#I’m already at about 16 intertwined fates!

[myillicitaffair]

Somethin’ Stupid | Charles Leclerc

Summary: while being interviewed by his former lover, bottled up feelings find their way out.

Warnings: english not being my mother tongue, lots of angst, some swearing, arguments.

Notes: this is the first time i’m ever posting anything on here, i hope you enjoy it xx

1.5k words.

Letting myself fall into his abrasive webs was surprisingly easy. His green orbs, pervasive and curious, piercing my soul.

We had our ups and downs, unbridled passion slowly dying with each tear shed, magnetic attraction burning my lungs.

We found ourselves in a hiatus, which found a way of prolonging itself further than I would have liked to. Perhaps he managed to keep himself occupied with his busy schedule; trainings, special dietary requirements, public relations… as for me, I rather hold my silence.

My routine was overflowed with his voice, with how much I missed his touch on my lower back, guiding me through the crowds, our hands intertwined in a tacit promise.

However, life demanded to continue with apparent normality. Dinner parties surrounded by friends, rounds of drinks avoiding alcohol… The last thing I needed was to degrade myself into a melancholic drunkenness.

Was he also having a hard time with the abysmal coldness on the other side of the bed or the loneliness of not having anyone to dilute your sorrow over morning coffee with?

My days had fallen into a sort of routine; waking up while missing him, showering while missing him, having breakfast while missing him… I think you get how thing are.

This particular morning, Silverstone was extraordinarily cloudy, the mist engulfing my view from the hotel room. How fitting!

Running away from my surreptitious misfortunes, I head downstairs, soaking up the competitive environment prior to every race. Emboldened as an agitated swarm, my colleges and me descended on the designated circuit.

Tedious security controls accompanied the anticipated fun, a hammer already pounding into my head at the thought of seeing him face to face once more.

Walking towards the space where the press was condensed, I check the days schedule for the last time. I am lucky enough to maintain friendly interactions with most drivers, so as to achieve fluid interviews, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

The only reason I can find as to why that fateful name is written on my list of drivers to interview was that God and I clearly have some unresolved business… funny timing to make me pay the price though!

A lump gets stuck in my throat just by thinking about it, preventing regular air flow.

The countdown only stuns me, even though my duty doesn’t start until the last lap. The smell of burnt rubber, product of speeding wheels, fills my lungs while intoxicating my nostrils.

The continuous lights turn red with overwhelming precision as seconds go by, lightning up the faces hidden with baklavas and iconic helmets.

Unconsciously (or maybe not so much), my eyes crawl back to the speeding number “16” that, red and furious, slides around the circuit while attempting to memorize every bump and curve along the way.

Chasing the sequence with collective looks of astonishment, a collision comes rushing down, disabling Piastri and Norris by the arrogance that only clear disagreements gives you.

Without further issues, the race concludes with a podium conformed by both Red Bull Racing drivers, trailed by seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

As possessed by group madness, the journalists rush into the victors. Microphone in hand, cameras shadowing us, content hunger gushing from our pores.

Driven by a exacerbated sadness, I shift my focus from the winners to him, returning my gaze with clouded tear ducts, bottled up frustration visible in his features.

With a touch on my shoulder, I’m brought back to reality by a co-worker, who, with a subtle shift of her head signals my awaiting obligations.

I head towards my press conference, where I take a seat with my name on it, psyching myself up for what I’m sure will be the most awkward interview of my whole career.

Dressed in Ferrari clothing and constantly stalked by flashes, both pilots near the platform where I await. They settle into their designated spots, holding still until the cameraman says otherwise.

I steal one last glance at my premeditated questions and hide my true feelings behind a focused frown.

“Welcome dear viewers! We find ourselves in the eleventh race of the year, accompanied once more by our friends from Ferrari, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.”

I desperately try stabilizing the noticeable shake in my voice.

“Friend”- the Monegasque interrupts my monologue with a mocking remark.

The puzzled look his teammate throws in his direction doesn’t go unnoticed by the former, who insists on jointing his glistening irises with mine.

I decide to ignore the brief impasse in the speech, running away from his calculated sarcasm as I force the corners of my mouth into an attempted smile.

“so, Carlos… do you think driving behind two cars that crushed ruined your performance?”- I question, tripping over my words under Charles´s scrutiny.

“It´s safe to say it wasn’t an unexpected accident”- the Spaniard pronounces, doing his best at minimalizing the awkwardness- “for at least a couple of laps, Oscar and Lando were teasing each other, clearly trying to gain advantage over the other. They were lucky enough neither of them got hurt.”

I nod absent minded, vibrating due to the pounding against my ribcage.

“Charles, what can you tell us about your engineers’ strategy for this race?”- I swallow loudly, praying he can´t notice the mesmerizing effect he has on me.

“I guess you could say I’m not entirely satisfied with my team´s execution this season”- he confesses, minimizing the tingles of frustration running down his spine- “It would also be quite unfair dumping the blame on my team when my failure has more to do with me letting my emotions get the best of me.”

The tension is intercepted by a longing sigh I didn’t know I was withholding. The world seems to stop in its euphoria simply to hang in his every sentence.

“A broken heart is no joke… even less when you have to patiently wait for the piece they decide to donate you”- he reproaches without saying my name but making it perfectly clear that I was indeed the recipient of his raw address.

My anxious movements become motionless, forgetting the when and where, just to focus on the displeasure bubbling in my stomach.

“Guys, I really don´t think it’s appropriate to discuss this now”- intercepts the Madrilenian, proposing a ceasefire.

Mi hand goes up in the air before I can help it, shutting him up mercilessly.

“I wonder where I must´ve learned it…”- I reply, drowning in the unexpected harshness of my tone- “don´t forget who was the one to suggest this ´no strings attached´ bullshit between us.”

The drivers face shines with a scandalous blush in response to my bravado. Right here and there, I comprehend the dept of his anger, making its way through his collarbones, until it climbs up his cheeks.

“Just because I thought that’s what you wanted”- he spits out his resentful response.

From the corner of my vision, I perceive Carlos´s discomfort by reading his body language; the friction of wiping away the sweat stagnant on his hands, his shoulders pouring forward in a clumsy attempt of hiding from the cameras, his chair weakly shaking under the constant bouncing of his extremities.

Madness atrophies my reasoning, blinding me enough as to not have merci on his apprehension. I took this way too far, it would be useless to swallow my feelings.

“how in the world could you think our agreement benefitted me? Really, Charles, you couldn’t be any more stupid!”- I scream back, jumping up from my seat.

The swing of my feet gets ahead of my thoughts, allowing me to run away from the premature conflict before it blows up in the air.

Mi face heats up from the warmth of my own tears, that start rolling down my cheeks. With each involuntary spasm of my jaw, sobs escape my gasps for air. I don’t dare to slow down.

“Can you please just listen to me?”- a voice behind me shouts, trying to stand by my side.

I turn around to face his scrunched up brows.

“you have nothing else left to make up. You may convince somebody with the whole ´heartbreak boy´ façade you’ve got going on, but you have genuinely driven me mad”

“You and I both now that isn’t true! Have you ever wondered why I always seem to take a step back after every show of affection?”- he manages to freeze me to the core- “How come you never noticed my excessive efforts to stay away from you? I can’t even behave like a functional human being if I’m not feeling you, touching you, having you with me.”

In the middle of the paddock, with every pair of eyes set on us, events unfold the way I’ve been dreaming of, however I can´t even react.

“I know I´m not in a position to ask you anything, but please, strip me from the torment that uncertainty means… even if that means to completely destroy me”- he whispers with renewed fragility.

My smirk slowly becomes uncontrollable laughter, reducing me to unbridled chuckles. I shelter the vestiges of my giggling in between his arm, until It ceases in its intensity.

Without noticing, I search for his lips with my own, craving the heat they irradiate.

“I think you know perfectly well how my soul aches for you”- I manage to sneak in between kisses, stumbling across his smile, displayed in all its glory.

#charles leclerc #cl16 #cl16 x reader #cl16 imagine #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x reader #f1 #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #ferrari #charles leclerc smut #f1 smut #f1 fic #red bull f1 #red bull racing #imagine #argentina #Spotify

[l0reenthusiast]

I posted 1,710 times in 2022

That's 1,710 more posts than 2021!

279 posts created (16%)

1,431 posts reblogged (84%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@the-gayest-sky-kid

@l0reenthusiast

@toothlesshat

@journal-number-3

@mothbonez

I tagged 1,031 of my posts in 2022

Only 40% of my posts had no tags

#venti - 58 posts

#rottmnt - 56 posts

#genshin impact - 55 posts

#bro - 23 posts

#genshin - 22 posts

#barbatos - 21 posts

#rottmnt movie - 20 posts

#yes - 16 posts

#lunasmr - 16 posts

#reblog - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#'yes this would be considered but what are they going to do? lock me up?here's an antidote to the poison you accidentally ate! take care! <

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

“What if I Could Make The Wait Worthwhile?”

GIVE IT UP FOR DAY 4 OF VENTOBER BABY

Word count: 549

“I still can’t understand how you’re able to keep a straight face when people talk about you when you’re nearby.” You said with a giggle, laying on the lap of your boyfriend. Venti laughter soon accompanied yours as you reminisced on the now ended Weinlesefest.

“To be quite honest, there have been times when someone in Mondstadt will say ‘Barbatos’ and I end up turning around thinking they’re talking to me specifically.” Venti replied. This made you burst into laughter more.

As you laughed you rolled over on your side as Venti smiled down at you softly. You never truly know, what you do to him, and perhaps you’ll never know. From the moment you confessed to him that fateful birthday, things had never been the same between you two. In a good way, of course. Even if you hadn’t confessed, he had wanted to spend an eternity with you by your side. Ever since you came into his life, he could never imagine a future without him, neither could imagine a future without the other. He had heard you speak to Jean about a possible future with him, considering she’s been married to Lisa for the longest time, and he couldn’t have been happier to stumble across that conversation.

Your laughter quickly died down as the thought of what’s soon to come crossed your mind. You sat up, a your eyes filled with sorrow.

“Are you alright, Windblume?” Your boyfriend asked, concerned.

“I know you already said this was coming, but… do you really have to go?” You asked in a whisper. The bard immediately knew what you were talking about. His hibernation. After each Weinelesefest, Venti has to go into a sort of hibernation. You both knew that this was coming, but it still didn’t lessen the pain from the da t that you wouldn’t be able to hear or speak to each other for months.

“I’m sorry Windblume, but I have to. I can’t help it as a Whisp. We both know this.” He spoke softly, attempting to comfort you. Venti took his hand and cupped your cheek, which you leaned into without hesitation. “I promise I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Sure, but… the wait is gonna be so boring. I already can’t stand a day without being with you.” You replied, attempting to lighten the mood. You placed your hand over the one Venti was using to hold your cheek, bathing in the few remaining moments you would have with him for a while.

“I know it will, but what if I could make the wait worthwhile?” Venti asked with a smile. You cocked a brow at his question, but ultimately nodded. Venti took his hand away from your cheek and stood up, extending that same hand to help you stand. You took your turn to stand as you watched Venti reach into one of his pockets, both of your hands remaining intertwined.

Venti kneeled down as he pulled the now open box out of his pocket. Tears pricked your eyes as you brought your remaining hand up to your face, covering your mouth. Venti looked at you with the most you had ever seen from him as he spoke;

“My love, my warrior, my shining star, my Windblume…

Will you marry me?”

204 notes - Posted October 5, 2022

#4

currently farming for venti’s boyfriend

275 notes - Posted April 29, 2022

#3

LEN KAGAMINE???

520 notes - Posted September 16, 2022

#2

everyone, i would like to present to you:

MY WIFE

593 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

SAGAU but it’s Creator!Y/N and the archons as incorrect quotes

Creator!Y/N: That's ridiculous, Venti doesn't have a crush on me. Ei: Yes he does. Zhongli: Yes he does. Venti: Yes I do.

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Venti: If I punch myself and it hurts, am I weak or strong? Creator!Y/N: Strong. Ei: Weak. Zhongli: An idiot, is what your are.

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Zhongli: How late were you up last night? Creator!Y/N & Ei, in tandem: Me? Zhongli: No, not you two. You stay up late all the time. Zhongli, to Venti: You.

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Creator!Y/N: I just want someone to take me out. Venti: On a date? Ei: With a sniper gun? Zhongli: Both if you're not a coward.

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Ei: Do you love Creator!Y/N? Venti: Yeah, I do. Ei: Zhongli! I told you I knew it! You owe me 100 bucks! Zhongli: We all love Creator!Y/N. You should've asked if they were IN love with them. Venti: I thought that was implied. Zhongli: ... Ei: ... Venti, looking straight at Zhongli: Congrats Ei, you just won 100 bucks.

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Creator!Y/N: For self defense reasons, I'm going to pretend to be a burglar and you guys have to act wisely. Zhongli, Venti, & Ei: Okay. Creator!Y/N: If you don't want to die, give me all your money. Zhongli: Bold of you to assume I have money. Venti: Bold of you to assume I don't want to die. Ei: Bold of you to assume I can die.

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Creator!Y/N: I’m so happy two of my favorite people are getting along now. Zhongli: Uh, Venti and Ei are not getting along. Creator!Y/N: They’re not trying to kill each other. Zhongli: You may have a point.

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Ei: You were stabbed. Do you remember anything? Creator!Y/N: Only the ambulance ride to the hospital. Ei: That wasn't an ambulance, I drove you. Creator!Y/N: But I heard a siren. Zhongli: That was Venti. Venti: Sorry, I got nervous.

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I’m gonna do this but with the Sonic Fandubs soon.

667 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #I KNEW THAT THE SAGAU QUOTES WOULD BE MY TOP POST LMAO #I STILL GET NOTIFS FOR IT TO THIS DAY #i also knew aether was gonna be my most reblogged person too sddcferfedw

[myherowritings]

hearts intertwined | t.s.

— You and Todoroki have been roommates for months now but have barely had more than a two minute conversation. When quarantine hits and everyone is on lockdown, you find yourself forced to spend more time with him and actually end up...enjoying it? 

pairing: todoroki shouto x reader word count: 3,055 genre: roommate au, pro hero!shouto, fluff warnings: suggestive content, 16+, mc and todo are both mid-20s

a/n: this is written as part of the crackhead sanctuary’s server collab! (pls excuse my server name lmfdkgfdg i have terrible naming skillz) i hope y’all enjoy and pls lmk what u think!! xx sof

In many ways, Todoroki Shouto was the perfect roommate. 

He cleaned up after himself, always made an extra serving of food and set it aside for you (though it may only have been because he sucked at measuring out ingredients rather than him intentionally planning on leaving you leftovers), and generally kept his volume to a minimum when entering the apartment at ungodly hours of the night. 

There was also the fact that he was the most attractive person you had ever shared a living space with in your life, and seeing him shirtless on his way to his bedroom from the bathroom was a definite bonus.

But despite all that, he was never someone you considered yourself close to.

You needed help paying for rent and expenses and he happened to be a friend of a friend of a friend who was looking for a place in the city to stay. Call it a divine intervention, a gift from the gods, or even fate… But you still wouldn’t consider yourself his friend.

It wasn’t as if you didn’t want to befriend him--Todoroki seemed like a sweet person. It was more along the lines of neither of you having the time. While you spent most of your day in the lab studying and doing research, Todoroki was always working in his office or out in the field to fulfill his new hero duties. 

This quarantine was probably the first opportunity either of you had to be in the same building for more than thirty minutes at a time. Which was why, as the two of you sat side-by-side on the living room sofa, no one knew exactly what to say.

“So, the weather--”

“Looks warm out--”

Both of you opened your mouths and shut them at the same time.

“Sorry,” Todoroki said with a small smile. “You first.”

“I-- Oh… It was nothing,” you managed, clearing your throat in an attempt to compose yourself. “Just trying to make some small talk.”

With a tight-lipped smile and wide eyes, you slowly craned your head away from his view. Who admits they’re trying to make small talk? That breaks all the rules of how to properly talk to someone.

The faint sound of the television playing old infomercials buzzed in the background while you and your roommate sat in silence. You never struggled to talk to him during those brief moments of passing, so why now? 

Looking at the screen to pass time, you noticed an outdated commercial of an older Tamagotchi game playing and felt yourself breaking out into a grin.

“Aw, I miss that game!” you cried as you turned to Todoroki with an excited glint in your eye. “Don’t tell anyone, but in elementary school I used to play it in class and since I was such a goody two-shoes, the teacher never suspected a thing.”

He raised an eyebrow in response. “I see we have ourselves a rebel in disguise here.”

“It’s our little secret, though. To everyone else, I am the epitome of innocence.”

You couldn’t help but notice the way his gaze travelled down your body and lingered on where the fabric of your oversized pajama shirt stopped and the expanse of your thigh started. 

“Sure. I believe you,” he said in what was almost a teasing tone. 

You felt your face growing hot but you paid it no mind. 

“As you should,” you sniffed, crossing one leg over the other haughtily. When he chuckled, you turned back to him. “How about you? Are you a secret bad boy who played with his Tamagotchi in the back of class?”

Todoroki shook his head. “I never had one. I actually never even knew what it was until high school, I think.” 

“Really?” Your eyes widened. Sure, the hand-held game was marketed to girls, but to never have heard about it through your whole childhood? You weren’t sure how that was possible. “Not even your older sister had one?”

Now, you didn’t know much about his personal life (whether or not he was dating someone, if he slept on the left or the right side of the bed, which leg he put in his pants first, et cetera), but you did pick up on a few things about his siblings from the previous interactions you’ve had with him.

“Not to my knowledge,” he said, looking away thoughtfully. “My father never afforded us such luxuries.” 

You frowned. “What about toys like Pokemon? Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh cards?”

“Yu-Gi-Oh cards?” repeated Todoroki slowly, as if he was unsure what you were talking about.

Your jaw dropped in disbelief. “You never played--? Oh, never mind. How about family games like Twister or Just Dance?” 

As far as you were aware, Todoroki Shouto came from a rather affluent family. So it was a wonder why he never participated in at least one of these experiences that characterized a whole generation’s childhood.

Again, he shook his head. “Never did those either. I wasn’t exactly allowed to play with my siblings, let alone other kids my age. My father always made me prioritize my training.” 

“That’s not right of him.”

You winced. Of course he never had the opportunity to have a “normal” childhood. How could you be so insensitive? It was no secret Endeavor had a troubled relationship with his family, but you weren’t exactly sure to what extent. You didn’t focus much on the whimsical world of heroes and, ever since you were a child, you know you wanted to pursue the field of research rather than use your quirk. The lives of heroes--even top ranking ones--was something you never paid much attention to. Still, even you have heard some gossip about the estranged Endeavor. 

“Sorry for pressing you,” you said, toying with the hem of your shirt. “I didn’t mean to be so insensitive.”

He gave you a nonchalant shrug and a small smile to let you know it was okay.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/L/N. You didn’t mean to,” he comforted. “Besides, it’s been a long time. It would be useless to hold a grudge against my father for this long.”

You tilted your head to the side. “Forgiveness, huh? That’s very mature of you, Todoroki. I think I admire you.”

His shoulders moved upward in silent laughter. “Thank you. I admire you, too.” 

Ignoring the faint heat you felt in your cheeks, you beamed. “Thanks. Anyway-- You know what I just realized?”

“What?”

“You did not have a childhood.”

While his face remained passive, you could have sworn you saw his eye crinkle in amusement.

“I suppose I can’t argue with that,” he said in agreement. “My youth was spent quite differently than most.”

You nodded profusely. “Right. And while I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with that, per se, it could be beneficial to do these things you haven’t had the chance to!”

He examined you curiously as you bounced up from your seat on the sofa with an excited grin. After a few moments of silence, he craned his neck, prompting you for clarification.

“You’re bored on lockdown, I’m bored on lockdown,” you stated matter-of-factly. “What better time to reclaim your childhood than now?”

Todoroki didn’t bother to hide the small smile making its way across his face at your determined words. “Okay, then. Count me in.”

- - - - -

When you decided you wanted to help your new friend Todoroki reclaim his childhood, you expected your days to be full of cute Beanie Babies and Webkinz, as well as the presumed amounts of chaos that followed edible bubbles and candy kits. And while the first few days of the week consisted of that, the tone changed rather drastically when a certain game was introduced. Of all things, what you expected least was to be practically panting on top of Shouto as you braced your muscles and tried not to collapse onto him.

“Left hand, blue,” he called after flicking the spinner. 

How he managed to turn the spinner with one hand and keep his body balanced with the other on a Twister mat without toppling over was a mystery to you.

Stupid heroes with their stupid, bulging muscles, you thought crossly as you relived your many previous losses. You tried to ignore the bead of sweat dripping down your face as you struggled to stay up. 

Somehow, you turned your head just enough that you had the perfect view of Todoroki’s flexed triceps as he held himself in a modified pushup position of sorts. There was a look of concentration on his face and, while you found his furrowed brows to be rather cute, you still couldn’t help but focus your attention on his arms. He had a lean type of muscle that you thought would feel especially comfortable wrapped around your waist-- 

“Y/L/N, do you forfeit?” 

You blinked, feeling lightheaded both from this game which you lacked the stamina for and from the lack of oxygen that travelled to your brain as you held your breath while staring at Todoroki. 

Once your mind processed his words, you huffed. “Forfeit! Me? Never! Why would you think that?”

“Because I called ‘left hand, blue,’ minutes ago and you still haven’t moved.” 

Blood rushed to your face and you were thankful you had the exertion to blame it on. It wasn’t your fault Todoroki’s arms were so toned and strong and...distracting.

“No,” you said, unsure if there was even a question asked for you to reply to. “I don’t quit!”

Your eyes scanned the mat feverishly, looking for a blue circle to place your left hand on that would cause the least amount of strain. Shouto had already won the first two rounds and you’d be damned if you were to let him win again. (As much as you loved witnessing him succeed, your pride would simply be too hurt if you lost a third time in a row.) 

“Find a spot yet?” he asked in amusement. “I’m not sure how much longer my arms can hold.”

Of course, just the mention of his arms drew your attention from finding the optimal Twister position to staring stupidly at his triceps again.

As you attempted to tear your gaze away from him, you spotted hints of a smirk lingering on Todoroki’s face.

Did he notice your staring? There was no way… 

You looked at him, wide-eyed and dubious, and almost choked when you saw his shoulders start to shake as he tried to hide his laughter.

His laugh was muffled by his shirt in an attempt to keep his volume down, but it still rang rich and deep in the air. It was the first time you heard him laugh like that and you wanted to do anything to hear it again. 

With a shake of his head, he removed his hands from their spot on the Twister board and sat upright beside you.

“I concede,” he said when he saw you eyeing him with curiosity. “You win this round. My arms were getting too sore.”

After hearing the sweet sound of Todoroki saying, “You win,” you let yourself collapse on the floor, rolling onto your back to get a clear view of your cream-colored ceiling.

“For some reason, I sincerely doubt that your arms were getting sore,” you said, stretching your own--genuinely sore--arms out in front of you. “But seeing as I was about to fall flat on my face if I waited any longer… Thank you for conceding.” 

“Doubt I’d be sore?” he repeated, craning his neck to peer down at your face. He placed his left hand on his right bicep and gently massaged it with his thumb and forefinger. “What for?” 

By then, whatever rational thought was left in your brain had been fully replaced by Shouto’s arms and Shouto’s arms only, and you couldn’t even complain. 

“Mmm, what did you say again?” You blinked, clearing your throat. You suddenly had the desire to chug a cool glass of water.

Todoroki’s only reply was another small--almost imperceptible--smirk. It would have been easy for someone to miss, but to you, someone who was perhaps being more attentive to their roommate and newfound friend than they’d care to admit, it was clear as day.  

“You’re totally messing with me!” you groaned, covering your face with your hands as you continued to lie with your back on the floor. “Aren’t you?”

He let out a breathy laugh and shrugged, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. “Sorry. It’s just cute seeing your reactions. I didn’t know you liked my arms so much.”

You could’ve sworn he flexed once more for dramatic effect and an indignant squeak escaped your mouth.

“I-I don’t!” you protested, making sure to look anywhere but his arms. “I just never noticed how...proportionate they were before! Just thinking about how da Vinci would admire them. For scientific purposes, of course.”

“Sure.” 

You gaped at the knowing look on his face. “How did you even notice? Aren’t you a bit of the oblivious type?” With wide eyes, you slapped your hand over your mouth. “Wait-- I’m sorry. That was rude to say.”

Todoroki waved it off with a smile to show he wasn’t offended in the slightest. “I guess I was rather oblivious in the beginning of high school. But as I grew up I became more accustomed to picking up on such things.” 

You hummed in silent contemplation. Of course he had to have grown used to people making moon eyes over him. He probably got it all the time.

“I usually pay it no mind,” he continued as he stood up, peering down at you sprawled out on the floor. “But when you do it, I find it sort of cute.” 

As if he didn’t just say something that caused your heart to skip a beat, Todoroki extended a hand out to help you up.

Ignoring the heat rushing to your cheeks, you gently placed your hand in his.

“Thanks,” you murmured as Shouto pulled you off the mat and towards his body, a feeling of lightheadedness overcoming you at the sudden motion.

One hand held yours while his other was placed firmly above your elbow to help you steady yourself.

“You okay, Y/L/N?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he watched you regain your balance.

“Oh, yeah! No worries. This happens all the time, to be honest,” you admitted, vaguely taking note of how your chest was almost fully pressed against his. “Whenever I move my head too fast I get a bit dizzy. And whenever I stand too fast my knees sort of just crack.” 

Your words did nothing to soothe the worried furrow between his brows.

“Is...Is that not normal?” 

He blinked.

You grimaced. “Okay. Guess not. Maybe I need to work out more.” 

“You can work out indoors with me,” Todoroki suggested with a small smile. He looked so sincere you were just about to agree until he opened his mouth for a second time-- “As long as you don’t spend the whole workout gawking at my arms.”

With an indignant cry, you pulled yourself away from his loose grip, face burning with such intensity you wouldn’t be surprised if he were able to sense the rise in temperature. “I never gawked at your arms.” 

He hummed. 

“Well, okay, maybe I did,” you relented with a huff, bending down to fold up the game mat in front of you. “They look very strong. Being a hero must be hard work.”

Todoroki shrugged, helping you clean up. “It’s worth the toll it takes. I can imagine your research requires hard work too.” 

You tried to hide the look of surprise on your face. You briefly talked to him about what you did during the roommate-finding process, but you didn’t think it was anything interesting enough for him to recall. It brought an odd warmth to your stomach knowing he cared enough to remember. 

“I guess. But I’d say it’s nowhere near as difficult as hero work,” you brushed off. “Not everyone has what it takes to be a good hero.”

A faint blush colored his cheeks as he followed you into the kitchen for a glass of water.

“There are lots of great heroes,” he stated, filling up two cups and handing one to you. 

“Yeah, there are. And greatness is one thing, but you’re a good one-- In the heart.” Your gaze flitted to his, unsure why you were filled with the sudden urge to have such an intimate conversation after a game of Twister. Still, you rolled with it. “I know we haven’t talked much prior to this lockdown...but even I can tell how caring you are. And I’m looking forward to getting to know you more.” 

A comfortable silence filled the air as he took a seat beside you. If Shouto was taken aback by your sudden compliment, he did a good job at hiding it, simply giving you a small smile as he let his shoulder rest against yours. You glanced over at the point of contact and bubbled with elation. 

“Todoroki?” you called quietly, the edge of your pinky brushing against his. 

He looked down at the gentle touch of your hand and didn’t move away. Instead, he took the initiative and placed his fingers on top of yours, his hand surprisingly soft despite the calluses on his fingertips. The back of your neck heated at the sudden movement, but you decided you rather liked how his hands felt on yours. 

“Hmm?” 

“Thanks for letting me drag you along to play these childhood games,” you said, letting out a sigh of contentment. “It’s a nice change of pace while we’re stuck indoors.”

Shouto shook his head. “I should be the one thanking you. These are much better childhood memories than the ones from my actual childhood,” he admitted with a light laugh. “I’m glad we had the opportunity to spend more time together, Y/L/N.”

By now your fingers were intertwined with his, his thumb lightly stroking the peak of your knuckle.

He continued, “I hope this continues even when quarantine is over.” 

“I hope it does, too.” You couldn’t stop the grin from spreading wide across your face as you nuzzled your head on his shoulder. “Let’s keep making memories together, okay, Todoroki?”

“Happily.” 

#this fic is just an excuse for me to simp over todorokis arms for 3k words #yes i put intertwined in the name purely bc they play twister u.u #bnha x reader #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mha #mha x reader #bnha imagines #bnha fanfiction #mha imagines #mha fanfiction #todoroki x reader #todoroki shouto x reader #todoroki shoto x reader #shouto x reader #shoto x reader #shoto todoroki x reader #bnha fluff #bnha scenarios #pro hero shouto #server collab #mha scenarios #todoroki shouto #todoroki shoto #bnha todoroki #todoroki imagines

[kirishwima]

****

"...Kenma's coming over"

"He WHAT?!"

Lev, whose  head was resting in your lap, a bag of cheetos on his belly that he'd let cover his black tee with orange dust, wasted no time in jumping up, eyes wide with shock, cheetos be damned-much to your dismay.

"Clean that up" you asked with a sigh as he bent down to grab the snacks that had been now scattered across your living room's carpet, "and...yeah. He just texted me asking if we could talk."

"Oh I'm giving that bastard a piece of my mind that-that-idiot!" he huffed, jumping up from the couch with a frown, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"No, Lev-I...I'll need you to go. I have to talk to him on my own, clear things up."

He held your gaze for a long moment, a silent competition-until he sighed, nodding, bending down to cup your cheeks between his large palms.

"If he gives you any trouble Y/N, if he's being mean or anything-you call me and I'll come throw him out a window! And break his playstation!"

He pretended to huff when you giggled, but you could see the smile on his lips, his triumphant stand as he straightened back up.

"You've been hanging out with Yuu and Ryo way too much" you said, getting up and following him to the door as he got ready to go.

"...are you really gonna be ok?" he asked one last time, standing awkwardly besides the door.

You appreciated it, the way your friends cared for you so much-how sweet, gentle giant Lev would willingly throw hands with someone if it's to keep you safe, even if he's never even hurt a fly.

"I'll have to be", you decided, squaring your shoulders-fake it 'till you make it, isn't that what they say? "My relationship with him...it's already ruined. At least I can tell him what's been on my mind with no fear of consequence now".

Lev nodded, still uncertain-but he trusted you and your decisions, you knew he did. So with one last hug and a bid of goodbyes he left, the thud of the door behind him deafening in your now quiet apartment.

And now, being alone...you couldn't help it. The way your gut clenched, bile rising up to your throat. Your breath hitched thinking of all the possible scenarios, of the words you were about to speak, the secret you've been holding onto for dear life soon to be shared with the one person you thought it never would.

It took all of your willpower to simply head to the kitchen, to sip on a glass of water as you waited, mind whirling, the clock not ticking fast enough-until the fated knock on the door came, timid, quiet-not how one expects a life-turning event to begin.

The face that greeted you as you opened up was a hollow one-Kenma was never an overly-expressive sort but right now...he was blank, eyes reddened, the bags beneath them puffy and dark.

He hung his head low, refusing to look at you as you greeted him, his steps slow, cautious as he entered your apartment-as if this wasn't the millionth time he'd been here, as if he didn't know the layout and where you kept what better than you did sometimes.

You nodded to the kitchen, saying you'd pour him some water first-you know him, know he's probably been neglecting himself, has probably not had a sip of water in days, relying on junk and sodas. You wanted to be mad, to not care-but how could you?

He followed you without a word, standing across the counter as you pushed a cup in his hands, waiting quietly until he took a few sips-carefully considering the next words that'd come out of your mouth.

"I'm-"

"I-"

You both started and stopped, looking wide eyed at one another. He hid into his hoodie, taking a deep breath before trying to speak back up-but you simply shook your head, bringing a palm up to stop him.

"Wait-Sorry, just...let me go first, before I lose the guts to. Yeah?"

He nodded, slow and curious.

And so...it was time to get the cat out of the bag. With a deep breath, you let your eyes focus onto the countertop, at your own shaky fingers.

"We...we've been friends for years now, and being your friend-it definitely had it's ups and downs" you laughed, a quiet bitter thing, "You're not always the easiest person to get along with."

You refused to look at his face, but knew he was probably nodding along, maybe hiding his face into his hoodie-but you had no time to comfort him, had to carry on.

"Yet the more I got to know you...the closer we got I couldn't help but realise how kind you really are. You're so funny, real sarcastic at times, but you're genuine, you care for others so much even if you don't show it with words- Kenma, I never once felt like I had to act like anything but myself around you. You...made me feel safe"

You took sighed, eyes shut.

"It's no wonder I fell in love with you."

You heard his sharp intake of breath, making your gut churn.

"I know-I know telling you will just ruin what we had but...it's already in the gutter isn't it? Guess I might as well just-"

Your eyes met his face for a brief moment-enough to make you falter.

He-he was crying?!

Kenma's hands rubbed furiously at his eyes, refusing to look at you as he tried to compose himself.

"Woah hey-Kenma?!"

You reached for him but he shook his head, shoulders trembling.

"I-Tsukishima?!" was all he managed to say.

You sighed, shrugged your shoulders.

"I had to find a way to get these feelings towards you to stop growing. I did like Tsukki, back when I first met him-but it wasn't love. I couldn't lie to myself, not about this."

He didn't say anything. Didn't even look in your general direction, his face tilted away-body tense like a coil ready to snap.

You wanted to do something, anything to soothe him-but what? How could you help when you're the one that caused this?

Tentatively you walked across the counter, nearing where he sat on the barstool-put your hands on his arms, squeezed-to be frank, you had no idea what to do, what you were doing.

"-too"

You hummed, looking at his face, hidden beneath his sleeves.

"Me too. I love you too-"

That...wasn't what you expected. Your mind tried to catch up to what he was saying, hands falling to your sides but Kenma was quick, grabbing a hold of you, bringing you into his embrace-it was awkward, his arms dug into your back, his head pushed against your chest from where he sat on the stool.

Did you really hear that right?

"I love you-I love you I didn’t know what to do, I just realised it and my brain was a mess Y/N-"

He took a shaky wet breath, pulling away to face you-for the first time tonight, you locked eyes. Despite it all, the redness, the tears, the dark circles-his eyes were bright, a new spark in them, and focused on you, drinking in your face, your features, every single thing he loved and more.

"I’m sorry" he said, and though blunt-you knew this was the most sincere Kenma could be. "The moment I realised my feelings I just…the thought of being ‘just friends’ with you broke me. I didn’t know how to face you. I shut you out ‘cuz I’m a coward-"

You couldn’t help it. He was there, cheeks flushed, a small silly pout on his lips as he apologised-what else could you do but take a hold of his cheeks and kiss him?

For a moment his whole body stilled as your lips touched his, before you felt his become pliant, his arms around your neck; his smile was infectious, the way you felt it against your mouth, how you both shared an incredulous laugh, kissing him again, and again, and again-making up for all time lost to miscommunication.

"Don’t think you’re forgiven yet!" You huffed, staring him down. You couldn’t keep a serious face even if you wanted to, not when he was looking at you with that stupid soft smile, as if you were the brightest moon he’d ever laid eyes upon. He had to bite his lip to stop from giggling like a kid, the mere thought of you being his-his! bursting in his chest like a newfound warmth on a winter night.

"Okay."

"I mean it! I expect a bubble tea at my door every day" you tried, really, but he let his hands trail down to your waist, his thumbs drawing aimless circles on your skin-he leaned back in, kissed you softly.

"Okay."

"With extra tapiocas!"

He kissed you again, his forehead knocking against yours.

"Anything. Anything you want."

Really…how could you even pretend to be mad?

"…You",  you eventually breathed out, "That’s all I want."

His smile was infectious, turning you both into heaps of giggles, the tense atmosphere all but forgotten, all secrets revealed, hearts shed and intertwined.

It’s all as it should be.

Both of you, cuddling on the couch, your head on his shoulder, his arms never leaving your body, as if afraid you’d slip out of his fingers (You wouldn’t-you wouldn’t), his lips leaving gentle kisses at the crown of your head, laughing, teasing one another.

Balance restored, at last.

*****

Love in the Twitch Era // Streamer AU-Part 16

It’s here! Sorry for the delay-but this is the official ‘final part’, though there’ll be an epilogue of sorts soon after :) Thank you for reading my first SMAU, and i hope you enjoyed reading as much as i did working on it <3 

Masterpost

#hq!! #haikyuu #love in the twitch era #haikyuu!! #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu smau #haikyuu social media au #haikyuu x you #haikyuu x yn #kenma kozume #streamer kenma #youtuber kenma #kenma x you #kenma x reader #kenma x yn #streamer au #fanfics #hq fics #tsukishima kei #kenma streamer au #burrito stuff #burrito talks #tag later #sorry if there's anything weird orz im writing this at like...1.30 am after studying for nearly 11 hoyrs #let me know if i got any contaxt/typo errors thx <3

[pandastern]

Gravity (Bakugou x OC)

Part 16: Mixed Signals II

If youd like to be tagged to the taglist for upcoming parts please dm me :)

Masterlist  II  AO3

Bakugou x Vigilante!OC

Warnings: angst, explicit language, violence

Word count:   2549

Genre: enemies to lovers ; angst ; romance, slow burn

When a new student makes an entrance, Bakugou has a real bad feeling. There is something about this girl that just doesnt feel right. From the flaming hair to the calculating glint in her green eyes, everything about her just pisses him off.

Little does he know that his fate is intertwined with the person he despises so much, defining his future path in a way he would have never expected

Bakugou really couldn't say what had been going through his mind when he’d grabbed Artemis by the hand and dragged her to the grocery store. Whatever his reasons, it was safe to say he was already regretting it.

Artemis walked next to him, her face as sour as if he’d shoved a whole lemon down her throat. On second thoughts, maybe he should have. That way she could have at least gotten some vitamin C into her miserable system.

As he wandered through the aisles pushing his cart, he mentally recalled the handful of recipes he knew by heart. Which ones were easy enough for beginners while having the maximum nutritional value? Rice was always a safe bet. It was easy to make and stored well. Artemis could also eat it cold if she couldn’t be bothered to operate a microwave.

He pulled her along by the sleeve, ignoring her pout. “What kind of rice do you like?”

“There are different kinds?”

Bakugou was too stunned to speak. This girl was capable of shooting a guy off a roof mid fall. How was it possible for her to be this… He didn't even have a word for it.

“How? Literally how don’t you know something like that?” Bakugou didn't know whether to be offended or not.

“I just don’t know,” Artemis said. “I don't usually eat rice. It tastes like cardboard.”

Okay, he thought, offended it was.

“For your sake, I'm gonna ignore that.” He scowled and picked up a bag of rice to examine it. “You have a rice cooker at least, right?”

“I just told you I don't eat rice. Why would I have a cooker?”

“Seriously, how the fuck are you alive?”

Artemis crossed her arms and shrugged. “At this point? Pure spite.”

Bakugou shook his head and decided to go for the microwaveable option. The portioned-out instant versions weren’t the best in his eyes, but for pure rice, there wasn’t a lot Artemis could fuck up. He considered getting the normal rice as well so that he could teach her how to cook it in a pot, but he could see her ending up burning the entire apartment complex down the moment she tried it on her own.

At least with her quirk, she could be her own personal fire extinguisher.

As he was going through further recipes in his mind, he remembered something. “Wait, you're European, aren't you?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what do you eat at home? Fish and chips?”

Artemis raised an eyebrow. “First of all, stereotyping much? Second of all, I’m not from England.”

“But you have red hair.”

“Surprise! There are redheads all over Europe.”

Of course, this had to turn into an argument again. “Fine, where are you from?”

“Germany.”

A sly smile spread across his face. “Ah. Schnitzel and moldy cabbage it is, then. No wonder you can’t appreciate good rice.”

Her eyes widened to the point where he thought she might punch him, so he pushed his cart past her with a chuckle. “Come on, I'm sure we'll find something without spice for you.”

In the corner of his eye, he noticed Artemis flip him off with both hands.

After having gotten most of the essentials (Bakugou figured she'd make less of a fuss over that), they made their way over to the vegetable aisle.

The moment Artemis spotted greens, her complaining started. Onions were smelly, broccoli tasted like farts, and the radishes were too spicy. The most creative one, though, was that apparently, peas looked like weird little frog eggs. It took every ounce of restraint for Bakugou not to strangle her.

It only took about fifteen minutes for him to have had enough. She wanted to act like a toddler? Fine. He could handle that. Quickly, he grabbed the items Artemis had designated the ‘most disgusting’ and placed them in the cart. “I have everything. let's go.”

“I'm not eating that,” Artemis snapped.

“Oh, you will. I'll make you,” Bakugou growled. “Not everything in your diet can be meat, carbs and cheese, you know.”

“But it worked so far!” “Shut up.”

An hour later, Artemis sat straddled on one of her chairs, arms crossed on the wooden backrest as Bakugou unpacked their haul. He’d grabbed her by the back of her shirt when she’d tried to curl back up on the couch, positioned her on the chair right next to the kitchen nook and told her to watch.

She had to admit it wasn't the strangest thing she'd ever witnessed, but watching Katsuki Bakugou put on an apron like some middle-aged mom from a sitcom was definitely in the top ten.

Artemis wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Was she stuck in a fever dream? That was entirely possible. After all, even though the start of this encounter had been annoying and frustrating, it made a change to being at one another’s throats. She wondered where it had gone wrong. No, not wrong… different. This was a different side of Bakugou and she wasn’t sure yet whether she liked or hated it.

“Oi, pay attention! I'm not gonna show you again.” Bakugou tapped his knife on the cutting board. “It’s sad enough that you have to be taught this. Next time you see your parents, you’d better tell them they failed you.”

Artemis felt like someone had poured a glass of ice water down her back. She didn't like how he kept on bringing up the things she'd rather not think about. Her family, her parents, her home… She’d left all that behind for a reason. Not that she’d ever had anything resembling those things to begin with.

Apparently oblivious to her discomfort, Bakugou moved onto demonstrating the proper way to slice an onion, first into halves and then quarters.

“This way, they keep the shape when you cook them,” he explained without looking up. “Got it?”

“Slice the stinky onions so they keep looking like stinky onions,” Artemis repeated unenthusiastically.

She watched how his face deadpanned and chuckled. “I’m being serious, dumbass,” Bakugou grumbled before moving onto the next one.

Artemis sighed, rested her chin on her hands and followed his hands as she pondered. She’d followed this train of thought so many times by now. She just couldn't make sense of Bakugou. He said he hated her, but he certainly didn't act that way. Sure, he was insufferable and a twat most of the time, but then he turned around and did stuff like this. Taking care of her, cooking for her… Those weren't the actions of someone who disliked her.

Maybe she just didn't understand it all. It wouldn’t have surprised her if the fault was with her. After all, what did she know of friendships? She’d never experienced them before. The friendships she had now were ones she’d established as a means to support her cause. At least that was how she’d seen them in the beginning.

Truth be told, she didn't hate having Bakugou around. At least not when he wasn't breathing down her neck like earlier.

A finger snap jolted Artemis from her thoughts. “Hm?”

“Don't ‘hm’ me. Pay attention,” Bakugou snapped.

Artemis clicked her tounge. He really was in full-blown mother mode. Who’d have known he had this side to him?

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something,” she said. “What exactly are you making?”

He pointed at all the prepared ingredients. “Oyakodon. It's so simple I learned to make it when I was a kid, so you should be able to handle this.”

“Ahh… I think I've seen Deku eat something similar. What was it called? Katsu… something.”

Bakugou grimaced at the mention of Deku’s name. “Katsudon. Similar recipe, different protein. Oyakodon has chicken. Katsudon uses fried pork cutlet.”

That peaked Artemis’s interest. “Pork cutlet. Like Schnitzel? Why can't you make that?”

“Of course you'd perk up at that,” said Bakugou with a scowl. “I'm trying to feed you healthy food so you can finally stop dragging yourself around and get better. Maybe then I can finally have some peace.”

“Peace?” Artemis narrowed her eyes. She could sense his heartbeat rising, but he didn’t seem angry. Was it guilt? No, that couldn't be it. “What do you mean by ‘peace’?” she asked again.

Bakugou kept his eyes on his hands and pretended not to hear her. However for once Artemis felt like she had cracked something.

“You know,” she said, “I've said this before, but I just can't make sense of you. Usually I'm pretty good at reading people. My quirk helps me with that. You'd be surprised how much you can find out about a person by watching their face and listening to their heartbeat.”

She tapped into her quirk and stretched her senses out further. Bakugou's heart had been beating strong and healthy, but the moment she’d started questioning him, his heart rate had kicked up. Adrenaline flooded his system and forced his blood pump to faster through his veins. He wasn't scared, no. The soft beat more closely resembled… nervousness. Huh.

“But you, Bakugou… I've never met anyone that contradicts themselves as much as you do.”

“Oh yeah, why's that?” Bakugou growled, clearly annoyed as he tipped the onions into the sauce on the stove to simmer.

“Well,” Artemis began, “you obnoxiously call everyone around you ‘extra’-”

“‘Cause they are.”

“You insist that you can do better than anyone else and that you don't need help-”

“‘Cause I don’t!”

Determined not to let his interruptions put her off, Artemis continued: “You say you hate me, and yet here you are in my kitchen making me food. Not to mention all the other stuff you keep insisting on, like taking me out of the tournament, taking away my energy drinks - which, by the way, fuck you - and again, you're making me food! That's not how someone acts when they hate someone.”

Bakugou kept working, still refusing to look at her. Artemis watched him shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. 

There weren't a lot of reasons that were plausible enough to explain such extreme contradictory behavior. Yes, Bakugou cared whether she lived or died. He wasn't indifferent to her. And while that was extraordinary for her, considering no one else had acted that way towards her before, she wasn't foolish enough to believe that he liked her. Much less that they were friends.

But even though she was convinced he wasn't quite right in the head at times, she wouldn't go so low as to label his mental state insanity. That was more her speciality. That left only one thing…

“Do you feel responsible for what happened at USJ?” Artemis asked.

Bakugou froze.

“For what happened to me, I mean.”

For a moment, the silence was deafening. Not one muscle in his entire body moved.

“Because if you do feel like that, then don’t. I got stabbed before I got to you, and I would have passed out regardless.”

“You almost bled out in my arms, Artemis.” Bakugou’s voice shook slightly. He grit his teeth as if he were wrestling with himself. “Kirishima and I… It would’ve been really hard for us to have gotten out of there as easily as we did, unscathed, if it weren’t for you. But we managed it and you almost died.”

Artemis ran both her hands through her hair and groaned loudly. “So what?”

“So what?” Bakugou barked. “What do you mean ‘so what’?”

“I mean,” she snapped back, not wanting to have the same fight they’d had in the infirmary of the stadium, “that I didnt fucking die. You got me help! There is no debt here, no reason for guilt. I saved your ass and you saved mine, so we’re even! Can we please get over the whole stabbing thing and move on?”

Her heart stung painfully. So, all of this nonsense, this fuss, this overbearing intrusive mama bear behavior was just because he felt guilty? Did he think this was some kind of atonement? Artemis sure as hell didn't want that, especially not from Katsuki Bakugou.

“I'm not feeling guilty,” Bakugou hissed. “That's not what this is about.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You're lying.”

“I’m not!”

“You are. Your heartbeat is irregular.”

“Fuck me!” Bakugou threw up his hands and groaned. “Fine. Okay, maybe I do feel guilty. I haven't known peace since I carried your body to the medics. I dream of it, you know? You, dying right there in my arms and me, helpless to do anything. Just your empty eyes staring up at me, blaming me. I…”' He took a deep breath to calm himself. “At first, I thought, ‘Fuck it. Why do I care?’ I figured you'd be fine and that I’d done my part and could walk away and just focus on my own stuff. But you're not fine! I tried my very best not to give a shit, believe me, but I do. I don't want you to be dead, or sick, or injured. At all. Are you happy now?”

Artemis didn't know what to say. That was not what she’d expected. She opened her mouth, closed it again. Bakugou stared at her intensely, his heartbeat thrumming in her ears so loudly she could barely hear her own.

“I…” she began, but he just shook his head.

“No. Just… just dont say anything. I don't want to talk about this again. I hate repeating myself.”

Not really knowing what to do after his outburst, Artemis fell silent. He certainly seemed to be done talking.

–

After a long awkward silence, Bakugou set down a big steaming bowl of oyakodon down in front of her. The pair of them had moved to her table and now sat opposite one another.

Artemis had to admit that the food smelled absolutely delicious. Before she could comment on the dish, her stomach made a treacherous growling sound. To her surprise, the clearly visible peas didn't seem to deter her in the slightest.

“Just eat, dumbass.” Bakugou chuckled at her expression. “Don't look so surprised.”

Biting back remarks about him possibly trying to poison her, Artemis decided that she should at least give it a taste. After all, Bakugou had put in a lot of work into this, and out of all the negative traits she had, ungratefulness certainly wasn’t one of them.

It tasted fantastic, so much so that Artemis couldn't help but stare at him slack jawed.

“What?” he snapped

“Fuck me, what did you put in this? Drugs?”

His face fell. “Hah? You saw me make it, moron! How could I have put drugs in there?”

Artemis had never seen him look so scandalized, not even when she’d compared rice to cardboard. The expression on his face was priceless, as if he couldn’t imagine a worse crime than tampering with his food. Artemis burst into laughter.

“I'm sorry. It's just… This is the best thing I've ever had.”

For a moment, Bakugou just stared at her with a blank expression. Then he cleared his throat and went back to eating.

“Of course it is. Now eat your damn food,” he grumbled without looking up.

The red blush on the tips of his ears didn't go unnoticed by Artemis, though she couldn't quite understand what had happened to put it there.

#gravity #bakugou x oc #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x oc #katsuki bakugou #bakugou #bakugo #katsuki #mha #bnha #mha fanfic #bnha fanfic #mha x oc

[laurelleghuleh]

“OF CAMOMILE AND FREEDOM” MASTERLIST

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝: 11.03.2020

𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 06.14.2021

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 17/?

𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: post

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: + 76.000

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧: Ao3, Wattpad

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Levi x OC (or x Reader if you prefer)

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Explicit

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: spoilers, gore, death, mature contents, explicit language, explicit sexual contents, prostitution, psychological traumas

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞:

This is my first fanfic ever and I'm writing it as a sort of exercise to express my creativity and practice my English, which is not my first language. So be gentle with me guys, but any constructive criticism about grammar or anything related to the language is more than welcome. Please, tell me when I'm wrong and correct me. 

I do not own Attack on Titan and its characters, or any of the fan-art I'll use. I'll insert the author's name in the notes. 

The story is highly inspired by The Birth Of Levi/No Regrets and takes place after its events. 

As you’ve already read, this story is a Levi x OC, however you can replace the main character with yourself if you want to.

Levi won't have his own chart, since he is basically the original aot character, but taller (like 5'8). Or you could just imagine Daphne/You being slightly smaller than him, just a few centimeters.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: A well-known criminal from the Underground is tasked with killing four Survey Corps soldiers, Erwin, Levi, Isabel, and Farlan, but something in her plan goes wrong. She will be forced to join the team and submit to Captain Levi. But the girl has another mission to accomplish. The titans, the fate of humanity, and her destiny, irreparably intertwined with that of Levi, will completely upset not only her plans but the captain's too.

Prologue

Chapter 1: Two wings, but to fly where?

Chapter 2: My name is Daphne

Chapter 3: Heart, tell them what you came for

Chapter 4: A word to the wise

Chapter 5: Camomile...

Chapter 6: Homecoming

Chapter 7: Bruises

Chapter 8: Bites

Chapter 9: Wounds

Chapter 10: Stitches

Chapter 11: The 57° Expedition

Chapter 12: This ravaged village is my heart

Chapter 13: Seven Devils

Chapter 14: Scars

Chapter 15: A favor

Chapter 16: Right-hand man

Chapter 17: Lilith and Adam

#LEVI ACKERMAN #Levi fanfiction #levixoc #levi x reader #levi smut #snk levi #levi fanfic #aot fanfiction #snk fanfiction #Captain Levi #levi heichou #levi #ytlcaf #read on ao3 #read on wattpad #fanfiction #fanfic

[writer-and-artist27]

Passing Days Ch 16 Preview 2

To get away from thinking about eroge roots, here's another preview of the current WIP chapter of Passing Days! To prove I'm okay and NOT DEAD.

Thinking of @partialdignity and @lunarimpact while putting this up. This is for you two. Also, @chiefladylightyay, @withanina, @siegfaerie, @hasquetzdoneanythingwrong and @panyum, if you want to stop by too.

A lot has happened since the last preview, anyways.

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

“Saber’s hesitating,” Achilles whispered.

Robin didn’t turn his head away from the fight, merely loosening the clasp on his cloak to take it off his shoulders. Vy, as much as she was doing great in putting on a brave face, was still shivering in her Mystic Code, so something had to be done. Even if Robin wasn’t liking the fight as much as either of his fellow Grailed Servants did. “You can tell too?” he said instead.

“She’s not charging forward like she usually does,” Achilles continued in the same quiet voice, absently nodding his head towards Robin in acknowledgement once he placed the No Face May King over Vy’s head. “She’s not using as much mana either, and that’s saying something when I usually charge in headfirst.”

“It’s not like you and I both can’t understand why,” Robin quipped dryly. Neither of them missed how Vy stilled once Robin wrapped an arm around her back past No Face May King. The shocked look sent in Robin’s direction through the mantle’s hood was hard to ignore too, and Robin did his best to smile at her.

A little Princess to Saber and Rider, and his own little sparrow. Vy meant a lot to all three of them. So when this battle was inevitably running on her energy, that made things a lot more complicated. It didn’t help when Vy could feel all the emotions running around the simulator room, one way or another. That was how she was, Master or not.

How ironic the fate of the world was to be found on the shoulders of a kind yet sensitive soul.

You doing okay, Vy? Robin thought through their connection.

…T-Trying, Vy eventually said, having ducked her head to rest her nose against the protective bundle of No Face May King. Robin could already tell she was doing her best to not show weakness. What about you and Achi?

No need to ask us, Princess, Achilles interrupted with a tiny huff, crossing his arms enough for Robin to feel the disapproval radiating off of him. We’re not the ones getting the prana drained out of us.

Rider, Robin said warningly.

Er… Vy paused, clearly caught off guard by her deflection not working. I asked you two beforehand?

Doesn’t help, Rider growled. This isn’t a good idea, Princess.

Without thinking, Robin commented, This coming from the guy whose chariot takes too much prana to power up anyway?

Shut it, Archer.

Robin raised one pointer finger in Achilles’ direction while ignoring the urge to pick up a smoke. You didn’t deny it.

Wanna throw down—

With barely a hint of frustration, Vy proceeded to headbutt both of them in the shoulder, wincing the entire time, and the conversation stopped there. No. Just no. Referee the knights, not fight amongst yourselves, guys. No squabbling.

…Princess, Achilles started, a hint of fond exasperation leaking into his mental voice and thus breaking the tough front that he was toting around earlier, was the headbutt necessary?

Yes!

No, Robin disagreed immediately.

I also second that no, Achilles added dryly.

Muuu, I don’t regret it! Vy pouted, ignoring the few messy strands of brown hair starting to fall out of her ponytail and down onto her forehead. Besides, the prana use isn’t as bad as it was during the Incineration!

That’s… not exactly better, Princess, Achilles said after a moment, albeit in a weaker voice, as a gloved hand reached over to pat the top of Vy’s head, smoothing the matted patches of hair away from her face. Robin made sure to step back a little to give Achilles the space to do so, still keeping his own arm around Vy’s waist the entire time. But you’re still set on doing this?

Robin felt himself open his mouth, but closed it once Vy was glancing up at him through the No Face May King. She was shooting him a smile — her usual smile that should’ve promised good things — before looking in Achilles’ direction. Always have been since Mordred came to the Wandering Sea.

…You’ll probably be unable to farm for the rest of the day, Robin said softly. Maybe lose your voice too, little sparrow. Prana drain was very much like anemia after all, with the fatigue and loss of facial pallor. It didn’t make it any less concerning when it happened to Vy on a near daily basis now thanks to the Lostbelts. For it to happen in Novum Chaldea, and with Vy’s nonchalance…

It’s okay. Vy turned her head to smile up at him again, almost as if she wasn’t aware of the icy pit of dread starting to form in Robin’s stomach. You two were already telling me I needed to rest sometime. And the knights in front of us need to work out their drama before we fight the next Crypter. I say it works out.

That doesn’t mean… Robin trailed off, chancing a moment to glance at his fellow Servant and Achilles looked just as perplexed as him. Vy…

Vy rocked back and forth on her boots for a second, her smile faltering in that very moment before resurging as she raised her head to meet Robin’s gaze once more, pink dusting her cheeks. I’ll be fine, Big Robin, she said, her mental voice tickling the back of his mind as she beamed up at him. Don’t worry about me. With a turn of her head, Robin could then hear her mental voice open up a bit to add, Same thing to you, Achi.

This is normal to me now, was left unsaid, but Robin knew both he and Rider heard it through their shared connection with Vy and his heart ached. Mommy and Daddy went through worse.

Robin forced himself to take a breath and carefully hid the shakiness of it by pulling Vy in by the waist, pressing his cheek to the top of her head through the No Face May King once she was effectively and protectively nestled into his left side. Achilles had long since pulled his hand away at that point, leaving Vy to freeze up again before inevitably squirming underneath Robin’s touch, an innocent, ironically child-like, confusion reverberating through their bond.

“Robin?” she whispered underneath all the metallic clangs of battle going on in front of them.

“I reserve the right to step in if you’re pushing yourself,” Robin muttered vehemently, raising his other hand to brush away some stray strands of hair from Vy’s neck. “I don’t care about poisoning the new guy.”

He hurt you. You matter more to me.

Vy’s smile faded for a thin line as she slowly raised one hand to grasp the one Robin was using to brush her hair away. “…Thankie,” was all she said, intertwining their fingers. “But I’ll be okay, Big Robin.”

Robin didn’t have to see Achilles’ expression to know he was sharing the same horror at the one thought brushing the both of them through their mental connection.

Still dunno if I deserve the protection, but thankie for staying with me anyway.

#fate grand order #passing days #fanfiction preview #writing #mastersona vy #robin hood #achilles #or in other words #vy is trying to write #and not think about eroge things #here you all go #long post

[chilly-me-softly]

Every Little Thing’s Gonna Be Alright • Chapter 18

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17

"Wow girls you are... wow" Ben is pleasantly surprised as soon as he sees the two girls leave the room. Deb immediately approaches him and the two share a tender kiss while Evelyn looks down embarrassed at the compliment, suddenly feeling in their way.

Eventually the three of them make their way to the lift and Evelyn's heart misses a beat every time the lift stops at other floors, opening those doors so slowly it tortures her again and again by showing people she doesn't know, before finally arriving at the right one. And so she suddenly decides to get herself together. She went through a birth weeks before and nearly feels sick about a guy. Absolutely not.

The room is bright and warm, not making her regret wearing a strapless dress at all. There are already plenty of people around, small groups chatting and laughing. Ben at her side places a hand at the base of her back leading them forward to find Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane and his wife a few steps later.

"Ben, good to see you. And with two lovely ladies I can see"

"My girlfriend Deb and my sister Evelyn" he makes the introductions after shaking his manager's hand.

"Oh Evelyn, nice to finally meet you in person. Congratulations on your baby girl" the girl smiles trying to keep from glaring at the guy next to her as she shakes hands with everyone there.

"I'm sorry if he bothered you. My brother doesn't know where to draw the line"

"Nah next training session he'll get what he deserves" Kane teases him making everyone laugh under his brother's mock indignant look.

The round of introductions continues as Ben leads both of them around the room. She doesn't feel as nervous as she had imagined, everyone is so nice and friendly and the fact that she sees almost everyone at least once a week via a screen has helped to make the environment even more familiar despite not really knowing them. But it's only fair because she finds herself on the other side for a few minutes too, experiencing what it feels like to be known by everyone but not be known at the same time. It turns out that everyone seems to know her thanks to Ben's big mouth but if nothing else that had taken the pressure off of finding conversation topics.

"You know who just walked in, get ready" Deb whispers to her while Ben is busy having a conversation with James a few steps away from them. And Evelyn does everything in her power not to turn around, clutching her glass of water wishing it was something more at that moment.

"Oh finally! You're always late mat," Ben comments as soon as he sees Jack, the two of them exchanging the usual handshake as the boy laughs. And her gaze inevitably ends on him.  

The suit wraps his body properly, the tie is perfectly done and for a moment she wonders if someone has helped him. But there is no one at his side and she feels stupidly relieved. Their eyes meet for a brief moment and that is enough to send a shiver down her spine.

"Jack, do you remember my sister Evelyn?"

"How could I not. I mean we spent a whole day putting that cot together, did we?!" he steps forward leaning over slightly to leave a kiss on her cheek. And as he does the same greeting Deb, a trail of his scent reaches her nostrils. He looks so calm, as if nothing has happened, while she is in complete shambles. Again.  

"How's the baby? I hope the cot held up. I wasn't so convinced we'd be able to make it" Evelyn laughs partly and mostly at the absurdity of the situation.

"She's fine. And the cradle too, it's very comfortable. Not that I've... tried it out or anything" she replies, stumbling on a few words, wanting to facepalm herself, miming a gritted 'help me' to Deb when she's sure no one's looking.

"I need a refill. Eve are you coming with me?" Deb points to her glass before taking the girl under her arm and heading for the small bar area.

Evelyn sighs relieved once she walks away as Deb laughs, "Girl you are so hopeless"

"God why do I have to be so stupid?"

"Did I ever tell you about how I met your brother?" Evelyn shakes her head, interested in the story. Her brother had never been a fan of gossip, it was bad enough that he had let them know he was seeing someone let alone the whole story of how it happened.

"I was out with my friends and I was trying to impress this guy"

"You hooked up with my brother when you were interested in someone else?!" she asked amused as Deb shushed her with a hand gesture, taking the full glass and moving a little further aside.

"Let me finish. Anyway what I was saying, oh yeah I was trying to impress this guy. Nice looking bloke... but apparently he didn't see me. I reckon I spent hours dancing, fooling around with my friends trying to get his attention. But nothing"

"Until I practically ran into this guy who smiles at me and says you know it's not worth wasting time on someone who doesn't want you the way you want him"

"Ben" she states almost unnecessarily but Deb nods anyway smiling.

"Turns out he'd been watching me all night instead, only I was too busy being a fool to notice"

"So you're saying I need to look over?" Deb almost rolls her eyes in exasperation.  

"No. I'm telling you to open your eyes and look around. You feel stupid because you're trying so hard to hide your feelings. Let yourself go. If it goes well you'll have a decent person by your side, if it goes wrong... you'll get back up as usual"

"And if you're going to say you have a baby girl, I'm going to slap you. Right here in front of everyone" Evelyn immediately shuts her mouth, not wanting to challenge the girl who is more than capable of doing such a thing.

"You really know how to comfort people" she comments instead sarcastically glaring at her, trying to make her feel guilty at least a little.

"You don't need comfort, just a little push" she winks at her before they are interrupted by Ben dragging his girlfriend away to dance after making sure once again that everything is fine.

Evelyn stands there watching the two of them sway mindlessly in the middle of the dance floor and smiles. She remembers the first wedding their parents decided they were old enough to attend, how they hid under a table for almost half the reception to escape the entertainer and how Ben swore he would never dance like the groom and bride that day because 'too close, too much contact yuck'.

"What are you drinking?" a voice brings her back down to earth and when she turns her head she finds Jack at her side leaning against that counter with absolute nonchalance.

"Water"

"Oh. It definitely takes a bit of alcohol to get through these nights" he says with a hint of hilarity ordering a beer from the person behind the bar.

"I can't. I haven't touched a drop in ages now and I don't fancy making a fool of myself in front of everyone thanks"

"Something interesting. Sure you don't want some?"

"I'm glad my public humiliation excites you so much" Jack laughs before bringing the freshly served bottle closer to his lips.

"Besides, it doesn't seem to me they're forcing you to attend"

"I was so close to not coming in fact. Then I heard you were going to be there" their gazes intertwine as she tries to figure out if he's messing with her or if by some strange twist of fate she's misunderstood. But it's all there, in his ever so penetrating eyes. If she chooses not to see it, it's up to her.

"Are you two getting friendly?" she almost jumps on the spot not having heard him coming as Jack imperceptibly straightens his back.

"Something like that" Jack takes a long swig from his bottle, "I was just telling your sister that without alcohol these evenings are pretty boring"

"You're going to have to start looking for someone or we're going to start calling you Jack the boozer" Ben jokes as Deb scolds him for being rude and Jack shoots Evelyn a look before scoffing at him and taking another sip of that beer.

-

The first thing she thinks of as soon as the signal comes that they can leave is to run to her room as fast as she can to get rid of those heels. She had forgotten how confident they made her feel but also how uncomfortable they were after a while. That's why when Ben and Deb suggest her to go get something to eat with them, she flatly refuses. It's okay, she had a good night at the end and they deserve some time alone too without having to babysit her.

She heads for the lift as the two then head for the hotel exit, not taking long to get into the cubicle. Almost as the doors are about to close a hand blocks them and two people enter the lift. The door is about to close again but it's blocked again and she's about to huff loudly, dreading her plan, when her gaze meets Jack's. He approaches her as the doors finally close and the lift begins its ascent.

There is silence in the cubicle, Evelyn keeps her eyes on the display showing the current floor number, swaying slightly on her knees. When she feels something brush her hand along her side, first imperceptibly, so much so that she thinks she imagined it, then more firmly. The pinkie of Jack's hand searches for hers before intertwining and stupidly something inside her bursts, radiating a sudden warmth.

She doesn't look at him, instead keeping her gaze fixed on that number that keeps going up slowly. But she doesn't even do anything to interrupt that moment, enjoying the warmth released by that contact no matter how small and everything else.

The lift doors suddenly open and before she can realize it, the grip on her hand tightens and she finds herself in a hallway being led by Jack.

"What are you doing that's not my plan" she states confused but offering no resistance, curious as to what he might be up to.

"It's mine" he just says turning his head towards her for a second before taking the key card with his free hand and stopping in front of a door.

"I just want to spend some time with you. I can't waste this opportunity" he admits sincerely and she simply smiles at him waiting for him to open that door.

When she walks inside the first thing she does is let herself fall on the bed kicking off her heels, moaning at the feeling of freedom as Jack smiles closing the door behind him.

"Don't you dare use that against me. They were killing me"

"I didn't say anything" Jack raises his hands holding back a giggle and she tries to glare at him as he places his jacket on the chair nearby loosening his tie before sitting down on the bed next to her.

"Just know that you just ruined all my plans"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I could already see myself in my room getting rid of these heels and this dress, maybe a nice warm bath and a good refreshing sleep"

"Oh you can go if you want"

"Nah I'm here now" she says shrugging and he smiles before laying down next to her. They look into each other's eyes, both studying the other's face as if for the first time, until Evelyn sighs.

"I practically asked Deb never to leave me alone tonight and yet here I am" if she thinks about it it only makes her laugh.

"Were you afraid I might kidnap you?"

"That I might do something stupid actually"

"Like what?"

"Like be alone with you somewhere and-"

"And kiss me again. Is that what you're worried about?" Evelyn sighs closing her eyes but she can still feel his gaze on her, so persistent.

"Do you want to kiss me? Because I want to, so bad" she can hear his desire in his voice and she's thankful her eyes are closed and she can't see his expression too because that's the only reason she hasn't thrown herself at him frankly. She's struggling so much in that moment with her brain, and then here he comes.

"Can you open your eyes please?" he asks softly as she shakes her head, holding her breath when she hears him move.

"You know I stood outside your house I think for at least an hour that day. Hoping maybe you'd change your mind" he whispers catching her off guard, his voice closer now. And finally she gives in opening her eyes looking at him intently.

"Why?"

"Because whatever this is between us it's clear we both feel it Eve. I don't want to dance around it anymore"

"Jack I-"

"And I gave you your space because I knew you would need it. But all I've been doing is thinking about you, thinking about that kiss"

Evelyn sits on the edge of the bed at that point, leaning forward resting her elbows on her thighs and closing her fists in her hair. She feels him do the same as the bed moulds under their weight.

"You scare me. Because you make me feel things I thought I'd never feel again. Not as strong" a few seconds pass in which silence is the main protagonist, before he changes position kneeling in front of her. His hands go to release her hair from that hold, fingers to intertwine with each other.

"I know it's hard to trust and letting you go again after a breakup"

"That's the problem. I feel like I can trust you and that scares me because with Lucas I... we shared so much in such a short time and I even thought I loved him, and with you... I don't want that to happen again, I couldn't bear it"

"Little by little, allow yourself to be happy again. Let me in Eve" Evelyn's body comes forward imperceptibly as she pulls her hands from Jack's grasp, laying them immediately afterwards on his cheeks to pull him to her and make their lips meet. She stops thinking for once, following her feelings. And if she doesn't feel on the clouds, she doesn't know what describes that moment frankly.

"You don't know the confusion in my head right now" she giggles, resting her forehead against his. "I really want to turn my brain off sometimes"

"Oh I'm here for that" Jack grins mischievously pushing Evelyn backwards suddenly, causing her to lose her balance, and lie down next to her as she lets out a choked squeal in surprise before laughing. He moves closer to her again connecting their lips together smiling, he can't help but want more and more.

They can't break away but at the same time Evelyn doesn't want to rush things so she puts some space between them, deciding to take off that dress to get more comfortable and borrowing something from Jack's suitcase. She takes her time in the en-suite bathroom, sorting herself out and admiring in the mirror how those clothes are soaked in the boy's scent and she brings them to her nose stupidly before shaking her head and getting out of there.

Jack has changed too in the meantime, ditching his fancy shirt and trousers for something more comfortable, getting into bed and fiddling with his phone while waiting for her. It's a bit late but neither of them wants to close their eyes because it would mean ending the day and leaving, parting ways again.

"What will happen once we leave this room?" Evelyn voices her thoughts with a sigh causing him to look up from his phone which is immediately pushed aside.

"Come here" Jack holds out his hand to her and she walks over to him settling on his lap and letting his arms wrap around her.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen. You're gonna go back to your beautiful little girl and cuddle her because you've missed her so much and I'm gonna go back to my house and let my dog do that" the girl laughs as he leaves a kiss on her temple, "But we're gonna do everything we can to keep in touch like before or even more because I'm not leaving you now, that's for sure"

"Sorry, I just seem to need some comfort all the time"

"I'm here to give it to you. Whenever you need it. We said little by little right?" she kisses him again and each time a smile arises spontaneously on her lips. It's absurd, at the beginning of the day she had wished for it to pass as quickly as possible so she could go home to her little girl, but now she wishes it would last a little longer so she wouldn't have to be separated from Jack. To stay in that bubble they have created for themselves in those hours and in which they are so comfortable.

They talk and talk over and over until the yawns outweigh the words and then they give up, holding each other for what's left of the night taking all they can before they inevitably burst that bubble and test themselves in the tangled world they live in.

----

Tag: @alexajanecollins @emwritesfootball @rosie7703

Chapter 19

#every little thing's gonna be alright #my writing #original #football imagine #football imagines #jack grealish #jack grealish imagine #jack grealish imagines #ben chilwell #ben chilwell imagine #ben chilwell imagines

[wangxiandecoded]

Episode 7 (& Wangxian Meta)

Previous Episode | Next Episode

(Spoilers for the whole show ahead!)

The Chosen Ones

Lan Zhan, if this scene foreshadows anything, it’s that he’s certainly going to become a part of your domestic affair.

There is something powerful about the first and only female Lan clan leader giving them her blessing and saying it was destiny that they found their way to her just as she’s about to fade into oblivion. Wangxian are the archetypal Chosen Ones who have been entrusted with keeping the Yin Iron safe. And if this was yet another straight adventure story that delivers poetic justice, we would expect it to conclude with these two people ending up together - and that’s what The Untamed does in a roundabout way with our heroes.

Nothing to see here. Just two guys tripping over each other because the sacred string of fate pulled them towards each other.

Lan Zhan, I’ll Be Your Secret Keeper!

This episode is full of instances where Wei Ying refuses to tell other characters what really happened in the cave, then turns around to look at Lan Zhan with a proud look that screams, “I’m so good at keeping secrets, aren’t I? We are soulmates! Come on, validate me, Lan Zhan!”

The expression on Lan Qiren’s face when Wei Ying calls Lan Zhan his confidant/soulmate. No words are needed. 

The Yin Iron Secret™ is obviously bringing them closer and they begin to share loaded glances that convey everything they wish to say without actually having to. Thus begins the process of everyone third wheeling Wangxian.

Jiang Cheng thinks Wei Ying should move into the Cloud Recesses since he’s hanging out with Lan Zhan all the time. Lan Zhan hears that and appears to be a tad bit disappointed Wei Ying might never actually do that since their lifestyles are leagues apart. It’s tough being Wei Wuxian sometimes.

The Lantern That Started Everything

We are here, folks! The moment that started it all, the scene that defined Wangxian’s story. Once again, Wangxian are framed in contrast with the two straight couples. 

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are standing together and look at each other while making their wish, just like Yanli x Jin Zixuan, and Jiang Cheng x Wen Qing.

Lan Zhan says he is used to doing it alone and Wei Ying comments old habits can be changed, which just points to the latter’s impact on the former’s life.

Wei Ying has another accomplishment to cross off his list : Finally made Lan Zhan smile today!

Mian Mian asks Yanli why she didn’t make the lantern together with Jin Zixuan, as praying together is a custom followed by couples that are to be married. And that tells you everything you need to know about Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s relationship.   

The first of many times that Lan Zhan rushes in to hold Wei Ying back.

Lan Zhan for a second believed Wei Ying finally learnt his lessons and crossed over to the lawful good side.. but come on, you love him precisely because he would never do that. And those ants are cute.

Jiang Fengmian proposes to cancel the troth between the clans to marry Yanli and Jin Zixuan. It is worth mentioning that Jiang clan’s approach to marriage is to never force their kids into a lifelong relationship they are not sure they want as they believe in “following one’s nature”. When even straight relationships are progressive and value happiness above all else, what is to stop the show from selling us a central gay romance that ends happily? Absolutely nothing.

We’ve now seen both the protagonists reject the romantic idea of spending their life with a woman. 

Missing Lan Zhan Hours Now Open

Wei Ying pouting like.. What do you mean we have to leave already? Lan Zhan literally just started acknowledging me as his soulmate. 

Oh no, Lan Zhan.. Why aren’t you including your soulmate on the super secret plan™?!

Wei Ying’s reason for wanting to say goodbye to only Lan Zhan out of all the disciples is, “Why can’t I admire his talents? You’re all losers who can’t fight me and he is my Match (Made In Heaven), I desire for an equivalence (and a meaningful union between souls.)”

The camera moves from the Yunmeng siblings squabbling to Lan Zhan observing them from a distance. Zewu Jun joins him and comments that after Wei Ying’s departure, Yun Shen will be silent once more. Lan Zhan’s face falls a little, understandably because he was getting more than used to Wei Ying’s chaotic presence in his life.

Zewu Jun is worried if Lan Zhan will be alright on his journey alone and raises the idea if he should tell Wei Ying about his quest. But Lan Zhan, our beloved idiot, still needs that extra push to come to terms with his feelings and realize Wei Ying will instantly drop everything for a lifetime by his side if he were to only say the word.

Rabbits Symbolise The Chinese Gay God

Even before the fandom taught me that the Chinese god of homosexuality is literally The Rabbit God, so the inclusion of rabbits is gloriously queer subtext, I could gather that they symbolised Wangxian’s feelings for each other. They both talk to the rabbits when the other is not there, Wei Ying paints a rabbit lantern for them to wish together, Lan Zhan raised Ah Yuan among these rabbits because they reminded him of Wei Ying and after 16 years, Lan Zhan drunkenly admits he likes rabbits (the equivalent of saying he’s always liked Wei Ying), they buy the rabbit lantern together and finally come back to find these rabbits in Cloud Recesses. The rabbits are a part of the Wangxian family.

The reappearance of the rabbits when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s dynamics have changed 16 years later is very telling. Their relationship by then has survived death and the miraculous return from death; it’s gone through the whole cycle of the promise of love, the pain of loss, the joy of redemption. The rabbits bring their life full circle to denote the certainty and comfort in the fact that they have each other after the trials and tribulations their romance has withstood. Wei Ying even says he isn’t scared of what happens anymore in that scene. There is nothing that can separate our heroes after this, they just have to brave whatever comes together.

And then there’s this promo picture and scene from a later episode where two rabbits are kissing.

This is how The Untamed screamed gay rights : “We’re not saying the heroes are gay, but the Yunshen rabbits are definitely gay and no one can do anything about it!” Only, the rabbits are such a huge part of this love story. 

Wangxian’s Promise of Love and Honor

When they make the wish together, Lan Zhan looks at Wei Ying with a kind of awe and reverence like, how did I not recognize him from the moment we met? He eyes the pouch containing the Yin metal and realizes they are both more alike than he thought, that this guy is possibly and most definitely his soulmate. This is an important stage in their relationship.

When he hears Wei Ying wish that he wants to eliminate evil and protect the weak in exchange for a life without anything weighing down their hearts - I think it is at this point he begins to see him as more of a life partner with whom he can share everything, than just a friend. Because Wei Ying’s impact on Lan Zhan’s life is so profound it alters his being, tilts his axis and expands his perspective. Wei Ying brought with him a free-spirited, flexible measurement of morality and an ardent quest for truth that no 3000 rules of the Lan clan had ever laid down. He realizes the rules he grew up on are right but Wei Ying, with all his moral complexity, can also be right. Wei Ying’s companionship introduced Lan Zhan to a fluid perception of right and wrong that he found perfectly acceptable. This shows Lan Zhan and Wei Ying belong to the new generation that is here to reform the broken system built by their ancestors. In this moment, by choosing to view him as his unequivocal soulmate, by acknowledging their paths are to be forever intertwined, Lan Zhan liberates his mind from the monochromatic perception of life he was brought up on. By making this wish together, Lan Zhan trusts Wei Ying to always do the right thing from now on and trusts the both of them to lead a life that they are proud of.

He doesn’t know right now that staying committed to this wish is going to demand everything from them in the future, but he does know that Wei Ying is the greatest person he has ever met and the first one who is so compatible with him. And that is a revelation to Lan Zhan because there are easily a million things that set them apart. All the same, he sees his own core values reflected in his soulmate. He decides it couldn’t be the worst thing in this world to stand by Wei Ying’s side especially when he’s doing the most honorable thing they both know to be true. This common ground means something to Lan Zhan, even if we don’t hear him admit that. Because here is Wei Ying telling him he doesn’t need to be alone anymore even though he’s used to it. That he doesn’t have to go through any of it alone as long as he is there: fight for justice, vanquish evil, or even simply go through everyday life. Lan Zhan’s face in this scene is understandably the face of a man who is falling in love.

The promise they make to each other on this cliff was in a way, a promise to follow their own path that ended up operating above the constraints of and reinvented the cultivation world’s jurisdiction. There are going to be many forces trying to convince them it's not the right way, but the path they share, which is both the literal path of justice and their love for each other (they are synonymous, after all) is the one they courageously forge and painfully commit to when their world is unable to go on existing with the faulty principles it was founded on. That is why their romance survives every obstacle in the end. It is founded on a love that runs so deep it recognizes and respects the other in the many lifetimes spent serving their just cause. Their love, and the extents it goes to in order to thrive, is the answer to all the troubles that ail their world. And it all began with this lantern. 

This is why The Untamed is the gay drama and Wangxian are the gay warriors the universe has been waiting for. It staged gay romance in a realm ruled by gentry and the supernatural, giving us equal parts of gore as there is swashbuckling, gut-wrenching drama. Literally never been done before.

In conclusion, Episode 7 deepens the bond between our heroes and sets up the main struggle in their romance as we wait to see what will become of the wish they made together. But one thing is clear : They are bound together forever, not just by their love for each other but also by their common cause. That is why the road they walk on can never be different. It will forever be the single plank road they will always find their way back to.

#the untamed #chen qing ling #mo dao zu shi #cql #mdzs #the untamed meta #cql meta #mdzs meta #wangxian meta #wangxian #wangxian analysis #the untamed analysis #cql analysis #lan zhan #wei ying #wei wuxian #lan wangji #the untamed rewatch #the untamed episodes #cql rewatch #cql episodes #ep7

[stubbornness-and-spite]

the ink on our skin and the blood in our hearts(are intertwined): Chapter One

I finally wrote the EJ/Nini/Ricky soulmate fic I’ve been craving(the first 5 chapters at least). AO3 link in reblog 

previous chapter | next chapter

Fandom: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Genre: slowburn soulmate au with sprinklings of fluff and angst

Notes: I didn’t want to rewrite scenes that were essentially the same as canon just with a little bit of soulmate au mixed in, so I only wrote in the scenes that were either different or we didn’t see them in canon to begin with. Any scenes I left out happened basically the same as canon. 

In this universe, soulmates share any ink or marks on their skin after the youngest soulmate turns 16. Makeup companies design their products to not transmit through soulbonds. 

Let me know if anything(timeline/universe/POV switches/etc) is unclear and if I should edit. I’m open to critisism, but be aware that this is unbetaed and I am writing it for fun. 

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 1471

Summary: Ricky Bowen and Nini Salazar-Roberts have known they were going to be soulmates since they were in kindergarten. They had is all planned out. Ricky would turn sixteen to blank skin and two months later when Nini turned sixteen, their skin would share ink. Fate cares little for the plans of kindergarteners.

E.J. Caswell doesn't believe in soulmates. Oh, he believes that there are people who share ink, but he doesn't believe that marks on anyone's skin are enough to dictate how people live their lives. He's never seen a mark on his own skin and he never plans to make a mark his soulmate can see. Fate cares as much for the stubbornness of teenagers as she does the plans of kindergarteners.

Reblogs are greatly appreciated! 

~

Ricky POV

When Ricky turned sixteen, his arms were blank, and he called Nini immediately.

“Nini, Nini, Nini!” he shouted into the phone as soon as she answered. “I don’t have any marks!”

“Ricky?” Nini asked groggily, yawning and blinking sleep from her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Just after midnight on my sixteenth birthday!” Ricky exclaimed. “Why are you asleep?”

Nini yawned. “Because it’s also just after midnight during tech week, and I had rehearsal until 11 and again at 6 am tomorrow.”

“Sorry,” Ricky mumbled.

“It’s fine,” Nini replied. She yawned and sat up. “I’m awake now. Tell me what happened!”

“I have no marks!” Ricky exclaimed again.

“Oh?” Nini asked. “ Oh, ” she repeated. “Your soulmate’s younger than you.”

“Or I don’t have one, or they just never bothered to write anything, but what are the odds of that?” Ricky asked through a wide grin. “Now we just have to wait until your birthday!”

“Two months,” Nini said softly. “Two months and we’ll know.”

“Yeah,” Ricky sighed fondly. “Two months.”

“What if-” Nini cut herself off and started again. “What if we don’t match? What if my birthday comes and I don’t have any marks either or I have someone else’s marks?”

“It won’t happen, Nini,” Ricky reassured her. “And if it does, we’ll figure it out.”

(chapter continues under the cut)

Two months went by quickly. Ricky went to see Nini perform in some show he couldn’t remember the name of. He didn’t know enough about theater to compliment her properly, so he told her that she lit up the stage. He also gave her a few compliments that he’d picked from a list online. It was the thought that counted.

They spent most of their free time in Nini’s bedroom or Big Red’s basement, swapping stories that they both already knew.

Ricky begged his dad to let him stay the night at Nini’s on her sixteenth birthday, and they stayed up until midnight to see if anything appeared on her skin. Around 11:30, Nini changed into her shortest pair of shorts and a tube top to show as much of her skin as possible. At 11:45, Ricky considered writing on his hand for the first time but decided not to, wanting to wait until he could see the line appear on Nini’s hand too. At 12:01, a splotch of ink appeared on Nini’s right shoulder. At 12:02, Ricky stopped breathing.

“I didn’t do that,” he whispered. “I didn’t spill ink on my shoulder.” His hand drifted to cover the spot on his shirt that mirrored the mark on Nini’s shoulder.

Nini tugged a sweater on and slid her legs under the blanket. “This doesn’t have to change anything. I love you, Ricky.”

“I-” Ricky’s eyes were wide. “I don’t-” His breathing quickened. “Maybe we should take a pause. You’re going away for the summer and I just-” His breath caught. “I need some time, Nini.”

“Okay,” Nini murmured. “Okay.”

“I’m just going to-” Ricky pointed at Nini’s bedroom door and stumbled towards it, clumsily pulling it open. “I’ll see you?” Nini didn’t respond and Ricky pulled the door shut.

~

Carol had driven him home without asking any questions, which Ricky was grateful for because he didn’t think he could answer without crying. Soulmates were supposed to be the thing that kept people together. He thought he loved Nini, but Ricky knew that wasn’t enough. His parents were proof of that. They’d both gone against the system when they were younger and had thought they were in love with people who weren’t their soulmates, but they had ended up together anyway. Nothing was stronger than soulmates and Nini wasn’t his.

Ricky slipped in his front door without waking his dad and fell asleep in his clothes, on top of his blankets, never noticing the spot of ink on his shoulder that was washed away by morning.

~

The summer went by in a blur. Ricky swore up and down it was the longest summer he’d ever lived, but at the same time, it was over in the blink of an eye and he was seeing Nini again.

He wanted to try again with her. Maybe soulmates weren’t everything because he was miserable without Nini. Maybe even if they did end up with their soulmates eventually, they could share the rest of high school with each other.

“I met someone.”

Ricky’s heart stopped. “You’re kidding, right? It was a break, not a breakup.”

“Well, it’s a breakup now.”

And what the hell was he supposed to do with that?

~

EJ POV

EJ was glad when his sixteenth birthday rolled around and his skin was blank. Maybe he was one of the lucky few without a soulmate. He hated the idea of soulmates. He wanted to control his own life, to decide for himself who he was going to spend it with, not have his life dictated by whose skin shared ink with his.

He went out of his way to make sure he never wrote on himself or let anyone else draw or write on his skin. He carried bandaids and wipes with him everywhere so if he ever got a cut, he could keep the blood from staining his soulmate’s skin. Ashlynn insisted that he was being ridiculous, but EJ was adamant. He was not going to have a soulmate. He was going to love whoever he wanted.

And he did. He dated a lot of different girls and didn’t care at all when they left him for their soulmates, whether they had met them yet or not. He didn’t care at all. He just moved onto the next girl.

He made it until the summer before his eighteenth birthday without incident. The few times he got ink on himself, a few times on his hands, and once on his left shoulder when a pen burst, he washed it off completely before the next day and he never saw a message back.

The summer before he turned eighteen he met Nini. She was the first girl he’d met who had turned sixteen, seen her soulmate marks, and wasn’t searching for her soulmate. He fell a little bit in love with her right then and there. Then he heard her sing and saw her act and he fell for her even more. By the time they actually started talking, EJ was head over heels for the girl and ready to run away from the soulmate system and off into the sunset with her.

“Where are you headed once camp’s over?” EJ asked, as close to Nini as he could be without actually having his arm around her.

“Back to Salt Lake City,” she replied. “We go to the same school, EJ.”

“I’m stupid!” EJ hit his forehead with his palm and grinned. “How have we not talked before now? You’re amazing.”

Nini snorted and rolled her eyes with a smile. “You’re sweet. I’ve been kind of under a rock for the past few years. I’ve been in the ensemble of the last few musicals but I really only talk to Kourtney, Big Red, and…” she trailed off.

“Who else?” EJ prompted.

“Ricky,” Nini said, her voice turning slightly sharp. Her bright smile dimmed. “We’ve been friends since kindergarten and kinda-dating since middle school. We started actually dating at the start of sophomore year. We kind of broke up when summer started.”

“How do you kind of break up with someone?” EJ asked. “How does anyone break up with you?”

Nini laughed. “He’s a few months older than me and we always thought we’d be soulmates, so he was really excited when his skin was blank on his sixteenth birthday, but when my sixteenth birthday rolled around and I had ink on me that he hadn’t drawn, he freaked out. He was supposed to be my soulmate, whatever the ink on our skin said, but when he saw someone else’s ink, he said we should “take a break.” Whatever that means.”

“It means he’s not good enough for you,” EJ said, smiling earnestly.

“And you are?” Nini asked.

EJ sputtered. “I wasn’t saying that, but…” he hesitated. “I’d like to try to be? If that’s something you want too?”

“EJ Caswell, are you asking me out?”

EJ coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Was that not clear?”

Nini pushed her hair out of her face and grinned. “No, it was clear, but I want you to ask me properly anyway.”

EJ pulled away from her and lifted himself up onto one knee. “Nini… I-don’t-know-your-last-name,”

“Salazar-Roberts,” Nini said, her smile practically splitting her face.

“Nini Salazar-Roberts,” EJ continued. “Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”

Nini pretended to think it over. “On one condition.”

“Which is?”

Nini leaned forward and kissed him quickly. “If you be my boyfriend.”

~

Taglist - let me know if you want to be added or removed!

@after-nine-at-the-oasis

#hsmtmts #hsm the series #hsmtmts fic #nini hsmtmts #ricky hsmtmts #ej hsmtmts #nini salazar roberts #ricky bowen #ej caswell #poly ship #soulmarks #soulmate au #ot3

[cottage-babe]

Burning Scars part IV

Previous | Chapter 4 | Next

Masterlist

I’ve been watching haikyuu and Nishinoya is so cute :(((

This chapter is going to fill in pretty much EVERYTHING related to Y/n’s past. also i feel like this shorter than my other chapters idk

Summary: Y/n, a werewolf from a hidden village, comes across Zuko and Iroh after being exiled. How has fate intertwined the wolf into the avatar's destiny?

*****This chapter takes place on Season 2 Episode 11*****

___

“Thank you,” Y/n said as she accepted the cup of tea from Mushi. 

The boys were surprisingly welcoming to her. Lee had begun to ask questions as soon as she came up to them, but his uncle had told him to stop and let her speak. He set up a pot of tea and had now given some to the young teens. 

All throughout the wait for the drink, Y/n’s mind was racing. Where does she start? How much does she tell them? The girl desperately wanted to come clean, but her loyalty to her pack deterred her. However, she knew that she had no obligations anymore, so why was she still so stuck on them?

Mushi took the spot next to Lee and quietly sipped his drink. His eyes weren’t on her, but she could feel that his desire for answers was just as strong as Lee’s. 

She took a deep breath and started her story.

“So I’m a- uh- werewolf.”

Silence. 

The girl knew that she probably should’ve continued from there, but she couldn’t help but wait for their reactions. Or rather, lack thereof. 

Y/n didn’t want to look up at their faces. If she did, she knew that their facial expressions would cause her to assume things and she didn’t want to guess their emotions; if they felt something, then they would need to say it. 

“Oh, well, we know that much!” The uncle laughed lightly, breaking the obvious tension. 

“But Uncle, I thought you said they were only myths; fiction.” Lee questioned.

“What more proof do you need? She’s a living, breathing piece of evidence!”

The teen nodded his head as he thought about that logic. Y/n assumed that it would be hard for him to process; just yesterday he had heard the story and now there she was, telling him that it wasn’t a myth, it was completely real and in front of him. 

“So, are you the only one? Or are there more?” Lee thought for a moment. “Wait, no, you mentioned a town before; there’s a whole village of werewolves?!”

I have no obligations toward my pack. I have no obligations toward my pack. I have no obligations toward my pack. 

“Yes,” she said confidently. It was about time that she went past her fear of her pack. They could no longer control her, she was her own person who could make her own decisions. 

But they’re your family.

Y/n shook the thought out of her head. Family doesn’t treat family that way. 

“Don’t ask me where they live or anything, because I won’t speak it.” Y/n succumbed to her guilty side slightly, hoping it would soothe her small feelings of regret. 

“We won’t, we promise,” Mushi said while sending a stern stare toward Lee. The boy nodded his head once again. 

Lee continued with his questions, though. “Why aren’t you with them then? You came to us two days ago, alone. Did something happen?”

Why does he ask so many questions?

She supposed that if she wanted to maintain their trust, she would have to wipe the slate clean; no more lies and no more hiding. They already knew that her kind existed, so there was no way that she would let them leave her behind. 

“In my pack, there’s a rite of passage that we must do when we turn 16...”

___

This was it. The day that everyone in the pack was waiting for. 

The L/n children’s Days of Trials. 

The morning had started wildly; their mom had helped clean the fur of all five of her “pups” while they watched decorations and food being prepared from afar. The village was quite small and had wooden huts for each family. Each one had a large leaf door that slid close for privacy; they had evolved a lot since their original days. Almost everyone in the pack was helping set up, except for the male Alpha.

That man just so happened to be their father; the exact reason why everyone was making such a big fuss over today. The Alpha’s children were going to be doing their trials to prove their worth to the pack. Some of the other wolves were excited and curious to see how the days would pan out; recently, there had been a spike of children who couldn’t complete the tasks assigned. 

However, there were many members who didn’t quite care for the right of passages. Every time the children of their leaders undergo the trials, they pass with flying colors. Never has there been a “royal” family child that didn’t meet the standards that were put up. 

Half of the workers around were in their human bodies to put up the decor while the other half were using their wolf’s to carry heavy things. It was a beautiful harmony that Y/n enjoyed on the Days of Trials; no one in the pack was looked down on for using their human skins. People would only use what was convenient. 

The five teen’s mother changed down to her human form. Her children copied her actions.

Their mother had long, overgrown hair and lively eyes. She was the kindest mother that the kids could ever dream of having. The wrinkles that surrounded her eyes not only showed age, but her strong, wise experience. She was absolutely perfect. 

Mother sighed as she looked at each one of her kids in the eyes.

“I want all of you to know that no matter what happens, I am proud of you,” she smiled so sweetly. “You worked so hard to be here and no amount of trials can take that away.”

Just as she said that, someone called for her aid and she had to leave, but not before leaving a kiss on all five of her kid’s foreheads. 

Soon, the siblings were left alone. 

“I-I don’t know if I can do this,” Fen spoke while trying to even out his erratic breaths. “It just feels so wrong to lie like this.”

Ayano rubbed Fen’s back to try and calm him. Then, Binu spoke up.

“I hate to agree with him, but he’s kinda right. Mom’s worried about our safety while we’re here with a secure plan? It feels sick to let her be so scared.”

Shong crossed his arms with a glare. “Don’t be dumb, guys. Our plan makes it so we all come out alive. If anything, we’re doing her a favor.”

They’re tall brother spoke some truths. The siblings had devised a scheme a long time ago to ensure that each member completed their tasks efficiently and met the bare minimums. 

They’re first task would be to go out and hunt a total of three animals before the sun rose to the center of the sky, signaling noon. Y/n and Binu were the best hunter’s of the family; while Y/n took hiding in the shadows easy, Binu was fast enough to outrun any animal. The two would use their skills to help the other’s catch their prey and make it back before their time ended.

Then, their next task would be working as a group to capture something that belonged to an opposite group (sort of like capture the flag). It was meant to see if the group could work together nicely and form a strategy. Luckily for them, Shong was very smart and him with the combination of Ayano would be able to easily make up a plan for any situation. 

Lastly, the five siblings would have to fight head on with each other and gain a total of two wins. They weren’t aware of the line up, but the siblings knew that no matter who went up against who, they would stick to the plan.

If they didn’t, then members of their family could be gone forever. 

___

“Ahh, I see,” Mushi said once the girl took a pause in her story to drink her tea, “Your plan didn’t work, then?”

Y/n shook her head softly and spoke quietly. “No, no. It did work. We made it past the first two trials so quickly, we almost broke a record.” A frown slowly set upon her face. “It was just at the third trial that things didn’t go as smoothly...”

___

“I think a congratulations is in order!” Ayano yelled as she held her wooden cup up into the air. 

Y/n let out a laugh and grabbed her sister’s arm. “We haven’t even finished everything yet. The last Test is tomorrow, so maybe you should get some sleep.”

Her siblings were, to say the least, drunk. 

One of them (at this point, Y/n couldn’t remember who) had stolen some liquor and brought it to the brothers and sisters. They all had a couple drinks, but Y/n and Fen seemed to be the only ones smart enough to remember what tomorrow was. 

They had finished the first day of the Trials; they had assumed that it would be the hardest due to the randomness of it, but it had seemed fairly easy. 

Many say that the Days of Trials were never meant to be hard, they just weeded out the absolute weakest of a bunch. Y/n wasn’t entirely sure how other’s had failed the tasks, but she didn’t like to think much of it. 

There were rumors of what had happened to the werewolves that didn’t pass. Some say that they were forced to live in solitude for the rest of their lives... others say that the pack’s fighters chase them down for fun. 

It was a little alarming that not even she, daughter of a family who is ranked so high, knew what happened to those poor wolves. 

Ayano clumsily transformed into her wolf skin and whined softly. Y/n sighed before looking at Fen. 

“You can take care of the other boys, right?”

He gave her a small salute. “Yup, I got it.”

She was about to help her sister out before Fen began to talk again. Y/n turned around to see Binu on the floor, but Shong was no where to be seen. 

“Uhh... you wouldn’t happen to know where Shong is, Y/n?”

The girl groaned in exasperation and dropped her sister onto the floor. 

Just as the brother and sister were about to leave their hut to search for him, the man in question pushed his way passed the hanging door and paused when he met their stare. 

“Dude, we were about to go look for you.” Fen groaned out, then went to the passed out Binu on the floor. “Help me bring him to our room.”

And with that, the two semi-sober siblings completely ignored Shong’s time of leave, despite knowing that no one else in their pack was awake that late into the night. 

The next afternoon, the five of them rushed to a big, open center where the rest of the pack was surrounding. Almost everyone was in their wolf skins, so they copied the actions of their fellow members. It was there that the children learned of the order that they were fighting in. 

There would be ten matches: each teen going against each of their siblings. A battle would be won once the victor gets their opponent outside of the circle. This trial was supposed to be the easiest for the five brothers and sisters. Emphasis on supposed.

Their fights went semi-smoothly.

At first, it was hard for the wolves to pretend to fight. They attacked each other like it was their dying wish, but in reality it was all a part of their plan. 

Just two wins each, that’s all they needed. 

By the time seven matches finished, Binu had already received his two wins; the rest of his fights ended with him losing dramatically as if he were in a play. Shong also had his two wins, but he still had to fight two more rounds and give his opponents the victory. 

The eighth battle was between Shong and Fen.

Fen only had one win under his belt, which meant that Shong would need to lose. Y/n knew what her tall brother’s tactic was when he need to lose the fight; he would put on a huge show to demonstrate his strength, then would pretend to make a misstep that costs him the win. It was extremely entertaining for the crowd. 

The siblings waited on the outskirts of the circle with the rest of the pack. The wolves around them were howling and barking in excitement. It was going to be such an amazing fight; Fen was seen as a weak asset and it seemed like Shong was going to completely destroy him.

The two sisters shared a look that said exactly what they were both thinking: if only the pack knew what was really going to happen. 

And with that, the teen’s father let out a bellowing howl; the signal for the battle to begin. 

Shong began his usual wolf dance. He skirted around each of Fen’s attacks and landed soft, teasing blows to his brother’s hide. He would only let Fen hit or bite him every once in a while, his only goal being to feed the crowd’s desire for a difficult fight. 

‘Okay, this is it.’ Y/n thought to herself, ‘Right about now, Shong should let Fen win.’

Just as the thought crossed her mind, her tall brother stopped his antics. It was a bit too sudden and the crowed around them let out a confused noise. It seemed as though Shong was... looking at someone. 

The girl followed his gaze all the way until it landed on their father. From her position, she couldn’t quite see the silent conversation they were having, but it seemed important. 

It was then that Fen struck. 

He pounced on his brother and shoved him straight out of the circle. 

It was silent for a moment, but eventually the noise flew up and cheered for the weaker sibling. It was a true display of power, even of the two hadn’t planned it. 

The look on Shong’s face was indescribable. It was a mixture between sad, angry, happy, and... something else. It was like every contradicting emotion was running through the wolf’s system. 

‘Why is he acting like that? This loss isn’t any different from the other ones.’

___

“I should’ve seen what was coming next,” Y/n spoke. “With the way he was acting... I just never expected him to be the one that broke all of us apart.”

___

It was the middle of the ninth match. 

Shong was up again, for the final time, but was against Ayano. 

Now, their sister wasn’t a force to be reckoned with. There were multiple times that she had fought one of the pack members for bullying a sibling (mainly Fen or Y/n). She wasn’t the strongest or the smartest or the fastest, but she made up for her weaknesses with her quick thinking. Her mind connected dots faster than all of her siblings combined and it’s what made her standout. Ayano’s passion and fast brain made her a threat to some of the strategists that lead beside their father. 

The duo’s red eyes glared at each other, circling the edges of the ring while they waited for the other to pounce. In this round, Ayano would receive her final win from her brother and complete her trial. 

But why was that look still molded into Shong’s face? He had death in his eyes instead of the playfulness that should’ve existed there. Something’s not right. 

Y/n desperately wanted to warn her sister, but if she mentioned anything about their plan, then they would all be banished for treason. It was best to just let it all play out. 

Maybe their brother just got really good at acting. 

Shong then jumped at Ayano, but the girl dodged it with milliseconds to spare. The brother almost slid out of the circle with the velocity of his jump, but slowed down in time. They both growled at each other.

The same actions repeated itself for the next couple of minutes; one would jump and the other would dodge. It really seemed like they were trying to kill the other, even with Y/n knowing who was supposed to win. It was terrifying. 

The brother and sister looked as though they were evenly matched. They predicted the other’s movements like it was their own; they danced as if they had practiced this for hours. 

However, the two weren’t the same. Shong was strong and had a everlasting stamina. Ayano didn’t.

The entire crowd could see that Ayano was growing tired. Her movements were turning sluggish and it was taking her longer and longer to dodge any attacks. 

Why isn’t Shong letting her win yet?

By now, Shong should’ve done his “misstep” and lost, but he seemed so persistent on his jumps.

Then, as some twisted, sick peice of fate, their brother pounced and Ayano was too exhausted to move out of the way. She let him drag her out of the ring, her body falling limp. 

Shong had one, which meant he got three wins; effectively stealing it from Ayano. 

That meant that in the last round of Y/n vs Ayano, one sister would be met with the doom of banishment for the rest of their lives.

___

“And so we fought. I let her win. End of story.”

Y/n set down her empty tea cup and looked at the two men in front of her. They were so invested in her story that they had forgotten about their own drinks. Steam and heat no longer rose from the small cups, it instead being a cold, lifeless collection of flavored water. 

“Is that- Is she the reason you got hurt?” Lee asked, his voice hoarse from not speaking for a while.

“Uhh, yeah.” She wrung her hands. “Its a rule in my pack: when someone’s banished, they have to have something like that visible on them, so they can never come back. It was only a coincidence that my sister was the one that gave it to me.”

“I am so sorry you had to go through that, Y/n,” Mushi whispered with a frown set on his face. The girl shrugged her shoulders in response.

“I mean, it’s better that it was me and not her. Her navigation skills are subpar, so she would’ve been so lost out here,” she forced a laugh. 

Mushi just his head in disbelief while Lee stared at the ground, lost in thought. It made her wonder what was going on in that head of his. 

Y/n really hoped that she had made the right decision by telling them the truth. It’s not like anyone would believe these two random travelers if they ever mentioned it. But still, the thought of them telling a town and having her pack torn apart made her shudder. 

Lee stood up suddenly. 

It surprised the two other people, but they quickly regained their focus as the teen began to speak. 

“I think you should stay with us, like for the long run,” he said confidently. “You could help us out a lot, and I think that we could help you.”

“Okay!” She stood up excitedly as well. This was the exact thing that she had been hoping for.

“And, of course, Lee,” Mushi interrupted, “shouldn’t that mean that we tell her the truth about us as well?”

Y/n was almost certain that whatever secret they had couldn’t be as bad as hiding being a werewolf. 

The boy puffed out his chest and nodded his head. 

“My real name is Prince Zuko and this is my Uncle, General Iroh. We are both from the fire nation.”

Silence.

There were many things running through the girl’s head, but the main one being Oh, so that’s why Mushi yelled out Zuko yesterday!

It took her a moment, but eventually she found something to say.

“You’re a prince? Should I bow or something?”

Le- or- Zuko deflated slightly at her words.

“Is that really all that you have to say?”

Iroh let out a hearty laugh at his nephew’s reaction. He quickly picked up their tea pot and cups while the two teens talked. 

“And that ‘fire nation’ stuff, does that have to do with that magic thing you did yesterday?” The girl asked with a tilt of her head. This cause him to shrink even more.

“Y-you mean my bending?”

“Bending? What is tha-”

The girl paused as her ears caught a soft thumping sound; almost identical to the one that awoke her that morning. 

Those people must be coming back.

She quickly warned the duo and helped them pack up their things. Just as the noise grew closer and closer, the three of them jumped on their ostrich-horses (in the same positions as they had the day before) and rode out before the group of men could find them again. 

Iroh laughed from his horse beside them. “Maybe I should’ve stayed, it was nice to see old friends.”

“Too bad you don’t have any old friends that don’t want to attack you.” Zuko groaned front his seat in front of Y/n. 

The three of them were riding pretty fast, so Y/n had her arms gripped around the boy’s torso. He had stiffened at first, but slowly relaxed at her touch. 

“Hmm... Old friends that don’t want to attack me...” 

___

thanks for sticking w me guys <3

even if you skipped past the memories like i know some do, i appreciate you reading this :)

anyways might actually have some cutesy stuff next chapter so wait till next week to read it <33

Previous | Chapter 4 | Next

Masterlist

Taglist: @bucky-blogs @hopefuloperaangelnerd @simplyfandomish @oddlypointlessescapes @lozzybowe ((bolded couldn’t be tagged))

#zuko #zuko x reader #atla

[niseamstories]

Tl;dr: The heavily revised physical edition Dreams of the Dying, my novel set in the Enderal universe, is now available for pre-order via Amazon via my website. Special early bird prices are $32.99 for the hardcover with an illustrated appendix, $12.99 for the paperback, and $2.99 for the eBook. It’s a prequel featuring Jespar, but, for reasons outlined below, opens up a new canon. Amazon.de has yet to pick up the listing for the physical editions, but they are incredibly slow—I’m working to get that done.

Hey guys,

This is Nicolas, the writer of Enderal speaking. As some of you may know, I’ve been working on an Enderal novel, Dreams of the Dying. First released as a web version, I spent the past year completely rewriting and improving the book, adding and removing chapters, revising characters arcs, and improving plotting, worldbuilding, and style. In total, I rewrote the web edition three times from cover to cover. Well, it’s finally time: Dreams of the Dying is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

The English version of Dreams of the Dying will release on October 20. A German (and perhaps Russian) translation will follow as soon as possible.

Please note that this is a rendering and that the actual hardcover looks slightly different, with same format but a matte dust jacket and a matte, laminated case. A big shoutout to Dominik Derow for the cover artwork, Johanna Krünes for her cover design, and Joyce, for her tips, patience, and help with this product shot.

Jaaros Oonai, magnate, visionary, and master of coin, doesn’t muse about whether the glass is half empty or half full—only about ways to fill it.

Jespar Dal’Varek, drifter, mercenary, and master of avoidance, doesn’t muse at all. He’d rather just drink the damn wine.

Two lives that could not be more different intertwine when a strange contract leads Jespar to the tropical island empire of Kilay, the wealthiest nation of the Civilized World.

The mission turns out to be as bizarre as it is lucrative: Jaaros Oonai, the country’s merchant king, knows something that could stop a catastrophe, but he has fallen into an inexplicable coma. Together with an ex-priestess and a psychic, Jespar must enter Oonai’s dreams and find this secret.

What should have been a fresh start rapidly turns into a nightmare, as Jespar slides into a spiral of disturbing dreams, political intrigue, and clashing ideals, where not only the fate of Kilay but his own sanity are at stake. It’s not long before he learns that only a spider’s thread divides the sleeping and the awoken.

And that there’s no greater enemy than one’s own mind.

The hardcover edition comes with an appendix that includes additional lore, such as an illustrated bestiary, a guide to Kilayan fashion, illustrations of the (re-envisioned) seven Light-Born, a short guide to the Makehu language, and much more.

Even though Dreams could be considered a prequel, I didn’t write this as an expansion or fan service but rather as my debut, and a book that stands on its own. This edition differs vastly from the web version, and, though it is up to you to judge, I’m a million times happier with it.

If you’re on the fence and would like to wait for reviews—here’s hoping I get enough—I fully understand. However, if you would buy the novel, you’d do me a great favor if you considered pre-ordering. One of the biggest challenges as an indie author is exposure; since Amazon registers all pre-orders as Day 1 sales, a lot of Day 1 sales would give me a chance to climb in the novel’s category and boost visibility for readers outside the Enderal community. To make this worth it to you, the book will sell for a special early bird price of $32.99 for the hardcover with the illustrated appendix, $12.99 for the paperback, and $2.99 for the eBook, as opposed to $37, $16, and $5. Just follow the link to my website and click pre-order—it will take you right to your local Amazon marketplace.

Unfortunately, Amazon.de has yet to pick up the listing for the physical editions, but they are incredibly slow—I’m working to get that done.

I’m aware the hardcover is in the upper price range, but it uses the best materials, and the illustrated appendix cost a lot to produce. It’s also the only edition where I make a more solid revenue, so see it as a way to support my work, if you wish.

If you’re a patron and pledged $110 or more since October 2018, I’ll be in touch a few weeks before launch to send out your signed hardcover copy right away. Thanks again for your support, Dreams became a far pricier project than I anticipated, and your patronage helped me immensely in covering the cost.

Lastly, a word of warning before you pre-order: For the paperback edition, I took the drastic step to separate Dreams and all future Enderal novels from the game canon. There are two good reasons for this. First, the Vyn games were created over 17 years, the earliest one being Myar Aranath in 2003. Fascinating as this idea may be, it also means that the lore of the Vyn universe was created by a myriad of different authors (the latest and current one being me when I joined the team in 2011). As a result of this, the lore of Vyn has always felt a little disjointed and inconsistent; I initially took these differences as challenges to conquer, but the longer I wrote, the more I realized how much these inconsistencies bothered me and how hard they made it to write the story and the universe I envisioned. Let me assure you that this decision wasn’t easy and does not reflect a lack of appreciation for the work of the previous workers. I stayed faithful to the lore whenever possible.

The second reason is a trickier one: Jespar. This character has been in my mind for nine years now, and I love him with all my heart. Still, the more I immersed myself in the story of Dreams, the more I grew aware of how incredibly constraining it was to write a story where the end is already written; because Jespar is alive in 8234 a. St. (1234 P.L. in new canon lore), you all know he will never be in real danger. Again, there is undoubtedly an intriguing challenge to writing such a “safe” story, but—similar to the lore, I increasingly felt like I was writing with fetters on. 

So, what does this mean? Aside from the fact that anything can now happen, the consequences aren’t that drastic. Enderal is still Enderal, and Jespar is still Jespar, albeit thirteen years younger and at another point in his life. I changed and expanded details about his backstory, but his essential conflicts are still the same, only refined. Major changes include modifications to the Light-Born (their aspects, how they came to be, when and how they disappeared, and the societal consequences of that disappearance), the time frame of the different eras, and a complete rework of the magic system. Minor changes include dates, the spelling of names and locations (Kilay, not Kilé), and others details I tweaked for consistency and worldbuilding coherence.

And that’s about it. I’m aware and grateful for the love many of you have for this world, and believe me, I did my best to honor it; I just realized I cannot tell a good story with one arm tied behind my back. If it’s any solace, I can promise you that new book canon is ironclad – I’m pathologically obsessive about consistency and cohesive worldbuilding, but without a solid framework, that’s a recipe for frustration and disaster. See it as a different but nearby eventuality: details and fates may differ, but the soul of the world remains the same.

If all that didn’t scare you off, pre-order away! I also set up a Goodreads page for the book, so you can add it to your To-Be-Reads or even recommend it to your friends – this is an indie project by all means, so I’m grateful for every bit of support. Please keep in mind that the Goodreads is for the revised edition, not the web edition, so if you’re planning to leave a low rating, I’d be grateful if you waited to read the actual book in October 20. It’s a different experience.

Last but not least, a big thank you to everyone who supported me on Patreon, created fanart for Enderal, or just let me know they enjoyed this game and were looking forward to the novel. This novel was meant to be a 6-month stint but, boy, did it turn into something more. It sounds sentimental, but this last year has been rough personally, and your support and encouragement kept me going.

I hope this story will live up to your expectations.

Best,

Nicolas

Dreams of the Dying (Revised Edition) on Goodreads

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#dreams of the dying #enderal #jespar dal'varek #sureai #vynblr #enderal forgotten stories #indie novel #horror #mystery novel #LGBT protagonist #cover art #artwork #gothic artwork #art nouveau

[lin-manhell]

Music

Pairing: Lin-Manuel Miranda x reader

Prompt(s): Whatever song your soulmate is listening to is stuck in your head. (Changed it a bit)

Warnings: None?

Word count: 1349

A/N: Requests are open! Not my best work, but it’s a good place to start, hope you all enjoy!

Music was everywhere in your life. Songs that you have never heard would swirl in your mind as your soulmate would sing; his voice angelic. Though, you have never met him you could tell how clever he was. Whatever songs he was singing, you have never heard before despite all of your research. At age 18 was when you realized that he was going places.

‘My name’s Usnavi and you’ve probably never heard my name..’ you hummed along to his voice as you heard him sing the familiar tune. Though, he usually stopped around that point, almost as if he couldn’t get the lyrics out. So, you sung back.

“If you heard of my fame it’s been greatly exaggerated.” And that’s when you two started bonding over music. He would sing a line then stop- almost as if he wanted you to continue it.

At age 19 he started singing that tune- along with others- almost everyday. You couldn’t say you were getting tired of hearing it though. His voice was amazing to hear and cheered up your day easily. You learned from the songs that it was about a character named Usnavi in a place called Washington Heights in NYC. From there, your bond wouldn’t let you learn any more as fate didn’t want you to meet. At least, not yet.

But, it seemed fate never wanted to meet. At age 26, you began to lose hope as all of your friends had their soulmates and were living happily. Meanwhile, you were doomed to listen to the same songs, but have no soulmate. At 27, you began to hear a new tune.

‘What’s your name man? Alexander Hamilton.’ You chuckled the first time you heard it, but over time it got better and better. The tunes got catchier and you began falling for his music all over again. But, at age 34, you heard the tune. Except it wasn’t in your head. It was your friend- showing you a song after talking about it so much- off of broadway about him. The guy you had been hearing those exact lyrics about for the past 7 years.

“Nate, what’s this song called?” You tried to stop your racing heart from bursting out of your chest.

“So you like it?” He teased

“Yes I love it- now what is it called?”

“This one is called ‘You’ll Be Back’ It’s sung by Jonathon Groff and the music is by-” you couldn’t hear the name, “he’s really talented and he wrote the entire musical”

“Can you repeat the name?” You asked.

You saw his lips moving, but you couldn’t hear it. You have heard of things like this before. How you couldn’t hear your soulmate’s name unless you have met them.

“Nate, thank you so much! I would love to continue talking but I just remembered I had this thing to do!” You stuttered and rushed off, but not before you heard him shout to you, “Eager are we? I’ll see you around Y/N! I demand an explanation the next time I see you though!”

You ran to your apartment and time didn’t seem to be on your side. The elevator felt really slow and you got stopped by a neighbor before you could enter your room. But, as soon as you did get inside you quickly ran to your computer and started to research.

You started with googling ‘You’ll be back’ from then you saw the musical was called Hamilton. You chuckled to yourself, considering you have heard that name repeatedly in the past years. You then googled ‘Hamilton the Musical’ There were images and some info but a lot of it was blurry. In quite a few photos there was a man, but he was always blurred out. You guessed that was him. Your soulmate. Mr. Alexander Hamilton. Mr. Usnavi. Your genius.

There was only one thing to do. Your mind was set. You went and bought a ticket. It was expensive, and it was in a few weeks. It may have burnt a hole in the wallet, but in your mind it was worth it. Anything was worth it for him. You chuckled to yourself, you didn’t even know him. All you knew about him was that he was really intelligent, talented, and apparently on broadway. But, you were already hooked.

The weeks passed very slowly. Work dragged on. Everything felt overwhelming. The very thought of meeting your soulmate after so long. So many years of losing hope slowly. All your friends had met their lights, and with all of their stories, you were ready for your own story. Your own light.

Finally after so much time… you saw it. You saw him. Your breath was taken away and it felt like a weight was lifted off your chest that you didn’t even know you had. You felt the void slowly start to close up, content at last.

He must’ve noticed you too, because during the song ‘My Shot’ he locked eyes with you and stumbled over his lines. He quickly recovered after improvising some lines. Throughout the rest of the show, both of your eyes met repeatedly and each time a flame would grow in your heart. You could only wonder if he felt the same.

The show passed by in a blur, and as you got up an usher met you. You weren’t that surprised, but you weren’t expecting an usher. “Y/N L/N, correct?”

“Yes, that’s me,”

“The cast would like to meet you backstage so will you please follow me?” he smiled kindly.

After many turns and passing by people with questioning stairs, you finally made it backstage.

“I’ll leave you to it,” the usher said and went back to whatever he needed to do.

Suddenly you saw him again. He was out of costume but he still looked as charming as ever, even in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. You both froze for a second before a grin broke out on his face. Your heart melted at the sight of his smile, and you knew you could get used to this.

Then, you didn’t know what to do. He was your soulmate, you didn’t even know his name. Were you supposed to kiss him? Run up and give him a hug? Your thoughts were racing. As you focused again, he was in front of you. He grabbed your hand and you felt sparks fly, as cliche as it sounded. But nothing compared to how it felt when he kissed your hand. Now you understood Eliza, helpless was the only way you could describe how you were feeling

“I’m Lin-Manuel Miranda, but you can call me Lin. What is your name, cariña?” He said. His voice sent chills down your spine.

“Oh- um- I’m Y/N, you did so great and I’m so happy to meet you after so long and I’m rambling now I’m so sorry-”

He cut you off after grabbing your cheeks with his hands and his eyes met yours again. You saw his soul through his eyes and you could tell he could see yours too. You felt whole. Time felt it stopped and it was just the two of you.

“Y/N,” he tried out the name on his tongue and your heart skipped a beat, “a beautiful name for a gorgeous woman.”

“I mean, you aren’t too shabby yourself,” you retort.

He laughed and at that moment you promised yourself you would never leave his side. How you got blessed with him, you would never know.

“I know I just met you but I feel we have known each other forever, so can I kiss you?” His eyes looked at your lips then back at your eyes. You gave a small nod and felt his lips meet yours and your eyes flickered closed. His hands met the back of your waist and yours intertwined between his hair.

After 16 years, you found your home. Between his arms. And though it took a while, it was worth the wait and you have never felt happier or more complete.

#lin manuel miranda x reader #lin manuel x reader #lin x reader #lin manuel miranda images #lin manuel images #images #soulmate AU #lin manuel miranda soulmate au #lin manuel soulmate au #lin soulmate au

[dududiary]

One Quote from every Avatar: The Last Airbender episode (who am i kidding... half of these are Iroh)

1. Power in firebending comes from the breath. Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy expands past your limbs and becomes fire. 

2. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his. 

3. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you.

4. It’s not about strength. Out technique is about using your opponents’ force against them. Loosen up. 

5. Oh, you’ll have to be a little bit more creative than that!

6. I’m not giving up on these people!

7. You are the great bridge between man and spirits.

8. But he never came.

9. Most people think the lotus tile is insignificant, but it is essential for unusual strategy that I employ.

10. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people.

11. Harsh words won’t solve problems. Actions will.

12. You will fight for your honor. You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.

13. Do you think we could have been friends too?

14. You have to take fate into your own hands.

15. They were my family and being apart from them was more painful than my wounds.

16. Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor’s edge between humanity and savagery.

17. Unfortunately, progress has a way of getting away from us.

18. I don’t want to heal. I want to fight.

19. Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon, our life from the Spirit of the Ocean. They work together to keep balance. 

20. I’ve always had to struggle and fight and that’s made me strong. It’s made me who I am.  

21. Maybe you should worry less about the tides if they’re already made up  their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who’s still mulling it over.

22. I hope you learned something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey.

23. Neutral jin is the key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike. 

24. There is absolutely nothing mysterious about the swamp.

25. You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts.

26. She waited and listened.

27. That’s who you are Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting even though it’s hard.

28. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you.

29. Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame.

30. Where’s Appa?

31. Everybody hold hands. We can do this. We have to.

32. I know sometimes it hurts more to hope, and it hurts more to care. But you have to promise me that you won’t stop caring.

33. Together we’re Team Avatar!

34. Life happens wherever you are whether you make it or not. 

35. My cab.. oh, forget it.

36. I guess this means we’ll always be together.

37. He can’t make you do this. You’re a Freedom Fighter.

38. All this time, what I thought was a great metropolis, was merely a city of fools, and that makes me the king fool.

39. You must gain balance within yourself before you can bring balance to the world.

40. I used to think that this scar marked me. But lately, I’ve realized I’m free to determine my own destiny, even if I’ll never be free of my mark.

41. You already saved the world. And you’ll save the world again. But you can’t give up.

42. We’re in enemy territory. Those are enemy birds.

43. You need me. And I’ll never turn my back on you. 

44. But the truth is, I don’t know if I am worthy. 

45. You know what would make this trip really memorable?

46. Born in you along all this strife, is the power to restore balance to the world.

47. When I try to remember my mom, Katara’s is the only face I can picture.

48. The choice is not yours. The power exists. 

49. I was the perfect prince. The son my father wanted. But I wasn’t me.

50. Your moment of truth isn’t going to be in front some map. It’s going to be out there, on the battlefield. 

51. Because I know my own destiny. 

52. Why am i so bad at being good?

53. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control. Fire is life, not just destruction.

54. You can’t quit because you MIGHT fail.

55. There is no prison in the world that can hold two water tribe geniuses. 

56. It’s easy to do nothing. But it’s hard to forgive.

57. It takes all the mistakes I’ve made in my life and shove them back at my face. 

58. Fighting the firelord is gonna be the hardest thing we’ve done together. But i wouldn’t wanna do it any other way. 

59. Today destiny is our friend. I know it. 

60. Watch each others backs. If we make it that far, I’ll let you know.

61. The world is so different now. And it’s gonna be even more different, where we will build it together. 

#atla #quotes #episodes #Aang #Katara #Sokka #Zuko #Iroh #Appa #Momo #Suki #Azula #TyLee #Mai #Roku #Kyoshi #Toph #kataang #zutara #tokka #avatar #Jet

[hpwipfest-blog]

Masterpost HP WIP Fest, part 1

Hello dear fest participants and exited readers. I hereby give you the first masterpost of the HP WIP Fest, announcing all WIP’s that have entered so far. As it is a long list, I have put it under a cut, with the WIP’s that are already on ao3 first in case you want to start reading already. 

If you signed up for the fest but do not see your WIP in this list, this is probably because I do not yet have a title for your work. In that case, please email me the title so I can include you in the next masterpost.

I hope all the participants find lots of inspiration to finish in the upcoming weeks, and to our early readers, enjoy these wonderful WIP’s!

#1

Skin Deep by @loganaa-fic

Pairing: Drarry

When Harry accepts a job at Dean's tattoo parlor, he never expected that Draco Malfoy would show up, looking for a tattoo. But then again, since when did Malfoy do what was expected?

#2

The Boy Who Killed God by @sirius-black-killed-god

Pairing: Wolfstar

Sirius Black has a secret. Well, no, that's not true. Sirius Black has many secrets. His wand is dying, his parents more or less want to kill him, and there's the small matter of the cursed TOUJOURS PUR tattoo right above his heart, that he's had since he turned eight years old. Sirius Black is no stranger to secrets.

Then, Remus Lupin walks into his life.

Thus, begins a whole new history - one of darkness, of magic, of bravery, of family - as four boys set out to unwind the endings so many others have written for them.

This is the story of the Marauders at Hogwarts and afterwards, and all the love that lies between.

This is Year One.

#3

Apparently by justanotherloser

Pairing: Drarry

Father says apparently I feel too much.

Mother says apparently my mask needs to hide more of my emotions.

The Dark Lord says apparently I'm too weak.

Blaise says apparently I hate too often, and Pansy says I apparently need to let go.

I never get to make choices with them. Not with my family, not with my life, not with my house.

Apparently I can only choose who I hate, and I can't even get that right.

Apparently I love Harry Potter.

#4

Are You Here To Finish Me Off, Sweetheart? by @geekmom13

Pairing: Antonin Dolohov/Hermione Granger

Antonin gets held by the order for the secret he keeps and Hermione is put in charge of him. They end up relying on each other more than anyone had expected.

#5

Children of war by @the-purple-black

Pairing: Bellatrix Lestrange/Rodolphus Lestrange

A promise made by Bellatrix to the Dark Lord seemed unimportant at the time, though years later it seems her loyalty must be put to the test.

#6

Fixed Point by @frumpologist

Pairing: Dramione

Draco and Hermione are Time Unspeakables who travel through time to stop anachronists from using illegal time travel to change the course of history.

Their adventures lead them through the whole of history and the unwritten expanse of the future. Hermione learns about the History of Magic and Draco learns about science, Muggles, and falling in love.

However, there are fixed points in time, events so important that they cannot be altered. Hermione Granger’s tragic life as an Unspeakable is one of those points, and nothing Draco can do will change the path they’re forced to follow.

#7

Not In Love (Letters) by @drarryangels

Pairing: Drarry

It's eighth year at Hogwarts, and Harry is unsurprisingly beyond miserable. Ron isn't coming back for his last year of school, Hermione is suddenly best friends with Pansy Parkinson, and Draco Malfoy won't stop ignoring him. Even all the House unity is going too splendidly to be exciting. Truthfully, Harry wishes he had never come back at all. That is, until he starts receiving letters from an anonymous sender.

#8

Sequel to Palo Alto by @nachodiablo

Pairing: Wolfstar

Modern AU set in Northern California. It's been four years since Sirius and Remus got their shit together. James and Lily aren't doing too shabby, either. Things are going great. Sure, James still hasn't gotten any of his business ideas off the ground quite yet. And yeah, Lily's still not ready to move in with James, even though she spends every night at his place. And okay, Remus might be starting to freak a little about whether his PhD is going to land him in some no-name wasteland town for a job. And fine, Sirius has stalled out a bit since he left work to pursue his dreams of... well, to find a dream to pursue. Regardless. Things are great. Very chill. That is, until a family tragedy brings an adorable bundle of responsibility into their lives.

#9

The End Is Just The Beginning by @the-fifth-marauder

Pairing: Drarry

When Draco decided to join the Auror forces, he knew life would be made hell for him by just about everyone in the Ministry. Yet never did Draco think he would be condemned to a fate like this.

Or

The one where Draco gets the second chance he never knew he wanted. Before he realized that 'Happy Endings' just aren't for his destiny. Or were they?

#10

New Beginnings by @kaarina-riddle

Pairing: Dramione

Hermione comes home to find her husband in a compromising position on the kitchen table and wants to get away from everything, the perfect job opportunity as a professor of Charms at Hogwarts is offered and she takes it. Only to find that there's a surprise Draco Malfoy old school nemesis is the new DADA professor what will happen?

#11

A Girl Worth Fighting For by @saintdionysus

Pairing: Hermione Draco, Hermione/Theo

Due to the events of War, The Ministry of Magic has ordered students to repeat their final year, despite being legal wizarding age and completion of OWLs. Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini form a friendship as head boy and head girl and find a way to use their authority to challenge the Ministry. Along the way, she finds herself caught between two unexpected love interests, while Blaise plays referee between his two friends.

#12

The Promise by @tofadeawayagain

Pairing: Drastoria, Dramione

When Astoria Malfoy learns she is dying, she asks Hermione Granger to take care of her husband Draco. It's not until the following New Year's Eve that he starts to let her. A tale about the seasons of grief, friendship and love, and moving on after a devastating loss.

#13

All the Stupid Things in Between: A Gryffindor and Slytherin Love Story by ForeverEvan

Pairing: Fred Weasley/OFC

Evangeline "Evan" Carter, the illegitimate daughter of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, is moved from Ilvermorny to Hogwarts at the beginning of the 4th Year. She is facing the task of hiding her true identity while falling for a boy from the wrong family. Evan must rely on her brother and her teacher to navigate the dangerous world of being the daughter of a Death Eater and a killer.

#14

Prowler by @goldie-writes-things

Pairing: Harry/Hermione

Harry and Hermione thought winning the war was the hard part. They had no idea how difficult surviving it would be. Newly engaged Lord Potter and Lady Black must navigate the murky waters of parenthood while rebuilding their lives. But when their world starts crashing down around them they are faced with a startling question: What wouldn’t you do for your child?

#15

Stressed Teen to Yes Queen by @drarryandharry

Pairing: Drarry

The fab five sort out post war Harry. That’s it. That’s the summary.

#16

Shockwave by maraudersaffair

Pairing: Drarry

When Harry fled Britain he had no idea murder and Draco fucking Malfoy would follow. Now in Las Vegas, he’s faced with a vampire mystery and a Malfoy who refuses to tell him the truth.

Veelas and vampires! Yay!

#17

Destiny Intertwined by @vinoamore

Pairing: Hermione/Dolohov

In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the DFFandCabalChristmasFest collection.

Prompt: A marriage law is passed just before the Christmas holidays. Hermione is matched with a former Death Eater, Antonin Dolohov...and Hermione is furious. "Why is this happening?!" she demanded. "He tried to kill me!"

#18

The Seven Year Witch by @thelastlynx

Pairing: Dramione

A boy and a girl have been meeting, coincidentally, for seven summers. While they pretty much hate each other most of the year, for those little moments in July or August they manage to see one another in a different light. But will that be quite enough to bring them together?

#19

Distant Stars by @of-stars-and-moon

Pairing: Wolfstar, Jily

(The story of Sirius Black, a Slytherin student as he finds friendship and love from someone he never expected)

'The memory was still so new and clear, feeling like it was yesterday but an eternity away at the same time.

In first year, Sirius would have never ever imagined that on his last day at Hogwarts, he would be lying on a roof, holding hands with Remus and listening to James and Peter.'

#20

A Home For Christmas by @motherbookerao3

Pairing: Drarry

High on a barely legal pain potion, Harry accidentally ends up adopting a child with Draco Malfoy.

#21

The Noble and Most Ancient Guide to Vice and Virtues by grimyoufuck

Pairing: Wolfstar

Toujours Pur; the words had been branded into Sirius' subconscious from a young age. It was a motto he'd never been able to live up to, even when he had tried. But now? Now, he was going to escape his mother's scathing words and his father's ambivalent silence to travel the continent with his best friend, and nothing was going to stop him. His mother was determined to keep the bloodline pure, and uphold the name of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Sirius was determined to do the opposite.

When Sirius Black journeys to France to begin the first leg of his European tour with best friend James Potter, he'd expected a holiday of booze and boys. What he hadn't expected, much less wanted, was an educational trip, including nights out at the opera. But when a particular cast member catches Sirius' eye, he wonders if some good old fashioned fun could be obtained after all.

#22

Serendipity by @mrsren96

Pairing: Harry/Hermione

Like any girl, Hermione has dreamed of her future nuptials, at least once or twice. So far it's not going so well. There's a marriage law, and well, Harry Potter to deal with.

#23

Avignon by bittercape

Pairing: Gen

Voldemort is dead, and Wizarding Britain is controlled by the totalitarian Umbridge Ministry. The resistance, mainly centered around our heroes from the books (with some additions and some changes), is working against overpowering odds to overthrow the government. Think a reversed French revolution meets Cold War-era Berlin. With magic.

#24

A Bond Beyond The Vast Wave by @mangopassionfruity

Pairing: Sirius/Lucius, James/Lily, Lily/Severus

Sirius was a many things, rebellious, lazy, a prankster, troublemaker, lady's man, irresponsible, carefree. Or that is what he likes to appear as. And why break that image he's crafted for himself? Even if it'd make his life easier, especially with his hidden relationship with a certain Malfoy heir.

But things backfire and it leads to making decisions that change his way of life.

#25

Though My Mind Could Think (I Still Was a Mad Man) by Cassiara

Pairing: Drarry

After the war is over Harry thinks it's finally his turn to rest after years of pretending he's fine, and just waiting for the day he isn't needed anymore. He tries to kill himself, but of all people, Malfoy saves him. Harry realises that if he has the courage to die, he should also have the courage to live.

Ultimately this is a story about recovery, but it's also about all the things you sometimes have to go through to get there.

This is a rewrite of my fic "Favourite Scar".

#26

Explosions in the heart by @hp-rbiim

Pairing: Drarry

It's back to Hogwarts and Malfoy is annoying as ever.

Unpublished WIP’s

#27

Time is gone (thought i'd have something more to say) by Thestias

Pairing: Fremione

After the battle of hogwarts, the dead number in the hundreds; the loss of the brightest witch of their age hits hard, and for one wizard, his desperation to fix what had been broken sends him travelling back in time in a frantic attempt to save her. angst, fluff and angst, time travel, alternate universe - canon divergence, slow burn

#28

Encounters by @pottercrew

Pairing: Drarry

Harry is finding it difficult to keep his relationship with Draco apart from his relationships with Malfoy. What if he no longer wants to? Kink negotiation, anal sex, blow jobs, hard sex, bondage, voyeurism, sex club.

#29

The Side Of The Angels by @hiddenhibernian

“Focus,” Hermione told herself, forcing her breathing to slow down. “What's the worst that can happen?”

 Bad question. Her heart was hammering so hard it drowned out the buzz from the bar on the other side of the door to the cleaning cupboard she unceremoniously had been bundled into. The bar was the Hag's Head, and it was usually a friendly place for the Order of the Phoenix. They were still fighting, five years after the fall of Harry Potter, but Aberforth had turned against them... It didn't bear thinking about. 

Then the door opened.

#30

Not Gryffindor…? by Dracomalfoyy_youlittleshit

Harry gets sorted into Slytherin, finding an unlikely friendship in Draco Malfoy. Basically a retell of Harry Potter but with Harry in Slytherin.

#31

A Lotus In The Mud by @kaokumasparkle

Pairing: Drarry

Harry always had problems with common sense, everyone knows this. And now that he's sick with Hanahaki over a certain slytherin blonde, it looks like he may never get the chance to learn. Possible tags: mutual pining, angst with a happy ending, parseltongue Harry, Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Hogwarts 8th year, Hermione just wants ONE year where Harry doesn't almost die, jealous Draco, protective Harry, Forbidden Forest adventures, minor mentions of blood

#32

It’s A Kind Of Magic by ive_beenfound

Pairing: Drarry

It's 8th year and the war has been hard on everyone. And having a future to think about and look forward to is terrifying Warnings/Tags: 10 year time jump, difficult conversations about lgbtq and war, harry being oblivious, draco being a shite, potentially triggering conversations about family.

#33

Flirting With Chaos by @alexandrao

Pairing: Dramionarry (Draco x Hermione x Harry) 

The Ministry of Magic passes a marriage law, forcing all those above the age of 17 to be married. Hermione, furious with the law, is paired not to one wizard, but two! Determined to change the law, she flirts with the line that could send her relationship into complete and total chaos.

#34

Friendship, Football, and Fireworks by @LegendaryWrighter

Pairing: Deamus

One lazy Sunday morning, Seamus finds Dean going through some old sketchbooks and joins him in reminiscing on several memories. 

#35

The Winder Of My Life by @nuclearnik

Pairing: Dramione

Hermione's special bond with her Snippets of Hermione's life as she grows up raised by a single mother. When Hermione is an adult, their bond grows to include Draco, who accepts him as long as he loves and cares for her daughter. As her mother's health declines, Hermione has hard truths to face and a supportive husband who is smitten by her mother. 

#hp wip fest #jily #drarry #deamus #dramione #wolfstar #harry potter #draco malfoy #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #lily evans #lucius malfoy #dean thomas #seamus finnigan #drarry-squad #draco x harry #fred weasley #fremoine #drastoria #astoria malfoy #astoria greengrass #romoine #ron weasley

[lighterandpaper]

Dragon Bond for Eternity

Photo by @etienne_boesiger

And older man and a boy stand in the valley of some grand mountains. “Your dragon will fly over that mountain there, Rendon. The one that comes will be the one which has chosen you, pulled away from his home by destiny. Once you touch, you will be bound by magic that will intertwine your fates for eternity as dragon and rider.” 

“I never dreamed I would be a dragon rider, Daomn...” the boy says. 

“The kingdom needs you now more than ever. These are dire times and the dragon riders will rise again to overthrow our mad king.” Daomn gazes seriously at the mountain.

The wind swells along with his sense of adventure. He can hear the sound of wings beating. “I can hear a dragon!” 

The silhouette of a flying reptile appears in the mist over the mountain. A brown dragon, still young and getting his footing, lands near the boy. They lock eyes. 

The boy can feel the dragon reaching out to his mind to speak, just as his mentor had done with him. He closed his eyes and opened his mind to the dragon’s thoughts. 

“Hello!” the dragon says. “My name is Dingus. I was just mindin’ my own business, over the mountain there. No one was available to hang out, so I was just talking to a rabbit. I know, my mum would tell me to not play with my food, but, hey, might as well get some entertainment with me meal, eh? Anyway, I was in the middle of that when I feel destiny pullin’ me over to you. I guess that makes me your new dragon friend.”

“Daomn told me I was to name you. Are you set on Dingus?” 

“Why you don’t like it? You think I’m an idiot? We just met one minute ago and you already think I’m an idiot like all the other dragons?” 

Rendon looks at Daomn. He nods meaningfully, unaware of their conversation.

“I’m sorry...” he says. “I think we got off on the wrong foot here.” 

“I would say so, yeah,” Dingus says. “Would you be a doll and go hunt me a deer?” 

“Can’t you fly and breathe fire and stuff, though?” 

“Well, yeah, but I’m a bit tired. Bein’ pulled by destiny, away from me lunch and all, it’s a bit tirin’...” 

“Ok...” Rendon says.

“Not settin’ a precedent or anything like that! Just this once...”

 “Alright...” He pauses before beginning to pack.

“What are you doing?” Daomn says. 

“Dingus wants me to go hunt him a deer to eat.” 

“His name is Dingus?” 

Dingus snorts. 

“Let me talk to him,” Daomn says. He looks at Dingus and has a silent conversation for a while. “He’s just trying to see what he can get away with,” he finally says. 

“Oh,” Rendon says. He puts down his bag. Dingus is looking away. 

“He’s still young. You’ll grow to love one another unlike anyone else in this life, I’m sure.” 

“That’s what happened with your dragon, Dronox, right? You had a bond so powerful that you could feel each other’s pain?” 

Daomn looks away, eyes growing misty and red. “Yes. That was how it was...” 

“And was he a little... different when you first met?” 

Dignus snorts again. “Can’t speak English, but I can understand it,” he says, intruding on Rendon’s thoughts.

“Sorry...” Rendon says. 

“Dronox was strong willed and hard-headed, but we eventually came to see things the same way,” he says, eyes lightening with the memories.

“Ok, I guess that’s sorta what I wanted to know...” Rendon says. 

“Touch your dragon, bond to him, and fulfill your destiny,” Daomn says.

Rendon sighs and approaches the dragon with his hand. He touches his nose. The world spins away and it’s just the two of them, in some other plane. 

“Bit odd, this part,” Dingus says. 

They come back to the world. Rendon has a mark on his hand, and Dingus one on his nose. 

“We’re all mixed up with one another!” Dingus says. 

“Yeah,” Rendon says, his mind swirling with many new thoughts that aren’t his own. 

“Wow, you’re a really horny young man, aren’t you?” Dingus says. “What you got to be horny about with an old man and a dragon? Something I should know?” 

Rendon turns red. “Actually, could you not see that part of my mind? Because I’m like 16 and horny all the time for no reason...” 

“I’ve always been curious about what makes young humans horny! It’ll be like a learning experience for me. Like a nature study. Do you mind if I ask you endless questions about it?” 

“Actually, yeah, I do mind,” Rendon says. 

“That’s even better! I find that I get more honesty if people are a bit annoyed with me.” 

“Well, honestly your personality is a bit grating.” 

“There’s that honesty I wanted, right out of the gate. A bit of a sting, I’ll be honest. Are you sad you’re stuck with me?” 

“No, no! You’re just coming on a little strong.” 

“How is it going?” Daomn says. 

“Um...” Rendon says. 

Dingus intrudes. “Alright, well, you got an eternity to get used it to. You ever heard that song 99 bottles of beer on the wall?” 

#dragon #dragon rider #eragon #bond #dragon bond #eternity #kingdom #magic #telepathy #fantasy #short fanfic #flash fiction #microfiction #flashfiction #fiction #short fiction #story #short story #storytelling #shortstory #writing #writer's block #keepwriting #writeblr #Stream of conscious writing #humor #humorous #humanity #savior #epic fantasy