Tumgik
#i was like always taking pride in how i get his 3 moles on his ear on the right side all the time
minghaoslatina · 21 hours
Text
1:03 pm ✰ WOOYOUNG
now playing 🎧 sure thing by miguel
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
You carefully make your way through the aisles of the cozy bookstore where you work. As you scan each shelf, you can't help but feel a sense of pride and ownership over the store. You've worked hard to ensure that every book is neatly organized and properly placed, and the result is a beautifully curated collection that any book-lover would appreciate.
Your passion for literature shines through in everything you do, and you're always eager to share your thoughts and opinions on your favorite books and movies. However, there are times when you worry that you might be too talkative, especially when meeting new people. But all those concerns fade away when you're with your boyfriend, Wooyoung. He adores your chattiness and always encourages you to be yourself.
As you navigate towards the classic section of the bookstore, you spot your all-time favorite classic, Little Women, and decide to take it out for a nostalgic read. In the process, you catch sight of a familiar mole near someone's eye and squint your own eyes to get a better look through the gap between books. Your heart skips a beat in surprise and delight as you realize the person on the other side is none other than your boyfriend, Wooyoung.
"Wooyoung?" you giggle, not expecting to see him here.
"Hi beautiful," he smiles and disappears from view, heading around the corner to greet you properly. Your heart flutters with excitement as you realize he's come to surprise you. As he approaches, you notice he is holding a brown paper bag and a steaming cup of coffee. Before you can even question him about why he's here, he wraps his strong arms around your waist and pulls you close, planting a sweet kiss on your lips. You can't help but smile back at him like a schoolgirl in love, feeling grateful for this unexpected moment together.
Unable to hide the adoration in your eyes, your heart races as you ask, "What are you doing here? I thought you had practice?"
Wooyoung releases his grip on you and shows you the contents of the paper bag and coffee cup he's holding, "I stopped by your favorite café to grab lunch for you. I know how much you love this place, and I wanted to make sure you ate well. Plus, I really wanted to see you." You can't help but feel touched by his thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Moments like these remind you why you fell in love with him in the first place.
"Aww, Woo, you're the best boyfriend ever," you say as Wooyoung lets out one of his signature giggles. Your words seem to have made his day as he grins widely and pulls you into a warm embrace. You can feel your heart racing as he holds you close, and you quickly set down your lunch in your book cart to focus on him entirely. You lean in to kiss him all over his face, savoring the feel of his skin against your lips.
Despite your love for books, you realize that there is something even more important to you.
"I love you, Wooyoung."
"I love you more, angel."
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
a/n 💌
hi :)) this is my first time writing fan fiction so I’m sorry if it’s bad 😅🥲 I am currently writing a one-shot for seonghwa, but I don’t think it’s any good 😭 I might post it on Friday 👀 let me know ur thoughts 💭 <3
21 notes · View notes
chweverni · 2 months
Text
LOOK AT ME!!
pairing; han yujin x fem!reader synopsis; he wants your attention, but you're cold! like the himalayas! wc; 545 author's note; one for my jiji babes </3 twice and zb1 for the win yall ... and sorry if this feels rushed or js cringe in general. im just going through a yujin brainrot :( im a newbie to zb1 so ye i hope i can write for them more <3
how could you do this to him?, your boyfriend, yujin, thought to himself, sighing hard, his soft cheeks flushed red with frustration, lips forming an adorable pout, as he continued to sulk.
he's been wanting your attention for the past 30 minutes. a request, you didn't want to oblige with, mostly because you were studying. your boy was good at everything, except studying with you. you were always left in awe, as he managed to get good grades even after being this swept away by simple things, such as you wanting to study over being all cuddly with him.
he always thought about what it meant to make a mole out of an anthill, and maybe this is what it meant (not that he was willing to accept it too). he was just that whipped and so in love with you. always needing your hugs and kisses to survive the day. had a bad basketball match? hugs. did good on a math test? kisses. is just tired and wants your company?, "okay let's hold hands!"
"if you continue to skip through your biology textbook like this, i might explode.. y/n.. please! just, one— one hug is enough!"
he was rested on the edge of your bed, which was just beside your study table and well, you regretted how bad of a situation you were stuck in. you wanted hugs, but you were just that unconfident in biology, that you had to study your ass off instead of cuddling with yujin.
"jiji.. just one more page and i'll be done! i promise..", you trailed off, your index finger following the sentence you just read, recalling it in your head.
yujin huffed as he sat erect again, from his previous position of being rested towards the wall by your bed. he grabbed your hand, extending his pinky as he brought it forward.
"pinky promise or i wont buy it.", he stated, his voice being slightly serious.
you chuckled as you gave in to his antics, tangling your pinky in his, as you stood up from your chair, taking a moment to stretch your bent knees. what was unexpected was that yujin found the perfect opportunity to pull you towards the bed. as you fell atop him, he flipped your positions, caging your body between his arms. he smiled wide, as he said with pride,
"where will you go now, y/n-ie?"
you were so flustered that your cheeks almost resembled apples. so you avoided his eyes, as you scanned around your room. he tilted your head towards him with his hand, as he stooped down, his lips hovering over yours.
"just this once, i swear, i will even write notes for you."
you couldn't possibly deny so you shut him off by closing the gap between you both.
his warmth lifted all the weight on your shoulders, as you lightened up, your hands interlocking with his. you smiled against the kiss, his aura making you feel radiant, like the sun. he was your happy pill, and maybe this was all you needed to make those biology pointers stay in your head for longer.
you were so glad you decided to give in and finally just look at him. he's so pure and you loved him lots.
-
cut! i hope this was likeable ehe
all creds to chweverni only on tumblr! <3
162 notes · View notes
dixidin · 9 days
Text
♰𝒜𝓇𝑔𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒸𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓃𝓈! /̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿
Tumblr media
Notes: I promised you guys I'd give them to you, so here we are. Anywho! Here's all the Argenthill (Argenti/Boothill) headcanons that I have. If you'd like, drop some other scenarios for these losers that I can use next time <3 (FYI, sorry if the formatting is a bit weird! Will potentially change it in the future)
Tumblr media
Pet names (for each other)
Boothill: Darlin', rosey, hun', sweetheart, cutie, pretty boy (girl), sugar, dimples (my hc for Argenti!), snookums (joke)
Argenti: Dearest, my rose, honey, lovely, dove, beloved, loverman (yes, based off the Ricky Montgomery song)
Hands
Boothill (when he had human hands): Pretty rough and calloused, maybe a few old scars here and there, wears rings a lot, probably bites his fingernails (causing them to be very jagged or even bleed due to his shark teeth)
Argenti: Very smooth and well taken care of, occasionally painted nails, but always trims them, a few moles here and there
Sleeping positions/habits
Boothill: Snores, knocked out like a light every time he sleeps on top of Argenti (wasn't really held that much), only wears red flannel pants to sleep (....whore...)
Argenti: The only one used to it, occasionally drools, usually sleeps on top of Boothill due to his robotic body, always gives Boothill forehead kisses when the outlaw does sleep on top of him. Night gown, bunny slippers, sleeping mask, you get the gist.
Both pretty light sleepers, but Argenti is definitely a bit heavier than Boothill
Both/Customs: They normally hold hands and face each other's foreheads when sleeping
Mornings:
Boothill usually wakes up before Argenti (which results in Argenti to stir and wake up himself), but Boothill always gives him a kiss to the back of his head and whispers a "Rest easy, hun'" or "Get some sleep, darlin'"
Random "opposite" headcanons
Boothill: Likes Venus fly traps. Collects bottles caps, lighters, hour glasses, and marbles
Argenti: Likes white roses with red tint. Collects small potion like bottles, candles, pocket watches, and jewelry
Drink dates:
Boothill takes Argenti out to bars, while Argenti takes Boothill out for tea parties. It's unusual to see an outlaw like Boothill sip from a tea cup, and weird to see a knight like Argenti to sit at a large stool sipping some wine. But it's a wholesome moment between the two and pretty healthy by introducing each other to stuff that they like that the other might not be too used to. (They make me ill)
Movie nights
Boothill's main movies: Django unchained, The harder they fall, Silence of the lambs, and The man who knew too much (Action, Thriller, Western revenge, and occasional Sci-fi)
Argenti's main movies: Pride & Prejudice, Her, Melancholia, and Elizabeth (Drama, Fantasy, Crime, and occasional Period romance)
Together, they create Brokeback Mountain (they sob everytime they watch it)
Dancing
Boothill: Tango, Quickstep, and Waltz. Literally flustered the entire time
Argenti: Ballroom dance, Foxtrot, and Waltz. Helped Boothill learn how to waltz
Cooking
Boothill: 4/10. Considering he's mostly robotic and usually gets drunk, he doesn't have that much knowledge when it comes to cooking. The worst is it being extremely burnt, and the best is when it's edible and helps you live long enough
Argenti: 6/10. Just a smidge better than Boothill, still a bit clueless when it comes to cooking. Rather a baker than a cooker
Carrying each other
Boothill: 8/10. Literally so easy. The only -2 points are that he can still slightly feel the weight (more noticeable when Argenti is wearing armor) and if Argenti has collapsed or is injured in his arms
Argenti: 7/10. A bit harder to carry cause of the large amount of metal (he's a strong boy, so dw), maybe a bit shaky the first few times Argenti picked him up
Random extra hcs and I don't know where to put </3
Boothill has flirted with Argenti many, many times when drunk, not even realizing that's his partner. Argenti always teases the cowboy about it the next day.
Boothill: .... why do ya' have.. mushrooms?
Argenti: I just think they're neat!
Tumblr media
If you repost this on another website, please give credit. If you get inspired off my writing, please give credit. Do not put my work in any ai or repost it as your own work. Any like or repost is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! -dixidin
Tags:
36 notes · View notes
fleurmarigold · 1 year
Note
Ask game!
3 for Babs. 9 for Sly. 18 for Jin. And 23 for Kenny.
YIPPEE!!!
3. How would they react to being told, "I love you," romantically or platonically? (Babs)
OMG!! she's probably very used to hearing it from Lochy but it will still make her jump up, grab him by the neck and yank him down so she can noogie his head and yell "I LOVE YOU TOO BUDDY!!!!" way too close to his ear. every time. I think... in some far off future where some lucky lady might finally say it to her romantically, Babs'd bury her overwhelmed excitement and hide her teary eyes behind a strained, shaky-voiced "NICE" accompanied by a tasteful fist pump to herself and herself alone
9. What part of their appearance do they pride themself in? (Sly)
Sly doesn't care for appearances at all (and thinks caring about fashion is a waste of one's energy - looking at Jin) - but there's a type of pride she takes in that sentiment, too. like... the pride of being a walking staple of what it means to not give a damn what anyone thinks about how you look, lol. so in that case, every messy hair, skin mole, blemish or wrinkle, fat roll, and well-worn-looking piece of clothing ironically become her fashion statements haha. she hopes to inspire others to be as liberated as she :-)
I DO think she'd like showing off her ceremonial necklace piece, though! it's very important to her, I think she takes good care of it.
18. What's their biggest secret? (Jin)
whewf, hmm... Jin's a very guarded person but I'm not sure she's so secretive - she'll tell you things about her life if she thinks she can trust you, but she's naturally private about things she deems not worth sharing. she's great at keeping secrets for others - she's been keeping all of Timmy's for YEARS and he made her regret it everyday, lmao.
I think she'd probably be very embarrassed about having been a soldier for Dafoe in her past... she's worked through it all emotionally with herself and in her inner circles but just like, having THAT stamped on her life feels totally humiliating to her. she's probably super stressed about word getting out and ruining her reputation in the independent journalism industry 😔 especially with how it made her treat her girlfriend when they first met - and Sly does not let her live it down, LOL
23. Do they like musicals? If so, what's their favorite? (Kenny)
(THANK YOU.) he doesn't just like musicals. he's a freaking connoisseur. which means he has VERY strong opinions about which shows are good and bad - unlike Babs, who pretty much just likes anything with stage lights and dancing. he's guarded about who he'll share them with, though - if you asked about his favourite, he'd probably give you a non answer, like - well, Little Shop of Horrors is always a classic, or he thought Spies Are Forever was pretty good because it was gritty and tragic while still being a fun watch.
but if he was honest, he'd be forced to admit that he listens to the soundtrack to The Little Mermaid on Broadway at least once a month. note - LISTENS to, not watches - he has visceral takes on the many flaws in the TLM franchise and would much rather make little self-indulgent rewrites and AU's in his head, finding new ways to weave the songs into his much superior narratives. he probably skips all of Skuttle's songs, though.
..........he also has a weak spot for Wicked.
2 notes · View notes
travelingmonkey · 2 years
Text
I am really upset.
I'm mad but I'm also heartachingly sad but I also feel lonely and I don't know how to make it stop.
I started my application for Betterhelp (shoutout to distractable) but won't have the funds to start that until 2 months and that just made my mole hill into Mt. Everest.
I live with my daughter and Husband but he doesn't feel like a safe place to go to and I'm not going to traumatize my daughter with my problems. My best friend lives in a small city south of us and it doesn't feel right to talk to my blood family.
This is the one place my Husband doesn't go to very often (all of the other socials he's on constantly so if I posted anything there he would know right away) so this is where I'll talk.
Hopefully this will just get buried in everyone's feed but if you do run across this post, you're forewarned that this isn't an uplifting blurb.
I am hurt and I need to let it out to work through it. Atleast until I can afford Betterhelp.
I feel as though I can't trust my husband. About a month back I found out he was dragging my name through the mud literal days after my dad passed. I called him out on it and to his credit he didn't try defending himself, he just accepted he fucked up and he was sorry.
The thing is he's fucked up before and I still haven't recovered from that either. And now I'm finding myself asking if this relationship is even worth it. I don't even want to go to him with how I'm feeling because I'm afraid he'll either push it to the side or go behind my back and talk shit about me again. Or better yet, him blaming all this on a communication problem which always bugs me because I felt as though my communication was going pretty good. Maybe that's why I don't want to talk to him, to show him what an actual lapse in communication feels like. Is that vindictive? Petty? Sure. But so was talking about me behind my back when I can't even stand up for what he said I was doing.
Oh gods, and his phone!! I feel like absolute dog shit when I spend all day on my phone and I don't get half the things I wanted done. Meanwhile he has it when he wakes up, before even getting out of bed he spends 30mins to an hr on it before saying hi to me or our daughter. And then he's back on it again, barely doing any chores around the house, talk to me about the future and where we see ourselves 3, 5, 7 years down the way. Nothing! He's so focused on himself and his stupid phone he becomes irritated when my daughter tries to pull him out of it and when it's his responsibility to feed her she always ends up eating late.
Like, I wouldn't mind if he was atleast a little productive on the thing but no, he's literally doom scrolling and bounce from one social media to the next in need for brain stimulation.
But, oh, call me the nagging mother if I tell him this so he can have an outside perspective on a problem he should work on. Like, I was never good with taking criticism in the past but I feel like I'm getter better. Not the best but better then how I was. But he can't take ANY criticism because he has to much pride he'd rather choke on it then try to be better fucking person.
This wasn't supposed to turn into a husband bashing post, but I guess that's where we are.
On top of his bs, I have my own internal shit that I'm going through that he just doesn't seem to understand. I can't tell if it's from a lack of carring or he just can't sympathize. Whatever it is, I can't go to him, good communication or otherwise.
As I said earlier, my dad passed. It happened back in August and we held a funeral for him in September. So where does that leave me? Well, I'm the only family in town for my mom and now she's living by herself in a house ment for a family. (She told me she hasn't eaten a dinner by herself in over 50 years). So once my lease is up I'm moving back into my childhood home.
Fun little tidbit, she is hard-core American Christian. I am not and I haven't told her this yet. I've been trying to find myself for the past couple of years and her religion just isn't the path I want to walk (hasn't been for a while).
Like, when I talked to her about the Roe v Wade overturning, she was quick to call abortion manslaughter and that back when she was a girl, the women would have to go to their church's priest to plead a their case as to why they'd need an abortion. I was quick to exit that conversation before I started seeing red. That was the day I decided to keep my medical history private from my own mother, because damn her for believing in a religion that takes away rights over women's bodies.
Fuck, I just wish I could have somewhere to run to just to sort out the thoughts in my head. I feel like I'm trapped inside my apartment with no safe haven to run to just to be me. Even if it's only for 1 hour a week.
I don't even know what makes me me anymore.
It's late, I'm tired and my head hurts. I'm going to go lay down and hopefully get up to a better day, because this one was shit.
0 notes
kalloway · 3 years
Text
hi, I am a big dumb idiot and it is way too late to fix it now, but I posted that DIO drawing... flipped. It is flipped the wrong way and my tired-ass did NOT realize that when I posted it dfghjd
I’M LETTING YOU ALL DOWN IM SORRY
1 note · View note
anauro · 2 years
Note
how do you picture regulus, barty and james?
Hi dear!
I’ll assume you mean how exactly I see them and that you talk about drugs and surgical scrubs. 💙
So.
Regulus
Like pretty much everyone, I see Regulus as Timothee Chalamet. My Regulus is half French from his mother side and my boy has type 1 skin on the Fitzpatrick scale.
Tumblr media
Poor baby just cannot tan for the life of his and he almost bathes in factor 50 sun dream during the summer months. He takes great pride in his porcelain skin that has no freckles and minimal amount of moles.
He’s always clean shaved and his curls end just below his ears, so he can cover the worst or bite makes with them.
He’s got no tattoos and no piercings, but he does occasionally paint his nails black, but promptly takes it off before seeing anyone. He also wears signet rings, either on his fingers or around his neck when he’s at work.
He’s rather skinny, but does have some muscular forearms, courtesy to his job. This man can hold a grown man’s jaw with just his pinky. His hands have very good stamina, if you know what I mean 😏
Tumblr media
Barty
My fancast for him is Maxence Danet-Fauvel. Do I need to say more?
Tumblr media
This man lives and breathes sport. He does the same cardio as Henry Cavill (if you know, you know) and he cycles to work, no matter the weather. He only owns a car cause his father got him one.
He’s very well built and knows it. He’s got a small tattoo of vine just next to his hip bone that Evan dared him to get when they got drunk after passing their finals. He also used to be a big (maternal) grandpa’s boy as his father was largely at work and not really a parental figure. He has his year of birth tattooed just above his left anterior cubital fossa (?? elbow pit) .
Barty doesn’t have any piercings, but I think he’s the most likely to get his dick pierced. Maybe he will.
James
I don’t think it surprises anyone when I say I picture James as white in this fic. I love the idea of desi James (and he is desi in my other fics), but as a white person, I don’t feel comfortable having a poc character who is a drug addict and a shit parent. I don’t mind if others do, but I personally can’t.
Now my overall James Potter face claim is actually a guy I know in real life, who is also called James and is half Pakistani. For obvious reasons, I can’t share his picture here but trust me when I say he’s a hottie 😅
I’m quite used to the idea of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as James Potter, purely cause I’ve seen about half a million of tik tok edits with him, but if anyone has any other fancasts for him then I am very open to suggestions.
Tumblr media
My James is a mess. His hair is longer than it should be —somewhere by his shoulders— and he barely even combs it so it’s even more unruly than before. He has like a 3 days old stubble and he’s got all sorts of minor cuts and abrasions where he scratched his own skin off when high.
He’s got a scar on his left forearm from where Sirius accidentally injected him into the artery and not the vein. His nails are bitten and his lips are chapped.
He’s a mess. And Regulus is still falling for him.
And of course he too is more on the muscular side, but nowhere near as Barty. He used to though and so he still looks quite good, even though he hasn’t seen a swimming pool in years.
He’s shaved over his chest and stomach purely cause they shaved him in the hospital pre-surgery. And he’ll keep it this way, cause he can see Regulus likes it.
He’s got the tattoo over his heart, which is E and F intertwined and an H below it.
He’s got the cut just over his right hipbone and lots of bruises over his lower stomach from the injections Regulus gives him.
83 notes · View notes
noodles-and-oodles · 2 years
Note
May I request Rook, Malleus, Vil, Trey, & Jade with an f!s/o who likes gacha games OwO and like she even asks them to scout for her 😂
First request woooooh! Hope this is to your liking and ty for requesting <3
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Trey Clover
Doesn’t really get the appeal of it but he’s the ever supporting boyfriend so he always wishes you the best of luck in any of the games you play!
Sometimes when he’s baking, his s/o will randomly come in and when she asks him to pull for her he protests at first because his hands have flour all over them but his s/o thinks it would just be more lucky
If Trey manages to get the card she wants, his s/o will be overjoyed and thank him a million times to which he’ll just play it off cool as if it was nothing but on the inside he’s proud his luck brought you good results
If he doesn’t manage to get the card she wants, it’ll be a hit to his pride and he’ll apologize “I’m so sorry…” to which his s/o will just say it’s alright it just means they both have pretty poop luck
If his s/o is the type that whales on games, he’ll be a bit cautious and keep tabs on their spending since gambling can become a pretty bad habit and he doesn’t want his s/o to gain a gambling addiction
With a few words of reassurance that his s/o’s bank account is still alive, he’ll sigh in relief, thankful that she hadn’t thrown her trust fund away for a jpeg file
Jade Leech
Another one who doesn’t necessarily understand why his s/o is so obsessed with 2D people considering there are no 2D people back at his home
Oya? His s/o wants him to try his luck for her? Well, certainly~ under one condition though, but of course he won’t state the condition til later (he just wants an excuse to get kisses from you in exchange for his luck)
He tells his s/o that if he manages to get the card she wants, she has to do something for him in return and not thinking much of it, his s/o agrees
Turns out Jade is a fucking luck sack and gets multiple copies of the card you want, each and every time. And don’t think he isn’t counting how many copies he managed to get you because OH HE IS
Are you a whale? I’d hope not because Jade won’t hesitate to confiscate your phone and keep you from purchasing more in-game currency. As the Mostro Lounge’s co-owner secretary/accountant/server (idfk he does everything lmao), he’s the type to help you manage your spending limits
He won’t care if you beg him to spend money, matter fact he takes pleasure in seeing you beg, but he won’t give in so your best bet is to just give up
Vil Schoenheit
Oh boy, I hope you don’t have an obsession with your games because Vil will not like that at all. He’d scold his s/o for becoming so caught up in her games and if she begins to slack on her schoolwork? She is in for the lecture of her life
And I’d really hope that you’re not a whale, or else Vil is going to crack down on you harder than a hammer on a whack-a-mole. He can’t believe you’d spend ridiculous amounts of money on something as trivial as a game. He’s two seconds from conducting an intervention lmao
If his s/o asks him to roll for her, Vil would be skeptical. He doesn’t want to give in to your strange addiction just because you asked him to but at the same time, the look on your face makes him cave. He can’t stand the look of a puppy that’s been kicked into the rain
Vil’s luck is horrible and he is disgusted by the continuous 1 SR/1 Dupe SR rolls. If his s/o laughs at his bad rolls he’ll get embarrassed and become defensive, saying things like “it’s obvious that thing is rigged” or “I don’t have time to sit here and play your stupid game”
He’s just a sore loser that can’t admit he has shitty luck
Rook Hunt
Rook thinks that anything you are passionate about is a beautiful thing, so of course he supports your gacha gaming (chaotic duo right here honestly) and although he won’t become one to play along side you, he will support you with a bunch of praise and pick me up phrases
If you tend to whale, Rook won’t exactly pry into your spendings. If you have the money to do so, why not? But he will step in eventually if he feels that your spending habits are getting a wee bit out of hand
If you ask him to roll for you, he’s likely to be overjoyed. You, his Mon Amour, came to him hoping that his luck would bring you good fortune? He’s ecstatic and if you suggest trying a summon ritual, he will do his best to get it down to a T
Ding, ding, ding, Rook is also another luck sack! He claims that it is his ever burning desire to make you happy that brings such good results and his s/o can’t help but think he’s a bit dramatic but she won’t complain and just thank him
The sly bastard will also ask for a reward in return, after all, his Dorm Leader is one who holds the value of ‘hard work deserves to be acknowledged’ so I suggest you strap in for the make out session of your life
Malleus Draconia
A what now? Poor Malleus is confused as hell when he hears his s/o rambling about her not getting some card. She seemed pretty upset so Malleus inquired if she was alright and when she explained, the fae prince had never felt more confused in his life
It takes a bit of explaining but when Malleus eventually does somewhat understand, he’s there to give you a pat on the back and a shoulder to cry on if you get that upset about your losings. He’s not well versed in technology so it’s not surprising that he doesn’t get why you would be so torn up about it but he does his best to comfort you
If you’re a broke F2P, Malleus will probably make you into a whale. He’s all about keeping his s/o happy and if that takes lending you the funds to get your desired card, he has no problem doing so.
Asking him to roll is like asking a baby to walk, he’s unresponsive at first and looks at you with a tilted head. “Why would you want me to…roll for you?” When you tell him you think he’d have better luck, his feelings and ego get the best of him and he totally goes for it, ready to impress you with his “stunning” luck
Malleus has horrible gacha luck and he curses himself when he continues to fail to bring home the card his s/o wants. He’s a prince, how is it that he is unable to do something as trivial as getting you the card you want? His pride is wounded and ego deflated, but if you give him a few kisses in thanks for trying, he’ll cheer right back on up
61 notes · View notes
curly-bangtan · 4 years
Text
Heatwave Anniversary Drabble: i miss u like ... a lot (M)
[Heatwave // Godless // Heatwave Drabbles] <- read first! but this drabble can be read alone
Pairing: Taehyung x reader
Summary: One night until Taehyung is back from his boys’ trip but you miss him too much.
Genre: fluff, smut, kinda crack?, boyfriend/established relationship au
Warnings: unprotected sex (oc on contraception so don’t u do it), teasing over the phone, riding and grinding, just kinda vanilla i-missed-u-so-much sex, a particular selca
Word count: 5k
A/N: It was Heatwave’s one year anniversay on the 17th so I decided to write a quick(?) drabble for this. I fully intended on posting this on time, but wanted to change up some stuff so only managed to finish this now. Happy birthday to my first fic and forver my baby!
MOSTLY UNEDITED
.
The absolute one thing you hate most about your boyfriend being away from you is your boyfriend being away from you.
You have never been the clingy needy type, that is more his role in this relationship, nor are you really one to show affection. In fact, you would hate for that false image to be perceived of you because all that sappy shit makes you want to throw up your dinner. But one thing you’ve learnt since Taehyung had gone away on a week-long boys’ trip down by the coast is how cold the house feels in his absence, despite being in the middle of a sizzling summer.
Everything is so eerily quiet without his random outbursts into song and fits of laughter. Having spent 3 years living together, you have gotten so used to his constant presence that you had even caught yourself several times calling out for him only to remember that he isn’t here. Waking up without his arm draped around your waist, slided up your top at some point during the night, impacts you more than you’d like to admit.
Are you glad that he’s having a great time with his friends by the beach, relaxing all day and drinking all night? Of course. Are you having a great time all by yourself over here in the absence of your boyfriend? Certainly not.
Though, of course, this isn’t something you would confess to out loud, especially to him. He doesn’t need to know how often the thought: ugh fuck, I miss Tete is crossing your mind, lest you want him to rub his smugness in your face.
It isn’t just that. Your relationship hasn’t been without its tests in the course of its years and things have only finally stabilised. It’s not that you don’t trust Taehyung to be with his ladish friends for seven days, shirtless dusk till dawn, intoxicated to the point where he calls you thinking that you’re the pizza delivery guy but…
A hammered Taehyung at a beach full of girls who are no doubt thirsting over him leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You trust him to be loyal to his core, but you don’t trust anyone else to keep their hands from copping a feel. No matter how you look at it, you would just so much rather he be at home with you right now.
You have endured this for six days. Six full days without Taehyung. Six full days with no sex, no tummy kisses, no clammy hand holding even though you’re only to get groceries. Just one more night and this torture will fucking be over, praise the lord. But you also don’t know how much more you can hold back that I miss you text because you’re combusting from the need to see him again.
It’s almost 4am. Your sleep schedule is fucked and it’s really his fault.
The bright screen of your phone offers the only luminescence at this hour. Your messages from him in the past week have not been shy of your daily dose of Taehyung - clips of the beach (always mischievously caption with something along the lines of “thinking of Mykonos ;D” where you went on your first holiday together), selfies that you dwell way too long staring at because you miss that face buried in your neck, drunk videos of the antics him and the boys get up to that you’ll definitely chastise him for when he comes back yet can’t help but laugh at. You find yourself scrolling through them every single night.
Your personal favourite: a pouty selfie he sent you after he dropped his ice cream, the picture you always go back to and the one you’re staring at right now. His hair is frizzy from the sea, lips jutted out childishly and cheeks puffy. Your chest constricts, fuck...
Just one more night, you remind yourself. And then he’s back and all yours again.
Then suddenly, the phone in your hand vibrates, short and abrupt. The bar slides down from the top of your screen reading New Message from Tete. Surprised, you scramble to open it, maybe a bit too desperately for you to be proud of.
04:11
Tete: bby
You blink at those three letters, lips pressed together because your heart is cinching.
Tete: ur prob aslep rn but
Tete: i missu
Tete: <334
The typos indicate that he is wasted, and you take a guess that he has just returned from their last night out of the holiday. The corners of your lips turn up knowing that he is thinking of you right now.
You: no im awake
Your fingers are itching to reply with i miss u too, and it takes all your willpower and stubbornness to stay true to your steadfast self. There is just something so unpleasantly moist about these kinds of texts, something that makes you cringe and gag when you read them. You refuse to be one of those people. A heart is all that you allow yourself to reply.
You: <3
You: r u drunk?
Tete: drunk in love
Tete: yes
A giggle escapes you at his god awful cheesiness - drunk, sober alike. Insufferable. But probably Taehyung’s most endearing quality.
You: did u have fun!!
Tete: yeah
Tete: but i miss u
Tete: more than i had fun
God, you feel like a teenager again, suddenly overcome with this gushing urge to roll over and scream into your pillow. You’re glad he’s merely texting this to you right now because if he had said this to you face to face, your skin would most definitely stain scarlet from neck to hairline, scalding to the touch. Even months into officially being his girlfriend, these curveballs of overwhelming affection throw you off guard.
Again, the compulsion to tell him you miss him too yanks at your heartstrings. You truly don’t understand why it’s so hard for you to say how you feel, let yourself be soft and vulnerable. You know it’s one of your flaws so it’s something that you’re working on, but you can’t say you’ve made much progress.
But just as you decide that maybe you should take the plunge, suck it up and just text him those three words, he sends you a picture.
Tete:
Tumblr media
No, not just a picture. A selfie, of him in bed, shirtless under the covers. “Oh, fuck…”
Hand clasped over your mouth to prevent any sound from involuntarily escaping, it takes a moment for your breath to return to you and for you to stop gawking. At this hour… Really? Is he seriously doing this to you right now?
His sleepy eyes. His messy curls. And his fucking nose mole.
The undoing of your existence.
Tete: this boy misses u :]
You: bruh
You: bruhhhhhhh
You: taehyung
Tete: oui my lady :))
You: 👁👄👁
You: can u not do this to my heart
You: y did u send me this </333
You: what was the reason
Tete: coz i miss u
Tete: do u like it
Tete: :D
‘Do u like it’... Actually, you have tears in your eyes, albeit mostly due to staring at a screen for too long so late at night, but it’s certainly contributed by this selfie. You tell yourself you’re acting out because it’s been six days since you last saw him. Perhaps Taehyung Withdrawal Symptoms is the explanation behind why you want to print and frame this picture because that is definitely not a normal reaction to a picture. But this is a masterpiece.
You: taehyung my soul left my body
You: like i could weep
You: u look so soft and fluffy
You: :’(
Tete: lollll
Tete: simp
This boy has some nerve?! Simp! He called you a simp?! Laughing like a maniac, you can’t even pretend to be mad at him, not after this picture he sent anyway. So you guess you are a simp. This selfie is your kryptonite.
Tete: jkjkkkkk
You: hahahaha
You: y r u doing this to me
You: its 4am
You: u can’t send me this rn
You: i won’t be able to sleep
Tete: o yeah how come ur still up?
Tete: go to sleepppp
You: can’t sleep
Tete: aw no whyyy
Because you miss him that’s why.
You miss Kim Taehyung. You miss Tete. You miss your boyfriend, your best friend, your other half. You miss his touch, his smile, his wide eyes when he’s confused. You miss his morning snuggles and late night kisses. You miss the way he hugs you from behind as you prepare your meals. You miss the wandering hands that he can’t help when you’re out in public. You miss playing PUBG together until the sun comes out then both sleeping past noon. You miss taking baths together where bubbles would get into your mouth as your kisses get heated.
You just miss him.
It’s only been six days and you’re in this state. What has he done to you?
Fingers hovering over the keyboard, you let out a great sigh and deflate. No other reason offers itself for you to be awake at this hour; he knows you cherish sleep above anything. Teeth digging into your lip, you inhale long and hard, then exhale the gust of your cowardice. It’s not that deep, stupid. Fuck it.
You: coz
You: i miss u
You: like … a lot
You: 🙄
It’s final - you guess you’ve become a mushy wet sap. Truly it is embarrassing how big of a step this is for you; but the sense of pride and accomplishment feels oddly validating. Baby steps. The eye-rolling emoji right after is subconscious because you could only betray the core of your character that much. Forgo it and taehyung might not believe that it’s you.
Tete: omg
Tete: :D
Tete: rrly?
You: *blank kissy emoji*
Tete: wow
Tete: u actually don’t know how hard i’m smiling rn
You: simp
Tete: ofc that’s my middle name
Tete: i miss u a lot too
Tete: like a lotttttt
Tete: i’ll show u how much when i’m back
Ah… Of course, the Taehyung specialty - smothering you with his affection. You freeze at the thought of his wildfire kisses and head between your thighs. Nothing screams of how much you’ve missed each other more than a good dicking down, climax after climax until you’re both panting messes of sweat and entangled limbs. The anticipation makes you squirm under the sheets, legs pressing together.
You: pls do
You: i need u
It’s uncertain what spirit has possessed you at this ungodly hour for these words to come out of you. There’s an instant flash of ickiness, but you let the self-cringing simmer and dissipate into the realisation that this is okay, this is normal. Taehyung’s your boyfriend, couples text like this. You need to grow some.
Tete: fuck baby
Tete: i’m so not used to u texting like this, it's driving me crazy
You: crazy how *cat smirk*
If you weren’t smiling before, you’re definitely grinning like an idiot now. His reaction is predictable, yet oddly still, an incredible wave of satisfaction hits you. And because you want to savour this moment, maybe give him a taste of his own medicine, you send him a picture of yourself.
Camisole strap slid off your shoulder, hair splayed out, bottom lip deep red from biting down on it too much. Just to return the favour.
Tete: y/n
Tete: call me now
-Incoming call from Tete-
Laughing to yourself, you wait a good few seconds before picking up to prolong his torture. “Yes, Taehyung?” You put your thumb between your teeth to suppress the laughter.
“Fuck.” Against the silence of the night, the low rasp of his voice permeating into you from the speaker of your phone sends tingles up your toes. You’ve fucking missed his voice more than you thought. “Y/N… You can’t do this to me.”
“I told you, I miss you. Like… a lot.” The saccharine tone in your reply is foreign to your own ears, but you like the sound of it and the deep rumble it elicits from your boyfriend.
“How much?” Taehyung eggs you on. His words are barely slurred, so you gather that he has sobered up at least for the most part by now. Yet there is still a slowness to it that suggests
“Hmm, like… I touched myself every night at the thought of you a lot.”
A sharp inhale. Then silence. But you know better so you give him a moment to gather himself.
“You shouldn’t be putting that image in my head.” Exasperation is evident in his voice, desperate and yearning. You can imagine him now, one hand on his phone, the other sliding over his pants that are getting a bit too tight for comfort. Your breath hitches.
“Then you shouldn’t have sent me that picture, Taehyung…”
“You said it was soft and fluffy. What you sent me back was not soft and fluffy.”
“Just because it’s soft doesn’t mean it doesn’t turn me on. You do things to me… okay?” Heat trapped beneath the skin of your cheeks, your grip on the phone against your ear slackening as your thighs rub together.
“Fuck, I’m getting hard, baby…” Nothing gets him going more than the knowledge that he turns you on, it’s his weakness but somewhat his strength.
“That’s… unfortunate. Are you going to do something about it?”
His gulp is audible even over the phone. “Uh…” A sigh. “Um. Maybe. Thoughts are being thought.”
“What kind of thoughts? Thoughts about me touching myself and moaning your name? Thoughts about how much I wish my fingers were your cock thrusting so deep into me that I feel it in my guts? Or are you thinking about what you’ll do to me when you’re back tomorrow? Fucking my mouth until I’m crying or filling me up with your cum first?” Your hips buckle at the filth leaving your mouth. This is more like you; you haven’t abandoned your nature after all.
“Oh, fuckkkk.” His moan resonates into your skull, not quite as if he’s here with you but good enough to fill your desire. “Y/N… I need you so badly.” Breath ragged, you hear movement of his sheets in the background as he adjusts into a more comfortable position.
“Are you stroking your cock right now?” A warm slick oozes out of your own entrance. There’s something about Taehyung masturbating to you that elevates you to a different kind of high.
“What do you think, baby?” As you listen closely, you hear the slow rhythm of his pumping, and your fingers ache to pleasure yourself. ‘The things I’ll fucking do to you when I’m back.”
“Mmm, but it’s late, Taehyung, why don’t we go to sleep.”
“Wait, what?” The stroking stops instantly and surprise in his voice releases a smug satisfaction into your veins. The equivalent of pouring a bucket of ice water over his head right now. Teasing is an old undying habit, what can you say? “You wanna end the call now?”
“Yeah, we should sleep, babe.” Grin unsuppressed, you turn over onto your side, probably a bit too pleased with yourself at your success. Taehyung is an easy victim always.
“What the fuckkk?” Your boyfriend groans. “You’re seriously going to tease me this hard then leave me high and dry?” When you offer no more response than a sly chuckle, he add, “You’re so evil.”
“Save it for tomorrow, Taehyung. Think about it, we’re one sleep away from seeing each other again.”
“Fuck, I know. But you just got me so fucking horny, bruhhh. I thought we were gonna have phone sex.” You are still laughing at his whining, basking in the victory you’re holding over him.
“Taehyung, save it for the real sex.” The idea of phone sex crossed your mind several times to be honest, but you really want to collect every single drop of desire and longing and unleash it tomorrow. Raw and pent up. Nothing to dampen the fire.
A sigh of defeat down the line. “You’re going to be the death of me, you know?” You know. “How am I supposed to sleep now though? I’m so rock hard that it hurts.”
“You can figure that out yourself, big guy.” Your cheeks ache from smiling for too long; they often do during calls with him. “One sleep away, okay?”
“Ugh, fine, you demon. I can’t believe you sometimes.” He lets out another sigh. Your heart skips at the anticipation of how he will punish you for this. “Good night, I miss you.”
“Good night, I miss you more.” There’s a sudden change of tone with these words. Because you truly mean it. Sex and physical intimacy aside, you really just missed his voice, his banter.
You fall asleep almost immediately.
.
You don’t think you’ve heard a sweeter sound than the keys rattling at the door the next day. Practically leaping off the couch where you had been awaiting him in your Taeyhyung-less boredom, you run to the door.
As it swings open, heat courses to your chest when your eyes land on his, so full of comfort. Your boyfriend is home. Handsome as ever, much more tanned than your memory of him and much more attractive. White t-shirt and loose black shorts, a mundane outfit that only he could make look exceptional.
And as much as you want to sprint up and throw yourself onto him, your feet stay planted on the floor.
“Hey.” You barely breathe out.
Stay calm and composed, you tell yourself. It was only one week without him, it’s not like he’s returning from war.
But Taehyung doesn’t even reply, because in two long strides he is standing before you, bags tossed to the side, a sign of their insignificance in the presence of you. His arms find their home circled around you, face buried in your hair before you can utter another word. You don’t hesitate to return his embrace, holding his waist as you let yourself fall into his chest. He smells like what summer should, the ocean, sweat and young love; his familiar musk greeting you as if he never left.
Your lips meet his, strong and full of intent. He’s so unexpectedly soft when he kisses back, a timeless romantic dance like he is saviour your taste on his tongue.
With your weight leaning on him, he slowly topples back, stepping hastily until your bodies land on the couch. You fit your legs on either side of him as you burrow your nose in his neck and breathe him in, memorise him. In nothing but a large shirt, your bare thighs are exposed for his roaming.
When you pull away and face each other, you are struck by his beauty. His skin is sun-kissed and glowing, hair an effortlessly beautiful mess, the slightest hint of a stubble peeking through below his nose. Your heart belongs to him forever, you know it without a doubt.
“You smell so good. I missed you so much, baby.” And his voice… That deep baritone honey that you have taken for granted all this time - music to your ears.
“Imissedyoutoo…” You mumble, shy under his undivided attention and mercilessly unbroken eye contact.
With your chests pressed together, his chuckle rumbles into you. “What was that?”
“I missed you too… I guess.” Face flaming, you can’t bring yourself to meet his eye at your admittance, fingers twirling around his curls to preoccupy yourself.
But he cups your chin and turns your face to him, forehead pressing up to yours until your noses are touching, breaths mixing. “That’s not what you said last night.” Taehyung smirks, hands sliding down to your waist, the material of your shirt bunching up in his hands. “Do I need to remind you?”
“No…” You find yourself unable to keep your eyes open, your core pulsing mercilessly as you grind onto him. “How are you already hard, Taehyung…” And though you mean to scold him, it comes out breathless.
Lips hovering, he traces the edge of your jaw, tingling the sensitive little hairs on its way to your ear. When he reaches the shell of your ear, warm breath infiltrating so relentlessly into you, you almost lose yourself right there on his lap. “Don’t you know how much I love you?” He whispers.
“Show me.” Is all you make out.
His hands are already beneath your shirt before you even notice, palms kneading into your breasts as he takes your nipples between his two fingers and rolls. As he kisses you again, the same tenderness exchanges between your lips. It’s a different kind of desperation to be so slow and gentle, one that means so much more than sex, one that’s telling of how much you truly missed each other. Your hips roll with a mind of their own over him. One hand of his comes down to your ass, guiding the waves of your rocking. And each time his stiff clothed member digs into your clit, you whimper into his mouth.
Carefully, Taehyung rolls you over onto your back, sucking your bottom lip to keep the seal from breaking. He pulls away when he’s on top of you, and a string of glistening saliva bridges between your mouths. “Foreplay or no? Tell me what you want?” Compliant as ever.
“I need you to fill me up right now. Anything else can wait.” You watch the devotion ignite in his eyes. His fingers are in a hurry as they pull your panties off, knees spreading your legs open as he kneels between your gaping entrance. He tugs his shirt off from the collar, such smoothness in his action that your insides coil up. His newly-bronzed rich skin revealed, you can’t help but reach up and run your hands down from chest to navel, revelling in his blemishless ridges.
A low sound reverberates from the back of Taehyung’s throat as your touch travels down to unbutton his shorts. They fall loose. His hard throbbing members springs free, a glistening bead oozing from his slit. “You didn’t wear boxers?”
When you glance up, you notice his sheepish grin. He presses his mouth onto yours, still smiling, guiding you back onto your back. “I just couldn’t wait.” Taehyung whispers. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, especially since last night… Ah, fuck.” Another deep groan erupts from him as you reach down and slather that bead of precum all over his tip. His head falls onto your neck, writhing under your merciless stroking.
His tip brushing against your clit, your toes curls at the teasing of your weakness, hips jolting up involuntarily and perhaps a bit too violently. You’re so embarrassingly sensitive after this many days without Taehyung, and he notices from your breathless reaction. Smirking, he takes his shaft in his hand and runs his stiff head over your clit mercilessly. And as you roll your head back helplessly, he nibbles onto your exposed neck, faint stubble grazing your skin.
“Quit the teasing…” You whine, unable to withstand the build up of twisting pressure begging to be fulfilled between your legs. “Just put-”
Taehyung pushes himself into you so abruptly that you yelp. And there it is, that mind-melting stretch of your walls that you’ve so much missed. “Fuck, Taehyung…” Your entire core feels ablaze, so numbing that your nails dig into the leather of the couch before they find grip on his arms.
“Like that, baby?” His voice his strained, as if he’s struggling not to lose his mind as well.
Nodding because you can’t make out a word as he slowly pulls out, you grab his face and pull him up to meet your lips. You whimper into him mouth when he rams into you again, hitting your walls in full force, no mercy. His kiss doesn’t lose its sincerity despite the juxtaposition of his vigorous thrusts, though you can’t say that he is quite as gentle with as before. You pinch his bottom lip between your teeth, sucking on it as your fingers get lost in his hair.
After seven days of deprevation of his cock, your cunt is leaking with the fluid of your arousal, aiding in the ease of each plunge. You feel the stiffness of his ridges pulling you open as he slides in and out of you. “Fuck…” He pants, mouth hovering over yours.
“Let me get on top.” Taehyung’s eyes flash at your suggestion, instantly rolling onto his back. He slips out during the switch of position and the wetness of your cunt is assailed by a sudden rush of cool air.
You swing your leg over and mount him, watching him watch you pump his dick, your own liquid slathered over him sticky in your hand. Letting his member fall against his abdomen, you grind over him between your folds, hands splayed out over his chest. The friction created each time your clit would slide over the thin pinch of skin where his tip unfolded into his shaft has Taehyung a groaning mess.
He looks remarkable under you.
You push his sweat-dampened curls out of his forehead, eyes half closed in euphoria, half watching you roll your cunt so lewdly over his length. You know you could make him cum like this if you continue. But you want him to cum inside you first, you want to feel that thick hot spurt of his desire shoot again and again into you until his cock is twitching.
So slowly, lubricated by your wetness, you sink inch by inch down until the skin of your ass meets his thighs. This angle fuck with your mind; you think you feel him at your cervix. Then your hips start to do what they know best, pounding over him with a rhythm that you’re proud of.
Taehyung grabs hold of your waist, your breasts, fury in his eyes as he watches you ride him with such determination. “I love you so much.” He heaves between heavy breaths.
“I love you, I missed you more than you could imagine.” You huff, thumb running over his red swollen lips.
“I love when you admit it.” He sits up and takes the swell of your breast in his mouth, making his way to your nipples where his tongue relentlessly flickers over.
Your thighs are starting to burn, core aching because his cock is thrusting up into you so deep that you feel it in your guts. The signs are appearing - your vision is going hazy, walls squeezing tightly around him, tangle upon tangles knoting in your stomach. His are too - his head is slumped against your chest, arms crossed behind your back as he holds you close to him, whole body starting to tense as he begins to curse.
Pace quickening, you don’t let the tire of your muscles stop you from your chase. The slap of your skins ringing in your ears, you keep riding, cunt swallowing his cock whole each bounce. Taehyung breaks first. “Fuck!” He calls out into your neck. His cum squirts into you, pulse after pulse, your boyfriend’s hips jolting each thrust.
“I’m so close, babe, keep going for me.” You plead, knowing how sensitive he is right after his climax. He nods wordlessly, face still buried in you hair. The lubrication of his cum abolishes any resistance, letting you slide over him easier than sitting down. And not five thrusts later, your own coil snaps. You through your head back at the wave of pleasure that drowns you, your entire core on fire as your moans echo through the room. It takes maybe twenty seconds for your walls to stop throbbing and for the orgasm to slowly die down.
Taehyung is already growing limp inside you after his orgasm. “Thank you.” You whisper against his forehead while you dismount. His cum flows out of your slit and down the insides of your thighs, but he refuses to let go of you.
When he looks up, you are struck by an overwhelming sensationf of adoration. His long dark curls fall slightly over his eyes, in disarray but just the way you like it. His eyes are so full of genuine love and gratitude of having you that you can’t help but capture him with your lips. “No, thank you.” He mumbles against you, falling back onto the couch with you in his embrace.
After a long kiss of after-sex affection, you pull away before it leads to a second round. “I want you to know that I really missed you a lot. I can’t even call you a big baby anymore because I stared at all the pictures you sent me every night till the sun came out.”
Taehyung’s boyish smile melts your heart. You’ve missed him way too much. His smile, his goofy comments, his tender kisses. “My heart… is squeezing…” If his smile doesn’t tell how smitten he is, his eyes definitely do. “I missed you so much too. All the boys made fun of me for being such a wettie ‘coz I couldn’t shut up about you.” The thought is so endearing that you can’t help but hide your face.
“So how was your trip? Plenty of hot girls drooling after you?” Trick question of course, you know that for a fact already.
“Haha, it was good, fun. Bet you couldn’t sleep ‘coz you were trembling from jealousy.” Scoffing you land a smack on his chest. “But nah, no hot girls. Nowadays there’s only one hot girl in my eyes.”
Your own lips spread like a cheshire cat. “Shut up, cutie.”
“Rachel McAdams.”
“Let go of me. Don’t even touch me.”
.
A/N: Moral of the story, never sit on their couch if you’re a guest at the Heatwave house.
.
24/08/20
© Copyright 2020
.
@taexxxiiaa​ @shookpreme​ @taetaeobsessed @tangledsparkles @nonexistentfucks @evilkookie @nbiased95 @shimtatae @taehyungmakesmeoof @itscalledgayhoney @tahaing @yes-another-wannabe-hipster-blog @deliciouslydisturbed365 @getmemyfries @expensive-bangtan-girl @jwlmnbt @herakimkim @dnyad @kaepjjang365 @angelswrld @expensive-bangtan-girl @icyi-sky @gingerpeachtae @spring2787 @monixreal @askingtheimportantthingshere @casualminiaturetimemachine @xblackclover13x @vasysauce @deadinsidebitch2412 @emiyooa @i-dont-even-know-fck @chimycthulhu @gixanjos @hisunshiine @xtaeyi @softjellyjimin @bluemooncnblue @malfeitofeitto @bangtanfancamp @keopitae @out-of-jams @camilaxpolanco @d-noona @haechanspudu @dawnispeace @vante-visuals @liquanzhe222 @bangtanloverrrrr  @bs14401 @seokjoontae  @comingjimin @jeonsshadow @honeyspillings @taeshotteok @embrace-themagic @wataemelonz @ftvante @kth-jae @sintatae @lunarnovaa @reputae @imajinative @haosmull8 @sssaltyasian @brilliantlybasicb @devilsadvocater @ladyartemesia @btsglitter @besosalvolar @jayparkjustchokeme @johnnyseotolemyheart @bubblegumyuss @octo-donut @ftvante @gia-the-mermaid @miss-peys @fantasticallyabnormal @purplestar00paintblotch @taetaeismybaebae @jooachu @bringitseijoh @bboyseventeenn @lpayne612 @misohime @petuliii @slutdropjin @kyelamarie​
1K notes · View notes
gumnut-logic · 3 years
Text
Callisto (Part 8 - Recovery)
Tumblr media
Prologue 1. Incident - Bit 1 | Bit 2 2. Fallout - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3 3. Voyage - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3 4. Arrival - Bit 1 | Bit 2 5. Orientation 6. Rescue Site 7. Investigation 8. Recovery
This one is over 4600 words to the point I considered cutting it in half. But lots happens so I’ve posted it whole. Now I just need to play catch up because I had a crappy couple of weeks and now I’m only about 500 words ahead of this. I have a few days off coming up, so wish me luck :D
As always, many thanks to the amazing @janetm74​ @scribbles97​ @tsarinatorment​ @vegetacide​ and science officer @onereyofstarlight​ You guys have helped me make this what it is. I so hope you are enjoying it.
For the first time in this story, I’ve slightly gone off plan and have had to add in a chapter because of it. Here’s hoping I can keep this going. We are now at 35,000 words which is approximately halfway.
Warnings: some whump.
Thank you for all your support with this fic. I doubt I could do it without all the cheerleading and support. You guys are just amazing ::hugs you so much::
Enjoy!
-o-o-o-
Jeff Tracy was a man of action and drive. Eight years in the depths of space had eroded the edges of his impatience, but hadn’t eliminated it.
So, sitting in Callisto Base watching his family work and not having anything much to do wasn’t in the best interests of his mental health.
But what could he do?
He had set up a kind of mobile control despite not being in control of anything. John had linked him into everything and he and Lee had pretty much taken over one of the command centres of the Base.
Grae hovered the entire time.
Jeff watched the well-oiled machine that was International Rescue with no small amount of pride. He watched them track down the lifesigns, survey the site, drill extra access, deploy Thunderbird Four and-
“Gordon!”
“Guys, get out of there! Now!”
The holographic image of the lake swelled and swept his sons away.
Jeff was on his feet without thinking.
Three of the five life signs on the strategy map darted erratically, one coming to an abrupt stop against the cavern wall, while the two others travelled some distance up the main tunnel before stopping suddenly.
“Thunderbird Five!”
“Please hold.”
Jeff’s eyes widened. “John!”
Data was suddenly thrown at his terminal. His sons’ vitals sprung up and he was relieved to find them all strong. A sitrep appeared a moment later tracking where the wave had come from, probabilities of a recurrence, a site safety scan and a feed from the Dragonfly Pod.
Its lights were still on, one shining at an angle across the tunnel it had landed in, the other reflected back a glare of white and a blue as beautiful as an Earth sky in the early evening.
The first one explained why.
One of the Dragonfly’s legs was sticking up out of a solidified white mass.
Of ice.
The math added up in his head very abruptly and he was suddenly moving.
It was a sign that Lee and he still had that unspoken communication as the engineer didn’t even ask and just moved with him, following his mad run to the hangar without a word.
Alan and Gordon had left the second Dragonfly pod at the Base and Jeff was ever so grateful.
“What’s…where are you going?” Grae’s eyes were wide as they all skidded to the side of the pod.
“Three of my sons are buried in ice. Where do you think I’m going?”
He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, climbing up into the cockpit with a leap of agility he hadn’t felt for years. With a nod from Lee, he snapped the hatch shut and grabbed controls he hadn’t used outside of a simulator in over a decade.
It was like returning home.
The Dragonfly took off for the airlock far above as the doors began their opening sequence without request.
-o-o-o-
John reacted the way he always reacted.
Without thought. There was no time for thought.
Hands moving across his console dragged as much information as he could from the static-fouled scans.
He blinked as the interference cleared somewhat.
A worried plea from his father John had no time for. A flick of his wrist and he mirrored his sources to his father’s terminal.
All three of his brothers had come to a halt. Gordon was still in the cavern, Four slammed up against a wall. Scott and Virgil were in the tunnel. Vital signs were still good, but there was no response from any of them.
No matter how much he yelled into comms.
One of the beacons had been swept away, causing the interference to intensify in that area, but the readings he had added up to a scenario that echoed past hell.
His father was already moving.
“John?” Alan’s voice was professional but sported an edge of terror.
“I’m coming down, Thunderbird Three.” He grabbed his helmet. “Dad is on his way out there. Do we have enough parts for a third Dragonfly?”
His brother’s voice solidified with the plan of action. “Yeah, Virg overcompensated as always. He packed stuff in as if he was planning to stay out here for a couple of years.”
John didn’t answer that. “Assemble another pod. I’ll see you down there asap.”
“FAB, Thunderbird Five.”
“Eos, align the Excel with the danger zone. Initiate elevator deployment.” He flung himself through his ‘bird. “I need as much information as you can give me. Relay on descent.”
“Yes, John. It appears that the water volume of the lake increased dramatically before the incident, but has now returned to its previous status.”
John slipped through the airlock to the elevator. He hit his comms. “Michael, there has been an incident. I am going down to the surface. You have the Excel.”
“FAB, Thunderbird Five. I will monitor.”
“Liaise with Eos.” He killed the connection as he entered the cockpit, his seat rotating towards him in welcome. “Eos, be nice.”
“I don’t like him.”
“Too bad. We need him.”
She grumbled in a way reminiscent of Virgil before coffee.
Maybe she had been taking notes.
He ignored it. “Send all information to my terminal here.” The elevator shuddered as it disengaged from Five and began its descent. The cockpit lit up with holograms.
He eyed the replay of the static-riddled scan as the lake swelled and overcame his brothers.
Four had been swept out of the water and washed ashore violently. Scott and Virgil, standing on that shore, hadn’t stood a chance.
One gloved hand reached up to poke the playback, pause and rewind. There had been a local seismic disturbance just before, epicentre to the north-east by a few hundred metres. Minor on an Earth scale, but since Callisto supposedly hadn’t had any major crustal movements in eons, it was unusual in the extreme.
“Eos, pull the Base seismic records. Have they detected anything like this before?”
The elevator’s thrusters fired as it hit the faint atmospheric boundary.
“Their system has recorded several incidents, but nothing of this magnitude.” Eos’ voice shifted to one of concern. “Incidents have been increasing recently. There have been three in the past month. John, one was recorded by the Base system the same day as the five members of their crew disappeared.”
“What? Why wasn’t that mentioned?”
“Unknown.”
He stared at the scan. “Do we have any source for more water to reach the lake?” It hurt his physics sensibilities. Water should not exist as a fluid in this environment at all.
“None within sensor range.”
Damnit. He was used to being able to see everything.
“Deploy a net of probes. I want everything in a ten thousand kilometre radius as crystal clear as you can get it.” If there was a pun in there, he refused to acknowledge it.
“Yes, John. That will cover the entire surface of the moon.”
“Exactly.” Something weird was happening here and he wanted to know what. If he had to throw everything Thunderbird Five had at it, he would.
The elevator thrusters fired again and the moon appeared around his windows, followed by the striking red of Three.
“Alan, are you ready?”
“Pod assembled, Thunderbird Five. Awaiting your orders.” There was no tremble in his brother’s voice, but there was an anxious impatience.
The elevator touched down with a soft thud. Eos’ control was perfect. “Thank you, Eos.”
“You are welcome, John.” A pause. “Be safe.”
His lips tightened a little. “FAB, Thunderbird Five.”
She didn’t answer as he stepped out onto the moon.
-o-o-o-
Alan didn’t remember his mother, but he had four brothers who did and he knew far too well the pain of what had happened when she was taken from them.
The fact that three of those brothers were now buried in the space-ice equivalent of an avalanche was absolutely terrifying.
The water had managed to travel some distance before solidifying and trapping everything. As far as Alan could tell, his brothers were encased in ice.
If they had been on Earth their lives would be in peril. In space, they were at least wearing their spacesuits. But spacesuits could be damaged.
He didn’t let himself follow that train of thought. He couldn’t afford it right now. Instead, he followed procedure.
That was what procedure was for.
It was a matter of minutes before John was stepping off the space elevator, his tall brother as confident and professional as ever.
Part of Alan was still surprised when John directed him to take control of the pod. Perhaps it was because Alan was used to the control freak habits of his two eldest brothers?
“Get us down there Alan.” John was distracted, glaring at his wrist projector.
He didn’t need to be told twice. With John secure in the backseat, Alan threw them down the gaping hole his ‘bird had dug, through the mole’s extension and into the dry cavern below.
The dragonfly latched onto the beacons and they darted down the correct tunnel, glittering rock streaking past them as their twin beams of bright light hit everything.
Including the mass of white that that suddenly swelled up on one side of the tunnel.
It wasn’t quite a wave, more a slosh of water, frozen in motion.
“What the hell?”
“Edge down the tunnel a little further, Scott is...” But they were already there and the flash of blue and red was obvious.
His eldest brother was embedded in the ice halfway up the wall. Alan only had breath as he yanked the dragonfly to an abrupt halt, her claws leaving gouges in the ice. “Scott!”
He was out of the pod as fast humanly possible.
One of his brother’s arms was dangling free and Alan reached for it. “Scott?”
Limp, gloved fingers.
John already had a hand laser out and the red of its beam was cutting ice in a loose silhouette of their brother’s body. As they worked him free, bits of ice fell away to the floor. It was fragmentary. Somewhere between solid and hard packed snow. The water had obviously frozen so quickly, it was aerated enough to stiffen fully.
Fortunately, because Alan had the sudden realisation that spacesuits or no, if his brothers couldn’t expand their ribcages, they couldn’t breathe regardless. The sudden relief sprouted new terror.
John helped Alan lower their big brother to the floor.
“Sc…Scott?”
For a second, Alan thought it was John speaking, but his astronaut brother answered, voice urgent. “Virgil?”
No response.
“Thunderbird Two, status!” John was moving, long legs leaping in the low gravity, propelling him back to the pod. He reached inside and pulled out a large torch. “Alan, attend to Scott.” And then his brother was running further down the tunnel, light bouncing ahead of him, holographic map hovering over his wrist.
A further spark of terror was smothered in Alan’s brain as he turned back to his prone and unconscious eldest brother and began chipping and melting ice to free him.
-o-o-o-
Virgil was lying flat on his back staring at white lit up by his helmet lights.
It took him a few solid minutes to realise exactly what he was looking at. His brain felt sluggish and was hurting like hell. He really needed more painkillers.
He automatically tried to calculate how long it was since his last dose and came up blank. There was time missing.
This realisation was quickly followed by the discovery that he wasn’t able to move.
God, his brain was slow. The first thought that came to mind was that yet another building had fallen on him. It happened far more often than he was willing to admit.
But then where was his exosuit?
He blinked slowly.
One arm was caught at an awkward angle and was protesting its position. His legs seemed to be splayed out evenly, though and his other arm seemed happy enough. Hell, there wasn’t really even much weight on him. He had definitely had worse.
But his chest was tight and breathing shallow. Something had him in its grip and he had to force down the visuals that came with that.
Not being able to move always sucked.
He really wished his head would stop hurting.
“Sc..Scott?” It was instinctual. In trouble, call for his big brother.
Need a hand.
“Virgil?” John’s voice. Johnny had the power to call Scotty, to get him help.
He opened his mouth to answer, but something shifted in the ice...ice...it was ice! Memories slammed into him of ice and snow and trapped and oh god...his sluggish brain couldn’t handle it.
“Thunderbird Two, status!”
John’s voice shook him.
Um, um…his heart was beating a mile a minute. He fought for control.
“Virgil? Son?”
Dad.
His father’s voice set off both relief and fear. Relief because of a deep-seated trust in his own father.
Fear because where was Scott? Scott should be here.
But Scott had been with him when the whatever had hit him.
Had hit him.
Water.
Space.
Callisto.
Sparkling crystal flickered in his mind’s eye.
“Scott?”
“Your brother is in good hands.”
Even his sluggish brain could see that as a non-answer. “Dad?”
“We’re digging you out.”
Oh.
As if to emphasize that statement there was a red flash and the world around him hissed. He closed his eyes as the light stabbed into his hurting head.
“Dad? Gordon?”
“Nearly there, son.”
Virgil’s heart clenched.
They uncovered his head first and Virgil teared up at the sight of his father’s worried expression above him. John was there as well, darting in and out of sight, obviously the source of the laser light.
“Johnny…”
There was a crack in the ice.
Ice.
His mind blanked in terror again.
Too many memories.
Far too many.
“Virgil! Look at me!” Dad’s voice held command and he had no choice but to obey. “You are safe.” His hand was being held and Virgil realised it had been cut from the ice. He tried to move his other arm, every heavy-lifting muscle he had straining against its restriction.
Another crack of stressed ice, a yelp from John and Virgil’s arm was suddenly free, ice fragments raining down on him.
Encouraged, he began working on his feet.
“Virgil, stay still just a moment longer.” John’s voice was strained.
Virgil wanted out.
“Virgil.” His Dad grabbed his flailing hand forced him to look at him, grey eyes reflecting the white ice. “Hold still, John is cutting you out.”
Yes, John was cutting him out. Red flickered amongst the white. Virgil swallowed and attempted to get the panic under control and found that he was trembling.
Damn.
He was a rescue operative. He should be calm.
The remaining weight on his belly was removed and he was finally able to take a deep breath.
It helped ever so much.
He closed his eyes and sought his centre.
And fell back on procedure.
If Scott was down, International Rescue was now his responsibility. He needed to be in control.
In control.
By the time John lifted the remaining ice off his legs, Virgil had found himself again. He clambered out of the ice as fast as he possibly could and shot to his feet.
And nearly fell flat on his face for the effort.
His father grabbed him and prevented his fall. “Virgil, sit down.”
There was a flicker of a medscanner, but Virgil was too busy assessing the situation to care. “Scott?”
“With Alan. Unconscious, but safe.”
“Gordon?”
“Still in the cave. Thunderbird Four is silent. I sent Lee. John is following him down.”
Damn. Virgil shook the last of the ice stuck to his uniform, straightened his baldric and took a step towards the direction of the cave, but was halted by a firm grip on his arm.
“You’re not going down there.”
Virgil spun on one foot and the world in all its glittering glory spun with him. “Gordon is down there.”
“John and Lee have him. You were buried in ice, Virgil.”
To his ultimate shame, Virgil shuddered at the concept.
But Gordon...
That grip on his arm tightened. “You’re coming with me.”
Virgil straightened, forcing steel into his spine. “With Scott unconscious, I am in command. I need to be down there.”
“No, you don’t.” His father took a step back up the tunnel, obviously intending to drag Virgil if he had to.
Virgil was no longer the scrappy kid who wanted to play with his paints instead of cleaning his room, and he stood fast.
His father had been in space a long time and his strength had paid the price.
There was no competition.
Buried in ice or not.
“Dad, I am going down to help with Gordon. Scott needs you. I’ll meet you up there the moment Gordon is safe.”
The need to be in two places at once, or more correctly four places, at least, was a common feeling Virgil had to ignore.
Gordon was the priority.
“I need an analysis of what happened. There was a wave. Why? See to Scott and Alan.” He reached up and gently peeled his father’s grip of his arm. “Thank you for helping me. Now I have to go help my brothers.” Turning he hit his comms, asked John for a sit rep and hurried down the tunnel.
He did not look back.
-o-o-o-
Scott had a headache.
That was the first hint of reality and not a new one in his life. He often woke with headaches, the only remaining question was what caused it this time.
“Hey, Scott, are you with us?”
Alan.
Several factors hit home at once. He was wearing his helmet, hence his uniform and Alan, only Alan, had said his name.
Mission.
He was sitting up before his brain had filled him in on the fact he was millions of miles away from home and gravity was a whole different thing on Callisto.
“Whoa!” Hands grabbed him. Hands that definitely belonged to Alan. The astronaut was crouched over him with worried eyes. “Take it easy. You might have a concussion.”
Head injury then.
“Mission status.”
“John’s gone after Gordon. Virgil is awake and out of the ice.”
Gordon. Gordon had been in the water. The weird water.
The very idea of Virgil being buried in ice again awoke horrors he did not want to face.
“Help me up.” Scott rolled himself over, ignoring the protests from his brother to stay put. His head protested very loudly and it became very apparent that the supposed head injury was not impressed with any movement.
Ow.
But, mission.
“Scott, what are you doing?” Another set of hands grabbed at him, which was probably a good thing because he was going down if they hadn’t. As it was, the whole world shifted as he was forcibly lowered to sit on the white, white ground again.
There was a flicker of yellow light and muttering from his youngest brother. “We need to get him back to base.” Alan’s voice was worried.
But Gordon. “I’ve got to go help Gordon.” He tried to stand up again, but too many hands held him down. His shoulders were grabbed and he found a pair of grey eyes staring at him. “Dad? Gordy is in danger.”
“I know son. John, Lee and Virgil will see to him.”
Virgil. He blinked. “Virgil was with me!” Again he struggled to get up.
His father held him down. “Virgil is very determined that he is fine. You, however, are not. You have a concussion. I will take you back to the Base and you will rest. Alan will help his brothers.”
“But-“
The hands on his shoulders squeezed. “Do I have to ask Virgil to reinforce that order?”
Virgil? Order? God, his head hurt.
But this was Dad. Dad knew what to do in space. Dad was...Dad was...
“Scott, you with me?”
He was shaken just a little and his head hated him for it. A groan and his hand encountered his helmet. Augh.
Space sucked.
“C’mon, Scotty, let’s get you into the pod.” Alan’s voice was gentle and professional. He was so proud of his little brother. “Yeah, well, I learnt from the best. Up you get.”
He was pulled slowly to his feet and he had to bite down or lose whatever the hell it was he had eaten last. There were steps and then he was sitting and familiar restraints were holding him in place.
He closed his eyes.
Gordon. He had to help Gordon.
“Your brothers will help him, Scott, you know that.”
But-
His world shook as the pod lifted. He glimpsed the back of his father’s helmet. Dad. Dad was driving. Dad had control.
He could let go.
-o-o-o-
Alan swallowed as their father launched the pod back down the tunnel, its headlights sparkling.
He had reported Scott’s status the moment they had the medscanner’s results and had received a very abrupt acknowledgement from Virgil.
It was unusual to have Virgil in command in space. It wasn’t his native environment and he didn’t venture into it very often. It, of course, wasn’t the first time, and Alan trusted Virgil with his life. But this was Alan’s turf, he needed to be there to help.
He leapt into the remaining dragonfly and dashed off down the tunnel.
It got tighter and tighter as he flew closer to the Crystal Cave, his access blocked by frozen lake water. For a moment he thought he was going to have to abandon the pod, but he was just able to squeeze through the entrance.
The lake was exactly as it had been. Calm and glittering in the pod’s headlamps. He turned slowly on the rocky beach to find Four, free of ice, jammed up against the wall beside the tunnel entrance. She was on her port side, cabin rammed into the rock.
Alan’s heart clenched as he set the dragonfly down.
Both John and Virgil along with Uncle Lee were attempting to gain access via the rear hatch. The ‘bird was made for water, but on the very rare occasion such as this, Brains had built space capable redundancies into her airlock.
How many submersibles in this universe were also space capsules in disguise?
But all this was redundant if the seals had been compromised.
A quick query of Thunderbird Five reassured Alan that Gordon’s vitals were still strong. There was still no response from their fish brother, but he was alive and relatively stable and Four reported no seal ruptures.
Yet.
Virgil grunted as the back of Four was slowly cranked open. Uncle Lee and his engineer brother were putting all their muscle into heaving the hatch open while John slipped into the vehicle.
A moment later the door was shoved shut again and Alan was surprised to see Virgil seal it with a hand laser.
Tired eyes caught Alan’s. His brother didn’t need to explain why he was doing what he was doing.
“Inner airlock door is now compromised.” John’s voice was calm and sure despite the subject matter. “Proceeding to the cockpit.”
Alan stared at Virgil a moment, caught by his haggard expression before hurrying around Four towards her belly viewports.
All he could see was Gordon’s feet. No matter how he shone his hand light through those windows, he could see nothing more. Gordon’s pilot’s seat obscured everything.
For it to be in that position it had to have been severed off its mountings.
Hell.
Determined, Alan scrambled around Four’s nose and tried to find her front viewports. Everything was obscured by rock.
Crystal glittered mockingly at him, an almost scarlet chunk of quartz sticking out of the wall and falling over as if it was reaching for Four.
Alan fought the urge to shove it away from his brother’s ‘bird.
“Cockpit hatch is non-operational. Eos, relay through my suit sensors and give me a detailed report on Gordon’s position.” John’s voice was ever so calm.
Alan wanted to scream.
He hurried back to the lower ports and stared at his brother’s feet.
Again Gordon had been crushed in his ‘bird. How hurt was he this time. How long would he take to recover?
Virgil spoke up and Alan was startled to find his engineer brother and Uncle Lee standing beside him. Virgil was standing ramrod straight. “Eos, can you pull any medical data?”
“Please hold.” The AI’s voice was crisp and professional. “Compensating for interference.”
Damned interference. Alan was so sick of static. Their comm lines and sensor feeds were usually perfect. What was it with this place?
A big hand gently wrapped around his arm.
“I’m fine, Virgil.”
The hand did not let go.
“Thank you, Eos.” How did John stay so calm? “Cutting into the cockpit now.”
Virgil’s wrist control lit up and projected the sensor data he had requested from Eos. True to this place, parts flickered and there was some pixilation, but a clear outline of both Gordon and John inside Four was all the reassurance it could be.
Gordon was curled up on the ‘floor’ of his ‘bird, on what had been Four’s portside viewports.
The laser cutter in John’s hand flared up brightly as he cut through the cockpit hatch mechanisms.
Red light flickered through the marine acrylic enough to catch on Alan’s uniform.
“His right arm is broken again.” Virgil sighed. “He’s going to be so pissed.”
“I’m in.” And John was. Light lit up the viewports, quickly followed by the yellow of a medscanner.
“Oh, thank god.” Beside him, Virgil visibly deflated in relief. The hologram lit up with Gordon’s full medical details. A red alarm hovered over one arm where the break snapped his right ulna and his head had an orange flag that pinpointed a likely concussion. But other than that, Gordon appeared whole and safe, his spacesuit undamaged and airtight. Alan’s shoulders dropped almost as much as Virgil’s.
“He’s safe to move, John.” No doubt John knew that, but Virgil obviously had a need to confirm it anyway. He had a habit of doing that. Alan wasn’t really sure who it was for, Virgil’s brothers or himself.
The next few moments involved cutting open the rear hatch of Four again. This time there was the hiss of escaping atmosphere as Virgil took the entire door off the sub, no longer needing to worry about Gordon’s suit integrity.
John emerged carefully carrying his unconscious brother, Gordon’s helmeted head limp on one shoulder, his arm in an emergency splint, no doubt from one of Four’s first aid packs.
“Vincent, I’m thinking you boys need to take your brother back to base.”
Alan suddenly realised they were a pod or two short to carry all of them. There were five operatives and only one pod.
Uncle Lee eyed Virgil, his lips thin. “Albert, you could fly George while Vincent, John and I dig out the other pod.”
Virgil shifted his feet as he translated that, and Alan frowned at him. His engineer brother was wrecked. Alan could see it in his eyes. Understandable
Virgil’s nod was firm, regardless. “FAB. Alan, you’re with Gordon. John, what is the impact of the interference on Eos’ capability to pilot the pod if necessary?”
Their space brother was looking down at Gordon’s face frowning. “Eos is deploying a moon-wide probe net. We can use them to strengthen the signal. I think that above ground, Thunderbird Five should be able to pilot reliably. I would not recommend attempting it underground.”
Virgil nodded again before striding over to Alan’s pod and, climbing up and throwing the hatch back, began reconfiguring the backseat to transport their injured brother.
Alan hurried over to help and within minutes, John had secured their unconscious aquanaut brother prone on his side in the back of the pod.
Silent, eyes closed, non-responsive.
Alan took off smoothly and with as much care as possible, flew back up the tunnel, heading above ground and back to Callisto Base.
His last glance at the Crystal Cave outlined the shapes of two brothers and an uncle standing ever so alone in a giant cavern that had tried to kill three of his brothers.
-o-o-o-
Next
36 notes · View notes
eloquent-vowel · 3 years
Text
Part 5 "Comfortable" Bucky X OFC (#043)
Description: A series of attacks on Russian diplomats lead to Fury dispatching some members of the avengers to defend them. There they meet a very new threat- one they have never seen before.
Tags: Angst, Fluff, Slow burn, very much a slow burn. Bucky Barnes x OFC, Winter Soldier X OFC
Warnings: Canon typical violence
Thank you all for reading this far! Here is a little time skip for you and the first time some of the Avengers meet Eris. Time is probably going to be very disjointed after this part! <3
Part 4
Tumblr media
Bruce stared out of the Avenger's tower window, New York looked so small from up here. Looking down everyone seemed so unimportant, there were hundreds of people walking to the same place they always did, dressed in the same clothes they always wore. Were they happy with their lives? Were they living their dreams? What did they regret?
"See anything interesting Doc?" Tony's voice broke Bruce's trance. "Seen any muggings? Street fights? You know, I once saw a pigeon fly down and steal someone's sandwich right from their hand, the whole thing." Tony came into view, two cups of coffee in his hands. His eyes sparkled with the usual joy but under it all there was the slightest hint of concern.
Bruce took the offered coffee cup. "Buff pigeon."
"Perhaps it was a tiny pigeon hulk."
Bruce huffed a laugh before sipping is coffee. "The Incredible Squawk?" Despite Bruce's attempt at humour his voice came out as bitter as his coffee. Bruce watched the steam slowly rise before letting out a broken sigh. "She would have been 24 today."
Tony placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder, there was silence for a while. He had to think about what to say next, "We'll find her, Bruce. We won't stop looking I can pro-"
"Tony." Bruce turned to face Tony, the bags under his eyes were deeper than usual. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up but, let's be realistic, its been 20 years. The truth is either she doesn't want to be found or never will be."
"You are aloud to be realistic, Bruce, but don't lose hope."
The two shared an understanding stare, Bruce looked like he was going to say something but was interrupted by Natasha entering the room.
"We have a problem."
"When do we not?"
"Funny, Tony." Nat approached the two of them, she was staring down at the tablet in her hand very intently, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "A Russian diplomat was murdered at his safe house last week."
"And this concerns us how." Tony's tone was flippant.
"Because he as an informant for Shield but before he could talk he was beaten so badly they had to use dental records to confirm his identity."
Nat handed over the tablet to Tony who flicked through the photos of the crime scene. It was brutal. The guards that were put in to defend the diplomat were beaten to death, violently. It was obvious, even to his untrained eye, that whoever did this used their fists and no other weapon. Most of the guards had dents in their temples and some had broken knees. The path of the killer was followed by a nice trail of beaten corpses. Until they lead to the bedroom of the diplomat. Just like the other corpses, his body was beaten with blunt objects but unlike the others the killer really wanted to make sure he was dead. There was practically no skull that remains intact and there was blood everywhere. Tony blanched a bit and returned the tablet to Nat.
"What exactly do you want us to do? Bring a guy back from the dead?"
"No." Nat sounded tired, stressed, Tony kicked himself slightly for not being able to be serious. "We are being tasked for protecting someone we strongly suspect to being a second target." She turned the tablet around to show another angry looking man.
"Who pissed in his cornflakes?"
Nat ignored Tony. "This is Panin Rostislavovich, Russian ambassador here in America and more importantly mole for Shield. We think there is a large possibility he will be attacked at some point this week. Fury has asked that we personally see to guarding him. Something about improving relations with Russia."
"So, we sit in a room with someone and get paid for it?"
Nat just raised her eyebrow.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Getting comfortable there, Mr. Rostislavovich?"
Tony quipped to the stern man who was currently pacing violently up and down the length of the room. Normally he wouldn't have commented on it but his footfalls were terribly annoying and Tony was nursing one hell of a hangover.
"Would you be comfortable in this situation? Would you Mr. Stark." Tony fought the urge to roll his eyes. "When your colleague has been beaten to death in his apparently 100% secure and safe house!"
"Panin, buddy, listen- we are just here on a hunch no one said for certain that they were after you."
Tony made eye contact with Natasha and Steve who were standing guard by the door. They both shook their heads, no signs of intrusion at the moment. They were in direct contact with the guards outside the house and inside of the house, if Tony said so himself, this place seemed pretty impenetrable.
"Team Delta. Team Delta, report."
Him and his big mouth,
Nat's voice was panicked as she began to check in with all the teams around the perimeter of the house. She got more and more intense with each team name.
"No one on the perimeter is responding. Tony get him to the safe room, be ready to take the back exit."
"You don't have to tell me twice, come on buddy, let's not get you killed."
With that the escorted Panin to the solid metal safe room leaving Steve and Nat to do what they did best, beat people up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Natasha turned to Steve, he looked calm but the tight grip he had on his shield gave him away. The sound of fighting and violence started to be heard through the door.
"Hide and we get the jump on them." Nat whispered as she ducked behind one of the large sofas, Steve look up place adjacent to her. She began to count her bullets, double checking that she had enough ammunition.
There was silence for a moment.
Then a massive crash as the door flew off its hinges and into the wall behind Steve. She couldn't help the slight gasp that she let out as Steve slowly moved away from the rubble.
"I can hear you." A female voice, gravelly and harsh spoke in perfect Russian. It sent shivers down Nat's spine, Steve looked at her questionably. She just gritted her teeth and shot at the doorframe. She watched as Steve leapt out once she ran out of bullets. She reloaded as quickly as possible to cover Steve, as soon as she aimed her pistol over the couch she was stunned into inaction.
She could hardly keep track of who was hitting who as Steve fought the intruder. It was evident that this person was the same as Steve, they were a super soldier. Nat tried to find a pattern in their movements, an opening to fire a shot but every move they made was unexpected and chaotic. They were covered almost head to toe in black tactical gear, the only exception being their legs that reflected in the low lights of the room, metal legs? Whatever they were made of their legs were definitely strong as one well placed kick threw Steve back against the wall to joint the door.
Nat didn't hesitate to engage. Vaulting over the couch and throwing her gun by the window, she went immediately for a choke hold, swinging her legs over the other woman's neck. Nat felt some sort of pride as she succeeded to bring the intruder down to the floor, she squeezed tightly in an effort to choke them. Until the glint of metal over the intruder's fists slammed right into the back of Nat's knee, it didn't quite dislocate as intended but the force was enough to let the intruder get free.
The two women stood up once more and took a moment to size each other up. Nat realised that this woman was as tall as Steve and looked as strong. The bottom half of her face was covered in a protective mask and her hair was wild, perhaps from a previous scuffle? Now that Natasha had a good look she realised that both of the woman's legs were made of a shining metal, they whirred and clicked as she stood up. She glanced at Steve who was just beginning to stand up, clutching his ribs- the two exchanged a quick nod and together began to try and take down this new threat.
Unfortunately it was not as easy as either of them thought. Their opponent was brutal, unpredictable and yet seemed to predict every move they made. Steve would attack from behind and she was sidestep, only to throw a devastating punch at her. It was down right terrifying that one woman was able to take on both Steve and herself at once. Even worse was that this woman didn't seem to tire, while Steve and the woman were able to breathe normally Nat was beginning to falter. The intruder saw this and with one well timed switch kick Nat saw stars as a metallic leg collided with her temple.
Steve watched in horror as Nat fell, his opponent showed no sense of regret and did not hesitate to begin her brutal assault on him once more. Thrown by Natasha bleeding from the head it didn't take long for the woman to have her arms around his neck in a less than friendly way. Black spots danced in his vision, he thought this was it. He began to run through ways to get out of this but every time he struggled the edge of the brass knuckles dug deeper into his throat.
He thought he was gone until he felt her shift slightly and then let go of him altogether. He fell on the floor gasping and turned to see where the woman had gone. He saw her pick up Natasha's pistol and making a running leap out of the window. Shattering the glass into a hailstorm of chaos.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony had little warning other than the sound of glass shattering and the violent bang of a gunshot. The man who he had previously been talking to about his plans for the future fell to the ground, a bullet hole directly through the centre of his brain.
Tony turned around violently to just catch the sight of some meta glinting under streetlights and a figure darting off into the dark.
Fury was going to be so mad at him.
Part 6
36 notes · View notes
actuallysaiyan · 3 years
Note
Could you do gohan and future trunks sfw alphabet and separate plz cause I don't want to bother ya
Tumblr media
We’ll start with Gohan! He’s one of my favorites <3
A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
Gohan is insanely affectionate. He’s always going to dote on you and show you all the ways that he appreciates you. Whether it be him doing you little favors without you asking, or he’s giving you a back rub, or even sending you flowers, you can be assured that Gohan will not leave you guessing.
B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
Gohan would absolutely be the best! He’s smart, funny, sweet and really cares about people...especially you. He would do anything to make sure you’re happy and healthy and safe...but also he would help tutor you if you needed it or he would even bake you cookies if you were feeling down.
The friendship would either start when he’s in high school and you’re there with him, or if you ever ended up going to one of the fighting tournaments.
C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
Gohan adores cuddling. There’s nothing better than to curl up with you and read a good book or watch a great movie. He wraps his arms around you, pulling you in close and lets you lean your head on his shoulder. He’ll probably even play with your hair or give you a little back rub.
D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
Gohan adores the idea of being able to settle down with you. He’s awesome with cooking and cleaning and doesn’t mind doing his fair share of it. He’ll make sure you’re both feeling needed and loved and that things are split down the middle.
E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
I think this is something that Gohan would struggle with a lot. He hates the idea of hurting someone unnecessarily, so it would really hurt him as well if he had to end a relationship. He would try to do it as gently as he could, but he would be so heartbroken seeing you either go off angry and cold or very sad. It’s not easy on the poor boy.
F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
He loves the idea of commitment. He saw how weird the relationship between his mother and father was, and he’d absolutely want to settle down and be with you forever if he was in love with you. It wouldn’t be super quick, but it wouldn’t take him too long if he realized that you are the one for him.
G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
Gohan is the king of being gentle. If he hugs you or touches you in anyway, he’s very receptive and knows exactly how much pressure to put. If you need a shoulder to cry on, he’s very gentle emotionally as well. He knows exactly what to say to make you feel better.
H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
Gohan loves hugs! They are some of his favorite things in the whole world. He’ll hug you whenever he gets the chance. His hugs are like sunny days, warm and bright. He brings you into his arms and squeezes you tightly, rubbing your back and telling you how much he appreciates you.
I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)
I think it would take a normal amount of time for him to say that. He’d have to get to know you well first, but once he realized you were the one, he would have no problem confessing. He might be a little flustered about it, but he’s not going to hide it for too long.
J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)
I’d love to say that he isn’t the kind of man that doesn’t get jealous, but sometimes that Saiyan pride gets in the way of things and he doesn’t like the way that guy/girl is looking at you or how that person is just a little too close for comfort. If he’s jealous, he won’t lash out. He’ll come wrap his arm around you and pull you in for a passionate kiss.
K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
His kisses are so sexy. They are slow and passionate and he knows exactly what to do to make you melt. He loves kissing you on the lips or maybe even on the neck...if he’s feeling frisky, he loves to kiss in naughty places. Gohan enjoys being kissed on the lips and forehead. If he’s feeling frisky, he definitely enjoys being kissed on the chest or even in the erogenous zones.
L = Little ones (How are they around children?)
Gohan is amazing around children. He’s patient, understanding and a very good role model. He’ll be a wonderful father to your children and will spoil them with lots of love.
M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
He’ll let you sleep in while he gets up to make coffee and breakfast. When you awake, he’ll serve you breakfast and coffee while you both enjoy each other’s company. Then he’ll suggest a shower before you go off and run any errands you need to.
N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)
After a good dinner, he’ll want to curl up on the couch with you and read a book or watch a tv show you both enjoy. If Gohan is feeling a little naughty, maybe he’ll want to have a little wild fun with you. When it’s time for bed, he’ll tuck you in and lie next to you, giving you a sweet kiss goodnight.
O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
It would take a little time for him to open up a lot. He’s going to want to know you well before he tells you everything. It’ll start with little anecdotes and stories, then it’ll move to big secrets or revelations once he feels comfortable around you and trusts you a lot.
P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)
He’s definitely got the patience of the saint. He won’t anger very easily, but if something does rub him the wrong way or he sees injustices, he won’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right...even if that does mean beating up a criminal or two.
Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Gohan would remember everything about you, right down to how many moles you have on your body and your second favorite pizza place. You don’t have to worry with Gohan as your lover, he knows what you like and you don’t have to second guess whether or not he knows what to get you for your birthday or anniversary.
R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
His favorite moment is definitely your first kiss. He was a little hesitant and flustered, so you approached him and leaned in. The moment your lips touched, it was like this electric shock hit you both at the same time. It was a very pleasant electric shock, and he kept feeling his lips tingle for hours later.
S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
Gohan is very protective, but he knows you can handle your own. He would protect you either by defending your honor or maybe even beating someone up if they were hurting you physically. Gohan wouldn’t mind if you tried to protect him, but he doesn’t want you to get hurt at all.
T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
He’s definitely going to go all out for those kinds of things, but he doesn’t mind it if you’d like to plan some of the dates as well. The way he sees it, he just wants the both of you to have a good time having fun together and enjoying each other’s company.
U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)
Gohan sometimes gets really sucked into his work. He may be a little bit of a workaholic and forget to relax and rest sometimes.
V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
He knows he looks pretty good, but he doesn’t concern himself too much with his looks. He’ll make sure he’s clean and smells good before coming to see you.
W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
Gohan would definitely feel incomplete without you. You are the person who always cheers him on and makes him feel good about himself. People always tried to dictate his life, but you just want him to feel happy and fulfilled. You love him for who he is.
X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)
Gohan absolutely loves getting cute things as gifts. He doesn’t care if it’s food, plushies or flowers, he’s very into receiving cute gifts.
Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)
Gohan isn’t a fan of someone who wants to hurt others for their own personal gain. It’s just not something that interests him. He wants people to treat each other equally.
Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)
He loves to cling onto you, warming you up and making you feel safe. He might mumble a bit in his sleep, and he may have nightmares from time to time where you’ll have to comfort him.
58 notes · View notes
virlath · 4 years
Text
Hidden Trespasser mosaics
Tumblr media
So I was researching some lore for a theory surrounding the environmental artwork in DAI, and happened to stumble upon this twitter post regarding unused mosaics for Trespasser. 
Coincidentally, I’ve been so deep in statues and elven god symbolism the past few days that I thought I’d chime in with some of my own thoughts.
From left to right in these artworks, I think we’re looking at four different gods involved in Solas’ slave rebellion.
Fen’Harel, Dirthamen/Falon’Din, Andruil, Mythal
===
If this hidden game file is anything to go by, it seems to confirm one theory I’ve had for a while- that Solas had help from some of the evanuris with his slave rebellion.
Because when you think about it, it’s kinda hard to believe he could have started a slave rebellion at all with his high profile and attachment to Mythal, especially when slaves seems to have been a big economy in ancient Elvhenan.
===
The gods in these mosaics
From left to right in the image
(Note: I actually posted some hi-res shots of the masks from DAO yesterday if you’re interested in seeing unedited screenshots, but I’ll break down my guesses here anyway.)  
1. Fen’Harel is obviously the wolf.
2. Dirthamen’s mask is easiest to spot because it matches the shape of his statues in DAO. Note that Dirthamen and Falon’Din have very similar statues and masks.
Tumblr media
Falon’Din is the statue with the spear (recognised by Tamlen as “friend of the dead”) while I believe Dirthamen is the statue with four arms (this also strongly implies the envy demon in DAI is his corrupted raven, Deceit)
I believe Falon’Din and Dirthamen are two aspects of the same being, but how that actually works remains to be seen. Some people have suggested Falon’Din walks the fade while Dirthamen walks the physical realm and perhaps that explains their togetherness and separateness. 
Regardless, it does seem like both Falon’Din and Dirthamen were involved in Solas’ uprising due to the fact that both their mosaics are found inside the elven sanctuary before we see Solas’ mural removing vallaslin.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
3. Andruil’s mask seems to fit most similarly to the third mosaic.
The overall curved shape mirrors Andruil’s bow in her mosaic, and the dotted indentation at the top totally looks like an arrow shaft. The eye placement in both the mosaic and the mask hints to me that this is very likely Andruil.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The big question- why would Andruil be helping Solas?
Perhaps because Mythal turned her to their side after she “sapped Andruil's strength, and stole her knowledge of how to find the Void.”
Or, perhaps Andruil isn’t as “evil” as people think she is.
Sure, she may have brought on the blight (although even this is conjecture, personally I feel like this could very well could be misdirection) and may have hunted “mortal men and beasts”, but who’s to say these beasts and men didn’t deserve what they got? Who’s to say she wasn’t corrupted by the void before she became the “goddess of sacrifice”?
One day Andruil grew tired of hunting mortal men and beasts. She began stalking The Forgotten Ones, wicked things that thrive in the abyss.
This implies to me she could have simply been hunting beings that had given her cause to hunt them. Remember, she was the only god that responded to Ghilan’nain’s cries for help, and at this time Ghilan’nain was one of the People, implying she wasn’t totally evil.
Andruil also has strong links to Falon’Din, because she and Falon’Din share the same symbol of the owl. What if Mythal meted out judgement, Falon’Din brought her judgement to them in the form of the owl (thus fulfilling the role of Andruil’s messenger as well as “friend of the dead”), and Andruil hunted them in turn to render Mythal’s judgement?
“Always keep an eye out for the noble owl. You never know: Andruil might have a message for you.”
It is interesting to see that the owl statue is always carrying what looks like a mirror or even dimension to another world (another prison perhaps?), possibly intended as a way to reflect the viewer’s own self and actions back on to them. 
Anyway, to me there are a number of possibilities why Andruil would work with Solas and co. Perhaps she wasn’t as corrupted as they thought. Perhaps Mythal made her forget so much so she agreed to help them. Or perhaps Andruil was the mole in the rebellion - the person who began the events that led to Mythal’s death.
4. I think the last god represents Mythal, due to the fact the shape is similar to the bronze statues found in the crossroads and deep roads.
Tumblr media
There are in fact two versions of this statue - the sun, in the crossroads, and the moon in the deep roads. (brightened and contrast boosted for clarity)
Tumblr media
The moon statue is strongly implied to represent Mythal, because a note is found near this statue:
These statues are old. Better shape than anything I've seen on the surface. Many of them are for Mythal, though. And Fen'Harel. Not in a spot of honor, but guarding, attending.
Question is, why would the sun also represent Mythal when Elgar’nan is known as the Eldest of the sun? 
Well, not only does the sun statue look very much the yin to the yang of the moon statue in the deep roads, the sun could refer to Mythal being both the sun and moon to the dwarves. 
These statues are notably different to other elven statues we’ve seen- notable for the fact they have a large base of rock, and they are carved in smooth bronze.  As these bronze statues are only found in this particular section of the deep roads where she controlled a lyrium wellspring, perhaps the dwarves carved these as a representation of her.
In the third note you find in the deep roads, a poem reads:
I am empty, filled with nothing(?), Mythal gives you dreams. It fills you, within you(?), Making our leaders proud. My little stones, Never yours the sun. Forever, forever.
It sure seems to me like Mythal was protecting these dwarves from something. Either that, or she was using these dwarves as slaves or minions in her operation and for some reason, they revered her enough to carve their own representations of her.
Morrigan says this of Mythal at the Temple of Mythal:
Let fly your voice to Mythal, deliverer of justice, protector of sun and earth alike.’
Similarly, Solas further says:
She was the mother,  protective and fierce. 
Regardless, I think there’s more evidence indicating Mythal was working with Solas over Elgar’nan. You do need Mythal’s passphrase after all to enter the elven sanctuary safely.
Tumblr media
And if you want to take this one step further, check out the crown “Andraste” is wearing in DAO. Look familiar??? Maybe reminscent of the moon statue we see in the deep roads?
I don’t want to say Mythal was Andraste but...there are many signs that are hard to ignore.
===
More theory drabble
I realise a lot of the gods’ motives I’ve come up with above are based on conjecture and tbh, the writing for DA4 could go so many ways simply because of the fact that there are so many wide open threads that could be expanded upon.
These unused mosaics does indicate to me at least that the writers have a plan for how Solas’ rebellion actually functioned however, and that to me is exciting in itself.
One thing we can assume with high certainty is that Solas started the slave rebellion before Mythal’s death, because you need her passphrase to enter his sanctuary. Furthermore, even without these unused mosaics there are in-game mosaics of Dirthamen and Falon’Din in the sanctuary before we see the vallaslin mural.
This strongly implies to me that at the very least, even without this hidden game file, that Dirthamen, Falon’Din and Mythal aided and abetted Solas’ slave rebellion.
Further adding to this theory are the the rather compelling links to Dirthamen throughout DAI. For example, the gilded Fen’Harel statues in Dirthamen’s temple’s inner sanctum, Dirthamen’s bleeding statue in the Fade, Dirthamen, Falon’Din, Mythal and Fen’Harel imagery in the Knight’s Tomb, as well as Dirthamen’s statue at Calenhad’s foothold (where it’s implied he had a thing with Ghilan’nain). Not to mention- dual raven standards found underneath Fen’Harel’s sanctuary, as well as archer statues next to the eluvian as you exit (who I believe represent Dirthamen & Falon’Din).
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Something clearly happened that led to Mythal’s death, and I’m leaning towards the fact that there was a leak somewhere within Solas’ trusted circle. Dirthamen seems to have been betrayed by someone close to him before the veil was created, because his statue in the fade is stabbed in the back and his eyes are weeping waterfalls of blood. 
Tumblr media
As Solas says “...an enemy can attack, but only an ally can betray you. Betrayal is always worse.” 
And, when you tell him you trust your friends? He responds “I know that mistake well enough to carve the angles of her face from memory” 
It is assumed he is talking about Mythal’s own betrayal when he says this, but he could also be referring to the person/people who betrayed him and his trust. Personally, I think Falon’Din and Ghilan’nain could be key players in Mythal’s death at this point. We don’t know enough about the other gods to also make assumptions on their motives unfortunately. 
All in all, it seems to me like every one of the false gods were out to get one another, and Solas never even saw Mythal’s death coming because he was too arrogant/preoccupied with his rebellion.
If Solas really was Mythal’s oldest friend and guardian, his pride would have been absolutely crushed when she was betrayed and killed. The veil was likely a knee-jerk reaction due to his pride and “hot-headedness” more than anything- if he could be outplayed and have his own power and role as “guardian” outright questioned, then of course he would retaliate and raise the stakes even higher. It’s his MO- he has a means to an ends “you didn’t invent war” mentality, disregarding the collateral damage as long as he comes out on top.
This does make me wonder what intentions he has for the false gods once they’re freed though. Obviously Mythal wants her vengeance. But what of Solas? These false gods were his kin after all and the only ones who can truly relate to him on a level no mortal can understand. After all these years of stewing and realising his knee-jerk reaction cost him the entire elven empire, it makes sense he would want to restore what he effectively destroyed when his pride was hurt. 
To me it does seem like he truly hates the evanuris...but could he still be in leagues with some of them? Something I may not put past him, considering I don’t think he worked alone during his rebellion. 
315 notes · View notes
baoshan-sanren · 4 years
Text
Chapter 50
Emperor Wei WuXian And His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Birthday
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45 | Chapter 46 | Chapter 47 | Chapter 48 & Chapter 49
Nie HuaiSang wrinkles his nose at the smell.
It has been some years since he has descended into the dungeons, but the damp air seems heavier now than it had been in the past. They are not meant to be enjoyable, the dungeons, and more pleasant accommodations would defeat the purpose of using them as a form of punishment. Still, HuaiSang does not understand why nothing can be done about the smell. The fan does precious little aside from moving the sticky air across his cheeks, and he folds it irritably, tapping Song Lan on the shoulder.
“Are you certain that torture will yield no results? I assure you, Madam Yu has made quite an art of it over the years. I think she takes pride in obtaining confessions without spilling a drop of blood.”
Song Lan shakes his head. They have spoken of this before, but HuaiSang knows that his voice will carry to the nearest cells. Perhaps Xue ChengMei cannot be tortured into a confession, but there is no harm in issuing a threat.
The boy is on his feet long before they reach him, forehead pressed against the bars, a mischievous grin etched across surprisingly attractive features. HuaiSang understands that a monster’s appearance will rarely reflect their inner monstrosity, but even he has to admit that this is slightly ridiculous. The boy looks fifteen years old at most, short in stature, small in build. The only vaguely threatening features of his appearance are the white, sharp teeth, but even those are made more menacing by their surroundings. Had the boy grinned at him in a well-lit courtyard instead of doing so in-between the bars of a cell, HuaiSang would have thought him cute, rather than dangerous.
“The Royal Companion,” the boy exclaims, “what an unexpected pleasure! I am a great admirer of yours.”
“Is that so?” HuaiSang says, “Do not spare the detail. I am always willing to be admired.”
Xue ChengMei’s eyes glitter in the darkness, his grin unwavering, “I should have known you would make no pretense of false humility.”
“Not precisely the way I prefer to be flattered.”
“It is your deeds I admire,” the boy says, “Tell me, does Sect Leader Su still believe that his son perished from a snake bite? Do you not think it extremely unfortunate? To be bitten by a yellow tail in MoLing?”
The boy taps his lips with his finger, issuing an exaggerated wink, “What a studious, sturdy snake that must have been, to have traveled all the way from QingHe just for a taste of the Young Master Su.”
HuaiSang mirrors the boy’s movement, tapping his lips with the fan.
Interesting. And potentially problematic.
“Your performance was not nearly as impressive,” HuaiSang smiles, “Such a common poison, with such an easily obtainable antidote. Surely, you did not expect that plan to work.”
“Ahh,” the boy sighs, pressing his cheek against the iron bar, “not all of us can be masters of the art I suppose. But the resulting chaos was quite entertaining.”
“Tell me about the Emperor’s potential,” HuaiSang says, “Tell me about achieving greatness.”
“Oh, but I have a much more interesting story to tell.”
“I am bored now,” HuaiSang turns to Song Lan, “let us go back.”
“Your father,” Xue ChengMei says quickly, “was no older than myself when the Empress took the throne. Such a young age, to be handed such great responsibility. Are you sure that you do not care to hear the story?”
HuaiSang’s fingers do not clench around his fan. He is calm as still water.
“You will like it,” the boy goes on, excitedly pressing himself against the bars, “it is a story no one else knows, but I am willing to share it with you.”
“Most of his words are deranged nonsense,” Song Lan says decisively, “there is no need to humor him.”
“Might as well,” HuaiSang says, glad to hear himself sound unaffected, “He seems anxious to tell it.”
“I am,” Xue ChengMei exclaims, “It is a fascinating tale. Many, many years ago, there was a mad Emperor who had a gift for demonic cultivation. But trying to control resentful energy comes with a cost. In order to continue using this infinite resource without harming himself in the process, he decided to store this energy into an object. The object would be capable of concentrating and directing the energy, but the process of creating such a thing came with a cost as well. He committed endless atrocities, slaughtered thousands of people, burned towns, rivers ran red with blood, so on and so forth,” he waves his hand impatiently, “You know that part of the story I am sure. Temples and cities obliterated, Sects decimated, advisors strung up by their toes, blah-blah.”
The impatient wave of his hand is such a perfect mirror image of Wei Ying’s own frequently used gesture, that HuaiSang is both alarmed and nauseated to see it.
“This part is known to all; the Emperor’s little niece, his favorite creature in the world, decides that the Emperor must be replaced, and murders her own uncle in cold blood. This is a story told and retold. Every child can recite the details. The Emperor’s experiments had failed, the Emperor was killed, the Empress took the throne, years of peace followed. But,” the boy presses his forehead to the iron bar, “this story is wrong.”
“Is it?” HuaiSang says, more and more convinced that this creature is dangerously unstable, “How so?”
“The Emperor did not fail in his experiments,” Xue ChengMei whispers conspiratorially, “He had succeeded. He had managed to create an object which can store infinite amounts of resentful energy, an object which can be used by any of his descendants. Any descendants, that is, who posses a particular affinity for demonic cultivation.”
HuaiSang feels his stomach turn, “The sword.”
“The sword,” the boy confirms, “Now, this is the interesting part of the story. The Empress, having grown up at court, did not have many trustworthy friends. But she did have three close confidants, two sworn brothers and a sister, peers she explicitly trusted. One of them, your father, was entrusted the sword. He was to place the sword in the Nie family's Ancestral Hall, where no descendent of YanLing DaoRen could lay their hands on it again. Can you guess what happened next?”
HuaiSang no longer cares that the boy can see his tight grip on the fan.
“Enlighten me,” he says coldly.
“Your father did not follow the Empress’ order,” Xue ChengMei grins brightly, “and who can blame him, truly? A young girl, not a full day in possession of the throne yet, asking him to hide such an object? If she were to lose her seat within a year, who would stand in the Nie Sect’s defense? Who would believe that the Nie Sect had obtained such an object for the sake of protecting the throne, instead of personal gain? You may think yourself a rare creature, Young Master Nie,” the boy winks again, “but I think you will find that the Nie Sect Leaders have always been pragmatists at heart.”
HuaiSang ignores the jab, his mind a whirlwind, “What did he do with the sword?”  
The boy offers an exaggerated shrug, “Pawned it, sold it, given it away. What difference does it make?”
He is lying; HuaiSang knows this. He had made no effort to make it sound like the truth.
“How did you get it?”
“A friend gave to me,” Xue ChengMei says, blinking innocently through the bars.
“A friend who is still in the Immortal Mountain City?”
“Maybe,” the boy says, “Maybe not. Maybe he is no longer a friend. One cannot always trust those they call friends,” his grin is a sharp, sickly-sweet thing, “I believe this is a lesson the Emperor has yet to learn.”
HuaiSang wants nothing more than to take a hot, fragrant bath, and forget that he had ever spoken to this creature.
“You wanted the Emperor to become another YanLing DaoRen. To what purpose?”
“Wei WuXian would never be another YanLing DaoRen,” Xue ChengMei scoffs, “He would be so much more. A perfect vessel of destruction. A divine entity. Chaos personified.”
Well.
That answers that question.
HuaiSang taps his fan against his leg, thinking.
“Your attempts to eliminate the Lan Sect. You did not want the presence of those who can cleanse the Emperor of the resentful energy. But the Lan Sect is still here. The Emperor will recover. Your plan has failed.”
Xue ChengMei does not seem upset by the revelation, “Plans fail on occasion. There is always tomorrow.”
“You must have a great deal of confidence in your friend, who is maybe no longer a friend, if you intend to live long enough to see tomorrow.”
The boy only smiles in response.
It is an empty threat.
HuaiSang hates making empty threats.
A Jin Sect disciple cannot meet an accidental death in the Immortal Mountain City dungeons; not unless HuaiSang means to cause a diplomatic disaster. The situation at court is still too tense, too fragile for such heavy-handed solutions.
HuaiSang also cannot reveal the reasons for Xue ChengMei’s imprisonment. Such an accusation would result in a swift death, with no opportunity to draw out the accomplices he must have in the Immortal Mountain City.
No, the boy is infinitely more useful alive, although it sets HuaiSang’s teeth on edge to have this creature anywhere near Wei Ying.
There are many more questions he could ask, but the smell is unbearable, and for the time being, he has the majority of the answers he needs. The boy’s revelations may have been sparse and unpleasant, but HuaiSang has never needed all the pieces of a tangram to discern its shape.
Only when he is climbing the stone steps, does one particular sentence come back to him with full force, and he finds himself shaking his head in disbelief.
Chaos personified. As if Wei Ying had ever needed a demonic sword to be worthy of such a title.
147 notes · View notes
bubbashawn · 4 years
Text
Vanity Fair
Tumblr media
author: I couldn’t help myself. If that video didn’t mess with your head, I’m not sure what will. Plus I wanted to give y’all the fluffiest fic so here’s this cutie. Hope you like it.
synopsis: Shawn meets the girl of his dreams and can’t keep his eyes off of you and the fans have it all on video
warnings: it’s just 2.6k of pure fluff. No fights and there might be one or two baby swears here and there. There’s mentions of anxiety and y/n is famous. Enjoy <3
Shawn shouldn’t be staring at you.
Andrew would be on his back later for not taking advantage of the carpet. Smile at the paps and share a laugh with a couple of interviewers. There was nothing to it. But he couldn’t stop staring.
He knew who you were, hell he had stalked your Instagram on more than one occasion. He knew you’d be here too. You’d taken Hollywood by surprise popping up out of nowhere. So, of course you were at the Vanity Fair Oscar party. Everyone was.
He wished his stylist, Tiffany, had taken a risk that evening when choosing his suit so he could walk up to your dazzling form and look good standing near you.
He stayed where he was and just glanced back at you, that was good enough.
You were a nervous wreck but you hid it well. Here you were with names you grew up with when not even 6 months ago you were at your dorm room watching them on your tv. Now a college dropout and walking on the red carpet for an Oscar party, everything felt surreal.
You looked the part in your champagne colored silk dress. Your skin was airbrushed hiding every imperfection except that aggravating mole below the arch of your right eyebrow. You looked perfect but that didn’t mean you felt it. Your nerves had been pushed to the max and you had lashed out more than you’d ever like to admit. You weren’t ready for this lifestyle, you hadn’t grown up with eyes on you, you weren’t even popular in High School.
Everything had been a blur since you stepped out of your car, the flashes and yelling made you wince already feeling a headache. You didn’t know what to do. You didn’t know how to handle any of this.
You were paying so close attention to your heel-clad feet you didn’t notice the tall singer watching you several feet ahead. And though you didn’t, the fans did. Shawn suspected to see about 10 different videos of his head turning back to glance at your figure again and again surface by morning.
One interviewer, a woman from ENews asking about his love life, had to nudge him so he’d answer her question. He didn’t know the answer.
“So,” the interviewer interrupted his thoughts, “you’ve been spotted around Toronto recently with a girl on your arm. Want to tell us about that?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Hailey Baldwin and you, any comments?”
“We’re going to attend the Met Gala together in May, so just building up our friendship.”
“And that’s all it is?” The interviewer was smiling and speaking with a coy tone, “just a friendship?”
“Yes,” he hated this topic, “thank you.”
He walked away before the lady could open her mouth. He was being rude but Shawn didn’t care. He didn’t want to talk to anyone except maybe you. That wouldn’t happen, he was sure, but that’s all he wanted.
You swore to yourself as you lightly stumbled away from your own first interview and tried to quickly yet confidently escape into the party. Barely lasting 2 minutes in the eyes of the public before your breath was trembling like your rapid heartbeat. You couldn’t handle even sending a half-ass smile to one photographer. You wanted to go home and curl into your couch with popcorn and caramel dip. You wanted to leave. You saw your manager waving you along towards a lady with a microphone and you were out of luck. You couldn’t walk away, you just had to get through this interview and then you could be done.
That’s what you told yourself.
Shawn was glad to be watching you closely in that moment. He saw the terror grace your soft features as the ENews lady beckoned her along, dying for a word in with the rising star. He knew he’d make a fool of himself but he was fine with that, as long as you were happy to escape with him.
He pushed towards you. His hand lightly brushing your wrist to pull your eyes to his for the first time that night. Shawn couldn’t help the smile that pressed into his cheeks.
“Hey,” you stood shell shocked, “I’m Shawn.”
His voice came out choked and he cursed himself. Finally having your attention and he couldn’t even speak properly.
Shawn’s voice came out like honey and you melted under his hazel eyes. He was by far the most handsome man to ever grace your life with his presence. Zooming in on your phone screen hadn’t given his dimple and cheek scar the justice it deserved. He was stunning.
“H-hi, um I’m-”
“Y/N. I know.”
Shawn cringed at the way he cut you off and basically expressed his obsession right to your face. He was so stupid for thinking he could ever carry a conversation with you.
You gasped so loud it was almost embarrassing but it didn’t matter because he knew you. Shawn Mendes knew you. You could feel your heart pound and blood pulsing through your neck straight to your burning cheeks. You were sure your cheeks were bright red and you dropped your head to hide them.
He watched the tendrils of hair cover your flushed cheeks. He had made you blush and his grin widened with pride. Maybe this wasn’t going so bad.
“I saw you being dragged towards your next interview and had to cut in.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, trust me you don’t want to go to that interview.”
“Can’t get much worse…”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, um,” you were crumbling into yourself. Of course you were silly enough to let it slip to the Shawn Mendes that you were a mess. You didn’t want to make a fool of yourself, “it’s nothing.”
You were shying away from him and he wasn’t sure how to pull you back into reality with him. He didn’t know when he messed up but he wanted you to tell him everything.
“Wait,” his hand was hovering over your waist, letting you choose whether or not to indulge his impending question, “tell me what’s going on, eh?”
You cursed his Canadian ways. Shawn was so polite and wanted you to rely on him. You wanted to too, so bad especially with the way he kept his eyes on you.
“I’m not good at this, I don’t know what I’m doing and it’s all just overwhelming. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything. God, sorry you have to deal with this.”
“No, no, it’s okay,” he smiled when your hand began to fidget with the lapel of his jacket, “I’m glad I’m here. With you.”
He couldn’t believe this was happening. His hand had finally rested on your exposed waist once your hands took purchase against his chest. You had the most genuine smile adorning your face, probably the happiest one he’d seen since you arrived minutes ago. He leaned down closer cupping your cheek in his palm keeping your eyes away from the intruding cameras.
“It’s just you and me, yeah?” He smiled softly, “nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll stick by your side as long as you need me, eh?”
You wanted him by your side forever.
He wanted to be by your side for as long as you’d let him be.
“Alright Y/N, your move.”
His eyes were beckoning you into his warm embrace so you did just that. Hands curling around the small of his back. Shawn quickly latched his own around your shoulders, his bicep blocking your face from view like his hand once did.
“Please just stay with me for the rest of the night?”
You were shy in contrast to your bold move of embracing him. He didn’t seem to mind the change in your demeanor.
“I’m right here, baby, right here,” he tensed regretting his pet name, he started pulling away, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said th-”
You just hung to him tighter your anxiety setting in as he tried to separate his warm body from your shaking one.
“Stay.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Shawn was broken away from his dazed state when his manager, Andrew, tapped his shoulder.
“Hey man, let's get you two inside, yeah?”
Andrew didn’t ask questions and Shawn had never been more thankful for the older man. His head dropped from above yours so his lips could graze your cartilage piercing.
“Baby, I’m gonna bring you inside, okay?” He didn’t dare move from your grasp until your head nodded against his clavicle, “alright, honey I’m right here.”
Shawn and you stopped to pose together and ignored the shouts of rumors about your relationship with the man beside you. You continued the steady crawl along the carpet until Shawn was opening the door for you and finally getting you out of the spotlight.
He didn’t think twice before latching onto your frame.
“Honey, you did so well.”
“I could not have done that without you.”
“I wasn’t gonna let you either way.”
Shawn had stuck to his word not once leaving your side throughout the entire party. He took you with him to grab a drink and held your back tightly to his chest as he conversed with all the A-listers. All eyes were on the two of you and you didn’t mind for once.
“Baby, you alright?” He had leaned down and whispered at some point amidst the chatter.
“Mmhmm.”
“Okay. Just a little longer, yeah?”
He was right. Not even an hour later Shawn was quickly pulling you out of the party and towards the line of cars. Paps had you surrounded but your head just stayed pressed between his shoulder blades until he was slipping into the car after you.
“Hey, you okay?” He had asked that a lot throughout the night, “honey?”
You were basically half asleep on his shoulders and it wasn’t surprising. Your anxiety had always made you sleepy and Shawn’s welcoming scent didn’t hurt. You just wanted to cuddle into his chest. His arms would wrap around you and you would feel safe just like he had made you feel on the carpet.
“Do you want me to take you back to your apartment?” He didn’t want to.
“Can I stay with you?”
His heart fucking leaped out of his chest and a bright smile bloomed on his lips. He was so happy. It wasn’t that you just needed someone. Maybe you needed him.
“Yeah,” he glanced up towards Jake, his security guard, “can you get us back to the hotel?”
“For sure and I’ll be sure to take it slow, don’t want to startle her.”
“Thanks, man.”
Jake was true to his word, not letting the car hit any bumps that might jostle your position in Shawn’s arms. The normally 3 minute drive from the Wallis Annenberg Center to the hotel took 5, but Shawn didn’t mind. Soon enough the car slowed to a stop and he had to begrudgingly move you out of his arms to stand up in the parking garage.
“Baby,” you groaned as the bright lights washed over the car, “I know, I know. C’mon you can curl up once we’re upstairs, yeah?”
Shawn guided you along and ignored the looks as he pressed the up button by the elevator. You two were a sight to see. Your formal wear sticking out like a sore thumb among the city's tourists.
He hurried you into the mirror-walled elevator and held you to his chest as the contraption travelled up all 12 stories of the Waldorf Astoria: Beverly Hills hotel. He whispered sweet nothings that left you giggling as you went to his front door. Shawn swiped his keycard before letting you into the suite.
“Y/N? Honey? Can I get you anything? Water or maybe some tea?” You just shook your head, too absorbed in the stunning view of Los Angeles.
Shawn couldn’t believe he had only met you hours earlier seeing that he was completely wrapped around your dainty finger. He just admired you from a distance. Taking in the bareback silk dress that had caught his eye the moment your heel touched the ground at that party. He pushed himself off the wall he had leaned against before shuffling his shoeless feet towards you. His hands found your waist and you were pressed to his chest again. His nose dipped into your hair and lips kissed behind your ear next to your cartilage piercing, something you figured he liked based on the attention it received throughout the evening.
“Are you still tired?” He knew you were but wanted to let you have control to ease your anxiety all the more.
“Yeah.”
“C’mon then, let’s get some sleep.”
Shawn guided you down the hall and through the bedroom heading toward the ajar door to the bathroom suite. You were confused and let out a squeal as he lifted you but let him place you gently on the counter. He shuffled through his ziploc bag with toiletries until he pulled out a face wash with a proud smile. Shawn pumped the cleanser onto his hands before lightly scrubbing the products from your face. He didn’t stop until he was satisfied every piece of dirt was wiped from your face as he used a wet washcloth.
You looked so pretty like this.
He held your face in his hands and lightly kissed that stupid mole below your brow. He just held you to his lips until his hands took purchase in your hair. Shawn watched the elegant hairstyle be pulled apart as he removed each bobby-pin.
You looked gorgeous like this.
He lifted you again until your feet were on the tile between his own. He guided you to sit on the bed murmuring something about staying awake a little longer but you weren’t paying attention. Your eyes were practically glazed over with happiness. The way Shawn took care of you was unlike anything else.
He quickly rifled through his suitcase cursing his messy tendencies until he came across a worn thrifted Queen shirt. He looked back to see you staring at him with a look of pure adoration and he wondered how your eyes would shift if they held love instead. Shawn broke his line of thought and placed the shirt in your hand.
“Honey, I’m going to change in the bathroom while you change here, alright?”
You nodded through your yawn.
The boy returned to the bedroom, not before knocking to check you were clothed, and stepped up to the bed. He laid out on the comforter before making grabby hands at your figure staring down at him.
“C’mere baby,” he folded you into his arms, “is this okay?”
“Yeah, thank you.”
“Do you, um do you need anything else?”
Your head shook against his chest and you moved closer letting your nose and lips brush his neck.
“You’ll tell me if you need something, yeah?” He barely whispered against your skin.
“Bubba, everything is perfect.”
He smiled at the pet name and squeezed your hip. Happiness was basically emitting in waves from his body.
“There is one thing…”
He almost missed the mumble against his neck.
“Baby?”
“Wake up with me?”
“Hey,” Shawn kissed your temple, “I’d love nothing more.”
Your face shifted and he nearly whimpered when your lips pulled away from his neck, missing your warmth. He watched you quietly, waiting patiently.
His lips were softer against your own than you had expected. Shawn had his lips everywhere all night but nothing prepared you for the feeling of yourself pressed to him. He was shocked and almost let you pull away before crashing his lips to yours in a blistering kiss. Your eyes locked with his until he pulled you back into his neck.
“Bubba?”
“Mmm.” He hummed with closed eyes and a bright smile.
“Your move.”
permanent tag list: @wholesomemendes @fallinallincurls @ashwarren32 @mendesficsxbombay @haute-shawn @turtoix @prncsnee @http-isabela
568 notes · View notes
peakywitch · 4 years
Text
Cassiopeia - John Shelby
Warnings: mentions of blood, war, curse word...the normal!  
A/N: changed John’s kids name! also, it’ll be revised through these days, tell me if you see any mistakes! <3 
word count: 2.3k
my masterlist
Tumblr media
The small footsteps of two mischievous children were heard throughout the house. It was very early, the sun was still down. The two opposing hands of the children were intertwined, guiding each other through the labyrinth into which the house was transformed when the moon rose. The old wood under their feet creaked with every step, which alerted his not-so-asleep father.
"What if he hits us?" Ben asked nervously.
"James has been telling you stories, right?"
The boy nodded sadly at his sister's question. His friend was frequently punished severely, but at the Shelby household, it was different.
"Don't worry, it's for a good cause. Besides, dad would never hit us." Winnie smiled, trying to see his brother's eyes in the dark.
A good cause? John thought, what would be so important to speak in the moonlight? He knew what his two kids were up to, but he stayed in bed, still being able to listen to the two of them talk. He wasn't going to get up, not until the sun comes up at least.
"Dad?" asked the voice of the girl, with a low and still voice "Are you awake?"
John turned his face on the pillow, seeing two heads - one with braids and one with blond hair, both disheveled - appear through the door. What the hell were Winnie and Ben doing up at such an early hour?
A sleepy voice invited them to climb onto the bed with them, Ben accepted immediately, almost jumping on his father. Winnie just sat on the end of the bed, watching John hug Ben.
"What are you two doing up so early?" he asked, as he gently combed his son's hair
"It’s Emma’s and Lottie’s birthday on Monday." Winnie whispered, not wanting to wake the smaller Shelbys sleeping in the next room.
"Yes, I know", he smiled "six years ... I don't understand where those six years have gone." He smiled wistfully. But even so, that smile showed a pride that was not visible in the moonlight.
"And we thought about whether we could bake a cake." Ben smiled.
John's eyes went to the boy's sugar-craving gaze. Then he saw her smile, which had a small window.
"So the good cause is cake, huh?" He smiled, giving Winnie a sense that his plan to be quiet had failed.
But even with a defeat, the girl smiled, as her hand traveled through the braid that John had awkwardly made.
“It's already Saturday, you don't have school. Why don't they go back to sleep? he asked, after a chat of flavors, colours and fillings.
Winnie nodded as she listened to Ben, who had been snoring from the beginning of the conversation.
"Aunt Pol, I need a favor." John asked, as he played with the toothpick between his lips.
Polly tore her eyes away from the journal for a few short seconds, seeing her nephew's pleading look. When she read the newspaper again, she spoke:
“I'll take care of the children today, John. But since you are always..."
"Actually, uh... the girls turn 6 on Monday, and I wanted to ask you if you could bake them a cake?" the doubt and confusion in John's voice led her aunt to laugh.
"When in your bloody life have you seen me bake a cake, huh?" she asked, putting the paper aside and taking the last sip of her tea.
"Yeah, well," he laughed, "I don't lose anything by trying, do I?"
Between a nostalgic chat about how they were six years ago, Polly remembered in an instant, interrupting John:
"Y/N!"
Polly's exclamation shook John's comfort, her screams were always sending him to the Calvary.
"Y/N?" he asked.
The name burned on the tip of his tongue and in the back of his head, unable to remember who it was. He had known a nurse of that name, but it couldn't be because some enemies had killed her in front of him.
“Do you remember Karl's cake? That delicacy of chocolate, hazelnut and caramel?” his aunt answered with a question, trying to enliven the memory.
How could he forget that cake.
The cake was soft as a cloud, the chocolate intense and the caramel had a few notes of salt that made your tongue dance. John had never tasted a better cake than that. Also, he had eaten three servings. Faced with the memory, he laughed:
"How could I forget the stomach ache that lasted for two days, ey?" Polly grinned "Never such a beautiful pain."
They both laughed.
John's feet were constantly changing position. He was alone in a neighboring town from Small Heath, an hour away from his home. The address Polly had given him must be wrong since it was not a bakery; it was a simple English house. It had some rose bushes in the small front garden and a bird feeder in a vibrant little lemon tree. The aesthetics of the home were out of tune with John in an extraordinary way. The striking difference between the green of the home and the black of his clothes made him feel like an outcast.
Somewhat uncomfortable and hesitant, he headed for the door. It was then that he could hear the subtle violin that came from the house, also a piano. The atmosphere was so mellow, it almost completely calmed John's nerves. With the piano in the background, he knocked on the door. The music did not stop. From what he knew, the music that was playing came from a gramophone.
A woman in her forties opened the door for him, her blonde hair was down and her eyes were tired, but still had a smile from ear to ear.
"Yes?" she asked, without moving her smile.
"Good afternoon, ma'am" smiled John, taking off his hat "I'm looking for Mrs. Y/N ..."
Mrs? John asked himself, since when did he say he was looking for a Mrs?
The woman called out the name, and within seconds an old woman appeared in front of him.
"Are you Y/N?" asked John.
"So it is, dear." The lady's smile denoted fatigue but a strange feeling of youth.
Uncharacteristically shy, John explained his situation.
"Oh, great, great!" He smiled, and invited him in.
The lady, without asking much, sat the unknown gangster on a pink sofa with flowers and black wooden armrests. John could observe that the music came from a phonograph, it had been almost twenty years since he had seen one, they were not so common anymore.
After a few moments of inspecting the curious and cozy house from that old-fashioned sofa, the lady appeared with two aprons: both pink, with ruffles and embroidery.
"Very good," the lady smiled, "put this on and Y/N is coming."
The old woman did not give Shelby time to complain, leaving him in the company of a pink apron, totally striking.
Polly, what the fuck have you gotten me into?
John walked nervously through the dining room, cooking classes? I'd had enough of Polly's teachings on how to make soup, there was no way I could bake a cake. Less than less, two.
"Are you ready, Mr.?"
The voice... the voice is different.
John turned around, seeing how a girl appeared in front of him.
"And you are?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"I am Y/N."
John was mixing a thick brown mixture, while Y/N a white. The image of the man in a suit, with a chocolate stain on his shirt, made Y/N smile every time she saw him. He had steadfastly refused to wear something as ridiculous and flashy as that pink apron, but he had been persuaded to cook the cake.
"So everyone who wants a cake... comes and has to do it too?" John asked, finishing beating.
"Yes."
"So, my sister Ada...?"
“I end up with her egg-filled apron, but yeah. The cake was made by her with my help. "
John stopped beating, glancing sideways at the baker's smile. He knew that smile, but still not the woman who wore it.
While the cake was baking, they both talked about life, war, music. Sorting things out amid animated chatter, John tried to caress her arms with his. The moles on her arms reminded him of stars.
"You remind me of war." He said, without thinking once.
The look of the young woman was a complete poem.
"You're not good with compliments, are you John?" the girl asked, trying to add laughter to the situation, uncomfortable.
"Hell, I didn't mean that, I..." a chill ran through his body, what the fuck did he just say?
"Do not worry." She smiled, finishing cleaning.
“When I was on the Somme,” John began, “when I was on the Somme I couldn't think of anything other than the smell of blood. I couldn't hear anything other than screams, in a thousand and one languages, be it prayers or calls for help. The sun burned my forehead ... I remember feeling the infinite beads of sweat that dried on my neck. But at night, when death rested and war ceased, he looked at the stars. The sweat of the day made me feel like I was dying of cold in the cruel and dark French trenches. I prayed i would come home safe and sound, or at least alive. And the smell and the screams continued, until i found Cassiopeia in the sky. Then the smell would stop, the screaming too. My body was flooded with the aroma of bread that my mother made, and a lullaby sounded in my head that I heard my aunt sing. "
Y/N's eyes were attentive to every word, unconsciously shedding tears. The boy approached her arm, and slowly traced the W that was seen on her skin. His index finger joined each mole, and he touched the stars of the Samarin sky. He felt that peace, he felt that song and he felt different.
After that, they kissed. It was a bearable kiss, momentary and fleeting but brilliant, like a star. It gave them both that feeling you get on New Year’s: that feeling that, although it is still the same, you have a new opportunity. A fresh start.
“This is how looking up the stars felt.” Said John, while his nose was touching hers.
“How?” Y/n asked.
Both of their eyes were still closed. Their breathing was slow and peaceful.
John couldn’t answer; he felt everything crumble inside of him. Slowly, the disgusting smell of blood was flooding his head again.
“Is the cake ready?” he asked pulling away from her, making the girl sadden.
“Uh…yes, we just have to write their names with icing and it’ll be ready to be eaten.”
Her eyes were trying to connect with his, but he was observing the kitchen anxiously, avoiding her eyes. They both knew that John was evading her, but he didn’t know how she felt.
He left her in the kitchen to finish her work, as he washed the batter off of his hands in the little bathroom. It didn’t matter how many times he used soap, he still saw the red dots of blood on his hands. He felt the dirt under his nails, and the sweat drops on his back were always burning and itching, no matter how many showers he took.
When he left the bathroom, five minutes later, he saw the girl getting ready to write his daughters’ names on both cakes.
With a professional smile on her face, she asked for the names.
“Emma and Charlotte.” he smiled, tiredly.
As he put his coat on again, he watched the girl write both names in pink icing. She had a little bit of her tongue out, and was frowning. John couldn’t help but smile, not realizing how peaceful he was feeling.
One minute after he put on his cap on his the pocket of his coat, the baker gave him two white boxes.
“I really hope you learned something today.” She said with a smile, he smiled back.
“This” he said, giving her money “I believe is yours…”
He was giving her eight quids. Her eyes opened with astonishment.
“It’s two pounds each cake, John. Four in total.”
“Take ‘em, really.” He said, still insisting.
“John, I will accept five, and that’s it.” She said back, trying to act tough. Jesus, eight pounds sounded bloody amazing.
“I compared you to war, c’mon. Take them all.” He insisted agin.
“Six, and if you insist again I will give you both cakes as gifts.” She smiles, feeling the victory in her plan.
John smiled, he couldn’t believe how hard headed she was. He looked away, and let out a little laugh before looking at her, directly in the yes.
“Six it is.”
And when she saw the smile on John’s face, she felt like it was all good again, just like before and during the kiss. Boy was she wrong.
“You know…” the man started “I shouldn’t have kissed you, I’m so sorry…m’ wife, well…”
Y/N’s stiffened, her blood became ice. Every cell in her body fell numb.
“Oh…” she said.
John didn’t say a word. Neither did her.
She helped him load the cakes in his car, but the again. None of them said good bye. He took off, having given the girl two quids more.
He paid for the kiss, she though, not because he was sorry of what he said.
That night, she felt as dirty as John felt. The kiss was burning her lips, her consciousness, every inch of her body. She scrubbed her body even harder in the tub, tears were building up in her eyes.
But John,  on the other hand, felt peace every time he remembered the kiss. He was in bed, trying to sleep, trying to forget the war on his head. He thought of the kiss, of that bloody kiss that made him tremble and feel nervous again. He tried to understand what it felt, he tried every adjective. He found one, two hours after thinking non-stop about the girl he met that day:
Hope.
The kiss tasted like hope.
taglist: open
@a-golden-sunflower-vol-6
@fifty-shadesof-tommyshelby
@stydia-4-ever
140 notes · View notes