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sandbees · 3 years

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Child! Yuu: Heartslybul

So I was planning to write a full on plot idea for All the chapters, then I look at the chapters themselves and...yeah that’s going to drain a lot out of me. So instead I’m going to write what each dorm will think of Child Yuu and general headcannons about it.

Ace:

The older brother that Yuu looks up to.

When they first met, Ace was ragging on Grim. He didn’t say anything too mean to Yuu, though. That’s because of his inability to make kids cry.

Really, who makes a 10 year old cry? (Looks at the overblots)

I think Ace would act as the brother Yuu would look up to because he acts all cool around them.

He’d definitely teach Yuu some card tricks he learned from his family.

He treats them like a little sibling. (He’s always wanted a little sibling actually, to tease and joke with)

Yuu has smacked him 100% for being stupid (“Even I know not to make deals with shady fish men. Big brothers, why?”)

Look me in the eyes and tell me Ace doesn’t praise Yuu for causing trouble. Look me in the eyes and tell me.

I mean he’d probably lightly scold them but still.

If anyone makes Yuu cry? Guess they’re going to be thrown back in a gust of wind, with a lot of insulting words to boot. No one messes with Yuu.

When Yuu called Ace “big brother”, he smiled widely, and proceeded to act all smug about it (but he’s really happy that Yuu calls him a big brother)

Deuce:

Deuce is trying his best to be a good big brother.

He has no idea how to be a brother, he’s never had a younger sibling - or a sibling in general.

He’s going to try extra hard to be an honor student; he doesn’t want Yuu to grow up like him! He has to be Yuu’s role model!

Yuu wants Deuce to use magic to lift them up like he did with Ace. Deuce says no.

Low key scared that he’s going to scare Yuu if he goes into his “bad boy mode”

“Those poor chicks...” “...NOOOO THE CHICKS D:”

Ace explains to both of them that the eggs they have aren’t fertilized and never had chicks in them - it’s a chick shock x2

Yuu is softer to Deuce if he does something stupid, but will still scold him.

Both Deuce and Yuu are the excitement duo; they will be excited for anything and will be very hyped up about it.

Deuce is Yuu’s favorite brother (but they don’t say anything because it might make the others jealous)

Deuce summoned a cauldron by accident once, and Yuu climbed in and played peek-a-boo until it was...unsummoned? (I have no idea what happens to the cauldrons summoned by Deuce.)

When Yuu called Deuce “big brother”, Deuce was very flattered. “Big brother? You think of me as your brother? Well, I’ll be your best brother in the world!”

Cater:

So I imagine Cater taking a lot of cute pictures of Yuu.

He’s posted some photos of you on his Magicam and his fans love you.

He totally shows Yuu all of his cute animal photos he’s collected over the years if they asked.

Cater has two big sisters, so he knows the ins and outs of how to be a good sibling.

I can see Cater swapping foods with Yuu - he gives Yuu any sweet food in exchange for some salty food

Yuu doesn’t complain because they like the sweets Cater gives them

But sometimes it becomes a full on debate/trade deal that they take way to seriously.

“What about if I give you this, and you give me this?” “Never! That’s my favorite part, what about this?” “Hmm...I rather do like that...but what if I sweeten the deal and add this!” “....Clever, clever brother.”

Small photo shoots, Yuu is happy to hang out with him!

I think if Yuu ever wanted to wear a Heartslybul outfit Cater would be the one to help find one that suits Yuu (Trey would be the one to tailor it to make it fit better)

Yuu calls Cater “Cay-kun” whenever they want something from him, and he can never say no.

Yuu can always rely on Cater for any troubles they may have.

“Yuu~! Smile for the camera!” “Ok! :D” “I’m saving your smile forever.”

When Yuu first called Cater “big brother”, he laughed and went over to take a photo to celebrate a new sibling bond. (#gotayoungersibling #arenttheysocute? #newbigbrother)

Cater will live up to his big brother role, after all, as Yuu’s new big brother he has to take care of Yuu, no?

Trey:

Yuu thinks of Trey as a big brother and also the best parent.

Would buy Trey a #1 Dad mug if Yuu didn’t also see Crowley as their dad (sorry Trey...but your Yuu’s favorite 3rd year if that helps-)

When they first met, Yuu just got big brother vibes from Trey. Immediately went to hug him.

“You have big brother vibes and I vibe with that.” “What?” “It means Yuu likes you.”

Trey goes full big brother mode whenever Yuu is around. No one with ill intent (who has malicious thoughts about a child?) would think of approaching due to Trey being around.

He definitely spoils Yuu with any treats he bakes (though not too much - they’d get a stomach ache if they ate too many sweets!)

He’s totally the reason why Yuu went on a Sugar Rush around the school (luckily, nothing of value was broken)

I mean, he has a little sister and younger brothers so he knows how to deal with Yuu being hyperactive.

So the damage of the Sugar Rush incident was less destructive than it would have been.

If Yuu is sad, they can rely on Trey to be a shoulder to cry on. He’s very good at listening to their problems.

When Yuu calls him “big brother”, Trey carries the title with pride. Yuu also uses this as an advantage; call Trey big brother? He’s more willing to hear out whatever Yuu is asking more.

Riddle:

Riddle, Riddle, Riddle.

How do I put this? He made Yuu cry.

Yeah, not the best first impression.

During the Unbirthday party, when Riddle knocked the tart off it’s plate, Yuu is quick to defend Ace. Riddle retaliated with yelling at Yuu.

And Yuu (in my canon) does not take people angrily yelling at them well, which makes them panic and cry.

Cater and Trey didn’t have to force them out - Deuce and Ace left as soon as Yuu burst into tears and ran. (As good brothers, the duo went to go and comfort Yuu)

Riddle, for what is was worth, suddenly had a flashback of when he ran away in tears when he was young. He tried to convince his mother to have a tart, and she scolded him to tears.

He feels like an jerk now. A big, mean jerk.

After the overblot business, he didn’t expect a lot of forgiveness. Which is why he was surprised when Yuu walks over and hugs him when he was conscious.

Riddle: Wh...Why are you hugging me? Why do you think I deserve this?

Yuu: Because you look like you needed a hug. I forgive you for earlier, you had your reasons, as much as I disagree with them.

Yuu: You’re fine now! I hope I can help you make amends with Heartslybul big brother! :D

From that moment on, Riddle became Yuu’s big brother.

It was a really sweet moment, and no one dared intervene (well, Grim tried to but Crowley held him back)

As a big brother, Riddle is very overprotective. Be around Yuu in a way he deems “inappropriate” and “as a bad influence”, expect him to go “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

Despite that, Riddle is particularly soft with Yuu.

If Yuu broke a rule, he’d softly scold them, but he did it in a way that was like a soft reminder and not like a lecture.

He’s never had a younger sibling before so he’s asking Trey for tips to be a good older brother.

I’d like to think Riddle teaches Yuu proper tea etiquette whenever they come over for Unbirthdays

Both share a love for sweets, so they tend to share/exchange sweets during lunch

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland imagine #twisted wonderland mc #ace trappola #deuce spade #riddle rosehearts #cater diamond #trey clover #child!yuu #twisted wonderland headcannons #Heartslybul #ace and deuce almost punch riddle #Yuu is too pure for this world #and the world will burn if anything happens to Yuu #the more people Yuu drags into the family the more the world will suffer if they get hurt

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heniareth · 3 years

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Here's that ask I promised :D Some more questions for the OC ask meme <3

What is your character's biggest realtionship flaw? Has that flaw ever destroyed relationships for them before?

Companion they are closest to and why?

Thoughts on the Dalish?

What biases does your character have? (This can be in favor or against)

How does your OC react in stressful situations?

What do they like to ridicule and/or what do they find stupid?

Does your OC have recurring themes in their dreams?

What is your OCs proudest moment?

Did you create the OC to be like yourself, did they end up being like yourself, or are they very different from you?

(These are a lot again, it is so hard to hold back xD So take your time and no pressure as always :) Just excited to get to know more about your Astala <3)

Thank you for the ask!! I had this sitting for forever, life has kept me busy, but I'm so excited to give this a go XD And to delve into some aspects of Astala that I haven't given much thought yet, so that's exciting.

What is your character's biggest realtionship flaw? Has that flaw ever destroyed relationships for them before?

Astala's biggest flaw when it comes to relationships is her inability to let go of people. On a positive note, this trait manifests as a very strong loyalty. On the negative side, it will lead her to cry after relationships that have ended and pour over them to try and find out what went wrong. It can also put her or other people she cares about in danger; especially in her position as the de facto leader of the companions, this could quickly lead to the loss of a whole unit (aka the three companions you can take with you on missions + the Warden). Luckily, she has Morrigan and Alistair (and Sten and Zevran) who can and will point out when a course of action is likely to put them in more danger than they already are.

Companion they are closest to and why?

Ooof, this is a tough one. Ironically, the romanceable four. Alistair is practically second-in-command, even though I imagine he’d protest at the title. They work closely together and are therefore quite close. Astala admires and respects Morrigan, even when her opinions and advice goes against most things Astala believes in. She’s the kind of friend you know would hide a body for you. Leliana is a friend in the more “common” sense. She and Astala both have a thing for nice clothing, their morals are similarly aligned, and they just get along in general. And then of course there’s Zevran, who’s Astala’s love interest. Funnily enough, they both started off annoying the hell out of each other over various petty reasons, and it takes them some time to really see each other for who they are. And from that point on there’s no turning back and they fall hard.

Thoughts on the Dalish?

The Dalish are an interesting subject. Astala hadn't met any previous to the Blight (although her cousin Shianni imagined her dad, who she never knew, to be a strong Dalish warrior). So to see them live these relatively normal lives when she encountered Zathrian's clan was... odd. But on the other hand, their lives were everything but normal because they spoke elvish, worshipped the Creators, had halla and could go wherever they wanted. So the first thing Astala did when she got there was ask a metric ton of questions about everything. On the other hand, the way some of the Dalish talk about the city elves makes her sad. They have a point , the city elves would probably treat one of the Dalish similarly, and she understands the distrust in anything that so much as smells of humans; but she still finds the divide tragic. She also thinks the Dalish are a bit too proud for their own good; but then again, how else are you going to defend yourself against a world that threw an Exalted March against your forebears' homeland?

What biases does your character have? (This can be in favor or against)

Astala is generally biased in favour of elves, and in favour of whoever she percieves to be the underdog in a given situation. This can lead her to get duped (it hasn’t yet in my current playthrough, but it probably will at some point).

How does your OC react in stressful situations?

When in stressful situations, Astala generally tries to remain in control of it. To do so, she relies heavily on whatever companions she has at the moment and the resources available, both in the environment and on her person. She tends to try and talk things out, but also to make rash judgements, which uuuuuh can backfire (she's quick to draw her blades, for instance, and that does not exactly help to deescalate situations). She also has a tendency to just seize control. She also will give orders and will expect others to follow them. The companions look to her as a leader, so that works out fine. In Redcliffe, however, she did find that the militia men would listen to the mayor, and not to her. That was frustrating for both parties.

What do they like to ridicule and/or what do they find stupid?

Human nobles. Just the whole package. From their fondness of dogs and their dainty dances (which her father, who was a bann's servant, would describe to her and her cousins) to their pointy-ended shoes and their petty grievances (because when you have enough money to boss other people around, all your grievances are petty, right?). A surefire way to keep the younger kids entertained was to pretend to be a noble, let them play servants, and have them wreak havoc upon you as they got orders wrong on purpose and "stole" the "noble's" belongings. Afyer the Blight, that fondness to ridicule sadly wanes away and leaves mostly frustration in its wake.

Does your OC have recurring themes in their dreams?

Astala is a terribly heavy sleeper. If she dreams, she doesn't remember it come morning. She can therefore sadly not report any recurrent themes in her dreams as of now.

What is your OCs proudest moment?

Apart from the power trip in the Fade (she walked out smiling and continued to smile until Uldred turned into a pride demon), it was probably when she got her first job. She was 14 at the time and overheard some boys talking about how a merchant was expecting a big shipment and looking for new help. Up until then, she had been trying to get a job as a servant like her father, to no avail. On a whim she followed the boys, and lined up with the other hopeful candidates in front of the merchant's warehouses for a try-out (a selection process entailing an unpaid day of work). She proved herself to be strong enough to lift and carry crates, small and nimble enough to climb to where others couldn't reach, and above all she got extremely lucky. She was called back, first for one month, then for a trimester, then for one year and for another. And while Cyrion would have liked his daughter to have an easier and less dangerous job, he was proud right alongside her when she brought the first coins she had earned home.

Did you create the OC to be like yourself, did they end up being like yourself, or are they very different from you?

I created Astala's first version (which I mentioned in this post) based on a character that was very much an ideal; strong, kind, and above all, brave and adventurous. That first heroic version then got put through all the trials and tribulations of the story, and I was very much going with my gut instinct and not with a predetermined idea of the character when I tokk her decisions. So basically, this first versions had a good chunk of my morals and priorities. After the Deep Roads, that first version started getting depth; she reacted very strongly to having to shoulder the responsability of chosing a new king for Orzammar, for Ferelden, and defeating the Archdemon. From that point on, I started exploring why that reaction might have been so strong. Astala as she is now is the product of that exploration (during which she acquired some fears and pain points she shares with me. Examples are the fear of messing up, the sometimes blind loyalty or the need to shoulder all the responsability). Bottom line: she definitely has parts that are mine, some of which she acquired over time, but she's her own person. She's not me.

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That was a lot of fun!! Thank you so much for the ask and sorry for the delay >.< But I'm very happy I finally came around to it, I always love answering these

#astala tabris #dao #dragon age #warden tabris #dragon age origins #dragon age: origins #da:o #da: o #da: origins #the warden #the hero of ferelden

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shepard-ram · 3 years

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Hello again this is Ender-anon with the next chapter of this story as we move on to Wilbur. p.s the poem will be at the bottom.

The most important day of your life so far.

Everything was chaos, as people rushed back and forth getting everything ready for you coronation the next day, dignitaries from other countrys ariving with gifts, the kichens had to order food from abroad inorder to fully cater the event. You however were nervous for a different reasion between going over the speechs with Enciodes and practicing the holy vows you would undertake tomorrow with the current Saintess Anya Silverash ( Enciodes and Ensia's sister), the Arctic Empires delegates had yet to arrive you knew thanks to Tommys latest letter ( and hadn't that been a surprise learning that you friend was the third prince, but you had assured him that it would change nothing between you he was still Tommy to you) his brother prince Wilbur second in line to the throne would be arriving with them since Tommy father had said that Tommy couldn't go. Which is why when the Arctic Empire arrived (with so many gifts Tommy really had gone overboard you though) without the prince saying that he had gone on ahead of the main group a wave of panic sweeped through those in attendance. The wilds were dangerous for outsiders at night the beasts of the land wouldn't attack your citizens ( ancient magic prevented them from doing so a spell cast by an allie of your venerated ancestor) but a lone prince was a different deal. Jumping into action you asked the nobility in attendance the Silverash,Rostova,Schwire and Nearl to search their grounds as they were the few nobles with manors outside to capital and on the way to get your winter coat discretely ordered a hidden member of the Armourless Union to imform the three Obsidians that finding the prince was their new hightest priority and to sent everyone Platinum, the two Lapis Lazuil and to track what woodlands hadn't been searched yet. Rushing out of the capital, lanturn in hand rushed into the nearby woods, woods that you had explored as far back as you could remember, woods you knew like the back of your hand as such when you heard the wolves howling in the distance you knew the quickest route to take after all those seconds could be the difference between finding the prince or finding a corpse.

Leaping over a ridge you found yourself between a terrified Wilbur and a pack of 5 wolves both pausing with your entrance. Wilbur snaped out it first yelling " Kid get out of here, I can distract the wolves RUN" you instead turn towards the wolves and told them to leave as they do you grab the stuperfied princes hand and lead him back towards the capital where you hand him off to his countrys dignitaries while you returned to the palace to get some sleep ready for your coronation tommorow. You looked at your reflection now dressed in your ceremonial outfit based on you ancestors outfit minus the black helmet of course looking over at your soon to be ex-regent Enciodes who looked at you with pride in his eyes, after gathering your nerves you follow him knights flanking you to the second biggest building in the capital after the palace, the temple to the Karlan Goddess. Kneeling before Anya at the goddesses alter you swore to protect your people, your nation and to uphold you nations values rising after Anya placed neatherite crown upon your head. Turning to look at those in attendance you saw Enciodes with tears in his eyes, Buldrokkas'tee with his daughter Yelena holding her up so she could see and curiously prince Wilbur looking at you with a weird look in his eyes that was a strange combination of pity and longing all while clutching a piece of paper close to his chest. During the after coronation celebrations you did manage to start a conversation with him by talking about Tommy of all thinks but he was what you two had in common you both cared about him a great deal before you left you handed him a letter to give to Tommy once he got back to the empire, he staired at it for a moment before handing over the piece of paper you saw him holding earlier you looked at it to see a poem on it "Its my gift to you, as thanks for saving me" he proclaimed after reading it you saw the themes of close bonds and friendship ( at least thats how it looked to you) and as such you thanked him for such a thoughtful poem giving him a hug " I must admit I can most certainly see why my baby brother is so attached to you" and with that he turned and left with the other delegates back to the Arctic Empire.

The most important encounter of his life

Wilbur was pretty sure even before meeting this ruler that he would hate them even though he hadn't met them yet. Why you may ask? First they charm his precious baby brother into letting them call him Tommy something that he only allowed family to do but he wouldn't stop carrying that doll dressed in black claiming that it was a gift from you, then whenever post would arive he would all but tear the poor messenger apart just on the chance you sent him a letter he remembered after he sent the letter informing you of his status he was sure that that would end this farce and he would have his adorable little brothers attention again but nooo you sent a letter telling him that it didn't matter Tommy was still your friend and that reguardless of his title he you wouldn't treat him any differently and to your credit you didn't. But thats nothing compared to what he's currently going through no since Tommy is to young he has to be the representative of the royal family to your coronation (despite Tommy throwing the biggest tantrum he had ever seen), so now he's walking along a poorly constructed road with a the other delegates with the mountain of gifts that his brother has bought you using every coin he had. Tired and just completely done with this day he told the others that he would be walking on ahead and they would meet back up at the palace, that was the plan at least he thinks to himself as he runs before he had strayed from the dirt path and stumbled upon a wolf pack that was now chasing him so his day has gotten even worse great. As he hits a dead end he turns to face the wolves looking around for a way to clime up the ridge above him as the wolves closed in, only for a kid in a winter coat holding a lanturn to jump down inbetween him and the wolves startling them both thankfully he snaped out of it first and yelled at you to run he wasn't about let a kid only a few years older than his baby brother get torn apart by these wolves but instead of fleeing you gave him a reassuring smile before turning to the wolves " He is no enemy of our nation, leave now" you commaned and to his surprise they obeyed his mind going blank trying to process what he just witnessed as you lead him out of the woods. It wasn't till he was in his room in the newly built embassy that he realised he never learned his saviors name after interrorgating the delegates he learns to his suprise that his savior was the person that took his place in his brothers heart.

Maybe he misjudged you he thinks as he spends the time before your cononation collecting information about you pretending that he was merely a curious tourist and when he returned to get dressed into his formal wear he thought about what he had learned, the most dishearting information was how alone you were you had no surviving family no cousins,no siblings and no parents but you still found reasions to smile, to try you best to be the ruler you nation would need despite the fact that said nation in his humble opinion was undeserving.How he had missjudge you so much, of course his brother would try and give you family that you never had he couldn't even think of a world without his little brother, his twin or his dad but you had to endure a world where that was the norm for you, and now he though bitterly this nation would be your burden to carry alone without family to turn to for help. He of course need to thank you and in his own way apologize for his incorrect image of you, he didn't bring his guitar so a poem would have to do, perhaps he could put an offer of family in it so you knew that you wouldn't be alone, yes that sounded good. As he stood with the others of importance during you coronation he couldn't help but think how small you looked in that all black outfit dispite knowing you were older that Tommy in this moment you didn't look it to him as you made vows that in the eyes of your nation, in the eyes of your goddess would forever bind you to a nation undeserving of you, a nation that had caused you to grow up alone surrounded by advisers and (if his brothers rants were anything to go by) a schemeing regent. He truly pitied you and wanted to take you away from this back to the empire where you could be a child for once not be forced to be a ruler, Tommy would be happy if he wisked you away and he realised as they placed a neatherite crown on your head he wouldn't mind having being your big brother. To his surprise you can over to talk to him during the after party, as the subject of conersation shifted to Tommy he saw your eyes light up as you trades stories back and forth acting less like royals from different countrys and more like siblings talking about their younger brother. Its only when you press a quickly written letter into his hands and asked for him to hand it to Tommy that he remembered his poem as such he handed the poem over to you and exsplaned that it was a thank you gift for rescuing him (and for him being so wrong about you) he searched your face as you read seeing if you got his hidden message before you thanked him for it and gave him a hug , hun he could in this moment certainly see why his baby brother was so attached to them oh if the look on your face was anything to go by he just said that aloud time to leave he thinks.On the plane ride home he can't help but read the letter you wrote for his baby brother only for his eyes to widen as you ask Tommy whats its like having a big brother like Wilbur or what its like having a big brother in general but a infuriated look fills his face as you say you think your starting to see Enciodas ( the scheming regent his brain supplied )and his sisters as your big siblings as your family,oh that seals it he thinks he is going to be big brother and save you from you misguided loyaltys at least he count on Tommy to help rescue their future sibling from themself.

Wilburs poem

It's hard to put into words, what I want to say.

But I want you to know your thought of, in a very special way.

Though the distance in between us, keeps us continents apart.

There will always be a place, for our bond within my heart.

Poems are strange arn't they, two people could read the same poem but come away with comletely different ideas as to what it means... Ender-anon

Okay I might stop talking all together on this entire FICS but this- yes absolutely very good

#ask #ender anon #tw. yandere #c: wilbur #c: tommy

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ninjakasuga · 3 years

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Sonally Celebration Week, Year 3, Day Three!

Day three is here, and as usual, I tend to go for my flair with thematic tones over the literal idea of the prompt. Everyone else enjoying what @gojira007 and their blog @boundforfreedomsonsal brings will find this to their pleasure.

Sonally Celebration Week, Year Three: Day Three

Foreward: This episode takes place mere months after Mystery. I know last year sometimes I hoped about the time-line a bit, while with at least episode one-through-three I’m keeping it rather linear in the story-telling. Last time we saw Sonic and Sally as babysitters to Sonic’s younger siblings; now their own time has parents twas’ nigh.

Day three: Crossroads

“Sonic Maurice Hedgehog, I love you, I love you with all my heart and soul, but-nrghh!” Grimacing, Sally Acorn-Hedgehog panted heavily as another contraction wracked her body. Her grip on the hand of her husband tightened. “But I swear, I SWEAR if you do this to me again, I-will-EAT-YOUR-SHINS!!”

Making a soft, but audible sound of physical distress, Sonic swore he felt the bones in his hand crunch. Yet he did not dare wretch it free, not that he felt he could if he wanted too. Sally’s grip was intense, and furthermore, any attempt to save his own skin would be met with death. As sweat trickled down his brow, making the mask attached to his face, and the scrubs he wore a bit uncomfortable. Yet his own discomfort was his least priority at the moment. “Y-you got it Sal, j-just hang in there a bit more…”

Sally’s eyebrow raised incredulously. “Hang in th-nrgh, t-there?! Oh my dear husband, you just did-urghhh! N-not tell me to hang in there? Just what the f**k do you think I’m doing?! I’ve been ‘hanging in there’ since my water broke and the contractions kicked in, and those two little darlings ‘you’ put in my belly can’t decide if they want to come out now, or kick Mommy’s bladder some more!”

“H-hey I’m just trying to help!’ He pleaded as she clutched his hand tighter than before. “I know this isn’t easy on you Sal, but it’s not like I can whip out a Power Ring or Chaos Emerald and make it better. If I could-ghhh, take your place I would!” Sonic knew this was in no-way easy, but in the span of a few hours he’d seen Sally run the gauntlet of her emotional range. Mostly all centered at being upset with him. Now he understood what his Dad meant by ‘Nothing will prepare either of you for this; but remember, Sally’s going to be put through a wringer, so be patient, and be understanding’. “Sal, please you need to calm down some, it’s not good for you, or the babies right Doc?”

The ‘Doc’ in question lifted her head from her position between the Queen’s legs. After almost twenty-plus years of service, Doctor Quack had retired from medicine but remained a consultant for the Acorn Kingdom Ministry of Medicine. So the new Royal Doctor, one Jolene Fredrick, and one of Quack’s protoge’s was tending to the birth of Sally and Sonic’s children. The spotted-Hyena doctor managed a bemused smile behind her surgical mask. “Your husband is quite right, your majesty, I know it hurts, but the more you let the pain stress you out, the more it will complicate things.” She spoke evenly, softly, and kindly but with a firm authority a doctor should carry. “I know giving birth to twins is not easy, especially for a first-time pregnancy, but despite the pain, it looks like the babies are finally about ready to come out.”

A part of Sally wanted to scream and kindly (or not so kindly) tell Jolene to jump out the window, or anyone else asking her to ‘bear with it more’. After all the hours she already had dealt with the discomfort, and false alarms, up until the pains really started to kick in over the last hour and a half. Yet Sally held back that urge, both from her brain managing to get through the pain and reminding her, Jolene was trying to help. Plus as a Mother herself, she’d had first-hand experience with what she was going through. The other reason she pushed her anger down was the soft touch of Sonic’s hand that wasn’t currently in the vice grip she was placing on the other. A quick glance into those emerald-pools, seeing concern and love, did much to soften her.

A small whimper left Sally as she eased her grip and held Sonic’s hand to her face. “I’m sorry, it just huuuurts.” She whined softly, feeling utterly pathetic she was reduced to such a state. Her composure was thrown out the window, cursing freely, and just, the sheer roller coaster of hormones and emotions over the last several hours had taken a toll. “I want my babies, but-rugh, I want them out, nooooow!”

“I know Sal, I know.” Sonic murmured, wincing at the defeated, pained sounds coming from the love of his life. Bringing her hand to his face, he did his best to kiss the top of her hand through his surgical mask. “I’m with you, however long this takes you got me at your side.”

A small, strangled laugh left Sally as she managed a warm smile as she gazed at her husband. “How’d I get so lucky? Some people take forever to find their soulmate and I met mine at two years old.” Letting out a dreamy sigh, Sally pulled his hand to her and planted a kiss there, with both her hands (gently) cocooning both of her hands over his. Just as quick as the quiet moment came, it was taken away as Sally let out another sharp gasp. “Oooooooff!! I felt that one!”

Eyeing some equipment next to her, Jolene made a ‘hmm’ and then turned to look over at the couple. “Good news, it looks like the babies are finally making up their minds, one is starting to make way. Take deep breaths, your majesty, just like you practiced, we’re almost at the end goal.” She smiled through her mask, her own mild fatigue visible in her eyes. Yet like her predecessor there was a fire to see things through. “You can do this your Maj-.” “J-just Sally please!” Insisted the mother-to-be as she gripped the edge of her bed rails with one of her hands, as the other still clutched onto Sonic. “T-this is too personal to keep using formal titles. Nrgh, j-just for now, please, no titles.”

A part of the doctor felt awkward at putting the habit of being so informal, but if it would help. “Alright Sally, we’re in the final stretch, deep breathes. We’ll see the crowning any moment now.”

Nodding, Sally looked to Sonic, wincing and breathing deeply as she was taught. “I love you.” “Back at’cha Sal, you got this.” Sonic fought back a wince from his extremely sore hand. Focusing more on giving Sally his support. “Back at’cha, now let’s welcome our kids and you get some rest.”

Some Time Later:

Exhausted deeply in body and soul, Sally could feel all this in the back of her mind; yet her focus was on anything but the fatigue. A warm, happy, glowing feeling replaced the fatigue as she stared at the two swaddled bundles in her arms. “They’re beautiful…” She cried, happily as she stared at the mewling infants. Who seemed to instinctively lean against her body through their swaddling. It had been worth it, the long labor, the pain, all-worth-it. The girl of the twin-set was a chipmunk-ish hybrid like Sally but clearly sported her Father’s blue hues in her fur. The boy, clearly of the hedgehog variety had the more soft browns of his Mother. Time would tell if Sally’s red hair, or the blonde or brown hair from Sonic’s side of the family would pop up.

As she glanced over at Sonic, she was nearly bowled over by the sheer awe in his eyes and face (his surgical mask was off). His eyes were misty, making her wonder if she was looking at a mirror of her own expression. “You just love in love don’t you?”

“Totally.” Sonic nodded, a strangled laugh leaving him as she leaned in, getting eyefuls of the two joys the two had both patiently and impatiently waited for all this time. It had been a long road to parenthood, both held off having kids right away due to many reasons after the war. The rebuilding efforts, just enjoying themselves free of fighting, and other small, miscellaneous reasons. Last year they finally felt ready and well, started working on getting Sally pregnant, which didn’t take long with how they were.

Sonic wondered if this surge of pride and absolute happiness was something both his parents felt when either his siblings and he had been born? The sheer high of it almost-no, no it absolutely did dwarf the high of running free in the wind. Gently he reached a hand down, running a finger along one child’s cheek, then the other. “Hey you two, glad to finally meet’cha. I’m Daddy, this is Mommy, and we’re going to love and look after you until the end of time.”

Nodding her head eagerly in agreement, Sally sniffed back more tears of joy. “Forever and ever, all ours.” She giggled, kissing the soft, furry cheeks of her newborns. “Welcome to the world Kathleen and Jaleel-Craig.

“I still think Justin-McCooiagel sounded pretty good.” Quipped Sonic with a smug, joking smirk.

“I will not let our son be mercilessly teased because his Father wanted to give him a ‘cool nickname like ‘Just Cool’ or whatever string of odd nicknames.” She firmly stated, giving Sonic a dull stare. “Seriously, one of your names was Radical. Just Radical.”

“Hey it’s a good gender-neutral name, and we knew we were having twins.” His wide grin, showcased he enjoyed pulling her chain. He mostly had been joking about the aforementioned names, well mostly. The ones they settled on were perfect. Kathleen Nicole Acorn-Hedgehog was named after Sally’s Grandmother that she sadly never got to know, and her middle name was in honor of a certain BFF of the Queen’s. Jaleel-Craig Acorn-Hedgehog, or J.C. for short, got his name from Sonic learning Jaleel had been one of ‘his’ potential birth names. Seems his Father knew a Jaleel from school who had been his best friend until he died in the war, and had considered giving him his name in remembrance, only to decide Bernie’s idea of Sonic seemed fitting. Both Sonic and Sally thought it would be a nice name, and as for the Craig addition, Sonic just liked the name, and felt a two-word name would be great for one of the kids. His desire won out after he won three out of five rock-paper-scissors matches with Sally for the final say-so.

“Sure it is…” Rolling her eyes Sally reached over and ran her hand, playfully over Sonic’s face. “You’re just lucky you are adorable.”

“Ha! Adorable wished it were me.” Murred Sonic as he nuzzled against her hand. “Although my wife and lovely children are top-tier competition.”

Snorting, Sally then yawned loudly. “Oh my, I-I *yawn*, damn it, I don’t wanna sleep…”

The door to the suite opened and Doctor Jolene stuck her head in. Having overhard the yawn, she gave the couple a knowing smile. “You should get your rest while you can. The kiddos will be tuckered out themselves, and the nurses will watch them overnight. Trust me you will want as much sleep as you can before they want to feed.” Given it was between two and three o’clock, the Royal Family didn’t have any visitors waiting on them until much later in the day to worry about.

As another yawn tore from her throat, Sally nodded in acceptance. She then poked at her own chest, semi-covered by her hospital gown. “Finally these udders will get some use. The swelling of the milk is getting annoying.”

A dirty joke formed in Sonic’s head, but he wisely (this time) fought off voicing it. A low, tired, yawn left him as well. “Snooze n’ Zzz’s sound about right Doc. Plus there’s that saying, we should get as much as we can?”

“As one parent to another, ooooh yes!” Laughed Jolene as she walked over to give the Mother and children a once over as a nurse came over with a rolling cart with two portable baby-carrier cribs for the infants to sleep in. “That should be your priority as much as looking after J.C. and Kathleen now, making sure you’re rested so you can look after them.” She then gives her Queen a playful-if-stern look. “Which means our dear Queen needs to knock off the all-nighter paper-work and project binges.”

Unable to not but wince at the accusation, Sally sighed in defeat. She knew her bad habit was one not to be ignored at this juncture in life. “I’ve already delegated my tasks to Nicole and the Council, and all necessary parties…”

“After taking weeks to painstakingly do so…” Her husband quipped with a mirroring playful-but-stern with a dash of accusatory as Doctor Jolene.

Sally sent Sonic a glare, but fatigue and looking upon the faces of her children made the frown go away. “I know what my priorities are… I know that I'm going to need to get back to running the kingdom but I’m not going to ever put these two what I meant through. I will find the balance.”

Rubbing her shoulder, Sonic leaned in, planting a kiss to her cheek. “N’ you got me to help, we’re doing this as a team forever, and always.”

“Always.” She agreed, craning her head to kiss him back. Another yawn left her as the nurse gently took the snoozing children. Her gaze followed them as they were carefully put in the sleeping cribs. “See you soon my loves’.” She murmured, eyes beginning to feel heavier as she watched them be wheeled out. “Love you Sonic…” She murmured feeling him tuck her in as her eyes closed.

“Love you too Sal, I’ll be right here.” He murmured, waiting until he was sure she was dozed off. Leaning back from her bed, he popped his back and shook his hands. One was extremely sore but thankfully not damaged. “I’m gonna get some water, and then I’m gonna crash myself Doc.”

“I have a rollaway being brought in for you.” She nodded, giving one last check over of Sally’s vitals, and pleased with what she saw, intended to conclude her rounds and get some shuteye herself. “Sleep well Prince-er Sonic.” She corrected as the Prince-Regent gave her a tired but mild glare. “Sorry, force of habit.” “S’okay Doc… Just titles n’ crap ain’t me, but I married a Princess who’s now Queen so… eh if you gotta for decorum n’ crude sure. Like this… Sonic is fine.” He grinned, giving a two finger salute before padding out of the suite. Water was his priority, his throat was dry, and then, bed. Sweet, sweet bedtime. If the way twins seemed to behave in the family held up, Sally and he would need to be on their toes sooner than later.

A new crossroad of life at been reached, and they were committed to what the future may hold for them and their family.

#boundforfreedom #Sonic the Hedgehog #Sally Acorn #Archie-Sonic #Birth #OC's #childbirth

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dragonologist-in-the-making · 4 years

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Hello! Can you do a Charlie Weasley x reader where Charlie is courting pureblood slytherin reader and his family is very wary of her cuz they think she's stuckup like other pureblood slytherins? reader stops his courting because the weasley dont trust her but happy ending because i love the all the weasleys 💛💛

Title: So Let’s Prove It

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x Slytherin!Reader

A/N: I will always be a sucker for Charlie Weasley, what a sweetie. Thank you for requesting, I hope you like it!

Requests are still open!

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: Slight mentions of parents being death eaters and doing not nice things, but not in any detail.

“Well done Miss (y/l/n), 10 points to Slytherin.” Snape smirked, as you beamed, having answered his difficult question right.

Across the room, Charlie Weasley sighed as he saw you return to scribbling down what Snape was saying, attentive as always. He couldn’t help admiring how happy you were when you answered a question right, or how you concentrated so intensely when brewing a particularly difficult and how you carried so much pride for your house. Your house, that was not his house. Charlie sighed, knowing that asking you out would be difficult for him, knowing the way his family would react. He couldn’t blame them, they had lived through a war where many of the Slytherins they went to school with were fighting against them.

But Charlie knew you. He knew that you weren’t your family. He could tell from the few small conversations you had, the way you always offered him a friendly smile even though you came from different houses and totally different backgrounds. The way you were always happy to help the younger years in your house when they asked you for something (he suspected you would help kids from any other house too, if they hadn’t been told to be wary of Slytherins). He knew you were different from your pure-blood family because you were always at the back of your friend group whenever they decided to pick on someone, tugging their sleeves and urging them to stop. Charlie knew you, but he wanted to get to know you better.

He snapped out of his daze when he saw you looking in his direction. Your eyes locked and you quickly turned back to your parchment, cheeks flaring up as he caught you looking. Fighting against the urge to glance back at him for the rest of the class, once it ended you packed your bag away, telling your friends to just go ahead without you to Care of Magical Creatures, you would meet them there. You were always slow to pack up, besides, you’d heard them discussing a new prank they were going to pull and you really didn’t want to be there to witness it. You headed towards the door at the same time as a certain redhead, both of your cheeks turning slightly rosy.

“Oh, hi Charlie.” You smiled, walking through as he gestured for you to go first. “Looking forward to todays class?”

“Absolutely! I think we’re learning about Bowtruckles today, I usually stay behind after class to help Professor Kettleburn pack everything away and just get to spend more time with the creatures, and he mentioned that we would be starting on Bowtruckles soon. They’re really shy though, and they can scratch you quite bad if you get on their wrong side, so you have to show them they can trust you, which I think will be quite fun…” he rambled, his cheeks turning even redder if possible once he realised he’d been rambling. “Sorry, I guess you should avoid asking about magical creatures, I could go on forever.”

“Then I would be happy to listen.” You laughed, clutching a book to your chest as you headed across the grounds to where the small huddle of students was slowly growing as the class gathered. “It’s nice to hear someone so passionate about magical creatures. So often their misunderstood, or overlooked. It’s nice to know they have a Charlie looking out for them.”

Charlie felt his heart soar at your complimentary words. He stopped in his path, knowing that he had to take this chance or it would be one he regretted for a long time. “Um, (y/n), do you think you might like to go to Hogsmead with me?”

“I would love to.” You smiled, happy that the adorable boy in front of you wanted to get to know you better. Not many people outside your house took the opportunity to. “But only on the condition that you tell me more about all your magical creatures.” He laughed, agreeing as you carried on your journey to class, making it just in time for Professor Kettleburn to start.

…

It was breakfast, and Charlie was sat at the table laughing with his friends, just as he would every other Wednesday. Until the post came, and Errol dropped a letter off into his porridge. Confused, not expecting anything from home, Charlie picked it up, wondering what it could be. None of his worry set in, however, until Bill leaned over to him and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Listen, I think I know what that might be. I know it’s going to upset you, but I think they have a point, and I think you need to think about what you’re doing and just be careful. I know she makes you happy, you just have to make sure that you can trust her.” As he leaned away, Charlie frowned, wasting no time in ripping open the envelope to see what his parents had to say.

Our sweet Charlie,

Bill has told us all about your new friend and we’re so happy that you’re happy. But you know about the (y/l/n)’s. We’re not telling you that you have to break up, but you know what her family did in the war, Charlie. You know her heritage. You know what she’s come from. Your father and I are just trying to keep you safe is all, we don’t want your heart to be broken when you’ve already fallen too deep. Just think of the last time a boy trusted someone from a family like that. He got betrayed and sold out to You-Know-Who and was murdered. I’m not saying she would to the same, I’m just saying you need to be absolutely sure that’s she’s someone you trust.

And don’t blame you brother for this, he was just excited to tell us that you had found a girl.

We love you Charlie, and we trust you’ll do what’s right.

Mum and Dad

Feeling the anger rise in his chest, Charlie looked up at Bill. “You know she isn’t like this Bill! You’ve met her, you’ve seen us together. She wouldn’t hurt us just as much as Penny wouldn’t.” He protested, waving the letter angrily in his face. Bill didn’t respond however, just shot Charlie a warning glance as he looked over his shoulder.

“Morning Charlie!” You chirped, appearing over his shoulder with a bright smile. You absentmindedly took notice of a letter in his hand, one which he quickly made to hide from view until you saw your name on it. “Who’s writing about me…” you trailed off as you scanned the rest of the writing, tears pooling in your eyes immediately. “Um, I-I’ve just remembered that I left a book in my dorm, I’ll catch you sometime later.” You stammered, quickly turning on your heel and running from the Great Hall.

With one last glare thrown in Bill’s way, Charlie threw himself up from the table and ran after you, catching you not heading towards the dungeons but out of the entrance hall into the grounds. “(Y/N)!” He called after you, following your footsteps and gaining ground. “Wait!” He caught your arm and spun you around to him, his heart breaking a little as he saw the tears that were already streaming down your face. “I don’t care what they think, (y/n). I know you’re not like that, you’re not your parents.”

“I haven’t seen my parents in years Charlie, I haven’t seen them since they’ve been locked away, I don’t want to see them. I don’t want to be associated with them, I didn’t do the things that they did. I don’t want their name, it’s not as honourable as they always tried to tell me.” You sobbed, breaking away from Charlie every time he tried to reach out to you. “But I can’t change that they raised me. That people like your parents will always be suspicious, never really comfortable around me, and I can’t even blame them!” By now you were hysterical, and let yourself be encircled by Charlie’s arms as he pressed soft kisses to your forehead.

“Hey, listen to me. I know who your parents were, and I trust you, I’m not suspicious of you and I never will be.” He whispered, holding you tightly as you cried in his arms. “My parents are worried yes, and maybe it’s justified, maybe it’s not. But you proved to me that you’re different, you proved it before I even really knew you. And together, we’ll prove it to them too. There’s no way I’m letting you go, (y/n). Not for the world. And once they see that, once they see you, there’s no way they wouldn’t love you too.”

#harry potter #harry potter fic #reader insert #slytherin reader #charlie weasley #charlie weasley x reader #charlie weasley x slytherin reader #bill weasley #hogwarts mystery #hogwarts mystery era #angst #fluff

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shortkingzuko · 4 years

Text

title: helpful hands and tender words

relationship: bato/hakoda

warnings: mentions of canon injuries/death

summary: 5 times bato and hakoda spoke their own love languages and the 1 time they spoke each other's

for the @bakodafleetweek prompt love languages (a day late lol)

read under the cut or on AO3 for full list of tags/notes

-5

Bato had always been praised for being a helpful child; always helping his mother chew on leather so that it could be sewn, always carrying rope to and fro his father’s ship when asked, would always offer to help his older sister braid her hair. Once everyone, including himself, realized he was a boy, his helpfulness was taken out to the sea and out to hunt, and he proved that he could assist in knot tying, in packing supplies and their spoils, and in flaying the different animals that they caught. And at the end of the day, he and his brother and father would return home, tired, slick and shivering with sweat and sea spray, and as his father and brother collapsed by the fire, he would go up to his mother and ask if she wanted him to help stir the boiling pot of stew so that she could rest before dinner. Bato would never be accused of being an overly expressive person, and many of his loved ones described him as guarded and private. But every time he offered to help his mother, she would smile, place her wind-chapped hand on his face, before leaning down and whispering, “I know when you offer that you’re saying you love me.”

Bato had always blushed and swatted his mother’s hand away, before grabbing the spoon and dutifully stirring. But sometimes, when he rolled out of bed, hours earlier than necessary, pulling on his boots and coat before sneaking out to meet Hakoda, Bato wondered if his mother was right. Maybe he was trying to say something when he stayed up late repairing fishing nets, before going out on a canoe with both of them trying to tamper down their excitement as they hunted an octopus in the light of the early morning. Perhaps when he stood behind an igloo, trying to make his voice as scary as possible, he was trying to say something besides vague, spirity threats, in the hopes of frightening Kanna.

Maybe he was trying to say something every time he helped Hakoda play a prank on his family, every time he agreed to go out fishing with Hakoda instead of focusing on his own chores, every time that he stayed up late to help Hakoda study the ‘Chief Lessons’ that his dad had given him.

Bato heard his mother and father saying that they loved each other all his life, he heard his sister and her girlfriend whisper it to one another with pink cheeks, and his brother say it to more than a few girls and boys than their village really allowed. Bato could probably count on one hand how many times he had said those words himself, the words getting stuck in his throat in embarrassing ways. It seemed that Hakoda had no expressing it to others, always throwing affection around so casually, always so flippant with the words that seemed to choke Bato.

Never towards him, of course, but what else did he expect? Bato could never say the words that he was certain he felt, but he could still show Hakoda, he thought. He could get up early to go fishing, and he could help him on hunts, and he could lie to their parents so that Hakoda wouldn’t get in as much trouble as he really ought to have. Bato would lighten the load that pressed down on Hakoda’s shoulders. And maybe one day, Hakoda would understand what it meant.

-4

Hakoda could never keep his hands to himself. He was forever reaching out to touch weapons, jewelry, animals and furs that everyone had to swat his hands away from. Every week he would come home, hands red and chapped, because he took off his mittens outside to handle something and got too distracted to put them back on. His mother would tut, before smoothing balm onto his tender, dry skin, berating him for being so childish when he was almost a man! and for never learning to keep his gloves on and his hands to himself.

It never seemed to stop him though. Every time Hakoda saw something pretty or saw something that made his heart quicken, he yearned to hold it, to pet it, to gently cradle it in his hands. It was such second nature to him, that he barely realized when he was slipping his mittens off to brush a loose strand of hair out of Bato’s face, as they were leaning over an ice fishing hole.

Bato startled at the sudden touch but his expression returned to one of pleasant neutrality when Hakoda tucked the loose hair behind his ear, making sure not to jostle the newly implanted bone piercing that poked through the skin.

“Thanks, Koda,” Bato said, before looking back at their unmoving fishing poles. Hakoda nodded and though he looked back at their poles as well, his eyes kept flickering back to Bato’s face, the sharp lines of his cheekbones, the curve of his nose, and the plumpness of his lips. Hakoda left his hand out of his glove, and though the cold bit at his skin, he just held it in his lap, as he waited for the strands to fall out of their tucked hiding place again.

As they sat there for the next few hours, catching just enough fish to consider the trip successful, Bato’s hair fell out of place a few more times, just infrequent enough that he couldn't be bothered to retie it. Each time Hakoda waited a few minutes, before casually reaching up to smooth it back. Bato’s hair was thick with just a slight wave to it. Hakoda couldn't tell whether the roughness he felt was from his own hand or from his friend’s salt-dry hair, but it felt comforting, grounding, and had a familiar coarseness that Hakoda found ever so pleasing - so similar, and yet so different than Kya’s smooth curls.

It’s only when he gets home and his mom is berating him for removing his gloves again - without even a thank you for the fish! - that Hakoda realized that he was perfectly capable of touching Bato's hair back without removing his mittens, and questions why he didn’t just leave his gloves on.

He thinks he knows the answer, but he doesn’t much feel like dwelling on it.

-3

Sokka and Katara were a handful; a joyous, beautiful, and well-loved handful, but a handful none-the-less. Sokka’s was at the age where it seemed like he’s always awake, always trying to put things in his mouth, and is always full of energy (until he was tired, at which point he would simply flop to the ground, taking naps in the most inconvenient of places). Katara, on the other hand, had only just started her feeble attempts at crawling, to the absolute excitement of Sokka, and to the pride and fear of Kya and Hakoda. Often, though, after a few minutes of scrabbling around on the floor, unable to make any headway to her desired destination, she would pout and cry, pointing at where she wanted to be until someone helped her there. Kya and Hakoda often left their igloo with bags under their eyes and smiles on their faces, with Kya holding one of their children in the back of her amauti, and Hakoda hiding the other in the front of his parka, their tiny face barely visible through the neck hole.

Bato had never felt so much happiness as he did when he saw his friends lovingly hold their children, and when Hakoda and Kya first passed their swaddled up babies to him to hold, whispering in their children’s ears, “This is Bato, sweetheart, this is Bato, he’s going to take care of you.” Bato wasn't afraid to admit he did shed a tear.

Surprisingly, the time he was able to spend with Hakoda barely decreased, as Bato started to offer his assistance in taking care of the kids and helping Kya and Kanna around the house. Some of the other men in the village looked at him with strange yet knowing glances, eyebrows raised, as Bato threw himself into helping another couple’s children instead of focusing on getting a husband and having children of his own. Bato knew that if he made himself available, if he stopped deflecting any conversation that led to the question of ‘ Would you allow someone to court you’, if he stopped spending all the time that he didn’t have at Hakoda’s, then he probably would be able to find someone that wanted to date him, love him, who would want to try and have kids with him, biological or not.

Bato knew this and still choose to tell Hakoda and Kya that he was able to watch Sokka and Katara for the night, so that they could get some rest, instead of going and drinking around a bonfire with men who looked at him with desperate eyes.

He bathed and fed and rocked Katara - and then Sokka because he felt left out, even though he was getting a little too old for it - to sleep, tucking them underneath his warmest furs, before making sure that their clothes were clean for tomorrows wear. Both of them woke up multiple times in the night, and each time demanded Bato’s full attention until they drifted off to sleep. (Bato allowed himself to have a moment of selfishness, as he imagined a future where his own children could be sleeping next to Sokka and Katara, a child with his nose and height, with hair slightly lighter than his own and a sense of humour that-

Bato cut the thought off before it could go too far. It wasn't worth it to dwell on impossibilities like that, and while many men in the village could relate to Bato's angst of being the last of his family line - now that his older brother had passed in one of the recent raids - he knew that that wasn't the drive of these fantasies.)

The next day Bato emerged from his igloo with tired eyes and a soft smile as he passed Katara and Sokka back to a well-rested Hakoda and Kya. They laughed as Bato told him about his evening, and Kya gave him a side-hug in thanks. Hakoda reached up to place a mitten covered hand on Bato’s arm, gave it a squeeze, as he proceeded to tell Bato about their plans and duties for the day. Bato nodded along, waved vaguely at Kya as she led her children away, listening intently to Hakoda, until he finished speaking, at which point he removed his hand. Bato didn’t care if his feelings for Hakoda were never returned, or even noticed by the man. Seeing Hakoda smile without it turning into a yawn for the first time in weeks was reason enough to push past any feelings of sadness and help him, seeing Kya’s delighted reunion with her children - even if they were only separated for a few hours - was enough to solidify his feelings of friendship and respect for her.

Bato knew that his reasons for his servitude for Hakoda were selfish; they were driven by his own hopes that by helping him cook just one more meal, helping him tie one more knot, helping him catch just one more fish would commune what he felt for him, with no illusions of reciprocity. It never did, but at some point, Bato stopped being disappointed and just started looking for the next opportunity, without any expectations.

-2

Hakoda always found a reason to touch Bato, now that they were off at war. Whether it was on the ship, with him placing an unnecessary hand on his back to steady him, or at a campfire, where he would squeeze next to Bato on a log that was much too short and bump knees with him, or when they shared a tent and Hakoda would pile all their belongings up to one side so that when he moved in the night, his hand would eventually find Bato’s chest, feel it rise and fall in steady motions. Sometimes when Hakoda would wake up before Bato, he would leave his hand there for a few more minutes, basking in the warmth of his friend’s body on the palm of his hand, the muscle underneath strong but relaxed, as he watched the slightly rounded outline of Bato’s chest move, shallower and faster until he was almost awake, before removing his hand. Hakoda knew it was irrational to be scared of Bato dying in the night, something much less likely than Bato dying in battle, or falling overboard or any other number of horrible ends that could befall on him. But seeing his companion sleeping, seeing the worry lines of his face smooth out, his hair flopping over his eyes, and body in such an open and calm position, made Hakoda smile, but also stressed him out. Sleep was when they were their most vulnerable, even with the multiple warriors keeping watch at all times, he couldn’t shake the worry. He knew that if the Fire Nation attacked during the night, if they managed to take out the guards, and if they managed to set the camp ablaze, there was little he could do, just waking up from sleep. But if something were to happen to Bato in the night - whether it was an ailment or nightmare - Hakoda would be able to feel it, would feel the shutter in his chest, or the rapid beating of his heart and he could do something to ease Bato back into a pleasant slumber.

Hakoda knew that Bato must have been aware of his tendency to reach for him during the night, as Bato often arose before Hakoda, but he never brought it up. Hakoda didn’t know whether to be relieved that he was saved from the embarrassment or disappointed at being robbed of the chance to speak about his reasoning.

Hakoda was almost sure of what his reasoning was, after so many years of pondering. But Bato never asked, never pushed, never reached over to join hands with Hakoda, and though he always smiled and was pleasant in the face of Hakoda’s affection, he never initiated or returned it with such gusto.

Hakoda allowed himself to have the few minutes of the morning, with his hand on Bato’s chest, his evenings pressed against his sides, and his days with steadying hands on his back.

-1

The scars on Bato’s arm and torso limited his mobility. Though he could get the joints and skin to loosen up with the help of copious amounts of salve and massaging, they would soon tighten, leaving him slightly off-balanced as he tried to learn his new limits, and how to push them.

It left him with objects being continuously being taken out of his hands, with people always trying to ferry him away from the hard manual labour needed to rebuild their village, and with people much shorter than him constantly stretching up to reach things for him that he placed on the tallest shelf for a reason. It left him angry and huffy, annoyed at how his fellow tribe members saw him after his return from prison and war. It reminded him of being a child, before his growth spurt, before the village, outside of his family and Hakoda, took him seriously as a man, always smiling in a condensing way before plucking weapons out of his hand.

“I want to help,” Bato said to Hakoda, frustration clear in his voice. “There’s plenty I can do, even if my arm seizes up.”

“I know, Bato-”

“If you know, then you’ll let me do something.”

Hakoda met his glare with a raised eyebrow. After a few seconds, Bato huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, ignoring the slight pulling sensation it caused. Hakoda grinned as if he won something.

“I know you want to help, Bato, and I’m not trying to stop you from helping, but it’s clear that you’re trying to bite off more than you can chew.”

“How?”

“You tried to go seal-bass fishing yesterday, by yourself.”

“So?”

“Supposing you caught a fish, would you have been able to carry a hundred-pound fish, plus your gear, back?” Hakoda levelled his gaze. Bato huffed again, letting his arms drop from their crossed position.

“I just hate not being able to do anything.” Bato looked at his friend. “I hate not being able to help you.”

And that was as close to an outright confession as Bato could bring himself, with him and Hakoda growing, not necessarily closer, but more intimate. Despite Bato’s igloo being rebuilt, he still spent many nights at Hakoda’s, ate dinner around his table, and still found himself close to his side any chance he got. The freedom of being home had resulted in Bato growing more attached to Hakoda, instead of relishing in the distance that ships and tents and camps did not allow.

Hakoda looked at him, and his smug look dropped slightly and was replaced with one of affectionate worry.

“There are ways to help me besides hurting yourself,” Hakoda chided, playfully. “You are not the only hunter in the village, Bato, others can catch fish for both of us. You can help me by taking care of yourself.”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Bato replied. Hakoda sighed and beckoned Bato to come closer. He complied, lowering himself to where Hakoda sat at his kotatsu. Hakoda pulled him so that his face was pressed against Hakoda’s strong shoulders. Bato sighed into the warm skin of Hakoda's neck.

“Fine, if you want to do something besides take some time off - which some people would kill for, by the way - you can help me read over all these trade proposals.”

Bato pulled himself away from Hakoda, looked at him for a moment, searching for any condensation or pity, before nodding and situating himself at the table, adjacent to Hakoda. He felt Hakoda bump his knee with his own.

“Get a load of this proposal,” Hakoda said after a few minutes of silence, shoving a scroll under Bato’s nose. “Aren’t all these taxes tariff- ful!” Hakoda barked at a laugh at his own joke. Bato groaned. “You know it would help me if you laughed at my jokes.”

“Maybe I don’t want to help you that much after all.”

In the months since Bato and Hakoda began their official 'courtship', more tentative and slow than anyone expected of them, considering their long friendship and history, they found that while they were often on the same page about nearly everything, they had a more difficult time in expressing their newly actualized romantic feelings for each other.

While Hakoda was prepared to hold Bato in public, wrap his arms around Bato’s slim waist, to pull him down for kisses and caresses, Bato was more reserved in public, happy and most comfortable when they limited their affection to simple handholding and the occasional cheek kisses. Even bunny kisses reduced the taller man to a blushing mess, often shoving Hakoda away forcefully in his flustering.

They never seemed to need long conversations about most aspects of their lives - be it work, dinner, whose house they were going to move into (Bato had pretty much already moved in with Hakoda and his children) - yet they both still found themselves stuttering over the words that they both knew they felt for each other. Privately, Hakoda felt that he had a decent excuse - he hadn’t had a relationship or had said those words in a romantic setting since Kya.

Privately, Bato thought his excuse was better since he hadn’t said the words in a romantic sense at all, since he was always saving them for Hakoda.

So, they fumbled their way out of conversations were those words would crop up, though they tried desperately to make the other understand anyways.

It was a summer morning, the sun had already been out for days, when Hakoda found Bato sitting cross-legged, fumbling in front of a mirror on the floor, his right hand tangled in his hair and making noises of frustration.

“What’s up?” He asked, watching at Bato turned slightly, his hair not yet tied up and slightly knotted from his fight with it. Bato held up a thin leather cord.

“I can’t tie my hair up,” He said simply, not bothering to mention why. Hakoda already knew that his arm had been stiff lately, the slight increase in sun exposure making the skin tender and making him avoid massaging his joints.

“Want some help?”

“It’s fine, Koda, I’ll figure it-”

“Let me help.” Hakoda interrupted, already walking towards him. Bato fell silent as he looked up at his partner, turning to face the mirror and watch him through that when Hakoda sank to his knees behind him. “I want to help you.”

“Okay.” Bato’s voice came out soft and gentle, as he held up the hair tie. Hakoda took it and placed it on the floor, reaching over to grab a comb instead.

Hakoda raked it through Bato’s thick hair, revelling in the feeling of the strands passing under his fingers as he smoothed over them after each stroke. He worked carefully, undoing the knots that Bato’s previous attempts caused, and admiring the streaks of grey that were scattered throughout the otherwise dark mass.

He looked in the mirror and saw that Bato had closed his eyes and that his cheeks had taken on a slight flush. As he ceased his movements to admire his partner, Bato opened his eyes again and made contact with Hakoda’s through the glass. They stared at each other for a few moments, and slowly Bato reached towards Hakoda’s free hand and held it. He gave it a tentative squeeze and Hakoda smiled.

Bato smiled back, letting go and closing his eyes again. Hakoda resumed combing until Bato’s hair was a silky curtain. Instead of just tying it back, as Bato often did as of late, he began to braid a few strands together, holding the finished pieces between his pinky and ring finger, before gathering the rest of the hair needed to complete Bato’s wolf tail. When he was done, he ran his hands over his work, making sure everything laid flat and that it wasn’t too tight, and to relish in the feeling of intimacy that the two had garnered.

Bato reached to grab Hakoda’s wrist, pulling him down so that Hakoda was giving the man a loose back hug. Hakoda buried his face in the crook of Bato’s neck, feeling him lace his fingers with Hakoda's, lifting one hand up to place a soft kiss on the rough knuckles.

He looked up into the mirror again, smiling when he caught Bato’s eye, and both of them knew what the other was trying to say.

#m #bakoda #bakoda fic #hakoda #bato #once again trans bato as a treat #bakoda fleet week #my fic

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snowflake-of-destruction · 4 years

Note

Imagine Axel’s brain short circuiting when he gets called “dad” for the first time

Dulce banged the chilled teething ring Axel had given her against the tray of the high chair she was unjustly trapped in while Also-Me was already freed and in the air in Daddy’s arms. “Da da,” she whined, appealing with her best argument. Her gums hurt. This “getting a toofer, growing our first teethie toothies” as Pop had described it, was not the fun adventure his and Daddy’s excited voices had made it seem, and she was in no mood to be left behind. “Da dada daaa.”

“I know. Our favorite song! Da-bah bah. Dun dun da daa,” Axel encouraged, making a little beat, not completely comprehending Dulce’s cries even though he beamed with pride at what he saw as a sing-a-long. “Are you going to be a musician like Uncle Demyx?” he asked as he walked past the high chair.”I’ll be right back after I lay Salena down on the blanket.”

He nuzzled his cheek against the top of his other daughter’s head. “That’s right! It’s blanket playtime, and Dulce and I will be right there to join you after I put some cream on her gums. Don’t worry. Your time will come soon and she’ll tell you just what to expect with your first tooth. We’ll all be old pros.”

“Da,” Salena echoed Not-Salena, reminding Daddy not to leave her. “Da da.”

There was a chorus, loud and excited, “dada dada,” until it clicked.

“I’m a dad.” Axel felt lightning strike his body from on high as his two daughters continued to berate him with repeated, “da”s. It was silly. Of course he was a dad. He’d been a dad for six months or well longer if he counted the months Namine had carried the twins, or from when he and Roxas had first decided that it was time as the start of a process. It was different now, hearing it though. Significant. He was Dad and forever would he be. He was the title his girls had given him, proud to hold it as his identity until the day he died.

“Dum!” Salena crowed, throwing her head back, and Dulce soon joined in. “Dum! Dum da!”

...That sounded about right.

#akuroku family #akuroku #snippets #i'm on a roll tonight #Anonymous

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only-here-for-jatp · 4 years

Text

The Secret Chord pt 3

I am very thrilled with my poetic serious title and my chaotic mess of chapter titles that don’t do the title justice.

Anyway this entire chapter is Nick-centric and contains some negative self-talk so if you have difficulty with that (like I do) proceed with caution and stay safe and okay pretty please.

Also, we stan Carrie in this house thanks.

Read it on Ao3 here

And also below! ~2100 words

Nick was pretty sure this was a terrible idea.

It’d seemed like a great idea last night when he was watching Julie and the Phantoms at the Orpheum. The music was loud, and the crowd was electric. The bass kept up a steady rhythm pounding in sync with his heartbeat and it joined the audience into one body perfectly in sync. He’d felt so alive as if all of his nerve endings were firing at once. His joy came out as an endless ache while he watched Julie perform her heart out, her own enthusiasm evident in every note and movement.

She shone so bright on that stage, more so than anyone he’d ever seen. He’d long since known of her grit and determination, the perks of being in school together since elementary school. Over the years he watched as the little girl with the big voice and no fear stood up to bullies, teachers, and during what came to be known as Fallout 2016 her (ex)friend Carrie.

Julie held her head up so high as she walked through the hallways and he was in awe of her even then. There were still some things he was still working out about himself and she was so unapologetically herself. He’d often wished for her bravery to be that strong.

At the same time, he watched Carrie struggle to keep her head above water. Her dad loved her, but he was absentminded and often off on the road or some tour or party or something, leaving Carrie alone in that big empty house. Before there’d been the joy and laughter of Julie and Flynn echoing in the hallways, but now she sat alone in her thoughts.

It was almost imperceptible to anyone who didn’t know Carrie, after all she’d always been a little rough around the edges, but Nick watched her harsh mask develop. He watched her use deflection and bravado to hide her fraying internal state. Nobody seemed to notice her growing intensity and focus on Dirty Candi, but it seemed like someone needed to do something.

Admittedly his feelings crept up on him. At first, he’d started small interactions as a friendly gesture. Little things like a smile or a wave so he could try to communicate somebody saw her. While she seemed a little confused at first, she soon started flashing him a smirk and a friendly sarcastic comment. Rather quickly their friendship grew, it turned into long conversations at lunch or studying together in the library. What started out as concern turned to pride and warmth as he watched this girl who hurt so much use her unwavering force of will (and a little pink glitter) to get up and meet each day with a take no prisoners attitude.

Once he saw her perform for the first time, he was a goner. That little smirk just did something to his insides. He asked her out and he was happy. They were happy.

Until Julie’s mom died. Whatever fallout might have happened between her and Julie, Carrie loved Rose. She’d been the closest thing Carrie ever had to a mother, and the loss hit her hard. Nick knew Julie would’ve granted her a temporary truce and welcomed Carrie with open arms to grieve. He was even pretty sure Carrie knew deep inside herself somewhere too, but the walls she’d built were too high and too wide to bring them down.

Nick did his best to be there for Carrie, but he knew he wasn’t what she needed. She needed Julie and the Molinas, but it wasn’t going to happen. Not yet. Instead her unresolved feelings ate at her morphing into jealousy and anger and acid. He watched this beautiful typhoon of a girl let the acid and anger consume her. Defenses and walls started going up against him too, until she treated him as little more than an accessory or a chess piece in her one-sided match against Julie Molina.

Beautiful burning Julie Molina who after a year of retreating into a cocoon, hiding from the world and her pain burst onto the stage like a firework. She maintained her grace and inner fortitude whatever the world, or Carrie, threw her way. Above all else though, she was kind. After months of being treated like a doormat, he craved the kindness and gentle protective ferocity that was Julie Molina.

He knew he followed her around like a lost puppy, but even if he couldn’t be with her just being around her made him feel like he could do anything. Be anything, even himself. Her music lived and breathed inside him, the words filling him up and offering him a lifeline when he didn’t even know how close he was to drowning.

He ached to return the favor of her steady reassurance and unconditional acceptance and support. She was incredible and she deserved to know. If he could emulate her even just a little bit, he wanted to try, wanted to practice being like Julie Molina.

Of course, this was how he found himself pacing the sidewalk for twenty minutes, gathering the courage to bring her these flowers. It shouldn’t be this hard. Flowers were a regular post-performance kind of gift. I mean, he did have a crush on her, but she seemed to be into her guitarist? Would she think he was creepy or weird or persistent? He didn’t want to scare her off. Maybe this was a bad idea. He probably didn’t have a shot with someone as incredible as her anyway. He’d like to think he stood a chance since her guitarist was a hologram, but the way they looked at each other….

What did it matter? These flowers were not crush flowers. He would’ve gotten her Dahlias for that. These were simply good job flowers. They’d performed at the Orpheum! That was a big deal. This is fine. This is normal.

A small burst of confidence propelled him forward while he gave himself a mental pep talk in his head. Later he would kick himself for not being more aware of his surroundings, but to be fair no one really expects a tall, mysterious demon man to sneak up behind them.

Yet here he was staring at this man in some steam punk adjacent costume, a smug plastic grin on his face and a mildly threatening atmosphere. He’d rang the doorbell, but he hoped Julie didn’t walk out here while this creep was still around.

“How sweet. The brokenhearted teenager fighting for his girl.”

Nick was taken aback. For one thing, brokenhearted was not the right word. He was hopeful. For another- “Do I know you?”

“No, but you will.”

Nick didn’t even have a chance to react before Caleb’s hands were around his neck. It felt like fire was racing through his veins, consuming him. He couldn’t move, his arms spread wide, but his insides struggled against the invasion. Thrashing and shrieking he screamed inside his mind.

It started in his fingertips and toes, his body feeling like it was too crowded. Like something was growing and pushing him out. He fought so hard trying to stretch and stand up to the purple smoke that was blinding and dividing him. Yet he was losing the battle with every moment. Feeling himself getting shoved and squeezed until he couldn’t feel his arms or his legs or the breaths he took or the beating of his own heart. Until he couldn’t feel the weight of his own tongue.

The world went quiet first. Then it went dark.

Nick came to in a room of boundless dark. He thought about being afraid, but it wasn’t a place where things lurked. He could tell it was just empty. A brief glance showed that he could see himself, slightly translucent maybe, but still there. The space seemed to go on forever and the longer he looked the more anxious he became. His eyes darted from space to space, but it was a never-ending sea of nothingness.

A voice echoed around him, making the world rumble and shake. “Now now, Nicholas. My name is Caleb and it’s nice to meet you.”

“Who are you!? What do you want!? Where am I!?” Nick shouted at the disembodied voice, hearing the fear and trembling in his tone and wishing desperately for the confidence and bravado typically attributed to jocks. What he wasn’t prepared for was the jolt that through him.

The pain stabbed in his gut and it felt like it was ripping him open, piece by piece. He fell to his knees with a scream, doing his best not to sob as the feeling lingered. Caleb laughed before continuing. “tsk tsk tsk. I am speaking, you just need to listen. I am… borrowing your body for the time being. This little lifer girl and her trio of ghostly boy band made a fool of me. And NOBODY defies my will and gets away with it.”

“What does that have to do with- aghhhh” Nick couldn’t hide the sobs as another jolt shot through him.

“Yeah, I’m going to need you to be a fast learner Nicky-poo. I’m in charge and there’s literally nothing you can do about it. Just sit there and be quiet and maybe I’ll return your body back in one piece. Besides you may not know what I’m talking about, but you’re close with that lifer brat Julie. Her ghosties would never let me get close, you on the other hand, well they can’t stop you.”

Nick felt icy terror roll through him. Julie? This madman demon was after Julie? “No” he wheezed. He kept repeating the word as if it would give him power as he progressively got louder until he was standing and screaming it into the void, damn the consequences. “NO. I won’t let you hurt her.”

Another jolt ripped through him as an invisible force knocked him back. The laughter seemed to echo around the space reverberating into an endless mocking loop. “You? You won’t let me? What exactly are you going to do Nicholas? After all, you couldn’t even defend yourself against me. What makes you think you’re capable of doing anything at this point to stop my plans?”

Nick sagged against the ground. There wasn’t anything he could do. His insides felt hollowed out as hopelessness descended upon him. Useless. He was absolutely useless.

“There you go! Now you’re getting it. Anyway, this is the inside of your head and it can be manipulated into whatever I want. Behave and I’ll make sure it’s somewhat comfortable, continue to fight and defy me and I’ll make sure you relive your worst nightmares. Got it?”

Nick nodded, curling up on himself in defeat. If only he’d stayed home today.

“Good, now I just need to borrow your memories real quick and we can get this show on the road. After all, I have a fight too.”

It felt like someone was slicing his brain into pages and flipping through it like you would a book or a deck of cards. He’d grabbed his head at the pain and briefly resisted before giving into the feeling. It was almost like he could feel the fingers turning through the pages. Flipping through his life as if it were nothing. As if he were nothing. He hoped Caleb got a cosmic papercut.

And then for a brief shining moment there was nothing. No Caleb, no jolts, no rummaging through his psyche, no noise. No world. Unfortunately, what looked like a big screen popped up in front of him. Was that the Molina’s house? Were these his eyes? He almost couldn’t watch as Julie opened the door. Then there he was again. Alone in the dark vastness of nothing. He let out an empty laugh. Of course, he was. That was him, always alone. Always hiding. Unable to make any true impact on the lives of the people around him. He’d failed to help Carrie battle her darkness and Julie certainly never needed him.

He wondered briefly if anyone would even notice if he was gone. If anyone would even realize this thing that occupied his body was using him like a puppet. He doubted it. No one ever managed to make it past his walls. No one ever viewed him as more than as that blonde lacrosse player, or Carrie’s boyfriend.

He was as unseen and unheard in here as he was for every other moment of his life.

The disembodied voice never said anything, but Nick was sure he could feel Caleb roll his eyes and mutter “teenagers”. Suddenly a couch poofed into existence and Nick settled into it, finding it oddly comforting. He curled himself around a pillow that he’d dragged into his lap, ready to watch his life spin out of his control.

#jatp #Julie and the Phantoms #Jatp fanfic #The Secret Chord #Nickaleb

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eujazmine · 3 years

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⟨ RYAN DESTINY. CIS FEMALE. SHE/HER. ⟩ though the mist might prevent some from seeing it, JAZMINE HARPER is actually a descendent of H E C A T E. it’s still a question of whether or not the 23 year old BUSINESS MAJOR from HOUSTON, USA has taken after their godly parent completely, but the demigod is still known to be quite PASSIONATE & MISCHIEVOUS.

hi everyone it’s rae #2 again 😔 but allow me to introduce you all to my darling jazmine, who is a revamping of a couple muses i’ve played in the past. as always, like this post and i’ll hit your dms!

History (death tw)

claimed at birth in houston, texas since her father could see through the mist. her father started physically training around the age of three. it wasn’t anything too crazy at first, since she was only a toddler when they began, but her father wanted her to have a head-start athletically. on her 6th birthday, hecate gifted her a spell book and required that she started her magical training.

she started attended camp elektra in california during the summers when she was seven years old. at some point, her father got married and started having more children. when she was twelve, he announced that they would be moving to new york for her new step-mother’s job. that summer, she attended camp half-blood, and leaving for camp was the last time she had seen her texan home.

it was around that time that her and her father’s strong personalities truly began to clash. they had different visions for jazmine’s future, and she started to resent being under his control. it also frustrated her that she couldn’t alter his perception via mist, which led to even more complications whenever she was caught doing so to her step-mother.

she spent nearly two years with her family in new york. after nearly getting expelled from school and having too many issues at home, her father sent her away to year-round camp in greece by the time she was 14.

due to extensive training, she was among the top-ranked during her time at camp athens. she devoted much of her free time, including summer breaks, to questing and rigorous training, and was often recruited through the school for selective quests.

once she graduated, she tried staying with her father in new york again to work and save money, but this only lasted about six months. she went back to europe to travel and she fulfilled quests for money to support this new lifestyle.

at 20, jazmine had another terrible fight with her father. she left and hasn’t seen him since. after this, she started to take questing seriously again. she went on more dangerous and complex quests, knowing there was no one really out there waiting for her safe return.

then came 2019: the zeus incident. she, celeste (daughter of zeus) and adelphie (daughter of apollo) teamed up to retrieve poseidon’s trident from zeus. these three had quested in the past, and were a notoriously powerful trio, but they had never gone against celeste’s own father.

by the time they had defeated the guard monsters and reached the trident, zeus had become aware of what they were up to. he killed adelphie on sight. as jazmine futilely tried to heal adelphie’s lifeless body, celeste used this moment to carry the trident back to the ocean via the wind. soon enough, zeus zapped celeste off the mountain. whether the god of thunder hadn’t seen her hiding in the darkness or he just didn’t care, she’ll never know, but he spared jazmine and left.

after carrying adelphie back down the mountain and presuming that celeste was also dead, she came across rostam, who had prophesied that something would happen at the mountain. he helped her bring her friends back to eonia, where she was allowed to rest and enroll for the following semester.

now, she’s at eonia studying business because 1) she has nowhere else to go and 2) she doesn’t think she wants to fight her whole life anymore.

Personality

being able to manipulate mortals as a child has made her view people more as vessels of entertainment or stimulation, and it shows. her sense of humor primarily revolves around teasing others, such as mocking them or playing tricks on them, and her blunt remarks can often be perceived as quite insensitive. she is very observant and has no problem using this trait for blackmail or manipulation, but she uses this to provide frank judgment or advice when asked. “0 to 100″ is a pretty accurate way to describe jazmine -- meaning for the most part, she has a calm, cool vibe, but her hot-temperedness can quickly get her in trouble. she can be impatient, vengeful, and petty, refusing to be the bigger person or the “loser” when crossed. stubborn and prideful, she could hold a grudge forever until she serves her own sense of justice or receives external mediation.

her bluntness and outbursts might give off the impression of her being mean, which she kinda is sometimes, but she isn’t that mean. she’s a compassionate person, and she’ll often help others if she feels sorry for them, despite trying to brush off their problems as beneath her. this is especially true when it comes to her friends. although she can be particularly harsh with them, her fierceness also comes with extra love and protection.

Powers

her most powerful ability is mystiokinesis, but it didn’t come easily. like other children of hecate, her magic is strongest at nighttime and very limited during the day. she was given a spellbook once claimed and has been perfecting her craft since. her magic gives her a limited grasp of all kinds of abilities, but she is most skilled in the areas of magic that have helped her the most on quests, such as vitakinesis, offensive spells/curses, and magical tracking. she works hard to improve her mystiokinesis through camps and personal training, but she is prone to overdoing it and negatively affecting her own health.

mist control is her secondary ability. it was the first of her powers to develop. as a child, her suggestions seemed to be a little too convincing to mortals. although it wasn’t fool-proof, she found herself manipulating people’s perceptions in her favor, possibly to get herself out of trouble or solely for entertainment purposes. she mostly uses it to her advantage around mortals or on quests. at eonia, and hasn’t found much use for this skill at eonia.

umbrakinesis is definitely her weakest power, but she would love to be more skilled in it. it has been the most difficult for her to develop, so she can only sometimes use the shadows as a shield or as a method of travel during the night. however, she has been able to levitate since she was a kid, which has been pretty convenient ever since she learned how to control it.

Extras

tl;dr: retired adrenaline junkie prone to moodiness

she has been at eonia since summer/fall 2019. you can get some more details about that last quest on celeste’s intro and self-para, if you haven’t already! feel free to assume that your muse had heard something about it.

she’s very hard-working and puts 110% into the things she cares about. the number of hours she has devoted to magic and academics is endless. neither of these areas come super naturally to her, so she has to work extra hard to develop them to reach her standards.

those 2 years she spent traveling europe and questing for cash?? she was living her best life. she used mist control and mystiokinesis a lot during this time to do things like avoid getting arrested, sneak into fancy masquerade balls, crash weddings, and waive any extra fees she couldn’t afford. she’ll bring up a wild memory from time to time if the conversation calls for it, but it’s rare for her to give out too many other details.

character inspo: think michelle jones (1), jessica huang (1, 2), hotaru imai (1, 2), fallon carrington (1, 2, 3), mal (1), daoming si (meteor garden), jennifer pierce (1, 2, 3), sam puckett (1), rosa diaz (1, 2, 3, 4)

works at the dining hall. she doesn’t care about this job and therefore puts no effort into it, so don’t expect a smile or cheery tone from her when you walk in.

involvements: black student union, gamer’s guild, football (soccer)

a skilled fighter, she is well-versed in swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, but she prefers using magic since it comes from her godly lineage.

she’s been playing soccer since she was a child, a sport her dad forced encouraged all of her siblings to partake in. although her and her father had many other issues, this actually wasn’t one of them, seeing as they both shared a genuine love for the sport. she’s known for being overly aggressive and instigative on the field, so she's at risk of losing her position if she starts any more fights.

Potential Connections

ex: there was probably never any official title tbh so she might even claim that they weren’t exes. jazmine’s a very private person and finds this kind of stuff too vulnerable, so maybe your muse got tired of being treated like a secret.

quest mates: could’ve been for anything tbh, but if your muse was significantly weaker than jazmine, she would’ve for sure let them know.

tutor: she works hard to maintain her grades, but sometimes she needs the extra help.

people she protects: for whatever reason, jazmine has a soft spot for your muse, so she’ll take care of them when they’re sick, bring them home from a party, put a curse on their ex, you name it.

past hookup: she never called. consider yourself blocked.

friends: self-explanatory! unlikely friends, friends who bond over mutual hatred, frenemies., etc.

enemies: her moral ambiguity and rude remarks probably rub some people the wrong way, so enemies wouldn’t be too surprising.

clients?: i’d imagine that some people have paid her in the past to bring misfortune to their enemies. they probably paid her some money to put a lil curse on them. it’s never anything permanent. if they paid her extra, maybe she did some research and brought them something to blackmail them with.

targets: the people that her clients have paid her to curse. she’s just a third party trying to chase the bag, so no hard feelings, really -- but if your muse somehow found out they got cursed by her, she’d be willing to reverse it for a price.

pawns: maybe she views them as weak. maybe she just finds them funny. either way, she has little respect for your muse and will mess with them for her own entertainment. it’s all in good fun!

people she met while exploring europe: she was up to a lot of shenanigans during those two years, so the possibilities are endless.

#euintro #death tw #violence tw #okay and now i disappear

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inessencedevided · 4 years

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The Untamed, episode 21 - watching notes

This show has changed so much in the last couple of episodes. I still love it and there is so much I'm looking forward to, but I kinda miss the chaotic fledgling-gays vibe the first 15 episodes had going on :')

The Yunmeng siblings back together and no one's fighting :')

"Together forever" 😭

And the look of sheer wonder and awe on Jiang Cheng's face as he looks at the two people he probablyloves most in the world :')

It breaks my heart how much guilt and pain runs beneath this family's love

Nie Huaisang! :D I didn't know that I missed him but I DID!!

This feels like cloud recess again :')

Only that wwx has weird touch aversion now :/

Nie Huaisang hasn't changed at least :D

What's the flute called again? (Genuinely asking this time, if it's not a spoiler)

Lan Wangji! (I'm still so starved from the 3 episodes without him)

Their theme played so hesitantly has me 😭

90% of lan Wangji emoting is *clenches fist*

So this dude just brought the wen clan leader the news of his son's death and ... he takes it surprisingly well

Also, soldier dude, why on earth would you stay when he tells you to go? If I were him I'd just be happy that that wanna-be-ozai doesn't literally kill the messenger on the spot. If he tells you to leave, dude, just leave!

Yeah I know, you're evil. No need for theatrics 🥱

Wei Wuxian being absent-minded us cause for worry

YouTube translated their toast to "dry it". I wonder, is this correct? If anyone who reads this knows, I'd be thankful if you told me in the notes ! :)

I wonder why wwx doesn't carry his sword anymore. Even if it was of less use to him now, would it hurt him to carry out for appearances sake?

Awkward silence

Until this rando drops in with his opinion

"I knew master Wei's fame of untamed character" HA! I see what you did there :D

Okay sorry, but nothing on this show is funnier than the way people gossip, by "whispering" to each other, while everyone in the room hears and reacts to what they're saying. It's a theme and at this point, i respect that

Thanks, unimportant background character #3 fir your completely unsolicited input

And now kindly

(I wonder if tumblr will exclude thuspost from the tag search due to this gif :D)

Jiang Yanli knows what's up 😎

Wei Wuxian couldn't care less about etiquette at this point and while he was always "rebellious" it was never dismissive. I'm still trying to parse his state of mind. How much of it is trauma, how much is hurt pride

Watching your estranged loverfriend through a window 💔

Why does this feel like the cam before the storm?

Is Jiang Cheng actually using his words? Wonders never cease!

"Is this about lan Wangji? Since the unhappy breakup,..." that's canon now! And I don't care if it's a misstranslation :D

At this point, I'm pretty sure wwx is purposefully pushing everyone he loves away

He also seems borderline depressed

The only person he seems to be remotely himself around us Shijie

Chenqing ... so there is definitely some significance in there but I cannot for the live of me figure it out 🙈 please, someone enlighten me!

Ahahahaha! I'm wheezing! I know this is all very sad and somber ... but in the flashback!!! 🤣🤣🤣 "spiritual energy is in our PUBES"??? 🤣🤣🤣 please someone tell me how THAT translation happened!

I must have missed it the first time ... hach ... that was nice. Finally send laughter again :D

*cut back to lwj looking somber*

I want to taste that soup btw

Again, this is all way too calm

Aaaand I was right. Shit is going down with the wen clan

Also, what are those tree-bark-monsters?

So wait ... what is it about the sun that's hurting wwx? Or is it symbolic? And what's in the bag? I'm confused

Bless Lan Xichen :)

Honestly, I'm mostly wondering right now when and how the dark energy is hurting wwx

Are those Jiang soldiers beating up unarmed civilians? Not cool. :/

Wen Qing!

I wonder, is wwx controlling Chenqing or is Chenqing controlling him?

He didn't exactly help them :/

That dramatic entrance was good, but not on par with lan wangji's two episodes ago. So sorry wwx, but you get rank #2

Although everyone covering their eyes at your sight is something

"I don't mean to conceal it" conceals it for another month 🧐

The tension is killing me guys. I'm expecting a bomb to go off at any moment

When they say Yiling, do they mean wei Wuxian now? I know he will be known as Yiling Laozu but I hadn't noticed that such a title was used before now

Not going to lie, the scene between the Lan brothers is one of my favourite so far in the entire show. I adore how Lan Wangji, on his own, begins to doubt the omnipotence of the rules he has, so far, built his life on. But now that his heart is telling him something different. And it warms my soul to see Lan Xichen support him.

Also, the way they filmed wwx's and jc's arrival was hilarious! shot of wwx gazing sadly at lwj -> cut to jc looking skyward, praying for salvation from his pining brother -> shot of lwj gaypanicking™️ with a dash of quite yearning -> cut to lan Xichen looking as if his favourite program just came on. A+ acting. All around

The longing stares are back. Oh how is missed them

Lan Xichen: "If you worry about Master Wei ..." lan Wangji: "not a bot" Poor lan Xichen, his shipper heart won't take it :'(

Oh no ... the drama

Can dad and dad please not fight :/

Oh wow, now they are literally fighting. I wasn't even at that part yet o_O

Holy ... wwx just stayed there. Lwj could have slid his throat if he wanted to

And the sword question again. I have a feeling that it's more than just him not being able to properly cultivate with it anymore

No freezeframe! Another bonus for an all around excellent episode!

@sweetlittlevampire @fandom-glazed @elenirlachlagos @allhailthedramallama @luckymoony (if anyone else wants to be tagged, just say so in the notes! :))

#sophie watches the untamed #the untamed #wei wuxian #wwx #lan wangji #lwj #lan xichen #jiang yanli #jiang cheng #the untamed liveblog

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moon-ruled-rising · 4 years

Text

as the rain hides the stars | xi

Read the full story on ao3...

xi: clinging to the wild things that raised us

We can build a tree house in the pine trees,

we can keep our secrets buried underneath.

Wildflowers crush between your fingers,

clinging to the wild things that raised us.

-Zella Day, “Compass”

On the day they left King’s Landing, Jon was up early, as was his habit. Sansa and Robb were still asleep, and he didn’t want to wake them, but he was restless. He would have gone for a run but he didn’t know the area nor did he want to take the chance of running into another interested courtier. It seemed that no one at the Southern court knew how to mind their own business.

The three days spent in the glittering court of the Red Palace felt like an ongoing interview, constant questions and feigned interest with no end in sight. Jon never liked the spotlight, a trait he inherited from his father no doubt, but in his life that much attention was never a good thing. If his name was in headlines, it was usually a criticism of his behavior. Even though Jon tried as hard as he could to never step over the line, the line continued to move. Creeping closer and closer until he would have no room left to go.

Most of the time his slip ups went under the radar but when he first came home from his time on The Wall, he wasn’t so lucky. He was fueled with anger and resentment for his position and wanted nothing more than to take it on someone other than himself.

And then there was the inevitable engagement. All the scrutiny and harsh words would increase ten fold. Even if it did end well and his people were saved, they would never forgive him for marrying someone with a rap sheet like hers. They were both doomed.

As he readied himself for a day of travel, he received a text from Sansa. A link to a blog dedicated to posting pictures of royalty from all over the world doing mundane things. However, the most recent posts were just photos of Jon and Daenerys from the Dragon Pit club from two nights ago. They boasted captions calling the two ‘cozy’ and speculating at a deeper connection. From the angle the photos were taken, Jon could see where it looked like that but he knew the actual conversation was anything but.

It wasn’t long before they were taxiing down the runway in a Targaryen owned jet. Rhaegar insisted they take it, although the Starks were fine with commercial travel.

The compact interior of the private plane reinforced the cramped feeling that already followed Jon. But as the jet soared over the grey-blue waters of The Bite, he felt his jumbled and off-balanced state from the past couple of days slip away. Even as the constant reminder of his eminent fate sat right across from him he felt more comfortable knowing he would be home soon.

Across the plane from him, the Princess Daenerys still had a pair of dark, oversized sunglasses perched on her nose. They hadn’t moved since she said goodbye to her friend at King’s Landing. Despite her smiles and waves, Jon knew she would rather be anywhere but there. Her security officer sat with her, the two carrying out a conversation in hushed tones.

When they landed in White Harbor, Jon breathed in relief. There were no paparazzi this time. No flashing bulbs, no raucous cries from nosey reporters. They slid through the airport with ease, unbothered despite being the most important family in the North returning from a very important trip.

White Harbor was the North's closest thing to a city but it was still small compared to the great beasts of the South. There were no high rises to be found, all the buildings favoring the old styles and keeping the city’s charm in place.

The mayor of White Harbor greeted them at the town hall along with Lord and Lady Manderly and the rest of the Stark entourage. Queen Catelyn, Bran and Arya, and Talisa. Although, Talisa would have to watch the proceedings from the crowd as she had no official standing with the royal family.

As soon as Jon was in eye sight of Arya, she bolted for him, enveloping him in a hug with all the force of a bear. After Robb, Arya was his closest sibling. Their bond was partly driven by the fact that they looked more Stark than Tully. They both had their father’s dark hair and grey eyes, Sansa and Robb took after Catelyn with auburn curls and blue eyes.

“I was only gone three days,” Jon laughed, returning her ferocious squeeze

“It felt like forever. Especially with mom babysitting us.”

Bran came second, his usual few steps behind.

Talisa and Robb were already arm and arm. Jon’s heart arched. He would never have a chance at the affection he witnessed between them, not that there had ever been much of a chance anyway.

He’d gone so far as to deny himself a love life to avoid a scandal. He and Ygritte were brief. A quick, private affair near the end of their high school careers but they both knew it could never be anything serious. Any future contender for Queen Consort had to be from noble blood. And Ygritte, with all her charm and wild beauty, was anything but. Her father was a political upstart who made something of himself but there was no land or title to go with it.

It was much easier with no baggage from past exes and no possible tell-all articles. But where he fell short in romantic entanglements, he made up for in physical confrontations.

Daenerys smiled through the introductions, playing perfect princess before disappearing into the restroom to change.

“Why is she here?” Bran asked, once she was out of ear shot.

“She’s helping us finalize a treaty,” Ned answered, looking between his other children who were in the know.

His message was clear, ‘Don’t tell them’.

“What do we need the treaty for?” Arya questioned.

“That is a topic for the next family meeting.”

Ned whispered something to Catelyn and the two walked away. Jon watched them wander down the hall to another seating area.

“Is anyone going to tell us what’s really happening?” Arya folded her arms over her chest and glared at her older siblings.

“We have a right to know, “ Bran seconded.

“Jon’s engaged,” blurted Sansa.

“You’re what?” Arya gasped.

“That was fast,” Bran responded at the same time as his twin.

Jon gave Sansa an ‘are you kidding me’ look and she mouthed sorry in return.

“It was dad’s idea and I’m sure Catelyn knows but it’s supposed to be a secret. The public can’t know until we’re ready to tell them. We aren’t even engaged yet, the documents haven’t been signed.”

“Ned mentioned a treaty and Jon came back engaged. What happened down there?” Talisa chimed in.

“I think I’m going to side with my dad and say that’s a topic for the next family meeting.” Robb looped Talisa’s arm with his and led her away from the little gathering.

Arya and Bran were already glued to their phones again, their hushed voices gushing over the newest app they’d discovered. Out of all the Starks, they were the most tech savvy. They drove the press secretary mad with their under the radar social media accounts with outrageous names. Although they always covered up their faces in the photos.

“You know, you should really try to talk to her,” Sansa prompted, not looking up from the magazine she’d returned to flipping through.

Jon didn’t need any elaboration.

“I have nothing to say to her.”

“She’s not as bad as you think.”

Jon gave his sister an incredulous look.

“And you’re both going through the same life changing event.”

“Just the other day you were wholly against her.”

“And? People’s opinions can change.”

“Sansa-” he started.

“I love your outfit, Your Royal Highness,” Sansa smiled as Daenerys came out of the restroom.

“Oh, thank you.” the princess looked up from the notecards in her hand and returned Sansa’s smile.

For a moment she didn’t look so venomous.

“And please, call me Dany. All my friends do.”

Sansa grinned, shooting a look at Jon before turning back to her magazine. Dany, as Jon figured she wanted to be called, smoothed down the back of her black skirt as she sat. Her usual warrior-esque braids were simplified into two twists holding her soft, white-gold waves out of her face.

Sansa and Dany might be on good terms now but she had yet to make a good impression on Robb and the twins.

Sansa flipped another page of her magazine, the crisp sound sharp in the silence of the room. Jon watched her as her eyes darted from the page to him and to the Princess beside her. He could see the gears turning in her head.

“You know what, I’m going to take a look at the crowds. Arya, Bran, wanna come with?”

Jon went to call out after her but she was already halfway down the hall, Arya and Bran trudging along with disinterest.

“Play nice!” she called over her shoulder.

He groaned and Dany chuckled.

“She’s a handful, that one.”

“You’re telling me,” she sighed.

He considered what Sansa said and swallowed his pride. What could it hurt?

“ Dany-”

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered, not looking up from her notecards.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Only my friends call me Dany and as far as I’m concerned, Your Highness-” she looked up in a sharp gesture, “we are not friends. Acquaintances, maybe, but certainly not friends.”

It could hurt a lot, apparently.

She stood, as if to leave, when the royal family’s press intern rounded the corner and announced that it was time to begin the event.

The Starks were old fashioned and kept a press secretary. It was an outdated station, the only responsibility being to send official statements to all news outlets. Their current secretary had asked for an intern to help with an official social media presence to keep the threat of paparazzi at bay. It worked as far as Jon was concerned.

They were led from the town hall to the small stage set up outside. A canopy overhead meant to shade them from the sun or, more likely, the rain as the thick clouds crowding the sky looked dark. The Stark sigil of a grey wolf on a white and green background was displayed on banners, floating lazily on the breeze.

Jon held out his hand to assist Daenerys up the steps. She was wearing a pair of precarious heels and he knew that stairs were a challenge for any woman in them. He’d watched Sansa parade around in them, and Arya wobble behind in a valiant attempt, for years.

Daenerys allowed her hand to hover over his to avoid being labeled as rude or too bold by the audience. The people were watching and someone was bound to notice if she blew off his chivalrous offer.

The mayor started his short introduction speech, followed by a few words from Lord Manderly. As usual they were politically perfect and manufactured. Just like the Princess’ words would be too.

When Lord Manderly announced their visitor's name, there followed a polite applause. She approached the podium with grace and a smile, a forced one Jon was sure.

“Thank you, Lord Manderly, for the warm welcome. Speaking of warmth, I always thought the North was cold and snowy but she’s proved me wrong. The weather is beautiful and so is the landscape. I’ve only been here a short time and what I’ve managed to see through airplane and car windows has taken my breath away.”

Jon wondered if her statement was true, or something generic used by the Royal Family for all foreign visits. But the way she delivered it was so impressive Jon could just as easily be convinced they were her own thoughts.

“I come before you today, not in any diplomatic capacity, but as a guest of the Starks. And as a woman who wishes to nurture a much friendlier connection between our two lands, who for so long have acted distant and foreign to each other despite being neighbors.”

She continued on but Jon’s mind wandered, her words fading into the background. There were news cameras at the front of all the people, capturing everything from all possible angles. Reporters stood by them, anxiously accepting the Princess’ words about her excitement to see the North and her hope for a stronger friendship between the two nations. He wondered if the people watching in their homes were reacting the same way.

A Targaryen hadn’t been in the North since the 13th century. That Targaryen was one of the hundreds of Aegon Targaryens that conquered the south, a name so lucky they recycled it. Despite being the King who refused to bend the knee, one never saw many people named Torrhen.

The closest he'd encountered was his friend Tormund Giantsbane. A member of the Free Folk settled in the Gift who spent so much time around Castle Black he was as much a Brother as anyone else. He refused to join them because of the bad blood between the Free Folk and Night's Watch, considered it a betrayal of Wildling ideals. Jon tried to convince him to join Ygritte at The Smoking Log, but he refused. Winterfell was too far south for him.

At the end of all the formalities, the royal family set out to mingle with the citizens of White Harbor. Jon set out on his own, shaking hands and greeting the people gathered there, a security officer not far behind. For the first time in days, his smile wasn’t forced. Something about having his feet on the ground and moving through crowds was natural to him.

Shaking hands with people and talking with them reminded Jon of the responsibility he held. A King should be seen by his people and the people by their King, he recalled Ned saying once. His father was always dropping pieces of advice into their regular conversations, he thought it was the best way to share them.

Daenerys was a few feet away also smiling and being on her best behavior. Jon couldn’t help but take interest in the way she bent down and hugged the children that were there. He knew she was an aunt but not every aunt was a good aunt. He’d met Catelyn’s sister, Lysa Arryn, on a few occasions and she scared him, even as a grown man.

He shook another hand before his security officer was ushering him toward the fleet of cars that would take them to Winterfell. Unfortunately, he had to share a car with Her Royal Highness. While her mood appeared to have mellowed, she was able to turn dangerous in a second.

Once out of the city, Jon realized how much he’d missed the countryside. The beautiful green revealed after the morning frost melted away. The White Knife, the impressive river that flowed from the Lonely Hills to the Bite, followed them for most of the journey, adding to the beauty of the scene that surrounded them.

He’d never been so happy to see that particular shade of green, except once when he returned from The Wall. It was the one positive thing he could focus on as he was dragged away from the one thing that gave him a tangible sense of purpose.

It wasn’t long until they were approaching the gates of Winterfell. The Wolfswood rose up to the West, impressive with its sentinels taller than the castle walls. Jon chanced a look at the Princess as she gazed out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of her first impressions of the castle. Although she tried to hide it, he saw the glimmer in her eye as they passed under the south gate.

They climbed out of the cars, Jon tried not to give the princess a hard time. She was looking around, all of the disinterest in her gone. Something shoved his shoulder and he turned around to find Sansa, who was motioning toward their guest. Offer her a tour, you dolt, her eyes screamed. But Jon wasn’t ready to make nice yet. And a tour of his home, just the two of them, was much closer than he ever planned on getting to her for a long while.

Sansa shoved his shoulder again but Ned called Jon’s name and he thanked the Gods he avoided that bullet.

“We have the Council meeting to get to,” Ned reminded him.

Upon second thought, an inconvenient tour with the one person he couldn’t stand seemed like the much better option.

“I was about to give our new guest a tour of the castle,” Jon offered, hoping he sounded convincing. “That’s quite alright, I can handle it. You don’t need to keep the great lords waiting,” Catelyn stated, detaching herself from Ned’s side.

Jon took a deep breath.

As he imagined, the small council was not pleased with the fact that they’d brought home a foreign princess. He stood at his father’s side as the Lords bickered, their voices amplified by the stone walls. By the end of it all, Jon would be rubbing his temples the way his father was.

“As I’ve said before gentlemen, I have considered all options and this treaty is the only one that works. Both now and in the future,” Ned defended.

“It’s ludacris!” Karstark bellowed.

“A betrayal to our values,” shouted Umber.

They'd even managed to make Lord Umber mad, and the Umbers were the strongest supporters of the Starks.

The Lords of the North weren’t ‘yes men’ by any means. They were direct and staunch and not afraid to be honest with their king. The only time they feared him was when he was in a wrathful mood. And Jon had only seen his father that way once, when he announced his wish for the legitimization.

Jon remembered sitting outside the great room with Robb, their ears pressed to the heavy wooden door as they did for every council meeting. However, they weren’t prepared for the news they were about to hear.

“I want to make a motion to legitimize my son Jon, so he will succeed me to the throne.”

The room erupted into shouts, in much the same manner Jon experienced now, as Jon and Robb pulled their ears away from the door to stare at each other with agape mouths and wide eyes. At only ten years old they understood the implications. Both of their lives were about to change.

Jon found Roose Bolton situated in a far corner, his face was always hard to read but his expression at this latest news was plain. Exasperation. The voices around them continued but Jon stared at Bolton. There was something else behind his usually stoic face and Jon wanted to find out what it was.

The room quieted and Jon realized his father was speaking to him.

“Jon?”

“Yes?”

“Your thoughts on the treaty?”

Jon had been looking for an opportunity to reveal his true feelings on the matter but looking at his father he knew what he needed to do.

“I’m not fond of the marriage aspect of it. The Princess is … difficult and has a lot against her. But my personal life doesn’t come before the needs of our country and I stand by my father’s decision. If he believes this will protect our people, then I believe it too.”

“Has the princess agreed to this arrangement?” Lord Bolton spoke up.

“She has asked for more time to make her decision,” Ned reported.

“How much time?”

“A month, at most. Even if she takes all that long, we’ll still have plenty of time to import goods and build shelters.”

“And what if she says no? Her country has nothing to gain from this except our assimilation.”

Their voices rose again at the thought of a bent knee. Jon let his eyes wander the room of red-faced lords. He’d said his piece, there was nothing to do but wait.

The sound of a fist connecting with the long wooden table silenced everyone in the room and brought Jon’s attention back.

“We are not assimilating with the south. We keep our freedom and our ways but more importantly we keep our people alive. Without them, the North is nothing. This meeting is adjourned.”

The Northern lords filed out, grumbling about the news. The secretary followed behind, arranging the notes from the meeting turned screaming match.

Ned sat back down, letting out a strong cough as he did.

“They’ll understand once everything is set,” Jon assured his father.

“I know but I doubt I’ll be able to stand their complaining while we wait,” Ned joked but his laughter turned into a cough followed by another.

“Are you alright?” Jon asked as he handed his father the water glass from the table.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured his son, “Just adjusting to the change in air. You know what I always say-”

“Starks never fare well in the South,” they stated together.

Now more than ever, that statement rang true.

#jonerys #jon snow x daenerys targaryen #jonerysfanfic #jonerys fanfiction #ao3 #ao3 link

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fantastic-bby · 4 years

Text

Business Is Business - Mafia AU

Chapter 1

Word count: 5k

Warnings: Mafia involvement, murder, suicide, self harm, violence

Chap.2 || Chap.3 || Chap.4 || Chap.5 ||

Their breaths came out as fogs as they walked through the streets of Seoul. His hands were full of bags as he tried to keep up with his sister, his whines never ceasing to how she was making him carry all the bags.

“Hyun Jae, why can’t you carry any of the bags?” He whined out. Hyun Jae turned around to him, walking backwards, and lifted the tiniest of the bags that was in her hand as well as her clutch in her other,

“My hands are full, Hongjoong. Sorry.” She snickered at him before turning back around. He let out a groan, the sound of the bags dropping to the floor making her stop her footsteps and turn around to face him.

“Why did we buy so much shit again? It’s not like we’re going to stay in that apartment often anyway.” He grumbled as he looked at the amount of bags that were sitting on the pavement.

“Most of it is either food or your stuff.” She shrugged, finally helping him to carry some of the bags, “Four of these bags are from the music store and only one of them is mine.” Hongjoong stretched his back,

“God, I feel like an old man.” He let out another groan, a small crack coming from his back before peeking into the bags, “The heavier bags are the ones filled with things you bought from Typo and Miniso.” He said to her matter-of-factly. Hyun Jae stuck her tongue out at him, putting down one of the bags and picking up one of the lighter ones,

“I was about to carry a heavy bag but now you carry all the heavy bags.” She turned on the heel of her boot and started walking. He quickly picked up the bags and jogged to keep up with her.

“Yah! Kim Hyun Jae!” He called out with a sigh as he chased after her.

“We’re almost at the train station so you’ll be able to rest.” She said as she pulled one of the bags from his hands, the softer side she had for her brother starting to show as they approached the entrance to the train station.

They made their way down and into the station, stepping into the train. They were lucky there were two empty seats right as they stepped in and Hongjoong quickly sat down and dumped the bags on the floor with a sigh. Hyun Jae took a seat beside him and watched as he stretched.

“My entire body is going to ache so bad tomorrow. Why did we go shopping a day before dance practice?” He groaned, finally relaxing in the plastic seat of the train. “I’m just glad we’re going home.” He leaned his head back against the glass as Hyun Jae pulled her phone out of her poofy winter jacket, her eyes widening and her lips parted slightly.

“Joong,” She held her phone up in front of his face, his eyes widening at the sudden action. His wide eyes squinted as he read the message,

“No way.” He reached into the pocket of his jacket to pull out of his own phone. He let out a laugh, quickly stifling it when he received strange looks from the other passengers. “I can’t believe he actually got caught.” He lowered his voice and continued to read the news article sent by his members, “I actually thought he would get away with it.”

“Yeah, you did.” She snorted as she held her hand out in front of him. He rolled his eyes as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a 10 thousand won note, slapping it in her hand. “Min Yu may be smart but he’s not thorough enough at hiding evidence and I had to clean it up for him once.”

“I know, I was hoping I could just win some money.” He sighed, “What did they find?” He asked as he pulled his earphones out of his pocket.

“According to Jongho he left his beanie at the murder site. What a genius.” She rolled her eyes before locking her phone and putting it in her pocket. He plugged one of his earphones into his ears and held up the other. “New song?” She asked when she saw the earphone. She plugged it into her ear, “Tell me again how you’re going to debut as a Kpop idol and have time for the business?” She asked as he scrolled through the audio files on his phone.

“The other guys can handle on their own if we’re busy. They can always call me if they need me.” He shrugged, pressing play on one of the songs. “We finally finished it. It’s called “Treasure.” The song was amazing, leaving Hyun Jae speechless and in awe as she listened to the song.

Both of them had a musical passion but Hongjoong was the only one actively pursuing it by becoming a trainee at KQ Entertainment. Hyun Jae on the other hand, was more interested in psychology. She spent her time studying the human mind, emotions and body language. Her ability to read a person by just talking to them for a moment was a key benefit for their ‘side job’.

“This sounds amazing.” She said as she pulled out the earphone, “Is this the song you’re debuting with?” She asked him, her eyes sparkling with admiration for her brother.

“Treasure and Pirate King are the title tracks for the first EP.” He nodded. He had already played Pirate King for his sister a few days back and told her he was only going to play her the rest of the EP after they officially release it.

“I can’t wait for the release. I’m so proud of you, Joong.” She smiled at him, “I’m sure if mum and dad were still here they’d be proud too. You know how much they wanted you to become an idol.” She bumped his shoulder with hers.

“Thanks, Jae.” He smiled back, his eyes trailing to the floor of the train, “If they were still here they’d probably laugh at Min Yu too.” He snorted. They shared a look, taking a moment to silently mourn their late parents.

“If they were still alive they would whip us so bad for the way we handle the business.” Hyun Jae spoke up with a chuckle.

“Oh yeah, definitely.” Hongjoong laughed. “Dad would be so upset that we don’t spend all of our time at the office.” He looked at Hyun Jae, “Mum would be so pissed that I dragged you into it.”

“I couldn’t leave you to do this alone. We haven’t been separated since we were born, what makes them think we’d part ways if one of us had to join the mafia.” She laughed, shaking her head slightly.

“Are we ever going to part ways?” He asked after a moment. The question was sudden and it made his sister look up at him in slight shock. She didn’t know how to answer him. They were bound to part ways and the thought of it saddened both of them as they were hoping it wouldn’t happen too soon. “I meant before one of us ends up getting married. We’re not going to separate before that, right?” He looked up at her, the glint of anxiety in eyes making her understand that he was as scared as she was about losing one another.

“I won’t leave you, Hongjoong. I promise.” She raised her pinky finger out in front of him and he smiled slightly, raising his own to lock their pinkies together.

“Twins forever, right?”

“Of course.” She nodded. Once the train reached their stop, Hongjoong was more than ready to just get home and lay down to soothe his already aching body. They were lucky that the stop was literally right outside their apartment building which meant less walking for both of them. They made their way up the building and stepped into the apartment, the sound of bags almost violently rustling as Hongjoong struggled to make his way into the apartment. Hyun Jae was following behind him, locking the door and laughing at his effort.

“It’s not funny! I might fall and die!” He whined out when he heard her laughter.

“Okay! Okay, sorry!” She laughed as she helped him with the bags. They dumped the bags on the carpeted floor of their living room, Hongjoong letting out a sigh at the relief of letting go of the weight on his arms.

“Please tell me we don’t have to do another shopping spree too soon.” He groaned out as he massaged his arms.

“I think we’re pretty set for now. We have all the food we need for what looks like the next month.” Hyun Jae answered as she looked through the bags. She went and started to restock their kitchen, letting her brother use the shower first. She carried her bags into her bedroom, looking through everything she had bought. She pulled out a vintage polaroid camera from one of the bags and placed it on her shelf among other vintage items.

She took a step back and admired the shelf, her collection was slowly growing as the years were passing and she felt a sense of pride fill her heart. The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing made her grab her robe, heading out of her room only to be faced with Hongjoong in the living room, full moon on display and towel on the floor.

“JOONG!” She screamed as she covered her eyes, “What did I say about being naked?!” She scolded him.

“Sorry!” He quickly picked his towel back up off of the floor, “My towel dropped on the way back to my room!” She only opened her eyes when she heard his bedroom door shut.

“Next time your towel drops just run into your room!” She yelled out, receiving a muffled ‘sorry’ from his bedroom. Being roommates with her identical twin brother meant she had to set ground rules so that he wouldn’t do dumb things out of his bedroom.

Hyun Jae was slightly more mature than Hongjoong was when it came to family and whenever they were at home but Hongjoong was, in general, more mature than his sister was; especially when it came to business. Hongjoong was the leader of their mob. After their father had passed away a few years before, their mother had to take charge. But with a scuffle with a rival gang, Hongjoong was forced to take charge along with Hyun Jae.

The original plan was that he would be a mob boss on his own, but knowing his tendency to trust people more easily that he should, his sister took to his side. She didn’t doubt his ability as a leader for once second but she was worried he would overstep certain details when running the mob. He wasn’t as thorough as she was. She was a perfectionist - not meticulously - and she was way more observant than he was, meaning she would be able to pinpoint a person’s behaviour before he could and was able to judge whether they could trust them or not.

Their bond was strong. Most of the men that worked under them felt as if them working together was better than if only one of them was on their own. They had that connection only twins would have, being able to understand each other’s feelings and thoughts on a level that seemed as though their minds were one. It was almost telepathic and it seemed to scare new people. No one had been able to get between them. Attempts made by rival mobs to try and turn them on each other failed miserably and soon most mobs and gangs already knew better than to try and make tear them apart.

Hyun Jae took a quick shower, stepping out of the bathroom in her robe. Hongjoong was stood in the kitchen with his phone pressed to his ear,

“It’s not that fucking hard!” He yelled into the phone. Hyun Jae stood at the counter, drying her hair with a towel as she listened to the conversation once she realised he was using his work phone. “Do we have to clean his mess every time? Exactly. Tie him up, Hyun Jae and I will be there soon.” He sighed as he ended the call, squeezing the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

“The rookie again?” Hyun Jae asked and Hongjoong nodded.

“God, he’s actually incompetent.” He angrily put his phone on the counter, standing with his hands on his hips for a moment, “We have to go down there. We gotta get rid of him.” He sighed once again.

“You messed up too many times, kid.” Hyun Jae said, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the rookie. His hands were bound behind his back and he was sitting on a chair, fear etched on his face.

“I-I’m sorry. P-Please d-d-don’t k-kill me.” He whimpered out.

“There’s nothing else we can do. We can’t just let you off the hook that easily. You know too much already.” She looked him dead in the eye, “I already gave you a warning before this mission. It’s not that easy to fuck up that job especially with Yunho’s guidance. All you needed to do was get information and get out. How the fuck did you fuck that up?!” She exploded. He winced at the sudden change in tone of her voice. “Now the government could be on our tail and it’s your fault. Too many fuck ups and too big of one. You’re out.” She moved away from him.

“Sorry, kid. We just can’t let you run free.” Hongjoong shrugged as he turned to one of his men, “Don’t let his body be found.” He ordered him.

“No! Wait” The rookie cried out as two men started to pick him up. “Please! I won’t tell anyone!” He continued to cry as they dragged him out of the room. Hyun Jae massaged her temples with her fingers,

“I told you he would fuck up. He’s a kid.” She groaned, her eyes shut as she heard Hongjoong let out a sigh from beside her,

“I was hoping we could save him. Who else did he have?”

“Hyung,” The voice of one of their younger members made them look up. Jongho had peeked his head into the room.

“What is it?” Hongjoong asked.

“Yunho hyung and Yeosang hyung cleaned up the trail. It should be okay now.” He said, gesturing for them to leave the room and to follow him. The twins followed him out and into the computer room, one of the walls lined with a small row of computer monitors. They were met with the other members of the group Hongjoong was going to debut with; their most trusted members of the mob.

“Sorry about that, Hongjoong hyung and Hyun Jae noona.” Yunho sat up from one of the desks, his face full of regret. “I shouldn’t have let him do it but I wanted him to learn. Yeosang managed to wipe our digital trail and attach it to another device offshore.” He explained.

“I don’t blame you. I shouldn’t have let him into this in the first place.” Hongjoong sighed, giving Yunho a light pat on the back. They all nodded, lowering their heads slightly. All eight of the members had their strengths, making their mob stronger in multiple different methods.

Right under Hongjoong and Hyun Jae was Seonghwa, the oldest among all of them. He was the most mature out of all of them; slightly more mature as Hongjoong was. He came from a background that wasn’t exactly too wealthy but he was worth more than anyone else in the mob. He was good at theft - more specifically grand theft - and was able to steal loads of money and valuable items without being caught. He didn’t need anyone to clear his footprints, he was able to leave clean and fund the mob without much hassle.

Yunho was in charge of stealing information physically and often worked with Yeosang. He knew how the inside of the Korean government worked and was able to provide information on how to work around their system. His ability to sneak into buildings had found them the plans for advanced weaponry, the most hunted mobs, and ways to evade the government. His ability had managed to save the mob from being slaughtered after he had found out when and where the government were going to look next.

Yeosang was their tech guy. Years and years of gaming had led him to building a strategic mind. He knew how to break every firewall and knew how to get into the digital database of any top secret government facility. His digital knowledge combined with Yunho’s ability had allowed them to successfully complete break ins cleanly. His love for drones had also led him to pick up creating and inventing multiple devices that only needed him to work from a computer, making it easier for them to cover up their trail when he needed to complete a job. There were times where he didn’t leave the office, sending in other men with his creations to finish the job successfully.

San was among the top three in their group. He was the best at bribery and knew every corrupt police officer in South Korea. He had the most connections in and out of Korea. He could get his hands on any information required on any government and his strength in martial arts also made it easier for him to travel around without any extra people to keep him safe. He could blend into groups and disappear from anyone that was targeting him. He and Seonghwa’s families had worked together prior to joining Hongjoong, both of them sharing their abilities to commit multiple crimes together for the benefit of their mobs.

Mingi was the riskiest out of all of them. He was the most willing to do everything and anything and he was the best at handling weapons. His aim on a gun was the best, his knife skills were peaked and he could learn how to use any weapon within a short span of time. He was their shield, leaving misleading evidence to keep cops off of their trail and was the only one who had ever let off a C4 before. He was also their sniper. His precise aim could take out anyone from miles away and he was usually the first one to let them know whether it was safe to continue or not.

Wooyoung was their interrogator. He knew his way around torture and kidnap, bringing back useful bodies for information. He was in charge of every interrogation and had been successful for a good majority of his torture. He seemed to have a knack for interrogation, originally wanting to join the police force but had to change his path when he had accidentally stained himself with a criminal record with a petty crime. After he met Hongjoong, his desire for being in the police force quickly changed to him growing on being on the opposite side.

Their youngest and strongest member was Jongho. His strength could take down guards and officers almost twice his size and he knew Hongjoong and Hyun Jae even before he joined their mob due to their father’s being allies. He was feared by most gangs and even the men that worked under the twins for his strength. He was the only one among them that could fight the longest due to his stamina, typically working alongside San to make the job easier since Jongho wasn’t that good at working alone. He couldn’t disappear as well as the other members and working with San was slowly teaching him how he could blend into the crowd when needed.

All of them were close. Their relationships with Hongjoong also bloomed a close relationship with Hyun Jae. They were able to separate their lives in the mafia from their personal lives. Business meant business and family meant family but they had created a bond together that was stronger than family. All of them willing to die for each other. Hongjoong knew they could make mistakes but he also knew that they were capable of picking themselves us and taking their own consequences, making him trust them even more. Both him and Hyun Jae knew that without them, the mob would’ve been caught long ago.

“Hyun Jae noona, has Hongjoong hyung played you Treasure yet?” San asked as they left restaurant that was hiding their office.

“Yeah, it’s really good.” She nodded, “He played it for me just now when we were on the train. It has a great melody, good rhythm and amazing vocals.” She winked at him, a small blush creeping on his cheeks.

“Whose voice do you think is the best?” Yunho asked, knowing that question would most likely put her on the spot.

“If I had to choose? Mine.” She joked, earning a whine from him. “I don’t want to make anyone feel shitty, but Jongho’s vocals are always the most impressive.” She commented, sticking her hands in the pocket of her jacket as the temperature seemed to drop a bit more.

“Of course they are,” Hongjoong scoffed, “That’s why he’s our main vocalist.” He turned to Jongho who was smiling proudly, feeling himself fill with warmth at the praise he was getting from his older members.

“ATEEZ is going to be huge. I can feel it.” Hyun Jae smiled at them, all of them flashing her smiles with their eyes full of excitement.

“Noona, are you going to follow us on tour?” Wooyoung asked. They were all hoping she could tag along, but with having to take care of the mob, she was too worried to leave Korea with her brother.

“I don’t think so, Wooyoungie.” She shook her head, Hongjoong quickly turning his head towards her,

“What? Why?” He asked. He hadn’t officially asked her to follow along but he was hoping she would, not wanting to leave her on her own.

“I don’t want to leave the mob alone. At least if I stay, I can try and keep things in line until you get back.” She explained.

“Jae, come on, they can handle themselves. I trust Jung Hee hyung has been here since dad was, so I trust him to take care of everything.” Hongjoong put a hand on her back, “Please, Jae?” He pleaded, a small pout of his lips.

“Okay, fine.” She nodded, looking at the happy expressions on all of the faces of her friends, “I’ll come along. It’ll be fun, right?”

“Definitely!” San nodded excitedly, “We’re gonna have so much fun. We’ll teach you how to dance!” He skipped. Hyun Jae giggled at how happy he was.

“Are you guys going home?” Hongjoong asked when they reached the entrance of the train station.

“Jongho and I have something we need to do.” Seonghwa shook his head, “My brother needs help.”

“You guys gonna be alright on your own?” Hyun Jae asked. They all nodded,

“We’ll be fine. It’s not too big of a deal, just need to beat some people up.” He shrugged in response. She nodded at him.

“If anything happens, just give any of us a call, alright?” Hongjoong gave Seonghwa a pat on the back, waving at him and Jongho as they walked the opposite direction.

“We’re gonna head back first.” Wooyoung spoke after waving at Seonghwa, “We’re super hungry right now.” He gestured to him, San and Yeosang.

“We haven’t had dinner yet so we’re gonna grab something to eat in this area. You wanna join us?” Yeosang asked.

“It’s fine, I’m super tired.” Hongjoong shook his head, “Jae and I just got back from shopping when Yunho called and my body hurts.” He grimaced as he thought of how much his arms and back were going to feel the next day.

“Joong’s a baby and he had to carry heavy bags.” Hyun Jae snickered at him, earning a punch to her shoulder. She scowled at Hongjoong.

“She didn’t help me carry the bags at all.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“You shouldn’t make a girl carry heavy bags, hyung. Even if it’s your sister.” Mingi teased his hyung.

“Whatever, I’m going home.” Hongjoong threw his arms up and grumbled as he walked into the train station, laughter erupting from his friends. Hyun Jae gave all of them a quick wave before chasing after her brother.

They all shared apartments with each other to ensure the safety of their group. It was too risky to let them live on their own and they all agreed on a roommate system. Jongho and Seonghwa shared an apartment nearby Mingi and Yunho’s. Wooyoung, Yeosang and San shared an apartment that was in the same area as Hyun Jae and Hongjoong which led to them being constant uninvited guests at each other’s places.

Wooyoung was constantly at the twins’ apartment whenever Yeosang and San were out, emptying their fridge and claiming that he was too lazy to buy his own food even though there was a convenience store right beside his building. Wooyoung’s habit of eating their food was the reason Hongjoong insisted on bringing home so much food when they were shopping. He knew his fellow member would come over constantly and was sure the fridge would clear even before they were to debut in the next month.

The ride back to the apartment was silent between the two, both of them tired and ready to head to sleep. The moment they stepped into their apartment, Hongjoong made a beeline to his room. Hyun Jae instead made her way to the cabinets and pulled out a whiskey bottle. She pulled a glass out of another cabinet and filled up the glass with alcohol before putting away the bottle.

She went out to the balcony and made sure to close the door before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. She lifted the cigarette to her lips, taking a puff. The burning in her throat from the smoke as it filled her lungs brought a sense of peace to her mind. The added burning sensation when she drank the liquor warmed her body in the winter temperature.

The habit of smoking was something inherited from their parents. Hongjoong stayed away from cigarettes, not wanting to stress his throat and lungs too much but Hyun Jae didn’t. She didn’t mean to pick up the habit but curiosity led to her using cigarettes occasionally. It wasn’t an addiction. She told herself that since she could go a few days without smoking before she felt like she needed to. Hongjoong wasn’t exactly bothered by it but the only rule he set down when they got the apartment was that she wasn’t allowed to smoke indoors and was only allowed to smoke on the balcony if she was home.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket after feeling a buzz, looking at the notification.

You reach home okay?

It was from Yeosang.

Yea, I’m on the balcony right now.

That’s good. I’m glad you’re coming on tour. We can spend more time together.

The relationship she had with Yeosang was different and slightly complicated. There was no denying that there was chemistry between the two but for the sake of Yeosang, they had to hide their relationship. If Hongjoong was to find out that he was interested in her, he would beat him up or do worse. He was protective over his sister; especially when it came to the mob. The last member of the mob who took interest in Hyun Jae ended up being hidden in the ocean. The unspoken restrictions from Hongjoong still didn’t stop them from letting a relationship blossom between them. Yeosang would always make sure Hyun Jae would get home safe after the twins would leave the office.

The sound of the balcony door opening made her turn around to see Hongjoong stepping out onto the balcony. Hyun Jae quickly slipped her phone in her pocket and put out the cigarette on the ashtray that sat on the metal rail.

“What are you doing out here? I thought you were tired.” She questioned as she watched him lean against the rail.

“Didn’t feel tired enough.” He shrugged. They looked out at the town, watching as cars and people passing by.

“Hongjoong,” She spoke up, earning a hum from him. “Should I really go on tour with you guys?” She asked, turning to her brother who was still looking out. “I don’t know how I feel about leaving the mob alone like this.” She said. He pursed his lips before turning to face her,

“I really want you to come along, Hyun Jae.” His eyes were asking her to come. She didn’t want to say no but she was paranoid. “I know you’re worried about the mob but I seriously feel like they can handle things without us. I mean, we’re already bringing along eight of our members. Why not we bring you as well?” Her eyes were unknowingly scanning his body language as he spoke and she knew that he was worried too. But his trust in the men that had worked with their parents for years was strong enough that he could push past his worry. Maybe she could too. “If you don’t come they’re gonna bully me.” He joked.

“They bully you either way.” She rolled her eyes with a laugh, “Just because I’m one minute older doesn’t mean I have to beat up your bullies for you.”

“That’s what older sisters are for!” He whined. “You’re supposed to protect me!” He grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her back and forth, “Jae, come with us, pleeeeeaaaase!” He pleaded as he shook her.

“Okay, okay, okay!” She yelled as she tried to get him to stop. He stopped once she spoke. “I’ll follow you guys, sheesh.” She moved her hair out of her face and watched as he started jumping in excitement.

“Yay! You’re coming with us!” He looked like a child who had just gotten candy, jumping up and down before running into the apartment. Hyun Jae laughed as she watched. The paranoia in her heart quickly disappeared. The decision to follow them on tour felt like a good idea. It felt right.

#ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fan fiction #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #kim hongjoong #park seonghwa #jeong yunho #kang yeosang #song mingi #choi san #jung wooyoung #choi jongho #kpop imagines

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chikabiddy · 4 years

Text

In winter it's a marshmallow world

This story was written for the LoVe Gift Exchange for @nicemom93

It was incredibly nerve-wracking to write for you because your stories are always perfection. But I hope you enjoy it!

It is Part One of the (hopefully) three-part story titled In Winter, It’s A Marshmallow World (based on the Christmas song A Marshmallow World).

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22021237

Veronica scanned the flight information board for the third time since sitting down in the gate waiting area. Rolling her neck and shoulders to ease the building tension, she relaxed into her seat and closed her eyes. There was an hour to go before her flight to Neptune. As bored as she was, she was grateful this was a connecting flight and she didn’t have to go through security again.

The security at JFK had been a nightmare. Literally, a nightmare. Nothing like fighting through thousands of rushed, angry, screaming people to get you into the holiday spirit. She didn’t like crowds on the best of days, but the holidays were infinitely worse.

She wouldn’t even be here if her dad hadn’t bought her tickets without actually asking her first. Her initial reaction was disappointment. The allure of an empty campus and the library to herself, so she could study without distraction, was nigh irresistible. But when she heard the excitement in her dad’s voice after he told her his plan, she changed her mind. If it made him happy… well, she was all about making him happy these days, why not add this to the list.

Logan couldn’t believe he was going back to Neptune again. Dick all but begged him. Logan had declined, initially. But he hadn’t seen Dick in almost a year and so here he was, struggling his way through the airport crowds to catch a last-minute flight back to Neptune.

He made it to his gate just before the first call to board. A personal worst. I’m never traveling this close to a holiday again.

Scanning the crowd reflexively, his eyes caught on a shade of blond hair he’d never forget. He thought he must be seeing things, willing into reality what he’d had so many fantasies about. It’s never been her before.

He turned away, looking for an open seat, but his eyes kept drawing back to the blond. The curve of her neck, she shape of her shoulders - it felt so familiar and he couldn’t look away.

He stepped towards her involuntarily, desperate to know for sure, then shook his head and turned away. Get a hold of yourself and stop acting like a hormonal teenager. Whoever that is doesn’t need you being creepy. Then he heard her sigh and watched her stretch her arms over her head.

It wasn’t a fantasy, it wasn’t another case of mistaken identity, she was here. Veronica. The name alone was reserved only for his dreams. Until now.

Rubbing the back of his neck and adjusting his carry-on back to his shoulder, he debated what to do. Should I approach her? Leave her alone? It had been so long. Perhaps she wouldn’t appreciate seeing him as much as he was desperate to see her.

The call for priority boarding shook him out of the anxiety-driven haze he’d been caught in, and he realized it was now or never. If he didn’t at least try, he’d regret losing this chance forever. Five years is a long time, maybe long enough that she’ll have softened towards me.

_______________________________________________________________

The din of airport noise stirred Veronica from her half-slumber. Ignoring the call for priority boarding, she rubbed her eyes to dispel the last of her sleepiness.

“Veronica?”

She froze and didn’t dare look up. She had to be imagining it, that voice. She’d heard he joined the Navy, surely he couldn’t really be here. But the light hand on her shoulder, followed by another-

“Veronica?”

-told her she hadn’t imagined anything. Now if only she could get herself to look him in the eye. Cowboy up, Mars. It’s not like you haven’t been dreaming about this exact moment for years. She didn’t realize how long she’d been silently still until the hand left her shoulder and that voice, soft as a whisper, said:

“Sorry, I thought you might not want to see me. I’ll leave you alone.”

“No!” She found the strength to move, flipping around and reaching for his retreating hand. The tightness in her chest and throat released only when he stopped and looked back, hand clasped in hers.

“Logan,” she managed to breathe out.

His trademark smirk flashed across his face before settling into the most beautiful, genuine smile she’d ever seen. God, I thought I imagined how good he looks and here he is, aged like a fine wine.

They stared at each other far too long, hands still linked until the next boarding call broke them both from the trance they were under. Their hands fell, Veronica’s to her lap and Logan’s to his side.

Veronica managed words first. “What are you doing here? Are you on this flight?”

“Yeah,” Logan affirmed. “It’s my first holiday not stuck in a tin can, and Dick practically promised me his firstborn if I spend it with him.”

“I’m not sure that’s such a good deal for you.”

“Well… you take what you can get.”

“So.” She hated the stilted awkwardness overshadowing their conversation and tried to break the ice, so to speak. “You were coerced into holiday celebrations too, huh?”

“I take it returning to Neptune wasn’t your idea?”

Veronica returned his knowing smile. “All my dad. He booked the flight without even asking. So I really couldn’t say no.”

“You’ll have to thank him for me.”

The conversation stalled. Veronica was a little unsure of what to say, or where she stood with Logan. Just say something. Ask him about the Navy!

“So, the Navy...”

It was still hard to wrap her mind around Navy Logan. She’d heard, of course, but she’d always struggled to envision it.

Logan hesitated a moment, eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her want to avert her eyes. Don’t you dare look away, Mars.

“Yeah, it’s been a lifesaver. Gives me a direction when I was pretty adrift before.”

Veronica swallowed the guilt, responding with all the enthusiasm she could muster, “That’s great!”

He probably saw right through her. He always had before. But she kept the facade up, willing him not to look too close and realize how responsible she felt for his feeling lost. For feeling like he needed something to save him.

He broke her out of her guilt-spiral.

“So, where are you sitting?”

Veronica realized how empty the gate seating had become. Shit. How did I not notice that? Luckily, there was still a bit of a line waiting to board so their chance meeting wasn’t holding up the flight.

“Uhm, C34.”

“Window seat, huh?”

“My dad knows me well.”

“Well, hey… what if…” he trailed off a moment, scrunching up his face. “I could upgrade you.”

He spoke so fast he nearly stumbled over the words and it took a couple seconds for Veronica to register what he said.

“Upgrade my seat?”

“Yeah. I could get you in first class. We can keep catching up.”

Veronica wanted to say yes. She wanted so badly to say yes and spend the next hour and a half getting to know Logan as he was now. God, do I want to say yes. But, though she’d done a lot of work on herself and truly tried to be more open and willing to ask for help, she still couldn’t handle feeling like a charity case.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Is it really you letting me when I offered? I’m glad to do it.”

“Thank you, Logan, really.” She shook her head. Why am I saying no, again? Oh, yeah. Pride. As mad at herself as she was for passing up a first-class upgrade with Logan as her companion, she couldn’t accept the offer. “But I can’t.”

Rather than getting upset, which was what she was expecting, Logan smiled slightly. “I thought you might say that. Well, another time then?”

“Final boarding, flight D224 non-stop to Neptune.”

“I think that means us.” Veronica stood as she spoke, draping her bag over her shoulder. “But yes, definitely. Another time.”

Logan followed her to the gate and down into the plane. As they stepped up into the narrow hall, Veronica realized it might be years before she saw him again. She stopped just before showing her boarding pass to the flight attendant and made an awkward turn in the cramped passage.

“It was great to see you again, Logan.” She stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him like she wanted to cling to this moment. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered. Dropping her arms, she gave a mock salute. “Catch you later, sailor.”

________________________________________________________________

Logan hadn’t felt this unsteady in years. The therapy and coping techniques he learned were supposed to keep him from feeling like this again. But he wasn’t too surprised. Veronica always had a way of destabilizing him.

“Boarding pass?”

The flight attendant’s clipped tone told Logan he’d missed the first, and probably the second, time she asked. He moved to hand it over when he had an idea.

“I’m in first class,” he told the attendant. “But that woman I walked on with? She’s an old friend. I’d like to see if the person sitting next to her wants to take my first class seat so I can sit with her.”

The raised eyebrow of the attendant betrayed her suspicion. “You want to downgrade to economy? Why don’t you just upgrade her?”

“I already offered,” Logan sighed. “But she declined.”

“She declined?” Her piercing stare made him feel he was being judged. “Well, maybe that means she doesn’t want to sit with you.”

Logan sighed out his frustration. “Did the hug she gave me look like she was dying to get away from me?” He took another anger-expelling breath. “Can you just go ask the person sitting next to her if he or she would like to upgrade?”

“I guess.” The attendant didn’t manage to hide her skepticism.

“She’s in seat C34,” he called to her retreating form.

Logan tapped his feet, leaning against the flight attendant seat while he waited. He’d run through five relaxation techniques before the flight attendant returned, a greasy old man following close behind.

“This is the gentlemen,” the inflection on the word said she thought Logan was anything but, “who would like to trade seats with you.”

“Trade to first class?” The man looked to Logan, a hint of understanding in his eyes. “I never could resist a blond, either.”

“She’s an old friend,” he said back, voice stoney. All the therapy tools in the world would never get him to feel less protective of Veronica. “So, you’re willing to trade?”

“Gladly.” He rubbed his hands together and turned to the flight attendant. “Lead the way.”

The attendant rolled her eyes but turned towards first class. “I’m assuming you know where to go?” she shot back over her shoulder to Logan.

“Yeah, I’ve got it.”

But they had already disappeared through the dividing curtain. Logan made his way to row 34, near the back of the plane. He spotted Veronica staring out her window and smiled at the sight. Five years. It changed nothing and everything.

“Excuse me.” He slipped past a girl, who looked barely old enough to fly on her own, sitting on the aisle seat.

He’d settled in his seat before he felt Veronica’s eyes on him. He waited for the confrontation he knew was coming.

“What are you doing back here?”

His eyes widened then he frowned slightly. “What, you disappointed? That guy I traded seats with did look like excellent company.” He broke into a grin, unable to hold the ruse any longer. “Though I’m not sure I could pull him away from the luxury of first class to get him back for you.”

“Aww,” Veronica replied in her trademark Amber voice. “You remembered how much I love sleazy old guys!”

He chuckled, taking satisfaction as she played along with him.

“For real, though. You traded seats? Did you at least get a refund?”

Logan scoffed. “Of course not. Do you think Mr. Grease was going to fork over the seven hundred dollar difference between his seat and mine?”

“Losing seven hundred dollars just to sit by me? If I didn’t know better I’d think you have a crush on me.”

Her fluttering lashes, her lightly flushed cheeks, her teasing smile. It was all he could do to not kiss her right there. He shook his head slightly at the ridiculousness of that thought.

“So you’re not denying it?”

Veronica snapped him back to the present. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so scattered. He’d need a double session with his therapist to help him unravel his jumble of emotions.

“Sorry,” he quipped. “That’s classified information. Top secret. You have to have special clearance to access it.”

“And how does one get this special clearance?”

Is she flirting? This feels like flirting. But he had a tendency to see what he wanted to see when it came to Veronica; he’d have to wait for something more concrete before making any assumptions.

“That is also classified.”

“Then how does anyone get clearance?”

“You don’t get clearance, clearance gets you.”

Veronica laughed and his whole body felt light and warm. He missed this so much, having someone to banter with, someone to understand him in a way no one else could.

He and Veronica continued chatting about everything small and unimportant. Though the conversation paused as Veronica prepared for take-off. She clutched the armrests tightly until the plane leveled out.

After a few minutes of neither of them knowing what to say, Veronica broke the silence.

“So,” the trepidation in her voice was overt. “Direction from the Navy? How’d that come about.”

Chuckling at her not-so-subtle dig for information, Logan took a moment to consider what she was really asking him: What changed you so much that you joined the military? The answer was too heavy for a first reunion plane ride. The diluted version will have to do.

He pulled his hand from the armrest and rubbed the back of his neck. Three years in the Navy wasn’t enough to purge him of this particular nervous habit.

“You remember what I was like our first year of college?” He started off simple, trying to ease into what would be a difficult conversation, watered-down or not.

“Brooding? Tortured? Drifting?” Her soft shoulder bump, and all the time he put into building his confidence in himself, took the sting from her assessment.

“Basically. All of the above.”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes glistened ever so slightly and he had to look away. I don’t want her reading me like I am her. Not yet.

“Well,” he cleared his throat. “You can only drift for so long before you get lost. The Navy was like a life raft for me. It came unexpectedly, but when I needed it most. And it’s no exaggeration to say the Navy literally saved me, mostly from myself.”

Veronica’s reassuring grip on his arm helped him lift his gaze back to hers. The space between them crackled with an energy that was so familiar, almost like no time had passed at all.

________________________________________________________________

Veronica felt the familiar spark of energy and excitement that always seemed to permeate the air whenever she was within fifty feet of Logan. She realized, much to her delight, in five years nothing had changed. Logan’s ever-pulsing magnetism had only strengthened in their time apart. The difference now? The current warmth cast in stark relief the devoid meaningless of life without him.

And she never wanted to feel that emptiness again.

The realization hit her like a freight train.

You don’t want to live without him… so what are you going to do about it, Veronica?

She knew how she felt, knew what she wanted, but would Logan want the same? Was their turbulent history too much to overcome? Have I pushed him so far I can’t ever get him back?

There were only so many things she could control and guaranteeing Logan would feel the same as her wasn’t one of them. But she could control herself and make sure she did everything possible to try.

Her mind went into overdrive, thinking of how she could make up for the past, how she could convince him she was a safe bet to place. I have to show him how much I’ve grown.

Veronica hoped Logan would see and appreciate her resolve and progress. She had a feeling this would be their last chance to make it work.

Logan was still staring, and she was still clutching his arm. He seemed open and vulnerable in a way she’d rarely ever seen. Her heart swelled at the man Logan made of himself.

When Logan offered no further commentary on his life change, Veronica decided it was time to start talking herself up. Nothing like presenting yourself interview-style to show your progress.

“Well.” She pulled her hand back to her lap, giving him her most mischievous smile. “You’ll never guess what I started doing three years ago.”

Her inability to trust had always been a sticking point for Logan. She hoped voluntarily going to therapy would show him she was actively working on it.

Logan rubbed his chin, eyes lifted in mock contemplation. “Mmm, pole dancing? No. Drug smuggling. Or, maybe working as a hitman?”

Veronica laughed as she shook her head. Same old Logan. “Don’t I wish. I could have paid off my bachelor’s degree, my law school debt, and probably had money to spare!”

He leaned closer, one elbow now propped on their shared armrest supporting his head in the classic Toddlers in Tiaras pose. “Well, if it isn’t about money I have to know.”

“Not all of us have had a trust fund from birth,” she scoffed, waving his words away like nagging flies. “Though I’m assuming most of that sits in an investment account while you live off your salary.”

“Right on both counts. But we were talking about you.”

“Were we? I can’t seem to remember now.”

“Oh, I’ll get it out of you, one way or another.”

“Logan,” she mock-scolded in a growling whisper. “We are in a very public setting right now.”

He crinkled his eyes, adopting his brooding look. “Sorry, Bobcat, you make it impossible to resist.”

Veronica’s heart fluttered with excitement. He called me Bobcat. That has to be a good sign, right?

“Okay, okay. If you stop looking at me like a kicked puppy I’ll tell you.” She steadied herself with a deep breath, then blurted out before she could reconsider: “I’ve been going to therapy.”

Logan’s mouth popped open and his eyes went wide. His chin almost slipped from its perch on his hand. Does he believe me? “So… yup. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“Veronica.” His voice choked with emotion. “That’s really amazing.”

She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, unclenching her hands from their death grip.

“I’m really proud of you.”

Her cheeks flushed. He’s proud of me. She didn’t predict how much she longed for his perspective, his approval.

She grinned, hope blossoming. “Thanks.”

“I actually started therapy a few years ago as well.”

She hadn’t been expecting that. Though, it’s not surprising given his history. It might have even been mandated.

“That’s great!” she managed through her shock. “That’s really great. I mean, if therapy was made for anyone, it was probably us.”

He chuckled at her quip, understanding the truth of the words and the need to make it a joke.

“It’s really helped me, anyway.” She settled herself back, half leaning against the side of the plane and halfway still in her seat. “After a year I was able to date without resorting to planting trackers or phone stalking.”

Please understand me. Please realize I’m trying so hard to be open with you. Please understand how much I’ve worked on trust.

Logan lifted one side of his mouth, giving her his classic half-smile and nodded. “It’s been years since I last broke someone’s nose. I’d say we’re both doing pretty good.”

She noticed how he kept himself laid bare, never moving to cross his arms or shy away. Of course, he always wore his emotions on his sleeve.

“We sure are!” She lifted her hand and he chuckled as he reciprocated her high five. “I even went out all on my own and made friends. As in, multiple friends.”

See? I’m not shutting everyone out.

“I’m impressed. Bobcat of old was always more of an ice queen.”

“I guess I’ve thawed out a little. I even told my dad and Wallace all about therapy, and making friends, and what I’m hoping for the future.”

I can’t be blamed if my future plans have changed a little since we last talked. The universe obviously wants us together. There is no other explanation.

“That’s really great, Veronica. I’m really happy for you.”

She reached towards him, ready to share the sentiment, when one of the flight attendants announced their impending landing and the need to, “Make sure your tray tables and electronics are stowed away and fasten your seatbelts.”

Perfect timing, as always. She huffed and rolled her eyes, even though she knew it wouldn’t matter. Not to the pilots and definitely not to the universe. I just hope I told him enough.

She positioned herself back into the proper seating position and snapped on her buckle. Logan followed suit, casting glances at her every few seconds.

“The plane hasn’t landed yet, Logan. I’m not going to evaporate.”

She offered a knowing smile and fidgeted to get more comfortable in the seat. Twenty minutes to prepare for landing and then it would be over in a second.

This time, as they went in for landing, Logan reached over and squeezed her hand. Thank you, Logan. You always know exactly what I need. She gripped his fingers tightly.

Deboarding and luggage collecting passed in a haze of “I’m so glad to see you again” and “we have to meet up while we’re both in town” and crowded hallways and the ever-present airport noise.

They were past the gate, moving towards the arrivals before she thought to ask how long he would be around. He was due to fly back in a week, just before New Year’s. She wouldn’t be leaving until closer to the start of her next semester, mid-January.

Spotting her dad in the crowd, and unfortunately Dick who stuck out like a sore thumb, Veronica turned back to Logan. If ever there was a time for you to read my mind, it would be now. She repeated her quick hug from earlier but caught and held his gaze as she pulled away.

“It was really good to see you, Logan.”

________________________________________________________________

Logan stared after Veronica, watching as she greeted her dad and then she was gone.

Pinpointing how he was feeling wasn’t possible. The short two hours since he’d reconnected with Veronica were more emotional than he’d experienced in years. But he did have one prominent, crushing thought: She’s doing good, really really good. Without me.

He never imagined Veronica would voluntarily go to therapy. Of anyone he knew, she was one of the last he would have pegged to go. Though he supposed the same could be said for him. She seemed to be flourishing away from Neptune. Away from him.

Logan was pulled from his ruminations by a shake to the shoulder.

“Dude, was that Ronnie?” Sarcasm and surprise warred in Dick’s voice.

Still recovering from the whirlwind that was Veronica Mars, Logan barely managed a “yeah” in reply.

Dick was more astute than most gave him credit for and let the subject go while they made their way to his beachfront bungalow. Though he couldn’t help but mention the multiple parties with very available women that he planned for them to attend during Logan’s visit.

Logan gave noncommittal responses; not saying no, but also showing no enthusiasm. And Dick kept up his pestering until, settled in his room, Logan had enough.

“Hey man, thanks for the ride and the invite. I’m exhausted from traveling, so we can talk more tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah, dude. Sleep, so we can party hardy tomorrow.” He exited the room with a hip thrust.

Sighing at the conversation he knew was going to have to happen in the morning, Logan readied himself for bed and settled himself on the soft, silky sheets.

Veronica is doing great. She got away from Neptune… and me… and now she’s doing better than ever.

He rubbed his palms into his eyes, dispelling the dew gathering there. If Veronica was better off without him, he would let her go. He had hoped… but it didn’t matter. What was best for her, that’s what mattered. And maybe we can still be friends. I can keep her in my life, even if it isn’t the way I want.

He drifted into a fitful sleep, thoughts of Veronica and what was and what might have been plaguing his dreams.

#Logan/Veronica #Veronica Mars #vmarsfanfic #lvholiday2019

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samsonet · 4 years

Text

I can find my way home without you (the rightful king remix)

Leon always gives Chairman Rose what he wants.

Sometimes he has no fricking idea what that is, though.

Title from In the Heights' "Blackout."

Leon is ten when they meet for the first time.

Rose sees talent in this nobody kid from a nowhere town. Rose puts a hand on his shoulder, pats it seven times. Rose endorses him for the gym challenge.

Leon is sure that it is his own incredible talent that drew Rose’s attention, but he hears the gossip same as everyone. Rose likes playing philanthropist. Rose likes acting the fairy godfather to people in poverty. This airheaded purple-haired boy is just another in a long line of charity cases. There’s nothing special about him.

But they’re wrong, in Leon’s case. He really is that special, and he’s strong enough to prove it.

When he wins the Champion Cup, Leon waves to the chairman and takes some pride in the smile on Rose’s face.

When Leon is twelve, Rose gives him a present: a cape, dark velvet, the same color as the blouses Oleana wears. It’s trimmed with Wooloo wool, and the smell reminds him of Postwick and Hop.

Leon slings it over his scrawny shoulders and nearly stumbles under the weight. “I don’t know if I can wear this.”

But Rose only smiles. “You’ll grow into it.”

He doesn’t know what Rose is thinking.

He wears the cape to his next press event. Some reporters call it tacky, but the fandom eats it up. They call him King Leon and talk like he’s got the entire region in the palm of his hand. It’s a good feeling. Leon lets himself enjoy it.

(Later, he jokes about putting sponsor logos on the back of the cape. Then he goes and does it, because nobody can stop him.)

“Happy birthday,” Rose says. “You’re thirteen now, yes?”

Leon is not thirteen anymore, but he doesn’t know how to correct it without accidentally insulting the chairman.

Luckily for them both, Oleana knows everything. She murmurs: “He turned fourteen, sir.”

That makes Rose smile, his eyes shining. “Wonderful! Fourteen is a good number. Seven times two. It’s good luck. This will be a good year.”

Leon doesn’t understand Rose’s thing about sevens, but if it makes him feel better, that’s fine.

“Hammerlocke will be introducing their new gym leader next Tuesday. I would like you to be there to meet him. Can you find your way without me?”

“Definitely!”

(It turns out he can’t. He ends up calling Rose for help, and Oleana sends a taxi.)

By the time Leon turns sixteen, his legend as the “unbeatable champion” seems firmly written in Galar’s history.

He wins the champion cup -- again -- and Rose shakes his hand in front of the cameras.

“Where’d your challenger for this year go?” Leon asks, barely moving his lips. This is something he doesn’t want the press to overhear. (Probably should’ve waited, then, and asked later. Oh well.) “The kid you endorsed. I didn’t see her.”

“Oh, the girl?” (Surely Rose remembers her name, right?) “She went home after losing. I’d like it if you could train with her sometime, actually. She still does have a bright future, even if she won’t replace my favorite champion.”

I’m your only champion, Leon thinks.

Then, feeling a bit petty: and I won’t be so easily replaced.

“Anything for you.”

“Can you find your way to the Pokémon Center later tonight?”

“Of course.”

(A Macro Cosmos employee finds him later and has to bring him there personally.)

Contrary to the internet rumor mill, Leon does have a father. Dad is out of the region frequently, but he exists. He loves Leon and Hop. He’s a good dad.

It’s Leon’s seventeenth birthday, and he invites his father to the league party.

“Chairman Rose, this is my father. Dad, this is Chairman Rose.”

The men examine each other. What they’re looking for, Leon doesn’t know. (Should he suggest a battle? That’s always a good way to get to know someone. But then, Leon is always thinking about battling, and he knows some people find it annoying—)

His father blinks first, offering his hand to shake. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my son.”

“He’s talented. All I did was clear the way.”

When Leon turns eighteen, Rose invites him to his private rooms in the Rose Tower.

The suite is glamorous, of course.The couch in the living room is immeasurably comfortable, probably immeasurably expensive, too. There are seven lights on the ceiling, shining blue like a foggy morning. Leon examines the pictures on the walls. Eight individual shots of the gym leaders. Himself, back when he was the newly-crowned child champion. Oleana. An older woman who is probably Rose’s mother. Two of Rose’s former endorsees.

The last one, Leon has no clue about. It shows a child with fluffy white hair. She -- he? -- is smiling, but not at the camera. No, that smile is aimed at the tiny pink Pokemon in their arms.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?”

Rose appears out of nowhere. He’s still in his suit, but he’s taken off the jacket and loosened the tie.

(Suddenly, the collar of the champion uniform feels a bit tight.)

Rose stands beside him, looking at the picture. “That’s Bede. He’s my ward, now; in a few years, I will be endorsing him for the challenge. He’s talented.”

“More talented than me?”

That earns him a laugh. “You don’t have to worry about him right now. Let’s talk about you. I have plans for you, you know. Even now.”

And, damn, if that doesn’t sound like something from an adult movie.

Leon has been wondering if this would ever happen. He’s an energetic teenager, and Rose is very attractive and does seem to be fond of him. They’re close, right? Rose has met his parents. Rose has held his baby brother. Rose isn’t going to hurt him.

He can’t figure out what Rose is thinking.

Whatever the chairman asks, Leon will do. It’s the least he can do to repay the debt, and if he doesn’t think too hard, the anxiety is almost the same as excitement —

Rose reaches up, pats Leon’s shoulder seven times. “Have you ever heard of the Darkest Day?”

Everything freezes.

All of a sudden, Leon realizes three things:

First, that he’s been taller than Rose for some time now.

Second, that for all the calm, steel-specialist persona, Rose is an incredibly anxious person.

Third, that they’re not actually going to have sex.

He’s not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

“I think I’ve heard that story,” he says. “The Fairy King, the Hero of Many Battles, right?”

“Yes. The ancient Hero fought the monster and saved Galar. You know I have been assisting Professor Magnolia with her research, yes? Well, I have come to a surprising conclusion.”

“Oh, yeah?” All Leon knows about Magnolia’s research is that Dynamaxing makes Pokemon bigger and the crowd loves to see a Charizard the size of a building. The more academic side has always bored him. (Sorry, Sonia.)

Rose walks to the window and pushes open the curtains. It’s dark outside. Below them, Galar shines like a jewel. “Do you know how much energy it takes to power a stadium, Leon?”

Bold of him to assume Leon knows anything, really.

But Rose doesn’t wait for an answer. “One thousand, five hundred megawatts. That’s enough electricity to power ten thousand homes. Heating, cooling, all the devices and appliances. And we use it for simple entertainment.”

Entertainment that Leon has dedicated his life to. “Are you getting tired of the league?”

“What? No, of course not. But lately it’s made me think… our energy supply isn’t infinite. In a thousand years, we won’t have any more resources. The day will come that Galar will go dark, forever. It gets closer every day, every minute. I confess I lie awake at night thinking about it.”

Rose raps his knuckles against the windowpane, knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.

“But I have a plan.”

“I’m all ears,” Leon says. If talking helps the chairman feel better about a disaster that will happen long after they’re both dead, so be it. He turns back to the pictures on the wall. (Piers’ looks more glam rock than his usual punk; did Rose specifically seek out this one to fit an aesthetic?)

“I intend to resurrect the Pokémon that brought about the Darkest Day and befriend it so it will provide for Galar’s future.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

There’s a short silence. Then Rose says, “Champion, did you hear me?”

Mentally, Leon backtracks. Wait a second. That does not sound like a good plan. “You’re going to resurrect the thing that nearly destroyed Galar?”

“Yes. That is the surprising conclusion I mentioned earlier: that the Pokémon could be a source of infinite energy. I am still figuring out how to awaken it, but when I do, I will need a champion to fight for me and capture it. Can you do that, Leon?”

Leon studies him. Notes the fearful note in his eyes, the way his shoulders are tensed, and even the way he curls and uncurls his fingers.

“Of course I can. I’m your unbeatable champion, after all.”

And that was fine.

But then —

Leon is twenty-one when Rose decides to bring about the Darkest Day.

Leon told him to wait one more day, just one. He hopes Rose tried to wait, that the timing was only because he couldn’t bear to hold back any longer.

But he never knows what Rose is thinking.

(Of course, after the match it turns out there’s a new champion. Did Rose suspect that would happen? Or was he too worried about the far future to care about the near?)

Rose calls for help, and his champion rushes to answer.

They stare at each other. It only takes a moment, but it’s a moment too long while Eternatus rages above.

“I’m glad you came to help me,” Rose says.

I didn’t come for you. I’m here for Hammerlocke. I’m here for Galar.

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Leon replies.

“Can you find your way up without me?”

“Don’t mock me, Rose.”

(Going up he has no problems. Going down is another story.

Hop and Gloria are the ones who help him get back, afterwards. He doesn’t remember it, but apparently they half-supported, half-carried him into the lift. Those two. Always sharing their burdens.)

Leon will realize, later, that that’s the last time he actually saw Rose.

Gloria develops a habit of bouncing on one foot, then the other. One bounce, two bounce. One bounce, two bounce.

“Why do you hop like that?” Leon asks. “One champion to another.”

She blinks, like she’s never really thought about it. “Oh… I have to. Twice on each foot makes four. Four is good luck!”

“Good luck, huh?”

Leon touches his Dynamax band. It’s warm around his wrist.

He taps a finger against it, seven times.

#pokemon swsh fanfic #IWAFORK

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