#because i pirated it when i was 14 and watched it under the cover of darkness. literally

[lakemichigans]

i’ve been rewatching queer as folk and it's wild how a show can age so poorly but still makes me kick my feet and giggle into my pillow

#''how old are you really?'' ''i'm 20. 19. eight..teen...'' ''what is this - a missile launch?'' #mel and linz before they got annoying <3333 #ted dramatically overdosing while lets here it for the boy plays is so fucking funny still #the whole thing is soooo nostalgic to me #because i pirated it when i was 14 and watched it under the cover of darkness. literally #and i thought that being gay is just like this all the time lmao #i watched this show like i was studying for a big test 🧍🏻‍♀️ #i'm having so much fun revisiting it from an adult perspective in 2022 though lol #though society has rightfully moved past this show. it still needed to exist when it did #i say that like i watched it while it was airing jfksjd no i was an infant when it was airing #but point still stands

[sharknadoslutt]

Not that I ever wanted to watch it because of the era it plays in, but what was so awful about Star Wars resistance?

Oh Okay this ask got me GOING so Welcome to my Tedtalk on my feelings on Star Wars Resistance; a story of Disappointment.

So Mr. Dave Filoni, the story telling Prince, left the show like halfway through production of the first season for other projects (For TCW season 7 and The Mandalorian). This left what was a promising show with characters Dave himself had created, in the hands of very inexperienced story board artist and writers. Personally, I think they panicked and half assed it so that Disney could make money on toys. Because.. idk. It just doesn't even come close to the emotional story arcs that TCW and Rebels gave us. and that's what Star Wars is supposed to be about. Changing for the better. Hope or some shit, am I right?

What was most disappointing in my opinion.. is that the protagonist, Kazudo Xiono, is UNBEARABLE. He is the EMBODIEMENT of privilege. This punk has had everything handed down to him from the moment he was born. He was born like 14 years after the Empire has been brought down and the New Republic reigns, so he has never known war. AND HIS DADDY IS THE SENATOR OF HOSNIAN PRIME FOR FUCKS SAKE! THE CAPITOL????? WHERE THE SENATE IS???? YOU KNOW HOW RICH THAT MUST MAKE HIs FaMiLY??? His dad literally gives him an allowance even though he is a grown ass man in the military when the show starts.

To put things into perspective for those not up to date on Sequel Era Lore and I envy you greatly tbh bcs not to be that person i do not like the sequels that's the equivalent of being the Senator of Coruscant in the Prequels!!!!

Not to mention he is a BUMBLING idiot. Like. This man has ADHD on steroids. As a person with ADHD it's.. lord, it's cringe. He is clumsy. He is loud. He says inappropriate things at the wrong time. He doesn't know how to do anything for himself. AND HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SPY FOR THE RESISTANCE UNDER COVER AS A MECHANIC???? HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT MECHANICS and really doesn't really learn anything about it by the time the show ends. And don't come at me saying this is a kids show so I cant complain about things being silly bcs I'm not the target audience. I can and I will bcs no one was NEARLY this obnoxious in TCW or Rebels. Kaz is Jarjar Level, but I ACTUALLY LIKE JARJAR!

DUDE IS A DAMN SPY HE DOESNT EVEN LIKE GO BY AN ALLIAS!!! HE DEADASS USES HIS REAL FULL NAME. BCS KAZ IS AN IDIOT.

I'm not saying he isn't a good person. Kaz is very sweet tbh. He's just an unknowing spoiled ass man-child who NEVER REALLY DEVELOPS INTO ANYTHING ELSE?????

It would be okay if he entered the show like this and exited a more mature, capable man. But he really doesn't. There are never any consequences for his actions. Ever. Other than when he becomes a spy and, again, IS USING HIS REAL LEGAL NAME as a spy for the Resistance... to avoid a scandal and to scold him for LITERALLY DESERTING THE NAVY his daddy cuts him off from his allowance. So instead of half assing his cover job as a mechanic, Kaz has to actually apply himself so he can make money for food. He doesn't improve much. His co-workers (Who are MUCH more interesting than him) constantly complain about him messing things up and making their jobs more difficult.

Man, FUCK KAZ. MY HOMIES HATE KAZ. BEING HOT CAN ONLY GET YOU SO FAR!!!!!

At the Season one finale there is a moment where you think he is finally going to grow as a man! Grow into the protagonist we deserve! Tragedy, for the first time in his life, strikes Kaz! It's during the events of episode 7, when The First Order blows up Hosnian Prime. His home planet. Where his FATHER LIVES. He has a moment of humanity and he is devastated. He almost cries. But he sucks it up to finish the mission and get his friends off base for their safety. He is a man now. and the audience feels a sense of comradery for Kaz. After all, Star Wars is about Fathers. Kaz has lost his father forever. His father was KILLED by the First Order. He now, first hand, has experienced real loss for the first time and this is going to help him grow and toughen up. he has to live on his own now. Our hero has a reason to be doing what he's doing. Fighting against the first order.

BUT NAH. FAM. then the very next fucking EPISODE YOU FIND OUT HIS DAD IS FUCKING ALIVE AND THAT HE DIDNT ACTUALLY EXPEIRENCE THE LOSS THAT HE HAD THOUGHT, AND HE GOES RIGHT BACK TO BEING HIS GOOFY ASS CHILDISH SELF. NO. I HATED THAT. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR GROWTH. MAN FUCK RESISTANCE.

FUCK. IF ANYONE DESERVED THEIR FATHER TO LIVE THROUGH A DAMN PLANETORY DESTRUCTION IT WAS MY GIRL LEIA, NOT FUCKING KAZUDO THE CLOWN XIONO. FUCK. guys I'm sorry I just really hate this god damn character.

Like. Lemme break it down, folks.

TCW started and Ahsoka enters. I HATED Ahsoka for a long time. Bcs she was young, cocky and annoying. But that was on purpose. Narratively, she experiences loss, she experiences pain and GROws as a character while navigating her Jedi life during the war. Our girl grows into the capable protagonist that we EXPECT out of a Star Wars story.

Same for Rebels. We meet Ezra, and he's not quite as annoying as Ahsoka was at first in my opinion (I cannot stress how much I did not care for Ahsoka yall) but he was young. He was childish. But he was more capable at 14 than fucking Kaz was at 20. By the end of Rebels, not only is he more wise and capable, but he is selfless. He has found his own path and it's only because of what he has gone through. His journey has made him stronger. Ezra is my favorite Star Wars journey, if I'm being honest. He is the perfect example of character development.

KAZUDO XIONO ENTERS SEASON ONE AS A 20 YEAR OLD MAN-CHILD USING DADDY'S MONEY WHO IS LOUD AND DOESNT KNOW WHEN THE STFU... AND EXITS THE FINALE... AS A LOUD MAN-CHILD WHO CAN NOW USE TOOLS. He doesn't' experience REAL FAMILIAL loss. He doesn't really experience a lot of character development at all. Things just happen around him, he helps, but he doesn't learn. He doesn't grow. I fucking hate that.

Literally every single character in the show BESIDEs Kaz is more interesting than him. and EXPEIRENCE CHARACTER GROWTH!!!

Jarek Yeager, Kaz's boss in the mechanic shop, was in the Rebellion and LOST HIS FAMILY. He is a sexy ass man too. HE starts the show not wanting to help the Resistance at all bcs he's experienced loss since his days in the Rebellion, and his heart is hard and he's comfortable. By the end of the show he is risking not just his career, but his VERY LIFE to help the Resistance.

Tam Ryvora, Kaz's co-worker. Daughter figure to Yeager and a total bad ass woman of color. She is the one on the show who experiences the most character development and struggles to find her identity while the First Order is taking over the galaxy. I LOVE her.

There are these 2 kids who are force sensitive and orphaned after Kylo Ren comits GENOCIDE on their planet. This arc set up is never fully addressed nor does it have a conclusion, like most story arcs on this show tbh.

There's a literal witch for some reason??

There's this fucking rad ass sexy Mirilian Pirate girl named Synara who FOR SOME REASON is suggested to be Kaz's love interest. Gross. Girl, you gay. Move in.

I could go on and on and on. But I wont. Fuck this show. Fuck Kaz. It literally adds NOTHING to the bigger Star Wars lore. TCW and Rebels do this beautifully and this show is a hot mess of ideas and characters that never come to a satisfying story telling conclusion.

Thanks for coming to my tedtalk, dont watch Resistance.

#I know a lot of people on tumblr think Dave is problematic but he is VERY good at story telling and yall cant deny this #otherwise we wouldnt be here on Clone Wars tumblr now would we? #Also Rebels is art at its finest and no one can tell me otherwise #ask #anon #hollyspeaks #star wars #star wars resistance #star wars rebels

[jaxsteamblog]

Festival

Click here to read the entire fic on AO3

The pirates and the drilling were not the only reasons Katara had come to the South Pole. It was also for her favorite festival, which coincidentally, also included her birthday. It focused on hunting, and Katara often explained it as a blend of spring cleaning and autumn harvest. There was no spiritual importance, and many of the traditions were tied to preparing for the approaching winter. Even the games had another purpose.

Sokka sat down on the bench next to Suki, pushing her closer to Katara. He handed out the flimsy paper bowls filled with flavored shaved ice. At his insistence, Katara was trying the new “fire flakes” flavor. Suki stayed with matcha. They were stationed on top of a small snow mound, watching the activity.

Below them, on a cleared ice field, a dozen shrieking children were running around blindfolded. Zuko, also blindfolded, was snatching them up one by one.

“He learned orcashark and sealotters quick.” Sokka noted.

“We have a similar game in Kyoshi, but we’re all swimming.” Suki said.

“That sounds fun.” Katara said and lifted the small spoon of shaved ice to her mouth. The sharp scent of chili hit her nose and made her sinuses prickle.

“This game gets the small ones used to the safer cracks and pops of ice. It makes them more comfortable on the fields.” Sokka added.

“Isn’t it better to be wary of any ice noises?” Suki asked, leaning over to stare at Sokka.

“Not in the dark season. You shouldn’t be running from safe ice to thin ice just because you were startled.” Sokka answered.

“Point.” Suki pulled a look in agreement, returning her attention to the game, and Sokka smiled.

“Sokka, this stuff is way too spicy.” Katara blanched, sticking out her tongue.

“Wuss.” Sokka retorted.

Katara poked at the shaved ice as she watched Zuko clear out the rest of the children from the field. The sun was warm, the sounds of the village filled her, and she felt light. Even spending time with her father had been easy, not letting the dark cloud get in the way of her enjoyment.

Suki read into her expression and nudged her slightly.

“So what do you think about kids, Kat?” She questioned.

Katara snorted.

“No way.” She said quickly. Then sighed as she thought back to her conversation with Zuko.

“Maybe?” She amended.

“Absolutely not.” Sokka said, scraping the sides of his bowl.

Suki sighed, jamming her spoon into the shaved ice.

“Sokka says he won’t share me.” She said.

“I just can’t imagine the…” Katara drifted and frowned.

“All the dealing with the psychological trauma of losing our mother and having an estranged father?” Sokka offered.

Katara leaned back to glare at him behind Suki, but he didn’t acknowledge her.

“So what about you?” She shot back.

“Suki and I go to therapy. I might change my mind. Or I might have a healthier reason for saying no. We deal with it.” Sokka said, sounding purposefully snide at the end.

Katara grumbled and tossed her shaved ice over at Sokka, more frustrated when he caught it. She stood and slid down the snow, heading to the ice field.

Zuko, face flushed and puffing, was lifting his blindfold as she approached.

“Hey, Katara.” He greeted with a smile, kissing her quickly before she could respond.

It made her grin.

“Why was that spicy?” Zuko asked, smacking his lips briefly.

“Sokka got hot ice.”

“I must try it.”

As Zuko started up, Katara stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Want to play?” She asked, tilting her head toward the field.

“Sure.” Zuko said and waited for her as she took up one of the discarded blindfolds.

As they walked out, Katara tied on the blindfold and walked away from where Zuko had stood. She took a moment to get her feet used to the ice and waited.

“Chomp, chomp!” Zuko called and Katara snorted.

“Oh no!” Katara called back.

Zuko was fast, relying on his speed to cover for his inexperience on the ice. But Katara could feel him coming and she dodged his first grab, sliding in an arc around him with her hands behind her back.

He didn’t call out again.

Hearing the scrape of boots against ice, Katara skated sideways. Zuko’s arm brushed the front of her parka and she did let out one, quick laugh.

Then she lowered herself, digging her fingers into the ice to help her turn. Her bending melted the few inches she needed, giving her a hold but also creating a bit of a tripping hazard.

Sure enough, Zuko stumbled but only for a moment. She barely had time to fall to her knees as Zuko’s hands reached for her. Sliding under his arm, Katara melted the ice under him for a moment and he finally fell.

She knew he had caught himself when a spray of hot water splashed her backside while she got up.

Knowing he was too close, Katara lifted ice into a small ramp and heard as Zuko collided with it.

“This is cheating.” He said.

“I’m on the ice!” Katara retorted.

She tried to keep herself elevated but the ramp dissolved behind her as Zuko melted it. Laughing, she froze it again, catching Zuko in it and dashed off again.

They kept their silent distance, but every once in a while, Zuko would fall into her orbit and Katara would startle. The surprise of it always made her laugh and the urge to just let him capture her grew.

But she was overly competitive.

Zuko, on the other hand, was supercharged by the constant presence of the summer sun.

Katara heard a low groan, followed by a loud pop and she jumped. The ice was thick enough that it was beyond the question of safe. Yet they were all trained to be respectful of the ice, and the pop was so loud, so close, it reminded her of a gunshot. Of course she panicked and of course she ran away from the sound.

She felt Zuko’s presence too late, but pulled up the ice around her. It caught her blindfold, lifting it, and she found Zuko trapped in the ice with her.

His breath seethed through his teeth and the ice melted to the edges, giving him space to breathe. His hands moved through the ice, pushing through it like it was slush and not frozen solid. He grabbed her and pulled her to him.

She kissed him, bending the ice around them to a more yielding state. He was so warm and they were encased in ice.

When they inevitably ran out of air, Katara let the ice go, taking the water from their clothes to fill in the trench she created. Zuko lifted the blindfold and smirked.

“Hot ice, what a concept.” He said.

Katara rolled her eyes and pushed him playfully.

“Let’s go get you a snack.” She said.

She turned and Zuko grabbed her around her waist, playfully biting at her shoulder.

“As if you aren’t one already.” He murmured.

“Oh!” Katara blustered, trying to swat at his side, but Zuko only released her and laughed.

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#zutara #fanfiction #jax writes #modern au #the fic that prompts built #zutara month 2021

[one-piece-but-smitten]

Midnight Baking Lesson

Sanji × Reader

Tags/TWs: Minor injury mention

~~~~~~~

It all started with the wrong decision on how to hold the knife. Your index finger had been perched atop the back of the blade as you roughly sliced the vanilla bean pods. You didn't know why, but it was somewhat impossible to get under control. You had tried to reposition the bean pod, and that was when your finger and the knife slipped.

You quietly nursed your cut finger with a damp washcloth, glaring at the herb in frustration. It was the middle of the night, you couldn't risk waking up your friends, especially Sanji. He was the one you were trying to make this for, after all.

A month ago, he had mentioned his birthday, and despite offers from the crew of having a party, he declined for some reason. It had only been about a year since you had been traveling with the band of wild pirates, but you had gotten to know them all pretty well, and you knew Sanji wouldn't pass up a celebration. You looked at the clock through the dim lighting of the moon, frowning. It was about 12:14 A.M., Sanji would be awake by sunrise. You had time, but if you kept slipping up like this that wouldn't count for much. You sighed, picking up a small bandage and tying it around your finger before going back to the cutting board. Initially, you had planned to make him a pie, but you thought it would just be easier to make him a little cake instead. The rough handling of the bean pods had made little noise, but it was enough to stir Sanji and put him on high alert. He crept out of bed, convinced Luffy was attempting to break into the refrigerator again. He snuck down the stairs stealthily, his sock-padded feet silent on the wood as he made his way to the kitchen. He opened the door, blowing his sneaky cover out of the surprise of seeing you.

"[Name]?? What the hell are you doing in here?" He asked, startling you. You hadn't heard him come in, so it was a bit of a cold shock to see him out of the blue. You set down the knife quickly, making a futile attempt to hide the sloppy slicing job behind you.

"S-Sanji!! I could ask you the same thing, why are you up so late?"

You asked, internally twinging at the nervous edge of your voice. He frowned at you, his eyes wandering to the mess behind your back in curiosity.

"I thought I heard Luffy gorging himself in here, so I was going to surprise attack the shithead.. But instead I found you."

He explained, raising one twirling eyebrow at the cutting board.

"What were you trying to do in here...?"

Damn, you were caught. You sigh, looking down at the ground.

"Well, when we were all talking a month ago, you mentioned your birthday. I know you said you didn't want a party, but I thought I should.. Well.. Let you kick your feet up for the day, and bake you something special.."

The last few sentences were mumbled, your face growing flustered as you revealed your birthday plans to him. You look down at the floor, feeling dumb and expecting no less of an insult from the ship's cook. You heard nothing, and looked up to see the cook with a rather surprised look on his face. Not only that, his cheeks were tinted a rosy hue.

"You.. You wanted to do that... For me??"

He asked in confirmation. You nodded, looking up at him sheepishly. You watched as he took a moment to process, looking a little red in the face as he faced you again. He let out a huff, your face burning as he came up behind you and started to correct your mishandling of the pods.

"W-Well, let's start by showing you how to actually deal with these."

He picked up his own paring knife from the block and took a piece of the butchered pod, focusing on his cutting as he explained your mistakes.

"First, you gently make a slit through the center like so,"

his knife gracefully glided through the vanilla, and he spread the newly-cut wings of the bean pod. You clumsily followed, your large chef's knife feeling a little clunky for this job. He nodded in approval, looking around at the assortment of ingredients in mild confusion.

"Before we go further... What exactly was your game plan here?"

He inquired. You blushed slightly, feeling dumb with the gradual realization that you forgot to plan ahead of that.

"I.. Was going to wing it. I would have flipped through some of your cookbooks to see for a recipe."

You admitted. He sighed, but it wasn't out of exasperation. You were surprised to hear a small chuckle follow as he lit a cigarette, opening a few windows to let the cool night air in. His laugh is kind of cute, you realized, blushing more. He took a drag from the lit cigarette, chuckling again.

"What am I gonna do with you?"

He asked rhetorically. You were left to sit for a bit as he put away and pulled out new ingredients, but you let it go as soon as he brought out the buttermilk from the fridge. You frowned, you may not be an expert in the kitchen, but you knew buttermilk wasn't something you'd usually use in cakes.

"Buttermilk?"

You asked aloud, wondering what the blonde was up to. He looked back at you, grinning as he pulled the griddle from it's hanging hook on the wall.

"I figured we make something quick and easy, and breakfast is a pretty easy start to a day, so why not some old-fashioned pancakes?"

Well.. It was technically morning. That, and pancakes were fun too. You nod, getting out some whisks and mixing bowls from the cabinets. With that, Sanji started instruction.

"First order of business, Mise en Place."

He stated. You cocked your head to the side, unfamiliar with the phrase. He took a drag from his cigarette before elaborating.

"It's a phrase that helps with organization while cooking. Getting out equipment and measuring everything beforehand to make the process easier."

He explained. Ah, so getting everything ready. You nod, looking around you to see the equipment was mostly there. The only thing needed was measuring cups and bowls for the measured ingredients. You got to work, being stopped almost immediately by the blonde.

"[Name], you need to sift the flour first. If you mix it in like that, there will be clumps."

He instructed gently, coming from behind you with the sifter to do it. It was only about a few seconds, but the warmth from his proximity almost made you want to scream. However, you let none of this show as you continued to work under his supervision, listening diligently as he showed you small tricks on how to make your food better. You got to the point of mixing everything, and he once again came up from behind to guide your hand as you whisked the wet and dry ingredients together.

"See, you need to watch how much you mix it, because it's super easy to let all of that air out of the egg whites we fluffed."

He explained. You nodded, letting him lead the way as your hand relaxed into his. The blonde's cheeks were dusted a light pink, but he dared not comment on it. He cleared his throat, separating before gesturing to the skillet. On the counter beside it lay a butter try with about half a stick settled on top of it. Sanji took out a butter knife from the drawer, cutting off a bit before flicking it onto the hot surface. A soft hiss sounded, letting you know it was ready to go. Before starting on cooking the pancakes, he glanced over at you.

"Would you like to do the honors?"

He asked. You chuckled nervously, feeling a little inexperienced compared to him. Even so, it was his birthday. You needed to at least do something to lighten the load. You grabbed a flipper, giving him a determined look.

"Yeah I do!"

He laughed, stunning you for a second. It was still so pretty, even if you'd heard it so many times before. You snap out of the daze as he goes over to the batter bowl, taking up a ladle and dropping small amounts of pancake batter into the skillet. The butter and mix hissed dully, letting you know that it was cooking. You shuffled over to the stovetop, monitoring the pancakes carefully.

"Make sure you don't flip them prematurely, then it's going to take longer. You'll know it's done when the bubbles rise up from the backside."

Sanji said, peeking over your shoulder. You stiffened a bit, something Sanji managed to notice. He frowned with mild concern, looking at you.

"Are you okay? You're acting a little weird, [Name]. Have you had any water lately?"

He asked. You shake your head vigorously, anything to get him from being so damn close. You see bubbles rising to the top of the batter, but you wait. You watch as more bubbles come up, and you decide to flip. To your surprise, the pancakes are a beautiful golden color, the outside browning crisp thanks to the butter. You look back at Sanji eagerly, and he returns the smile you give him twofold.

"Look at that! Not bad for the first batch. They usually turn out pretty iffy when I flip the first few."

He said. You rolled your eyes, knowing it to be a lie. You punched his shoulder gently, chuckling.

"Don't pull an Usopp on me, blondie. I know everything you make in here comes out perfect."

You retort lightly, surprised to see Sanji's blush of a reaction. You turn back to the pancakes quickly, feeling a blush creep up in your cheeks as well. A small silence settled on the both of you as he poured batter and you flipped. As it progressed, your thoughts ate at you. Looking at the situation clearly, your plan was backfiring. Sanji was being forced to cook on his birthday, all because you were too ditzy to handle baking him something. These intrusive words shifted your attention, causing you to use more strength than necessary to try and flip a pancake. Alas, the spatula slipped, and so followed your hand. There came a yelp, a clatter, and small shouts of concern from Sanji. Your hand had made contact with the sizzling skillet only for a moment, but your pinky and palm still hurt like hell.

"[Name]!!"

In an instant, he snatched up your arm, taking you over and plopping you down in a chair before moving the skillet off of the burner and grabbing a clean washcloth off of the counter. He ran it under the tap, squeezing out the excess before gently setting it against the burn. You winced, feeling horrible. He squatted down next to you, emotions in turmoil within those blue eyes of his. You avoid his gaze, feeling ashamed.

"[Name], please look at me."

You bit your lip to keep it from trembling, your good hand curled into a fist as it sat in your lap.

"I'm sorry, Sanji, I really am.."

You whimper shakily.

"Why are you apologizing? It was just an accide-"

"That's not what I'm talking about... I mean I'm sorry you had to cook on your birthday because of me."

There was a small silence before Sanji finally chuckled, taking your good hand into one of his. You blushed, it was rough and somewhat calloused from cooking over the years. You look into his eyes, unable to stop the tears from rolling down your cheeks. He was so sweet, even on the day he should be treated like a king he was there, tending to you. His eyes softened as he wiped your tears away, a smile on his lips.

"You're too kind, [Name], but you don't realize.."

He softly squeezed your hand in his, turning red as he gave you his best grin.

"Being able to cook with you makes this one of my best birthdays."

You burned a bright scarlet, registering his words. You can almost see the steam pouring out of your ears from the heat in your cheeks, uttering out incomprehensible babble. He laughed, letting out a little sigh before kissing your forehead. You jumped at the affection, looking up at him in silent bewilderment

"Alright, now no more tears from you. Hang tight over there, you can't cook with your hand seared like that. I'll be done shortly."

He stated, standing up to his full height before going back to the flapjacks. All you could manage was a dumb nod, watching him intently as he focused. You let out a little sigh, unable to help the rush of affection you felt for him. Despite being a weirdo sometimes, he was one of the most polite, gentle people you had ever met. Soon, he had finished the work the both of you had started in a timely manner, even managing to wash the dishes as well. He went to plating, breaking out some fresh fruits for additional garnishes before setting down two beautiful plates of food on the table. One was topped with raspberries and lightly drizzled with honey, and the other happened to be topped with your favorite fruit along with honey garnish. He slid the latter plate towards you, handing you a small bundle of silverware tucked neatly with a napkin. You chuckled, taking it.

"You can't go without being a little fancy, can you?"

"You're acting like it's a bad thing."

You smiled at each other before digging in.

Without fail, both plates were without a speck of food. You let out a contented sigh, looking over at Sanji. He had lit another cigarette, the stick sitting delicately in between his fingers as he looked out at the sea through the window. He was so pretty, you had always known that, but you had never bothered to acknowledge it. You were pulled out of your thoughts as he got up from his seat, letting out a sigh.

"Well, I'm gonna go."

Sanji said, giving you a smile before turning to leave. You got up from your own seat, getting in front of him before giving him a hug. Surprised, he took a moment before reciprocating, his arms holding you close. If you couldn't manage to express it through his field, maybe you could do it in a way you both understood.

"Happy birthday, Sanji."

You whispered. He chuckled, resting his nose in the crook of your neck.

"Thank you for making it happy, [Name]."

~~~~~~~

This is a repost from a book I have on my Wattpad, a friend suggested I put it here so you all know how I write (although this is very, VERY old)

#sanjionepiece #reader insert #one piece #one piece oneshot #vinsmoke sanji #straw hat pirates #writing #strawhatscribe

[hellreads]

navigation for all the ficqueries sent over to me, ficqs with “lost” and “unknown” status will be sorted from oldest to newest while ficqs that are “found” will be sorted from newest to oldest.

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OT7/MULTI/MXM

[ #67 ] ⇢ spacecrew!ot7 x oc + where she asks for porn, films porn for jimin and jungkook gets a hold of it, eventually everyone signed a form to fuck.

[ #64 ] ⇢ idol/bf!kth x gf!oc x idol!pjm + where taehyung cheats on her with ara so she decided to stay with jimin.

[ #62 ] ⇢ idol!ot7 x oc + where they are soulmates but she was afraid of army so she got her soulmate tattoo covered.

[ #58 ] ⇢ spacecrew!ot7 x oc + where she asks yoongi for porn but was told to get some from jimin.

[ #56 ] ⇢ couple!kth+pjm x surrogate!oc who gets eaten out by taehyung on their bathroom sink and sucks her breast milk because her tits hurt.

[ #44 ] ⇢ 365 fresh!au + where yoongi is running away from a gang, jimin accidentally killed the mayor, and hoseok is su*cidal, they ran away and ended up falling in love.

[ #43 ] ⇢ mafia!jjk x oc + where taehyung hosts a party and jungkook was dressed as a cop and oc loses a bet againt taehyung and was told to take him home.

[ #34 ] ⇢ myg x pjm + they met when they were toddlers at a playground and that’s where their friendship began.

[ #32 ] ⇢ bff!jhs x oc + who gets treated like crap so she dates yoongi and turns out he knows hoseok and it results in a big angsty love triangle. 

[ #30 ] ⇢ bff!kth x bff!oc + he dates a ton of girls then dates yoongi, but when she dates jungkook he gets jealous and ends up realizing he’s in love with her then kisses her.

[ #29 ] ⇢ bff!ksj x oc x fubu!jhs + she likes jin but he only sees her as a friend, hoseok catches feelings but she doesn’t feel the same, eventually, they end up together leaving jin alone with his feelings.

[ #25 ] ⇢ 365 fresh!au + jjk x pjm x barber!oc + who kills a man (follows the storyline of the mv) then there’s a sequel where they’re all together and have kids.

[ #14 ] ⇢ jjk x oc x kth + mafia!au + where she gets amnesia from a car accident and gets separated from jungkook because he was betraying his group.

[ #07 ] ⇢ greek gods!ot7 x oc + soulmate!au where oc reincarnates with every member.

[ #04 ] ⇢ rich brothers!ksj + pjm x oc + who wants their father’s inheritance so they ask the other members for help, oc is their maid who overhears their plans.

[ #02 ] ⇢ jjk +kth x myg x oc + taehyung and jungkook are listening to yoongi and oc at the door then yoongi invites them in.

KIM NAMJOON

[ #59 ] ⇢ yandere/professor!knj + who manipulated oc to be with him or he will fail jimin.

[ #19 ] ⇢ idol!knj x foreigner!oc + sm!au where she’s learning korean, they met at a cafe then introduces himself as “joon” and helps her with some pronunciation.

KIM SEOKJIN

N/A

MIN YOONGI

[ #53 ] ⇢ prince!myg + who replaces his brother prince!ksj to marry princess!oc

[ #50 ] ⇢ gynecologist!myg x wife!oc + who rekindles their dull marriage with sex.

[ #47 ] ⇢ idol!myg x oc + who looks for her lost earrings and sees yoongi, inspired by what happened in kobe.

[ #39 ] ⇢ myg x oc + contractual relationship to prove some theory for his degree. [ #38 ] ⇢ myg x oc + arranged marriage, she slept on the couch in her wedding dress because yoongi was sleeping with someone else. he wants to end the marriage but she’ll have to go back to her abusive father.

[ #20 ] ⇢ priest!myg x oc + blasphemy.

JUNG HOSEOK

[ #41 ] ⇢ brother’s best friend!jhs x oc + where she’s taehyung’s sister, in the end the two got caught in a closet together by jimin.

[ #40 ] ⇢ werewolf!jhs x oc + where she finds him and asks “why is there a wolf in my living room?”

[ #06 ] ⇢ jhs x oc + e2l!au where they set-up a christmas party together, the smut was intense because they hated each other.

PARK JIMIN

N/A

KIM TAEHYUNG

[ #66 ] ⇢ bf!kth x gf!oc + they roleplay as professor and virgin student with fake virginity.

[ #35 ] ⇢ gangster!kth x oc + who was told to quit her job at a bar.

[ #27 ] ⇢ prankster!kth x oc + where he helps oc get with jungkook but ends up falling for her and he confesses publicly in the end.

[ #26 ] ⇢ cheater!kth + he cheats on his gf with oc, she confesses but he doesn’t feel the same so she travels to jeju and falls in love with jungkook.

[ #13 ] ⇢ kth x oc + fake dating!au they go to a wedding on a cruise then falls in love.

[ #05 ] ⇢ yeontan + oc, she thinks he doesn’t like her but one day it was raining and she was scared of thunders then yeontan cuddles with her as a way of protecting her.

[ #03 ] ⇢ idol!kth x fangirl!oc + she goes to his hotel then they hook-up.

JEON JUNGKOOK

[ #70 ] ⇢ jjk x oc + where he hunts for her and if she survives they will get married.

[ #69 ] ⇢ idol!jk x back-up dancer!reader + where the two got together and she gets all the hate and threats for being his girlfriend.

[ #68 ] ⇢ bf!jjk x gf!oc + where long hair jk gives her morning kisses *down below*

[ #57 ] ⇢ tattoo artist!jjk x ex-wife!oc + who are divorced but have a daughter together, they threw a party for her at jin and joon’s house.

[ #48 ] ⇢ bf!jjk x gf!oc + who gets touched by him under the table even after being caught by taehyung and he continues watching ‘til she comes undone but jungkook wasn’t willing to share.

[ #33 ] ⇢ bf!jjk x oc x gf!oc + in a poly relationship but he makes it obvious how unhappy he is with her.

[ #32 ] ⇢ yandere!jjk x oc [idk what happened but tumblr deleted the actual ask content]

[ #28 ] ⇢ artist!jjk + he is a drug addict/alcoholic who abandoned his daughter, taehyung and namjoon helped him see her after a long time.

[ #24 ] ⇢ swimmer/nerd!jjk x volleyball player!oc who keeps making a fool of herself, she confesses to him in a yellow dress which was inspired by an anime character.

[ #23 ] ⇢ jjk x oc + they’re classmates and he managed to make her wear a vibrator and he turns it on during class and they ended up fucking in a library.

[ #21 ] ⇢ jjk x oc + where she planned a heist and they fall in love but she continued her plans.

[ #15 ] ⇢ jjk x oc + he kept telling her as they grow up that he’ll marry her, “what’s a prom dance compared to a wedding dance”

[ #12 ] ⇢ ceo!jjk x oc + she’s his assistant who’s part of a group planning to rob him to pay off debt and hospital bills.

[ #11 ] ⇢ drummer!jk x oc + they hook up in a cool apartment with a window wall and end up banging against it, someone was watching them but jungkook doesn’t care and they kept at it.

[ #09 ] ⇢ idol!jjk x oc + she gets into an accident and forgot all her recent memories of them together so she only knows him as jungkook of BTS.

[ #01 ] ⇢ fratboy!jjk x feminist!oc + there’s a talent show where she stands on the stage and shouts “fuck men!”

[ #08 ] ⇢ fic based on the movie the haunted mansion.

[ #10 ] ⇢ college!jjk + he’s horny and fucks oc against the library shelves.

[ #17 ] ⇢ lovers!kth+pjm + oc moved to korea then met the two and was offered to enter a polyamorous relationship.

[ #18 ] ⇢ fuckboy/sub!jjk + new student!oc: “he didn’t fuck me, i fucked him”

[ #22 ] ⇢ coffee shop!au (ao3) + oc worked for namjoon’s club and she likes yoongi.

[ #36 ] ⇢ bts x dating company!au + oc gets chosen in a draw to date every member.

[ #37 ] ⇢ jjk x oc make-up/hate sex + they do it on the stairs and get carpet burns.

[ #42 ] ⇢ detective!myg (he had vasectomy) + kidnaps oc and keeps her in his house.

[ #45 ] ⇢ fratboy!jjk + everyone thinks he’s fucking around but he’s just taking care of his bunny.

[ #49 ] ⇢ villager!ot7 + spiritual event where oc in red hoodie gets marked and sacrificed then runs off into the woods, they found her and smut ensues. 

[ #51 ] ⇢ yoongi is attracted to his best friend’s younger brother.

[ #52 ] ⇢ single dad!pjm + ex-gf!oc who takes care of his baby.

[ #55 ] ⇢ pirate captain!jjk + oc who later forms a crew with the betrayed captain.

[ #60 ] ⇢ bff!jjk + bff!oc who accidentally grinds against each other one morning but it didn’t lead to smut so taehyung makes jungkook jealous so that he'd confess to her.

[ #61 ] ⇢ jjk x oc + secret party that requires you do dares/tasks to be invited, then he gets to skinny dip with her on namjoon’s pool because he has access to it.

[ #65 ] ⇢ kth x oc + exes!au where they meet again after a long time.

[ #71 ] ⇢ tourguide!jhs x oc + they have sex at the church’s confessional box.

[ #16 ] ⇢ idol!jjk with short amnesia + oc tries to get his memory back.

[ #46 ] ⇢ yandere/prince!maknaeline + maid!oc is working a job in the castle.

[ #54 ] ⇢ co-worker!jhs + co-worker!oc buys his videos from his onlyfans (?)

[ #63 ] ⇢ jjk x father’s gf!oc and they have an affair.

#ficqueries nav #ficqnav #updated: 210308 #there's a google spreadsheet for this one too! #idk why i did this tbh but welp here we are #oh wait now i remember why i did this and for the recs too #it's easier to have sheets and a master list than just going through my blog xxxx times just to see if I answered anything similar

[capsironunderoos]

Blankets

DINCEMBER - December 16 - Blankets

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) x Reader

Summary: Din leaves to visit Greef and Cara on Nevarro, leaving you with Grogu. While he’s gone, the power goes out in the cabin.

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: None!

Author’s Note: Okay! I’m slowly but surely getting caught up! Also, I know this gif isn’t technically Din, but it just goes really well with the story. Anyways! I’m going to try and post at least one more story today, and it’s gonna be part two to Please, Come Home! It’s still in the early stages though, so it may not be until later tonight. I hope you enjoy this little bit! (I kind of got carried away haha!) Also! Waye is a little side character I threw in just for fun! I first mentioned her in my last post for Dincember, which is linked below.

Here’s the previous prompt: DINCEMBER - December 14 - Cold

And the link to my masterlist: capsironunderoos masterlist

“Okay, what do you think?” 

You ask Grogu as you step back, arms extended in presentation as you gesture towards the pile of blankets in front of you. 

“These were all I could find, but we also have some pillows we can use too.” 

Grogu crosses his arms and surveys the blankets, resting his weight on his right leg as he does so. 

You stifle a giggle at his stance, remembering the many times you’ve watched Din stand in that exact position. 

Grogu quickly turns to look up at you, and you have to drop your smile quickly, instantly painting on a look of concentration that mirrors his own. 

He nods and coos before moving towards the pile and grabbing a blanket. 

“Alright, let’s get to it.” 

You grab the same blanket he is holding, and with a little help from the force, the two of you begin building a blanket fort in the middle of the living space of your cabin. 

Din had left a few days ago to visit Cara and Greef on Nevarro after they had sent a hologram asking for his help, and it was during times like these that you especially missed his presence. 

Waye had stopped by on her way home from the marketplace earlier today, offering up a few leftovers from her food cart, including a container of Sorgan froglegs. 

Grogu had squealed with so much delight that you had to place one of your fingers in your ears, and Waye had winced through a smile. 

“Yeah, you’re welcome kid,” she’d responded, patting him softly on the head as he bounced in your arms. 

She had mostly been stopping by because she hadn’t seen you the past couple of days, and she wanted to make sure all was right. You had quickly reassured her that everything was fine, and that you were just spending some time with Grogu. 

She had smiled and begun to wave her goodbyes when she remembered the other reason she had stopped by. 

“There’s gonna be a storm tonight, real bad one. Been brewing out over the fields for the past few days. I could taste the rain in the air when I woke up this morning. Be careful, take precautions, and if you need anything I’m just a few minutes walk that way.” 

She had pointed in the direction of her cabin, which you already knew the location of. She was one of the few people both you and Din trusted to watch Grogu when the two of you needed a night to yourself. 

Speaking of the child, upon hearing the word storm, he had immediately tensed up, his tiny hands grabbing the material of your shirt as he buried his face in your chest. 

You had thanked Waye and offered her the same sentiment before retreating back into your cabin. 

“Oh little one, don’t worry. We’ll do what we always do!” 

Grogu knew what that meant, and the look of excitement that replaced the fear on his face was the exact reason you were now building a blanket fort. 

Normally, Din would pitch in as well, finding glowrods to sit up in corners of the fort as you and Grogu found the perfect blankets to use. 

This had quickly become a stormy-night tradition when you and Din had discovered, during a particularly bad one, that he was terribly afraid of storms. 

Sitting under the blanket fort, with you and Din telling him stories of your lives before, seemed to comfort him, to keep him grounded and remind him that he was safe from the world outside. 

You watch as Grogu lifts the last corner of the blanket, his small hand extended as the force tucks the blanket snuggly into one of the corners of the couch. 

You both took a step back, surveying your work just as the first few drops of rain began to land on the windows. 

Grogu looks up to you, and you smile down at him. 

“I think this is our best one yet,” at your approval, he smiles and nods in agreement. 

You laugh and scoop him into your arms. 

“C’mon, let’s grab some supplies.” 

You allow him to climb up onto your shoulder as you grab a few snacks from the kitchen before making your way down the hallway to your room, where you grab the few glowrods Din kept by the bed. 

As you begin to walk back up the hallway, Grogu pulls at the collar of your shirt when you pass the entrance to his room. 

“Okay, kiddo, okay.” You obey his orders and walk into his small, but messy room. 

Toys and clothes were strewn all over the floor, and you sigh at the fact that you’d be having a talk with him about keeping his space clean, but that could wait for later. For now, he motions you over to his bed, jumping from your shoulder as you squat closer to the mattress. 

He rifles around in the sheets for a moment before emerging with a toy, proudly holding it out to you as you feel tears beginning to prick at your eyes. 

He had retrieved the small wooden mandalorian you’d had crafted for him on his birthday. 

You’d paid extra credits to have its armor resemble that of his papa’s, but the smile on both his and Din’s face had been worth it. 

You help him back onto your shoulder, doing your best to hide the tears in your eyes as you silently made your way back to the blanket fort. 

The rain had begun to fall in a more steady pattern now, and the soft pitter patter on the roof made a beautiful melody with the crackling of the wood burning in the fireplace. 

You enter the blanket fort with Grogu still on your shoulder before sitting onto one of the pillows in the pile. Grogu leaps from your shoulder as you empty the items in your arms onto the floor, moving to quickly click on the glowrods, even though the lights in the room were still on, and the fireplace was emitting warm light into the fort. 

You look over to see Grogu hugging and then propping up the toy version of his papa on a small pillow. 

“I miss him too,” you whisper, and Grogu glances over his shoulder at you before turning back to his toy. He murmurs a sweet coo, and you smile. He then turns back to look at you, his face expecting but patient. 

“Okay, which story should I tell first?” He babbles and lifts his hands, and you shake your head. 

“No, your papa is the one that tells the story about the pirates so well. I could tell the one about the time I had to tame a blurrg.” 

At your suggestion, Grogu scrunches up his nose before shaking his head, his ears flopping as he does so. You laugh at his actions before agreeing. 

“Okay, okay that one is boring. Oh! I know one that I feel like I tell just a little bit better than your papa… What about the story of grandpa Boba?” 

At this suggestion, and the mention of one of his favorite people’s names, Grogu lights up, nodding enthusiastically as he encourages you, through excited babbling, to continue. 

Just as you open your mouth to begin, a large clap of thunder rattles the shutters of the small cabin, and Grogu jumps before grabbing his toy and clambering into your lap. 

“Oh, sweet one, it’s okay. I’m right here. Now, cuddle close and listen well,” you start, and the fear in his eyes turns to wonder. 

You smile and pull him closer to your chest as he grips the small wooden toy to his own. 

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a mandalorian, much like your papa, who was also a foundling, just like your papa, and you…”

---

Hours had passed, and you had told stories until you were sure you would run out of ones that were friendly enough for Grogu to hear. 

Luckily, between munching on the snacks from the kitchen and playing with the glowrods as if they were lightsabers, the both of you had fallen asleep amongst the pillows. 

Grogu rested on top of your chest, his head just under your chin as his small hands gripped onto his toy. 

You had covered the both of you up with a spare blanket, and had welcomed one of the first moment’s of good rest since Din had left. 

It wasn’t long before you were interrupted, though, as a large clap of thunder and the flickering of the lights in the room woke you up with a jolt. 

Your sudden movement had awoken Grogu as well, and he looked up at you through half-lidded eyes. 

“It’s okay, just the storm. I’m right-” 

The words were caught in your throat when a large bolt of lightning struck just beside the house and the lights in the cabin immediately went dark. 

Grogu lets out a wail at the sudden plunge into darkness, and you gather him closer to your chest as you sit up. You fumble around in the dark for a moment before your hands find purchase on one of the glowrods, your fingers quickly pressing the button to turn it on. 

“Okay, we’re okay. See? I’m right here.” 

Grogu searches your face for a moment before agreeing with you. 

You begin to speak again when you hear something fall in the kitchen, followed by a soft voice. 

Your heart seems to stop, and you glance down at the child, knowing your fear was mirrored in his own. 

You try to warn him that you will be turning off the glowrod, and he seems to understand to keep quiet as you do so. 

You then allow him to climb back onto your shoulder as you quietly exit the pillow fort, your eyes doing their best to look around the room with the little bit of light still emitting from the dwindling embers of the fireplace. 

You glance to the hearth and slide your hand under it, almost crying in relief when you feel the blaster Din had hid there so many months ago. 

You grab it and immediately cut the safety off, feeling Grogu tighten his hold on your hair as you begin to make your way to the kitchen. 

You make sure to avoid every creaking floorboard, and to stay in the shadows, which wasn’t too terribly hard with most of the power out. 

When you reach the entrance to the kitchen, you stop at the doorway, taking a moment to catch your breath before grabbing a glowrod in your hand and setting the hand holding the blaster on top of it. 

You count down from three before jumping into the kitchen, cutting on the glowrod and yelling. 

“Who are you? Why are you here? Come out where I can see you or I will shoot!” 

You hear shuffling and the sound of metal hitting the floor before you turn your light to see Din, standing in the kitchen, half out of his armor and both of his hands in the air. 

“Cyare! It’s me! It’s Din! Don’t shoot!” 

You move the beam of the glowrod around him before settling it onto his face. 

He squints into the harsh light, but there’s no denying it’s him. 

Grogu squeals, almost in disappointment, and you’re unsure if it's disappointment in you, for not knowing his papa, or in his papa for scaring him. 

“Maker, Din. A little warning next time would be nice.” 

You reprimand him as you click the safety of the blaster back on before slipping it into the waist of your pants. 

“It’s good to see you too, honey,” he responds, and even the sweetness of hearing his voice after days without it did little to still your fast-beating heart. 

He made his way through the kitchen, finally out of his armor, which was what had fallen earlier and alerted you to the “intruder,” before stopping when he reaches you. 

“Power’s out,” you snap, and he smirks. 

“You gonna be upset with me for awhile huh, cyar’ika?” He teases you and you do your best to hide the smile on your face, but he still saw it. 

“No, that would be impossible, wouldn’t it?” He continues to tease as his arms wrap around your waist and pull you into him. 

Before you could argue, he plants his lips against yours in a bruising kiss, pulling you further into him as you are caught off guard and try to pull away. You push harder against his chest, a smile evident on your face when he finally lets you go. 

“I did miss you, you old nerf herder.” 

At your chastising he laughs, a deep laugh that shakes you and cues your giggling as well. 

“C’mon,” you beckon through your giggles, pulling him into the living room with you and Grogu, who had silently jumped from your shoulder into the arms of his papa, toy still in hand. 

Din laces his fingers through your own as he follows you, only letting them go to stoke the fire and try to start it back up again.

Once the flames begin to rise, he settles with you and Grogu into the fort, where you had already set up the glowrods. 

He sits so that you can sit in-between his legs and his arms can wrap around your waist. 

“I believe it’s your turn to tell a story,” you prompt, and he nods, a sudden look of deep thought crossing his features. 

“How about I tell you of my most recent journey?” 

At this, Grogu once again climbs into your lap, facing the both of you as his eyes grow wide with wonder once more. 

“It’s about me, your Aunt Cara, and even your grandpa Greef!” 

At the names mentioned, Grogu smiles and bounces in your lap, and you laugh as you lean further into Din. 

“Go on then, mandalorian. Tell us your tale,” at the name, Din pinches your side and you yelp, cueing more laughter from all three of you. 

“Okay, okay. Now cuddle close, and listen well…”

#dincember #mando #mando x reader #mando x y/n #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x y/n #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin x y/n #grogu #baby yoda #star wars #star wars x reader #sw #em writes

[teaplease1717]

Story: Ashes of Love and War

Chapter: 14 / ?

Couple: Todoroki Shouto / Yaoyorozu Momo (TodoMomo)

Rating: M (for language and violence)

Betas: @flourchildwrites​ (Link)  & C’s Melody (Link)

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21638800/chapters/73273167Shouto laid the unconscious pirate face-down on the makeshift cot.

Thank you everyone who follows and supports!

XXXXXX

The flames burning in the bronze tripods flickered, casting long shadows across the man’s pale, sticky skin. Shouto sat back on his heels and tilted the man’s head to the side to make sure the pirate didn’t choke if he got sick.

The man stirred as Shouto adjusted him. His eyes fluttered open, and he moaned as he stared unseeing at Shouto for a moment before his eyelids closed again — hopefully not for the last time — and he shivered.

Shouto leaned down to the edge of the cot to grab the blanket but paused, hesitating. He stared down at the pirate, studying the gashes running across his back.

The skin had been shredded by the stympahlian’s talons. The veins streaking out from around the wounds had turned green and purple from poison. And on the man’s arm was a nasty cut from one of the stymphalian’s feathers. It had sliced along his forearm, exposing bone.

The man shivered again, and Shouto wavered on whether he should cover him.

He decided not to. It wouldn’t be safe to have anything touching either wound until they had been properly cleaned. The pirate would be lucky enough if he didn’t lose his arm; he didn’t need an infection on top of that.

Shouto folded the blanket back up and stood. The rest of the room was filled with the other gravely wounded. Pallets were stacked almost on top of each other in what had once been the dining room. Yet, the space wasn’t big enough; only a third of those who were injured fit. The tents the pirates had brought with them were tattered. Men without life-threatening injuries were set up on cots in the courtyard or crowded in the hallway.

It was uncomfortable. Despair and pain hung over the house, sliding down Shouto’s back like cold claws as it dredged up memories of the war. Of his comrades writhing in agony from incurable wounds, begging the gods for mercy — which they would never grant. And the civilians of Troy, the soldiers and innocents he’d killed, their screams and pleas as he tore Endeavor through them.

Shouto’s fingers twitched, and he turned and walked outside.

The warm night air met him. During the dark, a heavy fog had crept out over the mountain, covering everything in a thick veil. It was denser than normal mist and most likely influenced by the dark magic lingering in the air.

Shouto walked until he got to the edge of the cliffs. The scent of burning stymphalian corpses from the courtyard stung his nose.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the smell. There was a hollow sensation in his chest as he thought back on the attack. The timing. The coordination. Was it the patron’s doing?

It had to be.

Shouto flexed his fingers and brought his hand to rest on Endeavor’s hilt. The uptick in stymphalian activity had started a month ago, right around the time his brother had attacked their ship. Were the incidents related?

It was hard to say with the evidence they had. Dabi was certainly sadistic enough and petty enough that Shouto wouldn’t put it past him to use monsters to accomplish his goals. But, Dabi hadn’t known he was going to lose when they had fought. And even if he had, Shouto found it hard to believe his brother would have been smart enough to plan something like this himself.

Besides, Aizawa said it was a bird with purple and green plumage that had come to the island…

That didn’t sound like Dabi. His brother’s colors were purple and blue.

So who was the patron?

Shouto’s lips thinned, and he tapped his finger against Endeavor’s hilt. The only god he knew with purple and green as their banner colors was Overhaul — or Phobetor as mortals knew him — the god of nightmares. He had heard rumors that the god had some sort of relations with Dabi, but from what Shouto knew, the god hated monsters and considered them filthy beasts. So, there was no apparent reason he’d be involved with the stymphalian.

A headache was building in the back of his skull. There were too many questions without any answers. Shouto sighed and opened his eyes to stare up at the silvery moon waning in the brightening sky.

At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who the stymphalian’s benefactor was. Shouto would just have to do what he always did. He’d fight, and he’d win because he was–

His throat closed abruptly, and he gripped Endeavor tighter as his hands began to tremble. Heat burned across Shouto’s chest.

Strong.

Was he really strong? After everything that had happened, did he really get to call himself that?

Yaoyorozu had been injured because he hadn’t been able to protect her. And Haimawari and Rin had been kidnapped due to his negligence.

How many countless others had been hurt because of him? Sero. The sailors tasked with bringing them back to Sparta. A flurry of other nameless faces flashed through Shouto’s mind — all the men injured because of his mistakes.

Shouto reached up, and his fingers traced the marred skin around his left eye.

It was the way of life: the strong lived, and the weak died. He had accepted that. It was the motto of Greece. And Shouto had always been strong, or at least he thought he had. But, ever since the injury....or even before….

He dropped his hand and drew in a sharp breath through his teeth.

He had become careless. He had let these fake emotions for Yaoyorozu cloud his mind. And after last night, when he had cracked the stymphalian’s neck with his bare hands to save her, it became abundantly clear the curse wasn’t going away.

The thought made anger bubble in his chest, and Shouto forced his mind away from that line of thinking. It wouldn’t do any good. He didn’t know how to break it.

A voice in the back of his mind wondered if he should finally tell Yaoyorozu.

Shouto gritted his teeth.

The right thing — the honorable thing — would be to tell Yaoyorozu about a curse that was tied to her. Especially on the eve of the operation, it was even more important for any loose strings that could affect or influence the mission be addressed. He didn’t want any more innocent people to be hurt because of the spell.

So why was he hesitating?

His fingers twitched. This wasn't like him at all. Shouto wasn't known for overthinking or being indecisive. If anything, he had been accused of being too rash. But anytime he thought about admitting his failure to Yaoyorozu, somehow, he couldn't get the words to form.

What was wrong with him?

At first, he had thought it was his ego and the notion of telling civilians from a former enemy nation about his weakness, but now he didn’t know. Yaoyorozu was smart and could help him deal with the side effects. It was almost like he didn't want to...like he was nervous.

Could it be...was he afraid of Yaoyorozu’s reaction?

Shouto felt something in his heart twist, and he sighed deeply and tried to focus on something else to calm his temper. It felt like all the thoughts he had been pushing down for the last month had exploded within his chest like magic.

That’s right.

Shouto lifted his left hand and stared down at his palm. His fingers were shaking, but Shouto ignored the tremors as he focused on the slight pulse under his skin.

His magic had come back. Not fully, but he could feel it shifting in his veins again. Dormant but there. Like a dam with cracks beginning to form. He just needed to find a way to unleash.

And by tomorrow.

Before they went on the offensive against the stymphalian.

A noise behind him caught his attention. Shouto dropped his hand and looked up as Fukukado approached. She slid up next to him and stared out over the mountain. The long shadows of the night had grown shorter, and he could see the captain’s face clearly in the morning glow. She looked tired, but some of the distress and unease from earlier was gone.

After a moment, Fukukado asked. “How are you and the girl—Yaoyorozu, was it?” Shouto stilled at her name, his stomach knotting as Fukukado continued. “How are you two fairing?”

To the south, the pirate ship’s sails were barely visible through the fog.

Shouto forced himself to shrug faintly as she turned to look at him. “Fine. I wasn’t hurt. Yaoyorozu sprained her shoulder, but after some rest, she should be okay.”

Fukukado mouthed quirked faintly. “I didn’t mean like that.” Some of her color returned. And, for a moment, she looked like how she had yesterday when he had first met her. Then her playful expression fell. “We haven’t been here for long, but I’ve noticed that you keep to yourself. You’re always alone.”

Shouto shifted, and he brought his hand up to rest upon Endeavor. “Sometimes it's better that way,” he said stiffly.

Fukukado shook her head. “Sometimes. But not like you.” She stared at him pensively for a moment before saying, “As a captain, I have to pay attention to my men. See who they work well with and who I need them to avoid. I need to know how to read people to stay alive. And I’ve been watching you. You don’t socialize with anyone. You purposefully stand apart from others, like you don’t trust anyone. You seem partial to Yaoyorozu, but even with her, you seem hesitant. It’s like you’re a house, and you don’t want to let anyone in.”

Shouto’s grip on Endeavor tightened. He didn’t want to have this conversation right now.

Fukukado seemed to read something in his expression because she continued quickly. “The reason I’m bringing this up now is because tomorrow will be difficult, especially if a god is involved. We are going to need to put our best effort into defeating the stymphalian, and the best way to win any fight is by having something to fight for.”

Fukukado’s expression tightened, and she looked away. “It took ten years to defeat the Trojans not because they were wonderful fighters or because they had an impenetrable city, but because they had things they were fighting for.”

Shouto didn’t say anything.

She sighed. “We aren’t meant to be alone, Todoroki.” Her voice was soft. “Humans, I mean. Whether that's a lover or children or friends. We all need someone. I have my men. They’ll get me through this, but who do you have? Yaoyorozu?”

Shouto’s hand tightened on Endeavor. His throat felt tight. “Yaoyorozu doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’m respecting her wishes,” he said stiffly.

Fukukado was quiet for a moment.

“I think she relies on you more than you think.”

Shouto tried to ignore the way his heart rose at the comment.

“I’ll do what I need to. Is that all?” he finally asked.

Fukukado sighed. “Yes, that’s all I wanted to say. Anyways, enough lecturing. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” She stretched. “Get some sleep too, Aizawa told me you’ve been up for the last two days.”

She returned inside, leaving Shouto to stare at the rising sun.

Did he really need someone?

Shouto turned and headed back into the house.

He had people back in Sparta, thousands of miles away—Sero, Bakugo, and Midoriya. He liked to think of them as friends (or had thought of them as his friends), but he had frozen Sero. Bakugo had sent him away and everything that had happened with Midoriya before he left…did he really have anyone anymore?

His heart pounded in his chest.

He blinked and realized belatedly that he was in front of the kitchen. Yaoyorozu was inside, busily cutting bandages out of extra sheets.

Shouto paused in the doorway. He had been so lost in thought he hadn’t even been paying attention as he walked, and his feet had brought him back to her.

No.

It was the curse, he reminded himself.

Shouto scowled. Everything stemmed from Kaminari’s arrow. He curled his hand into a fist at his side and was about to walk away when Yaoyorozu looked up.

“Todoroki?”

His feet paused, and he felt the curse pull at him. Shouto sighed. It wasn’t like he was tired anyway. “I can help you, if you need it.”

Yaoyorozu wiped at her forehead with the back of her forearm. She nodded, and Shouto moved closer, ignoring the way his heartbeat stuttered.

“Thank you.” She gave him a thin smile as she handed him a pair of scissors and one of the blankets. “If you can just cut these into long, thin sheets. I’m making them into bandages. Try to make them even, if you can.”

Shouto hummed as he took the scissors from her. From up-close, underneath the exhaustion and despair that they all wore, he could see that Yaoyorozu’s eyes were red-tinged and the thin skin under them slightly puffy.

Realization dawned on him like a kick in the gut.

“You've been crying.”

“Oh,” she twisted away. Reaching up, she self-consciously wiped at her face. “It's nothing.”

A lump formed in his throat. “Are you okay?”

She sighed but didn’t meet his eyes. “Is anyone okay right now?” she asked softly.

“But I mean-”

“It's fine,” she cut him off sternly. Her expression flickered, and she swallowed, dropping her head to stare at the table. “We can’t be infighting right now.”

The anger in Shouto’s chest stirred, but he pushed it down and forced himself to get to work. The logical side of him understood.

He couldn’t make Yaoyorozu talk. Forcing her when she wasn’t ready to speak would only upset her further. And besides, he’d promised only yesterday that he’d be better and more considerate of her feelings. He couldn’t fail, not even a full day after he had made that vow, just because of a stupid curse making him impatient. Shouto gripped the scissors tighter as he sheared them along the sheet.

She’d tell him when she was ready.

But he couldn’t help to wonder what had happened.

Shouto knew she had been angry with Aizawa’s decision. However, when he had left the kitchen, she hadn’t looked so upset that she’d cry over it.

There had been an angry resignation in her expression, but not sadness. But now, she looked sad. And lonely. It felt like something had occurred after the meeting, something more painful.

‘We can’t be infighting right now.’

Shouto’s lips thinned. What did she mean by that?

“Todoroki.”

Yaoyorozu’s voice snapped Shouto out of his thoughts. He jerked his head up to find Yaoyorozu staring pointedly at his hands.

“You’re cutting the sheet too small.”

Shouto followed her gaze down to the table. The makeshift bandages he was cutting were frayed at the edges and definitely not meeting Yaoyorozu’s request for evenly cut strips. He looked back up at her and felt his ears turn red. “Sorry.”

Yaoyorozu shook her head faintly, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “You’ve never used scissors before, have you?”

Shouto shifted, and he looked away. "No."

In fact, Bakugo had explicitly barred Shouto from ever helping with what he called “household chores.” According to the prince, any time Shouto was around, work only seemed to double. Shouto thought the judgment was unfair, but looking at his poorly cut bandages, maybe Bakugo wasn’t wrong.

Yaoyorozu made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like suppressed laughter as if she could read Shouto’s thoughts. "Here. I'll show you a trick to cutting straight."

She moved closer. Shouto tensed as the heat of her body leaned into his, and she took his bedsheet, her fingers skimming against his.

"First, take your fabric, and hang some off the table.”

Warmth curled in Shouto’s chest as he watched Yaoyorozu work. She seemed calmer now. Her shoulders were not as tense, and there was a faint smile on her lips.

'I think she relies on you more than you think.'

Shouto inhaled slowly through his nose. Fukukado couldn’t be right. There was no way that Yaoyorozu would rely on him, especially if she ever learned about the curse. She'd never trust him.

“Then cut along the edge of the table to get an even strip," Yaoyorozu continued demonstrating, unaware of Shouto’s thoughts. She sliced an even line along the bedsheet, and then looked back up at him. Her smile dropped slightly as she blinked, scanning his face. "Todoroki? What is it?"

Shouto shook his head and then stared down at the perfectly even fabric she had cut. “Nothing.” He exhaled slowly. Then wavered for a moment before adding, “I’m just glad you don’t seem as sad anymore.”

Yaoyorozu opened her mouth and then closed it. Her shoulders dropped. “Is that so,” she said slowly. Her eyes grew glassy. She pressed her lips into a thin line and ducked her head.

Shouto froze.

Fuck.

Did he mess up?

His heart rate quickened. He didn’t understand what he did wrong, but when Shouto opened his mouth to apologize, Yaoyorozu looked up at him from below her long dark eyelashes. Her eyes were still red but a small genuine smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. “Thank you,” she whispered.

It felt like all the air in the room had suddenly vanished. His heart rose in his chest.

Shouto swallowed thickly. Unconsciously, his fingers moved towards her hand when footsteps against the flooring drew Shouto’s attention. He looked up as Tokoyami stepped into the doorway and hesitated.

“Yaoyorozu, I wanted to talk…” The bird half-monster trailed off as he froze and looked between them. His expression hardened. “Todoroki.”

Yaoyrozu stepped back. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said quickly. She dropped her head, her long hair hiding her face as she turned away. “I have to go tend to the wounded,” she said, picking up the makeshift bandages and hurrying quickly towards the door.

Tokoyami visibly wavered as she drew closer. “Yaoyorozu, may I have a word in private?”

Yaoyorozu paused. Her back was to Shouto, so he couldn’t see her face, but when she spoke, there was a faint tremble in her voice. “After. I have to go finish up first.” She straightened and walked out the door leaving Shouto and Tokoyami alone.

Shouto looked back at Tokoyami. The half-monster shifted. His hands curled into fists at his side.

Then it hit Shouto; the reason Yaoyorozu was upset was because of Tokoyami. He had done something to hurt her.

Fury welled up in Shouto's chest, and he pressed his lips into a thin, hard line. His fingers twitched.

‘We can’t be infighting right now.'

Shouto exhaled slowly. That was Yaoyorozu's decision. He needed to respect her wishes. He swallowed the anger back as he waited for Tokoyami to leave.

Except he didn't. Tokoyami straightened and met Shouto's gaze. "What were you doing in here?" He asked finally.

Shouto inhaled deeply to try and pace his rage. He could feel the curse pulsating in his veins. “I was helping make bandages,” he said, holding up his pile of poorly cut sheets.

Tokoyami hesitated. It was hard to read his bird-like expression. After a moment, he inhaled deeply. “I thank you for saving her earlier," he said in a strained tone. His expression rippled. "But please…you should leave Yaoyorozu alone."

“Just like you’re leaving her?”

Shit. Shouto meant to keep his anger in check, but now that the words tumbled out, he could feel how angry he was for Yaoyorozu.

Tokoyami's eyes widened. "I’m not leaving her!" He shifted as he met Shouto’s gaze. “But she needs to stay behind; it is for the best. She’s human and our only healer outside of Aizawa.”

“You made her cry.”

Tokoyami’s yellow bird-like eyes flickered momentarily before they hardened in anger. “Yaoyorozu knows it’s the right thing to do. She’s a healer, not a fighter.”

“Then why did you teach her to fight?” Shouto growled.

Tokoyami clicked his tongue. “We were at war. Of course, she needed to know.”

“But you doubt her now?” Shouto asked, his voice low as he stepped around the table.

“It’s not about doubting or not. It’s about not having another healer and the fact that she is human. Her body won't last fighting the stymphalian or a god…not like ours.”

“She doesn’t need your protection. She’s strong.”

“I never said she wasn’t strong. But I’m not risking her. I don't know what you see her as, but she's like a sister to me,” Tokoyami said, eyes flashing in challenge. “I won't lose any more people I care about because of you.” His voice was hard and tight. “But she’s your slave. If you want her to fight, then order her.”

“I’m not going to order her,” Shouto hissed indignantly. "Never. If I made decisions for her, I'd be no better than you."

Unconsciously, his hand moved to Endeavor.

Tokoyami’s eyes flickered down for a moment, then back up to his face. His eyes grew hard. “You say that, but as soon as we leave this island, you’ll hurt her. If you really cared about her, you’d use your powers and end this, but you haven’t.”

The accusation hit him like an arrow in the gut, poisoning him with the truth of the situation.

If only he had access to his power...if only he wasn’t so weak...

Shouto’s tongue twisted with all the anger and frustration he had been feeling since arriving on the island. He wanted to pour out his rage on Tokoyami, but that wouldn’t do any good.

His fingers shook, and he curled them tighter around Endeavor’s hilt as he forced himself to swallow his fury. “I won’t hurt her. Ever. That’s a promise. We’re on the same side now. You're the only one hurting her.”

A shadow appeared in the doorway behind Tokoyami, but Shouto ignored them as he stepped closer.

Tokoyami’s yellow eyes flashed, a hint of regret flickered in their depths before hardening in defiance. “I only said what was necessary.”

“Enough,” Aizawa’s gravelly voice snapped.

Shouto rolled his jaw but didn’t look away as Aizawa approached and stepped in between them. The older man pushed Shouto away. Reluctantly, Shouto took a half a step back.

“That’s enough, both of you. I know everyone is tense, but we can’t be fighting before tomorrow’s operation.” Aizawa’s eyes flashed as he looked between them. His lips thinned, then he turned towards Tokoaymi. “You two can’t seem to comprehend the situation, so I’ll split you up. Tokoyami will take my place for the morning patrol. Everyone else will stay here and prepare.”

Tokoyami’s expression hardened. “No complaints,” he muttered darkly.

Notes: Deimos – is the god of terror and one of the banner men of Ares. In this story, Dabi is Deimos. Phobetor – is the god of nightmares. In dreams he takes the form of animals or monsters.

#ashes of love and war #todomomo #todoroki x yaoyorozu #My writing #My Story

[ryukyuan-sunflower]

Mugen’s Autonomy: Personal Feelings or Obligation For Fuu

I recently received this ask: “Something always gets in the way of me being fully behind Fuugen. Ever since, Mugens always highly valued his own autonomy. He does the complete opposite of what he's told, and he constantly repeats that he doesn't work for anybody but himself. Even his partnership with the Yakuza didn't last long, and his condition for his last pirate job was that it was supposed to be one job only. He's such a free spirit I don't see Mugen being able to settle down with anybody. Do u think Mugen x Fuu can last?”

So I thought I would write another of my annoying Fuugen posts about it, since responding to asks means cutting down the response. Here is my full answer!

You bring up a valuable point and uncertainty. However, I do have some evidence to refute this, that I hope can clear your doubts or maybe change your opinion.

Autonomy or Moral Obligation?

You are 100% right that Mugen values his own autonomy. This is a major part of his character that we have seen in the early episodes, all the way until episode 17. Though, saying he is purely autonomous complicates Mugen’s intentions.

Let’s say Mugen only takes the orders that just so happen to align with what he wants. Then that means that every decision he has made in the anime...was because he wanted to make them. That means he saved Fuu so many times not merely out of obligation of her orders, but because he cared deeply for her and desired to do so on his own.

At the beginning, yes, it would seem he selfishly does everything for himself. But he is also not purely acting on obligation and morality, which he does have, despite not showing it. His autonomous feelings are a mix, just like absolutely everything about him: he’s a “chanpuru.” 

He stuck with her, and saved her when he didn’t have to, for his own personal feelings, as well as because he ended up caring and sympathizing with Fuu enough to want to help her.

The Times Mugen Obeyed Fuu’s Orders

You mentioned that he does the complete opposite of what he is told. But this is not fully true. Mugen does take orders. On many occasions, Mugen swallowed his pride and took Fuu’s orders time and time again. He also took one other order...from Jin. I’ll get to that later.

Two examples were given of Mugen not doing what he’s told.

The first you mentioned is that Mugen’s job with the yakuza did not last. This was because he didn’t believe in their shoddy morals or ways of thinking. They exploited the weak and used roundabout ways of getting what they wanted, rather than fighting directly. In the very same episode (episode 4), Mugen leaves the yakuza for good. BUT, while walking in the rain, he remembers Fuu behind the bars of a brothel, yelling at him “What are you doing?! What about your promise?!” He swears, and runs back to the brothel to rescue her. He didn’t have to. She gave him an order he didn’t need to follow. But he went back anyway, for no other reason besides either his own personal moral feelings to save her, or his obligation to the promise he made to her. 

Either way, it’s about Fuu.

The second mention you made was how Mugen’s gig with Mukuro and Koza’s pirate band did not last in episodes 13 and 14. However, Mugen hated Mukuro for his cruelty and methods, and the way he used Mugen’s past sins to manipulate him. Mukuro got under his skin, making him feel he is trapped in his sinful past. There is some very revealing dialogue here. When Mukuro asks why Mugen is traveling with Jin and Fuu, Mugen says he is protecting them (Fuu) until they get to Nagasaki. Mukuro laughs at this, turns to Fuu, and says “Do you have any idea what kinds of things he’s done? Or how many people he’s killed? That’s hilarious! A guy like you protecting people?” Mugen then looks super angry and puts a sword to his neck.

The yakuza and the pirates were both immoral, and he had no intention to stay with them...because he wanted to continue his journey with Fuu. In the case of the pirates, he claimed he worked for them to get them money to get to Nagasaki. 

Fuu’s need for Mugen’s help had pure intentions. She foiled Koza greatly in that way. When Koza asks Mugen to run away with her, he responds “I’m not that type of guy.” and knocks her off him. But, in the next episode...he grabs Fuu’s wrist and continues to travel with her. When Koza cried for Mugen, it was a ruse to get Jin to kill her brother Mukuro, so she could run away with Shige, with all the gold. When Fuu cried, she meant it, and nursed him back to health. 

Here are some other incidences of Mugen taking orders from Fuu.

The most major to me is Episode 20. Here, Fuu chooses Jin to leave with Sara instead of Mugen, leaving her and Mugen to travel all the way to Nagasaki...ALONE TOGETHER. Mugen was 100% ready to do just that, despite his and Jin’s planned duel. Though he complains, he shuts his mouth quickly. Mugen then only seemed annoyed when Fuu started crying over Jin leaving. But he stomped ahead of her, and was ready to take her all the way alone! He could’ve left at any time. But he didn’t, because by episode 17...her goal became his goal too.

In episode 16, Fuu and Mugen got into a big argument, and they split ways, leaving Jin to sigh and leave last. It is interesting to me that in episode 17, Okuru tells Mugen his story of how his mother and child were killed...and at that moment he metaphorically died. Okuru also got revenge on some of the Matsumae samurai who caused their deaths. At the end of that very same episode, Mugen (Not Jin!) asks Fuu why she wants to find the sunflower samurai, and asks her if it’s revenge. When she responds, “Yes, for my mother.”, that is the turning point for Mugen. 

Even jokingly, Mugen is constantly being “tamed” by her. This is a behavior she rarely ever exhibited with Jin. 

Here are ways he takes her orders. She physically covers Mugen’s mouth in episode 10, in the Buddhist temple when he gets angry. She pulls him by the collar and drags him along for beating up people in episode 7. And later in episode 7, she tells him not to hurt Shinsuke, even though he wanted to beat the kid up for pickpocketing him, and also holding Fuu hostage. She yells at him twice in episode 20 about Sara, to not sleep in Sara’s room, and later to get out of the bath when he was with Sara. Those are just a few examples of things Mugen let her command him about.

And of course, Mugen and Jin don’t have their final duel until the very end, after she found her sunflower samurai: a repeated command of hers.

Fuu’s Fear of Mugen Leaving +The Final Order Mugen is Given

In episode 24, Fuu confides in Jin. Though it’s very hard to decipher the meaning of this conversation, it is clear to me that Fuu was telling Jin that she believes Mugen will not want to stay with her (or will lose their planned duel). Jin however, seems to be offering to stay with her after the journey ends, in the event Mugen leaves (or dies). 

Jin: “What will you do after you find the sunflower samurai?”

Fuu: “I really haven’t given that much thought.”

JIn: “If I should-”

Fuu: “I don’t really want to think about stuff like this. Because that jerk Mugen-”

Fuu: *tears up* “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The English dub and subtitles further complicate this cryptic conversation. But based on the line “Datte, Mugen no aitsu ga-” it’s debated what Fuu will say. Was she going to say “Datte, Mugen no aitsu ga suki desu.”?  “Because I love Mugen.” ? 

“Because Mugen wouldn’t stick around like you would.”?

“Because Mugen will die.”?

We don’t know.

Whatever she intended to say, it was about Mugen. And mentioning Mugen was a reason for her to apologize to Jin, and hug him. It is here Jin puts a hand on her shoulder, as a form of comfort.  

Now...here is the most important order Mugen ever took. This time, it’s not Fuu’s order. It’s Jin’s. When Kariya asks Mugen and Jin, who both want to fight him, who will leave and who will stay, Jin has a flashback of that riverbank scene with Fuu. And then this dialogue happens:

Jin: “Go.”

Mugen: “No, you go!”

Jin: “Fuu is depending on you.” or “Take care of Fuu.”

And then the wind starts blowing symbolically. This scene is so very important to show Mugen’s growth. Earlier, we see that Mugen was secretly watching Fuu hug Jin on the riverbank the previous night, though I doubt he could really hear or understand their conversation. To me, it seems he assumed that Fuu cared for Jin more, as her and Mugen never shared such an intimate thing as a hug.

Despite initially telling Jin no, he soon realizes what he must do, and then runs to go save her.

Based on him having that flashback, Jin knows Fuu wants Mugen to save her or show he cares by coming back. He even smiles when Mugen leaves.

This fear of Mugen not truly caring about her is echoed in episode 25, where Fuu tells Umanousuke: “You’re wasting your time. Mugen hacks away without giving the hostage a second thought.”

(This is so stupid to me because Mugen saved her so many times alone in nearly every episode she was kidnapped/held hostage and Jin never did so without Mugen until episode 26...Grr. it would appear she thought this, only because she thought he’d leave the moment his debt was paid.)

Mugen then shows up, catching her by surprise. She doubted him, but he came back for her.

Mugen then tells Fuu: “I won’t die.” And then...

“Ore wa shinjirou”.  “Believe in me.” or  “Trust me.” 

When Mugen had thrown away his sword to save Fuu, he cares more about her living and meeting her father than his own safety. He was brutally tortured and could have easily died multiple times. 

This again questions Mugen’s autonomy.

Did Mugen save Fuu merely because Jin told him to? Or did he save Fuu because he wanted to? I think it’s both. Mugen took an order to protect Fuu...and went to save her because he obviously cares about her.

My Opinion On Their Parting Ways

Personally, I believe that as much as Mugen needed to swallow his pride and show he cared by saving her, Fuu also needed to stop clinging to her bodyguards for help. This is a major reason why I think having them part ways was so important! She finally let them go, to choose their own path without feeling merely obligated.

To me, it seems the characters are testing fate. In episode 3, Mugen states “Fate keeps throwing us back together.” but in episode 16, he gets mad at Fuu when she asks “Why have you stayed with me all this time?” and responds with “It was pure chance.” It appears they don’t know why they kept meeting up. Maybe it was merely the promise that bound them.

If they were to meet again now, without pure chance, or circumstance, or an obligation, or a promise, it would mean fate really did bring them back together. And once they met again, they would not part. That is at least, my interpretation of the ending.

They did not say “Sayonara.” which is an official farewell, but rather “Jaa ne.” “Mata o.” and “Jaa ne. Mata itsuka.” These are all more informal, implying the characters hope to meet again. 

Do I think Mugen x Fuu can last? Why:

You also asked if Mugen and Fuu would last in a relationship.

I believe that for something more to develop after the series between them, Mugen needs to stop running off and pretending he doesn’t care. And Fuu needs to let him go and accept his free spirit… Both of them already showed they were capable of doing this.

So, my answer is 100% yes, I believe they could last. 

This is because of the sacrifices Mugen and Fuu already made for each other. Not only did Mugen throw his sword—his life— to save Fuu,  Fuu also threw her own life in the way to save him from Sara. Not only did Mugen go back to save her many times despite acting like he didn't care and didn't want to, Fuu also let Mugen go, despite subtly confiding that she wanted Mugen to stay.

Now if you’re asking in a traditional sense, such as marriage, or tying him down, no I don’t think this is how Mugen and Fuu would end up or last. And that is why I do not support Mugen x Yatsuha: the kunoichi who wanted to marry him (The existence of her partner Hankichi’s jealousy, and her occupation are other reasons why I don’t ship it). 

My belief in them not traditionally settling down isn’t even just because of Mugen. Fuu too has no one else besides Mugen and Jin. No family. No other friends. A wedding in Tokugawa era Japan is more of a bond between families. But Fuu has no parents to give her away with a wedding dowry, just as Mugen has nothing to give but his physical protection of her. They’re not that different, really. They’re both poor. Both stubborn. Both like to eat a lot. Both constantly argued.

But I can see Mugen and Fuu meeting again...and going on another adventure together, free of the excuse of obligation or a promise. I like the idea of cosmic symmetry and also of fate bringing them together. Mugen and Fuu met first, with him saving her in Episode 1, before Jin even entered the picture. Perhaps they’d travel together for a long time, experiencing everything they want to. Fuu herself stated multiple times that she did not want their journey to end in Episode 20. And Mugen also is a wandering spirit. 

From there, maybe one day they could have a family, whether they travel with a child or do inevitably live in one place when they grow old. 

How Mugen’s Values Changed

I think Mugen mindlessly traveling forever only to eventually die by the sword ruins his development. Because, after all, even big bad old Mugen had viewpoints that changed by the end of the series. He was not at all a static character. I would say he matured the most.

Mugen desired to kill any opponent stronger than him that he couldn't defeat. But three separate times, this doesn’t happen. He was nearly killed by Sara, had Fuu not saved him and then was spared by Sara twice. Then, he left Jin with Kariya Kagetoki, an opponent he couldn’t defeat, because saving Fuu was more important. And most importantly, Mugen and Jin did not kill each other. He stated in episode 26, that he didn’t feel like it anymore, despite always wanting to kill people he couldn’t defeat. 

By the ending of the anime, Mugen is less of a lawless uncaring ex-criminal, and more of an ideal bodyguard like are so often seen in morally focused samurai chanbara films. Mugen embodies the spirit of samurai—morality, honor and obligation—just as much as Jin does, despite not being of samurai heritage, or even Japanese!

I also see Mugen’s relationship with Fuu as a redemption arc. In both scenes where Mugen is dying in episode 14 and then episode 26, he is followed by the Paantu figures in black. These are figures from Ryukyuan Miyako folklore that ward off evil and bad energy. For them to take Mugen to the afterlife, seems as if they are destroying an evil spirit. But Fuu calls him back to life three times in the final scene, redeeming him. He still has a reason to live. She gets no similar scene with Jin.

Instead of aimlessly wandering for people to kill who were stronger than him, Mugen found more of a meaning out of life. Purpose. And companionship.

I believe that it is no coincidence that the track that starts when Mugen tells Fuu to run in Episode 25 is titled “Your Purpose”, with the singular lyric of “You.” 

I hope that the evidence I have provided from the episodes can help clear up some doubts about Mugen x Fuu. If it doesn’t, well, I hope that it can at least help you and others to see Mugen as a dynamic character who does in fact take orders...but only orders from or about Fuu. In terms of autonomy, he had come back to Fuu and stayed with Fuu all on his own in many incidences.

#Fuugen #Mugen Samurai Champloo #fuu samurai champloo #samurai champloo #fuu and mugen

[guardianofjunmyeon]

Finding Atlantis (part 2)

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Genre: Action/Adventure, Enemies to Lovers, PirateAU

Description: 20 years ago the seas became angry. Unruly and unkind to any sailor, to any ship that dared venture too far out in her waters. Many a man has heard the tales of Atlantis, the lost city, the key the ocean. But fewer men know the tale of it’s missing child. The key to the ocean, the key to Atlantis but a lost little one. The power one would hold should they find this child would be nearly that of Poseidon himself. Thus, the hunt began.

A/N: Here’s pt2 i have up to like...8 written but i’m gonna upload from here on out like weekly probably while i work to finish writing the rest of the story

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18

You’ve known Byun Baekhyun for two years less than you've had your ship. You met him in Arae, a well known pirate city in the west, when you were 21 and he was 22. He was fairly well-known around the city. People knew him as a charming and witty pirate in training. He worked on different crews mainly as sailing master to whoever was willing to pay the most. If you needed information, he would most likely have it or know where to get it.

Junmyeon had gone off with Yixing to post “Help Wanted” posters in places around the city. You had snuck off for a drink in a bar. You were tired, and the three of you had been looking for more crewmen for days.

He’d slid up to your side with his best smile and a gleam in his eye that drew you into him. That and the eye patch he sported. He was possibly one of the most handsome men you had ever initially seen, with his white teeth, the sneaky look in his eye, and the earrings and jewelry adorning his body.

“You must be new around here,” he observed.

You downed the rest of your drink. He watched in silence. “Is it obvious?”

He motioned for the bartender and ordered two more of the drink you had been drinking. “Kind of. I usually know all the pretty people that frequent Arae.” The drinks were placed in front of you both. You took the one he nudged your way with a snort.

“That line work on everyone you hit on at a bar?”

He laughed around a sip of his drink. “I don’t know. Is it working with you?”

You paused in bringing the cup back to your lips to really get a look at the man next to you. He was handsome, sure. And yeah you guessed he was kind of charming with his bright smile and pretty fingers wrapped around his own drink. His hair looked soft, and the mole above his lip was kind of cute. But boy, did he have some big ass ears.

Fuck it, it had been a couple of weeks since you’d had sex. Who were you to turn down an offer like this? You didn’t even need to work for it. “Yeah I think it might be working,” you told him. His eye widened at your admission. “So, you got a place around here or what?”

He smiled fully again then, finished off his drink, stood up from his chair and held out a hand for you to take.

The moment you put your hand in his sealed your fates together.

He fucked you, against the hotel mirror, cracked in the middle when he slammed you too roughly against it. You fucked him, in the dirty motel shower when he had gone to clean himself off and you left painful bites along his wet skin and pushed him under the spray of the water and pulled another orgasm out of him with nothing but your hand and kisses hard enough to make his lip bleed. You fucked each other, one last time on the bed, arms pinned above your head as he marked your own skin with sucks and bites that stung for days after.

You lay on your back, chest heaving as he put on his boots. You had called it quits because you needed to leave soon. To find Junmyeon and Yixing. They wouldn’t be worried, but they would ask questions. Questions you didn’t have the energy to answer.

A click of metal on your wrist shocked you out of your fucked-out stupor.

“What the-” You yanked against the metal and heard it clang against the bed frame.

He stood up, straightened out his shirt and pushed back his hair, looked down at you in satisfaction. Covered in marks, cuffed to the bed, and naked as the day you were born. “Sorry, it’s nothing personal sweetheart. I had a good time, but…” he jingled the pouch of money that was in your discarded trousers on the ground.  

You stared in disbelief. A bit impressed, but more pissed off. You couldn’t really be that upset since you’d let your own guard down. “If you’re going to rob me and ditch me chained to this bed, the least you can do is kiss me goodbye, you dick.” You sat up the best you could and pulled the sheet up to cover yourself with your free arm.

He held your money pouch out of reach as he leaned down to press a rough kiss against your lips. You bit his hard enough to draw blood. When he pulled away and brushed the blood off his bottom lip with a clipped laugh, you bared your teeth. “Cute.”

You licked the blood off your own lip and spat it on the sheet at your side. He tossed your money in the air and caught it with a smirk. “Thanks for the pouch, and the sex. You’re not bad, kid,” he said appreciatively. “Good luck getting out!” He wiggled his fingers and disappeared from the room with a bounce in his step. You nodded to yourself and laughed sourly at the situation you’d been left in.

“Bastard…” you muttered as you pulled your free hand back from under your sheet. The hand you’d snuck into his pocket with the pouch of money you pulled off him as you bit his lip. “Dumbass,” you said with a smile. The money he had on him is more than what you were carrying around, you could tell from its weight. If he was going to rob you, you could rob him right back. Fuck him and his handcuffs.

It took half an hour before someone came to help you out of your cuffs. That’s how you met Seulgi. She was a maid at the hotel, and came to clean when she found you bruising your own wrist trying to yank your arm free. She used a pin in her hair to uncuff you and you offered her a job on your ship on the spot. Maybe you could thank him for that at the very least.

Every encounter you've had with Baekhyun since then has ended with one of you bleeding, beaten, or abandoned in some location with no way home. You don’t think that you’re someone who really hates anyone. You understand people usually have their reasons for doing things, and there are times when people need to die for particularly horrid crimes.

It’s never personal for you.

But Byun Baekhyun? You loathe him. You cannot fucking stand that sorry excuse for a pirate and you’re glad to know he feels the same. The hatred you feel for him, oh it’s personal. Any pain you want to inflict on him, is entirely for your own pleasure.

He smiles, all teeth, at you from behind bars. “Long time no see. Glad to see you’re in good health.” He scans you from top to bottom. “You look much better than you did the last time we met, sweetheart.”

“That’s Captain to you,” you correct. He raises his hands in mock apology. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re just your average stowaways Captain. Nothing less, nothing more.” His response in relaxed, comes out too easily.

“Bullshit,” you bite out. “Give me a real reason why you’re aboard my ship or I’ll kill you and your little friend, right here.” He raises his eyebrows but his earlier smile melts into a smirk. “I’m waiting.”

He shrugs innocently. Fuck it. You pull out your gun and shoot it once right above his head without warning. He jumps and the prisoner in the other cell lets out a surprised yelp at the noise.

“Spill it,” you growl. Your ears ring from the sound of the gun firing in such a small space, but as much as it hurt you, it had to hurt him more.

“Fuck.” He winces and digs a finger into his ear. His expression finally turns serious when he brings his attention back to your face. He looks you dead in the eye. “I know you’ve got the Princess of Atlantis aboard this ship.”

It feels as though time stops. You try to keep your expression neutral, but he must find some kind of break in your facade because he brightens immediately. The excitement in his eye makes his smile look wild. “You do, don’t you?” he asks with barely concealed mirth.

You raise your gun between his eyes. “What do you want?” You can feel the panic rising in your veins. You close your eyes for a second and try to hold in your anger. “If you don’t give me a reason not to fucking kill you both right here in the next 5 seconds-”

“I know how to find Atlantis,” he starts. You open your eyes to properly judge the words coming from his mouth. “I know how to get the princess back home. She’s been lost for years, everyone knows that. I don’t know how long she’s been aboard your ship but I know that it’s been long enough that you’ve stopped actively looking for the city.” He sounds serious enough in his explanation.

But then again, he would say anything to save his own life.

“How do you know that I’ve been looking for ways to find Atlantis?” You and your crew gave up trying to find it almost 3 years ago. Every man and his mother has been looking for the Princess of Atlantis since news broke out of her going missing 20 years ago. You didn't think that anyone had caught on to your ship looking for the lost city itself and not its lost princess.

Baekhyun rolls his neck slowly, you cock your gun impatiently. “Hold on, hold on. Give me a second!” he exclaims. “Itchy trigger finger,” he mutters under his breath. He clears his throat and settles back into seriousness. “I have my sources okay. Nearly everyone on Arae knows that she vanished and that there’s a hefty reward for her capture. Everyone has been looking for her for years, but not you. Not your ship. You’ve been looking for clues to the city itself. It doesn’t take a genius to put together the pieces that you must already know of her whereabouts.

“It was honestly a shot in the dark…assuming that she’s on the ship, but you’ve already told me everything I needed to know.” He smiles devilishly.

“I haven’t told you shit.”

“You and I both know that you’re wrong about that.” His eyebrow quirks quickly. You exhale angrily. “It’s only a matter of time before a lesser man puts together the same pieces that I did.” He tilts his head cockily. You lower your gun but keep your eyes trained on him.

Cocky bastard.

You've come to know Baekhyun as a captain known for his wits, craftiness, and unpredictability. You’ve crossed paths many a times in the past, and as much as you hate to admit it, he may be one of the smartest pirates around. Because of his reputation you are willing to believe that he gathered this information on his own and hasn’t gone around spreading it to just anyone. If he’s got a hunch about a prize, he goes after it on his own.

He may have gotten the information from real sources, but that doesn't mean that you trust him. You put your gun in its holster and decide to end your questioning there. You don’t want him to get any information out of you accidently before you get a chance to talk to your crew.

Fuck. “Don’t you have any more questions!?” he calls out after you. “I’d be more than happy to answer them!”

You continue your way out of the room, but not before tossing back a, “Shut up Byun” and leaving them entirely.

~~~

You call your first mate and navigator to your quarters for a meeting. You leave the ship in Yixing’s capable hands while you all have this dire discussion.

Fingers tap nervously on the table top as Yeri and Junmyeon settle in across from you. There’s no plan to ease into this conversation, so you bite the bullet and get right to the chase.

“Byun knows how to find Atlantis.” You hear an intake of breath but close your eyes rather than meet the looks on their faces. “I know we said that we would give up on this wild goose chase years ago. I know that. The clues back then were always dead ends, useless, or wastes of time…if not all three.” You exhale tiredly, in disbelief at the words coming from your mouth. “But I think that Byun could be telling the truth…and I may be willing to try one last time to find Atlantis…for the princess.”

You lift your eyes from the table to gauge their expressions. Junmyeon looks at you pensively, a bit of disappointment in his eyes while Yeri avoids your eyes and instead focuses on the table.

“Captain…haven’t you…had run ins with him in the past? How could you trust him?” Junmyeon asks carefully.

“Do you mean the time he locked me in the brig of his ship, tried to kill me, and then left me for dead on a deserted island? Or maybe the time he shot me in the arm at that bar in Arae because I bought the last pint of his favorite beer? Oh! Or perhaps you mean the time he tried to turn me in for a bounty on my head and I had to handcuff him to a sink and knock him unconscious just to get away?” You list a few of your encounters off the top of your head and Junmyeon winces. “Yeah, don’t worry I haven’t fucking forgotten.”

You can also remember all of the bounties that you lost to him and his crew. Your ship could be the first notified, but somehow he would manage to get there first and claim the reward that you were hired for. The information was getting slipped to him by members on your crew that he’d bribed.

Let’s just say you had to do some pest extermination and reevaluating the so-called loyalty of your crewmen.

“I don’t trust him,” you tell them simply. “But I’m willing to follow his information, if it seems trustworthy, just one last time.”

“One last time?” Junmyeon asks hopefully. Since the first days of Storm Chaser, Junmyeon has been here at your side. He’s seen you run yourself ragged trying to find the lost city in your early days as captain.

You place your hand on his. “One last time,” you assure him. You look over to Yeri who hasn’t said a word since the conversation began and can feel how tense she is. “It’ll be fine Yeri. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, then we kill Byun and the princess will stay here on the ship with the crew. We’re all a family, remember?” She smiles a bit and relaxes at your words. “Either way I win, so I just need you two to be on my side when I bring this before the rest of the crew.”

Yeri finally nods and places a hand on your shoulder. “Okay Captain,” she says with a squeeze.

“I’m in Cap’n,” Junmyeon says assuredly. “One last time.” He warns.

You smile sadly. “One last time, I promise…” you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. “I guess we should call off this other bounty hun-”

A gunner bursts into your room. “Captain, the prisoners escaped.”

You groan and stand up from the table. “Did anyone search the prisoners before we locked them up?” The gunner looks sheepish.

“We took away their swords, knives, and guns…” he starts.

You storm out of the room. “ATTENTION! I WANT EVERYONE’S ATTENTION RIGHT FUCKING NOW.” You wait a total of 30 seconds for the attention of anyone around. “I want ALL men to look for the prisoners. If you catch sight of them and they try to run…you have my explicit permission to shoot them in their fucking kneecaps. Byun is an expert lock picker so I want him brought straight to me before he’s taken back to the brig!” No one moves. “GO ON!”

~~~

Baekhyun is thrown at your feet on the main deck not long after setting everyone on the crew to find him and his accomplice.

His kneecaps are still fully intact (much to your dismay).

You look towards Minseok. “Search him thoroughly.” You glance at Baekhyun who looks all too smug about finding his way out of your brig once. “I want him striped, and searched thoroughly,” you emphasize, leaning closer to Minseok pointedly.

Minseok smirks happily. Baekhyun finally looks a bit nervous. You smile gratuitously and leave Minseok to it. You know that Minseok will get the job done and make Baekhyun regret every second of it.

“Yeri!” Blonde hair bounds over to you. “Chart a course for the closest port. We need to make a stop before we make any hasty moves.”

“Ay, Cap’n,” she says happily. You watch proudly as she ties up her hair and heads to the maps that she knows like the back of her hand. In your periphery you catch Baekhyun being dragged back below deck, but his gaze is fixed on Yeri. You frown and make a mental note to, personally, check that he’s sufficiently locked up.

He’s fucking up to something. You can feel it as clearly as you can the beginning of a storm.

~~~

A week passes on the sea with no issues. The weather has been kind, and has sped up your arrival time to Glacia, a large island close by that your ship can use to restock and prepare for its next course.

The prisoners have been quiet and fairly respectful (in the best way that prisoners can) and have caused minimal issues. You’ve sent Yixing down to try and pull information from either of them about the whereabouts of Atlantis, but he hasn’t gotten anywhere fruitful. You’re planning on waiting until getting to port and dragging the information out of Baekhyun even if it kills him.

Much to your annoyance, his presence has awoken the curiosity and gossipy side of your crewmen. It's slowly driving you absolutely batshit crazy.

You go down to the food storage to refill your canteen with drinking water, and to sneak a bottle of rum to your room (hopefully without being caught by your first mate). You crouch down among the secured bottles when whispering catches your attention. You freeze where you are in fear of Yixing or Junmyeon shaming you for stealing liquor from the storage, but you quickly recognize the voices of other crewmen as they get closer.

You strain to hear the conversation, but they start talking louder once they assume the room is empty. Mark, your junior gunner, whispers, “I heard he lost his eye fighting a baby kraken single-handedly.” You immediately know they’re talking about Baekhyun and the urge to reveal yourself and cut the conversation off is only slightly less than your desire to eavesdrop.

“I heard he slept with the eldest son of the King of Jekyll and was shot in the eye for ruining the Prince’s engagement.” Wendy, a boatswain whispers back excitedly.

“I heard that ever since he lost his eye, his fighting has only gotten better.” Taeyong, a junior sailing master says.

“That's true! He practiced fighting with one eye closed as a child and then took his own eye out to prove that he can still fight just as well and beat any other swordsman with just one eye.” Wendy says. You resist the urge to snort.

“Wow…he’s fucking crazy,” Taeyong says in shock. “The eye patch…is kind of sexy though. I have to give it to him.”

“He’s kind of amazing don't you think? He even dared try and kill the Captain multiple times…” You pick out the voice of Kun, your cook. If you’d planned on interrupting before you definitely aren’t going to now. They’re talking about you now too?

Mark gasps. “Who do you think would win in a sword fight? Have they ever fought one on one like that? I think Byun would win, the one eye thing probably makes all his other senses stronger…”

“Nah, she’s the best swordsman alive. There’s no way she’d lose a fight like that with him.” You smile as you pick out Minseok’s voice. Damn right.

“Didn’t they fuck? Did he ditch her after they had sex? Isn’t that why she hates him so much? That and the fact that he’s like…tried to murder her.” Wendy inquires. You hear a giggle.

“They definitely fucked; she would have killed him long ago if she wasn’t in love with him. They say the line between love and hate is super thin,” Taeyong says as if it's a well-known fact.

“Don’t you all have work to be doing?” You ask after hearing enough. You stand up from your spot, rum in one hand, your water in the other and your deadliest glare on your face. “Or would you all like to continue to discuss my sex life and rumored love of the son of a bitch locked in the prison of my ship?”

Everyone straightens and Mark lets out a noise of surprise.

“Sorry Captain!” Wendy, Kun, Mark, and Taeyong say in unison before scurrying from the storage room.

Minseok walks up to you with a smile on his face, and nudges your arm holding the rum with his elbow. “You planning on telling your husband about this?”

You grimace. “Don’t call him that. And don’t tell him about this,” you hiss. He laughs. “I’m still angry with you…gossiping about me on my own ship.”

“There’s nothing else to do these days, and we’ve got the ‘famed’ Captain Byun Baekyun aboard. Of course people are gonna gossip, you know it’s all in good fun.” He grabs the rum from your hand, uncorks it with his teeth and takes a huge swig. “If you were actually angry, you would have stopped them earlier. You can still scare the newer members but I know you’re not going to do anything about it.” He holds the bottle out towards you. “You were eavesdropping as if you were interested in the topic at hand,” he says smugly.

You grab the bottle with a frown. “Oh shut up…” you take a swig and hand it back to him. You point a finger at him threateningly. “Seriously, don’t tell Junmyeon or Yixing about this Minseok. I’m serious. They give me enough shit about not drinking while I’m supposed to be on duty.”

Minseok laughs around another swallow of the liquor. “Ay, ay, Captain.” His voice is nothing but playful, and you know that later tonight you’re going to get an earful from either your first mate or quartermaster based off of something they heard from an “anonymous source”.

You leave the bottle with him, a promise of “keeping this between you two and finishing off the evidence on his own” on his lips as you sulk to the kitchen for dinner and then to bed.

As expected, Junmyeon bites your ear off at dinner about drinking down in the food storage and you apologize profusely. Yeri laughs at your side and Minseok peaks his head in the kitchen with a smile and thumbs up before vanishing again.

Mutineer.

~~~

Your door slams open at the early hours of the morning startling you out of your sleep. You groan and sit up in your bed tiredly. “Listen, I said I was sorry Junmyeon. You already ripped me a new one I’m not going to drink again…” You rub your eyes and finally recognize the face in your doorway.

Yixing looks frantic and not at all bothered by your sleep driven rumbling. “There’s a ship in the distance off of starboard. A couple of our men are down, knocked out but alive and-”

“And let me guess,” you interrupt and your mind immediately switches awake. Sleep long forgotten as you begin putting on your boots. “The prisoners escaped.”

Yixing swallows, his expression turning grim. “And they’ve taken Yeri.”

Fuck.

#exo #exo imagines #exo stories #exo fanfic #exo fanfiction #baekhyun #byun baekhyun #baekhyun imagine #baekhyun fanfic #baekhyun pirate au #exo pirate au

[dani-luminae]

Rewrite the Stars AU

Inspired by this ask and the ensuing ideas.

A little bit of an AU on my story Rewrite the Stars: What if Lia had been around for the events of Descendants 2?

@lady-of-the-spirit Hope you enjoy! Fair warning, according to my Word documents, this thing measures out at a whopping 14 pages long!

PS: unfortunately, Morph does not appear in this.

Lia had escaped from space pirates and crash-landed on this planet called Ixosl. Then she had befriended Ben, King of the kingdom of Auradon. Lia didn’t know or understand much about Auradon, but she knew one thing for certain: she cared deeply for Ben, and would let no one hurt him.

Ben had a girlfriend, a girl named Mal, from the prison known as the Isle of the Lost. Mal seemed like a sweet girl, soft-spoken and elegant, with pale blonde hair and lacy dresses. But apparently, that wasn’t the case. As proven when Ben came back from a date with her, absolutely devastated.

“She was lying to me. Using magic to cheat and trick me. She tried to put a spell on me right in front of me,” he told Lia later that evening, as she sat in his office and listened to him talk. “I had no idea that she was putting herself through all of this, but she acted like I was responsible for torturing her.”

“Did you try to talk to her about how you felt about her lies and magic?” Lia asked him.

“I tried. She wouldn’t listen to me. All she cared about was herself,” Ben said, staring blankly at the paperwork on his desk.

“She wouldn’t even talk through it,” Lia said. “She just wanted to explode and have you apologize to her. You did nothing wrong.”

Ben didn’t answer. Then, Evie came into the office with a note. Mal had run back to her island prison home. Ben, distraught, blamed himself and decided that he had to go after her and bring her back. Evie decided that she would go with him, and gather Jay and Carlos to escort him. Lia invited herself and wouldn’t take no for an answer, because she didn’t want Ben to get hurt.

On the Isle, things didn’t get any better. After a series of quick and utterly ineffective lessons from Evie, Jay, and Carlos, they managed to track down Mal to an old hideout. Ben went in to talk to her, but he returned dejected, and told them that Mal was refusing to come back. While Evie and the others were too concerned with getting ahold of Mal, Lia comforted Ben, when they were abruptly ambushed by pirates, and Ben was captured. Lia was told by Harry Hook to deliver a message to Mal: “If ye ever want to see the king again, have Mal come to the Chips Shoppe tonight, alone. Uma wants a little visit.” Lia, seeing no choice, agreed to deliver the message.

Mal showed a whole new side of herself, spiteful and haughty, and blamed Lia for Ben’s disappearance. Mal claimed that if Lia had been quicker and faster with her sword, Ben would never have been taken. The result was that Mal got a dagger pointed right at her face. Seeing that Lia wouldn’t take the blame, Mal shifted to blaming her friends for even bringing Ben and Lia to the island. Evie, Jay, and Carlos made no attempt to stand up for themselves. When Mal went to visit Uma, the captain of the pirate crew that now held Ben hostage, she was told that Ben would only be traded back for the Fairy Godmother’s Wand, which could break the barrier that contained the Isle and let Uma’s pirate crew run free. Mal lost trying to stand up to Uma, and so Mal and her friends started to make a plan. Lia was noticeably excluded from this plan, so she took it upon herself to patrol the docks every hour, ensuring that Ben was still safe on Uma’s ship. It was called the Lost Revenge, and the crew had Ben tied to the mast. On one occasion, Lia had sauntered up the gangplank, her sword and dagger swaying on her belt, and asked an audience with the captain. It was granted.

Uma came out onto deck to meet Lia. Uma was a girl with dark skin, almost the same shade as Lia’s, and turquoise hair that matched her fringed captain’s coat. Lia was impressed by the mere sight of her.

“Captain Uma,” Lia said respectfully. “I’m –”

“Lia Hawkins,” Uma said knowingly, with a snort. “Beasty-boy won’t shut up about you.” She nodded towards Ben, tied to the mast just a little distance away. He was facing away from them, and didn’t seem to realize that Lia was here. “So,” Uma said, walking in a circle, assessing everything from Lia’s swords to the way that Lia braided her hair. “You’re the famous Lia.”

“I’m famous to you?” Lia wondered if that was a good thing or not. “I’m flattered.”

“Come off it. Did Mal send you to try and re-negotiate?” Uma asked flatly. Her First Mate, Harry, crept up behind her with a maniacal glint in his eyes and a hook in his hand. “I’m not going to renegotiate.”

“I’m not here about her,” Lia said, “But I wouldn’t be running her errands anyways. I came to talk to you.”

“Talk to me? For what?”

“To ask why you’re doing this. I don’t understand the Isle and Auradon. This entire planet is new territory to me.”

“I’m not even going to pretend that makes sense to me,” Uma said, her hands on her hips and still trying to assess Lia’s threat level. “This island is a prison. We get Auradon’s scraps and trash while they live a life of luxury over there, without a care in the world. And you know whose fault that is? It’s Ben’s dad’s fault.”

Lia had met Ben’s father. He was pleasant enough, though a bit close-minded. “I’m sorry,” Lia said. “No one deserves to live in a prison like this. If I had known, I would have done whatever I could to help. I will, now that I know the truth. I have an idea. If you release Ben –”

“No deal,” Uma interrupted coolly. “But if my way fails, then what the hey, we’ll give your strategy a try, since you clearly have one.” She meant it, albeit half-mockingly, though she had full confidence that her plan would work and there would be no need for Lia’s idea.

“Deal?” Lia offered Uma her hand for a handshake.

Uma looked down at Lia’s hand, rolled her eyes, and said, “Deal.” She shook hands with Lia. “Now get off my ship.” Lia obliged, going back to patrolling the docks every hour.

At noon the next day, Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos, returned, with Lonnie. Mal was carrying what looked like the Fairy Godmother’s Wand. Evie carried a backpack full of smoke bombs. Harry balanced Ben precariously on the end of the Lost Revenge’s plank while Uma sashayed down the docks to make the exchange. But Mal had no interest in calmly handing over the Wand. She taunted Uma, insulted her and antagonized her while Harry leered at them and called out promises of how he could hurt Ben. Lia gripped her swords tight, standing back and watching. How could Mal stand there and taunt Uma while Ben was inches from plummeting to his death?

Finally, Ben was brought down to the docks. Mal handed over the Wand, and Ben’s bonds were cut and he was freed. As Uma raised the Wand and shouted a spell to break the barrier, nothing happened. Angrily, she snapped the fake Wand in half, and shouted, “YOU DO NOT ALWAYS GET TO WIN!” It was like an order to her crew: attack.

Lia knew how to fight pirates. With her sword and dagger at the ready, she leapt into the fray, keeping herself near Ben at all times. Evie launched the smoke bombs, and under the cover of confusion, they escaped, slipping into the limo that had brought them here and leaving the Isle. Only then did Mal realize that she had left something behind.

In the limo, Lia sat next to Ben, gently touching his arm and asking, “Are you alright?”

Ben nodded, smiling at her. “I’m fine, Lia. You don’t have to worry about me. That was some pretty awesome sword skills back there. It was amazing to watch.”

Lia smiled back at him, relieved. “That’s good to hear. That you’re alright, I mean.”

Ben looked at Mal. “I’m really sorry things didn’t turn out the way you wanted.”

Mal just looked back at him and shrugged. “I mean, as long as you’re safe, that’s…”

Ben looked out the window. “At least I finally got to see the Isle. They’re my people too. Uma helped me see that.”

Mal’s expression morphed into disbelief. “Ben, Uma captured you,” she said, like she was trying to explain things to a stupid child.

“She’s an angry girl with a bad plan,” Ben said calmly. “Not so different from you when you first came to Auradon, Mal.”

Mal scoffed at the comparison between her and her hated rival and looked away. “Awkward,” said Carlos’s talking dog who had hitched a ride.

They returned to Auradon. Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos all walked off to have a friendly chat together. Ben hesitated, looking after Mal like he wanted to follow her. But instead, he turned and walked after Lia instead. “Lia,” he asked her, catching up to her in one of the gardens, “Will you come to Cotillion tonight? I’d really like to see you there.”

He wanted to see her at a royal event like Cotillion? Lia nodded, barely disguising her excitement. “I’ll be there.” Then, she hurried off to get ready.

Cotillion took place on the Royal Yacht, a towering grand ship decorated in the Auradon colors. Everyone wore beautiful dresses or tailored suits, and Lia was no exception. She arrived in a flowing pink dress with golden beads, long arm jewelry, and a shining golden circlet like a bird. She surveyed the deck with a smile, glad to see everyone having fun. Jay, Evie, and Carlos were all there, each with their respective dates, as well as Ben’s parents, and the Fairy Godmother who held her real, shining magic Wand.

There was trumpeting fanfare. “The future Lady Mal!” Mal appeared at the top of the steps in a blue-and-yellow dress, with her new purple hair braded nicely. She descended the steps, smiling, and Evie went to meet her. Lia applauded politely with the rest.

As Mal stepped onto the deck, she spotted Lia, and her smile faltered. “Lia? What are you doing here?” Mal asked. In her mind, Lia was still to blame for Ben’s capture and every that had followed. And besides, Mal didn’t quite like the way that Ben smiled at Lia.

“Ben invited me,” Lia said. “I mean, he asked me to be here. So here I am. Why are you here?” She added, not impolitely. “I thought you and Ben were still broken up?”

Evie acted like Lia had just physically slapped Mal. Mal’s eye narrowed slightly. “That’s none of your business,” Mal hissed at Lia.

Lia said nothing, remaining dignified and calm. It will be my business, if you hurt Ben again, Lia thought.

The trumpets came again. “King Benjamin!” Ben appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in a handsome royal-blue suit with golden accents. The golden crown rested on top of his head. Lia caught her breath, enchanted at the sight of him.

Ben walked down the steps and to Mal, who was supposed to become his Lady of the Court. He bowed to her, and she curtsied back to him with a smile, as if all – from the disastrous date, to events on the Isle, to the tense conversation in the limo afterwards – was forgiven. But as Ben straightened from his bow, he said, “Mal… I wish I had time to explain…” He turned around and looked up at the top of the stairs.

And there stood Uma, glowing in a teal mermaid dress with golden decorations. Everyone gasped at the sight of her, and Mal’s jaw dropped, stunned speechless. Uma descended the stairs and Ben took her hands. He kissed her hand. Mal watched, her eyes filling with tears. Lia stared as well, slightly confused. How had Uma left the island?

“I’m sorry,” Ben said to Mal. “It all happened so fast… something happened to me when I was on the Isle with Uma. A connection.” He turned to Uma, looking at her dreamily.

Mal shook her head, scrambling for words. “I’m sorry… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that –”

“It was love!” Uma exclaimed, a smile unlike any smile Lia had seen before on her face. “It was. I just – I realized how alike Ben and I are, you know?”

“We are,” Ben said to her, his voice soft.

“I know!” Uma beamed at him.

Mal looked back to Ben, trying desperately to understand. “Ben,” she said.

Uma giggled and pulled Ben close.

“Ben,” Mal repeated, a little louder. “Did you go back for her?”

“He didn’t have to,” Uma explained. “I dove through the barrier before it closed. And I’m an excellent swimmer, so…” She shrugged like, figure it out. Mal stared at her, mute with horror and shock. Uma stepped towards her, taking her hands. “Listen, Mal. I just wanna say thank you. I really do. For everything.” She threw her arms around Mal in an embrace that made Mal recoil.

“Don’t you see, Mal? You were right!” Ben said. “You knew we weren’t meant to be together. That’s why you never told me you loved me. Thank you.”

Mal stared at him, looking devastated.

Ben and Uma began to waltz across the deck. A stunned crowd looked on, Lia among them, though she was quite pleased to see Uma so happy and serene, and Ben smiling so much. If Uma had helped heal him from his pain over losing Mal like he had, then Lia would support them both.

“Not too thrilled I risked my life for him,” Carlos said, watching Ben waltz with Uma across deck.

Lia glanced at him, slightly alarmed.

“We’re with you, Mal,” said Lonnie, taking Mal’s hand.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Jay said.

Jane raced up the steps, eager to have Mal see Ben’s surprise, even if Ben had shocked the kingdom with his sudden affection for Uma. “Unveil the gift! They need to see it! Now!”

The gift was unveiled: a towering stained-glass portrait of Ben, kneeling before Mal. And not the blonde Mal. The purple-haired Mal. Lia tilted her head, slightly confused, but she smiled at the sight nonetheless, because romance was always so sweet to her.

Mal’s eyes filled with tears again. “Ben did that?” She asked Evie.

“Yeah, he did,” Evie said, nodding.

“Evie… Ben knew who I was all along.”

“And he loves the real you, M.”

“A true love.”

“Yeah.”

“Told you,” said Carlos.

Ben looked up at the stained glass in surprise, his oddly vacant expression changing to a look of contemplation. A flash of anger crossed Uma’s face. “Cover that thing back up!” She ordered, but no one did. Trying to save face, she turned to Ben and asked sweetly, “Why don’t you tell everyone the present you have for me, Ben?”

“I have an announcement!” Ben shouted. “Uma will be joining the court tonight as my lady. So, as my gift to her, I will be bringing down the barrier once and for all!”

A gasp spread through the crowd. Even Lia felt herself reeling from shock. Bring down the barrier? Let the villains roam free?

“Fairy Godmother,” Ben declared, “Bring down the barrier!”

“I most certainly will not!” The Fairy Godmother said, gripping her wand tighter.

“I am your king!” Ben yelled.

“Obey him!” Uma commanded.

Mal’s eyes lit up, because she just realized what was going on. “You guys! He’s been spelled!” Then, bravely, she stepped forward, onto the deck, to face Ben. “Ben!”

Ben started to turn towards Mal, but Uma stopped him. “No. Eyes over here. You love me, remember?”

“No, you don’t,” Mal told him.

“Yes, you do!” Uma argued. Then she spun around and ordered the Fairy Godmother, “Bring down the barrier.”

“I do not take orders from you.”

“Ben!” Uma commanded.

Ben turned to Uma once more. But Mal suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Ben’s arm, and pulled him to face her. Ben blinked when she did this, but didn’t pull away. Mal said, “Ben, I never told you that I loved you because I didn’t believe that I was good enough, and I thought it was only a matter of time before you realized that yourself.” She pointed up at the stained glass. “But Ben, that’s me! I’m part Isle and part Auradon. And you saw us for who we were and who we can be. And, Ben… I know what love feels like now. Of course I love you. I’ve always loved you.” Mal threw her arms around Ben and kissed him.

Lia’s eyes brightened, knowing that this should break the spell.

But when Mal pulled away, nothing had changed. Ben still looked as dazed and blank as he had before she kissed him. Uma grinned. Ben said to Mal, “I’m sorry, Mal. I don’t love you anymore.”

Mal’s eyes fill with horrified tears and she turned and fled into the crowd, unable to handle what had just happened. Ben watched her run away, until he caught sight of a shimmer of pink in the crowd. For the first time since he had arrived here, he spotted Lia, in her elegant gown and her shining crown, and the sight of her transfixed him like no spell ever could. “Lia?” He said, barely audible, his eyes clearing slightly. Uma narrowed her eyes.

Mal looked back, tears in her eyes, and saw how Ben was staring at Lia. Sadness suddenly turned to anger, and Mal pushed Lia forward, out of the crowd and into the middle of the deck. “Go on, Lia. Talk some sense into him,” Mal said, her voice shaking with emotion.

Lia stood there in the middle of the deck, facing Ben. She wasn’t sure what to say. Everyone was staring at her, trying to see what she would do. Ben stepped towards her, even ignoring Uma when she tried to take his hand. “Lia,” he repeated, staring dreamily at her, as if it was she who had him under a spell and not Uma.

“Ben.” Lia took a step towards him, not certain what to say. She felt like the kingdom was relying on her, now, to fix this. She didn’t know how to fix this. But she did know that, in front of her was a young man who had been told that he and all his decisions thus far were wrong. Mal blamed him for her actions. Evie, Jay, and Carlos blindly followed Mal. Even Ben’s parents had raced to console Mal instead of trying to help their son. And Lia refused to do the same. She wouldn’t tell him that he was wrong.

“Ben. I trust you and your choices, no matter what they are.” Lia stepped forward and moved to kiss him on the cheek, but just as she did, Ben turned his head, and his lips met hers.

Mal made a small noise of outrage, while Uma looked on with wide eyes.

Lia pulled away and gazed into Ben’s eyes, which suddenly seemed clear. He looked back at her, wide-eyed, and whispered, “Lia?”

“Was that –” Lia began.

“True Love’s Kiss?” Both of them, Ben and Lia, said at the same moment.

Whether or not it was True Love’s Kiss would have to wait for another time to be discussed. Uma spun around and lunged at the Fairy Godmother. “Give me that Wand!”

The Fairy Godmother jumped back, panicked, and held the wand out of Uma’s reach. “Seize her!” She yelled for the guards.

The crowd swarmed Uma, but it was no use. Uma darted to the railing and started to climb. The guards charged forwards, but a barrier of light, from Lia’s powers, stopped them. “No!” Lia said. “This isn’t the right way.”

“What are you talking about? Guards, seize her!” Mal shouted.

Uma backed up against the rail, facing the crowd as the onlookers surrounded her. But Lia, refusing to let this situation spin out of control, forced her way to the front. “Uma, listen to me,” she said. “You can help us. Instead of making more enemies tonight, you can make allies. Join us. Join Auradon. Help us get your crew and all the other kids to Auradon.”

“Save your breath!” said Mal, who hadn’t moved from the stairs. “Uma’s nothing but a villain, through and through.”

Uma glared at Mal, and her golden shell necklace glowed bright golden. Then, before anyone could do anything else, Uma climbed over the railing and dropped into the sea below.

“Hayi!” Lia shouted, racing to the railing with Ben and the rest of the crowd, peering down into the waters below. There was a glow under the water. The surface began to bubble, then boil, and a blast of seawater exploding upward, sloshing over the yacht and soaking everyone instantly.

Uma rose up from the sea, a towering, tentacled Sea Witch. Lia stared at the sight, not afraid, just surprised. Where she came from, a form like that wasn’t something to be unnecessarily afraid of – but given how so many people on the yacht shouted and screamed, this was a problem.

Uma sloshed another wave over the yacht, sending everyone stumbling. Lia tightened her grip on the railing, trying not to lose her footing too much.

“True Love’s Kiss can’t defeat this!” Uma crowed, her tentacles curling and thrashing in the restless sea. “The world will know my name!” She lashed at the yacht with her tentacles, nearly striking Lonnie and sweeping Evie into the sea.

Mal watched from the stairs as her hated rival attacked her friends. She felt a surge of white-hot anger inside her. Her eyes glowed fierce, frightening green. Suddenly, a burst of purple smoke surrounded her – and then she rose up from the deck as a massive, iridescent purple dragon.

Lia saw this happen and she gasped. Uma was not something to be feared, but a dragon was, and whether by Lia’s bias or by her intuition, she knew who the greater threat was in that moment. It was Mal.

Everyone gasped as Mal swooped overhead and bore down on Uma. Uma wasn’t daunted. “Bring it on, Mal!” Uma shouted, whirling her arms and tentacles, whipping up the sea around her. The yacht rocked, and sea spray rained down on them all. “Let’s finish this – once and for all!”

Mal spread her purple-and-green wings and dove at Uma, exhaling flames. Uma ducked under the waves, rocking the boat even more. The people, helpless to watch, staggered.

Lia lost her grip on the railing, slipped, and tumbled. She fell to the deck and Ben caught her in his arms. She smiled at him, half-thankful and half-embarrassed.

Mal dove down again, spewing flames at the sea right as Uma emerged. Luckily, Mal missed, but Uma lashed out with a tentacle that nearly caught Mal’s tail.

Ben and Lia jumped up and ran to the railing once again, watching the fight unfold. But Ben had seen enough. He roared mightily, then threw off his crown and jacket, and dove into the sea before anyone could stop him.

“Ben!” Lia cried, watching her friend disappear into the roiling water. It wasn’t safe for him down there! If Mal’s flames didn’t roast him and Uma’s tentacles didn’t grab him, he could drown. Without hesitation, she jumped over the side, after him. All she thought about was helping him put an end to this. At least, if she hit the water, it wouldn’t be such a problem; she could breathe underwater.

But she didn’t hit the water. Halfway there, there was a blaze of light that Lia hadn’t expected, and suddenly, a pair of massive wings, with glowing golden feathers, unfolded from her back, expanding like a parachute and catching her fall with ease. Lia gasped at the change, and was filled with a sudden elation. She finally had her wings!

She could celebrate later. Right now, she had a fight to stop. One powerful flap of her wings and she shot forward, skimming the surface of the sea, searching for Ben. One graceful spin, and she avoided a blast of Mal’s flames. An effortless leap, and she dodged one of Uma’s tentacles.

Ben surfaced. Lia flew down to him and hovered, extended her wings and fluttering them just enough to keep her aloft. He gaped up at her. “What –”

“I guess we’re all discovering new things today,” Lia said with a grin.

But Ben looked past Lia and saw Mal and Uma still battling. “We have to stop them!” He said.

Lia flapped her wings and dove between Mal and Uma just as Mal unleashed another fiery blast. The fire hit Lia’s wings and rebound like it had struck a shield. Mal had to dodge her own fire, and she fixed her sparkling green eyes menacingly on Lia.

But Lia’s interruption had the intended affect. The battle had lost its momentum, and Ben, treading water between the dragon and the sea witch, shouted, “That’s enough! This isn’t the answer! The fighting has to stop! Everyone!” Ben turned towards Mal, and Lia hovered closer to Mal like a threat, keeping her attention. “Nobody wins this way,” Ben told Mal. “We have to listen and respect each other. It won’t be easy, but let’s be brave enough to try.”

Uma rolled her eyes, but faltered when Lia suddenly flew up to her. Lia hovered in front of Uma. Compared to Uma’s massive size, Lia might have been no larger than a little sparrow to her – easy to swat aside, if Uma wanted to. “Uma,” Lia said, drifting slightly in the air to keep herself aloft, “I know you want what’s best for the Isle. But fighting like this will only make people more adverse to helping you or listening to you. I won’t tell you that your anger is misguided or uncalled for, because once I understood the Isle, I was just as angry. But there’s better ways than fighting. Join us. Help Ben and I make the difference you know there has to be.”

Uma narrowed her eyes at Lia. Lia was an interloper in all of this, and Uma wasn’t inclined to trust her very much. But on the other hand, Lia had just broken a spell with True Love’s Kiss, something which Mal hadn’t done, and she was definitely Mal’s enemy now. Wasn’t there some old saying about the enemy of one’s enemy? “And why should I listen to you?” Uma challenged.

“Because a pirate captain honors their deals,” Lia said. She knew that for certain, from years of fighting pirates in space. “And you made a deal with me on the island. If your way failed, we would try my way. Your way has failed. Twice now. Time to try my method.”

“Which would have me join Auradon,” Uma said flatly.

“Which would have the three of us working together – you, me, and Ben,” Lia stated. “We’ll ensure the freedom of those who deserve it. I swear it.”

“She’s right, Uma,” Ben said. “Together, with you helping us, we can make a difference for the Isle.” He held out his hand to Uma.

Uma looked at the tiny, winged girl and the king, struggling to stay afloat in the restless sea. Mal hovered behind Ben, her eyes fixed maliciously on the sea witch. Uma reached out a tentacle, as if to touch Ben’s hand – then, she seemed to have second thoughts, and her tentacle slipped under the surface instead. A second later, she lifted Ben out of the water, wrapped gently in one of her tentacles, and placed him back on the yacht. Ben blinked, slightly disoriented, dripping wet.

The sea rose up and surrounded Uma, and she disappeared from sight. A moment later, Lia swooped down over the sea, reached out, and caught an outstretched hand from beneath the waves. Her wings flapped, carrying her and Uma back up into the air. They alighted on the yacht deck once more, landing in about three inches of seawater that covered the deck. Lia’s glowing wings folded in neatly, and then disappeared.

There was flapping from above. Mal landed, closed her wings, and then reappeared in a poof of purple smoke, wearing a purple dress like the one in the stained glass, which she didn’t even glance at now.

The stormy skies parted, revealing a sky twinkling with stars.

No one knew exactly what to do after that. All thoughts of joyful celebration and dancing were gone. After much awkwardness, the stained glass portrait was covered up once more. It felt discordant to have such a brilliant monument to love when it was another girl’s kiss that had freed the king from a spell.

Mal stormed off with Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Ben tried to go to them and explain what had happened, but was met with Mal’s glowing green eyes and a snarl of “How could you?!” as if this was all his fault, once again.

Ben was lost for words for a moment. Then, before he even knew what he was saying, he said, “I couldn’t stay in love with a liar, Mal.” Mal gasped, her eyes full of tears, as if he had physically hurt her. But Ben was done letting her make him feel terrible for having thoughts and feelings that differed from hers. He turned and walked away, refusing to look back. He could still feel Lia’s kiss on his lips.

Lia walked down to a lower deck (that was thankfully much drier than the main deck) and dried herself off with her light powers. As she leaned on the railing, looking off towards the expanse of lights that was Auradon, she was joined by Uma. “People don’t want me around up there,” said Uma as she leaned on the railing next to Lia, “So I thought I’d come bother you instead.”

Lia wasn’t bothered, though. “I’m glad you joined us, Uma. With your help, things will get much better,” she said.

“What choice did I have?” Uma replied. “Run off and stay on the run from Auradon?” She liked this choice better. At least she got to stick around the only two Auradonians who had been remotely civil to her, even if one of them wasn’t really Auradonian. “So what’s with the wings? Where’d those come from?” Uma asked.

“My mother’s people believe our lineage is descended from a goddess,” Lia explained with a shrug, entirely downplaying just how ecstatic she was to have gained her wings. “Wings and birds were her symbol. That was the first time I ever summoned my wings. I didn’t even know I could. I was told that I was too human to have any of the goddess’s powers.”

“Huh. I guess it’s a momentous night for everyone, huh?” Uma said, grinning as she looked out over the ocean. All was calm now. “First you kiss Ben… then I turn into a sea witch, Mal goes dragon for the first time, and you get wings.”

“Yes. A memorable night for certain,” Lia agreed with a smile. She had to admit, when she had imagined Cotillion, she could never have guessed it would turn out like this.

“Yup. Did you think your kiss could break the spell?” Uma asked her.

Lia took a deep breath, thinking it over. “I didn’t expect it to,” she said. “I just… wanted to be there to support Ben, even if his decisions made no sense. Everyone else was against him.”

“Oh, the look on Mal’s face was priceless,” Uma gloated. “Almost worth my plan going down the drain, honestly. She was livid. She’s used to getting whatever she wants, and just once, when she doesn’t get it, and I’m there to see it. It was glorious.”

Lia stared down at the waters and gave voice to the one questioning that had been bouncing around inside her skull since she’d kissed Ben. “Am I Ben’s True Love, then?”

“I think that’s a question you need to discuss with him, not me,” Uma said. Then, behind them, they heard something coming down the stairs to their deck. Uma glanced back and grinned. “Oh – and speak of the devil, because here he comes!”

Ben appeared. He was still damp from seawater, with the crown sitting on top of his messy hair. He hadn’t put his royal jacket back on, so he was in his white shirt, blue vest and a royal sash. “There you girls are,” he said, walking up to the railing. “I was worried when you weren’t with everyone else.”

“They don’t like us a whole lot up there,” Uma said like it should be obvious. “I mean, I just tried to attack them all, and Lia here broke up the kingdom’s favorite couple since the Coronation.”

“That wasn’t Lia’s fault,” Ben said quietly. “That was me.”

Lia turned to him, looking at him with a frown. “Ben, I can’t let you keep blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault,” she said, reaching out and brushing his hair out of his face.

Ben reached up and caught her hand where it touched his face. “But it is my fault,” he said. He hesitated for a moment, and then said, in a much softer voice, “I’m in love with you.”

“Ooh!” Uma exclaimed with a grin. Both Ben and Lia looked at her like, what? And she smirked. “I’ll just be over here. Don’t mind me!” She walked away, farther down the railing, but not quite out of earshot.

Ben and Lia watched Uma for a moment, and then they turned back to each other.

Lia stared into Ben’s shining hazel eyes. “You’re in love with me?” She asked.

“Yes,” Ben said instantly.

Lia blinked, slightly taken aback by the speed and certainty of that answer. “How long have you…known?” She asked.

Ben paused, thinking about it. “I – I don’t know,” he said. “But you were always so patient and kind to me, even when I did things wrong – or thought I did something wrong. Mal did nothing but push me away, and you were there to comfort me every time. And you defended me on the Isle, and tried to keep me safe. I just realized, this is what love should feel like. Even when you disagreed with my choices, you trusted me.” He said.

Lia smiled at him. “Yes. Because I know you and I care about you,” she replied. “And you were always so sweet and friendly and gentle when I didn’t understand things in Auradon. Not a lot of people are like that. And when you make mistakes, you want to fix them so badly… it hurts to watch you beat yourself up over them. And today… when you jumped in the water, I was just so scared to lose you.”

It felt weird to be giving voice to these feelings, when up until not even an hour ago, Lia hadn’t even realized that they were there. But she loved Ben. She cared deeply about him and she wanted to see him triumphant over everything that tried to stop him. And Ben loved her. He’d tried to hold onto his love for Mal though all of this, but she just kept pushing him away, telling him he was wrong to love her. In the end, he supposed, Uma’s spell had revealed the truth for them – and that was just as well, because if it hadn’t, he wondered if he ever would have told Lia how he truly felt for her.

“I love you,” Lia said to him.

“I love you,” Ben told her.

And then they kissed again. This time, it held new meaning and new purpose, not the clumsy accident that the last kiss had felt like.

They heard Uma snicker. They knew she had heard everything. They weren’t concerned. There was nothing she had heard that the kingdom didn’t already know: Ben and Lia were in love, meant to be True Loves.

Ben stepped back from Lia and suggested, “Let’s dance.”

“Dance?” Lia repeated.

“Yes. A proper Cotillion waltz,” Ben said, bowing deeply to Lia.

Lia smiled at him, then curtsied to him. The two of them moved together for a waltz. Uma started to sing, her lovely voice floating across the deck, providing them with the music for their dance. “There you see her, sitting there across the way. She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her; And you don't know why, but you're dying to try, you wanna kiss the girl…”

Lia and Ben waltzed under the star-strewn skies.

[seokiloquy]

Sink - Hinata Shoyo

AU: Fantasy / Merman

Revamp

GN! Reader, hardly any plot (it’s like nothing i’m sorry)

Word Count: 2.2K+ 

Pirates can be helpful sometimes. If you do anything to tick them off though, you're thrown overboard. They were self-serving, violent to a fault, and would only help outsiders if they got something of greater value in return. Profit, they said. Most pirate ships were run by humans, taking to the sea after being forced off of land by other groups. For this reason, the whole time on that ship was spent with their scorching gazes burning into the back of your skull. Being an elf, one doing work for the queen no less didn't help your cause. If you hadn’t been seasick you would’ve seen it coming. 

Now here you were, sinking down into the depths of the ocean hardy able to see the light through the crashing waves above you. Your wool cape weighed you down, getting heavier as it soaked in the salty water. It wrapped around your body, restricting your movements and thwarting any hope of being able to swim upwards.

Your chest hurt once your knees hit the sand at the bottom. The throbbing of your heartbeat in your ears was loud but didn't stop you from hearing the swishing of movement around you. Somehow, life underwater was the loudest and most silent experience. It was deafening.

"Hey there, person!"

You squinted your eyes as you tried to see despite the stinging from all the salt. About five, maybe less, metres ahead from where you pitifully kneeled, a merman swam over to lean against an algae-covered rock as if it was a bed. You bent backwards to get away from him, but it became useless since your torso just floated back up.

"Are you stuck? Odd. What is that? A tarp?"

The merman’s orange tail flicked, propelling him forward toward you with incredible speed. His webbed hands pulled at your cape and his long pointed ear twitched through the water, listening for something. You felt as though you were being sat on by a giant, the pressure on your chest grew stronger as you struggled to help the sea creature free you.

Once untied from your dark cape you were able to swim upwards toward the surface. You felt your chest expand as you swam higher making it easier to hold your breath.

Just as you broke through the surface of the water you gasped, grateful that you could finally breathe. You heaved in as much air as possible, trying to not let the splashing water get in your mouth. As you kicked and waved your arms through the water the aquatic man floated up next to you. He poked his head out of the water before ducking back down.

"Woah! You don't have a tail! Or fins, or anything! What are you?"

Treading the water with both arms and legs you kept yourself floating high enough to speak.

"Take me to shore and I'll speak to you then. This cape is weighing me down."

Nodding his head, the merman’s orange hair shook off some of the water in it. The movement made some water fly into your mouth, which you quickly spat out, not enjoying the taste. His hands hooked under your shoulders, hoisting you up to his chest.

"Hold your breath."

"I am (Y/N) (L/N) of the Elven Domain. I am an explorer and have direct orders from the queen to track down an artifact to keep it safe. And you are?"

"You're an elf?"

You sighed, staring the merman directly in his eyes. The two of you currently sat/stood on the sand, drying off. In front of both of you was the ocean that you had just crawled out of minutes before.  The merman flicked his tail happily and looked at you with a curious smile that seemed to eat away at his cheeks.

"You don't socialize, do you?"

He shook his head as he picked at the fins on his arms. “No, not really. I’ve been the personal worker for the princess since I could remember. Only the royal family makes connections with those on land. The rest of us barely remember the word for your people. Let alone seen one. And because I’m working for the princess all the time I don’t really have any friends or explore."

As he spoke, his tail had fully dried and began to morph into a set of thin legs. The colour from his tail seemed to take shape and become a pair of trousers that ended directly below the knee with a small frill. He slowly bent them with a large smile, wiggling his toes into the sand.

"We know of our abilities, but only those who attend world meetings use them. I've never had the chance."

Grabbing your hand suddenly, he pulled himself up and onto his feet.

"Now come on! You have an adventure to be on don't you?"

Marching forward Shoyo managed to take a couple of steps before his knees buckled inwards and he fell forward. His butt stuck in the air and both his lower legs and face were covered in sand. He was quick to adjust, flopping onto his back.

"I got to get used to this," he said smiling up at you

"I'm more surprised you managed to even take one step. What’s your name?"

His mouth popped into an ‘O’ shape before giving you another sharp-toothed grin, “Shoyo Hinata.”

You sat on the edge of a rock, cape splayed out by your side. Hinata splashed around in the water, bathing in the cold liquid against his skin and tail. A laugh would nearly escape you every time his head bobbed out of the water to either shake his hair dry or send a long trail of water out of his mouth in a tall arch. He occasionally would toss water your way in an attempt to get you wet, before going back to whatever he found entertaining at the bottom of the pool.

"So you are an elf. And there are other species out there like you. How many are there?" he asked.

Hinata pushed himself up on the rock next to you and let his tail begin to dry.

"There are humans and wizards. They are from the same family, but wizards have either become interested in the magic of others or are hungry for power. There are other water dwellers I'm sure. But no one has seen them since the War of Weapons. Along with some forest creatures who have small colonies instead of creating a large Empire like the Fae or Giants."

Hinata swung his tail trying to get off the last of the water so his legs would appear. As he did, drips flung your way, making you much wetter than any of his targeted splashes did. You scoffed, wiping your hands over your hefty clothing. Once dry, a silk-like material took the place of scales and legs, replacing the tail with pillowy clothing. You stared at them for a moment.

“Are those pants attached to your body or…” 

As you spoke Hinata's ears twitched as he heard every word along with any noise that came from the woods behind you. He ignored your comment, far more interested in the previous conversation. "Creatures like what?" he asked.

You looked to the woods thinking of the people and animals you have and will encounter on your travels. "There are centaurs, gods, dragons, nymphs and dwarves. Some that don't have specific names but recognizable features. Most of them fled to the woods after the war. The gods, well, there are no gods here. Not anymore, not really."

Hinata nodded and played with the large gem that was attached to your cape. His head tilted, "War of Weapons? What happened there?"

"I can't remember the exact details of course. It was almost three hundred years ago after all. And if you haven't connected with other races you were definitely born after."

Hinata nodded "I'm only a teen. So it makes sense that I wouldn't know. As I said, I’ve spent my whole life with the princess."

Sighing, you felt the sudden urge to throw yourself into the water. You cringed in disgust and looked into the deep ocean. The dark blue seemed much more welcoming now than it did when you had been thrown in. Maybe if you wished for it the dormant god would welcome you with open arms. 

"You're so young," you commented.

"And you're not?" Hinata tilted his head and looked toward you. He set down your cape.

"In age of body, I am. But of mind and experience, I have aged 400 years."

"400!" Hinata jumped back at the confession, hands holding tightly onto your gemstone. "But how? You look 14!" 

"People of Elven descent age much slower than the rest of the world. It's a gift and a curse. My own siblings are reaching their 900th years."

Hinata sat closer and rested his chin on your shoulder, pouting. You smiled and turned your head slightly toward him, getting a glimpse of the youthful expression that pulled at his lips.

"But the war. What happened?"

You looked to the horizon where you couldn't see the landmark or city.

"Humans, finding the magic of others made them power-hungry. They began to build troops in hopes of defeating other kingdoms and gain control of the world. Wizards, witches and the occasional warlock or enchantress began to appear. They had to go through deadly rituals to gain their power. And when they found out there was more to take, there was no stopping them. It was a war of not only hardware but of magical prowess."

Hinata rested his weight against your body as he listened to you tell the story of an old war.

"Elven, Mer, Demon, Wood, and God banded together to stop them. Each of them protecting the gems they had in their care."

Hinata stared at your side profile, his eyes reflected the light from the setting sun and portrayed admiration as he listened. The eyes of the mer glowed a brilliant gold colour with hazel accents and brown lining.

"Gems? Like the stones?"

You nodded.

"Some, although rare, have magic stored in them. There are three held by the gods, with them from birth to rebirth. Others are forged over hundreds of years on sacred ground. Often places are abandoned before a single gem is produced."

Hinata's orange hair tickled your neck, his webbed hand rested palm up on your knee. You took his hand and gently pressed your thumb into the center of it.

"(Y/N), what did you do in the war?"

Your eyes dropped into the water before you. Another urge, stronger than the last, wanted to pull you into the bottomless pit of water. It felt like you were about to choke.

"I watched friends and family live and die at the hands of the people we all treated so well. I can only wonder if they took our kindness as pity."

Hinata squeezed your hand with a slimy but gentle touch and dug his head deeper into your shoulder. He whined pitifully.

"I am an adventurer. So that's what I did. I went searching for clues, hideouts, anything I could find on the other side of the war. Along the way, I made a friend. His wings were a beige colour, very light. But his overall aura was much darker. His wings gave him little to no help because if he flew too high up, he would fall out of fear of being shot down."

You turned your head to the merman, shifting slightly to fully face him and avoid catching his pointed ears with your own. You raised your free hand up toward the darkened sky, pointing to the bright light from the moons above the two of you.

"His name, Kageyama Tobio. God of the moon."

Hinata sat, eyes larger than before as he looked up to the two shining dots of light in the sky. The moons, which he had never gotten the chance to see until now, danced slowly around each other as they spun around the world. He admired the still image of the two unequally sized moons.

"Where is he now?"

"Home, I assume. But his sister is young and missing. So there is no doubt in my mind that he is still searching."

The sun had fully set by now, letting the moons cover the forest in cool light and dark shadows. You lowered your hand to Hinata's shoulder and added some pressure to your fingertips.

"Rest for tonight. You've drained your energy enough for today." You smiled and pushed him down on the flat rock where your cape was, acting like a makeshift bed.

"And what of you? Are you not going to rest?" He asked, holding your hand as it dropped the edges of your cape over his shoulders.

"My mind is now plagued with thoughts. If I rest now I cannot guarantee you'll see me at dawn."

Hinata's brow furrowed as he questioned you. "Why would that be?"

You sighed and brushed his hair with your free hand. "My turning would toss me into deep water." You smiled slightly as Hinata's expression turned sour. "Now sleep. I’ll see you in the morning."

I honestly love this one cause the world is one I’ve had in my head for years... but have yet to actually do anything with... - Bacon

Posted: 03/08/2020

#Haikyuu x reader #Hinata shoyo #Hinata x reader #Haikyuu #x reader #oneshot #oneshots #haikyuu oneshots #haikyuu reader insert #reader insert #aus #haikyuu aus #fluff #haikyu #anime x reader #anime #manga x reader #manga

[hwhiterice]

alright i’m a day late but in my defense i’ve been like a week behind for the entire month. also we should ignore the piece of tape on the top.

i reblogged the prompt list i used a while ago but i’m gonna explain my doodles the way i would’ve done if i was on time and posted daily anyway under the cut

1 - witch - alright with my calendar thing i saw day 8 was fire and was immediately like yes burn the witch

2 - fantasy - this was difficult the word is so open ended i just drew a floating island thing

3 - weapon - peace was never an option

4 - dessert - the first day i messed up beyond repair and covered it with a sticky note. the cake is a lie.

5 - werewolf - there’s a medieval story about a werewolf called Bisclavret and I read it recently and so that’s why that’s like that. Medieval ends up being a theme unintentionally.

6 - spirits - ghost duet/ghost choir/ghost + guest hypes me up for spooky szn i couldn’t not draw it

7 - dinosaur - so i drew just like a generic dinosaur and after day nine I added some other stuff

8 - fire - ah yes when men were like “women can’t do that better than us; she must be a witch!”

9 - space - generic spaceman so yeah

10 - insect - i also messed up here drawing a butterfly but it’s fine I think the fly on Mike Pence’s head telling y’all to vote is a great replacement

11 - slimy - self explanatory

12 - royalty - so obviously Freddie Mercury

13 - feather - I also wanted to connect this to another day and ended up choosing 20 instead of 14 so it’s a bird

14 - carnivore - i don’t even know what animal i drew i know it’s a cat

15 - hero - batman but not the version you’re thinking of

16 - villain - Sweet Tooth from Holy Musical B@man and it makes me wish I used more than red and black so I could convey how colorful and wild Sweet Tooth is but it’s chill

17 - disease - plague doctor for the medieval theme

18 - cyclops - i was actually watching Nightmare Time while I was drawing this one and during the description of Blinky I was like this is perfect for this

19 - grass - did you know that bamboo is a type of grass

20 - creature - Just trying to draw a quick and general creature type thing but I’m apparently incapable of not thinking of little shop of horrors all the time. tried to offset that by adding tentacles... it’s alright

21 - undead - the corpse bride is my favorite halloween movie so this is supposed to be the end scene

22 - time machine - drawing a Delorean was too obvious for me and instead tried to think of any other piece of media with time travel and my brain went straight past Doctor Who and straight to Phineas and Ferb

23 - glutton - So Dante’s 3rd circle of hell is gluttony and it’s guarded by Cerebus, so that’s cool

24 - knight - another classic medieval tale, of a loyal and unwavering knight, who even when his limbs were severed insisted it was nothing but a “flesh wound”

25 - reaper - generic grim reaper. missed the opportunity to draw the grim reaper from the Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy but it’s fine.

26 - pet - okay so the google doodle cat is the cutest thing and the game is so fun i would recommend

27 - hunter - hunter in my mind went to archer which went to Merida but this is very obviously not her because she’s not really a hunter (I don’t think). Also more medieval borders just for fun

28 - shadow - drawing the shadow man and his shadow would’ve been clever but to be honest while doing the calendar thing saves me time it means there’s not a lot of space so I just drew Dr. Facilier because I’m not great with silhouettes

29 - pirate - generic pirate with a hook and everything

30 - costume -  in girl world, halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it. the hardcore girls just wear lingerie and some form of animal ears...i’m a mouse, duh

31 - i got lazy and it was the last one i drew it’s a pumpkin

if you bothered to read this far, happy halloween!

except i’m posting this at 1 am november first so i guess feliz dia de los muertos

#inktober #inktober 2020 #artober #artober 2020 #doodles #mine

[nothingeverlost]

Fic: Things Half in Shadows (14/14)

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Pairings: Gold/Belle (eventually) with side pairings that probably include Graham/Bay, Archie/Emma and others.

Summary: The first thing you learn, back in Psych 101, is that you never get emotionally involved with a patient.  For 25 years Dr. Gold hasn’t had a problem walking that fine line.  Something changes, though, when he meets Belle French. AU

Author’s Note: I can’t begin to express what this fic and the people who read it have meant to me.  Thank you all.  This is the last chapter.  I chose to leave it here and pick it up again in a sequel.  The second half is relationship-centric and will begin with Belle leaving Storybrooke.

TRIGGER WARNING: Indirect mentions of abuse and sexual assault

<Prologue><Chapter 1><Chapter 2> <Chapter 3> <Chapter 4> <Chapter 5> <Chapter 6> <Chapter 7> <Chapter 8> <Chapter 9> <Chapter 10> <Chapter 11> <Chalpter 12> <Chapter 13>

Chapter 14 - Small Steps

II

There was a book on the table next to her customary cup of tea.  The cover was free of words, only a pattern of roses that looked like an old bit of wallpaper.

“A journal?” she guessed.  She’d never kept a diary before and felt a flutter in her stomach when she remembered the last time her doctor had asked her to write anything.  Eight words and everything had changed.  For the better, maybe, someday, but nothing had ever hurt so much.  She hadn’t had the numbness to shield her.  She would try, though, if he asked.

“While that’s never a bad idea that’s not my intent today.  It is for writing but I don’t want you to write about yourself.”  

“Who should I be writing about?”  She knew he wouldn’t ask her to write about her father.

“You read a lot of stories, Belle.  It’s a comfort to step into the world someone else created, to attend a ball with Elizabeth Darcy or to push the Dread Pirate Roberts down a hill.  I want to see you try writing a story with your own words.  It can be as simple or as complex as you like.”  From his pocket he took a pen, resting it on top of the book.

“That’s it?  Just write something?”  She hadn’t written anything since a creative writing class she took her first semester in college.  She couldn’t remember if she’d liked it or not.

“Anything you want.  When you’re done you can show it to anyone you want or you can keep it to yourself.  You can show it to me, but only if that’s what you want.”  He took a sip of his tea.  Belle remembered her own cup and took a sip, and a bite of the coffee cake he’d brought in that morning.  She liked the blueberries.  “What’s the first story you remember as a child?”

“Cinderella.”  She was distracted by the book, picking it up and running her fingers over the lightly textured cover before opening it up.  The pages were blank.  So much empty space; it seemed lonely without words.  “Not the Disney one; it was a pop-up book.  There was this page with all the stairs and in the middle the glass slipper.  I remember running my fingers up and down the stairs, pretending I’d lost my shoe.  One page had the carriage and you could open the door and look inside.  I wanted to shrink so I could fit inside, just for a little while.  It was such a pretty little carriage.”

“Perhaps you can tell the story of a little girl who did manage to shrink,” he suggested.  “When my son was wee there was a story he loved about a family that lived in the walls of a house.”

“I loved Thumbelina.  My mama would watch the movie with me; it was the first VHS I remember owning.  We liked to sing the songs together.”  They would cuddle under a blanket and share a bowl of popcorn that they’d made together on the stove.  Her mama loved to sing.  She’d almost forgotten how she’d sung when she was washing the dishes, or combing her hair, and always at bedtime.  “I don’t remember anything about the movie except that she was little and there was singing.”

“I’m sure we could find a copy, sometime.”  He scribbled a note on a piece of paper.  It was strange, most psychiatrists she had seen wrote a lot.  Some seemed to barely look at her, they were so busy writing about what she said.  Her doctor rarely wrote more than a few sentences and she always got the feeling that it was making sure he remembered things rather than analyzing her.   “It sounds like a memory worth holding onto.”

“I think it is.”  It hurt to think about her mama; maybe it always would.  But it made her feel warm, too, to remember the way they had sung together.  Maybe getting better meant that the warm was just as strong as the hurt.  She took another bite of her coffee cake and waited for questions about her mama that didn’t come.  Her doctor turned back to the subject of stories for the rest of her session.

II

Belle’s entrance to the art room was blocked by the sprawled form of Jefferson on the floor, arms and legs both spread eagle.  She held her new book to her chest and looked down at him, wondering if she needed to go back and get help.  His eyes were open, though, and she couldn’t see anything that looked like danger.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just being a drama queen.”  August leaned against the back of a chair nearby.  “Even more so than usual.”

“I’m bor-ed.  Bored.  B-b-b-bored.”

“I’m starting to get the idea that Jefferson’s bored.  Anyone else getting that feeling?”  Ruby was using the art scissors to trim bits of her hair.

“Does this place have a yelp?  I’m giving them one star.  Can I do no stars?  I’m going to do that.  The food is pedestrian, the entertainment is abysmal, and I’m sure there’s beds of nails that are more comfortable than what passes for accommodation here.”

“Fortunately there’s always the chance that a patient will provide entertainment,” Ruby said pointedly.

“You call this entertaining?”  August rolled his eyes.

“Do you think they might let us have a picnic?”  Belle offered tentatively.  They’d had sunny afternoons the last couple of days.

“A party.”  Jefferson sat up.  “Rabbit, you’re brilliant.”

“Christmas is over.”  From the corner of the room a small sad voice piped up.  Astrid was working on something involving glue and a lot of glitter.  

“Anyone have a birthday coming up?”  Jefferson asked hopefully.

“Mine was last month.”  Mary Margaret was the first to pop Jefferson’s bubble.  Belle just shook her head. No one had mentioned holidays or birthdays since she’d arrived, almost as if time was standing still.  Maybe that’s what they all hoped, that time was still and they would be able to just slip into their lives when they returned home.  If they returned.

“This is perfect.  Bake the cake and hire the clowns, we’re having a birthday party.”  Jefferson shot up so fast it was hard to tell how he’d gotten to his feet.  

“No on has a birthday until June, sweetie,” Ruby reminded him.

“Please tell me you’re not serious about clowns.”  August crossed his arms.  “That’s not funny.”

“If it’s no one’s birthday then it’s everyone’s unbirthday.  What’s better than an unbirthday party?”  He raced around the room, pulling fake flowers and ribbons from bins, stopping behind Astrid’s chair to lean down low.  “More glitter, little mouse.  We need more sparkle.”

“This is going to be interesting.”  Ella picked up the flower that had landed in her lap.

“That’s one word for it,” August commented, pointedly ignoring the ribbons that had landed on his shoulder.  “Not the word I’d pick, though.”

II

“Have you ever read any fairy tales?”  Belle threw a pea into the lake, a little farther from the shore this time.  The ducklings were getting bigger now, and Graham said that they needed to work a little for their food.

“Maybe when I was a kid.  I don’t remember, really.”  They reached for a pea at the same time, their fingers touching.  Belle hardly thought about it, or the fact that only a few weeks ago it would have startled her.

“I was rereading some yesterday.”  She had hoped they would inspire her own idea for a story.  “They’re very black and white.  Stepmothers are always evil.  The princess is always good and pure. Fairy godmothers will always help.  Wolves can’t be trusted.”

“A lot of people don’t understand about wolves.  They’re nobel.”  Graham tossed another pea into the water, a little farther from the ducks.  One of the ducklings dove to get it and came up, shaking out its feathers.  

“Maybe it’s easier to pretend that the scary things are so simple.  As easy to see as a wolf in pajamas.”  Fairytales never taught you to be scared of the people that said they loved you; at least none that she’d found.

“Wolf wouldn’t be happy wearing anyone’s pajamas, but he does like sleeping bags.  I had to buy one for him or I’d never get any sleep when we go out.  He gets in and curls up until all you can see is his nose.  He has to carry it, though, if he wants it.”  The last of the peas were gone.  Graham opened the other bag he’d brought and set out two white chocolate cranberry cookies.

“He carries his sleeping bag?”  Graham had mentioned camping, once.  Belle had never had a pet, but didn’t imagine that was something they usually did.  

“It clips onto his harness. He’s always excited when I put it on because he knows we’ll sleep outdoors.  Besides, I carry food for both of us, it’s only fair he carries his own bedding.”  Graham took a bite of one of the cookies and pushed the other one a little closer to her.  “Somehow I ended up with an extra if you want one.”

“Thank you.”  Nurse Whale had mentioned she was up seven pounds and had been pleased when he added the note to her file.  Someday maybe she could meet her doctor’s son and thank him for all the muffins and cookies.  “Does Wolf have to carry his own tent too?”

“We don’t use a tent.  Just a sleeping bag apiece and a campfire.  Can’t see the stars in a tent, and they tell a different story every night.”  it was midday but still Graham looked up at the sky as if he could see the stars.

“What happens if it rains?”  

“We get wet.”  Graham shrugged.  “If it’s a heavy storm we find a shelter.  But look at the ducklings, they love to get wet.  A lot of animals do.  There’s nothing harmful in a little rain, and afterwards everything smells new.’

“I’ve never been camping.”  She and her mama used to make tents out of sheets and imagine they were camping.  They made s’mores in the oven and ate them sitting around a flashlight.  She’d mentioned camping to her papa once and he’d taken her to a resort that summer in upstate New York.  They’d served a chocolate mousse topped with meringue and graham cracker and called it a s’more.  Her papa had called her princess and gifted her with her first bikini.  She’d ‘lost’ it after the second day, and was glad they never went back.  

“There’s berries and mushrooms growing on the other side of the lake, at the edge of the woods.  It’s not camping but we could go for a walk,” he suggested, finishing his cookie.

“Are you sure it’s alright?”  She’d never walked past the edge of the lake.

“As long as you stay with me.”

II

By the time they returned from their walk Belle had almost forgotten about fairytales.  Graham had shown her the signs of edible mushrooms, but cautioned her not to eat any without him there.  He’d pointed out a nest in a branch that still held eggs.  There was a bush full of berries that might make a good cookie.  Her questions had been tentative at first but he’d answered them all, speaking more than he usually did.  She was eager to learn more and he walked with her to the library to point out a few books they had about local flora and fauna.  Caught up in the books she almost didn’t notice someone joining them in the library.

“Belle.”  Gaston had his hands in his pockets, his height seeming so much taller than she remembered.  “Can we talk?”

“Visitor’s hours are Saturday.  This isn’t a good time.”  Graham took two steps to his right, coming between her and the doorway.

“You’re not Belle, so I wasn’t talking to you.  I was talking to my fiance.”  Gaston was less forceful than usual, but she knew that he wouldn’t leave.  

“It’s okay, Graham.”  She didn’t know what he wanted, but it was usually quicker to give it to him than argue.  Logic wasn’t Gaston’s strongest suit.  “He’s driven a long way to be here.  We can talk.”

“You heard her.  I’m sure there’s someone else in this place that needs your attention.”  Gaston sat on one of the sofas, his feet on the table.  Belle was reminded of his home office, though the Storybrooke library didn’t have any animal heads mounted on the walls.

“Right now my job is to be here.”  Graham crossed his arms.  Gaston’s cheek muscle twitched.

“Can we have a few minutes, Graham?  You could wait right outside the door.”  She could call for him if she needed him.  She wondered if she actually would.

“A few minutes and the door stays open,” Graham agreed reluctantly.  Once he was out of the room Belle dug her nails into the arm of the couch.  She tried to remember what it was like to sit at dinner with him and make small talk.  

“You look good, Gaston.”  He had a tan that she knew came from a tanning bed this time of year and a body sculpted with the help of a personal trainer named Lefou.

“You look… fine.”  His eyes swept over her, and she knew he was seeing the hair pulled back in a ponytail and the bulky sweater that was warm but unfashionable.  She hadn’t put on any makeup since she’d arrived, except the nail polish Ruby had used a few days ago to make her nails a pale pink.  “Are you… fine?”

“I’m learning a lot about myself.”  Fine was right up there with okay on the list of words she didn’t know how to define.  There were a lot of things people said to each other that didn’t mean anything, polite lies that meant not talking about anything real..

“Moe said you would be coming home soon.”  Belle flinched, but she was certain Gaston didn’t notice.  

“I’m not ready for that.”  Belle shook her head.  She wouldn’t ever return to the place that Gaston called home.  For weeks she had asked Doctor every day about the restraining order, needing the reminder that it was real.  She had spoken to the sheriff once, as well.  It had been almost a month now, and no lawyers had shown up.  No threats had been made.  She was beginning to believe she was safe for him, at least within the small world of Storybrooke.  What happened when she left she didn’t know; she didn’t have a home anymore.

“I don’t understand why you’re here.  You’re not like them.”  He gestured towards the doorway, where the sounds of art therapy could be heard.  “You’d do better being around your own people.”

“These are my people.”  They were all trying to heal from things.  She wondered if Gaston would even be able to understand what it was to need to heal.  He spoke of little other than hunting and business, boating and stocks.  If she was honest with herself there was very little she knew about the man she’d said yes to marrying.  He knew even less about her.

“Your people are at home; there’s a dinner at the club this weekend.  People keep asking me when you’re coming home, not that they know where you are.”  Too restless for the couch Gaston rose and started pacing.  “They ask me about the wedding.”

“I can’t marry you, Gaston.”  She said the words in a hurry, afraid she wouldn’t say them all if she didn’t say them all at once.

“You don’t mean that.  When you get home…”

“No.”  She shook her head.  When her father had brought Gaston home she had accepted it, as she did everything else.  She hadn’t gone away to college because he didn’t want it.  She hadn’t babysat as a teen.  Hadn’t gone to school dances.  She was always a dutiful daughter, even when it came to dating the man that was picked out for her.  And saying yes when expected, whether it was diner, sex or an engagement ring.  If she stayed with Gaston she was still her father’s prisoner.  It didn’t matter that Gaston was unaware of who Moe French really was or what he had done.  “I’m sorry Gaston.”

“I don’t understand, we had plans.  You said yes.”  Any plans they had, Belle knew, had been his own.  A wife to take care of his house and play hostess for his parties.  The right type of woman to show off at the club.  Children, probably, but she couldn’t even think about that.  For a moment she imagined a daughter, soft brown curls and her mother’s eyes.  She thought of her father, and wondered if she would have more power to protect a daughter than she’d had to save herself.

“Belle.” He said her name sharply, and probably not for the first time.  It was enough to bring Graham into the room.  She thought of the stories he’d told her about Wolf, and wondered if that was why she was reminded so strongly of a predator.  The narrow eyes and tense muscles might have scared her from another man, but she trusted him.  He was there to protect her.

“I’m alright now.”  She spoke to Gaston but looked over his shoulder to Graham.  She could make it through this conversation but she wasn’t going to ask him to leave again.

“This place is making you worse, not better,” Gaston groused.

“I’m not someone you would want to marry.”  There wasn’t any point explaining to him anymore than that.  “The ring is in my jewelry box at home.  You should have it back.”

“You shouldn’t make decisions in a place like this.  When you change your mind…”

“I wish you the best, Gaston, I really do.  I need you to go now.”  Graham took a step closer.  Perhaps Gaston felt it, or perhaps he decided his ego was smarting from the rejection.

“If I take back the ring that’s it.”  When she didn’t say anything he got up and strode from the library.  She hesitated for a moment before running after him.

“Gaston, wait.”  She could feel Graham standing behind her, not trying to touch her but his presence unmistakable.

“I knew it.”  His smile was the cocky one she was most familiar with.  Belle took a breath, closing her eyes.  She could be brave.  She could speak up.

“You move in the same circles as my father.  Parties, the club, charity events.  You should know…”  She felt her nails against the underside of her forearm and paused, pulling them away.  She would not hurt herself.  “He can’t be left alone with little girls.  They need to be protected.

“You can’t mean…”  She’d never before seen all the color drain from Gaston’s face.  The horrified look in his eyes was probably the most real emotion she’d ever seen from him.  She nodded and waited to see that he understood what she meant, then turned her back to him.  She couldn’t allow him to ask questions, couldn’t speak any clearer than she already had.  It had taken all of her bravery to say that much.

Doctor Gold was standing on the other side of the doorway.  “Graham thought you might like a cup of tea.  I thought we could take some out to the garden.”  

“I would like that.”  She was surprised to see that her hand wasn’t trembling.  The hot tea would be welcome. Before she followed him she looked over her shoulder on last time.  “Goodbye, Gaston.”

She stood completely still until she could feel him leaving.  Graham was gone too, and she knew without having to ask that he was following Gaston.  Making sure he didn’t linger, didn’t ask anything more of her.  After almost two years and an engagement it was strange to think that she’d most likely seen him for the last time.  It was probably stranger to think she had agreed to marry him but wouldn’t miss him.

“He’s gone, dearie.  Would you like to sit down?”

“In the garden.”  She looked down at her feet and willed them to move.  After a moment they did, and if she thought about nothing else but walking she could get herself to the bench outside before her knees let her down.  He handed her a mug of tea poured from his thermos as soon as she sat.  It seemed cooler outside than it had half an hour ago when she’d been walking with Graham.

“He shouldn’t have gotten as far as the library without anyone stopping him, Belle.  I’m sorry.”  He waited a moment to speak, or maybe it was five minutes.  She wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring at her tea before looking at him.

“He wasn’t a threat.  He never hurt me.”  She wasn’t sure she could say that Gaston was a good man.  He worked and he hunted and he went to the club.  He hated books and was sometimes frustrated when he saw her reading rather than socializing, but he was never cruel.  He didn’t go out of his way to help anyone but neither did he hurt anyone.  “I didn’t even know I didn’t want to be with him.  It was easier to just say yes.”

“It was what other people wanted from you,” he commented softly.

“I said no to him today.”  Had she ever said that before?  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d said no, not to something as simple as where they were going for dinner or as complicated as an engagement ring.  Not to trips with her papa or his college plans or anything.  “Even when it made him mad.”

“The only emotions you are responsible for are your own.”  His tea was on the bench, his hands both on the handle of his cane.  He moved it restlessly, the tip moving bits of gravel around the ground.  He always moved, even when he was sitting still.  “What you did today took a good deal of courage.

“I was scared.  Not of him.”  He made her feel small next to him, his confidence and control making her feel like everything centered around him, but she hadn’t feared him.  Or loved him.  She’d simply existed next to him.  “Everything’s changed now.”

“The unknown can be very hard to step into, even when the known is hurting us.  It’s normal to be scared.”  His voice was low and soothing.  Belle allowed herself to close her eyes and just listen to him.  His words settled into her bones with the same warmth as the tea.  

“So now I start over?”  With Gaston gone she had no connection to the people she’d called friends, who were really just social acquaintances.  With the restraining order against her father she was an orphan in all the ways that mattered.  

“As much as we might sometimes wish for a blank slate there is no such thing.  No tabula rasa.”  He quirked his lips into something that wasn’t quite a smile, or at least not a happy one.  “We continue on a step at a time because the only thing we can do is move forward or stand still.  What we do get to decide is what we carry with us and what we work on shedding.”

Belle looked down at her hands, seeing only the cooling mug of tea but knowing she held onto so much more.  “I left Gaston behind.”

“You did.  Are you feeling alright about that?”  He picked up his mug, but only played with the handle.

Belle nodded.  The conversation had been hard but knowing it was over was easy.  “It’s not so simple with papa.”

“No, it’s not.  But you’ve already taken the first steps.”  He paused, looking at her.  Belle took a shaky breath and nodded.  It helped that he didn’t lie to her.  Didn’t pretend that anything was going to be easy.  If she’d taken the first steps there were still dozens more to take.

“One step at a time.”  She rubbed her arm.  There was no pain, and she’d stopped herself from digging her nails into the skin when she’d spoken to Gaston.  That was a step too.

II

Belle deliberately chose the same sofa in the library she’d shared with Gaston the next day, an exorcism of sorts.  She curled up with her notebook and pen, took a deep breath, and started writing.  An hour later she had twelve pages of writing and a sore hand.  The wolf was about to rescue Little Red from her grandmother when Jefferson threw himself at the other side of the sofa, making the whole thing bounce.

“Put the books away, it’s time to play.”  He wore a top hat made from construction paper covered in glittering gears and offered her a pipe cleaner tiara with tissue paper roses.  “Your unbirthday awaits.”

“I thought it was everyone’s unbirthday.”  She slipped her book into the oversized pockets of her cardigan before accepting the tiara.

“You’re one of the everybody, aren’t you?”  He tipped his hat at her, stood, and offered her his hand.  She only hesitates a moment before letting him help her up.  

“I am.”  She followed Jefferson to the garden where her friends were waiting to celebrate.  It was one more small step.

#rumbelle fic #mr. gold #belle french #graham humbert #jefferson #ruby lucas #things half in shadow #my fic

[marril96]

The Distance Between Us

Chapter 14: The Scream Queen

Pairing: Rowena x reader

Summary: You decide to introduce Rowena to some new culture.

Editor: @wonderifshelikesroses

Rowena wasn't kidding about hanging out with you publicly. In the weeks that followed, you hung out with her more and more, much to the chagrin of your friends.

"She's a snake! Dug her bloody claws into you and won't let go!" Crowley'd said during one of his signature dramatic rants about his sister and all the different ways she was using you and stealing you from him.

Having run out of arguments ages ago, for nothing you could say would convince him there was no way Rowena was using you as you'd hardly had anything she'd want, you'd simply said, "Snakes don't have claws."

Dean wasn't too happy with the situation, either. Neither was Castiel, but he kept his commentary to himself, while Meg found the whole thing hilarious. The more dramatic Crowley got, the more amused she was. Which usually led to the two of them bickering, something you welcomed as it got attention away from you.

Sam was the only one who supported yours and Rowena's budding friendship. Not that you called it that. For all intents and purposes, the two of you were just acquaintances doing schoolwork in public. And in private. And sometimes telling jokes and laughing instead of doing said schoolwork. As acquaintances did.

As annoying as your friends were, you knew there was no malice to their actions. They were just protective. Especially Crowley, as he knew best how Rowena was and didn't want you to get hurt. But neither he nor the rest of them knew the true her. The one that flashed warm, genuine smiles. The one that spoke in a soft voice as she explained problems over and over, endlessly patient. The one that was sweet and kind and acted more like a friend than an enemy behind closed doors.

You finally understood why Sam was friends with her. He'd been the first one to get to know that side of her. Now that you got the privilege, you could see why they understood each other so well. What made their friendship work so well despite their differences in social standing.

Having his support meant the world to you.

"Your taste in movies sucks," you said one late November evening, looking over Rowena's DVD collection instead of studying. All classics. The majority black and white.

Rowena put her phone down and huffed. "As if yours is better."

You flashed her a grin. "Mine's fun."

"Mine is cultured," she retorted smugly.

You snorted. "I'm pretty sure culture existed after…" You looked for the latest release in her collection. "1975."

She shrugged. "I prefer the classics."

"I can see that." An idea dawned on you like a light bulb flashing on. "We should get you up to date."

Rowena raised her eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," you said, confident. Decisive. "We should go to the movies. Watch something new."

"You must be joking!"

"Nope. Gotta introduce you to some new culture."

She raised an eyebrow. Curious. Suspicious. "And what exactly would we be watching?"

"The Slashing."

It was a horror movie that had recently hit theaters. Most popular horror reviewers raved about it; you couldn't wait to see magnificence for yourself.

Rowena made the same face she'd made when Miss Hanscum had offered her donuts. Disgusted. As if someone had murdered her entire family. "I am not watching a movie called The Slashing."

"It's a good movie," you argued.

"If nudity and gratuitous violence falls under your definition of good."

As a matter of fact, they did.

"Reviews say there's not that much nudity."

She scoffed. "Is that supposed to convince me?"

"There's shirtless guys," you said with a shrug.

Covered in blood and most likely getting violently murdered. But hey, shirtless guys were shirtless guys.

"Now you're really grasping at straws."

Guilty as charged.

"Please? I've been wanting to see it for ages," you said.

"Nothing's stopping you."

"I don't wanna see it alone."

"Take Fergus."

"I don't like going to the movies with him. He always talks, and he insults the characters."

"Then you're out of luck."

Hopefully not.

"Can't you go with me?"

"Sorry, love. Horror is not my genre."

"You might like it."

She fixed you with a stare. Narrowed her eyes in curiosity. "Why do you want me to go?"

"Because."

Because I think we're becoming friends.

Because I think it'd be nice to spend some time with you in the dark, high on adrenaline, far away from math and black and white classics.

Because you're a mystery and I want to solve you. I want to know who you truly are. Because…

I think I like what I see.

You shrugged, adding, "It'd be fun to hang out. Now that we're not hiding in your room all the time."

Rowena thought it over, eyes never leaving you. Did she see what you saw? Was she having as much fun as you did? Or was this all strictly business Principal Shurley had imposed on her?

She seemed to genuinely enjoy your time together, but for all you know it could have been a mask. Rowena was different from most people. She hid her feelings — her entire self — well. Had built up a wall around herself to keep everyone at a distance. It was hard to tell who she really was.

One thing you were one hundred percent certain of was that she wasn't the mean girl she presented herself as at school.

But who she actually was was a mystery.

"If I accept, then you have to accompany me to a place of my choosing," she said after a few moments on contemplation.

"Is this blackmail?" you asked, quirking up an eyebrow.

"A trade," she said simply.

Fair.

You could live with that.

"Sounds good to me."

Her mouth widened into a smile. "Excellent! In that case, I will go with you to see The Slashing." Her face scrunched up at the mention of the title. A cute little expression. "But if I don't like it, I will walk out."

"You a scaredy cat?" you teased.

She blushed scarlet as her hair and turned her head. "No."

"Sure you're not."

"I am not scared!"

Of course she wasn't.

"Whatever you say." Before she could utter a retort, you said, "It's a deal. If it'd bad, we leave."

This was going to be fun.

*****

It was the last day of November and it was cold as hell itself. The ice in the air bit at your exposed skin; even through thick layers of clothes and a scarf covering your neck and mouth, you were shivering as if under a fever.

Maybe going to the movies, in this weather no less, was a mistake. Maybe you should've waited a few more weeks and pirated the damn movie like a normal person instead of freezing your ass off in below zero weather for an hour and a half of half-naked teenagers getting murdered on big screen.

One look at Rowena, in her maroon coat and knee-length red boots, told you it was worth it.

It wasn't every day that you got to take her to the movies.

Loser girls and popular girls didn't do that sort of thing together. As per the unwritten rules of your school's social hierarchy, their worlds didn't mesh together. They didn't mesh together.

And yet, here you both were.

Freezing, but close to your destination. Determined. Stubborn despite the awful weather.

"I bloody hate winter," Rowena commented as soon as you stepped into the theatre.

It was warm inside, pleasant, comforting, and you let out a breath of relief as the cold in you started melting.

You never wanted to go outside again.

"Technically, it's still Fall," you said.

Rowena glared, not in the mood for technicalities. "It's cold."

You shrugged. "No argument there."

Despite the horrid weather, there were still plenty of people around. Parents with overly excited children. Tired people just getting off work, eager to relax after a day of hardship. Groups of high schoolers giggling. Couples holding hands and popcorn.

You and Rowena oddly fit in.

Did you look like a couple to observers? Granted, you weren't holding hands, but you'd gotten here together, and you'd exchanged banter.

Friends, people would think. Definitely friends.

A feeling much alike disappointment swept over you. You pushed it down, ignored it. You and Rowena were sort-of-friends. And that was how it would stay.

You cared about her as a friend.

Nothing more and nothing less.

Just friends, you reminded yourself. Just friends.

You paid for the tickets, prompting Rowena to raise her eyebrows in surprise, bought some popcorn, and the two of you went to take your seats. The theater was packed, mostly with teenagers and young adults. Thankfully, none of the faces you saw looked familiar. If they went to your school, you didn't know them.

Not that you were ashamed to be seen with Rowena. But there were some things that felt more private, more intimate. Things that were too special to be spread around school in the form of rumors riddled with half-truths and blatant lies.

Things like watching a movie with a friend. In the dark. Far away from wandering eyes and cruel whispers. From blond, blue-eyed assholes' stares and nasty bitches' glares.

"Treating me, are you?" Rowena said.

"I invited you," you replied. It was only fair that you paid.

"Fair point," she conceded. With a teasing note in her tone, she said, "I take it this is a date, then."

A rush of heat spilled over you, burning at your cheeks. A lump formed in your throat, hard to swallow.

"A total date," you said with as much sarcasm as you could, praying to all deities you could think of that it was convincing enough. Thankfully, the room was dark enough to hide your flushed cheeks, but your voice, your rushed breathing and racing heart were all yours to deal with.

Traitors.

What was wrong with you?

You liked Rowena, but she was still a mean girl. She was still friends with bullies and in a relationship with a jackass. Even if she was single, you would never go out on a date with someone like her.

You only liked her as a friend.

Right?

Right?!

Rowena chuckled. If she noticed you were flustered, she didn't comment on it. "A bit too cheap for my taste," she teased.

"My sincerest apologies, madam. I wasn't aware of your price demands."

"Aye." Her shoulder brushed against yours as she shrugged. "I'm a restaurant girl."

"High end, I take it?"

"What else?"

You had to laugh. "Unfortunately, I don't think there are movies here that'd fit your standards. You'll have to live with it."

She laughed along. "I suppose I will."

"We got popcorn." You offered her the tub. "It's close enough."

She made a disgusted face. "No, thank you."

"Your loss," you said with a shrug and shoved a handful in your mouth.

"You are a pig," she said, not really meaning it. A mock insult from one friend to another.

You playfully elbowed her shoulder. "You're on a 'date' with said pig."

"Starting to regret it."

"If it makes you feel any better, we can blame this all on Principal Shurley. He's the one who made you tutor me."

"Bloody bampot," Rowena said in agreement.

You raised the popcorn up like a glass of champagne about to click against another. "Amen to that."

As soon as the movie started, the murmur of voices quieted down. Your eyes were glued to the screen, adrenaline pumping through you as the characters screamed and ran for their lives. There was beauty in horror; danger that wasn't real but still felt so vivid, fear that made your skin crawl and your heart race in excitement, blood that looked so fresh and bright on the big screen. Not many people understood that. But here, in this room, it seemed like everyone did.

Every now and then your glance would wander to Rowena. This wasn't her scene, but despite clear distaste on her face, she still watched. She took everything in. Every deathly scream. Every shift in music. Every splash of blood. Her body twitched, and you could tell it took everything in her to contain her screams. But, like the strong girl she was, she still watched.

She didn't leave. Didn't even go to the bathroom to get away from it all. She was scared, but she still stayed.

You admired that. Admired the dedication. The stubbornness.

She wanted to be here with you. Wanted to hang out with you.

A pang of regret pulled at your heart.

You never should have doubted her.

A piercing scream suddenly echoed through the room as the killer jumped out from behind one of the few remaining characters. It died down along with the girl as the knife bit into her flesh, slashed her up from the inside out.

A few people screamed along with her.

A giddy smile spilled over your mouth as excitement rushed through you like a potent drug.

And, as if on cue, a hand covered yours, tiny fingers squeezing for dear life.

You looked down, surprised to find Rowena's pale hand in yours, pink nails glittering in the dim light from the screen.

Her eyes were on the movie. Mouth pressed into a firm line.

An involuntary reaction.

You smiled, squeezing back. Her skin was warm on yours. Comforting. Right.

Your hands remained linked for the rest of the movie. Every time a jump scare would pop up, Rowena's fingers would tighten around yours. You would return the gesture. A wordless promise that you were there, that nothing would happen to her. That she was safe despite her fear.

As soon as the credits started rolling, the two of you parted. Neither said a word about what happened. Acknowledged it in any way.

No comments were necessary.

You'd held hands.

Longer than was necessary.

Tighter than was friendly.

And it felt so right.

Like it was the way it was supposed to be.

*****

Tags: @werewolfbarbie @oswinthestrange @songofthecagedmoose @apurdyfulmind @getthesalt-sam @metallihca @salembitchtrials @jay-eris @hellsmother @elizabeth-effie @victoriasagittariablack @rowenaswife @wonderifshelikesroses @xfireandsin @liddell-alien @hotdiggitydammit @lae-lae @darkhumorsblog @gaysnakess @angel7376 @cherrypierowena @ruthieconnells @evil-regal-vampiress @collectorofsecretsandsouls @angel-e-v-a @tasyahilker @a-queen-and-her-throne

#rowena #rowena macleod #rowena x reader #spn #supernatural #spn family #fanfiction #my fics #high school au

[thinkyoureholy]

Stow Away [OG Ending]

[A/n : aaahhh this series is finally over😭😭😭 I had fun writing it though I did have some trouble along the way but it was all worth it☺ thank you to everyone that supported this story it means so much! So enjoy this ending for tonight and tomorrow you'll get the alternative less sad ending]

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Pairing : Kim Jongdae / [Fem] Reader

Genre : Angst, Violence, Language, Fluff, Smut, Character Death, Pirate! AU

Words : 2.2k

Pt 1. Pt 2. Pt 3. Pt 4. Pt 5. Pt 6. Pt 7. Pt 8. Pt 9. Pt 10. Pt 11. Pt 12. Pt 13. Pt 14. Pt 15. Pt 16. Alt Ending.

-Jongdae’s P.O.V-

I kicked the door of the pub open, my racing heart stopping and plummeting to the pit of my stomach at the sight that greeted me. I could tell the three with me were just as shocked, the silence so deafening you’d be able to hear a needle falling to the floor. My knees buckled for a split second at the sight of Y/N lying on the floor, a pool of blood underneath er. I took a tentative step forward before looking up at Byungho, my blood boiled at the smirk he wore, the look in his eyes taunting me.

I set my jaw, clenching my hands at my sides, my nails digging into my palms and drawing blood, “Kill them, kill them all! Not one of them gets out of here alive!”

I didn’t even get to finish talking before both Uri and Jay lunged at the men closest to them. I pulled out my sword from its seathe, cutting down any man that got in my way, my eyes on Byungho but my mind on Y/N. She had to be alive, she just had to but the blood that had pooled around her body made me fear the worst. She wasn’t moving when I got here and that worried me the most but as I glanced over at her I saw that she had turned over onto her stomach, trying to crawl away from everything but she didn’t get very far, she was too weak. I let out a grunt as I stabbed at the man in front of me, pulling my bloodied sword out of him and hurriedly made my way to her. As soon as I reached her I hooked my arm under her knees, wrapping the other around her shoulders and scooped her off the floor. She tired to fight against my hold but she was far too weak to actually do anything.

“I’ve got you, now. You did good holding out for this long, dove. Now let me take care of the rest alright? You just get some rest.” I said, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall as I looked down at her face.

She immediately stopped moving at the sound of my voice, her eyes looking up into my own. She blinked several times, maybe not believing that I was actually there, “D-Dae?”

I smiled softly, feeling the tears that I tried so hard to hold back fall. I felt a lump in my throat, my heart in pieces at seeing her like this, “Y-Yeah its me dove, I’m here,” I said, unable to stop my voice from breaking.

My chest tightened at seeing a small smile playing at her lips before she closed her eyes. As soon as she closed her eyes she went limp in my hold, the hand that had been clutching at my shirt lost all its strength. I told myself that she was just tired, that she was asleep because I couldn’t bare the thought of the alternative. I inhaled shakily, taking her to the far end of the pub where the fighting wouldn’t get to her. I set her down on the floor gently, leaning her back against the wall. I removed my cloak, draping it over her. I wanted to tend to her wounds but that’s have to wait. If I didn’t deal with Byungho here and now or else this would never end. With that in mind I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her forehead, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away.

“Just hold on a little longer, dove, I’ll get you out of here soon.” I said in a voice barely above a whisper, caressing her face with my hand one last time.

Getting up I looked around the room, searching for Byungho. I spotted him leaning against the wall opposite us. He had his arms were crossed over his chest as he wore a smirk on his face. I set my jaw at the smug look on his face, finally pulling out my sword. He grinned when I began to make my way over to him, killing anyone that got in my way. I was absolutely livid, seeing red as I set my sights on him and only him, swinging my sword with all my might as soon as I reached him. He stepped out of the way, avoiding my blade. He dodged my attacks over and over again, doing so without even pulling out his own sword. I was starting to get frustrated, cursing myself for missing every time.

“I forgot how terrible of a swordsman you were,” Byungho said with a smirk, finally pulling out his sword, “I guess I’ll have to show what a real swordsman is like.”

I grit my teeth at his words, swinging my sword at him again but he easily blocked my attack. Our swords were locked together as we tested each other’s strength. After a few seconds my arms began to shake but Byungho looked perfectly fine, he was even smiling, the bastard. I let out a sound that could only be compared to a growl as I pushed but he didn’t budge, in fact it seemed like he got stronger. With a chuckle he pushed me back as if it was nothing to him. I could see the murderous intent in his eyes, the look sending a chill down my spine but I didn’t let that stop me. Just as I was about to swing my sword again he swung first, his blade cutting at the top of my thigh. 

I let out a groan as my leg buckled but I somehow managed to stay upright. He didn’t let up after that. He came at me again and again, each time striking harder, faster than before. I was so unfocused, my mind on finishing this as quickly as possible so I could get Y/N to safety that I had completely disregarded his skills. He was right. He was a better swordsman than I was, in every sense of the word, that’s why I could never beat him. I was so pumped up with adrenaline that I hadn’t noticed that with every swing of his sword his opening up a new wound. I didn’t notice until it was too late. I winced at the pain I suddenly felt all over my body. I wasn’t even able to hold up my sword properly. I had blood all over me, from head to toe I was covered in it but I refused to give up. If I gave up now she’d die...and I couldn’t let that happen. But we can’t always get what we wish for. 

I took a step towards Byungho but as soon as I did my legs finally gave out. I collapsed to the ground, Byungho standing over me with a wicked grin on his face. He let out a low chuckle, stabbing the tip of his sword through the floorboard inches from my face before he crouched down. I felt his hand on the back of my head, his fingers grasping onto my hair tightly, lifting my head off the floor the slightest bit.

“How’s it feel to have everything you cherish taken from you, huh? After I’m done with your little dove I’m going to find your precious brother again and slit his throat as soon as I get my hands on him.” 

“W-Why are you doing this? What the fuck are you gaining from all this?”

Byungho grit his teeth at my words, his hold on me growing tighter, “Why? After all this time you’re asking me why? You should know why I’m doing this, you of all people should know!”

I kept quiet, trying to wrack my brain for answers but I didn’t find any. Byungho grew angry at my silence, angrily slamming my face into the ground.

“Does the summer of 1843 ring a bell?” He asked through clenched teeth but again I didn’t know what he was talking about.

That summer was more than seven years ago, how the hell am I supposed to remember what happened back then?

“You and your pack of wild animals pillaged through the town of Kami, my town. You killed so many people, my wife and child were among the dead. Does that sound familiar enough?” He asked his eyes filling with unshed tears, “My child...never got to see a day past her fourth birthday, she never got to know the world properly. And my wife? My wife died protecting our child but it was all for nothing.”

My heart sank at his words. Even now that he’s told me I don’t remember any of it. I don’t claim to be a good man but surely I’d remember that incident...or so I thought. That summer was a complete blur for me. It was the summer I had lost my parents. I had spiralled out of control, most nights spent drinking, day and night blurring into one jumbled mess.

“I-I’m sorry, truly I am. I...I didn’t know I-”

He cut me off with a scoff, “Save your apologies. We won’t be even until I finally take everything from you, just like you did to me. Now sit here and watch as I cut open your beloved dove.”

My heart skipped a beat at that as I watched him stand up, pulling his sword out of the floor. Before he could start making his way over to Y/N I reached out and grabbed onto his ankle. My fingers dug into his skin as I tightened my grip when he tried to move.

“S-She has nothing to do with this. If you have a score to settle settle it with me and leave her out of it.”

“She has everything to do with this. The moment she fell in love with you her life was put at risk. I don’t care if she’s just an innocent bystander in all this. I can see that you love her as much as I loved my wife...all the more reason for me to kill her. Then, and only then, you’ll finally know the pain I went through that day.”

He tried to go forward once again but I held on. This was all I could do to stop him. I wasn’t strong enough to be him in combat. Byungho got frustrated with me as he raised his sword, ready to kill me but the blow never came. I looked up to see he was no longer looking down at me but at Y/N who was now standing in front of him. I felt my heart completely shatter at the sight before me. 

Byungho had stabbed through her abdomen, blood already starting to seep out of the wound. I wasn’t able to see from where I was but she had stabbed him through the heart with her own dagger, the dagger only becoming visible to me when Byungho suddenly fell to the floor, dead and lying in a pool of his own blood. I looked up at Y/N with tears in my eyes, seeing a tiny smile playing at her lips before it fell completely. Without warning she fell to her knees, her arms hanging at her sides limply as her eyes closed. Before her head could hit the ground I used up at my strength to push myself off the floor and run to her. I got there just in time to cradle her body to my chest. I felt my whole world crumble as she just lay in my arms without moving. I knew she was gone.. I just didn’t want to believe it. I had promised her that I would protect her, that I’d keep her safe but in the end she was the one that saved me instead. 

I choked on a sob as I looked down into her face, my tears hitting her skin, “You promised me...you promised me you’d stay with me, that you’d stay by my side…”

“Jongdae...we have to go…” I heard Jay’s voice call out to me softly.

I shook my head at his words, shaking his hand off my shoulder, “I won’t leave her.”

“We can’t take her with us...I’m sorry Dae.” Uri said before I felt two pairs of arms grab ahold of me.

I fought them off for a bit but I was too weak to fight them for long. They each grabbed onto an arm and dragged me out of the pub. I could only stare at her as she got farther and farther away from me.

-3rd person P.O.V-

Jongdae and Y/N didn’t meet under the best of circumstances and even less ideal circumstances to fall in love in but they did. They had a pretty good time together but like everything it must come to an end. Their story was never a happy one, there was no way they would’ve gotten the happy ending they deserved without at least going through a lot of shit.  And they did, they tried so very hard to stay together...it just wasn’t enough. 

Sometimes...your best just isn’t enough...

#exo scenarios #exo fluff #exo angst #exo smut #exo #exo fanfiction #exo ff #exo fanfic #exo fic #exo jongdae #exo chen #kim jongdae fanfiction #kim jongdae series #kim jongdae ff #kim jongdae scenarios #kim jongdae #jongdae scenario #jongdae smut #jongdae fanfic #jongdae ff #jongdae fluff #jongdae angst #jongdae au #chen fluff #chen fic #chen ff #chen smut #chen angst #chen au #pirate au

[natashaashleymarvelromanoff]

I'm So Glad You’re Back - Chapter 6

chapter 1  chapter 2  chapter 3  chapter 4  chapter 5  chapter 7  Chapter 8  chapter 9  chapter 10  chapter 11  Chapter 12  chapter 13  chapter 14  chapter 15  Epilogue

Asgard 2013

It hadn't been long since the racoon and god landed in Asgard. After deactivating their bracelets and their suits retracting the two carefully navigated their way through the castle. 

Rocket didn't fail to notice the glee on Thor's face at being in Asgard. He couldn't help but remember when he and his family found the ‘pirate angel’ as Drax had put it. Thor was the only survivor they found among the wreckage of his ship. And a survivor of the handful of Asgardians that were left. Rocket felt guilty all of a sudden seeing Thor's face marvelling at the little details of the palace. He didn't reach out or talk to Thor as much as he should have. Thor had been in a dark place and he should have done something. Even if it was just a call to him.

…

As he stayed in the shadows on the golden walls, thor smiled as he made way to the room jane had been staying in when she was here. All the memories he had made here, him and Loki running around the halls. Their father scolding them for damaging priceless items. Their mother giving them cuddles and kisses. It was almost heartbreaking to be here again. But at the same time, he felt right at home. 

As Thor and Rocket rounded the corner of the hallway. They stopped at a room with two huge golded decorated doors that had voices coming from the inside. Janes room. The blonde thought.

“This it? Okay, you distract her and ill get the stone out.”

"I don't think I can do this” 

"What?! What do you mean?

Thor's breath suddenly started to get shorter, in little gasps. He was panicking. Rocket realised it must have been too much for him to handle being back here. Jumping up onto the ledge close to thors height, rocket faced thor and tried to calm him down. But Thor was just getting more anxious, the god was turning into himself, hunching his back over as his legs fell out underneath him bringing his knees to the floor, rocket noticed Thor was trying to squeeze himself tighter to comfort himself. It wasn't until a voice coming from the end of the hallway spoke that thors breath caught in his throat. 

Trying to remain as quiet as he could, rocket jumped higher up the walls finding somewhere to hide so he wouldn't be spotted by whoever was coming closer. He knew Thor would be okay if someone saw him. He was the future king to his people, they wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Rocket watched as Thor, rose from the floor and Adjusted his posture to his regular height, but as the two started to interact, Rocket couldn't help but feel he was intruding. Deciding to leave the two, Rocket made his way into the room with the golden doors and proceeded on their mission to take the stone.

After returning to standing thors eyes started to widen as the voice that had broken him out of trance got closer. 

As she walked around the corner with her handmaidens, queen Frigga told them to go on without her as she needed to check on jane. They graciously did as the queen said, taking off down another corridor.

But as Thor's mother made her way to janes door, she stopped. Feeling the presence behind her. Turning around Frigga laid eyes on her son, but something was different. He looked different from the last time she had spoken to him, and that was only a short time ago. But it wasn't the difference in appearance that had confused her. It was the look of pure joy and emotion of her son's face. 

"Mother?” thors voiced broke as he uttered a word he hadn't used in years.

…..

“Thor, What are you doing? You’re better off leaving the sneaking to your brother.“ her face was covered in a light heated fondness for her son. 

Trying to act as casual as he could, Thor curled in on himself as if trying to make himself seem smaller.

"now see I was just going for a walk…"

"What are you wearing?" her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she looked at him. Something was wrong. 

"Oh, this? i always wear this. it's one of my favourite sweat-"

"your eye. what have you done to it?" 

the mother of the god knew something was wrong. She knew it instantly. She was his mother. She had birthed him and raised him. This was her son, but it wasn't her son that she had seen just a few hours earlier.

“You're not the thor I have just spoken to hours ago are you?” she questioned the man. But she had no malice or ill intent on her face. The man in front of her, her son was clearly distressed, and she didn't want to upset him. 

“ what? No no no, of course, I am, which other thor would I possibly be?" Recovering from his little panic attack, thor gaped at his mother as she questioned who he was. And failing miserably at trying to convince her he was still the same thor, shook his head vigorously and shuffled on his feet, avoiding her eyes.

Watching the strange actions her son was making the queen walked up closer to him and rested her hand on his cheek. Stopping him instantly from moving and talking. Instead, he sunk his cheek further into her hand, he hadn't felt the touch of his mother in years. Once he did, it confirmed her suspicions

“Thor you are my son, I would know instantly if something was wrong. You've seen loss and guilt. All this from your future. Well, I suppose it would be your past wouldn't it?"

Thor could only nod his head at her. 

“You're from the future. But tell me. Why are you here?” the blonde man sighed at her statement, of course, she would know.

“Something happened, a few years ago. But before it did, I had the chance to stop it and I made the wrong decision. It cost us half the universe. But a few days ago we were given another chance to fix things. That's why Im here. I need the Reality stone. I'll bring it back of course.”

Oh, my sweetheart. Frigga pulled thor into her arms, hugging him just like she used to when he was younger. And he gladly accepted.

“I can't imagine what you must have felt, the guilt you must still feel. But thor, you must remember that just because you made a different decision, does not make what happened your fault, my son”

“You really think that?”

“Of course I do. Your heart means nothing but kindness. But I'm afraid I won't be able to help you in retrieving the stone from Jane”

The mans face dropped. She wasn't going to help?

“Why not?”

“Because whilst we were talking, your little rabbit friend has already taken the liberty of collecting it.” she smirked at him. Thor's eyebrows knitted together at her words. It wasn't until rocket ran over to them with the vile that held it, that thor realised what his mother had said. 

….

Rocket decided that he had made a good decision leaving Thor and his mother alone. The dude had lost her years ago and was seeing her again for the first time in ages. He didn't want to intrude on that. 

Climbing his way higher up the walls of the bedroom doors, he pushed with all his strength to open them slightly to give a little leeway to let him in. thankfully neither Thor or his mother or Jane noticed the door moving.

All he needed was jane to turn her back so he could leap down and stab her. Well, not stab, but inject her so he could get the stone. 

Staying up high and crawling across the walls so Jane wouldn't notice him, he saw an opportunity.

….

“Rocket! Did you get the stone already? Thor was surprised that his little friend had already retrieved the stone. How long was he talking with his mother?

Shrugging it of fas no big deal in front of the extremely pretty lady and thor, rocket replied.

“Yeah, I didn't wanna get in the way of you two so I thought id make our trip easier.”

“So your thor's friend? Its an always an honour to meet my son's friends.” the regal woman, tilted her head downwards to greet Thor's friend.

“Woah hahaha! An honour? To meet me? Well if you say so your highness” rocket grinned. God wait till they got everybody back and he told quill about this. 

Smiling at the animal's enthusiasm, Frigga turned back to her son and took his hands in hers.

I suppose this means this is the last time I shall see you, my son. The older you of course. I love you so much thor.” queen Frigga leaned forward on her tiptoes and kissed her son on his forehead. 

Thor couldn't help but let out a small sob as she did. She had no idea this would be the last time she saw the younger or older version of him. Soaking the feeling of his mother, thor lingered as she pulled away. Lifting her hand upwards to his face, she curled a finger under his chin, making him look up at her.

“You will always be a hero Thor, everybody fails at who they are supposed to be, but what matters is you are still the same person you always have been. Now you better hurry and get back.”

Nodding at his mother, Thor pulled away and turned before he stopped.

“Hold on, let me just try.”

Sticking his arm out, thor scrunched his face in anticipation whilst rocket stared at Thor in confusion. Noticing the curious look on rockets face, the queen explained.

“It can sometimes take a minute” 

All of a sudden, an object travelling at the speed of a bullet flew its self in through the window and into Thor's hand. 

Mjolnir.

Suddenly Thor's eyes lit up, his mouth making the biggest grin rocket had seen. The god let out a lough laugh as he stared at the hammer in his hand.

“I'm still worthy?!” 

“Of course you are sweetheart, you always will be.” leaving with his mother's words still in his head, he and rocket made their way back through the palace to find a safe spot to jump from. It wasn't until they approached a certain door, the god realised they would need to go through the dungeons. 

Then he remembered. There was someone in the dungeons that he hadn't seen in a long time also. Loki.

……

“Hello brother”

Letting out a huff of annoyance, Loki rolled his eyes and turned his head to the sound of his brother's voice. 

“And what gives me the pleasure of having you visit me 2 times today brother?” Loki's usual sarcasm poured out. Thor didn't think he could possibly miss Loki's snide remarks towards him, but hearing it come out of his mouth confirmed it.

“No reason, but I suppose its to say goodbye.” his older brother called out

Furrowing his brow, Loki sat up from his bed in the white room and cocked his head at his brother's words. But as he focused properly on his sibling, he noticed there was something different about him. He looked smaller as if he had lost some of his muscle. And his hair wasn't as attentively combed as he normally had it. Something was up.

“You see I'm from the future, time travel and all that. I just wanted to tell you that I love you brother. No matter what. And also, no one is ever going to believe you when you tell them.”

Taken aback Loki thought Thor was lying until a creature of some sort came into view.

“Thor we need to go now! The guards are coming.” the little animal shouted to thor.

The raven-haired man observed as his brother and the animal pushed a device on the back of their hands. Suddenly they were covered with a suit that looked like scales as it travelled up their bodies. 

“Goodbye brother” Thor gave Loki a cheeky smile and then they jumped.

Watching in disbelief as Thor and the animal disappeared right in front of him, Loki ran further up to the window only to see there was nothing there.

“What in Valhalla's name just happened?”

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