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day-drawn-blog · 7 months

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Part IV: There is more to do and I still want to live

Pairing: Astarion x Reader -- This is set in Act I

Part IV - LOTS of angst and sadness and jealousy and fluff.

Tags: angst, fluff, sadness, angst, fluff, then maybe eventually smut because I do love that

Part I. Crowned light moon of mine - I found you too soon

Part II : Lace your heart with mine Let your sleeping soul take flight

Part III : maybe tonight I'll rest in peace

Part V: our futures bound, our bodies known

Part VI : these ain't my sins, I' broke my chains

Part VII: You are not mine and am I truly yours?

Part VIII: your blood like wine, invites me in

Part IX: I'll welcome my sentence and give you my penance

Part X : I can't go yet...don't let me die

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The next morning you woke up. It took you a while to remember last night. You gasped and turned around. Your bed was empty. You were the only one. Your nocturnal visitor had vanished into the night air. Was he even there last night, or did you dream it all? Somewhere in the corner of your turbulent heart, you knew, he had gone back to his paramour. Which was not you. Before the pain of that thought drove you mad, you decided to distract yourself. After all, he never made any promises to you.

Time to get on with it.

The day was weary. You were finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the air between Shadowheart and Astarion. Every glance they shared, every smile was laced with poison for you. You prayed and hoped this would pass. You were the hero. You were the one who would lead them to safety, to the end of this perilous journey. It was a quest for salvation for all of you. And then you were all ambushed.

Time to focus on violence.

That should get your mind off of them. Except, Shadowheart was cornered, and while Astarion was supposed to target another, he defied the plan - to shoot at her attacker leaving himself open to a powerful spell that inflicted several wounds on him. He fell from his station. Drops of his blood splattered on Shadowheart's pale pretty face, down from where he stood.

Your heart had stopped.

Shadowheart shrieked, naturally to see him in pain so. Instantly she cast Santuary on him and incinerated the enemy with her radiance spell. You could feel her vengeance in the intensity with which she cast her spell. They then proceeded to embrace each other, her trying to heal him, and him finding solace in her arms.

You felt your world go blank.

Was there really a point to any of this? What was it, again. Your vision blurry, everything seemed to have slowed down. Or maybe just you. Karlach and Wyll were nearby. Flashes of spells and clash of swords. That's all you heard. Reckless abandon. That is what you wanted to feel. To make it worth something. To be seen, maybe. To be valued, to be needed. Or not be needed at all.

You cared not for your spell magic. It was time to feel the rage delivered through your own hands. Slashing, kicking, swinging your pact weapon. The feel of hitting a mortal enemy, splattering of blood around you. you could hear Karlach yell. Why? Oh, is that blood? Is that yours? Somebody bludgeoned you. Because being able to hit, meant being able to take a hit. Another punch to your face. This one you felt. You lost your footing.

This was fun.

Bring it on. See what I got. I will give it back to you. I have seen worse. I have felt worse. I have nothing more to lose. I will take you down with me. That's what raced through your mind. You hit harder, faster and with more venom than before. Killing with your own hands. You never enjoyed it before. Where is this rage coming from. You were no barbarian. You could feel the Hellish Rebuke coursing through your own body. you hit. And was hit back. Thrown back. Several times you landed on the floor. And got back up.

And then you felt hot. Warm. You had been hit with a fire spell.

You heard Wyll yell out. You could feel Karlach going into Rage. You knew the battle was won. You smiled, and you fell. For the last time that day. The last thing you remember seeing was Karlach cradling you, and Astarion running towards you from the distance. You couldn't make out what his face looked like. "Serves you right. Watch your only source of food disappear." you thought. You smiled, even if you were in pain.

The next thing you remember is Karlach nursing you in your tent.

Everything hurt. Pain all over. Wrapped in badages all over. You wondered what went down after your...recklessness. Karlach seemed really sad. Worried. "Thank the gods you are awake! What were you thinking?!" You smiled weakly. "Laezel has been going on and on about how impressed she was with your battle field prowess. "Ah.. Laezel, she would be...I'm glad".

After much fussing by Karlach, and Gale, and Shadowheart and basically everyone, who came to express their concern and relief or awe in your battle prowess or chastise you for your recklessness, you were relieved to get some quiet time. In which you wondered, where was the man, who mattered the most.

Typical. A vampire, only thinks of himself. and then suddenly, you remembered the look of pure horror on his face as you blacked out. But was he impressed? Was he worried? Did you get, ....his attention at last? You needed to know, if you were seen, at last.

If you mattered. To him. At all.

You decided to trudge outside in the cool night air. Everyone was finally asleep from all the exhaustion. It was a clear sky. Perhaps it is a great time to find a nice little piece of nature all to yourself. To take in the solitude.

You walked, slowly in the quiet night.

A little away from camp, you saw a shadowy figure. Almost predatory, walking towards you. Unmistakable.

So there he was.

He wasn't with shadowheart tonight? Maybe he had gone to hunt since, you weren't available. Your heart skipped a beat. There he was, out hunting. Was he scared he almost lost you? Was he finally worried about you? You wondered how the conversation would go. You had no idea why you did what you did, nor how he would react. You braced yourself.

But he said nothing at all.

He approached you. His face shone briefly in the moonlight. His eyes were cold. His shoulders brushed yours but he didn't stop. His glance was smouldering. Steely. But he said not a word and walked straight past.

You watched his back, through the light and darkness. Wait. You wanted to know, what he felt... "Are, you ... okay, Astarion? I saw you getting hurt earlier." Silence. Then he stopped and turned. You could hear your heart beat.

"Me? I am very glad to be alive you see. I do not want to just, end it all. Despite what my life has been so far, I still want to live." he looked at you with disdain.

You were taken aback.

You had been chastised by Wyll and to some extend Shadowheart, for your recklessness. But why did this one, cut through your heart?

"That's not... what I was ... "

But, is that what you were doing? Or is that what he thinks you were doing. Either way, you felt, ashamed. You would surely never. You had promised to be the Hero and Savior to others who needed saving. You wanted to love those that needed it. No. He was not right. It was not true. You won't let it be true.

You found your voice.

"Is that what you think I was doing? ha. I bet you got all worried, thinking your only source of higher blood would disappear. isn't it?" Your voice was laced with bitterness.

"And is that what you think of me?" His face was in the shadows. You could not see the glare in his eyes, but you could feel the disdain in his voice. "Well, in that case, maybe it is time for our nightly trysts to come to an end".

No. I didn't mean that.

You felt gripped by a sudden fear. No. Do not cast me aside. That is my only use to you. Do not take that away from me too. Please. That is not what I meant or wanted. That is the only time you look at me. You know of my existence. Only way I am needed by you. Only time I am wanted by you. No. You could feel tears choking you.

You couldn't speak. So he turned and resumed walking back to camp.

You turned too and then you broke down. You could not stop your tears. You felt so sorry. So very sorry for yourself. You almost lost yourself today, for this man. Why? Did you just want to be seen that badly. Only to be thrown away entirely. You watched the tears drop on your hands, and you knelt on the ground with your hands propping you up. Nothing you did would ever matter.

This was the bitter truth you so desperately wanted to deny. You never mattered to begin with. You were nobody to him. And you almost died for him. How could you hate yourself so much? Why would you not value yourself. Was he worth all that? You will never be Shadowheart. For it is she, who was in his heart and mind. You were just a convenient transaction.

You felt warm hands, from behind.

Hands that held you up. As you cried your eyes out. You were held in an tight embrace. As if the person wanted to take all your pain away. The harder your cried, the tighter you were embraced. You were found, by someone. Someone was there. Someone cared. That's all that mattered to you at that instant. You didn't care who it was. You were grateful it was...someone. You absorbed all the warmth in their body, and you felt the support of their broad chest against your back, as they buried their face in your neck from behind.

You felt his soft caress on your neck.

You felt so happy, that you started crying even more. You felt eternal bliss, you felt cared for, seen and you felt loved. You felt wanted. Your yearnings, came rushing out in salted tears. You wanted to laugh and smile, but you cried instead. Tears of joy, if only you could tell him that.

"I am sorry. I did not know. I am sorry. What can I do. How can I help you, please tell me a way." he whispered. "I cannot see you like this. I need you. Yes I need you. But not for your blood. You are our salvation. You protect us. From our personal demons. And in Wyll's case, quite literally".

You finally laughed a little.

He loosened his grasp a bit at that. Realizing, that the worst may have passed. but he did not let go entirely. Still resting his head next to you, kneeling on the ground with you, he held on. "I will one day, somehow, give you a reason to live on. Something you will want to hold on to. I promise you. Can't you wait a little bit. I don't know what that is yet. But you have my word".

Those were the last words you heard that night.

Because your pain and exhaustion and happiness came crashing on you at once. You felt your consciousness slip away. You felt swpt up, carried. You heard Karlach on the way. "What did you do to her Astarion! You better not have hurt her! she was already in bad shape. Did you make her cry?! Why are her eyes so swollen?" You drifted to a very sweet dream that night. Content somehow.

Part V: our futures bound, our bodies known

#astarion x reader #astarion romance #astarion angst #astarion bg3 #astarion x tav #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fanfic #astarion fanfic #romance fanfic

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my-love-is-sunlight · 3 months

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The bird’s call

Zoro x bird!reader

Warnings: fem reader, yes reader turns into a bird, pure fluff idiots in love and confessions

Word count: 2.2k

Summary: In which it finally dawns on Zoro that he loves you, whatever he shall do?

Notes: yes this is the same reader from my other writings that can turn into a bird can be read as a stand alone but recommend this one!

᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘ 𓅪 ⚘𖥧᠂ 𖡼᠃

“You’re sloppy” The swordsman blurted as he adjusted your position harshly, you rolled your eyes at the comment

“I am an archer I had never touched a sword in my life”

You were a mighty warrior, although a lot of people failed to see it, you were glad the ones that count did, between them happened to be Luffy who offered you a place in his crew, and surprisingly Zoro, having this unspoken respect and admiration

“If you can hit a far away target, you can draw a sword”

You both shared an amazing bond when it came to battle. When he was strong, aggressive and always acting on instinct, you were precise, agile and light on your feet. Together you were unstoppable, you were the hand that wilded Zoro’s sharp sword, as he would hit recklessly, you’ll guide it and made sure to hit targets that may approach at the long run. The chemistry you both exuded was something never seen before, it made battle feel like a vigorous dance, a fun sport.

Training together on the other hand… was tough, at least for you. The swordsman had practically begged for you to start sword training, you were hesitant as how good of a teacher he would be, and oh god he worked you to the bone, always stumbling back to your room muscles aching and ego deflated. Your styles as good as they worked together, they were completely opposites.

“First position” the green haired man ordered which made you move back immediately, losing your balance as you adjusted to the awkward stance

“Wrong again” He said as he kicked your leg slightly which made it shake “You’re a warrior, look the part”

You let out a loud sarcastic scoff “It would be easier if you stopped being so mean”

“I’d be nicer if you listened”

You had spend half your life burning yourself out to be seen, to make people notice you were capable, always working twice as hard as everyone else in your stupid island so they would even let you grasp a weapon.

To be a warrior and to be a woman, didn’t go hand in hand

That’s why you didn’t hesitate to join Luffys crew, you knew he valued your place but most importantly it didn’t matter who you were or how you looked. It was the perfect path for you to leave your island behind and finally allow yourself for grow at your own pace. Having Zoro hovering over you and correcting every move and breath wasn’t appealing, it reminded you to all those times you spend swallowing the disrespect from others, of course you knew your crew-mate was doing this in good heart, it almost felt like a favor, but it troubled you non the less

“This is stupid” you whispered between pants as you catch your breath

You knew if you kept going at this, it would eventually end on you harvesting a hatred for Zoro, which funnily enough it had happened before and it wasn’t quite nice, but maybe it was better than being blinded by the love you had for him and only him

“It is only if you allow it to be” he weirdly tries inviting you to continue as he fixes your stance, one hand steady yet soft on your arms other in your hip, you can feel the scars on them but it doesn’t bother you, it feels weirdly familiar. You glance at him as your heart jumps around threatening to escape at any given moment

What Zoro would never admit, not even to himself, is that this was the reason he wanted to train you. He did not care even a little that you didn’t knew anything about swords, or that your stances were always wrong.

This were the only moments he’d allow himself to indulge in the best pleasures life could offer, you

Zoro was not only strong in body but also in mind, always disciplined and forever only focus in achieving his dream, until you appeared. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t just be without you, he would catch himself staring, looking for you, attentive and basking in you, confused on why even tough his heart would pump crazily, felt unarmed and nervous, he had to be near you in any way possible

You were intoxicating as sake, addicted to every part of you, eager to know and trace all edges of your soul. A walking contradiction you were for him, the sword he pointed directly to his heart, finding himself dreaming, seeking and yearning for you

But he kept everything close to his heart, at least until he understood, until he could control it

Impossible, not even the greatest swordsman in the wide world could tame love

Zoro holds your stare as you study his features, even though he could feel every inch of him shaking, he could not look away. He drowns in your sent as his eyes travel to your lips wondering how soft would they be?

It had been long ago that you had come to terms with the torturous feelings you had for the swordsman, but you promised yourself to never instigate.

It would only bring you trouble because obviously he would never reciprocate, right? There was no space for you in his mind or heart, you were a distraction, just his crew-mate, a friend at most

Sure you wore your heart on your sleeve and it was painfully obvious how head over heels you were for that man, but you thanked whatever force in the universe had made him so oblivious. If only you knew he was too busy figuring you out to notice…

So you held yourself back even if everything in you screamed that you closed the tiny gap between you both and kissed, for your own sake

You take a step back, or you try before Zoro’s grip on your waist tightness afraid you’ll fly away, not wanting the moment to fade. Your eyes widen but before you can question him he clears his throat and lets go, hands running towards the grip of the sword

“Just uh… hold it up like this” he directs you red splattered all over his cheeks eyes adverting from yours

It finally dawns on him, he doesn’t just like you, he loves you, like romantically. Having you that close had left him wanting more, as vulnerable he had felt, he was obsessed with the feeling of your bodies at such proximity, the intimacy of your eyes meeting while rose tinted your faces, the revolution on his heart that you had started only by glancing at him. Maybe he despised the power you held, but at the same time he was glad it was you, you the kindest sweetest yet strongest person he had the honor of meeting, the perfect match, most suitable to hold his heart, to own him.

But what was he to do now?

Time slipped through his fingers as he drowned in questions and feelings, ending in just a back and fort of brushes, gazes and long talks that both of you enjoyed of course, but the unspoken feelings that hanged in the air left you both breathless and awake at night.

“Just tell her Zoro is not that hard” As his last resort, Zoro found himself seeking advice for Nami, but he started to regret his decision

“Easy for you to say”

The navigator rolled her eyes, this whole situation had her, no scratch that, everyone on the ship amused and annoyed. How could both of you be so blind to notice how far you had fallen for one another

“Ugh c’mon, you’re practically always together and if not you’re staring back at each other! You’re both ridiculous” the statement took Zoro aback, red creeping from his neck as he bickered back at Nami

“Thought you would’ve notice by now” she giggled still amused by his lack of expertise “All you gotta do is go and talk to her and be honest”

Zoro’s eyes wondered to where your laugh sprung, Luffy and Usopp were throwing grapes as far as they could for you to catch up in the air morphed into your bird form, sometimes indulging them in some flying tricks as you fly back down. As much as it pained him Nami was right, there was no way around it, for him to bottle up everything he felt would end up in nothing good and he would rather die of embarrassment than to hurt you. Still the thought of you liking someone as devilish as him haunted the swordsman, he had to trust the navigators words for this one which wasn’t ideal but at least he felt reassured.

Nami read the panic that settled on her friend’s features, which was comical to her considering how painfully obvious you were

“She likes you man, I promise, and I don’t go throwing that word around” the woman squished his shoulder as the last drop of motivation she could offer before leaving

Another laugh escaped your mouth that had Zoro fawning all over the deck. You were so lively, kind and driven, but also strong, how could you ever give your time of day to a man that spent his days doing nothing but working, sweating and drinking. Zoro was a man that had walked through this world with an iron will, while you also had to step your ground, you managed to remain soft and sweet which was deemed impossible to the swordsman but still, you were the living proof that there was a way to own the softness in your strength which always impressed him.

That evening as you finished your personal training which consisted of the longest cardio session Zoro had ever witnessed someone do, some yoga and target practice, he silently waited, sun sharing its last drops of sunlight as it disappeared behind the ocean

“Hey~” Zoro spoke as he saw you walking back to your quarters, which made you jump and thug at the dagger wrapped around your thigh, when your eyes met his, you let out the a breath as he snickered at your reaction

“Don’t do that again” a smiled formed in your lips as you heard Zoro’s laugh, it was a sound that you rarely got to listen but so loved to

“So jumpy” he joked before turning to the sea leaning his strong figure on the railing, you followed beside him, gaze fixed in the watercolors that painted the scenery. Usually whenever you and Zoro shared silence it was comfortable and inviting, but today you could sense tension and doubtfulness hanging around the green haired man, nevertheless you don’t break it

A shaky heavy hand travels from the railing to yours which makes you flinch, you turn to him, to find his grey eyes dissecting you completely, again, you don’t say anything you stay still as to not scare him away. His breath becomes uneven, all the words he had rehearsed washed away at your touch, melting in each other instantly

“Zoro?” You finally whisper after a long staring contest between you two, his face turns back at the ocean making his earrings chime together, your face looks for his once again, a hand holding his cheek coaxing him to speak up

The light kisses you just right, you look angelic in his eyes, hair falling perfectly framing your face and your skin soft like a pillow, how could he word any thought about you that has crossed his mind without tripping? He slowly removes the hand that rest on his cheek and with all the courage he could gather he kisses it, eyes closing drinking all of you he could take

You are the one at lost of breath now, heart drumming strong in both of your chests

“Be mine” as blunt and more of an statement than a question as it sounded, it was the first thing that he had found himself thinking of you since meeting, a giggle makes its way trough his ears as his eyes widen thinking you were making fun of him, before even registering anything else you pull yourself closer, noses lightly touching

“Please…” a whisper could be described as something louder compared on the way he plead for you, it melted you completely to see the strong stoic swordsman like this, guard down and honest

“I’ve always been yours”

You listen to your heart for once and kiss him, softly and tender just like he imagined. You held his neck to keep you closer as he finally realized whats happening and welcomes you instantly, holding your waist capturing you under his big figure. Nothing exists anymore, just you and him under the sunset lulled by the so familiar waves of the ocean that seemed to have softened just for the tow of you.

You let go as much as you could, not being able to step back as he held you strongly, catching both of your breaths as they mixed together

“Good, would’ve been awkward if you didn’t say yes” you roll your eyes and smile ear to ear as he follows your head to rest his forehead on yours

“I love you, Zoro”

᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘ 𓅪 ⚘𖥧᠂ 𖡼᠃

I love them sm *holds them close* I’ll be writing more about these two. Feel free to request and correct me, english is not my first language

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shittalkcornstalk · 7 months

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“Take One For The Team”

Part 3

Synopsis- After another week of successfully placating Buggy the Clown, you start seeing him in a new light. You unassuredness on these feelings leads you to take some one on one time with him, maybe that’ll clear your mind, or just make things worse…

A/n: This chapter is longer than the previous ones since it was the first chapter I wrote after sharing the first one! I am still figuring out the order of how I want certain events to play out, but I have a few scenes/plot points figured out. This chapter is nothing but fluff. Any comments on missing tags is appreciated!

Warnings- xfemreader!, Use of Y/n, 18+ minor dni, Eventual Smut, mild manipulation on both your parts at h this point, alcohol use, weapons mention, age gap mention

Word Count- 3.8k

Chapter 3 “A Change In Course”

Your pretty outfits continued, as well as Buggy’s new style of flirting. Every so often you were pulled into his gaze and words trapping you in moments that felt more and more intense. He got very good at making you lose yourself for a moment only to pull you back out and act like nothing happened. Comments were often in passing but they still made you go blank. It became very clear you were stepping into uncharted waters, but life had never been better. Buggy may have been a mean Captain, but he could be just as fun and exciting. The last week had been nothing but fun, as the crew lavished in drinks and music in the nights as you docked onto a small town. Whenever you all trained he watched over you all with an encouraging support rallying you all to his cause. It made you believe he actually wanted you all to succeed by his side. It was kind of cute seeing him so passionate about all of you. And that’s where the problem arose. You found yourself calling him cute in your head, genuinely giggling at his jokes at dinner, and maybe even enjoying his lingering eyes. Shit shit shit. You are not developing a crush on him, not at all, you can’t.

You meet up with the “Keep Buggy Happy” team a couple times a week to go over plans and celebrate your continued success. Lately though you find yourself drinking heavier than usual as the two men discuss your recent attempts at winning the Captain over.

“You’ve really upped your game y/n you look like you're flirting with him so effortlessly-“ Moji commends you.

You aren’t doing much of anything intentionally anymore, other than the outfits, all the giggles and blushing is all too real. Cabaji and Moji haven’t noticed you’ve been slipping on your act, but a very observant woman is well aware.

“Yesssss she’s been doing such a good job -faking- all those reactions, haven’t you y/n.” She chuckles to herself and takes a swig.

“ Well it helps he’s an easy target and this liquor makes things a lot easier” You take a sip from your glass and appreciate the nicer richer flavors of the liquor selection that Alvida has permitted you to take from. The stuff in there is only really allowed to be drunk by her and…

She leans in to whisper in your ears suddenly.

“You know that’s Captains personal favorite~”

Your breath hitches , maybe it’s the alcohol hitting your system but your body gets warmer. You’ve smelt this drink on his breath before whenever he leaned in to whisper his advancements in your ear. As the drink hits your tongue you can only imagine him drinking it. The way his mouth must taste like this after a night out… You immediately start feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. Alvida laughs at your reaction and pats you on the back taking you out of your intrusive thoughts.

“Well it seems our honeypot is doing just fine at her job without your input, why don’t you boys give us some time alone. On a ship full of men us girls rarely get time for girl talk” She waves them away. Alvida had never been this chummy with you before, but based off of that last line you were expecting more teasing to come your way. Cabaji and Moji left and she leaned into you closer.

“You little slut, you really like him don’t you-“ She laughed at your expense as you droop your head down.

“I don’t know, maybe…” You really weren’t sure. All this attention from him was getting to your head. You’d seen a slightly different version of Buggy this past week, and this one wasn’t totally reprehensible.

She sighed at your apprehension. “Listen, why don’t you take advantage of us docking in town tonight. I was supposed to run some errands with the clown tomorrow , but I can send you instead, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the company. It’ll give you some time to clear your head and get to see him out of the context of Captain a bit. Maybe it’ll help you figure out some of this confusion.”

You took a swig of your drink and took a deep breath considering your options. You hadn’t had a lot of alone time with Buggy before, maybe this would make you realize this silly crush was just a phase.

“Ok I’ll give it a go”

The next day you got ready without Alvida. You took the time to take care of your appearance but you opted for a more relaxed outfit. You didn’t want to work him up if he was gonna spend an entire afternoon with you. Heading to the docks you met up outside with Buggy. He grumbled looking at a small paper with a list of supplies for the ship, adding a couple of things with a small pencil he tucked into his hat. You tapped him on the shoulder as he concentrated on the sheet.

“Captain Buggy? Alvida told me you needed help shopping today and sent me to find you.”

Buggy turned around fast and crumbled the paper in his hands as he was shocked to see you.

“Gah! You scared me y/n. Sneaking up on your Captain like that is how you get a knife to the throat-“ His chest puffed as his breath quickened, you noticed his limbs had detached at the joints only a smidge. He was always so reactive like that, always on edge, but you’d imagine you’d be too if you were a wanted pirate captain. You pat him on the shoulders giggling at the response, hearing the subtle noise of his limbs reattaching.

“I’ll keep that in mind- now what did you need to do in this town anyway?”

“Well Alvida and I were supposed to pick up some food rations for the ship and ammo before we headed out, this will be the last town for a while so we’re docking here until we’re fully set. I needed to order stuff now and I was hoping Alvida could keep track of todays shopping for when we needed to load the cargo, but you’ll do fine-“

Most of the time Buggy had been either ordering you around or flirting with you, you weren’t used to seeing him this calmly professional. You obliged and followed him around doing this busy work, after all you were one of his crew. You kind of forgot he was your boss sometimes. You made your way to the food markets where Buggy pulled a knife on a butcher who noticeably tried to upcharge him on meat. You never took notice of how much money it took to keep the ship well fed, it made your portion sizes seem more significant. After the food market, Buggy rushed over to the ammo shop he’d marked out on a little map of the town you were in. He was so giddy to restock on his favorite items, he didn’t realize he gripped your wrist to pull you faster to your destination.

“You’re gonna love this y/n” He spoke so excitedly rushing through the crowded streets not letting go.

His eyes lit up at seeing the selection this shop had. He pointed out the bombs he inspired his own Buggy Balls after and the tiny cherry bombs he practiced with as a kid. He pulled up to the clerk to talk shop with him and you browsed the selection as he negotiated. You took your time looking at a small gun that sat under glass. It was a cute little revolver with a bright red handle. You’d dabble with guns before but always stuck to more hand to hand combat. The bright red was eye-catching, certainly flashy enough to be a weapon for a Buggy pirate.

You hear the shop clerk and Buggy make some joke only two weapons experts would get. They get a bit louder as the joking continues when you hear a deal being made.

“I’ll give you the lot for a discount, and I’ll throw in the cherry revolver your little girlfriend keeps eyeing up-“

You immediately turn your head away to keep Buggy from seeing how the little misunderstanding made you feel. Buggy laughs it off and shakes the man’s hand.

“You’ve got yourself a deal!” He turns to you. “Can’t go wrong with a little added self defense, right doll?” He played into the clerk’s perception and watched as you shifted your head back to respond, seeing if you’ll take the bait and play into the role.

“Yeah… of course babe-“ You are flustered but want to keep on the clerks good side, he was giving you quite the deal after all.

It takes a little longer than expected for Buggy to finish off the transaction and shopkeep left the room for a moment with your new pistol. You both leave the store and you take note of the added inventory the ship will be taking in. Buggy watched you fill out the form waiting for the silent concentration to break so he could tease you about what just happened. You place the papers in your bag and he hands you a nice leather box.

“Anything for my girlfriend-“ He teased you, really emphasizing the last word. You open it and as expected it was the gun, what you weren’t expecting was his name engraved on the handle in a swirly font.

“Just letting the people you plan to shoot with that thing, just who your captain is-“

He’d held off on any greater advancements early today, but after that little scene in the store he couldn’t keep himself from being assertive.

“You did such a great job as my little helper today, why don’t we get some lunch before doing the rest of the day’s itinerary, my treat-“ He grinned at you as you still inspected your new weapon, now branded with his identity.

You nodded and walked with him to a fairly nice seaside restaurant. Now you two were alone with each other truly, no distractions or store workers to keep you from really talking. He ordered a drink and you followed suit, hoping to get some liquid courage as he leered at you. When it hit the table you gulped it down rather quickly, he noticed.

“Are you thirsty doll? You could always order another if you want-“ He looked at you humming before taking a long sip of his drink, taking it all down at once as you see his throat bob. “In fact let’s both get another round, we deserve to loosen up a bit don’t we?” He chuckles and signs to the waiter to bring two more to the table. It takes all your courage to break the silence, but you finally pipe up.

“So what does the rest of the day have in store for us Captain Buggy? More shopping I assume-“

“Captain Buggy…I thought I was babe now?” He laughed at you and your face tightened. “Take a joke sweets, I just thought it was funny that guy thought a girl like you would be seen with a guy like me-“ He waves his hands over himself taking a little too much time around his face, specifically his nose.

“Oh Captain I don’t see it that way, it was just a little awkward ya know? Since you're my boss and all? I just played along so we could get that discount he was talking about-“ Even if this little crush was a phase, it was kind of disheartening to hear Buggy talk about himself like that. You never noticed how self deprecating he could be. He wasn’t unattractive and you certainly wouldn’t be embarrassed if more people thought you were his- now you were digging yourself in a hole… luckily he broke you out.

“Yeah well it was nice to get to talk about my speciality with someone, as for the rest of the day we mainly need to pick up smaller items. Stuff we won’t have to worry about having the crew load onto the ship. I need to pick up more map making supplies, Alvida requested more liquor as it seems it’s been running out faster, and we’ll need a bit more medical supplies.” You never realized how much Buggy was really in control of. He had a moderate crew but his inclination to hire ‘freaks’ left him with a lot of fighters, but not a lot of specialists. You wish you could lighten the load for him, but you weren’t hired for any special talents either.

“Wow that’s a lot to keep track of, I don’t know how you do it Buggy-“ You looked down at your drink swirling the tiny straw. You didn’t mean too but you did two things that rang in Buggy’s ears like wedding bells. You stroked his ego so subtly, praising him for his underappreciated efforts, and for the first time you called him by just his first name. He liked how casually you saw him in the moment. It made his cheeks flush, maybe he was closer than he thought.

“We’ll it’s always nice to be appreciated- but it helps a lot to have a crew like you… you all..” He coughs out the last words, to make it seem impersonal.

Before you knew it the food came out and you two shared stories about your lives. Buggy told about his past like it was a performance but you noticed him skipping over a couple of ‘unimportant’ details. He mainly brushed over a straw hat character, but based on timing, you’d place the kid who stole his map a few months back was far too young to be the same person. He got so excited telling you about his adventures that you got lost in his words. He really had so much life experience, and even with the caveat that you were younger than him, you really hadn’t had any big adventures in your life, at least not till him. Buggy opened up the world to you with very little to go off on. And now you were sitting across from him as he told you about his life, things you never heard before from him. That kind of trust shouldn’t be taken lightly. You feel a warmth rush over you as you smile and giggle at all the little flourishes he does to make the story seem grander, to make it more entertaining for you, his only audience member. He really is one of a kind. As you look into his eyes you feel the pit in your stomach form you break your attention from him. You excuse yourself to the ladies room and feel the impending dread rush over you. You pull the gun from your pocket tracing your fingers on the engravement. You look up at your flushed face and it all falls together.

“Shit-“

You have a crush on Buggy the Clown.

You give yourself a light pat on the cheek to get yourself to focus. He’s out there, you know how he feels about you, and now you return those feelings. How the hell are you supposed to go about this day like normal? How can you look at the guy and watch him flirt without losing your cool? Does this count as a date? The errands before could be chocked up to just a Captain and crewmate running inventory, but now you two were alone at a restaurant sharing drinks and stories. Maybe the second drink wasn’t smart. You could feel your cheeks get flushed and your head spin. You wondered what Buggy was thinking out there, you didn’t want to have him wait too long but you couldn’t bear to leave the bathroom just yet.

Meanwhile Buggy leaned back in his chair, thumping his leg up and down anxiously. He called the waiter over and requested another drink, anything to calm him down. This entire time he’s been flipping between that cool guy exterior he so desperately wants you to fall for and the absolute loser he believes himself to be. He can’t believe he talked himself into pulling that engravement stunt in the weapons shop, but seeing you get all shy at the clerk’s miscommunication did something to him. He wanted to draw more of that embarrassment out of you no matter how direct he had to be. He wanted to see you flustered and skittish thinking about how cute it was when you played along with the game. He tried to clear the air later, a bit of self deprecation always saved him from getting hurt, but when you fought back even just a little at the notion you two didn’t make sense he was over the moon. He wanted that to mean so much more than just an off handed comment. Buggy wanted himself to not be a joke to you. While you were held up in the bathroom he fought between wanting you back in his sight and wishing you’d stay in just a little longer. He needed to compose himself if you were to finish the meal in one piece

Meanwhile you finally calmed down enough to go back to the table. If this was a date or just two people sharing a meal there was no real reason to make it awkward. Buggy looked at you walking back to the table and gulped down his drink. He’d made sure to have the previous glass removed so as far as you knew he’d been sipping on the second drink just like you. He was already worried about looking like a jackass, he couldn’t deal with being a drunk as well.

“So this is the last time we’ll be on land for a while right? We’re heading out to a big stretch of sea after we get done here-“ You recall seeing the plans spread out at dinner a day ago. You’d be out at sea for at least a month before you’d be docking again somewhere.

“Yeah if all goes according to plan. Now's the time to pick up anything you’ll need in the incoming weeks. We’ve been making good time so if you need to stop anywhere while we’re out today, just let me know. I’ll add it to the list.” He leaned back into professional talk as it seemed to be the only way to calm his nerves.

You thought patiently about if there really was anything you’d run low on. You were fine on clothes, though you wished Alvida hadn’t ransacked your closet. Nothing came to mind until you realized you were low on shower supplies.

“Oh I think I need more shampoo and conditioner- the stuff stocked in the bathroom is running dry-“

“Ah well I’ll see if there’s a store nearby that sells that kind of stuff- what were you looking for anyways-“ He didn’t want to let on that he’d known the exact brand and scent of hair care you used.

You absentmindedly forget yourself and slip out how much you know as you respond “oh whatever you usually pick out for me works-“

Buggy gawks at you. Who told you this information? As far as he was concerned he’d sneak it to your room and drop them off without your notice . He never let on that he’d personally bought all of your shower supplies, taking special care to pick fragrances he enjoyed smelling on you when he had those moments where he was just close enough to catch it in the air. He loved vanilla and musky woody smells on you, it reminded him of sweets and old ships. But nevertheless you clearly knew something, what was he supposed to say?

You pick up on this slip of the tongue, you gotta save this somehow- “Well you pick out all our supplies, right? I always assumed you bulk ordered them, I’m sure the others will need some supplies as well. Should I add it to the list for all of us?”

Buggy could afford to maintain a ship, but he couldn’t afford to pay for a crew's worth of fancy soaps. It wasn’t cheap keeping you smelling like that, to give everyone the same treatment would not only break his wallet, it would totally kill the mood of your scent if he started smelling it on Moji…the thought of that pissed him off. He thought today was going smooth enough so maybe he could let this one little secret slip.

“Actually those are just for you- you always had such nice hair, I thought it’d be a shame to ruin it with the rest of the crew’s 3 in 1 garbage-“ He mumbled it a bit. You already knew he’d been going out of his way for you, but him finally being honest with you, especially about why, made your heart flutter.

“Oh, um…thank you Buggy, I really appreciate that-“Curling your hair in your fingers, taking notice to feel just how soft it really was thanks to him. He really did want to give you nothing but the best.

“You know I should’ve guessed you’d be the one on the crew to know about hair maintenance-“ You laugh a little. “You’ve always done such a great job on your own, I couldn’t believe it was real when I first saw it.”

Buggy had once again failed a task successfully. You were blushing at him, playing with your hair, and giving him compliments. He’d become jelly in the knees. You spent the rest of the lunch continuing with stories. After the little heart attack both of you endured, the conversation was a bit more stilted and quiet, both of you a little too on edge to really perform for one another. You told Buggy about your youth and how you used to want to be a marine till you saw how corrupt the system was. It had only been since you heard about Buggy and a couple others that the idea of being a pirate even crossed your mind. Back then when you heard he was in town, you’d rush to see if you could join them before it was too late. Now your audition seems a little different in context to what you now know about Buggy, but you'll keep that part to yourself. You didn’t originally plan on staying with the crew for as long as you’ve been, but the crew became more than a means to an end, they became your friends. As you voice this to Buggy he smiles softly and nods.

“I’m glad you feel that way y/n, we are truly all happy to have you on the crew-“

The lunch ends and you head out for the rest of the days shopping.

#buggy #buggy the clown #buggy x reader #buggy x y/n #op buggy #one piece #buggy x you

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otomelavenderhaze · 10 months

Text

I can't stop thinking about the cave dialogue in which Rayan talks about Chloé, his ex wife, therefore I went back to read whole scene back from University Life episode 8, because what Rayan describes in episode 17 of LL is too diferent from that UL episode and from everything I could remember about it.

It's not to say that I caught some sort of insane discrepancy and AHÁ!

It's more because I find it interesting and I thought maybe others would find it interesting as well. So first I wanna show you what Rayan says in episode 8 of UL (which I never translated before until this post):

In my playthrough of it, back in the day, I asked him directly if he have a wife, which he answers yes first and then the proceeds to talk about it...

"And she will forever be my wife. But the last time we saw each other was seven years ago. Already… seven years… My wife, Chloé, died seven years ago. In a terrorist attack. Some savages came in shooting. No fixed target. In shop windows, in people and even in children."

"There were many wounded, and fortunately few dead. But Chloé is one of those who didn't survive… All that happened seven long years ago. It took me time. At first I didn't want to move. I wanted to keep everything, the smallest memory."

Now why I am showing this 4 panells?

This is important to understand how she died, how sad Rayan showed us to be about her death and his attachment towards Chloé.

He even goes as far to say:

"We met in high school and we got married at 23, in a hurry. We didn't tell anyone. But I'm not going to lie to you and say that everything was all roses."

Candy asks him, how so?

"We often quarreled. We stayed together for a long time, we didn't get to know anyone but each other and, sometimes, we even doubted. But when she left… I was torn apart."

Now we will never know why they used to fight, what made them marry so young and so quickly to the point where he implies they didn't even had a wedding ceremony.

Which makes this difficult to understand what compelled both of them to take such actions - maybe they they were just impulsive, but without a reason behind such impulsivity it's hard to tell if it was warrant or not.

But then, the actual panel that made me do this post in the first place eventually comes up in that same conversation with Candy:

"I loved her with all my soul. Before anything else, she was my best friend. But, sorry… I opened up too much…"

And I believe he did, regardless of anything else, because it makes sense for Rayan's character to marry someone for love.

That's the kind of "person" he is, that's why when he falls for Candy, he's ready to assume so many risks and even later talks about leaving his job for her just so they could have a less tense relationship.

This sets up him to be someone that would intensily love another person and do everything for them - they being Chloé or Candy.

I could say this is actually the point of that whole conversation: to show that he isn't someone that takes love lightly or shallowly, which helps us readers to trust his intentions and to believe that, yes, for love he would indeed be honorable, truth and passionate, instead of a player or a man that just wants to have fun with one of his students.

Not mentioning that he presents himself as a tortured soul that lost a wife tragically and never fell in love ever since, but falls in love for you, the reader, because you're special and irreplaceable, is something very flattering and, even, I dare say, romantic.

Meow meow is sad and you're the only one who can fix that for him.

Personally, I don't like how mcl writes grief, I don't think they know how to dose it without losing their hand, so it comes off as shallow for me, but I guess it serves as another thing: Chloe was loved by Rayan, but Candy needs to be special. The player needs to feel special.

Which brings us to this part of the conversation:

"Every women had something of her own. I saw her everywhere. And yet, it's been seven years. Since then, I have been unable to get involved with another woman, in a new relationship. Even in a simple friendship."

"Until… I met you. I don't know… For the first time, I met someone who has none of her. For the first time, I felt entitled not to think about her."

I understand why in an otome game is important to get the romance right and make the player feel compelled to play the character's route, after all, who wouldn't want to feel special, even if it's only on a game - that's why we have so many MCs or main characters in videogames that are heroes, that cares of others or the place they belong to.

However, I will say, maybe they should've worded it differently, maybe it's not so much about feeling entitled to not think about her, but when I realized, I wasn't searching for her traits on you, I wasn't thinking about her anymore, I was ready to move on. But this is just how I would've done it, just so it would come from Rayan the agency of the "healing" - in another words, he had healed himself before he met Candy and falling in love with her was just another evidence of that.

Which brings us back to episode 17 of Love Life, our Honeymoon episode (and pay attention to the parts that I will mark in blue):

"Y'know, I honestly didn't think I would get over losing her. And then after you got in my classroom and into my life. So, yes, I should have a star up there shining for me. Because, with you, I understood the meaning of true love. And it wasn't the same of what I had with Chloé."

"Sometimes, I think, if the story/timeline was another, if I had met you first before I met her... She and I would've been simply friends, without anything else between us. If fate hadn't been so cruel with her, it would've ended like that anyway, actually. I think she would have been happy to see me so happy these days."

"Just like I would have been in seeing her meeting someone else just as important as you're for me. And when I think of her today, is in this way: as a friend that left too soon. And that, of course, I still get a little with my heart tight. She was someone wonderful/beautiful. There's still some of her in me. But, when I met you, I was like a ghost."

Only Rayan to friendzone the dead.

"Thanks to you and our love, she just became a beautiful star, just like my father..."

At first I thought he was saying that he never really loved Chloé and that Candy made him realize that (How? Don't ask me, he doesn't say how), but thinking about this post and re-reading everything made me rethink my first impression of it.

It's not so much that he didn't loved Chloé, but admittedly, and for reasons that Rayan didn't say, he thought love was something else and he thought he loved her because of that notion, and then his notion of love changed because he met Candy and now he thinks that love is truly what he feels for Candy.

I, as someone that played all of his route, can't really say or even figure out how he would've come up with that reasoning.

Was it because for the first time ever, he had put someone else on his top priority, or at least in a more important position than his reputation and career (which he deeply cares for)? But wasn't he a passionate person to begin with? So isn't it natural for him, once he was sure he fell in love for Candy, to put her as his top priority?

Was it Candy presence alone in his life, simply being there, what made him create that notion? How she taught him that?

I don't know, because the way they fell in love was pretty quick and pretty normal I would dare say - normal not in the sense of, he was her teacher, normal in the sense there was nothing remarkable about their dates, the way they sneak around or in their conversations.

I think if he had realize that falling in love with someone new meant that he had "healed" from his past trauma, that he only had feelings for her because he was ready to have feelings for someone again and the sense of normalcy and easiness he felt in being with her was all he ever wanted after going through so much sadness and heartbreak, then, it would make more sense and sound more realistic, maybe?

But again, they wanted to spin that Candy was special, she needed to be the one that changed him, that was like gravity to him and he could not resist the pull of her.

“... It's just that, with you, I never got under the impression of playing any kind of game. Because I had a lot to lose. Before I met you, I had accepted to never love again. I didn’t want to ever risk lose someone ever again... And, above all, you came to enroll in my course. I looked up and knew that my certainties were worthless...” (episode 14 LL)

That's why I talked about his career before.

They set up Rayan to be someone that loves his work, that cares about his reputation and his career, if not, as he only thing he had since he moved away from his family and was living alone.

Risk it all for Candy was to show that he wasn't playing, he wasn't just trying to get a kick out of it.

And knowing how he got after when Marina actually got him fired, how much of a mess it made him, this put things even more in context, it shows that truly, risk it all for her was no joke, even thou, they used to be pretty reckless about it (never gonna forget their first kiss, crazy, both of them).

Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of dialogue in Rayan's route, episode 15 LL, the marriage proposal dialogue:

"It’s funny... for a long time I thought that love was like a burning fire. And I even thought that, in my case, all that was left was ashes of it. Until I met you and I understood that I didn’t know anything. That I have got it wrong in my whole life. With you, I understood that love is like a stream/flow. A wave that breaks again and again without stopping. And that drags everything wherever it goes. You imposed yourself on me like an evidence. In the calm. I knew it right away. But I only understood it this well later on."

Think that love was like a burning fire: it lights up, it shines bright, it consumes itself, then it becomes ashes and there's nothing left of it.

Ouch, Rayan. 😢

Not to mention the destructive nature of fire, but I don't think Rayan or the person who wrote this scene thought it like that necessarily, I think it had more to do with how fragile and how it consume itself, which feels more how like I would expect from how Rayan described his relationship with Chloé before: intense, too quick to think everything through, the fighting, the feeling that it wouldn't last anyway.

Meanwhile Candy is like a strong wave or a strong stream, his love for her dragged everything with it: all his reasoning, his principles and scruples, the risk of losing his reputation, his career, AND breaking again and again, because it didn't matter if he had build any walls to keep her out in the begining, she somehow brought it all down.

Two kinds of love, one feeling less truth and lasting than the other.

While it would've better, in his head, to have remain just a friendship with Chloé, with Candy, there was no way for it to have ended just in friendship, it would always be more.

You can see the contrast between his feelings for Chloé and his feelings for Candy, how it was different and the key word should always be different.

It surprised me to see him talking about their wedding too, Rayan and Chloé married young and in a hurry (we will never know why), meanwhile, Rayan found Candy in a stage of his life when love wasn't even in the table and when it finally came back to the table, Rayan wanted everything, he wanted celebrate it having a proper wedding ceremony and all.

But those are little subtle things that they left out in the air, instead of saying it so clearly like they did so many times before.

Personally, I don't think would've make any sense for Rayan's character to haven't love Chloé, considering they built a life together before he even met Candy, the same way, I don't think we could've ever thought that Rayan loved Chloé more or even the same way he loved Candy.

Cuz, Chloé and Candy not only met him in different moments of his life BUT ALSO, they totally two different women, it would go without saying it.

But I guess, they wanted to make it even more screaming that it was the case, which I can understand why.

I mean, people thought that Rayan had really tried something with Marina, outside of his route: which for those people I always told it would be impossible.

It would go against what they presented to us about him during that first dialogue in episode 8 of UL and it would represent a contradiction in the writing itself. It would bend the rules that they set themselves to follow too grotesquely. Not to mention, MCL never gave other love interests to the Lis that stayed on the side lines.

Unless, of course, they had set things up that we would understand that Marina was such a special existence is moving like Candy - which, okay, I could've accepted it, but they didn't so. That's why I was so sure of it.

Y'know, have to read so much back in his route to make this post made saying goodbye to his route so hurtful but also so fulfilling, I always loved how they wrote him, despite having my criticisms, I am happy that I got to experience Rayan's route from the start to end.

If you haven't played his route like ever, I totally I encourage you to do it now that we got it all. xD

#my candy love #amour sucre #amor doce #corazon de melon #my candy love university life #my candy love love life #mclul #mcl #mclll #Rayan #May #personal #big post #screenshots #screenshot

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gettingfrilly · 8 months

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Young, Wild, and Ed

A/N: This fic is based on my first experience getting high. eddeddy, but whether it's platonic, pre relationship, or post getting together is left up to interpretation. Rated T. Read it on AO3.

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‘Boring. Boring. God damn. Why is everything so boring all of the time forever?’

These are the deep, philosophical questions for the ages that run through Eddy’s shapely head as he gazes up at the torn upholstery dangling from the roof through the smoky haze filling the back of The Van (the three of them took to calling it that years ago after bouncing around a bunch of different names that never stuck.) Ed occupies The Van alongside him, banging his head to the noisy mess of music pouring out of the speakers that mount the walls on either side of the waterbed. The bass is loud enough to make the whole bed jiggle, reverberating through Eddy’s jeans and making his eardrums itch.

“Ed, could ya turn that noise down?”

No answer.

“Hey, lumpy!” Now the noise is accompanied by Ed’s fist slamming against the wall, greasy, ginger hair flopping in front of his eyes as he makes what looks like his best attempt to snap his head clean off his neck.

“Ed!” He shouts, losing his permanently short temper. “Turn off your awful fucking music!!”

The scream rips painfully out of his smoke irritated windpipe, but his efforts aren’t for nothing. Ed finally realizes he’s being talked to and turns down the volume on the speakers before answering him.

“What was that, Eddy?” Ed yells his question as if the music were still blaring.

“Just keep it down,” is Eddy’s grumpy response, taking another rip from their shared bong. That’ll be his last for tonight. Ed’s shit does some crazy nonsense to his brain if he doesn’t limit himself.

“Roger dodger.” Ed replies cheerfully, holding out his hand towards Eddy. Eddy takes the hint and hands the bong back over.

“No more for me, Ed. Knock yourself out.”

“The old man is snoring, Eddy.”

“Uh huh.” He collapses backwards onto the water bed, the jiggly sack undulating underneath him and slinky-ing his spine. He’s just gotten bored enough to start counting the fairy lights Ed hung up some time ago when more loud banging gets his attention.

“Ed—!” He sits up to tell him off, but is surprised to see Double D standing in the doorway to the back of The Van. The sound of the doors slamming against the exterior of The Van still echo against the walls of his skull, the creaky hinges squealing like they’re about to give up the ghost.

‘Great,’ Eddy thinks with a grimace, ‘here comes the fun police.’

It’s been quite some time since Double D tried to police this particular activity. He has taken to quietly slipping off back home once the glassware comes out, and in return Ed and Eddy had spared him from teasing him for being a goody two shoes wuss. But he seems more adamant than ever this time, shoulders set and jaw clenched as he searches The Van for his target. Once his eyes land on the bong in Ed’s hand, he steps forward, hand held out rod stiff, his voice clear, calm, and hard.

“Hand it over.”

“Boo!” Eddy jeers. “What are you, his mother?”

“I’ve been a bad boy, Mama D.” Ed chuckles, tongue sticking out through his teeth as he holds the bong out of reach. “Ed, I mean it! I—” Double D cuts himself off, taking a deep breath and then coughing as the smoke filled air enters his dainty virgin lungs.

“I want—” he waves at the air in front of his face, getting a lungful of slightly fresher air before continuing. “I am going to partake in smoking marijuana with my peers.”

The stale air in The Van grows even more stagnant. Eddy’s not sure he heard Double D right, and Ed’s expression has gone completely blank. Something must have eventually clicked into place, because before Eddy can formulate a response, Ed’s eyes light up as a wide smile splits his face.

“All right, Double D!” He cheers while re-stuffing the bowl. “Welcome to the club, brother! Some wacky tabacky to celebrate we shall have.”

“Holy shit.” Eddy lets out a laugh as he finally catches up with everyone else, slapping his knee before standing to sling an arm around Double D. “No foolin’? You’re gonna break the law? Use an illegal substance?” The blush that rapidly spreads across Double D’s face is as pretty as it is hilarious, and Eddy wishes he knew if it was from the teasing, the close proximity, or both.

“Well… no pun intended, but it’s high time, don’t you think? It’s a ritual of youth to rebel against the norms and standards of our well ordered society in an attempt to express individuality and independence. It’s a rite of passage, if you will; it’s criminal activity, yes, but ceremonial in its own way, an inevitable metamorphosis that we must all undergo, consequences be damned, as they say, and furthermore—”

“Dee! Relax. Yeesh. You don’t gotta justify it to us, we ain’t cops,” he interrupts his impassioned rambling, taking note of the way Double D’s fists clench and unclench, the way his tongue runs over the front of his teeth, how his eyes pierce straight into nothingness.

‘Criminy. Why’s he always gotta be so serious about everything?’ Eddy wonders.

“Is it like the ceremony in ‘They Came from the Back of the Fridge: Part Four’, when the chuck roast from the mutated omega cow gains sentience and plots to sacrifice Timmy, Tommy, and the string bean boys to return from whence it came?” Ed asks excitedly, his red eyes wide with wonder and sleep boogers.

“Yup, exactly like that.” Eddy answers just to shut him up, then gives Double D’s back a hardy slap and leads him over to the bed. “C’mon, let’s pop that cherry.” “Must you be so vulgar?” Double D complains with an accompanying pained expression, rubbing his assaulted spine. “Eddy is saucy like gravy, Double D.” “Shut up, Ed.” Eddy reaches over to grab the bong, placing it and his lighter in Double D’s waiting hands. “Thank you, Eddy.” Double D studies the bong carefully, holding it up at eye level and squinting at the contents inside. After rotating the bong a few times, he lifts out the bowl and peers inside the down stem, then puts the pieces together again. Gentle fingers run around the rim of the carb as he places the mouthpiece under his nose and takes a delicate whiff, followed by a grimace. All the while, Eddy watches Double D with an innocent smile, feigning ignorance as he fights to hold back his snickers.

“... Oh, just help me already!” Double D finally relents, face heated as he shoves the apparatus in Eddy’s direction. That does him in, laughter pouring out of him as he clutches his sides.

“Don’t sprain your brain there, Professor Bunsen Burnout!” He teases as the last of his laughter dies out between them, “Ed, get some ice. Gotta protect his baby lungs.”

“They grow up so fast, Eddy.”

Once the ice from the cooler is in the catcher and Double D has wiped down the mouthpiece with a disinfectant wipe, (‘Where the hell did he pull those from?’) Eddy holds the bong out in front of his face. “Lips on the mouthpiece—not like that, jeez, it’s not a blow job, Dee. Yeah, like that. Okay, thumb here. I’m gonna light the bowl. Don’t inhale until I start to lift it. Ready? Suck it up, babe.”

Eddy doubts the smoke even made it into Double D’s lungs, his thin, wiry frame wracked with an almost immediate coughing fit. It sounds bad enough that Eddy doesn’t even laugh, looking on in uncharacteristic concern as he gives Double D’s heaving back a few firm thumps.

“Good Lord, that was awful!” Double D finally cries out once he’s caught his breath, pounding his own chest with a firm fist as he tries to completely vacate the smoke from his airways. “Why on earth does anyone do this?”

“It turns my brain into a soft and fluffy bunny.” Ed supplies unhelpfully.

“That rip sucked shit, Dee.” Eddy chastises the newbie, giving his back a few rubs before putting the bong in front of his face again. “You need to take a slow, deep breath, then hold it. Ya know, like how Ed takes his inhaler.”

“A world where I can’t pet kittens is a world I don’t want to live in anyway, my friends.”

“You told me to suck it up.” Double D pouts petulantly, eyeing the offered bong warily. “I didn’t mean it literary.”

“Literally, Eddy.”

“Literally suck my nuts. C’mon, try again.”

He’s fully expecting Double D to reject him, that his failed rip was enough of a confidence destroyer to halt his experimenting before he ever really got started. But to Eddy’s surprise, he takes the bong, lights the bowl himself this time, and takes a deep breath as instructed. Tears fill his eyes as he holds the smoke in his lungs, valiantly restraining himself from hacking up a lung again. He still coughs on the exhale, but not nearly as much as he did before. Eddy feels something resembling pride; whether he’s proud of Double D for finally being a little more adventurous, or proud of himself for being a bad enough influence to sully Double D’s innocence, he’s not sure. “You always were a quick learner.” He says in a congratulatory voice, giving Double D a soft pat on the back to help ease his wheezing coughs.

“Yes—well. I never suspected that my eagerness to learn would assist me in a situation such as this.”

“Knowledge is power, Double D, and power keeps the lights on.” Ed takes the bong back and Double D watches on quietly as he hits it easily, not a single wheeze to be heard or tearful waterline to be seen. “True, but my powers will never match yours, Ed.”

Ed grins proudly at the compliment as he hands the bong back.

“Whoa, slow your roll,” Eddy starts, trying to intercept the bong, “that’s enough for one night. Ed gets the strong shit and you’re new to this.”

“Oh?” Double D interjects with a raised brow, looking down his nose at Eddy. “Now who’s behaving like someone else’s mother?”

Eddy’s glare could kill if Double D wasn’t so used to being on the receiving end of it. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, sockhead.” For his considerations, Eddy gets a tongue stuck out at him. That’s what he gets for giving a shit, apparently.

The evening goes on as it usually does, The Van continuing to fill up with smoke and laughter. The addition of Double D is a welcome surprise to the mix, and as he gets more acquainted with the bong, his smile grows wider and wider, his usually tense shoulders relaxed and jumping with laughter. Eddy can’t help but smile in kind at Double D’s easy grin, struggling to remember the last time he saw him this unclenched. There’s a nagging at the back of his brain, but he decides to ignore it. Why question a good thing? Double D is actually telling naughty jokes—using scientific innuendo and vocabulary neither he nor Ed can understand, but they get the gist of it. He doesn’t even cover his mouth when he laughs at his own raunchy humor, guffawing loudly with no attempt to hide his gap. God, Eddy hopes Double D keeps joining them for this.

Eventually, they all start to wind down, basking in the glow of a good time with good friends. Ed, as usual, keeps talking shop, making sure his friends stay up to date on the world of cheap comics and B rated monster flicks. Eddy gives him half-hearted responses, eyes drooping as he feels his bedtime fast approaching him. Ed isn’t immune to the passage of time, either, obnoxiously loud yawns escaping his gaping maw in between sentences.

It’s not until Ed’s lighting up the very last of the bowl that Eddy realizes Double D hasn’t said anything in a while. He gives the body lying next to him a cursory glance, frowning at what he finds; Double D’s face is pale and his eyes are wide, arms pinned to his sides as he stares at the roof, chest just barely rising and falling with shallow breaths.

‘Shit.’

“Uh, Double D?” Eddy tries to get his attention, Ed noticing the sudden silence as he peaks over at the two of them. A long silence stretches between the three friends as Double D continues to stare at nothing, his whole body going more and more rigid the longer the silence continues. Eddy’s about to freak and try to snap him out of it when he finally answers in a tiny, breathy voice.

“I can’t move.”

“Oh, brother.” Eddy bemoans, rubbing his face as Ed looks on in terror.

“Oh no! Double D’s been paralyzed by the mist creatures of centurion moon six!”

“No, burhead, he’s just high,” he gives Double D a wary look before adjusting his statement, “like, really high.”

“Oh.” Ed says with a frown. “Poor little guy.”

“I need to go to the hospital,” Double D whispers, voice strained as if every syllable is a battle.

“No, you need to go to bed. Lumpy.” Eddy snaps his fingers demandingly, standing and pointing at Double D’s motionless body. Ed gives him a solemn salute before grabbing Double D and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of clean laundry and taking him out of The Van and into the humid night air. He hangs there limply, beanie flopping up and over his head while his hands dangle near Ed’s ass.

“Ed,” Double D speaks, his words muffled by the green fabric of Ed’s jacket, “when was the last time you washed this jacket?”

“Not since many fortnights ago, brave soldier,” Ed commiserates, giving Double D’s bony butt an apologetic pat.

Eddy makes sure to hide the goods and turn off the music before stepping outside with them and closing the doors shut. Mosquitoes immediately go for his pale, pink skin, his arms flailing wildly as he tries to shoo the buzzing annoyances away. The acrid stench of the junkyard is worse than ever after a day sitting under the summer sun, leaving Eddy itching to get home and get in bed.

“Vamoose, Ed.”

“Moose? Where, Eddy?” Ed shouts excitedly as he whips his body around this way and that, trying to spot the megafauna himself. Double D ragdolls in Ed’s grip, arms swaying comically as his face bumps repeatedly into Ed’s back.

“Ed, please—” Double D whines.

“Give it a rest, lumpy. You just missed it. C'mon, let’s go.” “Aw, I wanted to see the moose, Eddy.”

They make their way to the lane, needing no light to guide them along the familiar path out of the junkyard. The night air is full of the sounds of crickets and peepers, nostalgic and familiar and fucking annoyingly loud. It doesn’t pair well with Ed’s rambling, recounting the gory details of one of his more recently read comic books to his two friends. As much of a bombardment on his senses as it is, Eddy still finds it somewhat comforting, like the way his room smells or waking up and hearing his mom listening to the same news anchors every morning. On the other hand, it makes their situation feel extra jarring, filling Eddy with unease as he watches his friend be so out of character, listless and silent as he dangles, stoned, from Ed’s sloping shoulder. Now that he thinks about it, he can’t really imagine what could have made Double D suddenly go back on the D.A.R.E. pledge he’s taken so seriously since the fifth grade, never mind why he made no attempts to limit just how much he smoked.

He doesn’t have very long to think about it, though, the three of them already arriving at the turn that will take them towards Double D’s house. Making the assumption that his parents aren’t home, he fishes the house keys out of Double D’s pocket once they've made it to the front door and lets them all in, Ed still mid-ramble about a particular panel where the heroine’s breast had been ripped off.

“Couch.” He doesn’t even need to look at Ed while issuing his command, the big oaf going straight for Double D’s living room to place him gently on the cushions. Neither of them wipe their feet at the entrance mat, and Double D doesn’t make a single peep about it, further worsening Eddy’s unease about all this.

“Go home, Ed. I’m gonna keep an eye on Mr. Psychedelic over here.”

“Ya sure, Eddy? I haven’t even gotten to the part where her eyeballs melt into her skull and out of her nose.”

“With the way your mom’s been talking about military school, you really shouldn’t be missing any more curfews.”

“Camo makes me chafe, Eddy.” Ed answers, lower lip jutting out while he goes into full puppy eyes mode.

“Then get home. I’ll call my folks with Double D’s phone.”

Ed gives one last solemn salute before trudging outside, closing the door behind him. When he glances at Double D, he finds him with his eyes closed, muttering something rapidly under his breath. While he’s occupied with… whatever that is, Eddy takes the opportunity to use the phone out in the hallway, letting his mom know that he’s sleeping over at Double D’s. He returns to his prone friend once that’s taken care of, standing above him and giving him a skeptical once over, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Double D’s lids snap open, eyes darting around in their sockets as he takes in his new surroundings. “Where am I?” He asks stiffly.

“Your house.”

“Oh. How did I get here?”

“Ed carried you.”

Much to Eddy’s annoyance, Double D’s eyes start welling up with tears. “Lovable oaf.”

“Look, I don’t get to say this often, especially not to you, so I’m gonna savor it.” Eddy pauses for dramatic effect, taking a deep breath as he raises his hands up near his face, pointer fingers and thumbs pressed together and eyes slipping shut. On the exhale, his hands slide away from his face like a conductor waving two batons, eyes staying shut as he gets on his tiptoes and leans down to say his piece. “I told ya so.”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t go to the hospital?” Double D’s voice wavers, causing Eddy to open his eyes and frown down at him.

“Yes, I’m sure. You’re having a bad reaction and panicking over it. You just need to sleep it off.”

“I still can’t move,” is all his usually verbose friend can say. Typically when Double D’s in a state of panic, he can’t shut up, gesturing wildly as emotions play openly on his animated face. Seeing him so stiff and at a loss for words is upsetting, even if Eddy knows why.

“Your gears are jammed.” He explains unscientifically, gently rapping his knuckles against Double D’s forehead. “Like I said, you’ll sleep it off.”

“I…” Double D starts, trailing off with narrowed eyes. “I have… the munchies? That’s what they’re called?”

Eddy rolls his eyes and sighs laboriously. “I guess I’ll make you a sandwich, your royal highness.” He lifts a brow at him, a complete lack of amusement in both his expression and his voice. “Get it? High? Ness?”

Double D just gives him a confused look.

“Yeah, my heart wasn’t really in that one.”

He leaves Double D in his state of confusion, and as he walks down the hall and turns into the kitchen, the first thing he notices is another atypical site for the evening—a mess in Double D’s kitchen. More specifically, it’s a mess of sticky notes piled on the floor in front of his unusually barren fridge.

‘The heck?’ Eddy thinks to himself as he approaches the pile, his hair standing on end. He kneels down to start picking through the notes but doesn’t find anything out of the ordinary; it’s the same old list of chores and reminders he usually sees hanging all over the walls and furniture of Double D’s house. Determined to figure out what the hell’s going on with his friend, he keeps digging, reading them all until one of the notes at the bottom of the pile gives him pause.

‘DEAR EDDWARD,

YOUR FATHER AND I WON’T BE ABLE TO ATTEND YOUR RECITAL. HAVE ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS RECORD IT FOR US.

♡ MOM’

Eddy scowls as his fingers grip the edges of the note, heated breath huffing out of his widened nostrils. Fucking of course that’s what tonight has been about. Double D’s once-every-two-years steel pedal guitar recital is one of the few things his parents still both show up for; it’s the only reason Double D still plays the hated instrument. Sure, when he was a kid, he made sure to follow all of his parents’ notes to a T, but as he’s gotten older and been left alone more often and for longer periods of time, he’s become a lot more lax about the notes. The notes about his steel pedal guitar, though, he always follows, and though he’s never admitted to it, Eddy knows it’s out of a desperation to impress his absent parents.

All that work he puts into the stupid thing, and now his folks ain’t even showing their faces—won’t be showing their faces for who knows how long.

Eddy hastily crumples the note in his hand before grabbing fistfuls of the rest of the discarded notes, cramming them tightly in his fists. He stands and makes his way to the garbage can, foot pressing down on the pedal to lift the lid when a better idea occurs to him. Letting the lid fall back down, he marches over to the sink, shoving the crumpled up balls down the drain and running the water before he flips the garbage disposal on. The sound of the blades churning the soggy notes brings him a small amount of satisfaction, and he lets it run until all he hears from the drain is a gentle hum.

“Eddy.”

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Eddy slams down on the faucet and turns to face the hallway leading to the living room, heart beating a mile a minute. For a second, he thinks he might have just been imagining things, but then he hears it again.

“Eddy.” Double D calls out from the living room, sounding more frantic this time.

‘Shit.’ Alright, forget the sandwich. He swings open cupboard doors in an attempt to find something Double D can snack on, grabbing the first food item sees.

“Hold yer horses!” Eddy calls back to him before making his way to the living room with a box of chunky puffs in hand. He's eager to make sure Double D is okay but stops in his tracks when he sees what’s going on. Eyes wide with wonder, mouth agape and gap on display, Double D carefully tracks the movement of his own arm, which he repeatedly lifts up into the air before dropping it back to the couch again. Eddy stands still in the doorway and watches him repeat the motion a few more times before he steps over, looking down at Double D with his brow furrowed and lips turned down.

Finally taking notice of him, Double D’s gaze drifts from his arm and up towards Eddy’s face. “I can move my arm.”

“... Congratulations.”

“It goes up, and then down. Up, and down. Up… and down.” Double D narrates, gaze falling back to his miraculously mobile arm.

“I think Ed has more brain power than you right now.” Eddy shares his scary thought. “Think you can move that arm down into a box of chunky puffs and up into your mouth?”

Double D’s hopeful expression let’s Eddy know that he’s gonna try his damnedest, anyway. He puts the box on the floor next to the couch, nodding in satisfaction when Double D succeeds in stuffing a handful of cereal into his maw. He chews his lip as his mind wanders back to what he found in the kitchen, feet shuffling awkwardly on the clean carpet.

“Hey, Dee? You know that recital you have coming up?”

Double D freezes mid transport, fist full of cereal hanging over the edge of the couch as he gives Eddy a deer-caught-in-the-headlights stare.

“Well, there’s a movie coming out that day that Ed really wants to see. Bad enough that he said he’d shell out the cash for our tickets. You should skip the recital and hang with us.”

Double D lets out a slow breath, arm relaxing before he brings the cereal to his mouth. He chews slowly, gazing thoughtfully up at the ceiling as he sits with Eddy’s suggestion.

“Mm. I may take you up on that.”

“Great. That rebellious streak is finally coming in full swing, huh?”

“Oh, yes. I’m quite the rapscallion now.”

Eddy snickers, then goes silent when he sees Double D’s eyes welling up with tears again. He lifts both hands to his chest and clutches them together, fingers twisting into the fabric of his shirt as he goes back to lying motionless.

“Jesus.” Eddy rubs the back of his own neck, grimacing down at the display. “You want your weighted blanket or something?”

“No.” Double D whispers his answer, tears threatening to spill over his cheeks, still plump with baby fat.

“Why not? You love that thing.”

Double D blinks and the tears finally fall, running down his temples and getting absorbed into his beanie as he starts whispering again. “Because that was the present my parents got me the last time they bothered to be home for my birthday.”

That tears it. Eddy groans in frustration and moves into action, stepping closer to the couch so that he can lay himself down on top of Double D, chests pressing together as his shorter legs lay over Double D’s longer ones, arms folding at the elbow and squeezing against his sides in an almost hug. The couch creaks unnervingly before settling, the both of them sinking further down into it. The soft breath he hears him let out makes Eddy shiver, the mixed odors of Double D’s laundry detergent and the pot he smoked earlier unfamiliar and enticing.

“There. Weighted enough for ya?”

Double D’s snotty sniffle doesn’t do much to let Eddy know if this is working or not. “Yes. Thank you, Eddy.

“Don’t mention it.”

Silence fills the air around them, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, Eddy too wrapped up in his own thoughts to worry about whether pretending to be a weighted blanket for someone is weird or not. He can hear Double D’s breathing start to even out, and he decides to get out his last thought while Double D is still in an agreeable mood.

“Hey. Next time, you’ll start with one hit, and we’ll see what that does to you. Maybe we’ll bump you up from there. Alright?”

Double D hums sleepily, and Eddy can feel his smile pressing against his hairline, his breath tickling the short hairs there. “Alright. Thank you, Eddy. You take such good care of me.”

#eddeddy #eene #cw weed #gettingfrillywrites

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passivenovember · 1 year

Text

purple pink skies.

A flier for Hawkin’s High’s Spring Fever dance goes up almost immediately after Steve considers himself out of the woods.

“Should’ve used my bike pump to inflate your balls,” Robin says.

He’s been close with Billy for a few months and in love with him for longer, but Steve couldn’t stick the landing.

It eats at him all week, stomach gaining a new gouge in the lining with each bargain prom-posal he has to bear witness to over lunch and after practice and at the mall on Saturday afternoons.

On Friday, Steve grabs a coke from the vending machine to take the edge off of not having the balls to ask Billy to go with him to the Sweetheart’s Dance. The hallway’s draped in shining pink and red cellophane while the planning committee reminds everyone to pencil their vote for Sweetheart Court, and Billy’s shooting for at least a 1250 on his SATs so he’s not even thinking about it, but.

Steve dropped the ball.

Robin eventually loses interest in making fun of him and Steve wishes he could forgive himself. He spends the weekend helping Billy shoot for a 1300 on his SAT and it’s nice, all things considered.

Max shoots daggers at him from the hallway while Billy chews on statistical equations.

“Kid’s just protective of him,” Robin tells Steve on the phone that night, “She’s gotta intimidate. Besides, Billy’s a brain. And a brain like him would rather study, anyway.”

She’s probably right.

Of course she’s right, Steve doesn’t have the spiritual strength to explore what it might mean if she isn’t.

Valentine’s Saturday comes and goes and then it’s Monday.

And Steve’s looking down the barrel of Hawkins’ last leg of winter, hopeful that the layer of ice around his heart will thaw with hard oak branches in time for Spring so Billy can finally know how he feels, and then–

Tuesday, Steve’s faced with another opportunity to trip over his words.

Save the Date: Hawkins High’s Spring Fever Dance! February 28th, 1985!

Robin snaps her gum right in Steve’s ear, “Wow. Looks like the planning committee’s getting a jump-start on mating season.”

Steve wants to tear the flier from the vending machine and eat it with a side of ranch dressing.

“Didn’t have to use so many goddamn exclamation points,” Steve mutters, but he’s drowned out by all of Hawkins High emerging from fourth period to survey the royal decree.

No one else gives a shit.

The Activities hallway has become the shitty set of a romance novel. With the jab of those three flowery words and a trillion copied posters pointing toward spring, the soft, warm light from the window is burning red, again. The air smells like the wiz of Cupid’s arrow, and everyone’s a moving target.

And maybe it’s just Steve’s own cynicism acting as a sounding tower, dialing on everyone’s conversations, but love is all anyone can talk about. Groups of girls speculate who’s going stag. Guys walk a little taller, peacocking for every watchful eye.

Steve yanks his coke can from the vending machine, “I’m going to walk into traffic.”

Robin snaps her gum again, “Okay, crab apple.”

“I’m serious. Don’t you think it’s overkill?”

“I think it’s kind of cute.”

“I’m not talking about the flier.”

“Neither am I,” Robin says. She props herself against the vending machine, studying the flier as if it were a specimen under a microscope, “That wasn’t there this morning, right?”

“Who cares. This is the second dance we’ve had this month, that’s not weird to you?” When Robin shakes her head, Steve wants to grab her shoulders and shake Robin hard enough to get her brain back online.

“Dude,” Steve begins heavily, “We had Homecoming in the fall, the Senior Snowball in December, we’ve got Prom just before summer break–”

“--Didn’t have a date then, either, Harrington–”

“I know, asshole, I’m just saying,” Steve cracks his cola can, swishing the fizz around in his mouth until the sugar burns the sharpness from his tongue. “It’s like all those people who are lucky in love think the change of every season requires a dance.”

Robin nods, chewing her gum so hard it’ll probably transition out of that gooey half-liquid stage and into a solid.

Her eyes scan the hallway, flitting anxiously between traveling backpacks and spring sweaters.

Robin twists a ring around one finger.

It’s almost like Steve isn’t there, as her eyes scan the hallway. It’s almost like—

“Oh, fuck you,” Steve groans.

Robin deflates. “Look, I get why you’re so angry and I sympathize but we can deal with the Billy stuff at Scoops, I’ve gotta get to Heather before–”

Steve resists the urge to cover his ears. To curl up in the fetal position and scream and scream and never stop screaming. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah, I want to make sure she doesn’t get pissed and ask someone else.”

“She’d do that?” Steve wonders, knowing full well that she will. She has.

Robin shrugs, “I’m whipped.”

“You’d better get going.”

“How long has the poster been up?” Robin snaps again, like. With her full chest.

Steve wants to throw his soda at her. “If I knew that do you think I’d be standing here talking to you?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck off, I’d be blowing the door to Billy’s chemistry lab off its hinges,” Steve says, even though they both know it’s not true.

“I’m dead meat,” Robin bounces a little on her feet like she’s gotta hit the bathroom. “Heather’s probably been expecting me to see the fliers all morning and it’s almost lunch and I haven’t even–”

“Go,” Steve says.

Robin freezes, all of a sudden. All at once. “You’re sure?”

That’s the thing about Buckley. She can poke fun at him all day long and make his life a living hell, but she’ll be there if Steve really needs it.

It’s only right that he returns the favor. “I’m sure, Bucks.”

“Okay,” Robin says, flinching a little toward the end of the hall, “Because I can send myself to heartbreak island and pitch a tent with you–”

“Nah,” Steve shrugs, “One of us should have a shot at getting laid this weekend.”

Robin kisses his cheek, quick as a flash, “God, you’re a lifesaver. And if anyone asks–”

“You and me, Billy and Heather, I got it,” Steve chuckles, “Go, before your cheerleader sends her beard after you.”

Robin sprints off down the hallway.

Steve sips lightly at the rest of his cola and doesn’t think that it’d be better for him if Billy got sent to sort through Robin’s mess.

Maybe then, with his sun and moon shining right there in the hallway, Steve could open his mouth and speak.

At lunch, Billy’s head is buried in his stats book.

It’s a picture Steve’s been trying to get used to for a couple of weeks now, Billy’s usual loose and easy frame settled with hunched shoulders and furrowed brows.

The SATs are just around the corner and contrary to the front that Billy puts on for the whole of Hawkins, puffing his chest and bearing his teeth like an angry bull dog at anyone who gets too close, he’s a genius when it comes to school.

Billy when he’s focused is more lethal than anything Steve’s ever experienced.

He’s quick to throw pens and wadded-up balls of paper at anyone who breaks his concentration, and Steve’s taken a highlighter to the eye more times than he cares to remember. And with the biggest test of Billy’s academic career looming in just forty-eight hours, today it’s that with teeth.

Statistics always gets Billy stuck in his own head, wandering through maze-like hedges of numbers and graphs. It’s difficult, sitting locked out of Billy’s world when Steve’s usually glued to his hip, but it’s something to behold.

Billy when he’s focused is the closest Steve will ever get to the face of God.

He was painted by all the greatest artists, Steve knows, dreamt up by angels. The curve of Billy’s lips as he reads silently to himself, his thumb resting soft on his plush lower lip, is poetry. The way he glances up every once in a while, grinning softly, to make sure Steve’s there to quiz him on whatever formula he’s been slaving over, is Heaven on Earth.

It’s perfect.

Today, though, Billy’s lost.

The cafeteria bustles around them with excitement over the Spring Fever dance and Billy hasn’t looked up a single time since Steve sat down. His lunch sits cold and untouched on the tray in front of him.

Robin and Heather are nowhere to be found, it’s just them, and Steve weighs the possibility of taking a pen to the forehead if he interrupts to remind Billy that he won’t score a 1300 on his SAT if he starves to death before Friday.

Steve picks at his french fries and wonders what would happen if he got up and left.

Would Billy notice? Would he eat Steve’s lunch?

Would he stand up and follow?

When Billy explodes, Steve opens his mouth, ready to pay the price of getting those eyes on him.

“I’m not gonna pass,” Billy determines, shoving his notebook into his SAT prep stack with a gnarled sound.

Steve manages to catch the thing before it careens over the edge of the table, “Woah,” he says, a fry pinched between his teeth, “Hey, that's–”

“I’ve been going over the same page of quantitative data for two days,” Billy snarls, blue eyes pinning Steve to the bench, “Two fucking days, Steve.”

“What can I do to help?” Steve asks automatically.

“It’s the VAR model, the m2, it’s pissing me off.”

“Okay,”

Billy doesn’t hear him, “It keeps saying the t-distribution with degrees of freedom is equal to n-2 and when testing the slope in a simple linear regression model with one parameter–”

“--Right, okay–”

“The test for the slope has df=n-1,” Billy snaps. His eyes well up, frustrated tears clinging to his lashes.

Steve never thought Billy would be a crier, but he is.

It’s Starfall.

It’s planets colliding.

Steve has the sudden, violent urge to wipe Billy’s tears away. “It’s alright,” He says, but Billy’s shaking his head.

“I can’t do this,” He gasps, “I can’t. I’ve been working on this same equation for–”

“Two days, I know. You’ve gotta eat something alright?”

Billy’s leg bounces, shaking the whole lunch table. Steve shuffles Billy’s notes in his hands, knowing he’ll eat shit for that, later, but he can’t bring himself to care about that when slowly, frightened as a coiled rattlesnake in a mudhole, Billy reaches past his own lunch tray to get at Steve’s fries. Steve hands them over, watching as Billy nibbles away.

Like a little bunny rabbit.

The cutest, most brilliant creature on earth–

Billy sniffs, “I didn’t sleep last night,” He says, almost like he’s terrified of what Steve will do to him.

Not couldn’t. Didn’t.

Intentional.

Steve holds his breath, waiting for the sky to rip open and for Billy’s frustrated tears to punch holes in Steve’s chest when they finally start to fall.

But they don’t. Billy scrubs at his cheeks, catching them before they can take root. “I’m sorry I’m going insane.”

“You’re not insane, you’re incredible.”

“And you’re an idiot if you think that.”

“Of course, I’m an idiot. We knew that already,” Steve tells him.

He counts the breaks at the lunch table. He studies Billy’s smooth, spotless hands, his fingers as they curl protectively around a purple highlighter. Steve didn’t even know they made that color, but looking down at Billy’s notes, all the others already serve a purpose.

Billy’s leg keeps bouncing. “I still owe you an apology. If not for neglecting myself, for ignoring you.”

Steve wants to say that Billy’s never ignored him.

Not once. Since the Hargrove-Mayfield’s moved to town last fall, since Billy joined the basketball team, since they met at Tina’s Halloween party and Billy dusted his hands off and put the pieces of Steve back together after Hurricane Nancy–

Steve’s had Billy’s deep blue attention on him like a searchlight. “You don’t have anything to apologize for,” Steve decides, “You’re Galileo. It’s alright.”

Billy doesn’t crack a smile. “It’s not, though.”

“You’re just exhausted, anyone would be. You’ve been working yourself to death over this.”

“I’ve gotta get the fuck out of here, Harrington.”

“You will,” Steve holds the stack of paper delicately in his lap, worried that if Billy spots another equation he’ll fly off the handle. “You’ve just got to balance studying with things that make you hap–”

“My SAT exam is in two days, Steve,” Billy snaps. He leans forward, lips furrowing with sudden rage, “If I don’t land a score that can get me into any college in the country–”

“I’ll take you somewhere myself,” Steve says.

He taps Billy’s notes on the table like he’s seen his father do a million times.

It’s final. It’s a promise made of dreams that hold lead in their bellies, falling like anvils in Hawkins but taking root all over the world. In Steve’s mind, it’s honest work. His promises to Billy grow and bloom where neither of them can worry over it. They wave like flags through rain and sun, until they bear fruit ripe for picking.

Someday, they’ll feed a village from the result of these small promises.

But.

Steve’s gotta say the words, first. Plant the seeds.

I love you my brilliant, brilliant boy.

He slides Billy’s packet over the table face, tucking his fingers under his elbows for safekeeping when his Brainiac snatches it up like a hungry shark.

“You’re just saying that, Harrington,” Billy determines, avoiding Steve’s eyes.

“I mean it.”

“Yeah, alright,” Billy says, reordering his notes without even thinking about it. When they’re just right, he digs through and hands the most intense one to Steve. “Quiz time, pretty boy.”

Billy’s notes are neat and orderly, the work of someone who’s too good for him in every sense of the word.

Steve tries not to think about it.

When he stumbles over the order of an equation, Billy laughs and for the first time in days, it sounds real.

And then the bell rings.

Steve’s not proud of the gut reaction he has when he sees fingers that aren’t his playing with the loose curl that hangs over Billy’s forehead.

And.

He doesn’t own the curl. He’s not liquidating real estate on the island of Billy, he doesn’t own the guy and they aren’t in love, or dating, or fucking, he just.

Doesn’t like it.

Hates it, even.

He wants to wrench those fingers off Billy’s forehead and break all five opposable knuckles before he moves like a storm over the rest of them. But Steve’s gotta wrestle with himself and shine lamp oil on the shadows of who he was with Nancy to figure out if he’s got any right to the way his stomach tries to flip itself like a burnt pancake.

He doesn’t.

Billy’s not leaning into the touch.

He’s digging through his locker. He’s late for class, probably, because the bell rings again and suddenly he’s smacking that hand away with a snippy little, “Wilson’s gonna have my balls if I’m late again,” and.

And. The owner of the hand that aims to rock Billy props himself against slate gray metal, “You never answered my question,” He mutters, grinning, and Steve knows, like. From down the hall and around the corner that his grin is eating shit.

Billy’s shit.

He’s trying to get Billy’s pants off first, though, if Steve had to put money on it. And if they weren’t in a government building, surrounded by scurrying classmates, Hands would probably be reaching for a pack of smokes right now, or a joint. Something to get Billy loose-limbed and easy to push over.

Steve sympathizes with his masterplan. Almost sends flowers, a little good on you for trying, though I wish you wouldn’t, because the gag is that Billy can’t be swayed. He’s solid and sure as Mount Everest, he’s slow-burning like a field on fire, he’s resolute and strong–

“I don’t owe you shit, not an explanation, not–”

“You could help, anyway.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re a good person,” Hands tries, and it’s only then that Steve recognizes who’s trying to rain on his parade.

Billy slams his locker door. “You wanna keep that hand, Munson?”

“You’re cute when you get angry.” Through an awful, laughing smirk, the guy says, “C’mon, you’d be doing me a real favor. I’m trying to get that Carver asshole off my back for flirting with his girlfriend.”

Steve holds his breath. Waits for Billy to serve this guy a knife to the gut, but then– “I’ll think about it,” He says.

And It’s worse than anything Steve’s ever felt.

At the doctor’s office. On the court. With Nancy. It’s papercuts and the cold, trickling fear of crashing his father’s car into the side of a building. Steve dies a thousand, million, trillion deaths. He doesn’t want Billy to put his beautiful, brilliant mind to anything that isn’t school and his future, and Steve.

Doesn’t want him to think about Eddie Munson or anyone else.

God, it’s pathetic.

“You’ll think about it?” Eddie wonders, “That’s all.”

“Yep, that’s all.”

“Well, I need to know by Thursday if I’ve gotta borrow my uncle’s suit.”

The dance.

Steve ducks farther behind Hawkin’s least favorite vending machine and strains to hear Billy’s response. They’ll be alone, once everyone stops scrambling into the doorway of their next class, and Steve wants to determine if he should name Robin as executor of his estate before the weekend.

The warning bell sounds, a million doors slamming in succession until the hallway is silent. Cavernous and peaceful enough that Steve hears the shuffle of footsteps.

“You’re pushy for someone so desperate,” Billy snips, but.

He’s smiling.

Even if Steve was completely off his rocker he’d know the spread of Billy’s lips.

–

“Read that one again.”

Steve swallows, “According to the passage, the family’s life in the suburbs is described as–”

“Not the question.”

Steve looks up, confused. “If I’m not reading the question–”

“Read the passage again,” Billy determines, chewing on his thumbnail, “The whole thing.”

They’ve been going at it for hours. Steve’s exhausted, and his ass hurts from sitting on the floor of his bedroom since the sun was still high in the sky, and his heart hurts from–

Billy frowns at him, knocking Steve into gear. “The whole thing?” Steve asks dumbly, “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious. I’m not understanding the global and command of evidence.”

Steve’s head hurts, too. Aches. He needs a goddamn thesaurus to get through this and it’s not even his SAT exam. He leans against one palm, comforted by the weight of such a thick book in his lap.

“I’m not understanding it, either.”

“You don’t have to,” Billy says, “You’re not taking the test.”

“Maybe we could have a break?”

“And do what?” Billy shoots back.

“I dunno,” Steve says, “Wanna make out a little?”

Billy’s cheeks flare bright pink. “You’re an idiot,” He grumbles, not believing it.

And why would he?

In all the months that they’ve been friends, Steve’s never said something like that and meant it. At least not in Billy’s eyes. With Steve, everything’s always one big joke. He never takes anything seriously and that’s probably why Billy’s going to the dance with Eddie fucking Munson, of all people–

Billy slaps his notebook onto the carpet, eyes disappearing so he can scrub at his cheeks and forehead.

He always does that when he’s overwhelmed.

Steve wishes for better. He imagines all the words and graphs and statistics melting into Billy’s freckles like sunscreen. He pictures peace, exhaling into the dim, warm light of the room when Billy takes a moment to himself.

Steve considers telling the truth for one crazy, desperate moment.

That he wants to kiss Billy. Has wanted to kiss Billy for months, probably a whole year but he was always too afraid–

“I’ll be so happy when this shit is over,” Billy starts lightly. Billy leans against the wall, his curls fanning out around him. Steve gets lost on the slope of his neck, hypnotized by the bob of Billy’s Adam’s Apple when he swallows, “Listen–”

“No. I’m not gonna listen to you talk mean about yourself.”

Billy watches him through thick, heavy eyelashes. “You didn’t even hear what I was gonna say, Harrington.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Steve says lightly. He doesn’t admit that he’d do anything Billy asked, anything he wanted. “I know you. And if you’re going to tell me it’s pointless to help you study because you’re not going anywhere in life, you’re wrong. You can forget it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Steve determines. “I’ve heard your shitty self-deprecating pitch before and I don’t buy a word.”

Billy stares at him for a long, tense moment–

And then he smiles.

And it’s like the sun has burned a hole through the roof and tucked itself on the floor for safekeeping. It’s like fountains of gold have erupted from the floorboards, and angels have taken up their cherub song.

“Got a little fire in you today, Harrington,” Billy says.

He likes it. He’s impressed.

“Yeah well. It’s been a shitty day.”

“Oh, sure, the day you helped me study before school and at lunch and–”

“It’s not that.”

Billy smirks, “Then what’s inspired the raging war, pretty boy?”

Steve picks at the carpet, avoiding Billy’s eyes. For months he’s wondered if Billy means it. Pretty boy, rolling like salted waves from his tongue to get Steve’s emotions sticking like hair in his eyes.

He can’t help but imagine that old nickname pinned to someone else, sticking like a nametag to Munson’s suit jacket. Hello my name is…prettier than Steve Harrington.

Steve can’t even find it within himself to disagree. Eddie Munson’s a cute guy. He’s got that whole bad boy thing, chipped black nails, big brown eyes, and a wallet chain hanging from his back pocket alongside a handkerchief Robin once wrinkled her nose at. When Steve asked her to explain it to him, she said he wouldn’t get it.

That’s probably true.

Steve doesn’t understand most things. Anything, really. But he understands that on paper, Munson’s probably Billy’s type.

If Billy had a type.

If Billy was–

“You’re gonna wear a hole in the carpet,” Billy chuckles.

Big enough to crawl in, Steve thinks. Big enough to block out the sky, to hold all my thoughts, to live in forever and ever and–

“Where are you?” Billy’s foot knocks against Steve’s thigh, rocking him gently like a boat at sea.

Steve shrugs. “Lost.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Means I’m thinking.”

“You can do that?” Billy teases. When Steve doesn’t laugh, when he doesn’t smile or do anything other than sit like a bump on a log that’s planning itself a funeral, Billy leans forward. “Tell me what’s wrong, Harrington.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll laugh at me,” Steve says, you’ll hate me. Never speak to me again. You’ll run away with Eddie Munson and marry him and you’ll live a short, happy, vibrant life somewhere I can’t feel you. “You’ll think it’s a joke. Or worse, you’ll–”

“God, I hate it when you decide shit for me.”

“I’m not–”

“Y’know, back when we first started this thing you kept me out of my head,” Billy admits. “You kept me active. The leash was fuckin’ short. Still is.”

His fingers twitch against his thigh. Steve knows if it weren’t for Mrs. Harrington and the fact that she loves Billy and expects the best from him, he’d probably be smoking a cigarette even though he’s made a habit of swearing off everything that’s not good for him.

Steve wants to say Eddie isn’t good for him. That he might seem like it at first, but in time–

Billy kicks him again. Harder. “If you don’t tell me what’s wrong I’m gonna kill myself.”

“Jeez, don’t joke about that.”

“You don’t get to decide how I feel about shit, Harrington. You don’t get what i say or how I feel, or–”

“I saw you in the hallway,” Steve blurts, “With what’s his name.”

Billy doesn’t move. He doesn’t even flinch. “Eddie.”

“Eddie,” Steve says, and it tastes like soap on his tongue, bitter and present and the more he swallows the worse it gets.

He expects a lot of things to happen at once. Billy may not feel the same that Steve does, but he gets embarrassed easily. Red all over. His embarrassment falls just like his anger, sharp and aggressive, pushing and tugging until Steve’s resolve pops like a party balloon.

Now, though, he’s calm. Eerie. Poised like he’s trying to watch his step around Steve, who can sometimes be a landmine everyone thought was defective.

Somehow that’s worse.

Somehow the knowledge that Billy’s not as clueless about this whole thing as Steve thought, that he’s picked up on every laugh and hidden stare, that he knows Steve is gone on him and still–

“Why do you care about Eddie,” Billy demands. Like he’s genuinely curious. Like he’s got an inclination, too, and he’s gonna make Steve say it, so.

“You’re not going to prom with Eddie Munson.”

The world might as well stop. If they weren’t sitting on the carpet beaches in Steve’s bedroom, he’d get up and leave.

Billy blinks, chest heaving like he’s just run three hundred miles across a mountain range, but he doesn’t open his mouth. He doesn’t pull his eyes away or speak.

Steve holds onto those eyes. He stands his ground.

Billy jerks into motion, “He didn’t ask me to prom.”

“Fine,” Steve snaps, irritated by the particular nature of this AP, valedictorian, Ivy-League asshole. It’s Steve’s fault for loving a brain, “Fine, not the prom. The fucking Spring Fever–”

“Why are you so upset?”

Steve can’t believe this is happening.

Everything about this is so high school, so steeped in endings and triviality and of course he’d have to say it right now. With expectant, carefully guarded blue eyes picking him apart. Toes at the edge of the cliff, with nothing to catch him when he falls.

“I’m upset, because–” Steve tries.

Billy watches him with eyes like a raging sea, and he’s so beautiful. He’s smart and driven and kind, when he’s not wading through his own head, and Steve’s been trying to swallow it down forever.

How he feels.

Steve takes a deep, steadying breath. “I’m pissed off because I wanted to ask you to the dance.”

Billy frowns. His fingers twitch against his thigh and Steve can almost hear the gears working behind Billy’s curls, clicking and rattling into place. “I don’t understand,” He says.

System failure.

Steve saw that coming, too. “Guessed you didn’t. Why would you? I never–”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Billy rubs a hand over his mouth, “You wanted to go to the dance with me?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why would you want to go to the dance, with. With me?”

“Because I like you,” Steve snaps. “Jesus, Billy. You’re made of a million fucking things to like and I’ve spent so many months counting them, trying to figure out their weight so I can tie my feet to the heaviest one and drown myself,” He runs all ten fingers through his hair, tugging until he feels the sting of it in his toes. “You’re great. You’re the best person I’ve ever known and I just. I love you, okay?”

There, Steve thinks. Asshole.

But the realization of Steve dawns on Billy like the end of the world. He sucks in a sharp, sudden breath, and in a second Steve’s galaxy is on fire.

Billy won’t look at him.

“Billy,” Steve says. Fed up. Mean.

Billy stares at the carpet, lashes clumped with tears, and. He’s gonna cry. Steve’s ruined his last study session before the SATs and Billy’s going to cry–

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Steve slides closer, getting on his knees in front of his shaking, sputtering love, “I didn’t mean to freak you out, I just. I heard that asshole ask you to the dance and I almost lost my mind thinking about what I’d do if you said yes. I didn’t want to blow my last shot at you, Billy–”

“You’re such a dumbass.”

Steve blinks, flinching away. It hurts. He’s bleeding. “I’m sorry,” He says again, like a broken record. “I’m–”

“Munson didn’t ask me to the spring dance either. He wants me to get Heather to take him so Jason Carver stops slashing his van tires.” Billy looks at Steve with water-logged desperation, “I. You love me, Harrington?”

Steve watches a single, heavy tear fall. He nods, chases it with his thumb.

Billy’s breath is warm and sweet against his wrist. “Why’d you think that would be your last shot? You never even took a shot before that, how could it be your last?”

“Because we’ve had, like. A hundred dances this year and I never asked you,” Steve sits, knocking their knees together, “I wanted to ask. Every time, I wanted to run down the hall and kiss–”

Billy eats up whatever was coming next.

He licks into Steve’s mouth. He plants fields of hope, shining bright with the future.

When he pulls away, his eyes are serious. “I’m going to get a 1350 on this SAT,” Billy says, his fingers gentle on Steve’s jaw, “And then we’re going to the dance.”

Steve kisses him, slow and sweet, and.

It’s a deal. Written in the stars.

Harringrove for Turkey commission for the lovely, kind, and talented @keziahrainalso thanks so much for trusting me with your GORGEOUS idea, and I hope what i did with it makes you smile.

All my love,

Jaz

#harringrove #harringrove for turkey #fluff #angst and fluff

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shurisu · 5 days

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Idk if you had already talk about this but i read your recent ask about the ship shurisu and I'm truly interested to read about the potential Shun and Alice had, individually and together, but with your POV

I've got so much to say about this topic that I don't know where to start.

To be honest, I liked them both the moment i first saw them but getting to know these characters what solidified my love .

For example Shun may seem like the classic silent guy at first glance but when you get to know him you will see that he's actually a heavily traumatized boy.Before his mother's death he still seemed to be a "demure" type, but you can also see he was happy for doing what he likes with his friends.After his mother passed away, he holds onto the only thing his mother left for him, Skyress, because he doesn't know how to deal with it.And because of how broken he is, he avoids bonding with people, which i belive, stems from his fear of losing them and going through the same feelings again.That's why he refused to be part of the team and even considered leaving almost half the season.S1 had done a fairly good job with his characterization, you could see that he was trying his best to be as stoic as possible but people who knows him(Dan,Skyress,his mother) or someone who can observe people really well(Alice) could see through him easily, afterall he was just a little boy.

If bakugan was targeted to an older audience and they gave importance to the plot , I believe we wouldn't get the Shun we had in NV and onwards. I get their biggest concern was to introduce more bakugans (=sell more toys) and to do that, they also had to introduce newer characters.Of course there's no problem with new characters but they just couldn't give them spotlight without butchering the older ones.Since the target audience is little boys,the girls got written off and Shun got to stay.But because of the reasons i said above, it costed him to his characterization being butchered, and he actually turned into the silent guy arche type.He used to be the best brawler in the world , and the moment he gets dethroned by Masquerade it was easily acceptable, because he is also one of the best (well,imo the best) brawlers ever existed. Of course, it would be no fun if he were to win all the time, and new characters need to shine as well, but BB Shun and NV onwards Shun are like different brawlers. BB Bakugan was more of battle of wits; through Shun and Masquerade, Dan learned that power alone wasn't enough and he needed to know how to yield it.It was also no surprise that the best brawlers were also the best strategists. But after 1st season, gimmicks like Bakugan traps were a huge cross out on everything S1 standed for.So looking back at Shun,what happens to a character if you took away the area he shines the most?If we got to see his evolution both as a brawler&as a character,I believe he would contribute greatly to the show,even more than he did.

Ooh boy it already got this long, and I didn't even get to mention Alice.I believe just like Shun, Alice is also a MC worthy character. Of course whole "Masquerade" situation gives her some extra points.I am not a writer but i can only think of countless scenarios a writer could benefit from a character with split personality; the deeds she's done unwillingly haunting her,and eventually facing herself and healing period.But if I had to talk about Bakugan only, my thoughts on her and Shun are similar since both of them were quite alike as brawlers.Alice got to short end of the stick in two matters though, for reasons:

1) She's a girl in a shounen anime (a genre which is very rare for a woman to get to shine, or even be useful)

2)She would be OP as a brawler, so including her would require more complex writing:

Their decision was to conclude her character arc after she became one with Masquerade.We know that she was already brilliant as a strategist and now we see that she's far more confident as a brawler, so that would be basically Masquerade being back in his original appearance and i don't think there's anything should be holding back her at that state.Even today most of people rightfully don't accept how she's lost in her NV battle, because of how great brawler Alice/Masquerade is and how it didn't make any sense plot wise.She's imo even more MC worthy character now and still could grow as a character but as i said before,the creators were focused more on commercial success instead.

So long story short, Shun and Alice could've been doing much better if Bakugan didn't change so drastically (as in game logic) , because they would be needed more.And them being active would probably helped a lot to their team mates as well since they are both supposedly the "demure" and "observant" members of the team which really helped in group dynamics, understanding what kind of rival they're against and how should they approach them.

If we were lucky enough and actually got to see them end up together, i believe they would have a solid relationship. Their personalities are compatible so they could evolve into a really beautiful couple.Since we know Shun is a man of few words and bottles up his emotions most of the time, Alice would quickly become "that" person for him, the one who truly understands him the most. It's not even my hc, we already saw how she can see through him, but with them becoming a couple she would probably take that to another level and of course become the dearest person for him ever.Alice is also is healing from her past traumas, and being a loner just like Shun would make her understand him a lot more.But the difference is unlike Shun, she wants to bond with people more so being with her would change Shun on that matter .I can definitely see him being a lot more comfortable with expressing himself.Since he's also an observant person, he also would be the same with Alice as she's with him,so he would try his best at supporting her at anything.

To sum it up, they are striking me as a kind of couple who would be each other's rock and kind of couple who would bring the best in each other. Maybe that's why i always dreamed of them being MCs of their own show with a story about them.And I know that would be fire since they have some of the best fics of their own out there.

#bakugan #bakugan new vestroia #shun kazami #alice gehabich #masquerade #masquerade bakugan

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frozenmoonshine · 2 years

Text

Head Canon - Haitani Ran as your boyfriend:

Idek where all these ideas came from, I'm far from a Haitani stan, but I do think the common fanon representation of Ran is rather unfair to the character, considering all the canon stuff we found out from the official character book #3, so... here's my small contribution to fixing it. LOL

Fluff; Hetero relationship

☆ ‌It's no secret that he loves attention and being the center of it, and with his natural good looks and charm/charisma, he always attracts a lot of attention from girls, wherever he appears. That earned him a bad reputation of a playboy/womanizer, but it couldn't be further from the truth. He just enjoys the attention that comes with flirting, but he's only had like, two girlfriends (by the time he joined Tenjiku).

☆‌ Not the type to fall in love easily, or even to develop a crush! He's actually super picky when it comes to women, just like with everything else in life. But once someone has sparked his interest, he goes into the chasing mode, and god help his target, cause they WILL fall for him, no matter what!

☆ ‌But I'm not saying that he's pushy or annoying, or a creep that doesn't know when to back off. Noooo, he's just a sly, witty, little tactician, who will have you play yourself right into his trap! If he's locked on to you, there's no way out, but let's face it - why the hell would you even want out?!

☆ Once in a relationship, he gets comfortable with you easily, you have movie nights and nap dates at least twice a week (after all, he takes 'Netflix and chill' very seriously!), he lets you play with his beloved hair, even mess it up, LOVES lying in your lap, and will fall asleep in less than five minutes, especially if you stroke his hair.

☆ ‌If he's not answering his phone for a while, you know there's only three possible reasons: he's sleeping, in a middle of a fight, or at the hair salon. He will call/message you back right away when he sees the missed calls/receives messages, and most likely say something along the lines of: "Sorry babe, I was asleep". (Bonus points for his sleepy, morning voice! Sexiest thing ever!)

☆ ‌He's very chill and doesn't really do drama. He dislikes fighting with his SO, but when it does happen, even tho it's rare, he'll just go to sleep without talking to you for the rest of the evening. If you buy him a montblanc cake the next day, he'll forgive you whatever your wrong might have been! If he was the one who was wrong, he'll lose sleep thinking about it, and eventually message you a memoire of an apology at like 4 AM. Next time you see him, he'd take you to his favorite hair salon to make up for whatever he did.

☆‌ Not the jealous type at all. So much so, that it might even leave you wondering if he even loves you at all, but cheat on him, or do anything to seriously break his trust, and he'll simply break up with you. He dislikes jealous girls as well.‌

☆ He wants to appear intellectual, but is actually dumb, so he can be rather cringy. He focused on pretty much anything other than studying, so no wonder he keeps using all those "complicated" words wrong, or getting his facts wrong. And if he tries speaking English, lord help you not to laugh at his face! But if you teach him the right things, he'll highly appreciate it. Just don't make fun of him in front of others, that's your one way ticket to hell!

☆ ‌He's quite a sweetheart when he's genuinely close to someone (ask Rindou if you don't believe me). He'll always let you vent to him, hear you out, listen to your problems, no matrer how small or trivial, and he's an amazing listener. He'll always offer emotional and moral support, even if he appears to be teasing you, he's there for his SO when it matters. But he himself can be quite closed off, and not talk about his problems easily, at least not the real ones. He will bitch about a bad hair day, but not openly tell you what's troubling him for real. If you tell him it's ok to rely on others sometimes, he'll just take that as a green light to act like a spoiled kid for the rest of the day, and expect you to baby him.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers headcanons #haitani ran #haitani ran headcanons #haitani ran x reader #haitani x reader #haitani ran fluff #ran haitani #ran haitani headcanons #ran haitani fluff #ran haitani x reader #tokrev ran #tokrev hcs #ran x reader #ran x you #ran x y/n

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reds-ultrakill-brainrot · 1 year

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i am begging for some v2 content, they're my little meow meow and i need more content with them

Beside You, I'm a Loaded Gun

V2 general relationship headcanons

x reader content (read platonic or romantic)

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- i imagine meeting them would have been a tense ordeal, it would have taken a miracle for them not to shoot first and think later. safe to say the fact they gave you time of day was impressive (go you!) - V2 isn't what most people would call a good listener, they won't interrupt you but then aren't very good at staying still for long times unless mentally occupied by a difficult task (bring subway surfers up on your phone) - they don't take me as the type to enjoy physical touch, at most you might be able to convince them to give a half hearted high five. don't take this as them not wanting to touch you, they often physically pull you towards points of interest or shake you if you aren't paying attention - with that in mind for both of your sakes avoid ignoring V2 intentionally, they constantly crave attention and are willing to do extremely dangerous things if it will get you to notice them (they will take any type of attention, even you scolding them for doing potentially stupid things) - they are more than happy to show you their firearms, even letting you handle them (with their supervision of course, they aren't stupid). they love to show off any tricks they learn wether than be rocket surfing or punching coins, you are always the first person to know when they've figured out something new (the resulting praise is a requirement, their ego isn't sky high for nothing) - their idea of a fun time generally involves mass murder of both machines and demons, and they are more than willing to bring you along for the ride. if you aren't as enthusiastic about mindless violence than they will begrudingly go alone. you may find them bringing back souvenirs though... - while V1 has their pupy dog eyes, V2 has an incredibly expressive frustrated state, it's hard to explain but it is impossible to mistake when their lense goes from impassive to drilling metaphorical holes into their target. they are almost inable to sit still, their wings twitching and hands tensing. such a state is almost never directed towards you, but is hilarious to watch as V2 loses their mind after failing to punch the same husk several times - expect to be roped into their shenanigans, they love doing trick shots and will enlist your help in setting up incresingly random targets for them to shoot. distracting them from the shot will momentarily gain you a legendary frustrated glare, but V2 takes it as an increased challenge, almost taunting you to try your hardest to distract them (please don't get in the way of the gun though, they draw the line at firing at you) - they don't particularly have any hobbies, but if you have a more active activity to suggest they are all ears. i imagine they would be partial to things like skateboarding or basketball, where skills they already posess would be integrated. don't expect them to go easy on you, they respect you enough to take you on as a challenge and will expect enthusiastic performance - V2 isn't especially good at comforting people, it will take several guided attempts for them to eventually learn how to help you when you aren't in a positive emotional state. eventually they figure out just silently being there for you and letting you vent is a workable solution, and if you are especiallly upset they may initiate a a gentle hug - while they do struggle to express affection towards you because of their ego, you will notice that they make sure to both keep you safe and do things for you (such as helping you up onto things, grapping things out of reach without you asking). just don't point this out, they tend to get a little embarrased that you notice

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thanks for the ask! i hope i did your meow meow justice

#v2 ultrakill x reader #ultrakill x reader

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possiblyhomer · 1 year

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BD fanfic idea because yes, I'm still coping

Starts off with more angst.

Rei decides he can't loose Kazuki too, so he packed his bags, gives ownership of their apartment to him, and plans to leave while Kazuki's asleep.

Problem is: Kazuki couldn't sleep, and was able to confront Rei just as he was at the door, taking one last look at his true home

Kazuki just lost it at that. But before he could spiral out of control, Rei hugged him. Tightly.

"We just lost Miri because of who I am. I can't lose you too. I'll be away for a while. Will you wait for me?"

"Don't do anything stupid." Kazuki told him and sends him off with another hug.

After returning to the Suwa estate. Rei takes on more hands-off positions to prepare him for becoming the boss.

During that time, he secretly sends Kazuki letters hidden in files of his targets. Kyu's in on it too,

Few years later, he officially becomes THE boss. And his first order? To get rid of his father.

By this time, thanks to the compassion he learned from his time with his true family, most of the organization's more loyal to him than his psychopathic boss.

One day, Kazuki hears the door being easily unlocked.

The moment he saw Rei, Kazuki immediately tackled him in a hug and a kiss before Rei could even say "I'm home".

They catch up over dinner, feelings are felt, confessions are made, and they woke up at noon the next day in eachother's embrace.

With his new position, Rei is able to let Kazuki retire from being a Hitman and even help him open and fund a restaurant so that Kazuki could see people express appreciation for his cooking.

After everything settled down, they met up with Misaki and told her that now that both of them are in relatively much safer jobs, they'd like to help her with her treatments so that Miri could have her mother for longer, even if it's just for a bit more.

They (including Kyu) eventually became close friends, Kazuki sometimes even gossip with Misaki.

The organization, under Rei's "rule", became much closer knit like a big family. So not only does Miri get to have all 3 of her parents, she also gets a lot more aunties and uncles.

Years later, Misaki passed away surrounded by friends and family. In her will, she entrusted Miri to Kazurei fully... under one condition.

"For the love of God, one of you just propose already." Turns out both of them, on 2 separate occasions, asked Misaki to help them choose an engagement ring.... Which happened 2 years ago.

Even if they can't get legally married, nothing's stopping them from arranging a ceremony.

So later that year, on Christmas Eve, what was supposed to be a fun anniversary of how they found each other turned into a "suprise wedding" on top of a very familiar tower.

It was Miri's idea. She asked Kyu for help and he had the most loyal members of the organization help out.

Yes, Miri's the cutest and most beautiful flower girl ever. Yes, Kazuki did bawl his eyes out. And if you saw Rei shed some tears, no you did not.

#buddy daddies #random ramblings #kazurei #miri unasaka #misaki unasaka

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ikemenomegas · 1 year

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Ooh that poly au piece was so cute! Maybe its because their dynamics with the alpha is cute but maybe its also bc if they're in a poly rs, it means that nobody died which is great! But i was also wondering what Suguru or Satoru would do if they felt possessive or jealous

Was it cute XD, am I cursed to forever be cute even when I am really trying. Maybe I need to try harder...

Let's say it out loud: Suguru is the kind of person to expressly lure you into fucking him on every plausible surface in the house. Satoru is the kind of person to fully imply that you are going to fuck him in the next five minutes just to let other people he's taken and so are you.

Here's the bit nonnie, they're always possessive, and they're the most jealous people you've ever met. For someone with the bad fortune to be a little too aware of this, it's a nightmare lol. This alpha is either oblivious to or unconcerned by or both when it comes to a good portion of their behavior, and the rest of it they probably agree with.

Alpha is perfectly capable of handling themself when it comes to oglers and flirtatious people who can't take a hint. It will never mean anything to them, it barely even registers because their mind is always elsewhere and never decided on finding someone to date before Satoru and Suguru happend. You have walked away in the middle of someone trying to ask you out on a date because Satoru called your name or you caught sight of a snack.

As you get older though, your tolerance for disrespect goes down lol, especially after you bond with them. It sort of makes sense because you can tolerate a lot of insult, but when it comes to Suguru and Satoru there are days where your patience is on the floor. So... people who don't believe in omega rights or respect personal space should be wary. It's a shame because Suguru won't let you beat anyone up and Satoru's so obvious and huge that when he's around mostly he can loom and interlopers will go away.

They're unbearable about it afterwards though. Suguru pretends to be disappointed in you for losing your temper even though the only reason he's holding you back is so he can get to your target first. Satoru sulks around and baits you because he thinks its kind of hot when you actually release your inhibitions but also he knows being directionlessly angry eventually makes you sort of blank so he diffuses the emotion.

Satoru overall will put on a show. He scents you in public, he pulls you right up against his body, if he's feeling particularly irritated, he'll punish you with a bit of public (or private) humiliation. Spicy rules this week so - that means he'll make fun of you for being so hungry for him while he's gripping your hips and making you ride him or using your body in whatever way he wants, alpha is just a sex toy for his amusement, and he doesn't share except with his other half. He'll also do silly petty things like pull whatever you're reaching for out of your reach. If you ask him for a bit of food he'll make you chase it and eat it from his fingers. There's been a handful of times when he's gotten very possessive for some reason and during these times he won't let you take missions - you don't know it, they just stop requesting you and suddenly look at that you have a whole day to spend with him.

Suguru is more insidious with his possessive behavior lol. It doesn't read like possessive from the outside, not unless you can hear the things he's saying. He will insult anyone of any dynamic who he doesn't think is good enough for you, either in a way they won't notice until the two of your are long gone or out loud, but acting like he's talking to you so he has plausible deniability. He will actively guilt trip you about whatever made him jealous. He'll slowly bring up the details of an interaction or imitate a behavior you know he finds particularly irritating to witness and then you know, Suguru is upset and he expects you to try and fix it. And he'll draw it out too. Suguru experiences sexual desire in a way that's very different from Satoru, mostly because he finds you sexually very appealing. There's times Suguru comes at you like a man starved. When he can press the advantage, he does. He knows he has your full and undiluted attention while you seek his forgiveness and better humor. This place where you're fully focused on him is a place he finds interesting to engage with. Expect pillow princess behavior, edging (of you), overstimulation (of you but not so far you lose focus on him), but it always ends in an intense kind of love making that probably makes you forget your own desperation until the next time he gets like this.

All jokes aside, I like poly au for the same reason, it means things are fixed (ish) and fine (ish) again.

#nsft #below the cut #ask answered #follower event #spice and nice #io.sxc #gojo satoru #getou suguru #alpha!reader

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maleyanderecafe · 1 year

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I saw the ask you received about media where a male yandere going mad after losing his beloved, and wanted to suggest a hidden object game called Cursery: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat, which has this as the villain’s main motivation. While the MC isn’t the target of him, their sister is and the goal of the game is to rescue her from him.

Cursery: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat is actually really fun to play, despite the fact that I am extremely bad at puzzle games. Despite being an older game, the artwork is beautiful and it's really fun picking things up and figuring out puzzles (though I think my kleptomania has increased a lot since I just wanted to horde everything). The story is based on the Crooked Man and a lot of the themes are focused on fairy tales, though told in a more darker tone.

The story itself starts with the Crooked Man kidnapping your sister and you going on a puzzle frensy to go and save her. The Crooked Man has been known to kidnap women of similar age to your sister, Renee trapping them in his house. As the story goes on, we learn that the Crooked Man has been doing this to find the reincarnation of his beloved Cheryl, by putting a ring on these women. If they aren't her, then they turn into dolls (and he has an entire room filled with these dolls), however, as it turns out Renee is the reincarnation of Cheryl, regaining her memories. Through various notes and papers we slowly learn the story of the Crooked Man.

Cheryl originally was a poor lady working for a mean landlady as a means of living, at least until she meets the Crooked Man, Blaise. The two fall in love quickly, with Cheryl initially mistaking him as the butler for his mansion, rather than the owner of it. Eventually, Blaise is able to "buy" off Cheryl by paying the landlady, sweeping her away and marrying her. However, as Blaise becomes more possessive and controlling, she becomes scared of him, eventually leading to him falling off of a cliff to her death. Heartbroken, Blaise does everything in his power to try to get her back to no avail- at least until he meets Mother Goose. Mother Goose gives him several powers, his cane which keeps him alive but slowly corrupts him, a bell to turn Cheryl and Blaise's adopted black cat, Parn, into a human to serve him and a ring for Blaise to find Cheryl again. We also learn that Mother Goose tends to corrupts individuals that she gives items to, thus revealing how dangerous she is.

Throughout the game, we see Cheryl's spirit wandering around, and she seems to blame Blaise for her death. She also sees what Blaise has done to those poor women who he captured and tells him he's been corrupted, though Blaise, finally being with his loved one, tries to hold a wedding, promising to destroy the world to make it her cage. You are able to prevent this from happening, but in doing so accidentally risk Renee's life. Blaise sacrifices himself to protect Renee, and ultimately falls down to his demise off of the cliff, much like how Cheryl did initially.

There's also a dlc game to this, where the player becomes a woman that the main character of the first game saved from the Crooked Man. In this one, she loses her son and goes out to look for her. We find out that a gluttonous man took the mansion that the Crooked Man lived in, who would demand food that could appease him. He was given a special fruit by Mother Goose that made his face crack and his appetite even stronger. As we continue puzzling, we find out that the man ate our son, and we seek revenge. Ultimately, the man is pushed out the window by a black cat (presumably Parm) thus ending his reign of terror and creating a new fairy tail of Humpty Dumpty. Doesn't have a yandere in this one, but the story is cool, even if they have the worst puzzles for this one.

I actually initially thought that Blaise would be a replacement yandere considering that he started kidnapping women around Cheryl's age, but I was surprised to find that he was indeed finding the reincarnation of her, which was something I thought was nice. It definitely gives a more heartbreaking story when he does essentially become a redeemed yandere by sacrificing himself for Cheryl's safety. It was really sweet seeing the love between Cheryl and Blaise unfold as they cared for each other, only for the story to become twisted with Blaise became more obsessive, refusing to let her see her friends and family before the wedding (or contacting anyone at all) and trapping her in the mansion before she ended up dying. While Mother Goose ended up corrupting him even more, we do see his undying devotion to her, as he tries for about a century to find her reincarnation again, kidnapping women and giving them rings only for them to turn to dolls. He has tons of statues, charms, trinkets and other things of Cheryl along with various notes as his insanity from trying to find her goes deeper and deeper. It's a very good story played in a dark fairy tale, which if you enjoy, then you'll probably like this game. I think the curse bit also adds to the impact it makes as well.

While the game itself is pretty old, it does have a charm of artwork and story. The antique like artwork and puzzles really give this game a unique character and although the voice acting and animations aren't the best, I think it actually adds to the enjoyment of the game. Still does make me wonder if the ladies that Blaise turned to dolls stayed as dolls and if Renee ever returns to normal. Hopefully since after we turned Parm into a cat doll ,he does (presumably) get turned back into his black cat self. I did feel bad for turning him into that, but that's what he gets for trying to anime cat boy me when I'm trying to puzzle. It has a dark story based on fairy tails with a relatively bittersweet ending and the puzzles themselves aren't too difficult to find out, but challenging enough to stay engaged. The worst puzzles are the burning heart puzzles, Cherry can attest to that.

Overall, a very fun game with a twist on fairy tales. I actually really enjoyed it, so thank you so much for recommending it! I haven't played a point and click based puzzle game since Deponia (which is also very fun), so I would be happy to play more of those games if you have them, haha.

#male yandere #yandere #yandere boy #recommendations #asks

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cloudburst-ink · 8 months

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Tagged by @justanothervariant !

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first and last fics you published there, a fic for a fandom/ship you've only written for once, your favourite fic in the fandom/ship with the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonised over the most, the fic that sprang fully-formed from your mind with minimal effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason. <3

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first: Send/Delete (Malec), a 120k word Shadowhunters au that starts out adjacent to canon, and then swiftly branches off to feature an OC warlock villain who specifically targets Malec.

most recent: Beloved Without Shame (KimChay), the final installment in the 500-word KimChay smut fic challenge that @staykimchay and I recently concluded!

a fandom/ship you've only written for once: I sorted my fics by pairing and found an Isabelle Lightwood / Jace Wayland one shot I wrote a while back. That was certainly... interesting. I'm not linking it. If you're that determined, find it yourself. It's not good. 💀😂 It was the result of the last time I went on a writers weekend and challenged myself to write something far out of my comfort zone (at the time).

your favourite fic in the fandom/ship with the most works: I'm going to take "most works" to mean that I've written the most works for. Probably Where Summer Meets Frost (KimChay), which I eventually intend to spin off into its own original story if I can ever finish Desperate Measures first. 😅

the fic you wish more people read: I don't think I really have one! I adore getting comments and kudos, but I write for me. It's always fun to see which fics surprise me, though. If I had to name one, I think Like a Land of Dreams (Malec), the little series I wrote for the Tarot Challenge, is a bit of a dark horse. There aren't many fics out there where Magnus chooses to be mortal with Alec, rather than Alec choosing immortality with Magnus. It was an interesting concept to rotate around in my mind. It's also the first fic where I began playing with more flowery language and allowing myself to write a bit more dramatically like I really wanted to.

the fic you agonised over the most: Probably Desperate Measures (KimChay), which I've been working on for a whole ass YEAR and I only have THREE CHAPTERS LEFT! SO CLOSE!!! But From Behind the Stars (Malec) gets a close second considering I never actually finished it. Whoops. 😬 I'm sensing a pattern where I tend to lose steam at around 80-90k words.

the fic that sprang fully-formed from your mind with minimal effort: Both Simple Little Secrets (KimChay) and Cotton Candy Crush (KimChay) happened like this. I seem to have an affinity for fics that start out as shameless crack smut.

fic I am proud of: (forgot this one and had to edit it in--whoops!) Probably the Fucking Fridays series (KimChay) in general, because it's just 31,000 words of solid, shameless smut that @staykimchay and I wrote. There are just so many different situations and ideas and dynamics. What an incredible accomplishment and learning experience. Go us.

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I tag @staykimchay and @venagrey ! And anyone else who wants to grab it. 🖤

#tag game

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elronds-pointy-ears · 1 year

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At your Mercy Chapter 6

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Pairing: Gil-Galad x human! fem! Reader

Warnings: none, this thing is not proof read guys so there might be some mistakes.

Word Count: 2028

Summary: Combat lessons with Glorfindel and a new Job.

Thank you for reading 💜

“What do you know about basic combat?” Glorfindel asked. Not even a week passed and Mallahir annoyed you enough that you went looking for the Captain of the Watch and planned a date for your first sparring lesson. So here you were, standing in front of the blonde ellon who apparently was the greatest warrior who ever lived. He raised an eyebrow when you took a while longer to answer him. “Well I know exactly nothing. I have never had to fight you see. My dad would never teach me since I was a girl and not a boy.” “Foolish.” The blonde said. “That is just one more reason for you to learn how to fight. Or at least defend yourself properly.” You sighed. You knew he was right but it never occurred to you that you might be in danger at any given point. It was just never taught to girls and you never asked anyone to teach you. “Of all the creatures in this world I am going to have to tell you, you are the weakest. I mean you’re a human. A woman at that. I am not trying to offend you but of all races and genders you are the easiest prey. You are small, not so strong and generally just not built for fighting. But fortunately there is a lot we can do about that.”

“For the beginning I am going to try to attack you ok. And you try to fight back ok. So I can see where you are at the moment.” You nodded and got ready, fists raised in front of you. Glorfindel moved swiftly towards you trying to attack you while looking at you. You moved out of the way the first time and tried to hit him when he recovered from his first attempt just to catch your arms mid-air and swing you around so he could wrap his arms around your body and hold you.

“Not bad actually for the first try.” He released you again and told you to attack him this time. “If you can hit me once I’ll buy you a drink after.” He winked at you. His gorgeous smile that followed made you blush slightly and you lunged forward trying to hit him in the face so he would not see your red cheeks. Again he moved out of the way with little to no effort. You kept swinging again and again but you never even got close to hitting him.

Eventually you got a little frustrated. “Can you just stand still for once.” You exclaimed a little out of breath.

“Why? Do you want me to buy you a drink that desperately?” That earned him another swing you sadly missed. “You are unbelievable.” He just laughed. He stopped you after a good minute and told you to just stand there and listen to him.

“I see from our little fight here that you have an excellent fighting spirit. Unfortunately you lack the strength , speed, stamina and really just tactics and strategy. So I am going to teach you the basics first. We’ll start with your stance.” He motioned for you to copy him. “You need to stand like this. Legs spread a little so you won’t lose balance. Bend your knees a little. It’ll help you a lot.” You copied him and when he was done correcting he continued. “Good and now you want to turn your body slightly to the side. You want to minimize the attackable target. But never lose sight of your surroundings ok.” You nodded and listened to him. He explained and corrected you for the rest of the afternoon. He tested you every now and then and it was beginning to exhaust you. So you were grateful when Elrond came to interrupt since you were already feeling your muscles beginning to hurt. You would come back to the training grounds the next day and the day after that Glorfindel insisted. You got along well. His open flirty side was something you had a lot of fun with and he knew it. It was no harm done and it actually helped you to loosen up a little. It was not uncomfortable at all and he was actually very proud when you left the training grounds that day.

You followed Elrond back to the Kings Halls. He said you were needed there and you wondered why. It made you nervous and he must have sensed it. “No need to worry Y/N you did not commit a crime if that’s what you’re thinking about.” He said when he stopped and turned around. “Oh but what is it then my Lord?” “Y/N please just Elrond.” You nodded and he smiled. “I have to leave soon. In a few days I will be traveling to Eregion. I need someone to take up my work for the High King when I am there.” Your eyes widened and your mouth fell slightly open. “Oh no do not worry Y/N you are the best person for this job.” He walked closer to you and put his hand on top of your arm. “You know best how everything works here and I trust you.” He reassured you. “Elrond, no , I am not ready for this. How would I know what to do? What if I mess up? I doubt the High King would have mercy on me like you did.”

Your horrified face disliked Elrond greatly and he searched for your eyes. “Y/N listen to me. I am sure you will not mess up. You’ve practically been doing everything that needs to be done for the last weeks already. Sometimes you’ll have to run an errand for the King and you have to be ready at his request at all times but I assure you he is a noble Elf and a good King.” You gulped moving your hand through your hair combing it back. “I have already informed the King and he accepted so you do not have to worry about it.” “Oh.” Was all you could muster. Your mind was speeding from all the things that could go wrong to how you would probably embarrass yourself to the point that you could no longer look into the High King's eyes. Not that you could look into his eyes now they were far too intense for you so you would look away after a few seconds already. Elronds voice brought you back from your wandering mind “Come on now. Gil-Galad is waiting and even though he is a patient King you best not let him wait too long.”

When you walked into the great Hall the High King sat in his throne patiently waiting for you to walk across the room. With each step you took you could hear the adrenaline rushing in your veins. Why were you so nervous? You stopped a few feet away from the High King and bowed your head.

“My King I have brought Y/N. She has acknowledged what I have informed her of and she agrees to be my substitute.”

The High King moved in his throne and spoke “Y/N do you agree to not tell anyone about matters at court. Conversations are to be kept secret and confidential information is not to be spoken of.” He gazed at you seriously.

“Yes High King. My mouth is shut and I am loyal to you.” You exclaimed.

The High King raised from his seat and walked down the steps. His golden robes billowed in the wind when he descended to your level. “Very well then. I expect you to keep your word.” With that he walked past you to what you assumed were his quarters.

The following morning you met up with Glorfindel again and he taught you how to swing a good fist. The day after that he taught you how to free yourself from someone's grip using your elbow, knee or head. You managed to elbow Glorfindel once and it made you incredibly happy. Glorfindel praised you and everyday you got a little better in combat.

When Elrond left Mithlond to travel to Eregion you knew you were going to have a hard time. You were still not sure why you felt this weird unfamiliar feeling when you were close to the High King but now you had to spend time with him. You could no longer leave the room aor go the other direction when he was there. It was part of your job now to talk to him. Report to him or run around the city to deliver a message if he requested you to do it.

Thankfully he kept interaction between you to a minimum. You imagined he did not fully trust you because of your human heritage and was not ready to let you get too close in case you would turn out to be a traitor. You would do minor jobs for him every now and then, tell him different things going on around town and every now and then ask about humans in what you figured was to understand how the human towns worked and how they lived. Surprisingly you did not find him to be as complicated as you first thought. Elrond was right he was a good King. Great you would even say. He made good decisions and never selfish ones. He put the needs and wants of his people before his own and that earned him great respect from you. He never spoke too much, just a few words every now and then but when he opened his pretty mouth he could either destroy you or praise you in a few words only. Did you just think of his mouth as pretty again?

About a week passed and you found yourself once more on the training grounds with Glorfindel trying to catch you. You learned fast and managed to use most of his previous advice now which made it significantly harder for him to catch you and you both had a lot of fun during your lessons. The training grounds were loaded with ellons and elleths all working on their fighting skills. Most of them with bow and arrow but some with swords. You and Glorfindel were the only ones fighting hand to hand. So usually you would have many onlookers watching you move around. The elves were excited to see their beloved Captain fight since he seemed to be a legend in their world. You dodged one of his attacks using his weight to your advantage and shoved him back. He regained his balance quickly and ran right into you. You reacted quickly and put your weight to your feet so he would not knock you off the ground which he ultimately still did. You wrestled around a little for a while when he managed to pin your arms on your back and press you towards his body so you were trapped. “Got you” he smiled cockily. No way you were ready to give up so easily. You quickly leaned forward and kissed him just long enough for him to loosen his grip on you so you could knock one of his feet off the ground so he was lying on the ground still stunned by what just happened. The watching crowd cheered and laughed and only then you realized how many had seen that interaction between the two of you.

Glorfindel got up and laughed loudly now. “That was not fairplay” he told you. “No it was not. But you told me I had to use whatever I have. Besides, a young woman against an elf is hardly fair I would say.” You countered. “You are a fast learner I see. Good job.” Glorfindel threw his arm around you and led you away.

One pair of eyes followed you closely. The elven King did not know why he felt so angry at what he had just witnessed. He did not know where that feeling came from but he did not like how it seemed to control him. He turned around and walked back to the confines of his Quarters.

Tagging @lotrnonsense / @captainbutterflygirl2 @thesolarangel @lazymeriadoc @bananaphanta @betty-not-boop @fenharel-enaste @eowyn7023

#at your mercy #at your mercy fic #gil-galad fic #gil-galad x reader #myfic #mywork #at your mercy update #gil-galad

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