t look like you—”

As she stared at Luka frowning with concern because he thought she didn’t want to kiss him, there was almost an audible snap in her head as the past settled back where it belonged and the now became sharp and clear. What the hell was she doing?

Marinette grabbed the front of Luka’s hoodie and dragged him forward. “Get over here,” she ordered, though the breathiness in her voice took a lot of the force out of it. It was enough, though, Luka closed the distance with a desperate little noise and their lips met once, twice, three times in hard, passionate kisses, before finally settling together into something softer but no less heated. The hand under her chin slid up to flatten along the side of her throat, and then slid farther back to curl around the back of her neck, Luka’s thumb brushing her jaw as he tilted her back. He was kissing her like—like— 

Like he really did like her as much as she liked him, like he meant all those things he said to her, like he’d been thinking about it for a while now— 

And he was really good at it, she acknowledged dizzily as his lips began coaxing hers to open. 

But hell if she was going to let him run the show. She nipped his lower lip and he startled slightly. Grinning in the small space that granted her, Marinette wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled the other free from his hand to grab the back of the couch and pull, forcing him back as she straightened and rolled up to her knees so that he was the one with his head tilted back, and only then did she part her lips and slide her tongue into his mouth, hands moving to hold his face at just the right angle. The strangled noise he made and the way he grabbed at her hips was very satisfying. It felt so good to get some payback after all the time she’d spent agonizing over her crush on him. She wasn’t even sure he was aware of the way his hands were scrabbling against her, trying to pull her into his lap. 

She broke the kiss, laughing when he tried to follow her to prolong it. “Easy, we still have to go back in public after this,” she teased, and Luka groaned, letting his head fall back against the bench.

“Fuck me,” he muttered breathlessly, and Marinette snorted, leaning against him.

“What kind of girl do you think I am?” she scoffed, and Luka’s eyes flew open. 

“No, no, God, no, I didn’t mean, I wouldn’t—” 

Marinette let him stammer for another few moments out of pure revenge for all those times he had grinned at her while she tripped over her tongue, before she leaned in and kissed him, softly this time. “Shut up and put yourself back together, Viperion, we still have an awards ceremony to get through.”

“ Shit. ” Luka let go of her and covered his face with his hands. “I’m gonna need a minute.” 

Marinette put her hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh but she couldn’t help it. She was just so happy. Luka dropped his hands and grinned at her, reaching out to snag her around the waist and pull her close, kissing her even as she continued to laugh, pure joy singing from her soul as she pretended to dodge him. He planted kisses on her jaw and her neck as she squealed and tried half-heartedly to wriggle away before giving up and turning to kiss him again on the mouth, and then again, and then again, slow, deep kisses. 

“What?” she asked as Luka chuckled against her mouth. 

“Nothing,” he sighed, nudging his nose against hers. “Just feeling lucky I guess. I’m so happy, Marinette.” 

Marinette smiled, but they did need to be getting back, so she pushed his hands away for real and slid off the couch.

She bit her lip in amusement when Luka whined, leaning his elbows on the back of the couch and letting his head hang back. “Do we have to?” he groaned. “I really hate ceremonies.”

“Yes,” Marinette grinned, grabbing his hand and pulling him up off the couch. “I want to see you up there, right in the number two spot where you belong.” 

“Oh, low,” Luka laughed, dragging his feet as she tugged him towards the door. “Wait, wait.” He pulled his hand free and turned back to grab their water. “Never leave evidence behind,” he said, handing her one of the bottles with a wink. “Especially not evidence with lipstick stains.” 

Marinette giggled. “Wait, is that why you—” 

“No comment,” Luka said, cheeks reddening as he threw the incriminating evidence in the hallway’s recycling bin.

They weren’t very sneaky coming back down the stairs, giggling and snuggling and nearly tripping more than once because they were standing too close together. 

When they emerged into the full light of the hallway outside of the lounge, Luka looked at Marinette and smirked. “Hey Ladybug.” 

“Hmm?” Marinette raised her eyebrows.

Luka leaned in and kissed her until they were both breathless. “Fix your lipstick,” he whispered against her lips, and laughed as Marinette cursed and jerked back, slapping a hand over her mouth. Her red lipstick had held up to the relatively innocent kisses backstage, but now it was smeared all over his mouth, blended with the peach he’d been wearing, and her face couldn’t possibly look any better. Luka burst out laughing at her expression, and Marinette began to giggle again too. 

“Here, I have some wipes,” he managed to say at last, pulling a packet of makeup remover wipes from his back pocket. “Let me help.” 

“You should, since it was your fault,” Marinette shot back, taking the packet from him and pulling a wipe free. She pouted as Luka snatched it back from her fingers, but she didn’t really mean it, and she let him take her chin in his hand and tilt her face up.

“I’m not even sorry,” Luka chuckled, eyes on her lips as he gently wiped away the smears. “I’ll buy you a better brand.” He winked, and then his humor settled into a quiet contentment that shone in his face. “That was pretty amazing, Marinette. I hope we can do it again sometime soon. Maybe I could take you out to dinner and—”

“Marinette!” Max called, bursting out of the doors down the hall and looking around for a moment before spotting them. His shoulders slumped in relief. “There you are! You weren’t answering your phone, I was getting concerned. It’s almost time.”

Luka winced, going to work quickly on his own face. “Busted,” he murmured, and Marinette could hear the laughter in his voice.

Marinette snorted. “Like he didn’t already know. He’s been teasing me about you since we met.” She raised her voice and called, “We’re coming.” She took Luka’s hand and tugged him along with her back to the doors where Max was waiting. 

Max adjusted his glasses and looked at his phone. “We’re due for the ceremony in two minutes and forty-five seconds.” 

“Thanks for the heads up,” Marinette smiled. “I’m good to go, I just need to grab my makeup bag and fix my lipstick.”

Luka made a noise that sounded suspiciously like choked laughter, but Marinette didn’t look at him, squeezing his hand tight enough that he winced. 

“Oh, you left it on the drink table earlier, I picked it up for you,” Max said, pulling her lipstick tube out of his pocket and coming down the hallway to meet him. “It looks good to me, though, are you sure you want to take the time?”

Luka coughed into his hand, obviously trying not to laugh, but Max didn’t even glance at him.

“It’ll only be a second,” Marinette said, taking the tube from him. She opened it and paused as they reached the doors, using her reflection in the window to apply her lipstick over her naturally reddened lips. She could see Luka over her shoulder finger-combing his hair back into place. She capped the tube and handed it to Luka with a wink. “Hold onto it for me? I have a feeling I might need it again later.”

“Sure,” Luka grinned, and reached around her to pull the door open. “Just find me whenever you’re ready to need a touch up.” 

It was Marinette’s turn to choke on a laugh, while Max threw Luka a slightly puzzled glance, but clearly dismissed his odd phrasing in favor of ushering them all back into the ceremony. Marinette grinned. Max might think he’s all worldly, but when he’s focused on something he doesn’t notice anything.

***

They made it through the awards ceremony and almost an hour of the afterparty, accepting congratulations and fistbumps and handshakes and ribbing (mostly good-natured, some not so much, but Marinette had never cared less in her life than she did at that moment). Then someone on the game committee stood up to make a speech and Marinette saw her opportunity. She grabbed the lapel of Luka’s hoodie and tugged lightly. He met her gaze and grinned, following her pull willingly. 

She ducked into a shadowed hall, pulling him just beyond the light from the party, and as soon as she leaned back against the wall he was bending over her, though the kiss he laid on her lips was soft and gentle and over much too quickly. 

“Sorry,” he murmured, with a lopsided grin. “That was kind of presumptuous I guess.” 

Marinette grabbed the lapels of his hoodie and pulled him in for another soft kiss. “Maybe. I don’t mind though.”

“I really like you, Marinette,” Luka said, one hand finding her hip while the other leaned on the wall beside her. “In case I didn’t make that clear before. Not just kissing you, though, for the record, I really like that too, but. You. It’s you.” 

Marinette smiled, a happy flutter in her stomach making her wiggle a bit. “You should probably know I’ve had a massive crush on you for weeks,” she admitted shyly, still holding on to his hoodie. 

Luka’s grin got wider, his eyes lighting up. “Yeah? Weeks?”

Marinette pouted at him. “Don’t lie, you knew.” 

Luka chuckled and looked away. “Maybe. I just...I didn’t know what to do with it for a while. I didn’t want to lead you on if I wasn’t...but then I was, and...” He looked back at her and grinned slowly. “Just weeks, huh?” 

Marinette shrugged, looking somewhere over his left shoulder. “Weeks. Months. Something like that.” She twirled her finger in the string of his hoodie, still not quite looking at him. “So I’m maybe not at all opposed to—presumption.” 

“That’s, um…” He was clearly trying to keep his smile under control, but it wasn’t working. The grin on his face was rapidly crossing into idiotic. Marinette giggled. “That’s really good to hear,” he continued, “because I’ve been getting really stupid over you really fast since we started working together, so...I’m kinda glad you got a head start. It’s actually really flattering coming from a girl like you.”

Marinette frowned slightly. “A girl like me?

Luka gave her an amused look. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Marinette, but you’re kind of a catch.” 

Marinette blinked at him, startled, and Luka buried his face in her shoulder to muffle his laughter. “Oh my God, you really hadn’t noticed. You’re so damn cute.” 

“Cute!” Marinette huffed indignantly, but Luka lifted his face from her shoulder and nudged his nose against hers with a low chuckle that made her shiver.

“Adorable,” he told her, with so much affection that she couldn’t be offended. “Also really, seriously hot, which, I don’t even know how you manage to do both of those at once, but—” He cleared his throat. “Can I—” 

“Yes,” Marinette giggled, tugging on his hoodie, and he bent, closing his eyes and kissing her with a slow heat that made her weak. She slid her hands up his firm chest and over his shoulders until they met behind his neck, savoring the pleased noise he made. Luka broke from her mouth and laid soft kisses along her jaw. 

“When can I see you again?” he asked, his voice so deep it was practically a growl, and Marinette shivered again. Luka cocked his head slightly. “You okay?” 

“I, um,” Marinette bit her lip. “I really like your voice,” she admitted in a rush. 

“Yeah?” That idiotic grin was growing on his face again and she was rapidly falling in love with it, with the way that he looked at her…

With him. She was falling pretty hard for him. And her only consolation was that he seemed to be tumbling head over heels along with her. The idea of loving someone who loved her back was...heady, to say the least. Not even the most euphoric moments of her ill-fated pining compared to this.

“Marinette?” he prompted, nudging his nose against hers. “I’m serious. I really want to see you again soon.” 

She kissed him again, just because he was so close. He chased her when she would have ended it, and she smiled against his lips before letting him coax her into a much longer, deeper kiss. 

“Wednesday?” she said, when he finally drew back. 

“Hm?” he blinked slightly glazed eyes and Marinette giggled. She straightened up off of the wall and leaned into him instead, fingers sliding up to play with the short hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Wednesday,” she repeated. “You can pick me up at seven. Bring your guitar, you promised to play for me again.” 

“I did,” he agreed, voice dipping low again as his hand slid around to the small of her back. “I can’t wait.” 

“Bring your A-game,” she told him. “I expect to be swept off my feet. But come hungry and plan somewhere light for dinner because my parents will freak when I tell them I have a boyfriend. There will definitely be appetizers. There might be cake. Maybe even a souffle. You tell Papa his rematch will have to wait though because I’m not sharing you this time.”  

The dopey grin returned. “I’m your boyfriend?” 

Marinette blinked, and then blushed hotly, which both made him grin wider and limited her ability to play it off, but she did her best. “You’re on trial. Think you can handle it?”

“Oh, definitely,” he chuckled, and that dopey grin turned into the pirate grin that always made her melt. “The question is, can you?” 

“Oh that’s how it is,” Marinette managed, raising her eyebrows. 

“Yeah,” he murmured, freeing one hand to slip it behind her neck and tilt her face up. “That's how it is. So you let me know when you’re convinced.” His lips descended on hers and his body pressed hers in the wall and by the time he was done kissing her Marinette was pretty thoroughly convinced.

Not that she planned to admit it anytime soon.

She was pretty sure she was going to like this game.

#quickspins #killer combo #lukanette #endgame lukanette #lukanette endgame #gamer au #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #miraculousladybug #miraculous ladybug #ml fics

[ruby-read]

mid-year book freak out tag! - 2021

best book so far

a court of mist and fury by sarah j maas - 5 / 5 stars

need i say more? it was just so good.

best sequel so far

bitterblue by kristin cashore - 5 / 5 stars

i don't think i have talked about the graceling realm series and how much i love it on here but here i am.

i loved every book in this series but bitterblue stood out to me because even though it was incredibly long, it kept me gripped throughout. there was an unsolvable mystery (maybe im dense though) that kept me guessing for hundreds of pages and just a glimmer of romance which i usually miss when its not there but this stood on its own without it.

i thought bitterblue was an extremely strong character and it was a great ending to a companion trilogy (before winterkeep was announced and continued it). also, loved seeing all of the characters come together at the end and seeing katsa and po pop in and out.

new release i haven't read yet but want to

the nature of witches by rachel griffin realm breaker by victoria aveyard

something about witches and elemental magic just sounds so awesome to me and i am just so drawn to this book.

and i am currently enjoying the red queen series and love a good found family so im hoping to love realm breaker. ive heard mixed things so im gonna lower my expectations a little but still excited.

most anticipated release for the second half of the year

these hollow vows by lexi ryan aurora's end by *** ******** graceling: the graphic novel by kristin cashore six crimson cranes by elizabeth lim the hawthorne legacy by jennifer lynn barnes

idk why i am so excited about these hollow vows but i am and i think it's just gonna be a (hopefully) exciting fantasy romance. im hoping for two sexy men and a bad BITCHHH of a main character.

ive heard only amazing things about six crimson cranes so i am very very excited! i've been waiting for this book i think since january and its almost finally here!

aurora's end (even though the authors are cancelled) i NEED to finish the series then they will officially never receive my money again. the cliffhanger at the end of aurora burning was so incredibly uncool and so now i have no choice but to see what happens in the finale.

the graceling graphic novel. do i need to explain myself?

and the hawthorne legacy is the next installment in the inheritance games series and i really enjoyed the first book! the mystery and the way patterns were worked into it really had me intrigued and i was itching to know what was happening for the entire book. so excited to see what happens in the next one!

biggest disappointment

the crown of gilded bones by jennifer l armentrout - currently on pause/possible dnf

this book was just so boring but also SO much happened in the first 50 pages that i was honestly incredibly confused? and there was just overwhelming info-dumping about the history of the world and an underdeveloped plot. idk i just couldn't get into it (which was really disappointing bc i loved akofaf). thinking of dnfing...

biggest surprise

crown of midnight by sarah j maas - 4.5 / 5 stars

ok so. i really did not enjoy throne of glass. after reading the acotar series and then jumping into throne of glass, i hated the love triangle, the intrigue wasnt enough to get me engaged until the last third, etc. sooo i was even considering not reading the rest of the series. but of course like the sjm stan that i am, i had to. and this one was so good. i wrote a review on it so if your interested in more in depth thoughts go take a peak!

favorite new author (debut or new to me)

kristin cashore!

the way that she writes political mystery in her world is so good. not a single time did i have a correct guess on what was happening. i also loved how her books had strong woman main characters, but they all had agency in a different way. and how the romance subplots were small but enough to keep the romantic in me satisfied, but also didnt take away from the main heroines story. ugh just so good! love u girly <3

new fictional crush

aaron warner (shatter me series by tahereh mafi)

ok i know hes kind of like super crazy and kind of creepy obsessed, but also like.... cmon. hes kinda super hot too. and i kind of love the i hate everyone but you trope....

art credit: @jessdraw.s

new favorite character

lara (bridge kingdom series by danielle l jensen)

her strength, her agency, her ability to unlearn everything she grew up believing, her power. an amazing and complex character.

art credit: @rosiesfables

books that made me cry

a court of wings and ruin by sarah j maas

if you've read this book u understand why. there was a happy ending for our two main characters at the end but the war that ensued at the end of this book was just fucking heart wrenching and so beautiful at parts i will never forget everything that happened.

books that made me happy

heartstopper vol. 1 by alice oseman

i feel like this series is great for young readers (12-17). it teaches about friendship, sexuality, mental health, asking for help, how to offer help, etc. and tons of really diverse representation throughout. i wish this existed when i was younger.

it made me happy to think about young people reading this series and feeling seen and validated. and about how openly alice oseman illustrates difficult topics and how to deal with them. just made my heart swell.

most beautiful book bought/gifted so far

the ones we're meant to find by joan he

i mean... its gorgeous!!

books i need to read by the end of the year

crescent city by sarah j maas

again as a stan i need to finish this before the end of the year bc i have only heard good things and the second book comes out jan 2022.

favorite book to movie adaptation so far

moxie, shadow and bone, brigerton lol (and very excited about along for the ride!!)

2021 reading stats so far...

45 books read

35,000 pages read

11 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reads

4.13 average rating

thanks so much for reading my mid-year update! happy reading! : )

#bookish #books #book #book review #reading #mid year book freak out tag

[lady-plantagenet]

End of the year asks: 1, 4, 8, 5, 7, 9, 11, 17, 19 ❣️🎄🎅🏻

~Asked via ‘End of Year’ Ask Meme’: https://lady-plantagenet.tumblr.com/post/637933219260563456/end-of-the-year-asks~

1 ~ Song of the year?

I’ve pretty much gone emo over this song. It’s probably the most beautiful sound I’ve heard in my life, it’s so full of longing and sad beauty that despite how much I love it, I only play it in moments when I think I’m in the right mental state to appreciate it so it doesn’t become a background song haha. Yup, that’s the depth of my appreciation.

4 ~ Movie of the year?

I had already answered this one! :) press the ‘🍷❤️’ tag. But I’ll give another one for you that’s a bit different than the others: Midsommar. I was extremely impressed by the visuals I must say! It was true horror and scared me to bits (sidenote: I’m the type that doesn’t get spooked easily). I also found its exploration of cults quite fascinating. If you ever watch it make sure to then watch ‘How Midsommar Brainwashes You’ by ‘Accolytes of Horror’ on youtube to see what I mean! The analysis makes it even more terrifying.

5 ~ TV show of the year?

I don’t know if it counts since it’s a mini-series but definitely ‘The Shadows of the Tower’ which is this 70s show covering Henry VII’s early reign (you can find the first episodes on YouTube). It is quite possibly flawless (I obviously gritted my teeth a bit about the whole ‘Clarence had no brain’ remarks, but that’s really really minor). The acting is incredible and threater level, the dialogue a work of art not o ly in content but also in intonantion and the vibe about the whole show is so period and ominous 👀. Even if you’re not too big on Henry VII, you will fond great pleasure in the snapshot nature of the episodes eg one episode was about a lollard, the other about Sir John Kendall and the botched plot to assassinate Henry VII, another about a foreign navigator etc. If you like history you’ll love this!

7 ~ Favorite actor of the year?

yeah yeah call me basic, but if we’re talking about this year (as in contemporary actor) I must say Timothee Chalamet. The King has been criticised a lot but I feel like he really held his own there. Also loved him in Little Women, Beautiful Boy, Call Me By Your Name and Ladybird (among others). I’d love to see him become a permanent feature in movies!

8 ~ Game of the year?

Admittedly, I don’t really play any games. I occasionally go on lichess (and yes that’s way before The Queen’s Gambit came out) to play with friends, but otherwise, nothing really. I spend too much of my freetime on here already agshdj

9 ~ Best month for you this year?

You’d be surprised, but I must say: April. I don’t know why, I guess I just felt this vibe around me as I was surrounded by great historical fiction and randomly discovered sooo many new songs! Everyday was fairly peaceful as I didn’t have any assignments but just exams to study for, but as I knew the syllabus it was pretty relaxed. By that point I honestly needed a social break and lockdown gave me that without me having to invent any excuse. I also had my old flat with the lovely balcony I would go have my coffee on and it was just bliss ~

11 ~ Something you want to do again next year?

In my last answer for #11, I put continuing my WIP: A Bygone Era and staung on tumblr (which are stuff I only started this year - writing in Jan and Tumblr in February). To answer this again but with a different answer: I would like to continue with my hair care and corset experiments. I know this is very minor, but everything else from this year has already been done in other years. I’m currently still figuring out what homemade mask is best for me and it’s honestly been a trip haha (honey, olive oil + egg yolk is in the lead). With the corset training it’s satisfying to see the progress that is being made with my waist! I’ve neared down 3 inches already! (26’ -> 23’). And honestly whenever I have it on I just feel so dainty!

17 ~ Post a picture from the end of the year

This is a part of my garden back home atm. Between the red sky - green leaves contrast, and the heaps of snow... what could possibly be more Christmas vibes ey? (An especially appropriate post for today methinks)

19 ~ What’re you excited about for next year?

Most people would say an end to lockdown, but I don’t have high hopes tbf. I mean, have you seen the lack of discipline with most people nowadays? Ugh. One thing I can control (sort of) is getting into my masters next year. I’m terrified (because I might not get in) but excited (a nice change of scenery from London, and an opportunity to meet new people is always good). Not to mention, a more dissertation-based course is what I yearn for and need cause I despise exams. I’m really really excited at the prospect oml =)

#🍷❤️ #thank you for asking darling #here long answers for a fairly long request #🤗🤗🤗 #merry Christmas! #here you go have a Christmas colour scheme haha #(or IS IT the colour scheme of the Neville + Clarence livery?? 👀) #ooo ~

[loopy777]

You've got me curious now as to what anime youve seen, enjoyed and why.

Oof, I don’t track that type of thing. I’ve been asked about anime I like previously, and I feel like I always forget something. I suppose I should start a MyAnimeList one of these days, just for reference.

So let’s list everything I can remember, as well as a pithy reaction.

Baccano!This one is just so much fun. It’s violent and crass in a classy way, it’s funny in a weird way, and it’s a great example of a non-linear narrative. I love it.

Code Geass (Season 1)Ugh, I only watched this one because people solicited my opinion on it. Well, my opinion is that it’s not as smart as it wants to be, there’s too much contrived melodrama (and considering the wild premise, that’s saying something), and Kallen would be a wonderful and interesting character if she wasn’t always being demeaned for fan-service. I quit when the first season finale kicked off, because I felt things were just getting too contrived. I hear it really fell apart in the second season.

Cowboy BebopI found this a bit pretentious. It had good episodes and bad episodes. The production quality is good. But I'm not sure why it's legendary. Still, I liked its sense of humor, and enjoyed it when it wasn’t trying to be super serious. My favorite character is Ed.

Demon SlayerI'm mainly watching this because my brother wanted to give it a try on Toonami, but I kind of checked out when it unceremoniously removed everything difficult about the sister being a demon and made her into an order-following sidekick that fits in a suitcase. Now the latest episode introduced a loud annoying side character, so we may quit. I have no idea why this one is so popular.

Fullmetal AlchemistCovered

Gatchaman CrowdsI was asked to watch this one, as well, but it went a lot better than Code Geass. It’s a bit weird, and I think it's naively optimistic about the internet in many ways, but I still found it's exploration of Internet-age superheroes to be interesting, and it's the best, most mature take on the Power Rangers-style ‘sentai’ genre that I've seen. I don't know how well it matches up with its Gatchaman legacy, but as its own thing, it's pretty good.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (including 2nd Gig)This is another legendary one that I think is good but a bit over-rated. It's a good piece of modern Cyberpunk, but it's very talky, and very jargon-filled. I'm almost convinced that the viewer is not meant to follow half of the conversations, that they're just part of the ambiance. I tended to like the stand-alone episodes better than the storyline episodes. Still, it’s a very smart series, and probably the best thing in the franchise, from what I’ve heard.

Log Horizon (first season only)I’ll tell you what- I think it’s possible to make a good anime with the premise of people from the modern, real world entering a fantasy realm (either another dimension or a VR video game). Log Horizon did not end up being that ideal. The main character is a Gary Stu, his romances with girls who are either ten years old or just look like they’re ten years old are creepy, and it got boring seeing the protagonists’ plans always succeed without much of a hitch.

Lupin III (series 4 and 5)I like this franchise when it's being clever, when it's springing a twist while playing fair. Sometimes, though, it doesn't play fair with its twists, leaving me underwhelmed. And while the regular cast is amusing, they're fairly shallow characters; this isn't always a bad thing, as that allows them to slot into all kinds of genre fare, but does limit the storytelling ambitions. It’s fine.

Macross franchiseSuper Dimensional Fortress MacrossI still like the original, despite how dated it is. It's probably the best possible implementation of 'soap opera in space.'

Macross PlusI'm not sure why this one is so revered. I feel like it doesn't play fair with its mystery, despite being such a short story, and whole thing with the killer popstar AI just left me cold.

Macross 7I like the music, but the story really drags for the first half with a formula that’s repeated far too long, and then falls apart in the end. The love triangle isn’t resolved, and in fact I’m of the opinion that two of the participants didn’t even know they were in competition. The bad guys are allowed to sail off into the sunset, forgiven, despite still inhabiting the bodies of kidnapped humans. But this isn't a series you watch for the story; this is a series you watch because you like the idea of a rockstar flying into space in a transforming mecha, controlled by an electric guitar, to sing at alien invaders. Personally, I think the idea is dumb. Plus, this ruins the premise of the original series by adding in what is effectively magic.

Macross ZeroThis is pretty good and has the best dogfights in the series, but it has one of those weird arty endings that anime sometimes likes to do where no one can tell what actually happened and we need to find translated interviews with the creative team to get it explained.

Macross FrontierBy this point, I was wondering why everyone is so eager for the Macross franchise to get American distribution. It’s better than Macross 7, but feels like a first draft of the intended story, and the creative team lost track of their own subplots. The two AU movies do a more satisfying take on the same basic story, but sometimes they come across like an abridged recap of the series, so you really need to watch everything to get a satisfying experience. That said, the final experience was indeed fairly satisfying, making this the second best thing in the franchise for me. Still, I wouldn’t say it lives up to the original in any way.

Macross DeltaBoy, this one was dumb. Everything wrong with Frontier is worse here, with none of the good stuff.

The Melancholy of Haruhi SuzumiyaI still want an ending for this, despite nothing worthwhile coming from it since 2011. It wouldn't even be hard to pick it up again; set it in modern times, and explain the fact that everyone has smartphones now to be a result of some weird off-screen Haruhi antics.

Mobile Suit Gundam franchiseMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded OrphansI've only ever experienced the Gundam franchise because my brother wants to get into it and he keeps trying to find a vector. This was my first experience with it, and I found it very 'teenage boy,' in both tone and story. I was underwhelmed.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096Another case where the storytellers reached the end only to have forgotten the rest of the story. Why does that happen so often in anime? And I think it assumes the viewer is familiar with the whole rest of the franchise, because there was a lot that just went straight over my head but didn't seem like it was supposed to. Nice animation and art style, though.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin - Advent of the Red CometEverything I said about Unicorn, only more.

My Hero AcademiaCovered

NichijouThis thing is still hilarious, even after a rewatch. Stick with the sub, as the new dub's voice-acting doesn't have the same range and power of the original, losing a lot of the humor.

Outlaw Star I'm struggling to remember a lot of this one. it’s another I watched because my brother was interested in it. I do recall that it was a fairly standard Space Western that ends in a way that's more like serious science fiction, and that for some reason a Japanese swordswoman in classic clothing was part of the cast. Now I wonder if that was an homage to Lupin III. Or maybe Japan just really loves throwing classic samurai into everything, regardless of setting or genre.

Pokemon (part of first series)I was in high school when this franchise first came to America, and for some reason all the geeks in my high school thought it was the greatest thing. The games were good, yeah, but the anime? I don't think it's bad for a kiddie cartoon, but it obviously has no greater ambitions than pleasantly occupying the kids for 22 minutes. Personally, what I really want is a series about Team Rocket done in the style of Cowboy Bebop.

Princess TutuCo-owner of the Best Magical Girl designation. I forget who asked me to watch this, but I owe them.

Puella Magi Madoka MagicaCo-owner of the Best Magical Girl designation. I still haven't bothered with anything but the original series, and I continue to be happy with that choice.

Samurai ChamplooI liked this better than Cowboy Bebop, but only because its ambitions were lower. It leaned more into its genre, had fun with its style more even when being serious, and as a result became more enjoyable. I overall liked going on a journey with these rascals, but I think it ended at a good point. I don’t need more.

Spice & Wolf (first season)I watched this on someone's suggestion, and found it a little underwhelming. What I really appreciated were the two main characters, especially that they seem to be into each other, romantically and sexually, and aren't freaked out by it while at the same time not being in a hurry to become a couple. It was just a kind of, "Yeah, this could really be something if we ever find the time." It was so amazingly mature and real. Too bad the main Economics plotlines just wound up being tepid.

Tekkaman BladeMy thoughts haven't changed on this.

Tiger & BunnyI'm still fond of this one, and I'm actually kind of curious to revisit it in light of My Hero Academia.

Transformers ‘Unicron Trilogy’These three cartoons are true anime, produced by and for Japan. (The other cartoons in the franchise were written, and sometimes animated, in the west.) It's garbage that assumes its child audience are morons, and on top of that the first two series wound up with laughably bad dubs. How this trilogy revitalized the franchise, I have no idea, and thankfully I'll never have to worry about it.

Volton (original)Either this or Robotech/Macross was my first anime; I was too young to say which I discovered first. I'll admit that the original Voltron isn't good, despite the toy being neat, but I have a soft spot for it. I tried the Netflix reboot, watching the first three episodes, and found it to be vacuous junk. Maybe some day a version of this will come along that will do justice to the toy.

And I think that’s it. If I remember anything I left off, I’ll reblog with the addition.

#Anonymous

[theyearoftheking]

Book 2: ‘Salem’s Lot

Success is my only motherfuckin' option, failure’s not Mom, I love you, but this trail has got to go, I cannot grow old in Salem's lot So here I go is my shot Feet fail me not 'cause maybe the only opportunity that I got

-Eminem, Lose Yourself

The mere mention of ‘Salem’s Lot has had my brain playing this song on repeat for weeks. And after reading ‘Salem’s Lot, I’d like to point out to Eminem that it’s actually quite difficult to grow old in ‘Salem’s Lot. You’re more likely to be turned into a creepy vampire than grow old and die of natural causes in The Lot. But I feel like if I were to ever address this with one Marshall Mathers, he’d punch me in the face. So I guess I’ll just rest comfortably with my superior Stephen King knowledge. 

This was my first reading of ‘Salem’s Lot, and while I enjoyed Carrie; I feel this was the book that made the Stephen King “style” a thing fans are all familiar with. I’m not going to dive into the entire plot and every character, but the format of the book, and the relationships the characters form will be familiar to all King fans. Let me explain.

Part One: The Introduction 

The book is divided into three parts. In Part One: Marsten House, we learn about the lovely little town of Jerusalem’s Lot, and start feeling a creeping sense of dread every time the Marsten House is mentioned. We don’t know why we feel creepy dread quite yet, but the feeling is lurking in our stomach like a slimy gas station burrito. We also experience a meet cute between Ben Mears and Susan Norton. Ben is a writer, hanging out at the park, trying to forget all the negativity and bad juju he experienced the first time he lived in ‘Salem’s Lot. But now he’s back, living at Eva Miller’s boarding house, working on his next novel. Susan sees him in the park, and just so happens to be reading one of his books. She asks for an autograph, and he inscribes it, “For Susan Norton, the prettiest girl in the park...” The rest is history. Well, vampire, bloodshed history. But romantic history none the less. 

Later on, Ben Mears references The Haunting of Hill House, which was an inspiration for this novel. He tells Susan the subject of his newest novel is,          ”...it’s about the recurrent power of evil...” Art imitating life, ammiright, Steve??? 

Part one also gives us our first (of three!) Wisconsin references. Ben decides to hit up the local watering hole, Dell’s, where he runs into fellow boarding house resident, Weasel Craig. To hear Ben describe it, “...his breath alone could have made Milwaukee famous.” I mean... we do love and brew a lot of beer in this city. But you can imagine my disappointment when in the next paragraph, Weasel orders a pitcher of Budweiser. Gross, Weasel, You deserve to be taken out by those vampires. 

Part one continues to give us plenty of local color, and describes the residents of the town (spoiler: don’t get too attached to any of them). Part one ends with some creepy goings-on at the cemetery, and some children disappearing, and later re-appearing in slightly alarming form. Oh, and a lot of bodies at the morgue start disappearing. Never a good sign. 

Part Two: The Dread Explained, and the Start of Shit Going Sideways 

Part Two: The Emperor of Ice Cream is when the beat drops. But before all of that, we have our final two Wisconsin references. King twice mentions a Packers Patriots game everyone in town is anxious to watch. Ok. I have questions. So many questions. How did Steve decide on this particular football match-up? We’re not division rivals, we don’t even play in the same division. The Packers and Patriots play each other once in a blue moon. Wouldn’t the Bills or the Jets have been a more sensible selection? Maybe the Dolphins? Maybe they were good back in 1975? I don’t know. I do know I personally love Packers/Patriots games because I love seeing Tom Brady pout like a little bitch on the sidelines when our inconsistent defense shows up and decides to tackle him. Repeatedly. It’s a miracle Brady doesn’t trip over that lower lip more.

But I digress. Part two is where shit really starts to go wrong, and we understand the problems plaguing ‘Salem’s Lot are the result of a powerful vampire, Mr. Barlow and his keeper, Mr Straker, moving into Marsten House. That’s right... it’s a vampire book, kids. These two keep a low profile by buying a creepy old murder house, and running an antique store full of old junk in town. As you do. 

King holds true to a lot of the traditional vampire stereotypes: they only come out at night, they are burned by sunshine, they sleep in coffins or boxes, they need to be invited in, and they can be repelled by a crucifix or some holy water. No glittery, pretty vamps here. Sorry, Twilight fans. This probs isn’t the book for you.

Part two of the book is filled with creepy passages full of suspense. You know, those parts when you find yourself cringing and chanting, “No! No! Don’t crawl into the creepy old murder house during the day! I don’t care if you think the vampires are sleeping! This isn’t going to end well!” I know most people have those moments when watching movies... but this book (and King in general) usually brings out all the creepy, cringy feels for me.

So, Ben, Susan, and their ragtag band of friends begin to understand the vampire problem, and realize they need to address it before everyone in town either flees, or becomes part of Barlow’s vampire army. One member of their merry band of vampire killers is a little boy by the name of Mark Petrie. Mark lost two of his best friends in the initial round of vampire attacks, and feels guilt about this. If they weren’t on their way to his house to play with his models, maybe they wouldn’t have ended up as part of the un-dead. As a result of this guilt, Mark wants to help the grownups fight the vampires. He’s a bad ass kid. I hope my kid would behave the same way if we were fighting a vampire onslaught in Milwaukee. 

King best sums up their crew of vampire killers as, “An old teacher half-cracked with books, a writer obsessed with his childhood nightmares, a little boy who has taken a post-graduate course in vampire lore from the films and the modern prenny-dreadfuls...” 

Accurate af. 

Part Two ends with a passage I have to share... “The ordinary fellow isn’t half so leery of the superatural as the fiction writers like to make out. Most writers who deal in that particular subject, as a matter of fact, are more hardheaded about spirits and demons and boogies than your ordinary man in the street...” 

Part Three: The Real Action, All the Deaths & the Conclusion

Part Three: The Deserted Village wraps everything up. Almost all the residents of ‘Salem’s Lot are turned into vampires, including almost all of the vampire hunters with the exception of Ben and Mark. They ‘nope’ right on out of ‘Salem’s Lot and head for Mexico. Because they’ve seen some shit, and they need to live in perpetual sunshine where they never have to fight vampires again. Only, Ben can’t stop reading the Portland Press-Herald and realizes shit is getting real in Maine again, and they eventually need to go back. Poor Mark; it’s bad enough he lost his friends, had to stake both his parents, and killed the vampire’s keeper. But now he needs to go back? Ugh. 

Part three also gives us two coveted Dark Tower references (because, The Beam). 

“Ann Norton drew the .38 from the pockets of her wrapper like some creaky gunslinger from beyond time...” 

Oh snap. It’s coming. Da da chick, da da chum! 

I’ve also failed to mention much about Father Callahan. He was the Catholic priest of ‘Salem’s Lot who suffered a vampire bite despite his crucifix and holy water bath, and was last seen on a bus getting out of town, drinking cheap truck stop liquor. But we’ll see him again. ‘Tis ka. 

All and all, a very satisfying book, and I’m very glad I’ve finally gotten around to reading it.

In summation:

Total King Wisconsin Mentions: 4

Dark Tower References: 2

Book Grade: B+

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books:

Salem’s Lot

Carrie

Next up is The Shining; which is perfect since Wisconsin is expecting its first major snowfall this weekend. Fun times. 

Until next time- long days and pleasant night, readers!

Rebecca

[bookenders]

11/11/11 Tag Game: Round 12

This is a very popular tag game, it seems! Tagged by @ren-c-leyn! Thanks, friend! I am evidence that you can do this game thousands of times, as I have answered 12% of 1000 questions by now. 😋

🎶🎵Hit me baby one more time🎵🎶

My Questions (running out of creativity, must consume more media):

What baseball positions would your OCs be in if they all had to be on a baseball team? What’s the team name? What’s their mascot? What do the uniforms look like? (If you hate baseball or prefer a different sport, substitute said sport for baseball.)

How good are your OCs at bowling? How good are you at bowling?

Rewrite this in your style: “I picked up the book and read the back. He took it from me before I could protest. He never lets me have the cool stuff.”

What do you love about the last book you read?

What are three things you love about your writing?

What’s a word you love the sound of? What’s a word you really don’t like the sound of?

How do you like to begin your stories?

What other forms of writing have you tried other than the one you’re working with now? (i.e. playwriting, screenwriting, poetry, interactive, novels, short fiction. etc.) How do you feel about them?

What’s your favorite play/musical? Why? What’s your favorite part?

What kind of stories do you like to read? How different are they from what you write?

What’s your favorite bit of worldbuilding from a story someone else wrote?

Frodo Taggins:@cawolters, @mvcreates, @a-story-im-writing, @cvrmillas, @ink-flavored, @aslanwrites, @the-real-rg, @bookish-actor, @toboldlywrite, @pens-swords-stuff, @tangoswips and legit anyone else who wants to do this. Especially you.

Answers under the cut!

1. Why did you chose to write the genre you do? If you don’t write in any particular one, why do you bounce?

I grew up writing literary fiction, the undergrad program I studied in prioritized literary fiction, and I like it best. Sometimes I get fancy and branch into fantasy. 

I do not write sci-fi because it’s too hard for me. I’ve tried, it didn’t turn out well. I also don’t usually do horror because it’s a lot of effort for me to make my brain go that kind of dark. And I tend to stay away from YA because the voice is tough for me to write in.

2. Favorite name?

Lydia! 

3. Type of music/ambiance you listen to while writing?

I make playlists and loop them or put the same song on repeat for however long the writing session lasts. Usually a cello/violin piece. Sometimes I’ll hit flow state without anything playing and come out weirded out by the silence. That’s always fun.

4. Best feeling you’ve ever had while writing? (example: filling in that one plot hole and not making another one. Or dropped a tiny detail in and it connected all of the subplots Perfectly.)

I get one in just about every story. Each one has a line/section that I wrote, stopped, and looked at it while going “yisssss” in my head. Usually it’s my last lines. That’s when I love to bring everything together. For my war story, it was finding the perfect song to include that referenced both a character and his journey (”Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” for those wondering). 

A few others: Finishing my last thesis story after having to rewrite it one day before my last draft was due to my committee because computer errors ugh (but it was way better the second time and I got some good bird imagery in there so it’s all good). Putting in a callback to a character’s old desk by using her new one. Getting the dream scene tense shift perfectly paced in the story I’m working on now. Hitting the perfect emotional beat and satisfying the whole dang emotional arc thread in my artist short story.

5. Is it easier for you to write comedic situations or serious ones?

Serious, by far. My funny doesn’t translate well to the written word. I mean, I can do both, but my serious emotionally heavy scenes are far easier for me to bust out than the funnies. 

6. Do you tend to use symbolism a lot?

Unconsciously, all the time! I think it’s almost impossible for a writer to not use symbolism. On purpose, slightly less than all the time. I prefer rhyming actions than what a lot of people think of as symbolism. I don’t do the “x person is represented by the color red and it gets more washed out as the story goes on symbolizing their internal crisis of conscience.” I’m more of a “here’s a thing they both liked and an innocuous detail about it but now that one of them is gone the detail means something different and the weight of the symbol changes.”

I like extended metaphors a whole lot.

7. Think fast: Which book inspired your writing style the most?

Uhhhhh The Things They Carried? Or Wintergirls. Or Hooked on Phonics (heh). I’ve found that Anne Valente’s style is kinda similar to mine, too. Possibly Where the Red Fern Grows. I dunno. There are so many!

8. Last book you read?

I just finished Autoboyography, it was lovely. I recommend it for anyone who wants a coming out story that helps you learn about Mormonism and the LDS church. Also the main character is a wonderful disaster.

9. Book you’re currently working on?

So many. But I just started reading Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. It’s an odd style that I’m super not used to reading in longer fiction (it reads like a short story, which is neat) but I’m trying to get into it.

[Edit: yeah, I gave up and swapped it for Once and Future, which is good.]

10. Do you ever regret deciding you wanted to be a writer?

I have. I do sometimes. But I never really “decided,” per say. It’s just been what I’ve always done and I keep doin’ it. 🚂 That’s why I’m gonna study and have a career outside of writing. It’s the thing I love to do and I’m good at it, but I know myself, and it’d be tough for me to become a career writer. Unless some miracles happen.

11. Something besides writing or reading that you like to do for fun?

I started getting into graphic design, which is a lot harder than I thought. I like going to art installations and ren faires. I love theatre, watching and participating (I’ve written, directed, and acted before!). I like going to local art events, festivals, faires, and supporting local businesses. 

#11/11/11 tag #tag game #writer tag #about me #11 questions #11/11/11 tag game #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writers of tumblr #it's Frodo this time because I think 12 tags merits a second journey

[chaniters]

Clocked

New one is up! Awan takes matters into his own hands.

___________________________________________

It hurts.  Of course, it hurts. But you have to get up.

You can’t give up, you’re not going to end like this even if you have to crawl your way out.

You steady yourself against a wall and begin trying to stand. Your leg fails to respond at the last second and you fall again.

But you won’t stop.

You aren’t going to be Nathaniel’s slave,  doll, or whatever else his fucking mind believes you are supposed to be.

You are your own person. You always dreamed about taking your own decisions and you just happened to make the mistake of thinking Nath was on your side, giving you the space to grow. You wanted to believe him when he said he had great plans for the both of you.

But in his plans, you're not a partner or a friend. You are nothing more than his little pet.

You bottle up the anger,  sadness, betrayal, and disappointment and put a cork on it. And then you store it in the darkest corner of your mind with a large  "Unresolved" label on it. You'll deal with this later, in your own time.

Crying or depending on others never got you anywhere in the past.  

You have more important things to do right now.

Things have changed. You've tasted freedom and understood a fraction of what it's about. You aren't going to go back with him, the Farm, or anyone else knocking at your door.

Finally, you are standing again.

It’s true, you might have picked up your name Awan from that old fantasy novel one of the scientists brought in without authorization.

And perhaps you took your last name Cormac from the Cormac & Brothers Car Wash from which you stole those clothes while you were on the run…

But even if they are stolen you've made those names work as your own.

You’re no longer 412, the doll, the re-gene, the freak or the Androsynthetic life-form.

Humans. They are good at coming up with names. Placing themselves on top so they can stomp you.

You flex your arms. They are numb… He must have used a lower setting energy shock…just enough to capture you.

Good news, it will wear off soon and then…

A cold smile reaches your lips. His mistake. He should have killed you while he had the chance.

You take one step towards the door… and another… and another…

You’re never going to place your trust in humans again.

And you swear it by the…

*KLAAACK!*

The door breaks apart and is pulled off its frame…

A figure on the other side…

Your mind races.

Lord Ember? You sense another mind as well...

The larger figure takes a step inside.

No…! You won’t let him…

You turn your hand into a fist…

And you STRIKE!!!

“Ow,” The figure complains as it takes your weak punch on its cheek.

Your legs fail under your own impulse and you fall down, limp once more.

Pathetic.

Shit. You’re done for… they are going to…

"Wow! You totally got clocked Marshall!" a cheerful voice says, snorting.

You turn and look up. Marshall Charge...? And someone else you haven't met before.

“Was that really necessary kid?” Charge asks holding his cheek. “Also, what even was that? It felt like a ping-pong ball hit me” he says looking at the other figure.

Both of them step inside your cell.

“W.. what are you…”

“What are we doing here? Following you obviously”

"Hey, pleased to meet you! I'm Anathema!" the younger guy takes your hand, which right now feels like spaghetti, and shakes it. "I'll help you up... " he adds, giving you a rather strong pull.

You stumble back on your feet, but he holds you steady. You're about to complain, but you cling to him. If you let go you'll end up on the hard floor again.

"Darn... they did a number on you," he says helping you stand

It takes a moment before you feel confident enough to stay on your feet.  

Charge approaches you, and snatches your lollipop bag without warning.

"Hey! That's mine!" you complain.

"I can't believe you actually took candy from a baby Charge" Anathema chuckles "Tough he's not as young as you keep telling me!"

"He's a kid," he says without even looking at you. "And he's clearly above his head in this. I’m going to take this little one back” He says taking a small electronic shaped like a plastic lighting bolt from it, then handing the bag back to you.

“You tracked me?!” you say, indignant.

“Well yes! You were so smug announcing you knew Ember’s hideout, what did you expect me to do?!”

“I… wanted to do it alone!”

“Ohh… and how’s that working out for you? Is this all part of your plan?”

“I was about to escape!” you complain

“Oh… Oooh, I see. Maybe I should put the door back where it was, and you can have another go at it?” he says crossing his arms

“……. no……….” you simply say in the end

"Point for the Marshal I'd say" Anathema laughs.

“What’s the deal between you and The Void?” Charge asks.

“None of your business,” 

“Look I’ve seen abusive relationships, but you and him… kid that’s just special next level fucked up… So speak to me, what happened?” he insists.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you say looking away.

“Come on! I heard what he said... You are trying to walk away from him, and he won’t let you?”

“I SAID IT’S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS! FUCK YOU!” you bark at him angrily, balling your hands into fists again.. 

He’s about to say his comeback when…

"Hey Hey" Anathema stands in between "Give him some space... jeez. You told me yourself his boyfriend just shot him and threw him in here! How do you expect him to process that?"

“Oh,” he says, his expression changing

Oh. Oh … he can see the dry tear traces on your eyes and face. Fuck. His whole expression changes. You can see… concern.. pitty? Shit, why can’t you read his stupid mind!

“Sorry kid… I…  mierda, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off like that. This is just fucked up, I didn't expect you'd be involved with the Void... This just adds another layer of reasons to kick his ass... Just relax... We are here to stop Ember, and we can help you... We'll take care of The Void too” he says putting an arm on your shoulder.

Oh, now you just want to punch him again… for real.

“Leave me alone!” you say swatting his hand away. “ I don't need help from you! ... I will… I… will…”

“Yeah... what's your plan now?” Anathema asks crossing his arms.

You glare at them both

“None of my fucking business?” Ortega asks with a smirk. Ugh.

“I don’t…know … ok? I don’t fucking know what comes next!”

“Wait… Is the void the person you thought  Ember had killed?” Ricardo asks widening his gaze

Your logical mind picks up the pieces… He must have overheard a part of your conversation with Nath… that static buzz you picked up wasn’t a migraine, it was him This is a nightmare… and he thinks Nath… The Void is your boyfriend… what a clusterfuck…

“So you came here to kill Ember to get revenge on your dead boyfriend… and now you find he’s alive and working for him the whole time?!” he asks piecing together the story.

“I…” On second thought, your practical mind brings to your attention that he’s assembled a pretty good and convincing backstory all by himself, and it saves you from coming up with your own.

“Yes! Yes, that’s it. You’ve figured it out now genius. Are you satisfied?!” you say angrily. “I have no CLUE what the hell comes next because I didn’t plan for ANY of this!” pretending to be furious isn't hard, you just have to pull the cork on that bottle of emotions a little.

"Crap... I'm sorry" he apologizes again. You are hating it every time he does it. "THat's just... among the most awful things I've heard," Anathema says giving you a sympathetic look "You should get out. We'll deal with Ember now"  

"I'm... I'm Staying. The Void is MY problem to deal with. And also, you will need my help"

"What? No way. You can't even move! You are leaving right now, end of discussion" Charge objects  

" The shock's wearing off already. And also, I made a grenade, to deal with Ember. You won't defeat him without it"

"I'm Invulnerable" Anathema explains "I'm not afraid of his fire tricks"

"Well maybe if you had done your research you'd know that Medea joined them".

"WHAT?" Charge seems surprised. "Medea turned?"

"Yes. She's been working for Ember for a while now. And Na... The Void is loose too"

“That's not important. You're NOT coming with us" The Marshall scowls

“Well you just try and stop me!" you say defiantly. Your muscles are working again. You’ll show him if you have to...

You glare at each other for a few seconds until...

"Hey, you! Stop right there!!" The guards spotted you... they approach with weapons drawn.

------------------ A brief, but violent battle later------------------------

"How in the HELL did you do that?" Anathema asks as you knock down the last enemy.

"Do what?" you ask.

"You were dodging fucking bullets!"

"Oh... that. Well, it's my boost. Martial arts. THat's what they call me... The Sidestep!" you give Charge a smug smile. Now that you have a hero name too, he can't keep treating you like a kid. While you are still sore from the shock it's really easy to dodge bullets if you can aim their guns away from you by a few degrees with your telepathy each time. "Follow me," you say, leading the way to the lab once more.

"Really? You're going to use THE before your name? Because that gets tedious fast, let me tell you.

"You really think so?" you ask. Perhaps he's right... if Nathaniel wants to be THE Void, maybe you shouldn't use THE Sidestep on your name...

Charge groans, and follows the two of you.

______________________________________

My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero    

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

#fallen hero: rebirth #fallen hero spoilers #Awan Cormac #Fanfiction

[maxattack-powell]

The Freshman 1-6

Book 1-6

Chapter 6: Kappa House Party

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I (we) do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic size worthy, adding to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters, some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

There will be ADULT and/or NSFW moments in certain chapters - this is a warning lol. I will try my best to make it obvious as it occurs…

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

~MC~

A few hours after the game, MC and friends are at the Kappa Phi party. There's only one problem. They aren't actually at the party. MC glowers as she glares at the front door. "I can't believe we're still waiting to get in! Is this line even moving?" Kaitlyn throws her hands on her hips and shakes her head. "Unbelievable. Those girls dragged Chris inside, and were stuck out here waiting in line like... like non-VIPs!" Abbie makes a face at her. "Um, Kaitlyn... we are non-VIPs." Tyler gasps. "You're totally a VIP, Abbie! But…” He lets out a huff of air. “I am starting to regret coming here." Zack moves to stand in front of the others with a look of determination. "Are we really the type of people who scurry back to our dorm at the first sign of trouble?" Tyler shakes his head but frowns. "No, but that one guy on the football team is guarding the door, and he has a list!" "So?" Kaitlyn snorts. "Well, if I had to guess, I'd say we're not on it." Tyler gives her a pointed look.

Zack slams his fist into his open hand. "As far as I'm concerned, we belong at the top of every list. We're getting into this party ASAP, before those harpies get their hands all over your man." MC gives him a dejected look. "Zack... I never said Chris was 'mine'." Zack nods dismissively as he pats her on the shoulder. "Right... Right. No labels." "They better not mess with him." She still mumbles between her clenched teeth. "Okay, now you're scaring me. I like it." Zack laughs. "So... let's make sure your friend doesn't end up dating some evil sorority girl." Kaitlyn clenches both hands into fists as she turns to them all. "We've got to do this for the sake of the suite! Can you imagine what our lives are gonna be like if Chris has one of those vapid social climbers over all the time?" She shudders at the thought. Abbie looks somewhat thoughtful. "They say that suffering helps forge great art... but I don't need my art to be that good!" Tyler’s eyes go wide. "We can't have that! We can't let Chris date those girls." He makes a disgusted face as he quickly shakes his head. MC looks around them all. "Well... yeah. For Chris's own sake, we need to get him out of there." Kaitlyn suddenly gets very serious. "Abbie, MC... let's go." Zack throws his hand up. "Say what?! You're leaving me and Tyler behind?!" Kaitlyn turns and frowns at them. "Sorry guys... but this is the sad reality. Cute girls always get into parties. Guys have to wait." Zack’s mouth falls open. "But this is a sorority party! If anything guys should have an easier time getting in." Kaitlyn rolls her eyes. "You are sooo not making sense right now." Zack turns to MC, eyes pleading. "What do you think, MC?" MC looks at them both as they wait for an answer. "I think I'll try to get in with... Kaitlyn.” She flashes Zack an apologetic smile. Kaitlyn grins. "Yay! Good choice!" Zack pouts. "Ugh. Fine. See you inside." He crosses his arms and turns to Tyler.

MC, Kaitlyn and Abbie approach the front of the line. A football player she recognizes from the winning touchdown earlier, bars the door to the house. "Hold on, girls. Are you on the list?" Kaitlyn flashes him a sexy smile. "Yeah. We're listed under 'Girls.' First name 'Hot.'" He smiles, almost predatorily. "Yep. 'Hot girls.' There you are, right at the top. Head on in." He winks at Kaitlyn. As they cross the threshold into the Kappa House Kaitlyn beams with victory. "Was I right or what, MC?" MC laughs and bumps her shoulder into Kaitlyn's. "You were right." Kaitlyn stands up straight, ready to go. "Okay. Time to find Chris, save the day and... hold the phone. Jell-O shots!"

She runs away from MC and Abbie, reaching the drink station where she noticed a huge selection of different colored Jell-O shots. She downs two instantly. "So. Good. All the fun of being a kid plus, you know, alcohol." Abbie grabs one from the table and licks the jello's surface. "This tastes like poison." She gags and tosses it into the trash nearby. MC holds her hand up to refute Kaitlyn's offer of a green shot and looks around instead. "I... I think I see Chris over there." She points towards the living room area. "You guys stay here with the jello... I'm going in alone." Chris doesn't notice her approach as his back is towards her. Madison is with him though, clearly being flirtatious. "So be honest, Chris... are you ticklish?" MC didn't notice at first, but Becca was there as well, suddenly shifting into view but not yet seeing her approach. "Your bottle is empty, Chris. Let me get you another beer! That last story was hilarious. Don't you dare tell another one until I get back, okay?" He gives a light laugh. "Heh. Sure thing." MC takes the opportunity to join the small circle that has formed around him, tenderly placing her hand on his shoulder, anchoring to him as she pivots into view. "Hey, Chris." He looks startled for a second. "MC! There you are! I thought maybe you decided not to come." He reaches around her shoulders and gives her a quick hug. "I just got a little.. delayed. But I'm here now." She raises her hands as if to present herself. "I'm glad you came..." Chris takes her aside and whispers. "I've been thinking about you all night."

A delightful shiver runs down her spine, beginning from his firm grip on her shoulder as he pulls her close, the feeling running to her toes. She bites her lip and takes a deep breath.

"Chris... I've been thinking about you, too.” She reaches up and brushes his hair around his ear. “Besides, brooding isn't a good look for you. You're supposed to be having fun, Mr. Quarterback." She smiles and lightly pokes him in the side. He sucks in a breath, making her wonder if he is ticklish or simply surprised by the contact. "There's something I wanted to ask you. I know we said no promises..." His eyes fixate on hers, burning a deep blue.

"Did we? Because I'm starting to regret that…” She whispers. “...and for now at least, it looks like I won't have to leave Hartfeld." She tugs at the hem of his Henley. "You, I--" Chris is interrupted as Becca reappears, throwing her arm around his waist. "Why does this girl keep following you around Chris? Please tell me you're not dating her." Becca pouts as she turns her face to his. Completely thrown off his previous train of thought, Chris suddenly looks anxious at her words. "MC... MC is a good friend." Sensing his mood shift, MC reaches out and gently touches his bicep. "Chris... I was actually wondering if you had a few more minutes to talk.” She places her hand on his arm, searching his eyes for the expression he had moments before. Becca narrows her eyes at MC, shifting her own and in turn, Chris's position away from her. "Sorry, but you had your chance. Plus, I already told Chris he's mine for the night." The football player who let them in interjects himself into the conversation. "Kappa House party rules! If you really want Chris, you've got to win him." He laughs and forcefully pats Chris on the back as he gestures to a nearby beer pong table. Madison reappears, looking at him incredulously. "Did you just make up rules for our sorority?" Becca suddenly realizes what his presence means, a look of horror crosses her face. "Logan! You're supposed to be guarding the door!" He shrugs and smirks at her, clearly not worried about her wrath. "Eh. I got bored and let everyone in." MC then looks around and realizes all of her friends have gathered near. Zack comes close and discreetly whispers into her ear. "A beer pong match to get some time with Chris.. I do love a game with high stakes!" Kaitlyn cheers loudly from her other side. "You've got this, MC!" Chris begins to look uncomfortable, obviously not sure this is a good idea. "I'm not some trophy to be won and paraded around..." He shakes his head and looks confused. "...usually." He runs his hand through his hair, an action MC doesn't miss. She hates that he's being put on the spot. Logan roughly pats Chris on the back. "Objection noted. Now let's play! What do you say? MC versus Becca. The winner gets ten minutes with our new starting quarterback." Becca gives MC a confident smile. "Gladly. I haven't lost a match since freshman year, and I know exactly how I want to spend my ten minutes." MC raises her eyebrow and looks at the group forming around them with an astounded look. "I just want to talk to Chris." Seeing everyone's expecting faces, her face turns into a determined scowl as she shakes her head. "It's on." After a few minutes to setup the table, MC and Becca face off across from each other. "Round one!" Logan shouts. MC grinds her teeth slightly, clearly irritated at this ridiculous situation. She easily scores on Becca without even putting in much effort. She stands up straight and proud. "That's what I'm talking about."

Kaitlyn and Zack high five each other standing to her right as Abbie and Tyler anxiously watch from her left. Chris is also on her right side, with Logan standing in the middle of the table, acting as his sentry and scoring the game.

MC briefly makes eye contact with Chris after scoring, which she notices his small, almost unnoticeable fist pump. He quickly curves his face to a causal expression and takes a sip of his beer, back to acting neutral. "Rooooound twooooo!" Logan exclaims, somehow even louder than before. His antics causing a larger crowd to gather. Becca huffs at MC while giving her a look that makes MC question her next move. "My turn..."

As she begins to set her move up, Zack leans over and whispers into MC's ear. "You should try and distract her! Get inside her head!" Liking his idea, MC slightly nods and acknowledges Becca. "Hey, Becca... there's a stain on your dress." She points towards Becca’s person, causing her to stagger back and begin her search. "A stain? What? Where?!" Her frantic search continues, causing her shot to miss, going wide. Zack and Kaitlyn cheer loudly and hug, spinning in a circle. MC laughs at their excitement and turns back towards the table, grimacing dramatically. "Oops. I guess it wasn't a stain at all. Just a shadow... my bad! Sorry you missed your shot." Becca's glare deepens, her eyes narrowing at MC. "It's not over yet..." Logan leans over the center of the table, his hand coming down as if he's going to chop it in half. "ROUND THREEEEEE!" Zack leans in towards MC and quietly speaks. "I've been watching you toss... and I think I have some advice. Adding a little backspin will help you sink more shots." His voice volume apparently wasn't low enough as Becca heard it all, giving them both a triumphant devious smile. "Nothing's gonna help MC with this game!" Tyler moves his way closer, eager to help. "Are you guys talking physics? Because I've got a lot of thoughts on the trajectory of the ball." He begins to move his hands about as he describes his plans. "See, if MC was able to increase the angle of her arc by about ten degrees..." MC shakes her head and clasps them both on the shoulder. "Guys... I'm getting confused." Zack playfully shoves at Tyler who throws his hands up in defeat, smiling as he walks back towards Abbie. She pats him on the back and hands him his drink, trying not to show her amusement.

Zack grabs her face between his hands, staring at her intently. "Don't listen to anyone else, MC! Just remember what I said!" He winks at her and rejoins Kaitlyn a few feet away.

She looks one more time at Chris, who she now realizes has been watching her the entire time. He gives her a warm smile, slightly laced with discomfort from the entire scenario. She returns his smile and turns her focus back on the game. "Okay, gotta use some backspin..." As she says the word, she mimics the action on the ball. It easily goes in and her hands shoot up in the air. "Nothing but net!" Becca more than dislikes this result and actually stomps her foot. "You've got to be kidding me..." They both realize that it has all come down to this, the final shot. Logan again announces the score and how they are neck and neck. Chris runs his hand through his hair and let's out a big breath of air as Logan grabs him roughly in an energetic hug. "Begin!" MC smiles and lines up her shot. "Here goes nothing."

Her ball sails through the air and lands directly in Becca's remaining cup. The crowd erupts, loud cheering and boos can be heard as cups fly around the room. Zack runs to MC and grabs her face, kissing her on the forehead. Kaitlyn grabs Abbie and Tyler, making them spin in a circle while she jumps up and down whooping and hollering. Becca's mouth hangs open in shock. "That's... that's impossible. I'm unbeatable!" Madison slowly moves next to her, attempting to console her. MC pauses her celebration to respond. "Correction. You were unbeatable. Until now."

The crowd cheers louder than before, and her friends hoist her onto their shoulders. She laughs and squeals out of fear of being dropped. Kaitlyn grabs MC's hand and raises it triumphantly, smiling up at her. "That's my girl! Beer pong champion of the world!" As her friends begin to lower her to the ground, MC feels someone wrap their hand aground her wrist. It's warm and firm, so she knows who it is before she even turns to look. Chris's blue eyes meet hers and he smiles, sliding his hand down to enclose on hers, giving her a light squeeze. "Looks like you've won me for a few minutes..." She interlaces her fingers with his. "And I plan to make the most of my time. Come with me." She tugs at him and he gladly follows as they head outside. MC hopes they can finally speak in private. They go around the dark side of the house, avoiding the more active areas of the yard like the front door and back deck. When she let's go of his hand he shoves them into his jean pockets, leaning against the house. He is no longer smiling, but instead focused, intently looking at her as he waits for her next move. "So... what's going on? It seems like you had something to say." MC starts rubbing her hands together, squeezing them slightly as she tries to gather her thoughts. "I just..." She looks up at his face briefly then looks down at her shoes, giving a weak shrug. "I didn't like seeing you with those girls."

Even as she said it, MC hated the words. Unbelieving that she would actually say something like that. She wondered what was going on inside her head. She's never felt or reacted like this to someone before. Chris tilts his head, studying her movements. "Madison and Becca? You should give them a chance. They're actually pretty cool once you get to know them." Her nose wrinkles a little at the thought. "Somehow I really doubt that." She grumbles, not meeting his gaze. He lets out a small sigh, pulling his hands out of his pockets, one rubbing up and down the other's forearm. "Well... they've been nothing but nice to me." MC lets out a tiny scoff and moves next to him, also leaning against the house. She crosses her arms and lets out a huff of air. "They don't even know you! All they see is a guy in a football uniform!"

She wanted him to see how shallow they are. Especially compared to their suitemates, who clearly wanted to be friends on a much deeper level. She wanted to know him on a deeper level too, if he would let her in. He turns to her with a scowl, leaning with one hand against the house, angling closer to her. She could now tell he was clearly irritated.

"Oh... so you're assuming there's no other reason someone might like me?" He looks beyond disappointed and upset. She takes a step back, raising her hands, trying not to let her own irritation bleed through, somewhat unsuccessfully. "That's not what I said." Her voice raises as she continues. "I'm just saying... Becca is so... so... manipulative." Her fists now tight balls at her side, shaking with emphasis on each word. Chris's shoulders relax as he leans his back flat against the house, his voice calm and steady. "I'm not sure about that... if anything, I think Becca is pretty straightforward." She quickly punches one fist into the other palm, now beyond frustrated. "See! The fact that you think that proves how manipulative she is!" Without looking at her he places his hand on the back of his neck, his voice lower than before. "I think..." Now purposefully avoiding her gaze. "I think Becca is someone who knows what she wants, and she takes it." Chris rubs the scruff on his face, contemplating his own words. MC leans back on the wall as well, becoming very still and very quiet. Chris almost has to struggle to hear her words. "It must be nice to be so... certain." She doesn't move her eyes from her own shoes, her disappointment growing across her face. "Do you know what you want?" He shakes his head, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "I don't know." He says in a single breath. "Maybe that's why I admire Becca... because I'm so all over the place right now." She looks up to gauge his expression, hearing the uncertainty in his words. She offers him a small, cautious smile. "So what can I do to help you get some clarity?" Chris opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. He clears his throat and attempts to speak again. "MC... I..." Sensing him locking up MC makes a move, slowly shifting towards him. He looks up from the ground and holds her eyes. She reaches one hand up, cupping his cheek and touches her lips softly to his.

He doesn't hesitate, his hands instantly on her. One runs through her hair at the base of her neck, while the other wraps around her waist, pulling her close. She kisses him hungrily, cradling his head between her hands. He firmly grabs her hips, anchoring himself to her. When they separate it's only by the lips, both slightly gasping for air. Their bodies are still close, his hands holding her to him as he tilts his head to meet hers.

Her eyes are closed but she finally speaks with a smile as he watches her mouth move. "Tell me there's not still something here, and I'll walk away." Her hands are flat against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat under his warm Henley shirt. He gives her a satisfying quiet laugh and rubs her upper arms, his body vibrating against her from the intense contact. "There's still something here..."

He takes her chin in his hand, turning her face up to his, waiting until she opens her eyes. "MC... that first time I met you... I'd never felt a spark like that with anyone. I know we have an amazing connection."

He looks deeply into her eyes for another moment as she notices how dark his blue eyes now appear to be. Chris leans in for a soft kiss to her collarbone, trailing up her neck before continuing the slow, languishing kisses up to her jaw. He closes in on her mouth slowly, sensually, coaxing her lips open. He presses her against the wall of the sorority house, his leg splitting hers as he pins her against the wall, causing her to gasp. She grips his biceps as he melts into her. She breaks away to come up for air. "Oh... Chris..." She breathes heavily, gulping for more air.

He guides them further away from the door and more into the shadows. His hands move back down to her hips, pushing up the hem of her shirt. His thumbs rub across the top of her jeans and the smooth skin of her stomach, until he feels something rough. That's when he remembers. He pulls away from her, looking down at his hands. She gives him a puzzled look. He grins and slowly begins to lift up her shirt, revealing the painted letter on her stomach. She laughs quietly as she realizes what he's doing, her breath growing more rapid as his fingers outline the letter ‘C’ on her skin.

He looks back up to her eyes, his own sparkling in the dim light. “I’m not sure how, but I almost forgot to check this out.” He grins as his fingers run across the letter again, causing her to shiver at the contact of his warm fingers. “I can't believe you did this.” His smile grows as she bites her lip and sucks in a quick breath at his curious contact. “And I really can't believe you talked the others into it.”

They laugh together before turning quiet again, his eyes studying her own intently. His hands have yet to move from her exposed stomach as he leans in, gently bringing his lips back to hers. He finishes the kiss on her lips before moving back down her chin, then her neck, softly placing a trail of small kisses down across her collarbone again. MC breathlessly mumbles, barely able to focus in his assault on her neck. "People are going to realize..." A small moan escapes her throat at his actions, which intensifies his desire, pushing his body onto hers. "...we’re missing..." Another moan slips out as he rolls his warm muscular body against hers again. This time her body meets his and he responds with a groan of his own, moving his mouth back to hers.

She can feel him smile as he speaks. "So what?" He finally pulls his lips from her skin and leans back to evaluate her reaction, holding his breath as he waits. He reaches for her hand, warm calloused fingers linking with hers. She bites her bottom lip slightly as she scrambles to make a decision. Her feelings end up winning the race, pulling him even closer, brushing her lips lightly against his. The heat from his body radiating through her now as well, egging her on. He moves his hands down her exposed sides to rest on the lip of her jeans, rubbing his cheek against her own, his lips brushing against her ear.

He speaks low, almost whispering into her ear. "For the past few days, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you..." Shivers run through her body as she closes her eyes and he moves his lips across the side of her face. He nips gently at her ear, his breath tickling her neck. He presses his body against hers again, firmly pinning her against the house.

MC stifles a moan and sucks in a quick breath. She weakly looks around, checking for an audience. "Chris... someone might see..." He leans back then, making sure she's looking at him. His hand reaches up to cup the side of her face. She leans into the touch, a small sigh escaping her lips. He rubs his thumb across her bottom lip lightly, watching her breathe in and out. "No ones out here... and it's totally dark... Unless you're scared we'll get caught." His other hand squeezes her hip in question. She licks her lips as he eagerly watches her tongue flick out and wet the plump area. "Chris... I'm not scared." She turns her face into his hand, covering his hand with her own, nuzzling. He sucks in a sharp breath at her gentle action. "Then neither am I... I just, what do we do now?" She notices a slight conflicting look cross his face briefly before it flits away, his face becoming soft and warm once again. "I don't know... actually. I've honestly never felt this way before." She smiles bashfully, looking away out of embarrassment. He rubs his thumb across her cheek before he turns her face back to face him. "I think I do know. I'm falling for you. Hard." He emphasizes the last word very seriously. "MC, I..." He stops and swallows, a look of panic flashing across his face.

His entire demeanor changes, causing his body to stiffen and his face to grow cold. He begins to pull away, letting go of her completely. She shivers at the sudden chill from losing the heat he provides.

"I... I can't believe it. I'm doing the exact thing I promised myself I wouldn't do." He stares at his palms as if they are on fire before looking into her eyes, rattled by his own words. "Didn't I say it the first day we met... I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for something real..." Noticing the confused look on her face he seems to collapse even more into himself, stepping back again, even further from her. "I'm so, so sorry, MC. I should never have let things go this far."

Chris’s eyes fall to the ground, his sun-kissed skin unusually pale in the moonlight. He looks up at her, expression so pained that her own heart aches. She stays against the house, not wanting to make him feel worse as she's frozen at the sudden shift the world has taken around them.

"Chris... I..." She sighs after looking into his eyes, seeing the turmoil there, and she gives up. "I understand." She swallows hard before continuing. "We said 'no promises' right?" Her voice now just barely a whisper as she closes her eyes and hangs her head slightly, avoiding his gaze. He stands there watching her, unable to move his feet, currently feeling as if he is rooted into the ground. He bitterly repeats his own words. "Yeah, that's what we said, 'no promises'." He runs his hand through his hair, stopping midway and tugging at it slightly.

MC doesn't notice this time as she has yet to open her eyes from their tightly pinched position.

"I'm so, so sorry, MC." He repeats again. "You deserve better than me. You really do." He begins to reach out towards her slightly, trying to somehow console her, before suddenly being interrupted. Logan comes around the corner of the house, his eyes searching in the dark. "Yo, Chris! Where you at?" He stands there, hand above his eyes, peering into the darkness. To make matters worse, Becca appears behind him, also searching in the dark for his familiar form. "Chris? Chris? Are you out here?" Chris looks away from MC, ashamed of his recent actions. "It... it sounds like I'd better head back in. I... I'll talk to you later." He almost reaches for her again before deciding against it, letting his hands drop to his sides. He hangs his head, unable to make eye contact any longer, the sorrow setting in on his shoulders. "Have a good night MC." The raw emotion in his words makes her heart ache. She looks up as he turns, regret starting to fill her body. "Chris... wait..." But he was already too far away, joining up with Logan and Becca, walking back into the sorority house.

She stands there for another minute, or thirty. She has no idea, other than it feeling like an eternity. Tears threaten to spill over as she tilts her head back, swallowing her thoughts. She could still taste him on her lips, smell him on her clothes, feel his warmth… but he was gone. Pushing off the wall she wipes away the offending tears that try to escape and quickly makes her way around the side of the house and towards the path back to the dorms, sticking to the shadows until clear of the Kappa house. A few minutes later as she walks across campus, MC has a deep thoughtful expression as she tries to process what just happened. Chris’s actions and words conflict, swirling around her head in a jumbled mess. She sighs and focuses on her steps as she makes her way down the dimly lit path.

Tyler magically appears a few steps behind her, his breath quickened by his attempt to catch up. "Hey! There you are. We looked everywhere for you. What happened?" MC tilts her head slightly, not making eye contact as she kept walking. "I... don't want to talk about it. The last thing I saw was Chris walking inside with Becca." Tyler's mouth drops open in surprise as he looks out into the dark quad. "And now he's not here walking home with us. Do you think maybe he--" Kaitlyn appears on the other side of MC, her once joyful face now dark and forlorn. "Let's not even talk about it..." She shoves her hands into her pockets and kicks a small rock on the path. Abbie also joins them, on the other side of Tyler, the look on her face very similar to Kaitlyn's. "Maybe it's better just to get some sleep and forget tonight ever happened." MC lets out a very long frustrated sigh. "Actually... I have to write about 'football life' for Vasquez, due tomorrow. So, I guess I'll write about... football players relationship drama." She lets out another deep breath before scrunching her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. Kaitlyn tries to lighten the mood. "Sounds like my kind of essay! I'll look forward to reading it." MC gives her a thankful smile, knowing her friend is trying to make her feel better.

After they arrive at the suite, everyone heads to bed. MC spends the rest of the night on her laptop, writing her heart out, very literally on the screen. Unsure if Chris ever comes home.

~Chris~

"I'm so, so sorry, MC." He repeats again. "You deserve better than me. You really do." Chris begins to reach out towards her slightly, trying to somehow console her, feeling his chest tighten at her pained expression.

He almost takes it all back, ready to apologize profusely for his drastic reaction. Before he can though, he's suddenly interrupted.

Logan comes around the corner of the house, his eyes searching in the dark. "Yo, Chris! Where you at?"

Chris immediately notices Becca behind him, both searching for him in the darkness. "Chris? Chris? Are you out here?"

He sighs, wanting to run away from them all, a crushing feeling covering his chest. He looks away from MC, ashamed of his recent actions, raising his hand to grasp at his chest. "It... it sounds like I'd better head back in. I... I'll talk to you later." He hesitates as he almost reaches for her again, dropping his hands to his sides as he decides against it. Hanging his head, he is unable to make eye contact with her, worried he will just destroy her. The one thing he's been trying to avoid. "Have a good night, MC." He turns, quickly heading towards the other two, hoping to intercept before they reach MC. He tries to at least distract them from her, hoping she will be able to avoid them and slip away. He thinks he hears a faint "Chris... wait..." but he shakes it off and joins up with Logan and Becca, forcing a smile as he walks back into the sorority house.

Becca tries to wrap her arms around his waist but he keeps slipping out of her grasp, no longer in the mood for any physical contact. She continues to follow him around for the rest of the night as he attempts to drown his guilt with whatever he can get his hands on.

An hour or so later he grabs a bottle of water and locks himself in one of the many bathrooms. It doesn't take long for Becca to knock on the door and call out his name, still searching for him. He ignores her and steps inside the empty tub to sit down. He leans back and stares off into nothingness for a while before he pulls out his phone and scrolls through his music library. He puts his earbuds in and closes his eyes as he listens to his selected song, trying to focus on the guitar cords while trying to avoid the words. Failing miserably.

 Hey, how's it going

Can you meet me down on Eli street

Can you talk for a moment

There's no way to say this that easily

And everything I said, I swear I meant it

I need to tell you that this isn't your fault

And I know that I’ll probably regret it

And it kills me ‘cause the worst part of all

It’s that I hate to hurt you

But I got to be honest

I can't give you what you need

You deserve more than I can promise

And I'm just tryna, I'm just tryna

 Baby, I'm just tryna be honest

I'm tryna be honest with ya

You know that I'm sorry

But I'm tryna be honest with ya

Hey, can you listen?

I swear to God to you, there's nobody else

You're gonna say that I'm lyin'

When I tell you every feeling I felt

Was honest and sincere

And that you were different

And when we kissed I felt like that kid in love, yeah

And I know that I'll probably regret it

I now wish I never said this at all

Oh I hate to hurt you

But I got to be honest

I can't give you what you need, oh

You deserve more than I can promise

And I'm just tryna, I'm just tryna

Baby, I'm just tryna be honest

I'm tryna be honest with ya

You know that I'm sorry

But I'm tryna be honest with ya

Oh, oh, oh

I don't wanna see you cry

Oh, oh, oh

Swear that I don't wanna see you cry

 'Cause I hate I hurt you

But I gotta be honest

I can't give you what you need, oh

You deserve more than I can promise

And I'm just tryna, I'm just tryna

Baby, I'm just tryna be honest

I hate I hurt you

But I got to be honest

that I can't give you what you need, oh

You deserve more than I can promise

And I'm just tryna, I'm just tryna

 Baby, I'm just tryna be honest

  The next day…

~MC~ As she enters the professors lavish office she has trouble focusing. Not only did she stay up late writing about her night of unfortunate events, she found it difficult to actually get to sleep and stay there. James appears in the doorway of the side office. "There you are. It looks like you somehow managed to satisfy the professor with your assignment." MC gives him a small sad smile. "Is it really hard to believe?" "Honestly? Yes. He pretty much hates everyone and everything. Consider me impressed." He says with admiration. "I'll try not to let it go to my head." She catches James's grin just as Professor Vasquez clears his throat. "This... this is perfect, it's got all the heartache of a Victorian romance, while situated in a modern millennium. And the evil sorority girl is a perfect villain. In fact, I think I just figured out your next assessment. You are going to join the Kappa Phi Sigma sorority." She stands there for a moment, unsure she heard him clearly. When he doesn't blink, she looks to James for help, receiving a look of pity instead. She turns back to Vasquez. "Uh, you're joking right?"

#chris x mc #Chris Powell #Christopher Powell #The Freshman #the sophomore #thefreshman #thesophomore #playchoices #choices fanfiction #choicestoriesyouplay #choices stories you play #TheFreshmanChronicles #choices the freshman #choices the sophomore #choices the senior #tf/ts/tj #chris powell x mc

[darkhymns-fic]

Murder with a Side of Lies (Ch. 7)

Undyne is taking the lead on the case, and Mettaton reveals his final witness.

Will she finally be able to face up to her past?

Fandom: Undertale Characters: Undyne, Mettaton, Sans, Asgore Dreemur, Papyrus, Alphys Rating: PG Chapters: 7/8 Mirror Links: AO3, FF.net Notes: The sequel to Kidnappings in the Early Evening by Sky. A fusion of detective noir fiction and courtroom drama! All stories, art, etc., related to this main story will be under the tag #undertale noir. (chrono)

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Dealing with Family

First things first. Let’s get one thing straight. This is Undyne’s personal notepad, and you DO NOT have permission to read this. That means you, Papyrus! Even you, Alphys! NO ONE is allowed to read this but me.

I mean it. Final warning. I don’t care if you’re a random passerby who found this page somehow, or even if you’re from a different universe reading somewhere you think you’re safe! If you read this, I will find you and pound you into oblivion!!!

Yeah.

Yeah, those warnings probably scared everyone off by now.

I need to write my feelings down. No matter how stupid or gushy or mushy it sounds, that’s what I have to do. I’ve been running away from my thoughts and my feelings for too long. It’s time I faced what’s been bothering me. I am going to write down how I feel NO MATTER WHAT! No lying to myself! If I want to get stronger, I have to do this.

Seriously, if anyone is reading this, I really will pound you, got it?! Not the ‘haha how funny’ kind of pound either. The kind of pound that leaves you six feet under the ground!

Hmm. That rhymed. Nice. Well, whatever.

.

.

.

The night spent at Alphys’ was great. It felt like old times again, not that it was even that long ago. We laughed and ate terrible pasta and watched TV. Like old times, too, there was that tight anxiousness that lay at the pit of my stomach. A little worse than usual, sure, but I think I hid it well.

I left early in the morning while they were sleeping. No car today, I had to leave that with Papyrus. I wasn’t sure if The Family would really come after Alphys, but I know they had seen her note. I wasn’t sure what The Family was capable of anymore. There were too many unknowns and I-don’t-knows when it came to them now.

Fortunately, I know I can trust Papyrus. Now that I got it in his head to hightail it out of there at the first sign of trouble, I’m certain they’ll be okay, no matter what happens.

Walking through the streets, though, that gave me too much time to think. Worse yet? It stopped raining. Of all the days! I had to take one of my cigarettes to soothe my nerves. The lack of rain felt like an omen, but I knew that was all in my head.

I’ll never quite understand how anyone can dislike the rain. Now that it was gone, the city felt so quiet. Musty yellow rays of sun shone down in my eye, practically blinding me at every turn. Without the rain, the world just looked damp and old. Gross stale puddles from the night before remained on the sidewalk, accumulating whatever filth was left instead of getting washed away.

Ngah! Enough talk of the weather! It doesn’t matter, and I don’t care if it’s raining frogs and asteroids!

I should use this time to go over the case.

My top suspect should be pretty obvious at this point. I don’t know for sure, but it seems everything is pointing towards him again. Could it be another framing? I wasn’t so sure.  The golden petal, the three hot marks on the garbage container and, last but not least, the glass shard.

At the time, last night, I didn’t think of what it could be. A shard pulsing with magic, felt like electricity. What else could it be used for? I’ve never paid much attention to Alphys’ work place, but I’ve seen jars like it before.

I’m certain I knew what the jars would have been for. It wasn’t a nice thought. I don’t feel like writing that one down.

Still, this wasn’t exactly a dusty knife with prints belonging to the killer. None of this junk was a guaranteed win. But, I think I can appeal to him. I hope I can.

Hm. If he even shows up. Guess if he doesn’t, I could always call him to the stand, right? That’s a thing lawyers do? Ngah, what did I get myself into?!

No sense in worrying now. Before I had realized it, I had made it to the courthouse. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty. Weakness, I know. It’s best I admit to it rather than ignore it, then maybe I can overcome these feelings.

The lobby was jam packed again with monsters, chattering and gossiping away at how this dramatic mystery might end. Most assumed Catty did it, still. 

Right, Catty. I’ll be honest, I mostly forgot about her. A little cruel, I suppose, but I have bigger fish to fry. That didn’t come out how I meant it to.

“Oh! Like, hey! Like! Helloooo!” Catty purred, calling me over across the way.

Since I’m being honest, I’ll admit one more thing. I wasn’t a fan of Catty. Don’t get me wrong, she’s cute in a literal trashy way, but god the way she talks.

“Um, helloooo?!” Catty tried again, sounding mildly annoyed and confused at the same time. “Like, detective or lawyer lady, or whatever!! I’m, like, over here!”

I sighed. Fine, I guess I should go talk to her. “Yeah?” I asked through a puff of smoke.

Her yellow feline eyes glanced over me, looking side to side. “Um, like, where’s the bone guy? He didn’t, like, totally flake out on me, did he? Oh. My. God! That would be so totally lame!”

I could tell she was going to keep going on and on about it.

“He’s working on your case outside the courtroom,” I lied, stopping her endless banter. “Papyrus would never flake on anyone, trust me. I’ll be defending you.” I couldn’t help but show a little anger in my voice. I didn’t like the accusatory tone she held towards Papyrus.

She raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh. Like, okaaay, I guess.”

I didn’t feel the need to say anything else to her. She stared up at me, expecting something.

“Um, like, you must be feeling totally confident, right?” Catty asked with a wave of a paw, her chains jingling. “Yesterday you guys, like, totally owned!! Like, when Mettaton was all like--”

“Yeah, I feel confident,” I lied again. Think she saw through that one. I wasn’t exactly in a chipper mood. Damn, already need another smoke.

Catty frowned. “Well, I, like, totally believe in you!” Her voice strained. She was lying, too. I didn’t blame her. I knew I wasn’t instilling much confidence. I’d protect her though, even if I didn’t like her. No one deserves to have a murder unjustly pinned on them.

“Yeah,” was all I said back.

No point in standing around all awkward like. I gave her a quick wave and made my way back into the courtroom, wanting to have some time to prepare, and even more wanting to get away from her and the others.

Ugh.

I could already feel another headache coming on. The courtroom appeared to have gone under some significant repairs overnight. I think it looked better in ruins over what they turned it into now.

Desks were replaced by ‘stylish’ Mettaton brand desks. A sickening chrome mixed with black and pink stripes across. Any cracks or holes in the wall from the previous day were hastily covered by Mettaton posters advertising even more of his terrible shows. There was even one advertising this very case! Why was he advertising this case in the actual case? How did that make sense!?

Ngah, best not to lose my cool over something so stupid.

The witness stand was just a flat-out stage now. More stage lights could be found scattered throughout. I even spotted a net holding various Mettaton colored balloons over the prosecution’s desk. There wasn’t a single balloon over my head. The thought that I could win never even crossed his mind. What was once a decent attempt at a serious courtroom was made into a complete mockery by that egomaniac, Mettaton.

“Places, places everyone! ;)” A sweat-filled voice rang through the building. “Court will soon be in session! Take your seats! Remember to buy your M.T.T. Brand Court Snacks™ before the trial begins and not after! ;)”

Looks like this whole court business is turning out to be quite lucrative to everyone involved.

Bustling into their seats up on the gallery, I noted our oh-so-wonderful judge had magically appeared at his seat. As if he was always there. Boy, that joke certainly didn’t get old. We flexed for the judge, signaling the “show” was starting. I wasn’t really into it this time.

“hey,” Sans said, the light in his eyes staring at me hard. “where’s my bro?” If it weren’t for that grin, I’d say he sounded a little critical there.

He must’ve felt pretty powerful up there, looking down on me.

“He’s busy,” I said.

It was so satisfying watching those eyes of his flicker. A moment of worry. That mysterious (dangerous even) look defeated so quickly. I admit, I felt a little bad using Papyrus to mess with his brother, but I needed this.

“that so,” Sans replied, unhappy, yet still smiling. Like usual. “well, hope it doesn’t get too gorey in here without him.” Wink.

Ngah! That stupid skeleton! Cruel like usual, too.  Fine, I deserved that!

I clenched my fists in a clear reaction to his ‘joke.’ My best plan of action was to simply ignore him. Nothing a comedian can’t stand more than a silent audience.

Speaking of annoying monsters, it looked like Mettaton was late again. ‘Fashionably late’ I’m sure. I sighed in frustration. I could feel the black puffs of smoke rising through my clenched fangs. How late is fashionably late anyw-

“OOOOOHHHHH YEEEESSSSSSS!!!!” 

Guess that explains that.

The metal prosecutor burst through the same wall as last time, only this time he simply ripped through a poster of himself. It wasn’t as dramatic without the debris, and it certainly wasn’t as interesting a second time.

Of course, the crowd ate it up though. Cheering, clapping, screaming his name. What did people see in that guy? He posed and bowed (somehow) in that boxy body of his, stage lights flooding and dancing around his glittering form.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting, my darlings!” His voice buzzed through a microphone charismatically.

He wasn’t sorry at all.

Once the applause finally started to die down, Mettaton turned to face me across the room. Yellow and red lights blinked in thought. “My my! Weren’t there two loser defense attorneys going against me before?” His voice was so genuine, I truly believed he forgot already. “What happened to the bony one? Did he realize he couldn’t face my fabulous façade? Run away scared?”

My blood was boiling. It was one thing to insult me, but another entirely to insult Papyrus. I opened my fangs, ready to retort.

“watch it, metts,” Sans said cooly. Even though it was breathed out like a lazy sigh, it came out as more of a threat than even I could have mustered myself.

A tiny recoil of his hand, something Mettaton wasn’t used to. “My apologies, your honor! I’ll be sure to save my witty remarks for the brute from now on!”

Sans’ eyes returned, smile wide and cheerful. “go nuts.”

That was at least one thing I could respect Sans for. His love for Papyrus. I’d receive no such special treatment, but I didn’t need it or want it.

“Well!” Mettaton cooed, rebooting his acting abilities. “It matters not who I’d go against anyway!” With a dramatic motion, he reached into a compartment in his body and pulled out a delicate tea cup. “My next witness will prove Cannibal Catty is guilty to a tea!”

“nice.”

Just like that, Mettaton was back in good graces with Sans. While even I was mildly impressed, I could only feel that anxious weight in the pit of my stomach again, knowing what it meant. Could I really do this?

“Without further ado, I present to you, As--- Drem—[The writing blurs here] !!!”

Him. I knew it.

Tray in hand, teapot and teacups at the ready, the goat monster made his way up to the witness stand warmly. He still wore his usual pinstripe suit, signifying his role as leader of the group, The Family. “Thank you, you are too kind, Mr. Ton.”

Mettaton ignored the mispronunciation, most likely used to it by now after their many dealings together. “Oh, darling! You don’t praise me enough!” The robot laughed mechanically. “But, sadly, this trial isn’t completely about me!” Motioning his hand to the tray, Mettaton asked, “What have you got there?”

He smiled again. So sincere. So caring. It sent a stake through my heart. My throat wrenched just at the sight. “I’ve brought tea for you all,” he said. “It’s been quite a lively case, and the three of you deserve a reward for working so hard.”

Of course, he’d bring tea. When hasn’t he offered tea?! Why didn’t I expect this?! I was unprepared. Foolish.

He lumbered gently to each desk, placing a steaming cup delicately down before Sans and Mettaton. He had to reach up ever so slightly to reach Sans, but he didn’t mind. I couldn’t read the judge’s expression. Didn’t have time, anyway. My heart was pounding. He saved me for last.

“Howdy, Undyne,” he greeted quietly, his massive form looming over me. His smile was never fake, never a lie, yet it strained all the same. “It’s your favorite. Scalding hot, too, just how you like it.” His paw quivered ever so slightly as he placed the drink before me.

I said nothing. Couldn’t say anything. He didn’t mind. Never did. He went back to the witness stage, placing the tea set away with a careful clattering.

Let’s get this over with.

I took a gulp of the tea. Suddenly I’m flooded with memories. Sweet, warm memories, filled with honey. Never a foul taste, never a foul memory. Yet, I still suffocated. I drowned in those happy times. There was no escaping it, no room for movement. I was buried deep below the earth, warm laughter, pleasant feelings, unfathomable love boxing me in.

The tea burned my throat, scarring the scales deep inside.

I threw the priceless china at the floor, shattering it to pieces.

He flinched at the sound. “Was it not to your liking?” Despite such a violent act, such an insult to his very being, his voice was still so soft, so understanding. It was maddening.

My voice could barely reach over a whisper. Pathetic. “It was perfect.”

A deeply sad frown still etched itself on his muzzle. Fortunately for us, Mettaton wasn’t one to notice anyone but himself.

“Wonderful tea as always! Simply wonderful!” Mettaton’s cup was nowhere to be found, nor was the knowledge of how he could have even drunk it. “However, as much as we’d all love to sit around drinking teas, we really must get on with the show!”

Sans nodded, his cup empty as well, somehow.

“Now then,” Mettaton cupped his hands together in a serious fashion, pretending to be serious. “I’m sure most everyone knows you, but if you could state your name and occupation for us all?”

Nodding solemnly, the witness answered, “I am A—rr.” Damn it. Hands won’t steady themselves. “I’m the leader of an organization called The Family. We’re a charity for monsters in need.”

“My my, and I can personally attest that he’s a great monster!” Mettaton said, spotlights rushing to him like hungry ants to a scrap of food. “Not only has the old goat gotten me out of quite the debt, he even helped pay for the courtroom’s renovations!”

He held up an index finger, politely trying to get the prosecutor’s attention. “Ah, you are most welcome, Mr. Ton. We never did quite discuss how you’d like to pay back-”

“Oh! Such a generous man!” Mettaton shouted, the spotlights on him glowing more intensely.

He smiled nervously. “Uh, yes, thank you for your kind words, but-”

“Modest, too! Ah! How blessed all of monster kind is to have you!” The lights were absolutely blinding.

He gave up with a quiet sigh, twiddling his big furry claws to himself.

I had enough time wasting. I slammed a fist down onto the desk, denting the ugly thing. “Enough! We know how great he is! Get on with it, robot!”

A smug tone worked its way into Mettaton’s voice box. “Oh, so the caveman can speak!” A chuckle. “Very well. Mr. _em__, you were a witness to the Cannibal Catty’s crime, were you not?”

He looked down at the floor. “Yes.”

“Can you please tell us what you saw that day?”

“Hm. Yes.” He kept his eyes to the floor, but they glittered with dark memories. No one could doubt his sadness for the loss of life. “I was in the alleyway in question that night.”

“What were you doing, if I might ask?”

“Throwing out garbage.” He continued his testimony, his voice deep and stoic. “I did not witness the actual death of Mr. Pants, but I did stumble upon a Ms. Catty eating burgers.”

Mettaton feigned interest beautifully. The audience was in the palm of his hand. “While that is certainly a strange sight, what did you do? What made you think something was wrong?”

His expression was grim. A mix of sadness and anger. “I am an old monster, Mr. Ton. I have seen my share of tragedy.” The anger flickered out quick enough, though. “I recognized the dust of a fallen monster.”

“Interesting, interesting!” Mettaton had heard all of this beforehand, of course. “What did you do then?”

His face was shadowed, unreadable. “What else could I do?” He sounded desperate almost. “I called the police, after apprehending Ms. Catty, of course.”

Even without a mouth, I could tell Mettaton was smiling gleefully. “Ah! What a hero, you are! Is there any doubt in your mind that Cannibal Catty did not commit the crime?”

Expression still hidden away in darkness, he said, “I have no doubts that--,”

“Objection!” I shouted, startling the witness out of his gloomy mood. His eyes were wide with a very real shock. “This is baseless … uhh…. speculation!” I faltered over my words. I’m not a lawyer, okay?! “The prosecution is…. leading the witness!” Damn, Papyrus would have handled this a lot better.

Surprisingly, Sans was cooperative with me, for once. “got a point, metts.”

With a pout, Mettaton waved it off. “Fine, fine! Strike it from the record, or whatever! Everyone was thinking it, anyway!”

Sans looked around the courtroom, craning his neck lazily. “don’t think we even have a notary.” He paused. “guess i’ll take note of that for next time.”

Hopefully there won’t be a next time.

“Regardless, darlings!” Mettaton held a microphone close to his blinking lights. “I think it’s contextually clear Cannibal Catty is guilty! The witness is a valuable member of society, and I think all of us can attest to his trustworthy testimony!”

I wasn’t being as aggressive as I should have.

“Why don’t we end this farce, now, your honor?” Mettaton added. “The defense obviously has nothing to add!”

The goat monster was quiet. Unhappy. Even under the spotlights, he still managed to find darkness. For a split second, his eye glanced at mine. I knew everything. He knew it, too.

That room. Inside his home. The humans. I remember it. I always knew it was there. Too afraid to speak up, too afraid to stop him. I let it happen. Mostly because I couldn’t believe it. But I said I’d stop him! I said I’d stop running away! I thought I had gotten over this weakness!

Before I knew it, I found my head down on my arms, lost in a tornado of thoughts and feelings. That goat monster. He meant everything to me, damn it! God, how pathetic I am, but he’s as close to a father as I ever had! How am I supposed to send someone who cared for me to jail? How could I believe he killed another monster?! That he hurt those human kids!? It didn’t make sense! That fluffy wimp couldn’t hurt anyone!

He raised me to be who I am today! If he has this darkness in him, if I admit to that, what does that say about me? Doesn’t that mean I do, too?

“Undyne.”

I snapped my head up, the voice deafening in my mind. Was it him?

It was Sans. “get a hold of yourself.” For the first time, he sounded serious.

This guy was going to help me?! Sans of all people?! I knew that punk wanted to stop him, too, but he was that desperate? Give words of encouragement to me? Ngah! I didn’t need help from a loser like that!

Damn it! I’m too afraid to even write his name down let alone say it! No more!

Asgore. Asgore. Asgore. Asgore. Asgore. Asgore. Asgore.

I pounded the desk with a curled fist, gritting my teeth.

“Asgore!”

I saw him jump at my voice. He was just as surprised as I was. No, it hurt him more than it did me. Good.

“You’re not getting away that easy!”

I put a leg up on the desk, denting it again. It felt good to break this ugly puny thing. “I demand I get my chance to cross-examine the witness or whatever!”

Mettaton’s surprise at my sudden mood change didn’t last long. “Such a way with words, this one,” he sighed. “I have no problem with it. She’s no threat to my case.”

The judge chuckled. “good luck, undies.”

Pah! I don’t need luck! Adrenaline pumped through my veins. Justice was on my side!

“Asgore!” I roared again, sending a tiny shockwave through his body. “Your story is full of holes! Just why would you be out throwing trash away at that time of night?!”

My accusation struck true again. He hid himself away in darkness, his stance stiff and rigid. Had he nothing to say?

A loud clapping brought all attention back to Mettaton. “Is throwing one’s garbage out a crime? What does it matter if it’s at night or day?”

I shook my head, fists clenched, claws biting into my scales. The pain fueled me. “Maybe not, but throwing away your trash in a different alleyway than the one nearest to your home certainly is suspicious, isn’t it?”

An electric spark. A miscalculated blink of his lights. “What?!” Mettaton growled, his fabulous voice losing its usual flair.

Asgore said nothing. Made no motion.

“That’s right!” I continued, feeling unstoppable. “I’ve been to Asgore’s little flower shop! Directly across the street, he’s got an alleyway with a dumpster right there!” I let the words settle in, watched as the confused crowd of monsters murmured to themselves for a moment. “Why would he go to a different alleyway to throw his trash away?!”

Delicate hands curled into a fist of anger. “That’s! …” Mettaton tried to counter, but even the most powerful computer couldn’t answer this.

I crossed my arms, feeling proud of myself. I cast doubt into the courtroom, and luckily, that was all I needed now.

“A simple answer,” a deep voice said. Asgore stood tall, but his head kept low. The light of the stage shimmered upon his horns, producing the illusion of a cruel grin. “The material I was throwing out was odorous. Throwing it out in the dumpster near me would create a powerful stench.” There was no sadness in his tone. There wasn’t anything.

I knew he’d fight back, but I didn’t expect that. “Just what were you throwing away, then?!”

“Fertilizer.”

I lost my balance. “Fertilizer?!” I repeated loudly, dumbly.

Asgore nodded. “Manure, if I’m to be technical. I’m sure you know what that is.”

I growled. “That’s what you’re trying to feed us right now, yeah!”

“nice one,” Sans chimed in. Gah! Shut up!

Ignoring both of us, Asgore went on, completely unfazed. “I accidently bought too much. It’s a fire hazard, you know.” He held his palm open, and a flame appeared. “And I’m quite versed in fire magic. I couldn’t risk endangering my neighbors or my customers, so I tossed the bags away in a more remote part of the city, hoping the smell wouldn’t bother anyone.”

“Lies!” I shouted angrily. “You would never lose control of your fire!”

“It is better to be safe than sorry,” he said, emotionless.

I was losing my cool. “I didn’t see a single bag of fertilizer at the scene of the crime! I didn’t smell it either!”

Suddenly, I found a finger wagging in my face from Mettaton’s outstretched arm. “Darling, darling! What is this court to do? Debate over a bag of fertilizer all day?” He tsk-tsked me. “Mr. Dreemurr has explained himself sufficiently. I see no need to keep pursuing this line of questioning!”

“But-!”

“no butts, heh,” Sans chuckled, loving the potty talk. “move on, undies.”

Ngaaah! How infuriating! All that for nothing! Whatever, I wasn’t about to give up that easily.

“Fine.” I clicked my claws together, creating a spark for a much needed cigarette. Asgore’s stoicism broke for a moment, his mouth creased with worry over my health. After everything, he still cares for me.

The arid heat scorched my already burned throat as black clouds puffed from my gills. Ngah. If only yelling, screaming, and punching could win this case! This was way harder than a physical fight! Somehow, I need to prove that Asgore isn’t this golden hero monster who can do no wrong. How was I supposed to do that when I could barely believe it myself?

I could mention the kids. Mention the room.

The rows of beds, the quiet shuffling, how still those small bodies were…

I don’t want to revisit that memory. I’ll lose myself if I do.

To anyone else, Asgore appeared to be a strong, proud leader, mourning the loss of life he witnessed. That was true. But his eyes told more to me. ‘Please don’t,’ he silently begged.

Well, even if I wanted to, it wouldn’t matter. I have no evidence to prove it. Or … maybe I did? No, it wouldn’t be relevant at all to bring that up. I’d be struck down.

“We’re waiting, darling.” Mettaton mock pointed to a non-existent watch on his wrist. “Don’t tell me you’re finished already?”

Well, I’ve got nothing. Might as well take a shot in the dark.

“I’m just getting started,” I bluffed, grinning like a fool. “So, Asgore, how can you be so sure Catty was the killer that night? By your own words, you said you didn’t witness the actual murder.”

“Oh, come now!” Mettaton exclaimed, vocally unimpressed. “Grasping at straws!”

“Let me finish!” I growled. “How can anyone be sure it was Catty who killed Burgerpants? What if someone else killed him before she showed up?”

Slamming a robotic palm on his desk, Mettaton screeched, “Objection! This is baseless speculation!” His blinking lights shone a deep angry red. “Although, not a surprise from such a base woman.”

“harsh,” Sans chuckled, chiming in unnecessarily again.

I shrugged, ignoring the insult. “Fine, sure, maybe. But all I’m asking is if Fluffybuns here can tell us anything more! Wouldn’t want to condemn Catty without all the facts, now would we?”

“fair enough,” Sans yawned. “answer to the best of your ability, gorey.”

My question didn’t faze him in the slightest. “I’m certain,” Asgore said solemnly. “I made multiple trips to the alleyway in question, merely minutes apart. I saw absolutely no sign of anyone else.”

A solid answer, but it left him open to counter attacks.

“Convenient,” I said through a puff of smoke, unnerving him slightly. “Now, I’m not going to pursue your fertilizer story anymore, even though we all know what a load that is.”

Mettaton let out another huff, threatening to interrupt at the slightest misstep.

“You sure no one else was there?” I asked again, unable to hide my confident tone.

Asgore was skeptical. Something was amiss, but he had no choice in the matter but to answer. “Of course.”

I laughed. I had no idea what I was doing, but no one else knew that. “Well, how do you explain this?!” I shouted dramatically, mimicking Papyrus to the best of my ability. With a cool flair, I held a soft golden petal that we had found in the alleyway last night.

For whatever reason, that gave an intense reaction from Asgore.

As if a punch had landed in his gut, the goat monster reeled, his shadowed face falling under the spotlight for all to see. Shock, sadness. Guilt. Suddenly his age was apparent, his knees trembling, his eyes old and grey. “That…” his voice shook and stuttered.

“Goodness me!” Mettaton yelled with a clap. “How you managed to think such a piece of evidence was relevant is astounding! I’m genuinely impressed with your foolishness!”

For once, that robot was right. It meant nothing to me, but it nearly broke Asgore. My attack went through somehow, and that was all that mattered.

“What is this gaudy little thing?” Mettaton asked, grabbing at it with his stretchy arms. “A flower petal? Good grief, darling! You’ve established Asgore was at the scene of the crime!” His voice box was overflowing with sarcasm. “You realize he owns a flower shop, yes? A flower petal could have easily fallen off his person!”

I shrugged again, grinning still. This only infuriated the prosecutor. “Guess so, huh?”

Yet the effects of the evidence still left its mark on the flower shop owner. His face hidden in the shadows again, but he was no longer stiff and rigid. His breathing was erratic, his body weak. I hit a sensitive spot, for sure. It pained me to see him like this, but it had to be done. For Alphys’ sake. For everyone’s sake.

“So, you’re just wasting the court’s time, then?” Mettaton’s screen animated into a skull and crossbones, irritated over his loss of control. “Your honor, this nonsense has gone on far enough!”

“Hang on.” Now was the time. I spat my cigarette onto the floor. Wouldn’t need it. “Don’t you get what I’m saying? I think we have proof enough that only three people were at the scene of the crime during the murder. Catty, Burgerpants, and Asgore.”

“So what?!” Mettaton gripped the edge of his desk, his metal fingers cracking and piercing the metal exterior. “We already know all that!”

I frowned, focusing my eye straight onto Asgore. It pierced him like a dagger. “Somebody killed Burgerpants at that time, and I don’t think it was Catty. Looking at all the evidence, through all the testimony we’ve received, there’s only one other suspect.”

Like an angry lightbulb flickering in his chassis, the idea finally sunk in. Mettaton nearly exploded. “You’re insane!”

“Asgore Dreemurr.” I pointed the tip of my claw towards his hulking form, the nail gleaming like a sharpened spear. “I think you murdered Burgerpants!”

No response from him. No reaction.

“Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense!” Mettaton howled like a mad dummy. Electricity jolted around the air, threatening to zap anyone that came close. “I’ve seen some terrible dramas in my day, but this takes the cake! What kind of idiot would believe a tale like this?! What kind of fool would even create a story so asinine!?”

The onlookers in the gallery were also in an uproar. Some angry, most confused. They couldn’t believe Asgore would do something so horrible, and I didn’t blame them for thinking that way.

“Do we even have a judge?!” Mettaton shouted, spewing battery acid. “Certainly would be nice to have someone rein in the crazy!”

“i’m gonna allow her to pursue the idea,” Sans said, eyes dim. “she better watch her step, though.”

A hand twitched in pure rage as the robot malfunctioned. “Madness! Absolute madness!” Mettaton pointed towards the little skeleton, animated lights seething with hate-filled crimson. “I’ll have you disbarred when this is over!”

“that’s fine,” Sans shrugged. “like i said, i never was one to judge anyway.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but Mettaton grew only angrier. Scorching hot steam hissed through his seams, gears grinding at an impossible pace. “I’ve had enough of your terrible jokes! I demand you put an end to this farce right now! Declare her guilty, I say!”

“be quiet.” It was all he had to say. Sans’ tone told all. Another peep out of Mettaton about this, and he’d be ungracefully kicked out. Humiliated in front of the entire city.

The threat was real.

“Fine,” the robot huffed, lights blinking regularly again. “But I will still call her out on whatever garbage she spews.” 

“that’s fine.”

Never thought I’d find myself respecting that puny skeleton up there. Only a little, mind you. He and I had the same goal. He wasn’t doing it for me, or for anyone else, but himself. Luckily, I didn’t need his help anyway.

“Well?” Asgore asked, shadowed, defiant, and sad.

“Those ‘claw’ marks on the dumpster,” I started off, finally facing him. “Catty’s claws couldn’t have done that. Three lines running hot through the metal.”

He knew what I was implying. He simply frowned.

I growled, angry that he wouldn’t face me. The Asgore I knew was a pushover, but he was no coward. “I’ll spell it out for everyone, then. Those weren’t claw marks. It was the mark of a flaming hot trident!”

My words resonated with the gallery. Monsters chattered away to themselves again, arguing what the truth could have been. Some knew Asgore used a trident, some were still adamant he’d never hurt anyone with it, some even suggested Burgerpants must have attacked.

“Why?” Asgore turned to me, stern.

Why? Why what!? Why was I doing this to him?! Had he finally given up?

The old man sighed, reading me all too clearly. “You’re forgetting something, Undyne.” I didn’t like him saying my name. It felt wrong. “Why would I hurt Burgerpants?”

Ugh! Why don’t I think these things through? Damnit, why would Asgore ever hurt another monster?!

A robotic laughter echoed across the walls. “Oh, darling, I tried to warn you! Your line of reasoning was flawed from the start! Now it looks like you’ll have to be humiliated once again!”

I clutched my spear. It must have materialized out of a reflex to the pain. It wasn’t physical, but it still hurt.

But wait. Asgore’s hurting me! I’m a monster! (Duh.) Why would he hurt me? Why did he hurt me?

The answer was obvious.

The human children. Their souls. His soulless son. Asgore would stop at nothing to help his kid. He’s a grieving father who would do anything, even hurt innocent children, even hurt-

Of course.

“You had no choice,” I said finally. The words struck true. A terrible blow to the father.

Mettaton didn’t understand. How could he? “What? Darling, are you implying it was self-defense? Lunacy!”

I ignored him, watching as my words broke through Asgore’s armor. “Burgerpants stumbled onto something he shouldn’t have seen.”

The poor old monster’s façade was crushed. His eyes glimmered, his paws trembled. “I… I have nothing to hide,” he said hopelessly. “You have no evidence.” His voice was quiet, weak. He knew he was defeated.

My heart wrenched. I struggled with the thought of letting him go, again. Asgore was a good man. He didn’t deserve everything that had happened to him. He’d done so much good for all of monster-kind! What would we do without him? Maybe it was for the best to let him be.

A memory of Alphys’ pale heaving body threw itself into my mind. The stress Asgore caused her, the horrible things he had her create. Those human children. Burgerpants wouldn’t be the last. It had to be done.

“I do,” I said firmly with a nod. Asgore grit his teeth, clenched his furry paws into fists. Bracing for the pain.

“This shard of glass explains everything.” I pulled it out for all to see, feeling the strange zapping pressure against my scales as I held it.

Mettaton was no fool. While the glass shard meant nothing to him, he saw the effects it had on Asgore, his key witness. “What, how?” His voice had lost its dramatic flair, however. He too saw my victory approaching.

“It’s a special glass,” I continued, staring deep into its reflections, watching memories of a time long gone pass by. “Made by Alphys. It’s part of a jar used to hold souls.”

Asgore didn’t speak. He couldn’t. Shame weighed heavy on his shoulders, crushing him.

“I found it in the alleyway,” I continued, looking out at monsters all around. They were in shock. “One of two things must have happened. Either Asgore had decided to give up what he was doing with the souls, or he was capturing another.

“Things didn’t go as planned. Burgerpants came to see Catty, unknown to Asgore. He saw Asgore with the soul or souls. Like Asgore said, what choice did he have? No one could know what he was doing. It would ruin everything he had worked so hard for. Remember how Alphys couldn’t find the time of death? Fire magic was used on Burgerpants. The dust was unnaturally warm, making it impossible to know when it happened.”

“Souls?” Mettaton interjected, curious. “Everything he had worked for? Darling, I’m afraid you’ll have to fill us all in.”

It didn’t matter that Mettaton didn’t know, or that the gallery was still confused. It was over anyway. I won’t revisit that memory. Not again.

All that mattered was the big guy realizing it was all over.

“I did it.” Asgore stood tall again, out of the shadows this time. “Undyne’s right about everything.” His voice strained momentarily, but he still managed to say it. “I killed that poor little cat monster. Pinned it on the sweet young lady. I was desperate. I had hoped the justice system would be lenient on her, seeing as nothing of the sort has ever happened before.”

The courtroom was still. Even Mettaton was left speechless – for a moment at least. “But what of the souls?” he asked again.

“That is for another time,” Asgore sighed. “The important issue now is that Ms. Catty walks free.” While shame and guilt still weighed him down, Asgore stood tall, facing us all with fiery, determined eyes. He wasn’t angry.

This was the monster that lead me. This was the man who helped me find my sense of justice. This was the Asgore I had loved like a father. Finally, we could both stop running away.

“I think it’s time for the verdict, judge,” I said, feeling both a sense of pride in my heart and hurt.

“guess so,” Sans said with a grin. “after viewing all the evidence in the murder of burgerpants, i find catty guilty.”

“What?!”

“just kidding.” He winked, smirking like the idiot he is. “i find catty not-guilty.”

“WOOOOO!” A voice screamed from the gallery, causing a fierce eruption of cheering from the gallery. “UNDYNE YOU ARE ALMOST THE GREATEST! THE GREATEST STILL BEING ME, PAPYRUS!” Oh, geez, when did he get here?! Papyrus (with Alphys close by his side) was throwing confetti all over the courtroom, spreading us in a gaudy glittering snow.

I guess I should go see them.

The courtroom lobby was as bustling as ever. Monsters of every shape and size couldn’t keep their mouths shut anymore, gossiping loudly with each other.

“I can’t believe Asgore did it! What a twist!”

“Don’t be dense, it was all just a play, Asgore just acted the part.”

“I don’t know, I think this might have been real???”

“Asgore would never hurt anyone! (Ever!)”

Hm. Looks like there’d be some lasting after effects for my actions. I guess I never thought past this moment. Without Asgore, what would happen to The Family? To all the monsters in need throughout the city?

Did I do the right thing?

“UNDYNE!” A booming voice called out, clearly heard over every single other monster. “YOU DID THE RIGHT THING!”

Good ol’ Papyrus.

Dragging along a cute dinosaur girl, Papyrus dashed through to see me, holding onto his precious fedora with all his might. “YOU WERE SO COOL IN THERE!” He paused, thinking something over. “PERSONALLY, I’D HAVE BEEN COOLER, BUT THAT’S JUST MY OPINION.”

His goofy words were as soothing as cool rain. A loud thunderous cool rain, but soothing still. I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Pap. But, what are you two doing here?”

Alphys looked up at me with those sweet eyes of hers, glasses fogging up with not-so-hidden excitement. “P-Papyrus k-kept saying how great the G-Game of Bones TV show was!”

“OH, IT REALLY IS!!”

She scowled. “T-the manga is better!!” A fist clenched in anger, but Alphys managed to take a deep breath and calm herself. Her troubles were over, after all. “A-anyways, I couldn’t s-stand it. I wanted to go out. P-Papyrus suggested going to see the trial.”

Papyrus posed heroically. “HOW COULD I LEAVE MY APPRENTICE HIGH AND DRY IN SUCH A DIRE SITUATION?!”

“Partner,” I corrected, unable to stop grinning.

“APPRENTICE PARTNER, RIGHT!” Papyrus nodded, so sure of himself like always. “WE FORCED OURSELVES IN! SOME WHIMSALOTS TRIED TO STOP US, BUT I REMEMBERED YOUR HEROIC IDEALS AND I RAN STRAIGHT PAST THEM AND INTO THE GALLERY!”

“H-he dragged me along the entire way!”

“SAFELY DRAGGED!” Papyrus corrected happily. “WHEN WE GOT THERE, THOUGH, THE TRIAL WAS ALREADY OVER! WE SAW THE VERDICT! I’M SO PROUD OF YOU, UNDYNE!”

Ah, so he missed most of everything. Good. I’m glad. Papyrus doesn’t need that in his life.

“Like, oh. My. GOD!” a girlish voice appeared behind me. A light pawing at my back. It was Catty, free of her handcuffs. “You, like, totally did it! Thank you, like, soooooooooo much!!”

I opened my mouth to respond. “IT WAS NOTHING, M’LADY!” Papyrus said, tipping his hat towards her.

Catty blinked, looking sick for a brief moment, but shaking it off. “Uhh, like, whatever! I’m, like, just soooo totally glad I’m, like, free!”

“Like, oh. My. GOD!” Another overly girlish voice floated towards us. “Like, Catty! Like, girlfriend!”

Oh lord, it was Bratty. That alligator (crocodile?) girl.

A horrible screeching noise pierced my ears. “YAAAAAAAASSSSSSS!!!” They screamed in unison, greeting each other in a tight hug.

I had a strong urge to smoke.

“Like, Bratty!!” Catty was nearly crying with excitement, pawing at her friend’s blonde hair. “Where have you, like, totally been all this time? Like, it was soooooo lame not seeing my B.F.F.!!!”

Bratty frowned. “Like, I totally would have come! But, like, tickets were sooooooo expensive!”

Wait what!? “Tickets?” I interjected. “You shouldn’t have had to pay for tickets.”

“YES, YOU SHOULD HAVE RUN PAST THE GUARDS, LIKE ME! NYEH-HEH-HEH!”

With a scaly shrug, Bratty said, “Well, like, they were selling tickets to the show! And, like, the only ones left were from this TOTALLY shifty skeleton! He was, like, charging waaaay too much! It was soooo lame!”

God damn it, Sans.

“But, like, it’s totally whatever!!” Bratty went back to smiling, hopping excitedly with her friend. “I saw it, like, all on TV! It was, like, soooo rad!!” She paused awkwardly. “Well, other than the whole, like, Cannibal Catty thing.”

Yeesh. That’s right. Even if she was innocent, she still ate some of her own monster pal. That’s rough. Most of the city knows of it too.

Catty tried to play it off, but was still shaken by it. “L-like! Let’s not, like, call me that! It’s, like, totally lame!”

Not going to lie, if I, like, have to hear them speak any more, I’m going to, like, totally shoot myself. I cleared my throat to get their attention. “Glad we could help,” I said, begging mentally for them to leave.

My words appeared to have the desired effect. “Do you, like, want to go find a dump to look for some junk, girlfrand?”

Catty’s golden eyes lit up brighter than the sun itself. “Like!!! My god!! Do you even, like, need to ask!?”

“Let’s, like, totally go!!!” They squealed in unison, dashing out of the courtroom. I let out a sigh of relief. I was glad to save an innocent girl, but even gladder to see her leave.

“Darlings! Oh, darlings!” an electric voice called out to us.

Please, no.

Pushing aside his adoring fans, Mettaton rolled up to us on his lone wheel, signing autographs for nearby monsters all the way. “What a delightful show we put on!” he cooed.

Gotta admit, this wasn’t the reaction I expected. “You’re not mad?” I asked, skeptical.

Scribbling his name on a Woshua’s head, (the Woshua was mortified) Mettaton’s lights blinked happily. “Darling! Of course not!” He waved me off nonchalantly. “We gave our audience the show of a life time!”

“But you lost.”

A light on his chassis blinked out of rhythm. A tiny malfunction of his robot arms. Someone’s autograph read ‘Meton’ on accident. “Oh my! It was all an act, darling!” The robot proclaimed with a twirl. “Why, you must try it sometime! It might throw a bit of culture into your little caveman act!”

Heh heh, yeah, he was still mad. Cruel as it may have been, I enjoyed watching him try to keep his cool. “Sure,” was all I said in reply.

Gears grinded, but Mettaton turned his attention to my girlfriend. “Alphys, darling, I expect you’ll be well enough to come back to work, tomorrow?”

I could tell she wanted to say no. “O-oh, yes! I-I’m much better, now! T-thanks, Mettaton!”

He clapped happily, signing a monster baby absentmindedly and handing it back into the crowd. “Wonderful, darling, simply wonderful! Be sure to wear your new Prosecutor Mettaton pin! It’s mandatory for all employees!”

Alphys flinched, not responding right away. “B-but…”

“So glad to see you’re happy again, my dear sweet Alphys!” Mettaton cooed, signing Papyrus’ face for a second time. “I’ll see you, tomorrow!”

Before she could continue, the robot rolled away, spotlight following him out the double doors somehow. She sighed. At least her only problems now were dealing with that egomaniac ‘friend’ of hers.

“WHAT A NICE ROBOT,” Papyrus grinned, ink staining his skull. “HE ONLY CHARGED ME FIFTY GOLD FOR THIS, TOO.”

He was such a goofball.

It was nice seeing everyone get their happy ending. Well, everyone except Asgore. I couldn’t find him in the crowd of monsters. He must not have wanted to show himself. Either that, or he’s in custody.

What’s going to happen to him?

“AH, UM, UNDYNE!” Papyrus slid as subtly towards me as he could. Which was not subtle at all. “IS…IS THAT A NOTEPAD YOU’RE WRITING ON?”

I blinked. “Oh. Uh, yeah. Thought you said all real detectives use these?”

He was really trying his best to look cool, but his sweat and terribly shakey smile told everyone else otherwise. “YES! OF COURSE!” He kept looking at it, with this strange hunger in his eye sockets. “IT’S JUST… I LOST MY SPARE NOTEPAD.”

Oh. I see. “Wanna borrow mine?” I asked with a smile, reading him like a book. Or, well, like a notepad.

“OH, GOD, PLEASE, LET ME!”

I’d never say it to him, but I do love that weird gangly skeleton. Well, this notepad had its use. I think it helped me figure things out. Before I hand it over to Papyrus, I’m ripping the pages out.

See ya.

Notepad!!! It’s been more than twelve whole hours! It was so horrible not writing down my every thought, action, and feeling!! I mostly had to narrate myself out loud to Alphys, and she hated it! I don’t know why?! My grizzled detective writing style is very cool!

Anyways, you won’t believe it! Undyne won the case, all by herself! I’m so proud!! Even when we were inside, talking to Bratty, Catty, and Mettaton, she never pulled out a cigarette! She’s certainly on her way to being a real detective, like me!

“You look happy,” Undyne said with a grin, picking up Alphys and holding her on big beefy shoulders.

“WHY WOULDN’T I!” I proclaimed, scribbling frantically. “ANOTHER CASE SOLVED THANKS TO THE GREAT DETECTIVE PAPYRUS! NYEH-HEH-HEH!”

My partner smiled at that, as if hearing a joke. “Yeah, you did really well, Pap.”

“C-can we just go home and r-relax, now?” Alphys pleaded, clinging to Undyne’s biceps, trying not to lose her balance. Undyne would never drop her, of course!

“AH, MAYBE YOU CAN!” I said. “THE GREAT DETECTIVE PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS NEEDED! THERE’S NO TIME TO RELAX!”

Undyne looked lost in thought. “You sure? You never want a vacation?”

“NEVER!” I answered without a beat. Undyne frowned at that, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I guess she wasn’t as great of a detective as me, so it’s only logical she might want time off. “AH, WELL… I SUPPOSE A VACATION COULD BE NICE.”

“That’s better,” she nodded. “Let’s go home and watch some Game of Bones again.”

“W-with Papyrus?...” Alphys looked unhappy. Why?!

Undyne couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. It felt honest and true. She really was looking like her old self again. It warmed my bones!

“I’D LOVE TO JOIN YOU!” I said, opening the front door for the ladies. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do!

Ah, it was raining again! How nice for Undyne! The pitter patter of the droplets, the cool air, and the beautiful reflections were back. Undyne’s eye lit up and she dashed into the pouring rain, Alphys screeching, holding on for dear life. They were drenched in an instant.

It looks like things are going well for her. I’m so happy!

Undyne was happy, too.

Case closed!

Another case solved! But wait, is this really the end? There seems to be more pages left in this stray notepad...

#undertale #undyne #sans #mettaton #asgore dreemur #papyrus #alphys #undertale noir #fanfiction #multi chapter #sky's fics

[locatie]

2019 Gaming Year in Review

This year I beat 21 games! Last year I beat 38, but this year was a little rough on me in many ways, and I had to go a few months without really committing to anything.

I’m going to go through my list of games and jot down a few thoughts I had about them! Spoilers ahead, naturally.

Rating System:

5⭐: An absolute favorite! A game that’s going to stick with me for a long time. Regardless of any flaws I found, I fell deeply in love with these games. 4⭐: A pretty good game! I really enjoyed my time with these ones. They’re not quite perfect, maybe a few story beats or mechanics I couldn’t jive with, but I did still love these as well. 3⭐: A decent game! I didn’t fall in love with these games and the good and bad felt fairly equal. I don’t regret playing these games, but they had a lot of room for improvement. 2⭐: A bleh game. Most of these games were very ‘miss’ rather than ‘hit’ for me. Good concepts are probably buried in these ones, but I struggled to get through them. 1⭐: A terrible game. There is very little about these games that I find redeeming. I probably played them wishing they’d be done already. That I finished them at all is a miracle.

In order of when I beat them, starting with the beginning of the year:

Gris by Nomada Studio

4⭐

A visually gorgeous game. The mechanics were satisfying and made puzzle solving enjoyable, and I adored ‘unlocking’ the colors of the world to restore it to its former beauty. The game only got more beautiful as time went on, and the level design was very memorable to me. Also the soundtrack is one of the best of all the games I played this year, and I keep it on repeat a lot.

Best Part: The art in general. A treat to look at, and it makes for the best desktop wallpapers. Worst Part: The ambiguity in narrative. It’s not too bad, I just wish there was a little more to it.

Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee by Game Freak

4⭐

Despite this feeling like the millionth time they’ve focused on the Kanto region, and the blatant baiting of nostalgia, I appreciated this game. I’m a sucker for having my Pokemon follow me or being able to ride them. Much more accessible than going back and replaying the original R/B/Y games, which I can’t seem to enjoy anymore due to the QOL features that newer games have, so if I ever have a craving for Kanto, this will satisfy me. Not the best Pokemon game though just because Kanto was a pretty boring region visually and they stayed true to that, haha.

Best Part: Pokemon following the player! Riding Arcanine was a blast. Worst Part: Being in Kanto again. Really wish it was Gold/Silver for the double Johto/Kanto region thing, because Kanto alone just isn’t worth it.

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix by Square Enix

3⭐

I liked this game a lot as a kid and was interested to see how I would feel about it as an adult. It’s... something. There’s something always very off when JRPG localized dialogue is voiced -- it’s extremely cheesy to listen to in English, and this game is no exception. Still, I enjoy the sheer absurdity that is mashing up Disney and Final Fantasy characters anyway. The platforming is not remotely fun at all and the story is ridiculous, sometimes not in a good way. Thank god for skippable cutscenes or I wouldn’t have survived the end of this game.

Best Part: The creativity of the worlds. It was such a unique and ambitious concept for its time. Worst Part: The dialogue/story. This might be the only JRPG where the whole ‘friendship makes us stronger’ angle makes me want to strangle a fictional child.

Dear Esther by The Chinese Room

2⭐

I do enjoy walking simulators, but apparently not ones by The Chinese Room. Not as bad as Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, but still...not very enjoyable. I couldn’t seem to process what was going on as it was narrated to me -- I liked how it was written, and I was interested in hearing it, but I dunno. It meant nothing to me. I might replay it and try to grasp it again, really focus on it, but as it was presented to me on the first playthrough, it didn’t grab me. This is what I get for expecting something really good of a game where I wander around aimlessly for a couple hours

Best Part: The writing style is really neat and I enjoyed reading along and being fascinated by the prose. Worst Part: The ambiguity of the narrative. what the fuck is happening. why am i in a cave. who was that i just saw

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey by Ubisoft

4⭐

Not the first AC game I’ve ever played, but the first I liked enough to beat! It’s essentially an action rpg more than ever -- stealth is completely unnecessary if you so choose. I loved Kassandra so, so much, and exploring Greece was extremely fun for me! It was gorgeous and I often found myself wandering around towns and cities, soaking in the sights and feeling pretty dang immersed. I haven’t played the DLC yet but hope to some day. Not a perfect game -- while a lot of side quests are fun, the charm wears off after a while because the gameplay loop of sneaking in and murdering everyone got stale finally after 50 hours. Still, I’d love to go back and replay it some time.

Best Part: Kassandra. Everything about her. I would die for her. Also Greece in its entirety. Worst Part: Every goddamn time Deimos opened his mouth.

Rose of Winter by Pillow Fight

3⭐

A pretty cute but simple visual novel! I liked the protagonist quite a bit and a couple of the romances, but I wished it was longer/more fleshed out. I liked the universe it took place in and the concepts it presented (time travel! Race relations/the variety in cultures!) and would’ve happily played a longer game about these things. The romances leaving me wanting more was a good and bad thing, in the end.

Best Part: The protag! I love this chubby pink-haired knight! She is SO cute and lovely. Worst Part: Lack of depth in the romances. I like drawn-out romances, and these take place over the course of a couple days, and that’s not my bag.

Celeste by Matt Makes Games Inc.

4⭐

My review on this game is a little skewed. I was very bad at it, in the end, and very tired of dying literally hundreds of times in some areas that I had to give myself extra dashes. I had to keep toggling them on and off after giving myself a certain number of tries, because I really wanted to see how this game would play out. The gameplay and design and soundtrack give it the score it has, but the writing it was knocks it down from being a 5 star game. The concept of the story is good! Madeline wanting to reach the top of the mountain for her personal reasons was really lovely but the delivery of it felt very flat. The writing itself didn’t do it justice for me! I only ever see people talk about the gameplay itself and not the story/writing and maybe that’s why.

Best Part: The fact that the developers added accessibility options to people who aren’t very skilled at games, like me, can enjoy a game like this, even if we’re not playing “as intended.” Worst Part: Madeline’s reflection. As a narrative device she’s good, but the dialogue between the two characters was kinda mehhh to me.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by CD Projekt

5⭐

There’s nothing I can say about this game that a million other people haven’t already said. I loved dad!Geralt. I loved Geralt in general. I did enjoy the first two games but who he was as a character in this game was my favorite. Yennefer was also great, as was Ciri, and the family dynamics were The Best. Also probably the best side quests in any rpg I’ve ever played! None of that radiant quest bullshit or fetch quest nonsense that pad a lot of other WRPGs I’ve been into :/ I still need to finish Blood and Wine, but so far it’s incredible, as was Hearts of Stone. Ugh I have so much to say about how much I loved the music, and Skellige, and Novigrad (Novigrad is one of the best video game cities as a worldbuilding device, imo), but I’ll keep this all brief. Don’t like Gwent at all though!!

Best Part: The entire portion of the game where you have to be a Good Dad or else you get a bad ending. Worst Part: The fact that Iorveth and the entire Scoia’tael subplot was cut entirely yet Roche got to stick around. I hate Roche. Iorveth was way better. Bring back my boy.

Persona 5 by Atlus

5⭐

holy shit. I haven’t beaten a JRPG this good in so long. This game changed what I want out of a JRPG. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the design of everything is impossibly stylish and I never got sick of any of it in the 96 hours it took me to beat the game. I adore Joker, Yusuke, Haru, and Ryuji as characters!! I don’t really care for Akechi and Shido as villains, but the proper final battle was very tense for me and the cutscene that followed felt so good. BIG GUN. Sometimes the palaces were a little tedious, and it took me a really long time to actually finish the game from when I started, because I needed big breaks after chunks of the game, but once I got into the swing of it after Makoto’s introduction as a Phantom Thief and that palace, I was pretty sucked in.

I will never forget my desperate struggle to max my stats by aggressively eating giant burgers until the endgame.

Best Part: The entire ‘student daily life sim’ portion. Managing my time and my relationships was very fun and I loved getting closer to my friends and choosing where to go, how to spend my time. Worst Part: The occasional sexism and homophobia that I had to sit through. Giving Ann agency after the first palace, but then trying to convince her to get naked really sucked, and then those two predatory gay men. Ugh. Oh and Ryuji looking at Ann’s boobs all the time. Seriously? are you for real??

Nier: Automata by PlatinumGames

4⭐

I waffled between giving this 4 or 5 stars, but I think 4 is right. I adored this game to bits, but admittedly didn’t do everything in it that I wanted to. I loved the world, the music, most of the characters, the combat, and that fucking ending. I didn’t like Adam and Eve (their dialogue...was so dumb...), and I was a little eh on route B, since it’s a lot of the same as route A, just from 9S’s perspective. At first I thought it was asking a lot to make me essentially do all the same shit over again, but when everything started changing in the third route, that’s when I was getting really invested. I mean I was already loving it during the first route, I was just slightly skeptical about having to replay a lot of the same things.

Ending E fucked me up though. Hearing Weight of the World didn’t hurt me until that ending, after all I’d been through, and then accepting help and hearing the chorus of voices. Ugh. No ending has ever been like that in a game for me.

Best Part: Sacrificing my data to help some stranger out there, because people do want to help. Humanity can be good. The message that there is worth in having feelings and being alive and real and loving. Worst Part: we really out here sexualizing 2B and looking at her panties a lot, huh.

Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage (Reignited Trilogy) by Toys For Bob

4⭐

This is the Spyro game I played the most of as a kid, and this remaster is incredible. All of the Reignited Trilogy makes the Spyro games look the way that I felt they did when I was a child. Seriously, it’s gorgeous and I can’t believe how true to the originals it is. I had a blast playing this one; it doesn’t get 5 stars, though, because I wouldn’t say this is like a ‘favorite’ game or anything. It’s wonderful, but not mindblowing.

Best Part: Getting to run around the hub worlds and drinking them in -- they’re where I spent hours as a child, and that nostalgic really got to me. Worst Part: the fucking TIMED FLYING PORTIONS

Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (Reignited Trilogy) by Toys For Bob

4⭐

I was really excited to play this one because I didn’t get to beat it as a kid, and it was impossible to emulate because every rom of it didn’t work. Not as good as Ripto’s Rage to me, personally, because I didn’t love the levels where I was the penguin or the monkey. There were a lot of gimmicks, so to speak, in this game that I could do without. Skateboarding didn’t add anything to the experience either, ehh. Still, 4 stars because what Toys For Bob did with the trilogy is amazing and it made me wish games there had been more Spyro games that were like this.

Best Part: I finally got to beat this game after so long and it felt like a childhood wish of mine came true. Worst Part: I never want to be that stupid monkey ever again. Most of these side characters do not feel like they belong in a Spyro game, even though I know they were just trying to innovate the formula.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo

5⭐

Ohhh my god. I was nervous about another mainline Fire Emblem game, ever since Fates burned me pretty badly with how much I hated that game. Three Houses gave me nearly everything I wanted out of a Fire Emblem game, thankfully. No stupid explanation for offspring, no wasted dialogue between characters that didn’t need to have supports! I fell in love with so many of the NPCs and while the story isn’t perfect, it was a blast to go through and see the multiple sides to the conflict.

I went Golden Deer first and watched most of Amy’s playthrough of Blue Lions. I was in the middle of a Black Eagles run when I got a little burnt out and put it down, but I’m super excited to eventually see what Edelgard’s side of the story is, seeing as I don’t like her in the other routes but I’m shrimpterested in what her possible justification for anything is. Can’t wait for more story DLC whenever it happens!

Best Part: The support dialogues between characters. Also Claude von Riegan, destroyer of racism. Worst Part: the fact that there’s barely any time between Dimitri finally being nice to Byleth and the end of the Blue Lions route. he’s such a growly ass for so long.

Genital Jousting by Free Lives

2⭐

Obviously this game is a self-aware joke and isn’t meant to be much. The reason it got 2 stars instead of 1 is because I played it at a time that I really needed a laugh. I streamed it for my friend and for a while I was happily distracted by the story mode, even if it mostly involves hopelessly sticking my dick head into butts. The narration gave me Stanley Parable vibes, which was amusing, but yeah. Obviously this wasn’t gonna be some game of the year shit

Best Part: Playing with friends and yelling “GET OUT OF MY BUTT” at the top of your lungs. Worst Part: You can only enjoy sticking your dick in butts for so long before you don’t wanna do it anymore

I Love You, Colonel Sanders! by Psyop

1⭐

Yes, I am ranking this game as worse than a game about wiggly dicks. I didn’t have any hopes or expectations for this game, as it was always obviously meant to be a giant advertisement for KFC food, but that’s not even the part that bothered me. I didn’t care or mind the blatant product placement, the millions of mentions of all their herbs and spices and their gross bowls of corn, potato, and whatever.

I was so damn disappointed because it just wasn’t a good visual novel. I spent the whole time comparing it to Hatoful Boyfriend, which is an actually good parody of the entire genre. ILYCS felt more like “ha ha see how fucking weird dating sims are?? See how stupid and absurd the things that happen in them are?” rather than any kind of remotely interesting subversion on the genre. I don’t know why I expected that ILYCS would bother to do that, but I figured if a pigeon dating sim could surprise me, maybe this would too. Bleh.

Best Part: I did succeed in making Colonel Sanders love me, at least. Worst Part: Literally everything else.

The Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment

4⭐

I’m giving this 4 stars, but this game gives me conflicted feelings. I love the companions in this game a lot, but some of them do have slightly disappointing arcs -- Ellie comes to mind for that one. The writing for the dialogue is great, but some of the main quests are just OK. The flaw system is really cool in theory, but I definitely didn’t think of them were worth the perk points, though they’re great if you’re serious about roleplaying.

I did have a lot of fun, but the ending felt very abrupt to me. I got to Phineas and we spoke for a minute, and then the credits rolled. And capitalism sure was bad! That was very heavy-handed. I enjoyed my time with it a lot but I am not itching to replay it. If there’s a sequel, though, I will definitely be on board with it.

Best Part: The dialogue options. They’re so fucking funny. Obsidian is the champion of snarky/witty dialogue. Worst Part: The ending made me the leader when I didn’t really feel prepared for that, I didn’t feel like that was the narrative I built for my character. The ending came at me so fast, it felt wrong.

Tyranny by Obsidian Entertainment

4⭐

If nothing else, Outer Worlds made me crave more of Obsidian’s writing flavor. This is the first CRPG I’ve ever committed to and beaten, and I do not regret that choice. I had tried to play it before but stopped very early on because it’s a lot of reading -- the entire opening has you do so much reading to make choices to kind of build your character’s backstory.

I loved playing a bad guy and accumulating power. My character was so loyal to Tunon and I loved the active development I got to have as someone who was so devoted to being a cog in the machine to someone who realized that they are special, they can be a conqueror, they can shape the world however they want. I know it’s possible to undermine all the bad guys and use your power for good, but eh, this is a game about being bad! It’s wonderful! And it was just long/short enough that it was great for someone just getting into CRPGs.

But. Like Outer Worlds, the ending felt rushed in Tyranny, though in an even more egregious way. Just as the story starts truly kicking off -- you have all this power, I had succeeded in making my superiors bow to me -- the game ends. It seems as though they ran out of time or money to have you actually face off against Kyros, the obvious next step in your plan for domination of whatever flavor. Maybe it was always the plan that taking down the Overlord was sequel material, but the way they built it up, it doesn’t feel right. And the game didn’t do well enough, or so I’ve read, so there will never be a face-off against her. I had such a good time with this game, but the ending left a real sour taste in my mouth.

Best Part: Really feeling like I had earned the power I got by endgame, by ‘playing’ the system. Defeating Tunon by manipulating him into bowing to me had me on edge and I was terrified until I walked out of his room. Worst Part: Knowing I will probably never get a resolution for the fight against Kyros. Really felt like all the cool stuff I did meant nothing.

Pokemon Shield by Game Freak

3⭐

Biiig mixed feelings about this one. I know Pokemon games are not known for their storytelling prowess, but even this one felt insultingly stupid to me. I know they can be good and interesting and posit cool concepts based on the worlds they’ve built. I didn’t like the gameplay of Black/White but I guess since that one tackled the ethics of Pokemon, Game Freak doesn’t want to try making any more challenging storylines.

The world also felt so empty. I never really noticed it in older Pokemon games, but SwSh has all these houses and no one has anything interesting to say. The NPCs aren’t worth talking to except when they give you items. Problems like that are common in Pokemon but I really hoped that bringing it to a home console meant that the game could be bigger and more full of content. The post game is almost nonexistent. For the first time ever, I don’t feel compelled to play long enough to complete my dex.

Best Part: The Wild Area, and doing raid battles with Amy. Playing alongside her and battling together was fun, and it was nice to cut down on the time it would’ve normally taken us to grind. Worst Part: Hop, Leon, and Bede. Worst characters in any Pokemon game, hands down.

Pillars of Eternity by Obsidian Entertainment

5⭐

I had initially tried this game out last year or so, but couldn’t get into it. Beating Tyranny finally made me feel able to tackle this one, and I’m so glad I gave it another chance. For most of the game I was meticulous and did almost all of the side quests, and I felt extremely rewarded by the narrative for doing so. Most of the companions were a joy to be around, and the lore of the world really drew me in.

Thanks to PoE, I think a whole new world and genre of games has opened up to me! But I’ll always feel like this is the first one I really loved.

Best Part: Eder!!! Ok also the themes of the game, especially in White March. Almost a month later I’m still thinking about the meaning to some parts of the game. Worst Part: That part in White March part 2 with the debate I couldn’t win. I understand why it was like that, I didn’t hate it or anything. Just the prerequisites to get the good outcome are bananas and there’s NO way I could possibly get the “good” ending of that dlc without following a guide WAY ahead of time. Oh well!

Katamari Damacy Reroll by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment

2⭐

I didn’t play the first game when it came out. Instead I played the sequel, and that’s the game I have fond memories of, so unfortunately I spent this remake wishing they’d remade that one instead. The controls are more frustrating than I remember, and the level design is kind of meh. I do like that the town gets bigger with (almost) every level, until you’re rolling up adjacent towns and cities, but it wasn’t as fun as the paper crane level or the flower level or the zoo level of We Love Katamari :/ I absolutely pushed myself through this one as fast as possible, no replaying levels for the fun of it.

Best Part: The creativity and absurdity of Katamari as a whole. Rolling around a little Japanese town and finding very Japanese items is fun. Worst Part: The controls. Trying to climb up things is a nightmare and I ran out of time during some levels purely because it was so difficult to climb sometimes.

A Plague Tale: Innocence by Asobo Studio

3⭐

I didn’t know a whole lot about this game going in. I didn’t think the narrative was as incredible and resonating as reviews led me to believe, but it was alright. The first half of the game was very interesting to me -- the perspective of children running away from the Inquisition during the plague was exciting and I feared for these children as they never seemed to be able to get a moment of rest. I did like that Amicia and Hugo needed to build their bond from scratch, and it was full of missteps that I could understand children would make.

However as soon as things got supernatural wrt Hugo’s blood, then I felt like it lost a little bit of the charm for me. I liked the ‘found family in an unforgiving world’ aspects, but then suddenly blood powers happened and the vibe of the narrative changed. Oh well.

Best Part: The progression of power in the game. At first I felt very nervous when sneaking was the only option I had, as I am bad at stealth, but then gradually being able to kill people with my sling and solve puzzles with fire and light and being nearly unstoppable was really cool. I felt like I had earned Amicia’s strength. Worst Part: Hugo’s RAT POWERS and that final boss. just. what.

Untitled Goose Game by House House

2⭐

I wanted to close out the year with something fun and short, but I didn’t expect just how short this game would be. Although, ngl, if it were any longer I think I might’ve gotten rather tired of it anyway. The memes and whatnot that Goose Game gave the internet were worth more to me than the game itself. $20 for roughly an hour of gameplay just feels... bleh. I don’t even normally believe in that whole “$1 per hour of gameplay” stuff that many gamers like to throw around, but this felt like a rip-off. Still, it’s kinda fun to be a wretched little goose.

Best Part: Being a naughty little goose is cute and amusing, and bullying that Griffin McElroy looking boy into the phone booth is the highlight of my experience. Worst Part: It’s a hilarious concept but I don’t feel like I got to harass people half as much as I expected I would. The objectives to find a series of items and dump them somewhere else is just boring.

#tekst

[draknek]

My 2016 - videogames played

In 2016, I kept a record of what media I consumed, with a short record of my thoughts about some of them (one or two sentences only).

This is every videogame I played for longer than 30 minutes, and some of the games I spent less than that with.

This is part five of my 2016 retrospective. The other parts:

games I made

books I read

podcasts I listened to

films/TV I watched

videogames I played

boardgames I played

January

Imbroglio (beta) Ushered in the new year by playing this until 4am.

Patchmania Cute presentation but I'm never going to sit through hundreds of easy levels to get to the interesting ones.

Kaodoku Just as mind-numbing as normal Sodoku, and that's not a compliment.

Streamline (beta) Initially seems samey but there's a nice combination of mechanics here.

Land Sliders Nice UI, but unexciting game.

Divide By Sheep Seems like a puzzle game that doesn't take forever to get interesting?! Shame about the linear level structure and inability to queue moves up, but overall this was really enjoyable.

Go To Gold 2 The puzzles themselves seem like decent Sokoban-with-pressure-plates levels. But the controls are really bad, which exacerbates the tediousness of Sokoban.

Inch By Inch Nice idea, but the controls give no feedback for when you can move, which feels awful. Also a very ungenerous F2P lives system.

Does Not Commute Fun and full of flavour.

Luminare Surprisingly interesting for a short while, but quickly becomes samey.

Churchill Solitaire It's solitaire.

The Witness It's a shame that the most impressive part of this game is not also the most interesting. Overall I had a good time with this game, but towards the end my feelings soured somewhat.

February

CLARC [first three levels] Nice graphics but terrible writing and I don't have confidence that the puzzles will get interesting.

These Robotic Hearts of Mine [my own game] The damning problem with this is that finding optimal solutions is so encouraged, but largely uninteresting and a waste of time. If you ignore that part it might be okay as a storygame though?

At Dawn, Pistols Now that I think about it, I realise that the turnips/pumpkin controller doesn't fit the framing of this game at all.

Worlds Fastest Pizza Did a good job of making me not sure how much stuff there is to do.

The Greatest Voice of All A well-scoped jam game. Has some niggles, but overall it's fun.

DANCE DOOM Without strafing, this is really awkward. Entertaining to watch though.

Snow Cones Ridiculously cute.

Killing Time at Lightspeed Great concept! Not much resolution at the end though.

Skorpulac Ugh, it has a lives system :(

Swing Copters 2 I played for 15 minutes and didn't score higher than 1.

Arrowance Fairly standard play-indefinitely-to-score-higher game. Doesn't seem to get any harder over time.

Induction (beta) Smart time travel puzzle game! Sometimes hard to reason about, but worth playing.

Tomb of the Mask This would be great if it didn't have a permanent global points multiplier that makes scores meaningless.

PUSER TOH Nice idea.

March

Rust Bucket New levels introduce some interesting enemy types but could do with more checkpoints. Roguelike mode seems mostly unchanged in the early stages, which is maybe a shame.

Blackbox: think outside the box Seemed like an okay implementation of the "every puzzle is a different system to work out" thing, but I never felt compelled to go back to it after a very brief play.

Tacoma (beta) Main takeaway: it's cool to watch conversations split/rejoin. I've not played either, but it felt very much in the vein of Gone Home/Firewatch.

20something Hard to tell how close the fiction is to being autobiography, but it doesn't really matter. The end result is something that feels very real.

Unnamed Pokemon-like game from unnamed team (preview) Lotsa numbers, not really my thing.

Discharge Looks great for a jam game. Level design wasn't great at teaching what you're trying to do a lot of the time though.

BBTAN I played this for about 10 seconds before putting it down in disgust.

Semispheres (preview)

Metareal (preview)

PSHNGGG! This is really great but I uncontrollably grip the controller so hard that it's physically painful to play more than a few games in a row. This is the only game that has caused this problem, and I think is a sign of how engaging it is.

Knittens

Armed and gelatinous

Lazy Village

Planetary capacity

It's spring again

Wibble wobble

Orchids to dust

Lumini Very pleasant.

Please stand by So dumb and so entertaining.

Hello, operator!

Linelight

Octobo

Rotator

Planet licker

Palimseste

Threadsteading A strategy game played on an embroidery machine, in theory about claiming tiles but in practice more about denying them to your opponent. One of my best GDC anecdotes was the cliffhanger when the machine ran out of thread in the middle of sewing the scores.

Disc jockey jockey

Wiz

Dobotone

Von Neumann personality test

Mr Heart Loves You Very Much Nice mechanic.

Redder Good level design, a solid exploration of toggle switches and one-way systems.

Decodoku

West of Loathing (beta)

Journey of 1000 stars

Dungeon of the Endless Seemed to be easing me into it gently, up until I tried to move on to level 2 and got massacred on the journey there. Not my kind of thing.

Abzorb I want it to control like Helix, and the fact that it doesn't apparently makes this kinda unplayable for me.

Two Interviewees Not very subtle, but that helps get its message across I guess.

April

Mario Kart 64 I haven't really enjoyed dipping into any of the more recent Mario Karts, but this was enjoyable enough. One big difference is that less focus on drifting makes for a much more accessible game.

forget-me-not I gather from hearsay that playing well is all about grinding, but I found that kinda awkward with touch controls.

No Pineapple Left Behind

Say When

DivCircle

Dolfin Trash

Four Horsemen

Get Lost!

Telefrag

Niña Nueve Some "wait around for something to move slowly to the right place" tedium, but otherwise fairly stylish.

Pretender to the Crown Lots of puzzles! And nice graphical touches

Clickmazes BoxUp Nice idea, but maybe a bit too prone to "just do the only thing that doesn't make things unsolvable" syndrome.

Net I wouldn't want to do a larger size, but with edge-wrap even a 5x5 grid is surprisingly challenging.

Isles of Color Nice concept but ends up being more focused on backtracking than hard puzzles. Worth looking at as an example of exploring the intersection of mechanics.

Craequ I guess I can't ever relive the experience of playing it for the first time. Still neat, but short; I can't help but wish for harder puzzles.

Helix This game is crack to me. Everything about it just feels right.

Mammoth Monkey Mole Levels are too big, controls are too awkward.

Slayaway Camp (beta) Lovely theming of an otherwise not particularly novel game, but then it ruins it with "tap the grave for coins". Hopefully that'll be removed for the actual release.

PRISM Feels a bit like a more abstract/geometrical The Room. Satisfying, but not very challenging so far.

PROMESST Would be much more comfortable with a better map. When the midpoint hits, it hits hard and intimidatingly; I don't think I got much past that point the first time I played either.

Wobble Yoga Nice QWOP-like, though the shape detection could have been better.

shapeshit Really hard! That shape in the top left really doesn't want to be hit.

Stephen's Sausage Roll Even the tutorial area would be a great game on its own, and then it just keeps asking more and more and more of you.

Hanano Puzzle The less-well-known fiendishly hard game from the creator of Jelly No Puzzle. After a rough first level it's not so bad so far though (up to level 25).

Jelly No Puzzle Also not that bad!

Fish Fillets NG I just bounce straight off this level design: too-big levels, too-fiddly object shuffling. I remember trying it before but I'm not any more likely to stick with it second time round.

Chairs This is based on some chemistry principle but it didn't succeed in teaching me anything.

Tripad

Anamorphine

Sec9

100ft Robot Golf

Loud on Planet X

Ape Out

Bound

Swing Star VR

Not Everything is Flammable

Yesteryear

Marble Madness 2

May

Budget Cuts Only having one checkpoint felt punishing but it probably wouldn't have been that bad if I was playing in a home context. Really nice UI.

Robot Heist Nice ending.

Quick drop

Block swap

Cupkins

Balloon buoyancy

Sky rogue

Uh oh love comes to town

Hue

Windowframe One of the best puzzle platformer twists that's happened for a long while. Shame it has to use fake windows though, and I'm way more into the puzzley side than the action side.

ᗢ Cute! 1.5 years after playing I'll hear from the creator that some of my games inspired it, which is cool.

SHRUBNAUT

Cavern of Flight Some people will go "nope nope nope" because of the enemies, but they're pretty well done. I didn't get far due to the unforgiving time-pressure platforming.

There is no game I've played this before, but it's really well done.

June

A Rose for Icy Heart

The Maître D' This is fantastic themeing, good art and sounds, pretty solid work for a jam. Unfortunately it's let down by level design, there's too many levels and they're all kinda samey.

Size Matters Not sure how far I got, I bounced off an execution challenge level that felt way too finnicky.

Morphblade

Experiment 26 Incredibly disjointed, it gets slightly less so towards the end but probably not enough so for me to recommend. I think it could have done with more application of "yes and".

Time machine VR [first two missions] underwhelming to be promised time travel but then get the second mission be indistinguishable from the first

Lands end [first two chapters] soothing, not hard but I didn't really mind

Audioshield Does what you want it to.

The Lab The robot repair demo was significantly shorter than I was expecting.

pico park

Quasi

Dark Souls I think this caused longterm damage to my hands, and yet I can't entirely regret my time with it.

July

The Temple of No

Leap Day

One Last Cup (preview) Ridiculously ambitious.

39 Days to Mars (preview)

Modulus

August

Duck Roll Decent mechanics, but the difficulty curve is basically flat and it has a move counter :( Touchscreen controls aren't great either, but I still played most of the way through.

Overcooked

Puzzlepops Good thinky puzzle game.

Spaceplan First idle game I've played in ages, probably the last in a while too but it was fun enough. Nice aesthetic design.

Pole riders

Vacuum Really neat interconnected-world puzzle game! Lovely theming and attention to detail.

September

Fathom

4fourths

Multibowl

Super hexagon

Samurai gunn

Wibble wobble

October

Game Title A nice interconnected puzzle.

Life is Strange Lows: some time travel inconsistencies, not being able to rewind to mid-conversation, some really tedious filler content. Highs: overall good pacing and cliffhangers, good characters, I'm glad I got around to playing it.

Circles (beta)

Shadow Bug Rush Not my kind of thing.

Really Bad Chess I wish this didn't take so long to calculate AI moves, it makes it kinda unplayable on my old iPad.

Mallow Drops (beta) Too samey for my tastes

Game Title: Lost Levels Really neat interconnected puzzle about exploiting glitches.

The Trials Short and simple puzzle game.

Disorient on the murder express

Redirection

Four floors of doors (preview)

Snake pass (preview)

Mordheim

Sure footing

November

So Broken

min! Not my kind of thing.

Spider's Hollow Solid PuzzleScript game.

Integer Snake Not my kind of thing.

Knot Fun Nice enough idea, not much there though.

Sara Is Missing

December

Lara Croft GO Prettier than Hitman GO, and thankfully gets rid of "do it in x moves" challenges. Not as hard as I'd like, but enjoyable enough to keep playing.

WitchWay (beta) Cute, neat, wish the secrets were more puzzley though.

Blocky XMAS Decent version of the "Sokoban + things stick together" genre

Rose

Induction (beta)

Klocki Slooooow start which was very tedious, but gets more interesting.

Nest (watched) I can't tell if there's something I'm missing or if it's really just asking you to do what it seems like it's asking you to do.

The Last Guardian (watched)

Blarp!

Xortex

Firewatch (watched) Beautiful world, but plot didn't really come together for me.

Boats Cars & Trains

Noleap

Hanano Puzzle 2 Good set of levels for a game I already liked.

Tiny Heist Really solid stealth roguelike. Happily rung in the new year while playing it.

#2016 #videogames