#like hes the kind of guy to eat fish he catches live and raw

[itsinkwell]

OUGHHH i hate when people misinterpret my favorite characters LIKE!! Junkrat is so. Punk. He is so. Grunge. He’s dirty and grimy and paints his fingernails and toenails black and he made his own prosthetics and he wears eyeliner that probably isnt even actually eyeliner!! He kills millionaires and wears spikes and actively hates authority!! He is soooo like. Ancom!! He steals and kills and fights dirty and makes his own bombs!! Im not saying that people write/draw him too goody or whatever, but i am saying that he isnt being drawn/written/made like this enough!! Embrace his filth!! Give into the demons!! Same thing with Roadhog like. Hes so ancom and hes punk and hes metal and he’s grungy and he’s soo!! Give into the voices and make them emo!!

#this is mostly directed towards the way that people try to streamline those two #ive seen in the straight side of the fandom most #ESPECIALLY THE BEACHRAT FANART #People boil junkrat down to some crazy dude and then they try their damndest to make him attractive and unhinged to meet their little #mental quota #LIKE NOOOO #HES FILTHY AND DIRTY AND #STOP MAKING HIM CLEAN #i think that he attracted stright fans with the beachrat skin #but like. no beachrat fanart is right #its all accurate to the skin but its not biblically accurate junkrat #like hes the kind of guy to eat fish he catches live and raw #everything he does terrifies normal people #so normal people try to make him normal? #idk ive just seen this a lot #people try and make him normal #HES NOT #EMBRACE THE MAYHEM #but uh yeah #junkrat #roadhog #overwatch

[hxwks-gf]

Can we get a part of bakugou and reader is pregnant and they tell bakugou’s parents that the reader is pregnant

a/n: Y’ALL WANT A SPIN OFF? HERE’S A SPIN OFF! read the original fic here! this itty bitty drabble is full of fluffy bakugo goodness so buckle up babies

｡･:*:･ “i’m gonna be a grandpa?”

summary: it’s time to tell mitsuki and masaru you’re pregnant. chaos ensues.

warnings: pregnancy, mentions of food

“Katsuki!” you called from the front room. “Hurry up, we’re going to be late!”

“Don’t rush me, woman!”

You rolled your eyes and impatiently tapped your foot as you waited for him, not at all surprised that he wasn’t ready to go at the time he planned to leave. Truthfully, you wanted to leave a little earlier to stop and get some food on the way because your pregnancy cravings were already in full swing.

“Katsuki!” you shouted again. At the fleeting thought of food you felt like you would start gnawing on the strap of your purse right then and there. “Your pregnant wife is hungry!”

“Alright, alright,” you heard him grumble right before he appeared in the hallway. His tufts of blonde hair were sticking up in every direction as he tried to flatten it with his hands. “I can’t seem to make it look decent today.”

Growling stomach forgotten, you reached up and did your best to tame his wild mop of hair with a smile on your face. “It looks fine to me, baby.”

Bakugo made an unintelligible growling noise and continued to mess with it, but guided you out to the car. “What do you want to eat?”

“Everything,” you groaned, putting your seatbelt on. “Everything and nothing at the same time.”

“Yakitori?”

“No.”

“Ramen?”

“No.”

“Sushi?”

You gave him a pointed look. “I can’t eat sushi, Katsuki.”

“Why not?” he asked without looking at you, expertly pulling the car out and driving towards the suburbs. You watched him as he drove, his eyes completely focused on the road and not aware of your “I’m-so-done-with-you” expression.

“Pregnant people can’t eat raw fish,” you said, fiddling with the air vents. “I’ve told you this a million times.”

He grunted and said nothing else for awhile as you passed through the city. You leaned your forehead against the cool window and watched the shops and restaurants and people go by, wondering what your cravings were telling you to eat.

“They’ll have something to eat when we get there,” he murmured, his free hand coming to rest on your thigh.

“What if it’s not something I want to eat?” you moaned in despair, turning your head to give him a dramatic look. “They’ll hate me.”

Bakugo snorted. “They don’t hate you, dumbass. You know they love you.”

“Do you love me?”

He risked a brief glance away from the road to glare at you. His fingers squeezed your thigh. “Of course I love you, woman.”

You hummed happily and fiddled with the air conditioning again, hunger and cravings forgotten as he drove out of the city and into the residential neighborhoods that bordered the outskirts. After a few more twists and turns, he pulled into the familiar driveway and turned off the car.

“Don’t touch that door,” he growled, and you smiled. Bakugo had never let you open a single door ever since you started dating, and now that you were married and pregnant with his children, he was even more strict on opening doors for you.

“Such a gentleman,” you teased him as he helped you out of the car. “I’m not helpless, you know.”

“Tch,” he scoffed. “I know that.”

The front door of the house opened before you finished the walk up the pathway, and you were instantly greeted by a head of familiar ash blonde hair.

“Y/N!” Mitsuki said excitedly, ushering both of you inside. “We were wondering if something happened.”

“We’re here, aren’t we?” Bakugo huffed, closing the door behind him and taking your coat off for you. “Where’s Dad?”

“Putting some tea on in the kitchen,” she answered, ignoring his unfriendly temperament and settling for taking your hands and guiding you into the living room. “It’s so good to see you, honey. You look beautiful!”

You smiled warmly and squeezed her hands. “So do you. That glycerin is no joke.”

Mitsuki laughed and you spent the next few minutes catching up on your job, Bakugo’s hero work, and the latest episode of the drama show you both secretly watched.

“Oi,” Bakugo said from the kitchen doorway. “You want some tea?”

“Jesus, Katsuki, is that really how you get your wife’s attention?” Mitsuki groaned, putting her face in her hands.

“A cup of tea would be lovely, honey,” you said to him, softly patting his mother’s knee. He rolled his eyes at her hysterics and disappeared into the kitchen again. You turned back to Mitsuki and swallowed nervously. “We actually have something to tell you guys.”

“Wait, wait,” she said, cutting you off. “If this is what i think it’s going to be—Katsuki, Masaru, get in here!”

“Christ, would you quit yelling?” Bakugo grumbled, appearing again with two cups of tea in his hands. He handed one to you and shooed his mother out of her seat beside you so he could take it.

“It’s good to see you again, Y/N,” Masaru said in the midst of his chaotic family, offering you a kind smile. He and Mitsuki took the couch opposite the two of you and waited for you to speak.

You looked at Bakugo and suppressed an excited giggle. He met your eyes and while he kept his expression passive, you could see a glimmer of that same excitement. You looked back to his parents and placed a hand on your growing belly.

“We’re pregnant,” you finally said.

There was a beat of silence before Mitsuki’s ecstatic screech nearly burst your eardrums. She leapt from her seat and clapped her hands while bouncing in a circle, cackling incoherently about babies and grandmas.

Masaru sat there looking dumbfounded before scratching his chin and saying, “I’m...I’m going to be a grandpa?”

Bakugo chuckled. “Yeah, old man. You’re going to be a grandpa.”

“But that’s not all,” you said, breaking Mitsuki out of her happy dance. “It’s...twins.”

“Twins?” she screeched, grabbing Bakugo’s hand and yanking him out of his seat, much to his chagrin. “Katsuki, twins?!”

“Let go of me, you crazy old bat,” he groaned, but she ignored him and continued to force him to dance with her. “Christ.”

You smiled at them dancing together as you sipped your tea, but the deafening growl that came from your stomach a moment later cut their movements short. Mitsuki patted Bakugo’s burning cheeks affectionately and moved to sit next to you.

“How does some spicy curry sound?” she asked, rubbing your shoulder. “I know how bad those cravings can get, so please don’t be shy.”

You glanced behind her to meet Bakugo’s eyes, and his knowing smile told you enough. You looked back at Mitsuki and grinned. “That sounds perfect, actually. Thank you.”

She gave another excited squeal and whisked away to the kitchen, grabbing her husband along the way and leaving you alone with yours. Bakugo reached out and delicately touched your cheek.

“Feel better?” he asked.

You nodded. “Much.”

“Good.” He pressed a tender kiss to the top of your head. “I told you so, woman.”

#*foams at the mouth* #I FUCKING LOVE SOFT BAKUGO #YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katsuki fic #bakugo fanfic #bakugo x reader #bakugou x y/n #bakugou x you #bakugou fluff #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha #mha bakugo katsuki

[kyotakumrau]

2020.12.21 The World You Live In at Zepp Tokyo, 2nd event report

Fujieda again started with greetings, introduced himself and Takabayashi and then asked for applause for the band members.

And we got quite a surprise!

Kaoru and Toshiya came on stage!

Thus making Tokyo the only place where band members changed for each slot/session. As much as I'd love to see Kyo again I was happy as my friend only went to Tokyo and she's Toshiya's fan😊

F: please introduce yourself.

Kaoru: you already did lol. I'm Kaoru.

T: I'm Toshiya.

F: the last video you just watched was different from other sessions. The trailer for the concert film screenings that will start from February. It's something only you know right now. As you can imagine from the title it will be something similar to this, with the band members coming for the talk after.

K talked a bit about the situation as well.

T: it's still difficult to hold concerts, but this is something we can do. So I hope you will look forward to it.

Next F started the 'merch items introduction corner', he passed the items to the members.

K: I was watching the 1st slot and we talked about them in Osaka, too. (he talked more about the items and what members said)

F: yes, everything can fit in the pouch so it's a very useful item. You can buy all merch items and put then in the pouch and take home like that. Let's look at Toshiya's big pick key chains (he pronunced that very carefully😂)

They talked about members signs and company logos when suddenly K requested to have to lights in the venue set brighter so he could see everyone.

After that F announced they wil start with questions from the fans, passed the part of papers to others, but K gave his to F saying it's better if he chooses.

T: ok, I have a good one! 'It was Die's birthday yesterday, did you send him a birthday message? And are there any memorable presents you've received in the past?'

T: I got a bicycle. I was really happy at first, but then it was stolen from the parking area.

F: when was it?

T (I didn't catch it but from the context it must have been quite early on in their career)

F: during the tour?

T: yeah, we were always giving each other something for our birthdays, every year, but as years passed it got more difficult to choose something good and we then just stopped.

F: how about you, K?

K: I got a Mickey Mouse, about this size (he showed us with his hand, about 1m tall).

F: 'how do you deal with feeling tired?'

K: I go for a massage.

F: only during the tour?

K: anytime.

F: when the most? When writing songs?

K (laughing): but we're always writing songs

T: for me it's sauna.

F: do you often go when just staying at home?

T: for example after the gym

Ta: 'what did you eat most often during the stay at home period?'

K: ...what did I eat, what about you, Tooru?

Ta: sausages.

The whole venue kinda rotfled 🤣🤣🤣

F: that's cute😆

Ta: it's something I can usually only eat at home.

K: ...something I was really into...(still thinking)....(thinking)

F: for me it was Jiro-ken ramen.

T: at home?! So you weren't really staying at home?

F: I gained some weight after the overseas tour. I started to diet then, and one day a week, a cheat day, I could eat whatever I wanted. My cheat choice was Jiro, either at the restaurants or to take away.

K: ...what was it for me...

F: maybe nabe you talked about before? (in Osaka)

K wasn't impressed 😆

T: canned mackerel for me.

F: for when you drink etc? No, just like that?

They all laughed here a bit.

Suddenly K jumped in with a new topic.

K: in Osaka you talked about the theme behind Kyo's outfit, you said it was pink but he pointed his green hair as the main point.

F: that was difficult.

K: tbh I also thought the main idea was pink (he also talked about Kyo's use of Kansai dialect)

T: 'what were you able to do after becoming an adult?'

F: there's a lot of food people start eating when they grow up.

T: food topic again? 😆

F: for example for me it was raisins.

T: as I get older I can drink more. When we just debuted I couldn't drink at all.

F: drinking wine?

T: おっさんだから・'cause I'm an old guy.

K started talking about the food he couldn't handle when he was small but the next question kinda made me forget it 😅

' 'wet cat food is actually quite good, have you ever tried?'

F: I have a cat and sometimes when I give my cat wet food some will get on my fingers. I'd just lick it. You know some of it, the mackerel or tuna, it looks so good.

T: please send me a video when you eat cat food next time.

😂

(but to be fair most of canned cat food in Japan is 100% fish🤷‍♀️)

K: 'when you can tour again what local specialities do you want to eat?'

F: motsunabe in Fukuoka

T: miso type?

F: of course (if not Shinya would kill him)

K: what did you eat in Sendai?

F: bento

K: in Nagoya?

F: nothing special

T: we had normal bento, but it was miso katsu (Nagoya's style cutlet)

F: but if it's not in a restaurant it's not the same. Anything you want to eat, T?

T: Beki soba from Niigata.

F: have you tried it before?

T: when we went there on a tour, I really like soba.

They talked but more about food, tare katsu, okonomiyaki from Hiro and Jiro again.

T: is Jiro really that good?

F: 😍

K: I've tried it before, but it's (just) okay.

F: it's all about how the noodles taste (type of flour etc)

(more food talk, choosing between salt and tare options)

K: 'what's your favorite onigiri (rice ball)?'

F: how about you, K?

K: I don't eat onigiri.

T: Me also, but if I have to choose it's sujiko/salted salmon roe.

K (about not eating onigiri much): right, you only eat soba.

T then told us the story how much he loved salmon roe even as a child. When he was quite small he went shopping to the local supermarket with his grandmother. When he saw salmon roe in the shop he just started eating it directly from the shelf/container. Of course when his grandmother and supermarket staff found out it got very noisy, but because he was so young it was forgiven.

(back to onigiri topic)

Ta: salmon for me.

F: oh that is nice, I love the most tamago-kake-gohan rice ball (TKG is a very simple, traditional Japanese breakfast dish - just rice with a raw egg eaten with soy sauce, sometimes other toppings), the Newdays chain is selling them

K: the chain operates only in this area, no?

F explained that there are Newdays in other places too, fe Sendai. He also really got into explaining all pros incl the tasty gooey filling inside of the rice ball.

K (imitating F) oh that's nice 😂

F: 'it got so cold recently, what's your favourite season?'

T: spring or fall, I don't hate winter but I definitely don't like summer.

K: fall. (he said as this year wasn't too cold he could go out a bit during breaks)

F: so 2~3 weeks ago was your fav time.

K: here in Tokyo at least.

F: 'as we're staying home much more now do you have a recommended tv series or a channel?' (not just a movie)

K: Cobra kai.

F: ah, you tweeted about it.

K: it will be on Netflix next month, the 3rd season.

K talked about The Karate Kid (Japanese title 'Best Kid').

F: I don't know it.

Ta: me too.

K (shocked): you're serious???

T: I know, of course.

F: 'Best Kid'? 'Best Fit?'

T: just stop it🙃

F: how about your recommendation, T?

T: The BOYS on Prime.

K: I haven't seen it, but it seems interesting.

T: it is! I also like BOSCH. I'm just watching like after work and so on.

After that K talked about how cinema with the capacity reduced by half was nice because you could put your bag on the seat next to you etc, but recently came back to the full house (Demon Slayer did that...)

F: 'how do you feel being in front of people first time in a while?'

T: I'm sorry it has to be done this way

F: don't say that😆

(missed K's reply)

T: it's tiring to be in front of people.

F: but we do it in an interesting way.

T: yeah.

T: 'what's your favourite game? Even including older ones like famicon?'

K: games?

T: Spelunker on Amicon😆

T/K in agreement: where you die so quickly

K: PS5 is so popular, I didn't win.

F: it seems Kyo won once but the information he submitted had a mistake.

K: I applied for Sony's lottery and Big Camera's.

F: you don't want PS5, T?

T: recently I don't play.

K: what about the... what was it Tsushima?

They all reacted with 'ah'

F: what kind of game is it?

K: don't ask me😅 but it looks interesting.

T: it seems to be very popular abroad.

F: 'what's your favourite way to eat ozoni?'

(A new year soup with rice cakes)

Ta: the soy sauce based soup, with grilled mochi.

F: but what ingredients do you add?

K: isn't that way too detailed??

Ta (tries): spring onion etc

K listed grilled mochi, spinach, carrot etc. Then he told us about his family tradition to properly make rice cakes for New year, pounding was so loud even if you wanted to watch tv, you couldn't. But then they had enough for a month.

T: soy sauce style.

F: with miso or?

T: I said soy sauce.

F: what ingredients?

T: rice cakes, spinach, and what is that... (he started to make circles with his hand) ...?

F: naruto?

T (yeah that/nods)

F: in my family we do soy sauce, rice cakes, carrot, fish cakes etc.

K (ignoring F comment that they should finish now, in a teasing way): what about osechi, which dishes do you like?

F: konbu maki or kurikinton.

K: how about you, T?

T: that egg dish that is kinda like this (he gestured the shape again)?

Ta: tatemaki?

F: datemaki!

T: I think it's datemaki.

K: I like that beef roll with carrot and green beans inside (its 牛肉の八幡巻き)

F (making very dreamy face): Aaaaaaah that😍 green beans are so good.

F: ok, thank you all.

K: what about Tooru (Ta)?

F: it's time, sorry.

Last comments.

Toshiya: thank you all for gathering here despite the COVID situation. It's difficult to do concerts now so we tried doing film screenings. In difficult times like this it's not only about the band members, there's our staff and also the venues. I'd love to play concerts again, please wait for us.

Kaoru: it is a difficult situation to share my personal opinion... if we can't do the concerts in a way everyone can enjoy... enjoy, it will affect our relationship of mutual trust. I think this (COVID) situation will continue for some time still, so I think it's better to go with the film screening events. But we will keep checking the situation. Please stay healthy and I hope all of you will come to watch it.

#dir en grey #the world you live in #kaoru #toshiya #薫 #zepp tokyo #fujieda #takabayashi

[esseegg]

Four Words and Then Some - Dabi [Reader-insert fic]

Summary: There are few things that faze Dabi. Nonchalance and apathy are what he’s best known for. When he meets someone of similar manner, however, he can’t help but feel a tad curious. He can’t help putting labels beyond your demeanor — anything to remember you by.

Word Count: 1846

Note: gender neutral Reader. not quite romantic, although one could argue its implications. written before the Dramatic Dabi Reveal™ in recent manga chapters, so this embraces more of the mystery that initially surrounded his character.

Warning: mentions of murder, alcohol, and sex.

There was only a handful of words that Dabi could use to describe you.

The first was “immoral”.

That was the first look he saw in your eyes that night. Under the pelt of the rain, you watched — watched as his scarred, bloodied hand clasped over an innocent person’s mouth. A show of blue humored your eyes not in the open, but within the screaming walls of his victim’s throat.

The man collapsed, just inches away from your feet. Before Dabi could purr a despairing taunt, a promise that you’d end up the same, you cut him off with a scream. It was the innocent’s — turned dry by scarring flames, turned hopeless by the press of your heel.

As you dug your heel into the victim’s throat, you tipped your umbrella in Dabi’s direction. From below the shadow of your umbrella’s weeping canopy, your smile twinkled ever so humbly. 

“Thank you,” you uttered.

He just wanted to scorch a loose mouth. He didn’t know you had bad blood with the guy.

The second was “cocky”.

When Dabi asked if you knew who he was, you affirmed that you did. As he rose to his feet, your arm rose with him. Somehow, your umbrella still accounted for him.

“You aren’t afraid of getting burned?” Dabi sneered.

Flames hissed above the rain’s pulse, drawing a line along the dips and curves of his neck. A stray flicker reflected in your eyes, and he caught sight of a heart-seizing intensity.

“Not really.” Your airy chuckle extinguished his flares of blue. “The public’s noted you as a more.. erratic person among your associates.”

You tilted your shield back, letting the rain’s barrage on him resume.

“You don’t exactly have the highest body count among criminal kind. At least, when you’re acting alone.”

Dabi eyed the canopy that no longer wept for him. Lifting a hand, he ignited a flame beneath its edge. You spared it only a glance before tossing the whole thing aside.

The third was “blunt”.

“You’ve never been reported to appear in this area before,” you remarked. Your hand, no longer occupied, simply took refuge in a slot of your jacket. “Do you mind if I ask what for?”

You had friends nearby, as well as a relative just a few blocks away. Although you thought it pointless to steer a villain’s will, you wished it kind, nonetheless, if he were to leave your relations alive and well.

The way you gestured with your shoulders, mixed with the lazy perks and dips of your lips — Dabi couldn’t help but laugh. Although it came off as more of a scoff, you noticed.

“Relax,” the villain drawled. “Burnt cities aren’t the agenda. Your folks will be safe, unless they have a quirk in my interest.”

“Is that what happened to this guy?” you asked. Only then did Dabi realize — your foot was still on the bastard’s throat.

“You could say that.”

“Hm.” You took your foot away, irked by the raspy gasps that followed. “I’m not surprised.”

The fourth was “beguiling”.

After his third torching of your shared victim’s throat, you asked if he intended to stay the night. He thought he knew a tease when he heard one.

“That sounds like an invitation,” he hummed. You didn’t flinch nor tense as he neared, and in good fun, the tip of his nose tickled yours.

Liquor or sex, Dabi predicted. One or the other — maybe both if he was lucky. You didn’t seem below two shots or a few, and the rain hugged your form with a shameless, flattering grace.

There was a lighter’s tease in your eyes too, one that begged for another flick of the thumb. Roll the wheel, your eyes seemed to say. Spit sparks of blue on your skin; start a flame that’d eat you out, pain you, pleasure you, until you were ashes on a bed. He’d feed you the last shot of your cheap shared liquor, distastefully warm by that point. Then, he’d leave. That’d be a night, certainly — just the kind of night he–

“It’s not.” Turning your head away ever so slightly, you bared a look of total disinterest. “I was hoping you’d leave.”

So much for that night. Whatever, Dabi scoffed.

He fished out his burner phone, paying you no mind as he dialed his associate’s number. The tone droned in his ear, monotonous like the rain, quiet like your soles on concrete as you strayed to pick up your umbrella. You only cared to shake off the drip of puddles, rather than the grime that stuck.

The fifth and final word was “comforting”.

"You have zero caller credits left on this device. To purchase more, visit one of our locations at– Beep!"

The phone smacked concrete, cracking upon impact. After his snarl had sputtered, making it no further than the barrier that was his lips, you spoke.

"Is everything alright?"

Dabi’s eyes darted over, meeting the shadow of that weeping canopy again. Your buttery tone, light and airy, put the image of a smirk in his head.

"What do you think?" he sneered.

Your eyes sheened like all-seeing moons above the night's drizzle. White — from what he could tell — hazy and plain.

"Do you need a place to stay?" you asked. “I have a couch you could borrow.”

Dabi paused, confounded by the offer. He looked to the sky, as if his answer had been tucked away up there. Looming over urban silhouettes, the clouds wallowed in their sorrow. Silver linings were impossible to find.

The villain sighed. Eventually, he replied, “Alright. It’s not as if I’ve got anywhere else to go.”

The canopy twitched, revealing a quiet surprise in your eyes. Dabi chuckled, sparking a funny, fleeting life in your eyes’ shine.

He’d remember that. He’d remember many things about you.

He’d remember the pale vinyl flooring of your apartment and how mud stuck itself between boards’ gaps. He’d remember that ugly, aged yellow of your lightbulbs, which loved to cackle and gossip whenever he turned his back. He’d remember the weak, chilling pulse of your shower head: a nice gift after blue had licked his skin raw.

When he came out of the shower, Dabi found a flaccid pillow on the couch. From the kitchen, he could hear the clinks of a spoon dipped in warm milk. When you caught his stare, you spoke.

“Insomnia.” You shook the mug as if it were a glass of wine. “Just a comfort habit of mine.”

As the night dragged on, he slowly understood what you meant.

While he rested on the couch, slowly sinking into its tough, ridged cushions, you lingered in the kitchen, concocting drink after drink to accompany the fiction in your hands. Every few minutes or so, he’d hear the crisp flick of another page, the kind that often sliced through the drone of the rain.

Then, out of nowhere, the spoon-clinking and the page-turning quieted.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Your voice mingled with the muted racket from outside. He almost didn’t catch it.

“Do you honestly think a villain’s gonna take a chance at a stranger’s home?”

Dabi’s voice cushioned his words, turning curtness to breath and derision to wisps. The scratch of your mug and the kitchen counter followed, as did the flutter of pages and the last hiss of your kitchen light.

You strolled out of the shadows, placing the mug at the foot of the couch. Before he could question you, you plopped onto the armrest. In response, Dabi scrambled up, tucking his feet away from you, while blue raced along his fingertips.

“Relax,” you uttered. “I’m just here for the better light.”

A shitty excuse. You both knew it.

“If you want better light, I’d look somewhere else,” the villain retorted.

Propping himself up, he nestled into a crook of your couch. You didn’t mind, even as he angled himself for a perfect view of whatever threats you might attempt.

Threats. Right.

He’d remember that thought. He’d remember all that he could before that night’s end.

He’d remember how your pages turned to whispers. He’d remember that irking clonk between your foot and the couch, then the silence after he spat something at you. He’d remember your yawns, long and perpetual — shamelessly dramatic.

That was you: a peculiar thing of the owl’s night with dark, curious eyes and airy smiles. Eerily still yet alive, you lived in your own little world that Dabi had simply intruded upon, when he could’ve sworn that it was the other way around.

In your world, hearts were slow, yet steady, safe, and content. The darkness was kind, drooping over his eyes and working his limbs loose. Bulbs became stars, humble and pleasant within the morning’s grayness.

When the villain awoke, he was greeted by fleece, sewn together from the night’s black. The sky seemed full of silver, accompanied by a light, shimmery mist that turned your window into a colorless mirage. In the new light of the sunless city, there was you.

Your body teetered, looking ready to topple off the armrest at any moment. Meanwhile, your book slumbered against the slope, having long since closed by the will of its bindings. By your feet, which dangled innocently, your mug laid on its side. It had dried over in a layer of crusted liquid that spanned out and seeped into the vinyl boards.

At all of you, the villain huffed. You bemused him. Yet, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t bring himself to question you — any of you. You felt like a dream, after all, utterly surreal.

He was certain he’d be that way to you too. You’d question a lot of things.

You’d wonder if your mug sprouted legs last night. Otherwise, it would’ve never made its way to your sink.

You’d hug the fleece that had hugged so snuggly about your shoulders and question it. Before last night, blankets never flew.

You’d ask if your book was always so fickle. Rather than stay by your side, it got up and moved to the kitchen. It would’ve found its way home, on a shelf or the like, but it forgot that home a long time ago.

Worst of all, your umbrella, which you had hung onto the front door knob to dry, was now gone — actually gone. You’d wander the halls, search the rooms, and even call Dabi’s name to ask where it had gone.

There’d be no point, though. In the end, you’d know.

Somewhere, far away from the place you called home, your umbrella was wide open and smiling beside the atmosphere’s light, joyful cries for a brand new day. All the while, the canopy, spotted with mud and baring a singe along its edge, casted a warm, comforting shadow over its new owner.

Dabi thought it foolish to bring the item along, but he did. As he walked, he twirled the canopy and grinned, happy to thieve a sliver of the subtle peace that you had blessed him with.

Thank you for reading! Likes, Comments & Reblogs are much appreciated <3

#dabi #dabi x reader #touya todoroki #touya x reader #bnha #mha #bnha dabi #mha dabi #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #egg's writing

[teamsarawatshusband]

Word Of Honor - 1st watch insta thoughts - Episode 4

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

In case you haven't read my previous episode summaries, you should know that I now refer to alcoholic tanned tragic hero lord guy as Baby Xu (because he gave the name Zhou Xu), Wen Ke Xing is Smirky Xing, Ke Xing's female travelling companion is referred to as purple love of my life (because she rocks).

Alright let’s get started with Episode 4:

:O WHAT? Smirky Xing is qi-gong-balling nuts? Is he the red masked nut guy??? WTF? Is that why he said he's terrifying? Is that why he wasn't there at first during the fight in the dusty place? Waaaahhhh

Aww, he stilll wants Baby Xu and himself to be on first name basis. Giving horses as gifts. He's so determined.

Oooh the beggars caught up. And they openly state they're with 5 Lakes and want to bring the kid back to... some guy, I already forgot. Hmmm. The kid is instantly scared and hides behind Baby Xu. Baby Xu looks worried too. Nobody trusts 5 Lakes. Smirky Xing also doesn't trust them.

Wow, that's a lot of beggars.

Oh no, Smirky Xing insulted the talky beggar guy. And now they wanna fight.

Woahooooo, Baby Xu is pissy at Smirky Xing, but he trusts him to take care of the kid while he throws himself into the fight. Nice.

Less than 6 minutes in and we already have a million times more action than in the last episode. Thank you.

I see what smirky Xing meant when he called Baby Xu elegant. He is a VERY elegant fighter.

Offering nuts again, lol. Doesn't he know that the kid never wants to eat?

But jokes aside, the way Xing and the kid don't even go far but stay close enough to watch shows really well that smirky Xing is super confident in Baby Xu's fighting skills...

Oh no, they broke the alcohol jars, Baby Xu is gonna be so pissed.

And Smirky Xing is kind of an ass, teasing Baby Xu about his promise to keep an eye on the kid, while the beggar is chasing the kid around and Baby Xu is doing all the work.

Ahhh, it's cause he wants Baby Xu to admit that he needs him. Hehe, smart. Evil but clever.

:O The beggars got swords in their sticks! Cheaty little fuckers.

Baby Xu is fighting a bazillion beggars at once, no problem while the kid is almost caught.

Oh no, Baby Xu is mouthbleeding. That's never a good sign.

Oooooh, Smirky Xing notices and instantly steps in. No more teasing.

Oh how the turntables. Baby Xu and the kid flee, while Smirky Xing takes on the beggars. Nice. Sharing the workload. Like good husbands. Smirklord ftw!

Oh no, Baby Xu is worried about being a loser. And now he's doing the smelly meditation thing again. Awww :(

Meanwhile Smirky Xing has killed all the beggars, and it's not even shown on camera. Like... he probably did it with a determined look, some nut throwing and a snap of a finger or something. Impressive.

LOL, the purple love of my life comes on screen, looks around and has this, "Aww, dangit, he's on a killing spree again" look on her face. So this happens a lot, I gather.

She's concerned about the cleanup and the aesthetics, lol. My queen.

Whoa, what's that? Two tied up girls on a boat. And a jerk. I don't even know him but I know that much. Character introduction 101.

Oh wait, my purple love stops him. She knows him. He's one of the mountain ghost guys? And she knows him? There's a connection. That probably means that Smirky Xing really is nut guy. :O :O :O

She's striking a deal. And I didn't catch what she asked jerk guy to do in return for keeping him tying up girls a secret. But he leaves to do it.

Wow, Baby Xu knows how to cook. And offers the fish to the kid. And the kid ACTUALLY TAKES it. Impressive. I thought he hates food.

Ah, no, he spit it out. Okay. My worldview has been restored. And Baby Xu is not a good cook after all, lol.

My purple queen shows up and explains how to cook fish, lol. Yeah, they wish they had her cooking skills.

Oh, and baby Xu actually asks about Smirky Xing's whereabouts and looks longingly towards the boat where my queen points to.

Very lovely scenery, with Smirky Xing plaing the flute on the boat, and the two girls (who were previously tied up, I think, I still suck at recognizing faces) are enjoying his company, preparing drinks and listening.

Clearly Smirky Xing is playing just for Baby Xu. And then jumps off the boat with a flute twirl (clearly a Wei Wuxian fan, and who isn't?!) and then fly-jumps over the water to the beach and Baby Xu.

Heh, tempting Baby Xu with alcohol and good food, Smirky Xing is really trying everything.

LOL, you can't sit with the cool kids Smirky Xing.

But he never gives up and recites poetry again. Okay, now some story about historic white cloth. And a sword. Wait, is the "white cloth" the sword? Oh, and Smirky Xing is hinting that Baby Xu's sword is so bendy that it might be the legendary sword.

Always digging for info. Always noticing everything.

Oooh, Baby Xing compares their relationship to the fish he threw away, calls it "raw/unrequited". Nice pun. BUT, the fish wasn't raw, you literally discussed with the kid that is was cooked through, you little liar. I see what's going on there. Unrequited my ass. Smirklord setting sails.

Baby Xu explains that he doesn't know himself and couldn't care less about knowing Smirky Xing.

Smirky Xing is such a sweet talker. This whole "I hurt when you hurt" spiel... blergh.

He called him "My A-Xu" awww, cute. Also super invasive.

Some dark figure is playing headach inducing music. Huh? What is going on?

My purple queen and the kid are affected and Smirky Xing, stops them from running off by placing his hands on their backs. How? What?

Wait, Baby Xu plays the flute as well???

Everybody's a musician.

Oh, it's a music fight. The acoustic waves are hitting each other.

And the girls on the boats are jumping off, because they don't have Smirky Xing's hands holding them back.

Whooooooo, Baby Xu's flute sound lawnmowers the grass and the other musician down. Nice skills.

Oh, it's an assassination skill. The one that the dark figure used. :O A music assassin!!!

LOL, Baby Xu apologizes for getting Smirky Xing's flute dirty. Honey, he 100% won't mind your spit.

Why is the kid puking? He hasn't even eaten anything. Oh, he's lacking martial arts skills to defend against the attack, got it, got it.

Awwww, the one who dislikes you is the one who is really good to you. Of course you would live by that motto Smirky Xing, you lovesick boy.

Okay, the kid wants to learn martial arts now. Wants to be Baby Xu's disciple. And he's kind of agreeing, even though reluctantly, because he... doesn't wanna look good in front of Ke Xing?

Oh a camp of assassins. Pretty girl assassins. One of them is getting a leg massage. Nice. Being an assassin has perks, it seems. Ooh, and she gets touchy with some victim guy.

Did that guy just kill the several-times-stabbed victim by throwing a bone at his head? lol

Oh, the music assassin is one of this group, k, got it.

What? Smirky Ke Xing playing this special meditation song means he has a pure mind? I'm with Baby Xu, I would never have thought so. So, he's not nuts guy? WHAT IS GOING ON?

Dude, he does NOT look like of pure mind while playing that flute at all. It looks very... not pure. This looks like a mating ritual to me.

Wait, is he telling my purple queen to kill the two girls she saved? I'm so confused.

Aww, he LIKES Baby Xu. Not that it's a surprise. But he admitted it. Heh. And, once again, my purple queen gets it.

Aww, Smirky Xing plays for his boy all night long. And Baby Xu finally gets some rest. Nice.

And Smirky Xing finally gets to sit next to his crush after all.

But he doesn't get to hold his hand yet. I see how it is.

LOL, tough women can't resist clingy men, what? Is Smirky Xing ever talking about anybody other than himself and Baby Xu?

Ahaha, Smirky Xing is such a bad liar. But really good at making Baby Xu feel guilty. Yes, yes, you poor man driven off the boat, aching from all the flute playing, riiiight.

LOL, he ends up the coachman. Nice.

Oh no, the grandparents are fighting nice undies tree master guy and the mini Wangjis. Why can't they be friends?

Why are they all after that stupid glazed armor, this is so annoying.

Oh no, now pleated skirt soldier boss guy is joining in as well. Which side is he picking?

Okay he's fighting the grandparents, but is he on friendly terms with undies tree guy? Because I don't think so. But the mini Wangjis knew him and seemed to trust him. So confusing all of this...

Okay and there's another new guy. In green and gold with a tiny mustache. Is he the one they were supposed to bring the kid to? Ah yes, okay. Uncle Zhao.

Wait, the leader of the something something sect is chased. Who was that? Undies tree master? I need a name chart mind map or something. I should make one and add on to it as I go along.

Anyway, end of episode.

Okay this was interesting, what have I learned? Baby Xu can't get rid of Smirky Xing, no matter what. The kid wants to be his disciple. My purple queen is 100% a smirklord shipper. There's a bunch of assassins out there to hurt... I don't know, everybody, possibly. Everybody seems to want the glazed armor. Except for Baby Xu who just wants to be left alone, and Smirky Xing who just wants Baby Xu. I feel like I'm getting the hang of this. Except I STILL don't know how everybody is truly connected. And Smirky Xing might be nuts guy but also maybe not because he's pure, but I mean, who are you kidding?

Goals for future episodes: I should really actually make that character name chart mind map thing.

Also, we have officially reached the moment, where I wanna continue watching, even though I'm tired and have other stuff to do. I bet the point of no return strikes during the next episode. I can feel it coming.

#word of honor #1st watch insta thoughts #word of honor ep 04 #smirklord

[splendidlyimperfect]

critical hit - chapter 3 [they're taking the hobbits to isengard]

When Sting tells Natsu that one of his friends from school is going to be joining their weekly Dungeons & Dragons game, Natsu isn’t impressed - their table is already full. But while Natsu and Gray’s in-game characters clash completely, Natsu finds that real-life Gray might not be that bad after all.

Chapter Summary: D&D night gets unexpectedly cancelled, but Natsu wants to hang out with Gray anyway.

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Pairings: Natsu/Gray, Sting/Rogue

Tags: Modern AU, Dungeons & Dragons, Role-Playing Games, Awkward Flirting, ADHD Natsu, Geek Gray

*i know i haven’t updated this in two whole years (my bad) but i finally got inspiration so thanks for your patience and enjoy <3*

*link to ao3 in the comments cause tumblr keeps fucking up my posts*

-----

“I’m stoked for this fight tonight!” Natsu grinned at Gray, who was curled up in the passenger seat of Natsu’s car, looking out the window at the slowly setting sun. “We’re gonna kick this thing’s ass.”

“I dunno about that,” Gray replied, fiddling with his necklace. Natsu couldn’t quite make out what the pendant was. “We’re all nearly dead and out of magic. We might be fucked.”

“Pfff,” Natsu scoffed, pulling out of the Starbucks parking lot and heading towards home. “Maybe with that attitude. Don’t worry, we’ll pull a win out of this. We always do! Did I tell you about the time we dropped a house on a dragon?”

Gray shook his head and Natsu launched into the story, complete with wild hand gestures and sound effects. He could feel Gray’s gaze on him as he listened intently, even when the retelling took several unexpected detours. It made something warm grow in Natsu’s chest. Most people in his life were used to his rambling, chalking it up to his ADHD and excitable nature. They usually tuned him out after a while, though, or nodded along while drifting off to something else.

Gray listened, though. He’d shifted in his seat to face Natsu, knee tucked under his leg, coffee held between both hands, and Natsu could feel the deliberate way he followed Natsu’s words. It made Natsu feel important.

He’d just wrapped up another story where they had accidentally created a super-intelligent zombie when both of their phones pinged.

“It’s Sting,” Gray said. “So sorry guys, I can’t make it tonight, work called me in last minute. Can we reschedule for next week?”

Natsu felt a flood of disappointment wash through him as he glanced over at Gray, whose brow was furrowed as he stared at his phone. He was so cute – he had gotten his eyebrow pierced at some point during the week, and it made him even more adorable.

“Well,” Natsu said, chewing on his lip. “That sucks.”

An awkward silence filled the car. Natsu really didn’t want to drive Gray home – he’d been waiting all week to see him, and when Natsu had picked him up, the shy smile Gray had given him had made Natsu feel breathless.

“Well, I don’t—did you wanna, uh…” Gray trailed off, tugging at a loose thread from the hole in his jeans. “I mean I don’t have any, uh, plans? Obviously, since we had—I mean, so maybe we, um, we could…”

“They put all the Lord of the Rings movies on Netflix,” Natsu said quickly, before he could chicken out. For once he was glad for the lack of filter between his brain and his mouth. “Wanna get takeout and watch one of them?”

Before the anxiety could set in, Gray glanced up and gave him a soft smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I’d like that.”

~

Gray’s favorite food turned out to be sushi.

“You’ve never had sashimi before?” he asked once they’d gotten back to Natsu’s place and unpacked the takeout onto the living room table.

“Is that the rice?” Natsu asked as he settled down cross-legged on the floor. “Or the fish?”

“The fish,” Gray said, pointing at the slices of raw salmon. “It’s good, I promise.”

Natsu gave him a dubious look, then frowned at the chopsticks that Gray handed him. “You’re gonna think I’m totally uncultured,” he said as he peeled off the wrapper, “but I’ve never used chopsticks.”  

“It’s not hard,” Gray reassured him. Natsu fumbled with the wooden sticks, glaring at them as he tried to get them to move. “Here,” Gray said, moving closer to Natsu and reaching out for his hands. “Like this.”

Natsu’s breath caught in his throat when Gray’s fingers touched his, settling the chopsticks between them and showing him where his thumb should go. Gray’s hands were cold, and each small touch made Natsu’s heart jump. His cheeks flushed hot when he dropped the chopsticks again, and this time it had nothing to do with clumsiness.

“I, uh, might have to stick to forks,” Natsu said with a nervous laugh. Gray was close enough to him that he could smell his shampoo – something light and fruity that made Natsu want to lean in and run his fingers through Gray’s hair. It looked so soft.

As if reading Natsu���s thoughts, Gray pushed his hair out of his eyes and tucked it behind his ear. Natsu’s eyes followed the movement, and when Gray’s gaze met his, he quickly looked back down at the food, hoping the heat in his cheeks wasn’t visible.

“That’s okay,” Gray said, and it took Natsu a second to realize that he was talking about the chopsticks and not the staring. “You can eat the rolls with your fingers.” He pointed at the second container. “Those ones don’t have fish in them. Just yams.”

“I’ll try the fish,” Natsu said before he could stop himself. He was glad Sting wasn’t here to tell Gray that Natsu had sworn off seafood ten years ago after going fishing with their grandfather and crying when he’d had to gut the salmon they’d caught.

It ended up being better than he’d expected, despite the strange texture.

“I haven’t had sushi in a while,” Gray admitted once they were done the meal. “I ate it every day in Japan.”

“You lived in Japan?” Natsu asked as he stuffed the styrofoam containers back into the plastic bags.

Gray nodded. “Yeah, I was there for an exchange program for a year. I’m from Montréal originally, though.” The soft way he said the word let Natsu finally place the soft accent he’d noticed every once in a while. Of course Gray was bilingual. Was there anything about him that wasn’t perfect?

“That’s awesome,” Natsu said. “When did you move here?”

“Six months ago, for school.” Gray crossed his legs, tucking his feet underneath him as he shifted on the couch cushion. “It’s really different here.”

“I can imagine,” Natsu said. “Have you made it down to Gastown yet? Rogue likes sushi and he says there’s lots of good places down there.”

“Oh, no, I haven’t.” Gray smiled as Natsu’s cat Happy hopped up onto the couch and rubbed himself against Gray’s legs. “I, um… I haven’t really been out too much. By myself.” He ran his finger behind Happy’s ears, who purred happily. “I’m a little—I get kind of anxious. Sometimes. To go alone.”

“I could take you,” Natsu offered before he could stop himself. “There’s so many places here you’d love – Granville Island’s amazing, they’ve got markets and this awesome café, and you’d probably like the art gallery there too. And if you haven’t been to the beach – well, beaches, there’s so many of them, and if you go to Stanley Park you can walk or take a bike, and there’s a…” He trailed off at the overwhelmed expression on Gray’s face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“I’d like that,” Gray said, keeping his eyes fixed on Happy as a small smile crept across his face. “To go, I mean. With you.”

“Oh.” Natsu couldn’t hold in a grin. “Cool. It’s a date, then.”

Gray finally looked up at him and Natsu’s cheeks flushed when he realized what he’d said. Before Gray could reply, Natsu grabbed the remote from the table and thrust it into Gray’s hands.

“You can, uh, pick one. Of the movies,” he said as he pushed himself to his feet. “On Netflix. I’m gonna make popcorn.”

Natsu darted into the kitchen and exhaled, rubbing his face. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket.

holy pain in the ass: you’d better be on a date, loser

Natsu groaned – of course Sting had done this on purpose, the asshole.

pyro-manic: you’re a jackass and a liar

holy pain in the ass: i think you mean ‘you’re welcome’

Natsu glared at the screen for a minute, trying to come up with something witty but eventually just shoving his phone back in his pocket.

When he headed back into the living room with the popcorn, Gray was still petting Happy, who had curled up in his lap and was purring contentedly. He’d taken off his hoodie and had rolled the sleeves of his World of Warcraft shirt up just enough that Natsu could see the never tell me the odds tattoo that wound around his wrist.

Natsu tried not to stare. Everything about Gray made him feel like he was thirteen with his first crush all over again. He’d dated other people before, obviously, but none of them were quite like Gray. There was something about him – a shy but carefree enthusiasm for the things he loved that drew Natsu in. It didn’t matter what kind of pop culture references Natsu made, Gray picked up on all of them. He could finish the movie quotes Natsu had memorized, knew all the best cards in Magic, had seen every anime that Natsu loved, and didn’t even tease him about his taste in music.

Natsu’s phone buzzed in his pocket again, drawing him out of his thoughts, and he ignored what he was sure was another text from Sting.

“I hope you don’t mind the subtitles,” Natsu said to Gray, gesturing at the screen as he sat down next to – but not quite touching – Gray. “I always have them on. It’s like, a thing, with my ADHD – auditory processing something? It just makes it hard to catch everything sometimes, the subtitles help.”

Gray nodded, scratching behind Happy’s ears. “It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I usually have them on, too. It helped me when I was learning English.”

“Awesome.” Natsu took the remote and hit ‘play,’ then settled back against the couch as ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ started to play.

Natsu was glad he’d seen the movie at least ten times, because the only thing he could focus on was Gray. He couldn’t stop thinking about Sting’s text, about the word date, about the fact that he hadn’t felt like this about anyone in years. Natsu’s life was full of people – he was outgoing by nature – but none of them made him feel like Gray did.

They finished the popcorn quickly and Natsu leaned forward to set the bowl on the coffee table. When he settled back into the couch, he was certain Gray leaned into him a little. He held his breath, shifting as if to get comfortable, and ended up right next to Gray with their shoulders pressed together. It sent a thrill through Natsu and he tried his best to ignore the part of him that insisted he was not a teenager anymore and it was silly to get worked up over this. He tried to focus on the movie instead.

“You have my sword,” Aragon said on screen.

“And you have my bow.”

“And my axe.”

“And my vuvuzela,” Gray murmured absently.  

Natsu burst out laughing, immediately struck by the ridiculous video he hadn’t seen since in years. “Oh my god,” he said, nudging Gray’s shoulder with his as Gray’s cheeks turned pink. “You’re such a dork.” Before Gray could take offense, he added, “In a good way. I know exactly what you’re talking about and now I’m gonna have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the night.”

Gray laughed. “I just can’t take that scene seriously anymore,” he admitted. “My sister and I used to watch all of these movies on Christmas and quote along to it… it got pretty silly. And took forever ‘cause we’d watch all the extended editions in one sitting.” He played with his necklace as he talked, keeping his eyes on the screen.

Natsu was about to ask why they didn’t do it anymore but stopped himself when he remembered what Sting had mentioned when he’d first invited Gray to join D&D. Gray’s sister had died unexpectedly just before he’d moved here, and Gray didn’t like talking about it.

“We can watch them all if you want,” Natsu offered instead. Gray’s expression shifted and Natsu wasn’t quite sure what it meant – he was hard to read even when they weren’t talking about personal things. But then the corner of his lip curled up in a tiny smile and he nodded.

“If you can sit still that long,” he teased.

Natsu laughed. “Yeah, I might end up upside-down or something at some point. But that’s okay.”

Gray’s smile got a little wider. “I’d like that,” he said softly.

“Okay,” Natsu said. He tried his best to keep a huge grin from creeping across his face. “Cool. Yeah. Me too.” 

~

Natsu managed to sit fairly still until about halfway through ‘The Two Towers.’ They’d had plenty of breaks – including one where they’d pulled up ‘They’re Taking the Hobbits to Isengard’ on Gray’s phone and sang along until they were both laughing hysterically – but it was getting difficult to not fidget. He was about to ask if they could take another quick break when Gray shifted and the back of his hand brushed Natsu’s.

Natsu immediately froze, all restless thoughts banished from his head as he focused on the sensation of Gray’s knuckles against his. They’d been moving closer and further apart all evening, bumping shoulders and knees, but this didn’t feel like an accidental touch. Something about it was deliberate, and this time Gray wasn’t moving away.

Heat sparked in Natsu’s stomach and he stared down at their hands, hoping to hell that he wasn’t misreading Gray’s intentions as he returned the touch. He heard Gray’s soft intake of breath, and several nearly unbearable seconds passed before Gray shifted closer and slid their fingers together. He was warm against Natsu’s side, and when he carefully tipped his head onto Natsu’s shoulder, Natsu was certain that Gray could hear the frantic slamming of his heart.

He exhaled as quietly as he could as he ran his thumb down the side of Gray’s hand, enjoying the soft noise that Gray made in response. His hair tickled Natsu’s cheek, soft and fine, and when Natsu rested his cheek against the top of Gray’s head, Gray hummed happily and cuddled closer.

The uncertainty that had been following Natsu around all night immediately vanished as he let himself relax against Gray, squeezing his hand gently as they pressed against each other. It felt so right. Natsu hadn’t realized how long it had been since he’d cuddled anyone until they were both comfortable and breathing in tandem. He felt more relaxed than he had in years.

The movie kept playing but Natsu barely paid attention. His brain, always in overdrive, immediately started to whether or not he should kiss Gray, if that was moving too fast, if he should maybe put his arm around Gray or whether or not that would be a cheesy high school romcom move. Gray solved the issue a few minutes later by stretching and nudging Natsu’s arm up, then curling up against him.

“I can hear you thinking,” Gray said quietly as the battle for Helm’s Deep raged on in the background. “Or panicking. I can’t tell.”

“I’m not panicking.” Natsu wasn’t sure if he was lying or not.

“Okay.” Gray rested his head against Natsu’s collarbone. “Good.”

The movie came to an end not long after that, but Gray didn’t move. He ran his fingers up Natsu’s arm instead, touching the scar that Natsu had gotten after a motorcycle mishap years ago. Gray traced patterns between Natsu’s freckles, then ran his hand back down and touched Natsu’s palm.

“Are we—”

“Is this—”

They both laughed as they talked at the same time, and Gray shifted until he was looking up at Natsu and they were nearly cheek-to-cheek. Warmth sparked in Natsu’s stomach and he leaned in, nudging Gray’s nose with his own. There was a moment of anticipation where neither of them moved, and then Gray closed the distance and pressed their lips together.

The heat in Natsu’s chest spread as Gray kissed him, rushing across his cheeks and down to his fingertips. He made a soft sound, tipping his head and pulling Gray closer until they were facing each other. Slowly, he reached out and brushed Gray’s hair out of his face, running his fingers through the silky strands. It was just as soft as it looked.

When Gray finally pulled back, his cheeks were flushed pink and he didn’t quite meet Natsu’s eyes.

“I, um…” He bit his lip uncertainly.

“I really like you,” Natsu said quickly before he could change his mind. “Like. A lot.”

“Oh.” A small smile worked its way across Gray’s face. “Good. I like you too. Also a lot.”

Natsu laughed, leaning back in and kissing Gray’s nose. “Sting did this on purpose,” he said, gesturing to his phone that was sitting on the coffee table. “He’s an idiot, but I’m kinda glad he did.”

“Me too.”

Natsu ran his fingers through Gray’s hair again, then pulled him in for another kiss. It was soft and sweet, but Natsu’s stomach still sparked with excitement at the touch. Gray was warm everywhere they pressed together, and Natsu never wanted to let go.

Gray pressed one more kiss to Natsu’s lips, then his cheek, then pressed their foreheads together. “I haven’t dated anyone in a long time,” he admitted, cheeks flushed pink. “I just… can we take it slow?”

“Of course,” Natsu said quickly. He kissed the tip of Gray’s nose. “I’m just happy to—I like spending time with you. And kissing. That’s good—great—too. Really great.”

Gray laughed, squeezing Natsu’s hand and kissing him again. Then he looked back at the TV screen where Netflix was suggesting ‘Return of the King’ as their next film.

“You wanna keep watching?” Natsu asked. “I promised you a marathon.” He looked at the clock, which already read 2:47 a.m.

“Yes? But I know you have to work tomorrow.”

“It’s okay,” Natsu reassured him, grinning. “I actually took tomorrow off because today was supposed to be our last D&D session and I thought it might take all night. Plus, I’m not tired.” He kissed Gray’s cheek again. “Maybe just a little distracted.”

“Just a little?” Gray ran his fingers through Natsu’s hair and surprised him by tugging on it gently.

“Maybe a lot,” Natsu admitted. He ran his hand down Gray’s side, then pulled him closer until he was almost in Natsu’s lap. “But I’m okay with it.”

~

They both fell asleep on the couch before ‘Return of the King’ was over. When they woke up the next morning in each other’s arms, Gray blushed furiously, but eagerly returned Natsu’s morning kisses.

“I guess I’d better get you home,” Natsu said as he ran his fingers through the tangles in Gray’s hair. “You’ve got class soon, hey?”

Gray nodded. “I’d rather stay here,” he admitted.

“Look, I’m happy to kiss you all day, but I’m also not gonna be the reason you fail your classes.”

Gray raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ll have you know that I have a 4.0 GPA.”

“Guess I’m dating a genius then, huh?” Natsu paused. “Are we? Dating? I mean, is that what you wanna—”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Natsu grinned, kissing Gray’s nose, then nudged him off the couch. “C’mon,” he said as he sat up and stretched. “Let’s get you some coffee and get you home.”

Natsu’s pantry was nearly empty, so they stopped for coffee and bagels and ate quietly on the drive back to Gray’s place, holding hands across the console. When they pulled into the dorm parking lot, Natsu let go regretfully and leaned over for a kiss.

“See you on Sunday?” he asked, then shook his head. “No, that’s too long. How about Tuesday? I can take you to Gastown and show you around.”

Gray’s face lit up and he nodded. “Yeah,” he said, smiling shyly at Natsu and squeezing his fingers. “I’d like that.”

“Perfect.” Natsu kissed him again, tasting coffee on his lips. “It’s a date.”    

#fairy tail #gratsu #natsu dragneel #gray fullbuster #fanfic #ft fanfic #d&d #dungeons & dragons #fluff #adhd natsu #geek gray #new chapter #update #my fic

[peridot-tears]

MDZS but it’s Percy Jackson

Idk. Consider this PT’s coming out of retirement to make her last contribution to the fanfiction world. Will be moved to AO3 soon. Enjoy.

--

The new boy could shoot better than Wen Ning.

Wei Ying, everyone called him. The “ying” stands for “baby” or “infant”; not “hawk,” as he first thought.

Strange. It was more a nickname than a proper name, but one look at his boyish, sunshine face, and it was evident that something more proper would be unsettlingly serious. He had a big, stupid grin that was equal parts coy and...more stupid.

“Earth to Lan Zhan.”

He startled. “Ge.”

Lan Huan smiled at him indulgently, which Lan Zhan knew to be his big-brother smile before he thrashed him like a normal sibling. “If you’re so into him, why don’t you go make friends with him?”

“Ge...,” he said, only changing the intonation half a dial.

Lan Huan’s smile changed serious, just a little bit. His eyes flicked towards the new boy, whose arrow flew across the sky, and struck the target dead—because of Wei Ying’s hawk-like eyes.

“A-Zhan,” he said. “You’ll be claimed someday, and move to a cabin other than Hermes’s, but they are still good to us for taking us in. And, it is prudent to have friends in other cabins. He’s already made friends with those two from Apollo’s cabin.”

Lan Zhan felt his lips thin.

He didn’t respond, didn’t need to. But when it was his turn to shoot, and the new boy whooped for him and called him, “Lan-er!” he did not ignore him; he spared him a glance, and then refocused on what was important there and then.

His arrow thudded into the target. Dead and center.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Wei Ying said to a boy next to him—someone Lan Zhan had seen with him before, attached at the hip—“let me go again, Jiang Cheng. Let me go, let me go, let me gooooooo.”

“My gods,” said the boy, rolling his eyes. “Fine, if it’ll make you stop whining.”

Wei Ying whooped; Lan Zhan hardly registered as he brushed past him to reach the spot he had been standing in seconds ago, because he was busy registering Wei Ying brushing past him. “That was a good shot, Lan-er,” he said.

Lan Zhan bit. “How do you know my name?”

“Who doesn’t know the great and refined Lan Zhan, brother of Lan Huan, who sleeps across my bunk in the cabin?” Wei Ying asked, eyes sparkling with mirth, like a naiad’s. “They say you’re the next Percy Jackson.”

Lan Zhan wasn’t sure that he liked the sound of that.

Wei Ying winked at him, like a naiad trying to seduce him, and turned back to face the target, nocking his arrow. “看好了蓝湛“，he said casually, in their shared language.

Without realizing it—no one else was shooting on the range, all eyes on Wei Ying, so of course he would too—he obeyed.

Wei Ying had chosen a classic bow, all wood and strung with something hand-coiled. He stretched it back, all angles between the bow, the taut string, the cock of his arm. The feather of the arrow moved over his profile. It slid past his eye.

With a smirk, he released.

That was why he had chosen to take up Lan Zhan’s target...before anyone could collect the arrow Lan Zhan had shot. Wei Ying’s arrow touched the end of his in the blink of an eye; in another blink, it had pierced his through.

Wei Ying was not done. Before any demigod had the chance to bring their hands together, he had pulled and fired again, twice, three times, until there was a neat stack of arrows pierced together in a pile against the center of the target.

“You can clap now,” he told the stunned demigods gathered around the range.

They did, breaking into claps. Wei Ying turned back, casting another glance at Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan felt his breath catch in his throat.

—

It was the first in a series of episodes in which Wei Ying played a game of Rile Him Up, with Lan Zhan as the main goal. And each time, it stirred up a raw feeling in him that made him go absolutely mad.

“He seems to want to make friends with you,” Lan Huan commented on their outing for strawberries.

Lan Zhan stopped their trudge up the hill—glide, more like, he refused to let his back bow more than necessary even on an upward incline—to sweep the horizon, the valley in the sunset. It was an orange sunset today, drowning Camp Half-Blood more than the sparkling sea in the distance could reach.

“He spilled my soup yesterday,” Lan Zhan said, and his older brother was kind enough to not add, But he immediately offered you his entire lunch and claimed he wasn’t hungry anyway. No, he just let it hang silently in the air instead. Lan Zhan had the best older brother in the world.

“He can be thoughtless at times, but still so thoughtful,” Lan Huan finally said, and this thought must have circulated in his mind for quite a while, because he said it after they had picked a basketful of strawberries in comfortable silence.

Sometimes, Lan Zhan thought he should be more talkative when they had these moments together; his brother was spending more and more time with that Meng Yao, also unclaimed, and if he were Wei Ying, he would probably be begging for Lan Huan’s attention back the way Wei Ying did Jiang Cheng. But he had such a secure attachment to his brother, who had been here when Lan Zhan was born silently as he lived. Lan Huan could go far, far away, but he would always come back for Lan Zhan to treat him with cold indifference. That was his love language, after all.

Why does Wei Ying want my attention?

Why does Wei Ying cringe at every mention of Cerberus, Hades’s hound?

Why does Jiang Cheng keep telling Wei Ying not to bother me, but then roll his eyes and look at me like I was the one bothering them?

Why am I thinking so much about Wei Ying?

“Didi,” Lan Huan said.

Out of it, Lan Zhan found his brother’s gaze. They were almost back at the Hermes cabin. “Ge.”

He just smiled. Lan Zhan was not sure whether to be annoyed or endeared. Well, it was his brother—so both.

The Hermes cabin was so loud this time of day, when everyone ought to be tired right before bed. But instead, it was crowded, and bustling, and there was one particularly guilty culprit in the middle of it all. Its name was Wei Ying, and its laughter could power an entire skyscraper in Monsters Inc.

Which he, of course, was narrating in great detail.

“Mike Wazowski is a Cyclops with amnesia!” he argued, while Jiang Cheng hovered in the background, rolling his eyes.

“Mike Wazowski took his girlfriend on a date to a sushi restaurant,” said another of the boys—Nie Huaisang, an actual, born son of Hermes. There had been a vague sense that he and his brother, Nie Mingjue would take on the legacy of the Stoll brothers as Cabin Eleven’s co-head counselors...until Mingjue had been claimed by Ares.

It was none of Lan Zhan’s business, but everyone wondered what kind of woman had managed to snag both Ares and Hermes as fathers to her children.

“Therefore,” Huaisang was continuing, seeming almost offended, “why would he eat fish? Poseiden’s pretty much all of them’s dad, that’s like eating his brother!”

“Well, yeah,” Wei Ying fired back, “that’s why he doesn’t know. Because amnesia!”

“The body remembers when the mind forgets!” Huaisang responded. “J.L. Moreno, the creator of psychodrama.”

“How do you even know that, when you can’t read?” Wei Ying fairly shrieked, obviously seconds away from calling his friend a nerd.

“You and I both have dyslexia, you know we can still read a little!” Huaisang actually shrieked.

Lan Huan cleared his throat.

All heads turned towards them. Lan Zhan wanted to be the younger brother rolling his eyes right now—Lan Huan had stage presence when he wanted to, didn’t he? But he had been taught to never, ever, ever roll his eyes, so he settled for giving everyone the cold shoulder as he walked away instead.

“We have procured some strawberries,” Lan Huan said goodnaturedly, and the entire cabin exploded in the sudden rush to gently wrest them from him before they were all gone.

“Me first!” Huaisang said, drowning somewhere in the middle. “I want to give some to my brother!”

“The Ares kids can pick their own strawberries!” Jiang Cheng huffed, strolling back to his bunk. He slept under Wei Ying. Wei Ying had the top bunk. And Lan Zhan had the next top bunk. They were next to each other.

Below him, the entire, considerable mass of Hermes demigods had turned into a sea of sardines. Had he and Lan Huan even picked enough?

Out of that sea exploded Wei Ying. “There aren’t anymore!” he exclaimed to the crowd that he was probably trampling his way out of right now. “No more, no more...sorry, guys...”

“You just put them all in your pocket!” one of the Hermes kids shouted. There was a split second of silence, before the shrieking cabin kids flung themselves at him. Those shrieks turned from accusing to disappointed as they realized...surprise, his pockets were flat and empty against his legs.

They pulled back, leaving him blinking innocently. “Why would I do that?” Wei Ying asked, sounding offended. “Why would I get more than my share? I don’t even like strawberries.”

“Uh-huh,” some of the demigods said, disbelievingly, but there was nothing else they could do. They drifted back to their beds, or the front stoop of the cabin, cradling their precious red-flavored catch of the day.

It was only once Wei Ying was left to his own devices that Lan Zhan turned his head to see him huddled with his brother and sister in the corner, gently pressing strawberries into their hands. Squint, and he could see them rolling from his sweater sleeves.

That clever little...

Truly, he was a son of Hermes. Lan Zhan could not wait until he found out who his father was, and he could finally go someplace where he would not have to hear Wei Ying snoring at night.

And yet, it was nine. Wei Ying was still huddled in the corner, giggling and whispering with his siblings. These sounds were keeping Lan Zhan awake, though his eyelids were heavy and he wanted to give in to that lull.

It was not until Wei Ying clambered his way into the bunk across Lan Zhan’s that his soft, happy snores filled their side of the cabin.

As he finally fell asleep, Lan Zhan realized that he had familiarized himself with the sound of Wei Ying’s snores.

—

Spring had finally burst into a full, ripened warmth that was gentle to them even at night. Wei Ying walked around in short sleeves now, which meant that he had to find a better way to hide things.

Lan Zhan sat by his brother as food appeared on his plate.

“Ah, your favorite! Watery soup!”

He twitched. “Wei Ying!” he said sternly, just barely stopping himself from covering his soup with his hands.

“Ah, I’m not gonna spill it this time, promise, promise!” Wei Ying said. “I said sorry for last time too, right? You can even have some of my food this time around! Or I could climb over and get some strawberries for you right now.”

Lan Zhan could feel his brother’s gaze on them both. “That will not be necessary,” he gritted out, picking up his spoon with deliberate care and slowness. And that would be the end of that.

According to him, not Wei Ying, who could not be stopped, “Ah, but those strawberries you and your brother picked the other day were so good. And you never got to taste them? What’s the point of a climb like that if you don’t even get a little bit? I could return the favor.”

“That will not be necessary,” Lan Zhan repeated. Maybe it would make him finally go away.

And on it went, Lan Zhan falling silent, Wei Ying bothering him still until his sister called him away.

“Sorry about that,” Jiang Cheng said, sounding not very sorry at all. “He’s adopted.”

Suddenly, there was a hush.

Lan Zhan could not describe it if he tried—the chattering camp fell silent, and he was compelled to follow. Nothing had happened. No sudden appearance of anything in particular. But he was sitting there next to his brother, all at once heavily aware of an uncomfortable silence.

He exchanged a glance with Lan Huan. It was not the sort of silence that led them to think there was some imminent attack oncoming, but he tensed slightly all the same.

At the front, Chiron stood, frowning slightly. He opened his mouth, but needn’t have bothered.

It became cold—the kind that felt like opening a refrigerator too fast on a steamy summer day. Lan Zhan was used to the coolness of clouds, but nothing like this. It was bone-deep, and that was how he knew who had come.

Not very far from him at all was Wei Ying, and Lan Zhan twisted his neck to see him let go of his siblings’ hands; he was standing between them, now staring straight at Lan Zhan as though confused. His eyebrows furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak, but for the first time, nothing came out. Black smoke furled gently from his clothes, rising above him, curling its tendons around them all. Lan Zhan refused to recoil when one touched him, and his unflinching bravery was met with a brief sense of...something. Resentment, maybe. Something dark. Something deeper than he could understand, though he understood perfectly.

As the wisps caressed his hands, his face, whatever smoke rose evaporated into a cloud above Wei Ying, whose eyes still never left Lan Zhan’s. He was stark, stark pale next to the black, and Lan Zhan was sure he looked much the same way.

Eventually, the cloud coiled into a shape. A crescent, though it stood like a tree.

A hush, for real this time.

Chiron trotted forward.

“All hail the son of Hades,” he said.

Wei Ying’s eyebrows dragged all the way up into his scattered bangs, as he finally blinked and looked around at anyone else that was not Lan Zhan.

Hades...the children of Hades rarely ever led happy lives, and yet here was Wei Ying, the brightest mark of light in anyone’s life.

But his large, puzzled doe eyes snapped back to Lan Zhan. Some part of them, Lan Zhan realized with a startle, was accepting. He even saw the hint of a smirk scratching the edge of his lip, like the revelation no longer troubled him. Like he embraced it, was excited for it.

“A-Zhan.”

Lan Huan. And, not just him, or Wei Ying—when Lan Zhan finally looked around, everyone was staring at him now. And he saw why, because his brother must be mirroring him: The two of them were surrounded by a reddish-brown glow, that slowly melted away. Nothing had changed otherwise, but there was viscerally something different—like his brother stood taller, his chin tilted higher.

“Oh,” someone gasped.

“Ah,” said Chiron. “All hail the sons of Aphrodite.”

—

[A/N: The “ying” in Wei Ying is a homophone for “hawk” and by extension, “eagle.” The more you know. I will be abusing the hell out of this wordplay.

This all started because of a talk I had with my good friend, whom I converted, and who I will love forever and ever. Crackhead culture? Mayhaps.]

#mdzs #untamed #wangxian #cql #魔道祖师 #陈情令 #percy jackson #pjo #rick #perry johnson #lan zhan #lan wangji #lan huan #lan xichen #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #jiang yanli #wwx #lwj #wei ying #wei wuxian #chiron #fanfic #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #mike wazowski #he's here too #meng yao #jin guangyao #jgy

[ihearthes]

If you had to assign the songs of Fine Line to people or moments in your life, which songs would you choose? Why?

This was an interesting thought experiment, nonnie, and it took me some time to process before I felt like I could respond.  I’m not sure I responded in the way you were expecting.  

Golden: Where I grew up, we had this hill that we used to climb to the top and then we would lie on our sides, tuck our arms in and roll down the hill.  It was fun and scary at the same time because you never knew if you were going to accidentally roll into a pile of dog poo or over a painful stick or into an ant hill.  But damn, we had fun!

Watermelon Sugar makes me think of sitting under a summer sky as the sun is sinking to the west, and everyone is laughing around the picnic table, telling ridiculous stories that try to top the previous story, but no one really cares what stories anyone else tells -- as long as the belly laughs continue. 

Adore You reminds me of a fish I saved from the ocean and raised until it was too big to keep in a fish tank in my house.  Oh, wait.  No.  That’s not my memory.  What I do remember is when I had a crush on this guy who played in a local cover band.  He went on to play in a larger, more regional band before becoming a bass player for Sheryl Crow. All I wanted was to adore him. Not that he knew I was alive.  LOL. 

Lights Up is that feeling where you get a new job that includes more responsibility than you’ve had before.  You keep pinching yourself because you cannot believe that someone has put this much faith in you. Yet you can’t stop strutting with pride as you walk to work with a giant grin on your face.  I’m forever questioning the judgment of people who hire me, terrified they will realize they made a giant mistake.  🤣

Cherry:  That petty moment when you scroll through an ex’s Instagram or Facebook page and keep driving by their house checking to see if the lights are on. It’s that shameful “I miss you now that you dumped me” moment -- even when you know that the two of you are better off apart. Back in the day before mobile phones maintained everyone’s name and phone number, you used to be able to call someone just to hear their voice saying “Hello,” and they wouldn’t know it was you because there wasn’t caller ID.  Not that I ever did ANY of these things.  Nope.  Not me. 

Falling: That moment of self-loathing when you think you’re over that person weeks or months after the break-up when you cannot stop yourself from thinking about them.  Your thoughts are full of “what ifs”.  For me, it was this guy named Andrew.  He was my “what if” for a very, very long time where I kept thinking, “What if we had stayed together? What would life be like now?” It’s a dangerous downward spiral that is hard to shake yourself out of (or always was hard for me to shake myself out of).  Dark reverie indeed. 

To Be So Lonely: Haha. This is truly the moment when I get caught by said ex by either accidentally liking a post on Instagram or driving by his house while he was actually outside and saw me.  It’s the “I’m dying of embarrassment, but I’m going to put on my bravado so you have no idea.”  In fact, I’m going to attack you for catching me cause how dare you live your normal life?!

She: This song always makes me think of this kegger I went to in college where I ended up getting into the most existential conversation ever about everything you’re NOT supposed to discuss: politics and religion.  She is that song playing in the background of that conversation as the group pretends to be spouting important ‘truths’ but really everyone is drunk off their ass.  We ended up at Village Inn at like three in the morning eating chocolate chip pancakes with extra bacon and sausage. What a night! 

Sunflower Vol. 6: Dancing in the kitchen in my socks while my sister and I bake Christmas cookies and get covered in flour and end up with tummy aches from the combination of laughter and eating raw cookie dough. 

Canyon Moon: There used to be this field behind my house when I was a kid.  It was surrounded by barbed wire, and it was home to several wild blackberry bushes.  When my mom wanted to get rid of us, she would send us out with buckets to pick blackberries.  Naturally, more ended up in our mouths than in the buckets, and we would have to watch out for the cow patties.  My arms and legs would end up scratched from the barbed wire, and my nose would end up sunburnt, but holy shit, what fun days those were!

Treat People with Kindness: July 14, 2018.  Los Angeles.  I met a bunch of amazing Harries at that show, and the mood was high and lovely.  We were all there for the same reason, and fuck -- that show was worth every penny spent to get there.  What a night!

Fine Line: Okay, so this one is going to sound weird.  It doesn’t remind me of a specific time or place, but it makes me think about the fact that we’re all dichotomous.  We think we belong in a certain box labeled with whatever society has decided (tall, short, fat, thin, smart, dumb, funny, beautiful, talented, ignorant, boring, etc.) we are.  But we’re multi-faceted humans, and we each walk a fine line between what society thinks we are based on common labels and who we truly are -- unique and lilting and perfect. 

My apologies if you wanted something different, but these are the thoughts that came to me.  Thanks for the ask.  I feel fairly confident not many people will read this, but it was a fun exercise to put into words.  

#A Answers Asks #Anonymous

[highly-opinionated-ramblings]

Hi I’m back again. I did end up coming up with a half decent Batman/Killer Croc plot and I figured, why not share with the entire world at large? Here ya go:

Croc escapes Arkham as part of a mass prison break orchestrated by Joker, and then, poof. Disappears off the map completely. Bruce and his team are a little bit busy dealing with Joker and the rest of the escapees, and he just sort of slips through the cracks.

Once things settle down again, Bruce briefly considers going after him. He has a pretty good idea of where Croc is hiding out, deep down in the sewers below Gotham. But then he takes a trip to Arkham to talk to the warden re: prisoner security measures, and he sees where they had been keeping him. 

In a partially flooded cellar underneath the facility, with no windows, no toilet fixture, and not even a bed to sleep on. Mold growing all over the walls. There isn’t even a real door, just a hatch in the ceiling from which they would toss down food- according to a guard, raw meat- once every couple of days.

A few days go by, and there aren’t any news headlines of people being dragged down into the sewers and devoured. Bruce doesn’t go looking for Croc.

A few years pass, and a criminal gets the bright idea (it was bound to happen eventually) to take a hostage and escape from Batman and the police by heading down into the sewers.

None of their usual tracking equipment will function right that far underground, Oracle informs him. They don’t even have an up-to-date map of the sewage system. By the time they figure out a way to get around down there, that guy will be long gone.

So he goes looking for Croc.

He finds him in an offshoot pipe under the industrial district, just where he expected to. Makes a big show of raising his hands non threateningly and insists that he just wants to talk, and eventually Waylon steps out to meet him.

“I’m looking for a man who came down here a few hours ago with a little girl. Can you help me?”

“Why should I?”

“Because he’s a convicted child molester and a murderer, and it’s the right thing to do?”

“...”

“And also because if you don’t tell me, GCPD will flood the sewers with men looking for him, and they’re sure to find you.”

“...They went that way. You can catch up to them if you take the first right off this tunnel and circle around.”

Bruce goes after the guy, and catches him, and rescues the hostage, and all is well with the world. Then, he goes back to talk to Croc again. Just so they know where they stand with each other.

“I caught the guy.”

“Good for you. If you knew where I was all this time, then why didn’t you come try to get me, too?”

“Because you weren’t doing anything. And because...I saw how you were treated at Arkham. No one deserves that kind of treatment. Living in the sewers isn’t much better, but I figured, at least you were free.”

“Free to eat rats and steal fish out of traps left by the dock, maybe.”

“I could bring you something,” Bruce offers. “Some real food. You like chicken?”

“Why should I trust you?”

“I’m just trying to help. I can’t make what’s happened to you go away, and I can’t magic you up a society that accepts you for who you are, but I can bring you chicken.”

“.........I like pork better.”

And sooooo Bruce begins visiting Waylon in his sewer lair. About once a week or so. Always with some sort of offering from The World Above. It doesn’t take long for Waylon to be sure that Batman really doesn’t intend to hurt him, and in turn to develop a fierce, fierce sense of loyalty to him.

One day not long after, in a completely unrelated incident, Batman is hurt. The thugs responsible toss his unconscious form down the nearest manhole and run for the hills. Admittedly, a smart move on their part.

Bruce lands in the water and is swept up in the tide (there’s, like, water flow in sewers, right? I’m not making that up?). Even if he were conscious, he would have had a tough time breaking free of the current (whatever let’s just go with it).

But Waylon comes to find him. He smells Bruce’s blood and comes running, fishes him out of the water and brings him back to his lair.

Later, when they realize what’s happened, Dick and Jason descend into the sewers (with their new and improved trackers, courtesy of Lucius) looking for Bruce. Instead they run into Croc, who attacks them viciously on sight. 

“We don’t have time for this,” Jason yells to Dick. “We have to find Batman, before it’s too late for him!”

And Waylon stops in his tracks. Takes an actual good look at the two men in front of him and realizes that they are not, in fact, the ones who hurt Batman in the first place coming back to finish the job.

He lowers his fists and asks, with an unexpected urgency, “can you help him?”

He leads the boys to Batman and clumsily explains the situation to them. When they decide that they’re not sure if they can totally trust him, and that it’d be best if they took him into custody in the cave for a little while, until Bruce wakes up and can tell them what’s really going on, he goes willingly.

Thus Bruce is saved. When he comes to, he’s more determined than ever to do something about Waylon’s situation. The kids might not like it- although Dick and Jason can vouch for his behavior in the sewers, and everything he did to protect Bruce- but Bruce decides to get him out of the sewers once and for all. 

He hires some contractors to dig out some subterranean rooms under the Manor’s grounds (taking extra care that none of them stumble across the Batcave in the process). Then he goes back with his own tools and creates a connecting passage to the actual cave itself. Waylon moves in and Bruce is able to keep visiting him much more often, and delivering him actual meals.

Throughout all of this the kids are just sort of staring at him suspiciously, like, “Bruce. Bruce. Be honest here. Have you. Fallen in love. With the crocodile man, Bruce.”

“No,” he says, “don’t be ridiculous!”

But he’s lying. With Waylon living practically in the same house, it’s only a matter of time before he’s forced to admit- first to himself, and finally then to his family- that yeah, he has definitely fallen in love with the crocodile man.

#My writing #batshipping #Killer Croc #what should we call this ship folks #batcroc? #killerbat? #whatever it's called I like it a Lot #there HAS to be someone besides me out there interested in this obscure ship right? #RIGHT???

[itsuki-minamy]

“K - THE FIRST STORY”

CHAPTER 3: THE SWORD, THE CAT, AND THE SEVEN KINGS (Part 3 / End)

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

* Prologue: Side: The Boy * Chapter 1: The boy named Isana Yashiro * Chapter 2: Flames * Chapter 3: The Sword, the Cat, and the Seven Kings (01 / 02)

Humans, if they're too hungry, their heads won't work.

The boy is accused of murder, he is about to be cut by a guy with a sword, a naked girl shows illusions, and loses the power to think deeply about them. He just remembered the relief that Neko, who was running naked, put on his jacket properly because it was so cold in the middle of the night.

Now the three of them aren't even sure what purpose they were pursuing, and are kneeling in the boy's room, which is the beginning, to get rid of his harsh breath. The fatigue and hunger from not having eaten since last night seems overwhelming.

In the hallway of the student dormitory, the peaceful buzz of boys and girls trying to go to school in uniform resounded, like "Good morning." and "Did you do your homework?"

Kuro was also tired of being thrown during the night. Still, he has not lost sight of his purpose, and when he stands weakly to his feet, he reaches for the sword at his waist.

"Bad "King"... Isana Yashiro... By order of the dead "King"... You..."

However, since he has escaped many times, he is very weak. Also, there is swirling graffiti on the raised Kuro's left cheek, with "stupid" on the right cheek and "meat" on the forehead. It was written by Neko while being carried away by illusion. However, while chasing him, she got used to it, so she didn't laugh anymore.

Looking at Kuro, who was trying his best to draw his sword, the boy was confused on what to do, with a feeling that was different from the already imminent sense of crisis and was mixed with a slight sense of humor.

At that moment, a sad sound and signal was heard. It's Neko's belly.

"Shiro, I'm hungry… Ah~"

At what was said, the boy's belly screamed and responded.

"At the moment... aside from the accumulated stories, why don't we eat?"

At the boy's suggestion, Kuro frowned, "What...?", But his belly obediently complained of hunger.

The boy was flirting and standing up to him.

"Thanks for your support."

It's okay to put the problem aside for the moment and eat, but the boy had no other household skills than cooking rice.

It seems that Neko loves to eat too, but she can't seem to cook like a natural thing, and when they stood in the kitchen and talked about how they could make something that they could eat, it seemed like they couldn't make it. He stood up.

When he sees a briefcase that appeared to be stuffed with guns on the table, does he want to kill before meals? Although it was loud, when he opened it, there were some kitchen gadgets like his own kitchen knife and condiments that he thought were professional.

What kind of person is this guy, a chef who thinks he is a samurai? The boy is confused and watches Kuro's tendency.

Kuro first looked inside the refrigerator and looked at him.

The contents of the refrigerator in the room of the boy who does not cook is deficient. There are some ingredients that can barely be made with miso soup, but there is nothing that can be a side.

"Shall we go shopping? Because there is something like a supermarket on campus."

"I want to eat fish!"

Kuro looked at the boy and Neko with a hard look, and fell silent with a thoughtful look for a moment. Finally, he turns to Neko instead of the boy.

"Do you want to eat fish?"

"Yes!"

"Then buy three horse mackerel. The skin is crispy and the inside is smooth and juicy."

"Nyaa!"

Neko happily makes her eyes shine.

"If you put some soy sauce on the freshly baked horse mackerel, it tastes great. Because it's simple, it tastes universal and happy."

Horse mackerel, Neko sniffed at the drool.

"Then let's buy eggs. Do you like rolled eggs?"

"Dashimaki?"

"It is a dish that is made by mixing many sardines with broth and eggs, and rolling it while baking. It is a soft and smooth food with a spongy dashi aroma. When you put it in your mouth with grated radish, the flavor is accentuated and returns to be delicious."

Neko's drool could no longer be held and hung from the edge of her mouth. Kuro looked into Neko's eyes and said.

"You want to eat?"

"I want to eat!"

"Well. Then go buy it. Write down any other necessary items in a note. Well, your most important role is definitely bringing Isana Yashiro back to this room. If you run away, you won't be able to eat the delicious food I just mentioned. Do you understand?"

"Okay! Wagahai will eat delicious fish and dashimaki with Shiro!"

It seems like he intends to catch Neko with her appetite and make sure the boy doesn't run away.

In the chase during the night, Kuro seemed to have grasped Neko's characteristics to some extent. The endurance game that lasted over a dozen hours, gave birth to a kind of strange bond between the three of them. There is no trust in her, but he can somehow understand the points that he can trust.

He won't run away anymore... He's so hungry that he doesn't know where to run since he found his home, so he only wants to talk quietly once.

The boy laughed bitterly and watched the exchange between Kuro and Neko.

Steam comes out of the rice cooker and there is a slightly sweet aroma that can cook boy's favorite rice.

But that is not all today. The fragrant smell of burning fish mixed there, playing an indescribable harmony.

Wearing a pink apron, Kuro rhythmically cuts the onions. The boy gazed admiringly at the onions, which quickly and accurately became increasingly thin.

Tofu miso soup is made on the stovetop next to the fish, which has a small, crackling, explosive skin and is exquisitely browned.

After chopping the onions, Kuro takes it upon himself to bake rolled eggs with one fluent hand.

After chopping the onions, Kuro takes it upon himself to bake rolled eggs with one fluent hand.

The egg, which was stirred well in a bowl and mixed with the broth, soy sauce, mirin, etc., was rubbed with a strainer, and the liquid egg was poured into a heated, oiled pan. The egg makes noise and hardens in good condition. Kuro started to roll it into a half mature state with beautiful movements.

"Oh~"

The boy and Neko involuntarily give a voice of admiration. The belly of the two screamed again.

When the eggs in the skillet are tightly rolled, the remaining egg liquid is also poured out and rolled further. In the blink of an eye, a beautiful rolled egg was completed and Kuro put out the fire.

At the same time, the sound of cooking rice resounds, and the fish appears to be baked and the grill rises.

It was a wonderful skill to finish everything at the same time.

The boy and Neko make their eyes shine on the table. It's simple, but that's why it stimulates an empty stomach.

He didn't have all the china in the boy's living room, so he bought it when he was shopping for ingredients.

While shopping, he offered to buy a bowl for Neko and was delighted with her large eyes glowing brightly. Along with Neko, who carefully selects her favorite tea bowl, the boy also chose tableware for Kuro. He doesn't eat as often in the boy's room, but he can't bear to let him eat white rice from a flat plate or drink miso soup from a cup.

Kuro opens the rice cooker. The white steam that smelled of freshly cooked rice rose, and Neko happily offered her a new bowl of tea of ​​her choice. He's staring into her glowing eyes as another rice is spilled.

A boy dressed in a killer robe, a guy trying to cut it, and a mysterious girl who suddenly appeared and was believed to be a normal kitten until yesterday, like a united family, clasped their hands around the warm rice.

"Itadakimasu!"

When he sipped the miso soup, the moderate salty taste and aroma of the soup spread through his mouth. The ingredients are simple, tofu and fried, but the boy thought it was the first time he had had such a delicious miso soup.

"It's delicious! It's really delicious!"

The boy lifts the cheeks with red tide. Kuro didn't look careless, but he snorted with a casual expression.

Neko also hurries, squeezes the muff and rice, and enjoys the fish. However, she didn't seem to be very good at using chopsticks and she spilled grains of rice in a conspicuous way.

When he saw how Neko was eating, he looked up and pulled the voice recorder from his chest.

"Rice is important, chew it well."

A man's deep voice rang out from the voice recorder. It was a good voice that was smart but also had a mysterious feel to it, but the boy twisted his head at a strange word like haiku, slogan, etc.

"That's…"

Kuro's eyes said, "Do you want to listen?" He turned to the boy as his eyes twinkled. Seeing his glowing eyes, he said that he was talking about a mysterious tape recorder, the boy was sensitive to the long annoying air it created, and the sign that a story was likely to unfold that the boy didn't care, and he quickly turned his important attention to the rice.

As he cut the fluffy rolled egg into bite-size pieces with his chopsticks, cut out the story of the person that is important to the guy.

"By the way, I want to ask you now."

When the boy changed, Kuro also turned to the boy, erasing the childish expression he wanted to show off when he played the tape recorder.

"In the first place, who are those men who chased me?"

They were people who manipulated supernatural powers, such as attacking with a metal bat that spewed flames and shooting fireballs with cigarettes. Both Kuro and Neko have a mysterious power, so the boy feels lost if he is the only common person.

"A member of their clan was killed. They are seeking revenge."

"Clan member? Are they a runaway tribe or a mafia or something?"

"Clan is a group that follows the 'King', and Clansman is a member of it. The 'Red King' Suoh Mikoto is the 'King' of the third clan, and the most temperamental man among the 'Kings'."

Clan, clan member, "King", "Red King".

The boy freezes slightly, writing down the words that appear in his head.

"In short, the head of the supernatural powers? Is there some other group like that? Do you mistake me for the criminal who killed that member?"

"I am not mistaken; you are the criminal himself. When I finish eating this, I will crush you properly."

The boy was told with a very serious look and a tone that declared that he would take care of the domestic matters he had to do.

"Yes..." He withdrew.

Although he is eating rice with him, he seems willing to carry out the execution after the meal. There are simple parts that are easy to use in Kuro and stubborn parts that are unlikely to bend smoothly, and it seems easy to understand and difficult to read.

"Fill it up!"

Neko, who was happily eating, happily handed the empty tea bowl to Kuro. Kuro receives his bowl and tries to serve rice naturally as if he is doing it every day.

"Oh, yeah, me too!"

They have an especially delicious side dish today, and the boy's favorite white rice is on the rise. Kuro silently stared for a few seconds at the boy who took advantage of Neko and pushed the tea bowl away.

"Well, this is probably the last white rice of my life."

With a light sigh, Kuro also received the boy's tea bowl.

He doesn't want this to be the last meal, but the white rice he eats with the garnish that Kuro made is really delicious, so the boy chews the stuffed rice he got and puts a juicy fish on it.

"I know why they are after me, but why are you trying to kill me in the first place? You are not a partner of those people, right?"

It seemed like a lonely little shadow had fallen over his eyes.

"Because I am a vassal of the Seventh King, the former 'Colorless King'."

"Colorless?"

"It means it has no color. My deceased master ordered me to carefully identify the next 'King' and if he is bad, I will not hesitate to eliminate him. He had the power to predict the future."

He must have longed for the dead master. When talking about that person called Miwa Ichigen, Kuro has a scathing tone.

"The power of prophecy... "Colorless King"... What is that "King" you mentioned earlier?"

"He has great power and embodies the reason of this world. The power of the 'King' is moving this country. It is something that ordinary human beings do not know."

It's a tremendous story and the boy makes his eyes go round

"I was wondering if the Prime Minister was the greatest in this country..."

The current prime minister, Samukawa Kanichi, is not very popular but he is not very obnoxious and he is a person who still maintains a medium approval rating. There is no atmosphere like that of a king, but in this country where there should be no royal system, Prime Minister Kanichi should have the decision-making power to move the country first.

"Now, the politics and economy of this country cannot be established without the power of one man. Japan, which became a defeated country and was eaten by the surrounding countries, could now become the greatest economic and technological power of the world because of the appearance of that man in this country."

"Who is that man?"

"He is called the 'Golden King'. His power is secretly everywhere, for example..."

Kuro poured the soy sauce into the chabudai and took the PDA out of his pocket.

"Both were created by a company controlled by the 'Golden King'."

Soy sauce, PDA, gender and manufacturer are different, but both are famous brands that are spread all over the world.

“The head of those people with fire powers, you said he is the 'Red King', right? Is there red and gold?"

"There are seven kings."

"Seven people?"

Kuro took out various condiments from the briefcase containing a set of kitchen utensils and placed them on the table.

The seven seasonings with different colors on the tops can indicate seven "kings" respectively. Kuro puts his index finger on the seasoning on the red cap that contains paprika powder.

"The character of the clan is completely different depending on the 'king' who rules. For example, if you describe the Red Clan in one word, it is violence."

The boy instinctively frowned, "Uh…". He is being attacked by people who are like symbols of violence. The boy on the skateboard who attacked the boy with a metal bat without asking questions was certainly violent language.

"That is a very close-knit clan, which is united with an elegance darker than blood. Killing that member was a very stupid thing on the part of the new 'King'."

"That's why! It's definitely about someone else! I'm not a 'King' and I didn't kill anyone in the first place!"

The boy is quick to insist on the premise of something he does not remember. Kuro sipped tea silently with a nasty face.

Neko, who should be on the boy's side, seems not to be interested in the story of the two, and when she finished eating the rice, she got on the bed and started playing with the boy's umbrella.

"The 'King' is the one that moves the economy and is the boss of the mafia, right? A high school student living a mediocre life like me is not a 'King'!"

“I have said that the nature of the 'King' varies. There are several ways to do it. The fourth royal authority, the "Blue King", is the head of an institutional police organization for those who have powers, while the first royal authority has immutable power, but is shrouded in mystery. He is patrolling the sky over Tokyo in an airship without fulfilling the role of 'King'."

"Airship... Oh, I certainly could see it. That's a 'King' too, isn't it..."

There is something strangely intriguing, and the boy hugs himself around his belly on the shirt.

“Furthermore, although the existence of the fifth 'King', the 'Green King' has been confirmed, but he has not appeared on the table and appears to be planning something under the surface. It's no wonder if you're a newborn 'King', a high school student, or if you're hiding your status and power as a 'King' and killing for an evil purpose."

"Oh... what does that mean..."

“There is a mysterious relic called "Dresden Slate" that selects the "King" and grants him great power. It is said to be a huge block of stone with a mysterious power that was discovered and studied in Dresden, Germany, during World War II. After the war, the Slate was brought to Japan and is now kept in the Mihashira Tower, which is the residence of the "Golden King". I've never really seen it. The criteria for the Slate to choose the 'King' are unknown, but history shows that not only are good people chosen, and that position and age have nothing to do with it."

"Hmm...", the boy gave a warm reply.

"But I don't have any supernatural powers..."

"Is that what you are hiding? The Seventh King, the "Colorless King", is a special "King" who has different characteristics for each generation. What kind of power and what role does he play appears on the Slate. It is said to be a prankster who knows no limits, the king of clowns. So I don't know what kind of power you have, even if you're hiding it."

"No, I'm not hiding it..."

"Just what is common to successive 'Colorless Kings'."

Without hearing the boy's objections, Kuro continues.

"The 'Colorless King', good or bad, has the power to interfere with the 'King' and change the balance of power between the 'Kings'. The predecessor, Ichigen Miwa, was a kind person. He was doing his best as mediator so that there would not be a conflict between the 'Kings'. The new 'Colorless King', as 'King' has shed human blood, and I cannot forgive him for causing and causing chaos!"

In front of Kuro, who speaks enthusiastically, the boy again heaves a heavy sigh.

Perhaps Neko was tired of playing alone, she returned to the kotatsu and picked up a piece of fish that was slightly stuck to the plate with her finger and put it in her mouth.

Each plate was carefully emptied. When Kuro put his hands on the plate he had finished eating, the boy did the same.

"Thanks for the food."

When Kuro and the boy talked to each other, Neko compared them to each other, clasped his hands as if to look at them and said, "Sorry."

Kuro drinks the hot tea and stands up naturally.

"It's time to kill you."

So, Kuro said that with the same ease as if he said that he would go to a convenience store.

Neko jumps up and poses intimidatingly while yelling "Shah!" The boy was impatient and held out his hand.

"Wait, wait! Then it's funny! Let's calm down! The reason you want to kill me is because I'm the evil 'Colorless King', right? What's the evidence?"

"That video."

"It's so easy to fake! Don't you think that's funny? Why would I call myself the 'Colorless King'?"

"Evil, you reveal yourself."

"If it were so… I made a mess with those dangerous people, I'd already be running away to a safer place! Right?"

Kuro looked away with a thoughtful gaze, but it seems his determination to kill him hasn't changed yet. The boy says desperately.

"I said it many times, I'm just a mediocre high school student!"

"So who is she? Is she not your clan member?"

Kuro pointed at Neko. Neko, who was still intimidating, turned to her own topic and showed her big eyes as if she had struck the void.

"Eh? No... She is..."

The boy looks at Neko from head to toe. The beautiful long-haired girl, who wears only the boy's uniform coat and exposes her bare feet in the harsh place, does the movements that animals actually perform, as she claims to be a cat.

Apparently, it is the identity of the kitten who was friends with the boy, but that is not what he wants to hear and the boy had no words to explain what she was.

The boy asks Neko directly.

"Who are you? Or what are you?"

"Wagahai is a cat!"

Neko said it like she did at the beginning, and she was very excited.

Kuro puts his hand on his jaw as he ponders.

“A Strain… Is she here by chance? Cannot be."

"Strain?"

"A person who has her own special power without being granted by a 'King'. Some people have it."

The boy asked Neko, "Is that so?", But Neko tilted her head with a smile.

"I don't understand anything, but I'm Shiro's cat, and Shiro is mine!"

Neko declares that in a good mood and starts dancing around happily.

Kuro also thought that it was difficult to think that this innocent girl understood the story of the evil "King" or was his vassal.

The boy turned to Kuro and faced him with the greatest sincerity he had.

"Hey, Kuro Yatogami. This is probably some kind of unfair accusation. I'm going to clear up that suspicion in front of you! And I'll ask those scary people to clear up the misunderstanding. No!"

Holding his fist in front of his chest, the boy insisted.

"Your deceased master said to identify the other person and kill him if he was evil, right? Then identify me correctly, if I am good or bad!"

Kuro straightened his line of sight towards the boy and paused to think a bit. Finally, he took out of his pocket that voice recorder that played during meals and handed it to the boy.

"Press a button."

"Hey?"

"Do it."

The atmosphere cannot be maintained any longer, the boy gets confused and presses a button, "Well then..."

"Do not judge the cold, without first knowing the heat of the burning sun."

A good voice flowed with astringency, depth and sensuality.

"What is that?"

The boy was very confused, but Kuro was convinced of something.

"Don't make a quick decision. You have apparently earned a chance to live, Isana Yashiro."

Even with a smile, he was confused. He's not sure what that means, but for the first time, he's happy that Kuro's attitude has softened and the boy's expression relaxes.

"Shiro is fine. Yes, can I call you Kuro?"

"Isana Yashiro."

Kuro, who called him by his full name to cut off his offer, stretched his back and looked at the boy with a stern look.

"I will identify you as you say, and if I find out that you are evil, I will kill you immediately. Okay?"

He thinks he was stubborn, loud, but sincere. In response to Kuro's statement, the boy smiled and asked for a handshake and extended his right hand.

"Thank you, Kuro. That is enough for now."

"If you are grateful, thank Ichigen-sama for advising me."

Kuro doesn't hold his hand and walks away.

The fact that he gave up means that the voice of that recorder is the voice of "Ichigen Miwa". The boy wondered why he was really worried about the tape recorder containing Miwa's mysterious words.

"What is that voice recorder?"

At that moment, the atmosphere Kuro was wearing changed. The atmosphere becomes brighter as if a flower is blooming, and a loose smile is shown as if such a face is made, and the cheeks become red.

He seemed to be excited and began to speak rapidly while breathing.

"This is…! This is a record of the words of the late master, Ichigen-sama. The words of Ichigen-sama, who was also an avant-garde poet, were so connotative and beautiful! I was recording it. It was not enough. burn it on my soul, and I still get lost."

Out of breath, Kuro presses the switch on the recorder.

"Occasionally walk the path you have chosen, the path of your dreams."

"Miwa's words" flow from the tape recorder, and during the narration period, he listens with an elated face that appears to have been beaten. Stained like an apple, Kuro picked up the recorder and looked at the boy with a proud face.

"That's what I'm saying!"

"How awful!"

An honest impression came out of the boy's mouth.

++++++++++

Wagahai is a cat. There is no name yet.

She feels like she used to have one, but she forgets. So a cat is just a cat.

Neko is now curled up on the boy's bed in the shape of a kitten.

She chased him from last night until morning, and when she had breakfast, she made her sleepy, so the boy said, "We will sleep for the moment."

The boy is sleeping under the blanket where the cat is curled up, and on a small tatami space, Kuro is leaning against the wall, sleeping with a sword in a sitting position.

Neko doesn't like Kuro. He came to destroy the happy days with the boy.

There is no way she will like people who say terrible things like kill the boy.

However, the rice he made was so delicious that she forgives him a bit. Especially the fish with crispy skin and plump body was wonderful.

Inside the room with the curtains closed, the morning sun shines through the gap, but it is comfortable and dim.

Neko tried to fall asleep as she was, and after thinking for a moment, she moved towards him. Bring her face to the boy's face and wave by bringing the tips of their noses together.

"Good luck, Shiro."

Neko snuggled into a position where the boy's body temperature could be felt. It is not cold here.  She is not alone. She liked this place where she could hear the boy breathing next to her.

Neko is from Shiro, and Shiro is from Neko.

Feeling the temperature of her favorite company, Neko closes her eyes and enters the world of dreams.

#k #k the first story #k project #Isana Yashiro #Yatogami Kuroh #neko #silver clan

[2612-1802]

A little lost

Hi! Can you write a scenarios if you have time were the reader is on a vacation to korea for the first time in her life and got lost. It is really late at night, And she happen to bump with Changmin and ask him for direction. Then you bump to each other a few more times coz you always getting lost. This become a reason for the reader and changmin to be friends ti lovers. Btw she didn’t know DBSK, she’s only familiar to yoochun bcoz of kdramas. Can you feat. OT5? Thank youuu💕keep safe!  -- Hi, sorry it took so long! Hope the story is worth the wait! Stay safe too!

“KOREA~” you sang as you picked up your luggage from the aisle. Dragging it along out the doors, you breathed in the air in Seoul for the first time. “Finally!” you whispered to yourself. A well-deserved holiday after your completing your research project. A long 2 years project, finally, time for some fun.

You dropped your bags off in the hotel and quickly ran out for some grubs. Seoul was just like the pictures you saw online. Full of bright lights and loud crowds, busy people, walking up and down the streets in a hurry. Typical city life.

First, the raw fish restaurant, then the pork bbq, then the spicy chicken feet, and now the desserts. You managed to get a lot more grubs than you expected around your hotel vicinity. Though feeling bloated, there was one more thing to do. The travelling ritual. The must-do for you as long as you stayed in a hotel. Eating instant noodles in the hotel room. Following the google map on your phone, you snaked around the buildings looking for a 24/7 store while constantly frowning in disappointment because it’s supposed to be just a 2mins walk.

“I think I’m starting to digest all those food now.” You grumbled to yourself, pressing harshly on your phone screen to find the convenience store. You rolled your eyes and looked around. There was no one in sight, but a man in his car. You plucked up the courage and walked towards the black car, hoping that he speaks English.

“Hi, sorry, excuse me. I’m looking for the convenience store. I’ve been walking around for half an hour but I still can’t find it. Google says there is one around here.” You smiled weakly at the masked man, showing the google map app on your phone.

“Oh, it’s just there. Walk down the street, you will see the main junction, it’s on your right when you reach the junction.” He told you coolly and you thanked him.

You strolled down the street, with a sense of relief. Finally, a clear direction to your instant food paradise. “Is this even worth this midnight walk..” you cussed at yourself and your weird travelling habits, skipping along till you reached the junction.

“Well, I’m here. Where is it?” You looked to your right, and then the left. There was no 7/11 in sight. “Damn it.” You shook your head in disbelief. You walked towards your right, thinking that it might be behind this building, but there was no 7/11 there too. Desperate, you just kept on walking till you hear a car honk at you.

“Hey, you’ve drifted too far off, it’s not this junction. The junction with the green building.” The same man you directed you pointed it to you again.

“I went, but I didn’t find any 7/11.” You sighed.

“It’s there. Maybe you didn’t spot it. I just went there to get sweets yesterday.” He waved the leftover sweets in your face.

“Alright, thank you. I’ll go over again.” You waved goodbye as he drove off.

Walking back to the junction, you looked at the green building. You see nothing. “Is this even the correct green building?” You thought to yourself. Checking your phone again, you see that you’re in the correct place. But there is no 7/11, no nothing. This was not a good continuum of that awesome feeling about Korea you felt this afternoon.

You walked around, looking for another green building but there were no other green buildings. Groaning, you turned around the corner and you saw the man again. You immediately scurried off, hoping that he doesn’t spot you. “Damn, if I see him again, he’s going to think I’m stalking him!” You whispered to yourself.

Trying again, walking the same directions he showed you, you came back to the same spot, but a little more different this time. Instead of just feel lost, you felt stupid too. “Where is this store?!” your eyebrows knitted in anger, almost touching each other for the first time since your birth.

“Ohh, this is awkward.” You murmured under your breath, as you recognized the man standing in front of you.

“Lady, this is the 5th time I’m seeing you.” The man shook his head, laughing at you. “The store sign is brighter than your future, you can’t miss it when you pass it.” He pointed you to the same direction he did the past few times, laughing uncontrollably. “You are worse than Yunho Hyung. Come, I’ll bring you.” He took his jacket with him and walked infront of you.

You hung your head in embarrassment as you followed behind. Surely enough, it was just right there. “Oh, the 3rd floor.” You sighed after hearing his teehees. “Isn’t the sign bright?” the man pointed at the neon board as he opened the door for you.

Excited, you went straight into the ramen aisle to pick out your cup noodles.

“Hmm, isn’t that too much calories at night, young lady?” The man asked as he picked out his own cup ramen.

“Well, I’m not having all of them tonight sir. Just one.” You paused “Or maybe two.” You giggled at the thought of finally getting cup noodles.

“You can call me ChangMin.” He chuckled. “One or two? Like how you did one or two or more rounds around the block?” ChangMin side-eyed you as he paid for his supper.

“Well I didn’t mean to, I mean I was. Well, I’m not from around here.” You stuttered. “I was lost okay.” You frowned making your noodles. “But hang on, if I am walking in circles, and I keep bumping into you... Then why were you driving in circles?” You asked him, finally piecing things together.

“It’s late.” ChangMin replied as he slurped his shin ramen. “It’s dangerous for a lady to walk on the streets this late at night. And you’re a foreigner. It’s dangerous plus dangerous. Double danger. I was just worried you cannot find your way.” He looked up, chewing the noodles in his chipmunk cheeks.

“Oh.” You lifted your eyebrows. “Thank you though. Appreciate it. I was getting kind of scared around here.” You drank some soup from the cup.

“So, you’re not from around here you say?” ChangMin looked up at you again, but this time you noticed how round his eyes are. “Did you come Korea because you like kpop? Do you like kpop?” ChangMin questioned.

You gave an awkward smile. “Erm, I’m not really into kpop. Just watched some dramas. Started with youtube clips, then I really liked this actor, so I’ve been following his dramas.”

“Ohh, not into kpop uh.” You saw him frown slightly, before carefully replying him.

“Yeah, I’m too busy to go after boybands. Working working working.” You let out a pathetic laugh. The whole point of this holiday was to revaluate your career decisions. To venture out into something you want or just continue to have a stable life with a stable income from a job you hate.

“Woah, sounds like you hate your job.” ChangMin poked into his noodles cup. “So who’s this lucky actor?”

“Don’t really hate it. Just kind of regretting it.” You shrugged your shoulders and Changmin nodded.  “Park Yoo Chun. The first one I watched was Rooftop Prince. He was so funny in that.”  

ChangMin choked hard at that comment. Shocked, you immediately offered him your drink as he coughing really harshly the moment you mentioned Park YooChun.

“Are you okay?” You panicked as you rummaged through your bag for tissues but he wouldn’t stop coughing.

“I’m okay, Yoochun hyung, yes. He’s a lady killer.” ChangMin cleared his throat forcefully as he patted his chest repeatedly. “Ugh, I think I saw my life flashed in front of my eyes.” You heard him whisper to himself.

You guys chatted for a while before he sent you back to the hotel. One fun night turned into a few more till you reached the end of your 2-weeks holiday in Korea.

“Hey, thanks for the ride. This trip was a lot more fun because of you. ” You thanked ChangMin as you took your luggage from him.

“Yeah, it was fun for me too.” Changmin replied, avoiding eye contact. “This is kind of early, but.” You breathed in deeply, not sure if he is thinking what you’re thinking.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” You thought loudly in your head. It’s been sometime since a guy gave you butterflies.

“When will your next holiday be?” ChangMin asked and you let out a soft “What?”

“Umm, I don’t know. Maybe in 1 years’ time or 2?” You answered, disappointed.

“That’s a long time.” ChangMin scratched his head. “How about in 1 or 2 months’ time instead? But we can go together this time around.”

You became speechless and your eyes enlarged at the suggestion.

“If you want to of course. I mean.. Umm.” ChangMin’s rounded eyes started darting around and started looking at his shoes.

“1 or 2 months’ time is a little to early to ask for vacation again from work. How about in 4 months’ time?” You proposed, trying to contain your happiness with your pokerface.

“Sounds good. Where do you want to go?” ChangMin brightened up, it makes your heart skip a few beats that the idea of hanging out more perks him up so much.

“How about I tell you later? Got a plane to catch.” You waved your ticket at him and gave him a goodbye hug hurriedly.

“Alright, just don’t ghost me!” You hear ChangMin shouted behind you as you walked through the gates.

“See you soon, hopefully where you live.” Your phone chimed with a second last message before your flight.

“I’ll be free on the weekends if you want to come visit.” You responded with a winky emoji.

“That’s a date babe.”

“BABE! HE CALLED ME BABE!” you screamed so loudly inside your head you swear the lady beside you heard it.

“Babe?! Babe? Isn’t it too early to use babe? You need to put out the lure then fish her in. You’re giving everything out in the beginning. That was not the 101 we taught you about wooing girls Minne.” Yoochun smacked Changmin in the head.

“If he ever follows whatever we said, he’ll be married by now.” Yunho whispered in ChangMin’s ears from the back.

“Just how many of you are here?” ChangMin turned around and started counting the masked men with caps in the airport at midnight. 

“We can GHOST you if you want. Since we are not BABE.” Jaejoong finger quoted as Junsu chortled behind with his hands in his pocket. 

“I hate you guys.” ChangMin rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, BABE.” the four men responded in unison, fist bumping each other as they walked towards the carpark.

#changmin scenarios #dbsk scenarios #changmin oneshot #changmin #changmin fanfic #tvxq scenarios

[athenagc94]

Gust and Piper Beginnings - Pt. 7

Here’s the next part of the story! Please enjoy!

You can read the first the other parts here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

I’m also posting the story here on AO3!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gust collapsed on the couch in the middle of the living room. He muffled his groans in one of the decorative pillows that Ginger had just embroidered earlier that month. It was light blue with pale pink flowers. She’d been so proud of how it turned out. Now, he was using it to smother himself. Ginger only spared him a glance as she turned the page of her book. “Rough day?” He grunted in response, basking in the cool fabric of the pillow. “I thought you were done helping at the Harbor? You guys caught up, didn’t you?”

“Oh, we did,” Gust rolled on his back, still cradling the pillow to his chest. “But I was helping Piper today.”

“Piper?” This seemed to catch her attention. She closed her book and set it off to the side, eyes on him. He tried not to squirm under her calculating expression. “That’s a surprise. Why were you helping her?”

“She needed help,” he shot her an unamused look, “why is my helping her a surprise?”

Ginger smirked. “No offense, but unless you’re assisting me, the word helpful doesn't normally apply to you.” Gust frowned. He couldn’t really argue with her.  She was right. He only ever doted on Ginger. No one else warranted or deserved his attention, well until now. “So what did Piper need help with? You look ready to keel over.”

“Piper hurt her ankle.” Gust stifled a yawn and curled up against the arm of the chair. “She can’t walk on it, so I offered to help her so she could keep working over the next few days. I don’t know how she does it.”  

He really didn’t. He was at her workshop at the crack of dawn and she put him straight to work. He never anticipated that Piper, laid back and fun loving, would be such a hardass when it came to her craft. She never showed it. He emptied and filled machines. Then she sent him out to gather raw material that she couldn’t go out and gather herself. He’d turned his nose up at the pickaxe she’d given him, but he soon realized that it was the only way to get any of the things she’d asked for. His arms were still aching and a part of him doubted he’d be able to lift them in the morning.

While he did that, she was still working on her long list of commissions at her desk. He had no idea how she managed to juggle gathering her own supplies and making things out of them too. He was exhausted and he’d only been working a day, but this was Piper’s reality. He only got away when he did because he had to come home and watch after Ginger.  He couldn’t even fathom what would have happened if he’d stayed longer. One of the Civil Corps members may have had to tote his unconscious body back home.

“How did she hurt herself?”

Gust waved her off. “In the old WOW Industries or something. We bumped into each other while I was searching for hibiscus flowers and she offered to help.” Ginger only gave a solemn nod at that. She knew how important those flowers were. He clutched the pillow a little tighter to his chest, like it would stop his heart from pounding out of his chest. “I should have said something sooner, but she insisted on helping me. So, I decided to help her with her endeavors for the next few days. That’s all.”

“Is that all?” Ginger cocked her head to the side and a small smile flutter across her face. She looked at him with such a gentle expression. He didn’t know what it meant. It made him uncomfortable. “That’s very noble of you. I’m sure Piper is relieved to have your help while she’s injured.”

“I was barely any help.”

Ginger only chuckled. “Did she ask you to come back tomorrow?”

Gust shook his head and rolled onto his back. He watched the ceiling fan rotate lazily overhead. He traced the orbit with his eyes. “She didn’t have to,” he admitted after a moment, “I told her I would help her until her ankle was better and I plan on keeping that promise.”

“I like this new Gust.”

He turned his attention back to Ginger, brow furrowed. “What?” Ginger folded her hands neatly in her lap and shrugged. It wasn’t an answer and that was mildly irritating for him. What was that supposed to mean? “I’m not a new Gust.”

“I disagree.” She stood up and tucked her book under the crook of her arm. “I thought something was different about you recently, but after tonight I think I now know what that is.” Gust straightened in his seat. What did she know? Before he could press, she was heading out of the room and towards the staircase. “I’ll let you get some rest. I’m sure it’ll be a long day tomorrow.”

Like that, he was left alone with his thoughts, which was a dangerous place for him to be. He had no idea what Ginger meant. How was he any different? He was still him. He didn’t feel any different. In fact, he felt very much the same and that’s what irritated him. Ginger had to be wrong. He was still Gust. Rude, crass, and standoffish. He found it very hard to believe that anyone would ever like this version of himself.

↢↢↢↣↣↣

 “Have you eaten?”  

Piper offered a mumbled response as she continued working on Minister Lee’s commission for a batch of new talismans. He wanted enough for the whole town, and she’d been working on them for over two hours. Before that, she’d been hard wiring a new desk lamp for Mei. The goggle marks were still embedded across the bridge of her nose. He doubted she’d taken any breaks between the projects.  

This was his third day at the workshop and in that time he’d really seen how Piper operated. It was appalling to say the least. She never took breaks. She rarely stopped for meals. He’d taken it upon himself on more than one occasion to slip her a glass of water, just to remind her to drink something. Still, she worked diligently and she showed no signs of changing her ways. Honestly, he wondered how she’d survived this long without someone to force her to stop and take a breath.

“You need to eat.”

“I’ll order something from the Round Table.”

“Why waste the money?  Don’t you have something around here?”  He glanced around her workshop. There was a small kitchen in the corner. It had a stove, fridge, and a small sink, all of which looked like they went untouched. “I’ve seen the vegetable garden you keep out back. Don’t you keep any of the produce?”

“I do.” Her fingers worked deftly as they wrapped red cord around another engraved stone. It seemed like a mechanical response at this point, but still she didn’t look up from her work. “But I don't know how to cook. So I normally eat them raw.”

Gust blinked at her in disbelief. “You don’t know how to cook?” He massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed. This woman. If she didn’t know how to cook, how had she not shriveled away to nothing. She really was hopeless. “But you live alone? How have you survived this long?”

“The Round Table,” she tossed another talisman on the pile, “and the unadulterated kindness of Sophie and Emily. Without them, I might have starved.”  She grabbed another piece of stone and began carving away at its surface. It’s like they were discussing the weather and not the fact that she wasted all her money on take out.

Gust shook his head at her. “No wonder you can’t afford that next plot of land, you’re wasting your gols on take out.” She only grunted in response, too engrossed in her work to really hear him. He clucked his tongue and made a beeline for the kitchen. He knelt down and opened the cooler box. Hopefully she had something he could work with. He was surprised to find it well-stocked. Meat and fish were neatly packaged on one shelf. No doubt boons from her adventures. She had an array of vegetables from her garden. There were even fresh eggs and milk, no doubt from Emily and Sophie. He rolled his eyes and started pulling ingredients from the fridge. Fine. If she refused to take care of herself, he’d do it for her.

He regarded the splay of ingredients on the counter. Blade fish, meat, palm jujube, and rock salt. He had been craving bacon fish rolls for a few weeks now, but he’d been too busy to find the time to make it. At least now he had an excuse. And he’d be feeding Piper in the process. Two birds with one stone. He swept his hair back into a ponytail and got straight to work.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m cooking.” Gust didn’t even look up from the frying pan as he laid out the thin strips of bacon. They sizzled softly and the smell of cooked meat was enough to make his mouth water. Normally, he didn’t have much of an appetite, but all the manual labor was making him hungrier than usual.

“Yeah, I can see that, but why?”

“Because it was obvious that you weren’t going to feed yourself.” He sniffed and sprinkled a little rock salt over the bacon. They only needed to be seared before he took them off and rolled them over the blade fish and palm jujube, so he had to keep his attention on the pan. “So I’m making us lunch. You’re going to stop working and we’re going to eat like civilized human beings.”

Piper snorted. “I’m not a child.”

Gust visibly bristled, but he kept his eyes trained on the sizzling pan. Don’t let the bacon burn. That’s all he needed to focus on. He didn’t need to indulge her. But of course, his mouth moved faster than his brain. “Well, then don’t act like one.” He sighed. This happened every time they spoke. “If you’re going to neglect to take care of yourself, someone’s gotta do it.”

Piper had stopped working now. She sat in her chair, knees tucked under her chin as she regarded Gust with pensive expression. “I’ve managed this long, haven’t I?”

Gust rolled his eyes. “Barely. I had no idea it was this bad.” He clucked his tongue and pulled the pan off the heat. “You don’t even know how to cook, ridiculous.” Piper chuckled and spun in her seat, but Gust failed to see the humor. These were fundamental building blocks of staying healthy, how could she just brush them off like they were nothing. It made his heart ache. 

They didn’t speak as he busied himself with preparing the rest of the meal. Piper didn’t press and returned back to her work after a minute or two. A comfortable silence settled between them, it almost seemed natural. It was quick work, finishing up the bacon rolls, it was almost second nature for him. Cooking came easy to him. Much like painting, it was a form of creation. Gust always needed to be creating. It’s the only time he ever felt some sense of relief and purpose.

“Time for lunch.”

Neither said anything as they settled around her rickety kitchen table. The front of her coveralls were covered in stone dust, but Gust didn’t bother to comment. The bacon roll was good. It was such a simple recipe, but it always hit the spot every time he made it. Gust couldn’t ignore the way she watched him as he ate. The pensive expression was back as she nibbled at her lower lip. She barely touched her food.

“Are you going to eat or not?”

Piper regarded the plate in front of her, a soft flush blossoming across her cheeks. “I will, I will, but I have a question first.” He hummed around a mouth full of bacon fish roll. He couldn’t imagine a question so dire that she wouldn’t eat, but he stayed quiet. “Why were you looking for the hibiscus flowers?” Gust almost choked on his food. He swallowed thickly and it slid down his throat, settling in his stomach like lead. “Why was it so important that you find them?”

Gust considered her question. He stared down at his plate and the hunger he’d been feeling dissipated. He didn’t doubt that Piper knew about his mother’s death, but he doubted she knew how much her death had affected him. He could tell her, but then he’d be breaking down a wall he’d spent a long time building. He didn’t know if he could bear her condolences or Light forbid her pity. The pitying stares of the town had played a large role in his leaving in the first place. He didn’t want to endure that with Piper, of all people.  

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, no, Iー” he swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in his throat, “it was my mother’s favorite flower.” His voice was small, but firm. He fiddled absently with the watch on his wrist. “I try to gather them while they’re in season, so I can drop some off at her grave for her birthday.”

Piper’s expression softened.  “That’s really sweet of you.”  She reached across the table and took his hand.  “As soon as my ankle is better, I’ll make sure you get those flowers.  I promise.”  She squeezed and he felt it in his chest. He tried to keep his breath even, but it was a struggle. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” Her fingers slipped away and Gust found himself wishing they hadn’t. He really liked the feeling of her hand in his.

She speared her fork into the fish roll and stuffed it into her mouth. Her eyes rolled back in her head and groaned. “Peach’s pants, this is amazing.”

And just like that, the topic was dropped. She didn’t pry into his affairs. She didn’t force him to talk about his feelings or offer empty condolences. She just let it be. He was so happy, he could have cried. Gust took a shaky breath and turned back to his meal. “Maybe I’ll make something for you again sometime.”

↢↢↢↣↣↣

Gust made her lunch the next day. He was only slightly embarrassed to admit that he’d spent his evening pouring over cooking books to find a recipe Piper might like. Ginger had noticed, but she’d been merciful enough not to comment on it. They were currently seated at her rickety kitchen table. Piper had become much more receptive to taking breaks with the promise of a home cooked meal. He’d settled on salmon fried rice today.

“What do you do for fun?”  Piper arched an eyebrow at him as she chewed her food thoughtfully. She’d already devoured half of her plate, which Gust took as a good sign. “I feel like in the time we’ve known each other, you know a lot more about me than I know about you.”

Piper snorted.  “And who’s fault is that?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Well, if you’re asking about my frivolous activities, I don’t have a whole lot of time to indulge in them these days,” Piper settled back in her seat, “but I did do boxing when I was back in Barnarock.” He must have done a poor job at hiding the surprise on his face because she took a few jabs at the air in front of her. “I was good too.” She added with a pointed look in his direction and Gust threw up his hands, relenting. He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised. Piper was pretty firmly built. When he’d carried her back to her workshop, he felt the firm contours of her upper arms.

“But you’re so even tempered?”

“And why do you think that is?” she asked with a crooked smile, “I take out my aggression on Sam when we meet up and spar.” She tapped her temple thoughtfully. “Can’t be losing your temper, if you know you get to kick someone’s ass three times a week.”  She shrugged. “It’s therapeutic for me, I guess.”

Gust bit back a smile. “I knew you were able to handle yourself in a dangerous situation,” he gathered another mouthful of rice on his spoon, “but I would have never guessed that you were this well-equipped for the job.”

Piper sighed. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t think those dangerous situations would come with the job,” she cradled her cheek in the palm of her hand, “don’t let them know, but I feel like I’m often doing the Civil Corps job for them these days. Like, why is it always me, ya know? I never see Higgins getting trapped in a cave with ancient bloodthirsty AIs.”  She laughed, but it sounded strained and Gust noticed immediately. “But whatever, I’m just glad people can turn to me in a crisis.”

Gust frowned at her. She seemed sincere enough. She prided herself on being dependable, but her usual nonchalance was missing, but he didn’t point it out. Piper didn’t pry into his business, he should extend the same courtesy. “My lips are sealed.” He mimicked the zipping of his lips and Piper laughed. This one sounded far more genuine and it made his heart flutter in his chest. It was worth the internal loathing. Light, that was so lame, he was becoming his father.

“Now, you have to answer my question though.” She leaned across the table and Gust found himself leaning closer as well.  Where did you learn to cook? This is amazing.” She gestured to the plate in front of her. “You could give Django a run for his money if you wanted to.”

“I learned when I lived with my Master in Atara,” Gust said simply, “it was an enlightening experience.”

Piper ‘oo-ed’ teasingly as she took a sip of her red tea. He was beginning to think that red tea had replaced the blood in her veins, she drank it so often. “I feel like that’s just a nice way of saying she made you her bitch and had you do all the cooking.” Gust pursed his lips at her, but he made no attempt to correct her. There was nothing to correct. She smirked. “Yeah, I thought so. That tends to be the case with those apprenticeships, you do the bitchwork so your Master doesn’t have to, right?”

“I learned a lot from Vera during my time with her.”

“Well, obviously, look at you. You’re talented and successful,” She waved him off with a swipe of her hand. Gust wanted to argue, but she didn’t give him the chance as she continued, “I just know there’s a lot of hoops to jump through before you actually get to learn something, so more power to you. I consider myself a pretty patient person, but I wasn’t patient enough to deal with that kind of bullshit.”

Gust straightened in his seat. “Wait, did you study in Atara?”

“Study is a strong word,” she smirked around the rim of her glass, “but yes, I tried to gain an education in Atara, but I dropped out after a year or two. Not my proudest moment, but the scholarly life wasn’t exactly my calling.”

“What did you study?” He would have never guessed that she studied in Atara like him. Piper was unintelligent. Quite the opposite, she knew how to hold a conversation and Gust always enjoyed speaking with her. He could admit that to himself now. He enjoyed her company.

“Political science,” another sip of her drink, “I wanted to be on the committee for the Free Cities at one point.  Settle conflicts. Help people. Maybe even stop our war with Duvos.” She shook her head. “In short, I was naive and a dumbass. I apprenticed with one of Atara’s political tycoons and realized pretty quickly why things weren’t getting better. No one wanted to put in the effort to make it better, so neither did I. I dropped out shortly thereafter.”

Gust blinked. Politics. Of all the degrees, she’d taken an interest in the field his father so desperately wanted him to study. He supposed irony was cruel like that. He gave her a thin smile. “That is surprising.” He leaned a little closer across the table and she didn’t shy away. He regarded her hands. They were covered in grease and the nails had been bitten down to the nail bed. The hands of a hard worker. “I figured you would have studied carpentry considering your skill set.”

Piper tugged sheepishly at a loose strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. “About that. I actually never considered carpentry before coming to Portia. This was kind of a worst case scenario for me and I was in a pretty desperate place when I made the decision.” Gust frowned at her. She never planned on coming to Portia. They were more alike than he’d thought. “Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t regret coming here now. I’m happier than I thought I’d be.”

Gust swallowed the bitter taste that had risen in his mouth. At least one of them was. “You are?”

Piper nodded and cradled her cheek in the palm of her hand. “There’s a lot of great people in this town, it makes it all worthwhile.” She reached forward and offered him an open palm, he took without a second thought. Grease stains aside, he liked the way her calloused hands felt under his finger tips. He’d found comfort in tracing them with his fingers. “And believe it or not you’re one of them.”

Gust snorted. “A lot of people would beg to differ.”

“Well, those people can pound sand,” Piper said with a shrug, “they don’t get to see the good sides of you.” She looked at him in earnest. It made Gust’s heart swell in his chest. He supposed she had a point. His good sides were often overshadowed by his shortcomings, but he was happy to hear someone had bothered to venture into the shadows to see them. He wasn’t sure if those good sides were worth the effort, but Piper seemed to think so. That was a small consolation at the very least.

He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. This time she didn’t let go. “Thank you Piper.”

#my time at portia #mtap #mtap gust #mtap ginger #mtap builder

[miamisecretescapes]

Miami Secret Escapes |  

8 Cruises From Miami With Luxury Dining Experiences

With tastebuds getting more refined and travelers expecting more when it comes to their dining experiences, cruise ships continue to capitalize and deliver on some of the most outstanding and innovative cuisines by bringing chef collaborations, wine tastings and culinary programs to the seas and beyond.

On Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, cruisers looking for Tuscan cuisine can pop into famed British chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian eatery. Open for lunch and dinner, guests can opt for one of the chef’s homemade pastas made fresh daily, or grilled options like lamb or pork. At 105 Central Park, it’s Royal Caribbean’s own global chefs who are front and center as they showcase the latest in contemporary seasonal cuisines. After a gourmet meal, make your way to Vintages, a wine bar aboard the Royal fleet, which features one-of-a-kind wines from top winemakers that are exclusive to Royal Caribbean. From California to South African wines, sample a tasting or a bottle of the ship’s finest vintages. On the newly refurbished Navigator of the Seas, slurp up oysters at Hooked Seafood, and if you need to catch a game and a beer, Playmaker’s Sports Bar and Arcade has you covered.

Buzz-worthy MSC Seaside, boasts acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi and his restaurant, Asian Market Kitchen. Diners can choose a live-action teppanyaki grill or keep it light and fresh with sushi, sashimi and selections from the raw bar. Chef Roy’s Hawaiian/European-influenced cuisine is also reflected in dishes like lobster fried rice and a curry wine sauce rack of lamb. On the MSC Meraviglia, which is slated to hit the port of Miami very soon, cruisers will have the opportunity to dine at Michelin-starred Spanish chef Ramon Freixa’s new restaurant, Hola! Tapas. A Mediterranean style social restaurant with an emphasis on shared plates like jamón ibérico, tortilla espanola and more. Expect to see it on the majestic MSC Bellissima as well. Come hungry.

When you ‘Choose Fun’ on Carnival Cruise, you’re also choosing some fun-tactic dining options. The not-to-be-missed spots include Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ Smokehouse, where you can get some of that roadside BBQ action like Blue Ribbon chicken with a side of his famous mac n’ cheese available on five of the line’s ships. The most anticipated restaurant coming to a ship near you, is Emeril Lagasse first sea venture, Emeril’s Bistro 1836, on the Carnival Mardi Gras. The New Orleans cuisine restaurant, will have Creole favorites like oyster and cochon de lait po-boys, roasted duck & Andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits and bananas foster. Carnival will also be the first cruise line to can and keg their own beer (already available on Horizon and Vista), fleetwide. Enjoy a ParchedPig West Coast IPA, an intense beer loaded with bitterness with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine.

One of the biggest names to hit the high seas for Celebrity Cruises, is renowned French chef Daniel Boulud. Boulud will become the brand’s Global Culinary Ambassador with a slew of culinary programs sure to seduce the palette. A three-course menu developed by Boulud will be offered at all the Luminae restaurants fleetwide. Sure to be a sold out experience, the "Chef’s Table by Daniel Boulud" will allow guests to enjoy champagne and canapés on arrival, a five-course dinner with wine pairings. The dinner also comes with one of the chef's cookbooks. Training with the best just became a reality thanks to Celebrity’s Culinary Mentorship Program, where up-and-coming chefs will be hands-on in Celebrity Kitchens as well as one of Boulud’s many restaurants.

How does a butter poached Alaskan King Crab, brown butter Berkshire pork chop, and roasted crab legs sound? To a foodie, it sounds like a feast to remember, and now, thanks to Australian super chef, Curtis Stone, you can eat like a king (and queen) when you dine at the newly revamped, SHARE, aboard Princess Cruises. Chef Stone is all about creating artistic dishes in a warm, and celebratory setting, where his dishes transcend flavor and cultural influences. Now imagine doing that in six exquisite courses. He, along with his personal sommelier, hand picked all the wines. You’ll have your choice of Barolo to Piedmonte and Ribera del Duero from Spain and beyond. Let’s not forget the "Crafted by Curtis" menu selections also available in the main dining room. After a Curtis Stone meal, you’ll want to unwind with a prestigious glass of wine selected by Princess sommelier Doug Frost. Select from 142 wines to be exact.

On Azamara Cruises, you get to be a part of your own culinary journey, thanks to the Azamara Chef Experience available in Dubai. Imagine pursuing the city’s Fish Market for the fresh catch of the day, that’ll later be used for your evening dinner! Once that’s been selected, cross the street to the Fruit and Vegetable market where you can pick vegetables like zucchini, egglant, fresh strawberries and more before making your way to the Spice Souk for traditional Arabic Herbs. If you thought you were fully immersed in Dubai’s food scene, think again. Partner up with an Azamara expert for a visit to Dubai’s Camelicious Farm, home to over 4,000 milk-producing camels where you’ll become an expert on the dairy process Last on the foodie excursion, a stop at the city’s Coffee Museum where you’ll sample brews from around the world. Then it’s back on the ship to eat your finds in what is sure to be an unforgettable meal.

In what’s sure to be a grand welcome, Virgin Voyages, will be welcoming their first sea venture, The Scarlet Lady, to the port of Miami in 2020 and the dining options are already creating a buzz. With a cocktail program like no other, Razzle Dazzle (named for the camouflaging pattern painted on warships from WWI and WWII), will be the ship’s resident drag brunch, where sailors are treated to a show from the ship’s resident drag performer and friends. Expect a vibrant scene offering up vegetarian fare as well as fun cocktails and fresh juices. There’s no in between. If you’re looking for ultra-luxe dining, you’ll find it at Wake, aboard the Scarlet Lady. A mid-20th century steak and seafood haunt with chop house atmosphere but vintage feel. Expect lots and lots of champagne.

Oceania Cruises is know for ‘the finest cuisine in the world,’ so expect to dine on some of the finest food at sea. Led by esteemed chef, Jacques Pepin, Oceania cruises offers everything from a distinguished culinary center where state of the art cooking classes are held for a close knit group of 24, and guests will get to try their hand at everything from French cuisine to plant-based menus. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, guests team up with a master chef to tour and shop the local markets in Europe and French Polynesia, and use their buys to cook up a simmering meal on board. There are some foodies who really want to rub elbows with Pepin himself, and they’ll have an opportunity to do so once a year, where they are treated to individualized menus, lectures and demos by Pepin. Mark your calendars—it’s happening aboard the Marina this September.

#Miami Secret Escapes #Cruises

[sooghostwriter]

Iliada

Pairings: Do Kyung Soo x OC

Genre: Mature,  Romance, AU, action, Bad guys and secret agents,  Smut in this chapter bb! and a bit of fluff too. 

Warnings: Kyung Soo is not a good guy, mention of violence, bad language

Summary: After a long and hard assignment, Yoon Suji is sent to a new mission that involves less violence but needs a lot of acting. Do Kyung Soo has one of the biggest drugs rings in South Korea, but police haven’t been able to get him. They need proof that he is the one in charge and Suji is the one sent to get them.

She has the freedom to decide how is she going to get his trust.

Chapter 5

April 2nd to April 3th

Under her sweater, she was wearing a light t-shirt that kept her skin away from the itchy wool.

 “Take that off too” He ordered again. Suji followed his instruction, acting out a nervous shaking of her hands and a worried stare, and was left only in her sports bra. 

“Now get under the covers and lay there” Suji nodded and quickly got inside the bed. Kyung Soo walked inside his wardrobe and Suji could see him take off his suit, and put on his pajama bottoms. 

“Calm down, we are not fucking…only…well, you will see” He told her, his voice less serious than before.

Suji couldn’t avoid feeling a bit disappointed. This could have been really good for the mission.  

She didn’t know what was going to happen, and the uncertainty annoyed her. After five minutes, Kyung Soo was back, wearing pajamas, glasses and no gel in his hair. He turned off every single light in his room and got into bed saying no word. Suji waited for him to make the first move.

“Now, if you excuse me” Suji saw in awe how Kyung Soo got really close to her, and just cuddled in her chest passing his arms around her waist, resting his head on her breast.

His skin was cold and his breathing irregular. 

“Are you going to stay there like a dead fish?” He asked, exasperated. 

“Sorry?”

“Do something with your arms” Suji was taken aback. What he wanted was some sort of tender care. Simple cuddling.

She could do that much. It was like hugging a pillow or a big dog right?

Decisively Suji brought him closer to her body, hugging him and giving him what he was asking for. He didn’t speak again, he didn’t even move. A moment later, Suji realized he was asleep and a little later she followed him.

April 5th to April 6th

The morning Kyung Soo woke up next to Suji, he wondered what made him different from her last boss.

And now, a day later, he found what was different.

Suji was the one there, inside his room. She wasn’t there for work, but something else. And she didn’t back up. He was sure that if she wanted otherwise, she would have kicked him in the crotch and run away. But she didn’t. She hugged him close and allowed him to have a nice sleep, without remorse. In fact, when he told her that having sex wasn’t in his plans, he could have sworn that she got a bit disappointed. But maybe that was a bit too greedy of him.

Suji didn’t say a word to Kyung Soo about what happened. The next morning she woke up at the same time he did, they got up at the same time and she went back to her room through the back window. It wasn’t awkward, but they acted as if it didn’t happen.

Still, Suji was happy. She would have to press a couple of buttons and she will be inside his circle. She could feel it.

Chanyeol could eat his words.

She was already developing a plan in her head. It was flawless. She will take advantage of the soon coming holiday. Everyone at the house will leave for the week. Kyung Soo will stay there, playing with his dogs or any of that crap he does by himself. And she will stay there with him.

Checkmate.

And again, Suji thanked the stars for her luck. Just when she was getting ready to go and clean his room she heard a sound outside her room. The voices were unknown, so she got on guard immediately. She looked outside her window and found two guys. Her mind worked fast, she recognized them. Two of Do’s workers. She couldn’t quite remember their names, but the faces were very familiar. She sharpened her ear, listening to their words. The fact that they were outside her room talking in a low voice caught her attention.

“Kyung Soo gave me the number of the account, I should take one million, but I’m planning to take a bit more…you know, personal expenses”

“Do it! You deserve it. That bastard makes you work way too hard, way too much, and pays a misery, fuck it, take three million, one for him, two for you” They ended the conversation with loud laughs and walked away.

That was weird.

She couldn’t catch the entire conversation, but why talk about it there? inside the household, and close to a window. Her window.

Another trust test.

And she will bite the bait.

                                  ≠

“Sir, may I have a word with you?” Kyung Soo recognized Suji’s voice from behind the door and smiled to himself.

Someone had bit the bait. 

“Come in” Suji walked inside with confidence, something that always got him, and sat in the chair in front of him, looking serious. 

“I was about to leave my room and go clean yours when I heard voices” He faked interest, leaning on his desk, crossing his arms and inviting her to keep talking. 

“When I looked outside my window, I saw two guys outside my room, I guess…two of your guys?”

“Sure”

“Ok, well, they were talking about an account number, and three million, one for you sir and two for them”

“I see…why are you telling me this?” Suji’s surprised look was what he was waiting for. Fast, her eyes focused again, and her brows met in the middle again. “

I thought you should know it”

“You’re snitching?” He was incredibly amused by Suji’s expressions. She kept them under control, but still, they showed what she was thinking. At least what he thought she was thinking.

“No sir, my loyalty is with you, if I see something, I say something, especially if it involves someone saying that bastard, when they refer to you” Suji’s words sank hard in Kyung Soo’s head. He planned all that so he could have a last verification of trust. He still had some remaining doubts, but Suji’s words were overflowing with commitment. 

“Thank you Suji, I will see what is going on…it’s good to know that I can trust you” He kept his stare fixed on her face, looking for a sign of alarm, a twitch of her lips, pupil dilatation, nervous hand movement, but he saw nothing. Only her serious face. 

“One last thing sir…this weekend, may I stay here working? I know Miss Dada was going to stay, but she has a family and all that”

“Talk with her, if she is alright with it, I see no problem”

“Good, sir” Suji stood up, ready to leave, and he saw a chance to try something “I will stay here during the holidays too, Miss Park”

“Then I will be taking care of you next week”

Kyung Soo didn’t ignore her flirting tone.

April 10th

Suji was finishing up her weekly report. There wasn't too much news, but it was her way to keep everything organized, and in that way also her boss and teammates could be actualized with the case. After lunch, Chanyeol had arranged a web conference with Jongdae. Suji wanted to talk about some things regarding Kyung Soo and how could she interpret the cuddling in his bed situation. 

“Well…when it comes to cuddling or hugging, is always a way to look for protection or comfort, now, the fact that he asked you to take off your t-shirt and only your t-shirt, can give us a bit more of information…the skin to skin thing…it shows a search for intimacy, but at the same time it puts him in a very vulnerable situation”

“My theory about remorse…can it be correct?”

“I think it is. Probably that time he did something that made him feel full of regret, maybe something that he didn’t like doing, Now, the fact that he seeks for comfort in your persona, allowing you to get in to his bed, and sleep with you, which is when all our guards are down, tells me that he trusts you. Someone as careful as him, as analytic as he is, will never make such a huge mistake”

“What should I do now?”

“Take advantage of what you have in front of you”

She didn’t need to hear that twice.

April 19th

Suji found the first big problem since she got inside the house. With all the cooks on vacation and none of her co-workers there, she was in charge of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And she couldn’t even toast bread without burning it.

She never learned how to cook. She never had the interest, never needed it. Supermarkets had everything ready for her. It was idiotic to occupied space inside her head remembering recipes when she could get frozen food.

But now, there was no frozen food. Only raw material. She pulled out her computer and searched for breakfast tutorials. Maybe she wasn’t a good cook, but she knew how to follow rules. In less than 20 minutes she had a full Korean breakfast ready.

Kyung Soo had breakfast in his office, lunch in the dining room and dinner in the kitchen, with her. Her intentions to get into conversation were futile. He was vague and obviously nervous.

A little bit past midnight Suji was memorizing new recipes for the rest of the week, craving some midnight snack, like potato chips or Ice cream with cream on top. They probably had nothing like that at the Do’s household, but she could try it.

She went outside her room, without caring about making noise since she was all by herself in that part of the house.  She looked in every cabinet and found nothing similar to her cravings. Not even a bar of chocolate. And her body was asking for some sugar and carbs. 

“Suji, are you looking for something?” She didn’t even flinch when she heard his voice. She was already used to his low tone, and the fact that it caught her by surprise several times. 

“Yeah, some real food for example”

“There’s a lot of real food in that cabinet over there and in the fridge” Suji didn’t have to fake an exasperated sigh 

“I know, but not the kind of food I need, I need carbs, complex carbohydrates, and sugar, refined sugar, you have none of that”

“Not really, you see, I’m planning on living a long life, hopefully with a healthy heart”

“Very funny, is not that I’m planning on killing myself, but my body needs that kind of fuel once in a while” She saw him walk outside the kitchen and came back with his phone. He moved his fingers over the screen and then brought it to his ear. 

“Goodnight, I would like to know if you make delivery…ok, then would you bring…” He stared at Suji, telling her to make the order. She listed what she wanted, and he repeated it to the person on the other side of the line. Suji didn’t feel ashamed about her order, not even when she compared it with Kyung Soo’s single bowl of ramen. 

“Are you pregnant or something Miss Park?”

“Not at all sir, I just tend to have cravings” 

“Oh, well…I didn’t know that, we don’t have any of that food here, I’ll tell one of the cookers to add some of those things to the list from now on” It didn’t surprise her how nice he could be. She already knew that he was a very caring person, of course, only with the people he works with.

Their order arrived 30 minutes later. And Suji volunteered to go and pick it up at the main gate. He waited for her in the kitchen, sitting at the small table next to the dishwasher. Her night menu consisted of a cheeseburger, a portion of potato chips, a Sprite and a Lava cake. Kyung Soo was rather amazed by it. 

“I feel sorry for your dentist”

“It's not like I always eat like this. Only when I’m on a…only when I’m working” She almost said a mission.

Idiot.

She bit the inside of her cheek as a punishment. He didn’t realize it, but still, she did it, and it angered her. No mistakes were allowed. Never.

But either way, she wasn’t lying to him. Always under the pressure of work, she would eat any kind of crap. The high consumption of carbs happened always during missions. Her body and brain worked too much, and carbs and sugar were the only things that gave her energy. And on vacation, she would detox her body with fruits, tea, and water. She knew very well how her body worked. 

“And you exercise a lot too” Of course he knew that. The bastard followed her and probably knew her training schedule. But she shouldn’t know that. 

“I do exercise a lot…how do you know?” Kyung Soo gulped twice, looking a bit caught in the spot.

 “Well…I can tell by looking at you”

“I do exercise. Running, kickboxing and some weight lifting, not too much, enough so I can break a nose with my fist” He laughed and didn’t look suspicious or upset by Suji’s words. Little by little, she was getting what he liked or what amused him.

Once they began eating, silence ruled in the kitchen, only interrupted by his slurping. It gave Suji the time to think about what to ask, talk and say. This was a great opportunity. Do Kyung Soo just invited her to dinner. In a way.

Maybe a light conversation could be good as an icebreaker. But weather conversations were for idiots. And after that cuddling situation, they were way past something like that. Maybe a random question about the house could lead to something. Or to nothing.

Suji had a third option. The risky one, but at the same time, the one that gave her a better hunch “Mister Do, are you feeling better?”

“Better?”

“Yeah, the other day, you know… when you found me in your room” He didn’t answer immediately,  taking his time to chew and swallow his food. Suji waited without looking at him, giving him some time. 

“I am better, thanks for asking”

“What happened?”

“Just work stuff, I was stressed”

“And snuggling half-naked takes the stress away?” Suji couldn’t interpret Kyung Soo’s stare. His eyes were dark, a bit mad maybe, but his mouth didn’t agree with them and refused to stop grinning. 

“It does. You know that cuddling has the same effect as painkillers?”

“No, I didn’t know”

“And the warmth of a woman’s skin takes away every single worry…now let me ask you something, what were you doing in my room?”

“I think you can put two and two together, sir” Kyung Soo stayed in silence again. He didn’t touch his chopstick and didn’t look at her either. Instead, he got up from his seat, thanked for the food and left.

Suji cursed herself and kept eating the rest of her hamburger with rage. The questions behind Do’s behavior started to shape in her head. Scared? Offended? Was he angry by her words? Was this a step back or a step forward in her mission?

Whatever the answer was, the only one who knew it was him.

The lava cake had to wait for tomorrow. Suji had lost her appetite.

She was washing the few pieces of tableware they used when she heard footsteps approaching. She ignored them, already knowing who it was. She decided to wait for his next move. But he remained still at the door, she could see his reflection in the kitchen window. And also could feel his stare on her back. 

“You need something, sir?” Fuck it. She couldn’t wait.  It made her somehow anxious, and nervous. She hated it. 

“No” Was his only answer.

Bastard. That answer said nothing. Not even his tone. 

“I was just thinking” Suji froze. Kyung Soo began moving from the door, approaching her, and then stopped again. 

“Since you came here, I have been wondering, to the point of loosening some sleep, what is under those long skirts you wear all the time” 

Bingo. 

There it was. But this time, she did stay in silence. Only turned around, facing him, faking an expression of doubt and nervousness. He walked the last four steps that kept him away from her and stood there, his body an inch away from hers.

He bent down, dropping a gentle kiss on her lips. Sadly, the soft sight that left her mouth was real.

She waited for another kiss, and this time she will have her reactions under control. But it didn’t come. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, she could imagine how her face looked, clueless and maybe a bit pale. He didn’t move, he didn’t kiss her again.

He was waiting.

He was waiting for her to make the next move.

She didn’t know how. This wasn’t the plan. The plan was that he was going to force himself into her. And she would let it happen. But that clearly wasn’t his plan.

She didn’t know how to make her next move. How to kiss him back. As soft as he did it? Or rougher? How long the kiss should be? This was her 15 years old self all over again. 

“Maybe I should...” Kyung Soo took a step back, retracting like a wounded animal, but she stopped him. She wasn’t going to let this opportunity go just because she forgot how to kiss someone. She grabbed him by his waist pulling him against her. He was shocked at first, but a faltering smile appeared on his face. 

“I thought you were rejecting me” She shook her head and leaned closer, kissing him, a little less soft than he did. She hugged him by the waist tighter, pressing her chest against him, and sucking on his lower lip. Kyung Soo groaned in pleasure and grabbed her face. His hands were strong although they always looked so soft and small to her. He answered the kiss, his mouth hot and responsive to hers. Suji made the decision to kiss him, but she didn’t have time or mind to plan what to do next. Her brain, instead of processing the kiss, was playing different scenarios, trying to come up with the best and most useful way to continue that night. But Kyung Soo was faster than her. His mind worked better than hers.

He let go of her face and moved away from the kiss. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t even look at her to try to convey something. Instead, he dropped to his knees and sank his hands under Suji’s skirt, grabbing her ankles. He kept his stare fixated on hers, with dark seductive eyes. He kept caressing her ankles and up to her knee. If he kept moving up, he would find the big scar on her left thigh. Suji didn’t know how to act now. Normally, when it came to these kinds of situations, men were always rough. She would be tossed in a bed and then the only thing left was waiting for the pain. But Kyung Soo was doing the opposite. “Suji, I’m going to…”

“I know, go ahead” Suji was wrong. She thought he was talking about sex. But no. She could never imagine what he would do next. He grabbed the hem of her black skirt and passed it above his head, sinking under it. The first thing she felt was his lips against her thighs. Her hands kept still, grabbing the closest solid surface. And her skirt kept moving, with Kyung Soo’s head shifting, alternating between her left and right thigh.

She was already getting into the zone. Her happy place. That imaginary place she visited each time the mission demanded it. In that way, it was easier to get over it in the future.

Meanwhile, Kyung Soo played with the elastic of her underwear, she started to bite her lip, it was easier to concentrate in that way.

Her natural instinct to show some resistance started to dissipate when Kyung Soo pulled her underwear down her legs slowly, kissing her knees tenderly. She could barely register it. Suji looked down at her skirt and whatever was happening down there. Why was this guy being so thorough with his touch? This wasn’t normal. Not a common thing. The bad guy, the one she had to fight, was always some pig that broke every single moral he could find. And the top one was always abuse. Human abuse. Female abuse. She had gone through it, and she was ready to go through it again. She knew how.  

But this. Do Kyung Soo, South Korea’s most wanted, the guy that runs the most secretive drug cartel in the country, was now giving her oral. And the worst, he was good at it. He was so good at it. 

Maybe she didn’t need her happy place. 

Still with his head under her skirt, Kyung Soo was having no trouble finding the right spots. And the feelings of kicking his head away or grab him by the nape so he could keep working were fighting inside her head.

He kept kissing in between her legs. And it kept getting better. Inevitably her breathing lost its rhythm. Her knees were lacking some strength too. Her mind was lacking clarity, and the desire to grab him by the nape and sink his tongue deeper was getting stronger.

Slowly, he detached his lips from her, kissing down her legs and getting out from under Suji’s skirt. His hair was messy, his cheeks a bit flushed and his lips glowing. He licked them in a way that caught Suji’s interest way too much. 

“Suji, I’m at my limit” From the back pocket of his pajama pants, Kyung Soo took off a metallic square. 

‘Remember you are supposedly interested in this guy’ 

Her mind reminded her. So she grabbed the metallic square from his hand.

“I see” She said with a quiet voice, not meeting his eyes, looking at her right hand that was pulling down his pants. 

“I can do it” He tried to stop her. 

“You have done a lot” Answered Suji with a flirty tone, getting a shy laugh from him. Still, he helped her pull down his pants and waited patiently until she finished putting the condom on. She gave him a couple of strokes, just testing, and looked straight into his eyes, waiting for his next move. He decisively grabbed her by the waist and sat her on top of the kitchen counter to later grab the hem of her skirt and pull it up, uncovering her naked legs. 

“Bite here” He said, twining half of the skirt and posing it against her lips. Suji opened her mouth and grabbed the piece of clothing between her teeth, allowing him to have a clear view of her lower half.

Her breath got stuck in her throat the moment Kyung Soo pushed in. She was waiting for some flashbacks, the psychiatrist had told her that in the future, especially during intercourse, her mind could bring back images. But his solid hold had her strongly close to reality, to what was happening right now. She was also expecting pain, but to her surprise, she was wet enough so Kyung Soo slid inside her easily. His movements were slow, his stare serious. She only stared at him, trying to read or understand any expression that could cross his face. But she only found concentration, that and arousal. Kyung Soo stopped his movements for a moment, rearranging his position and finally looking at her. A thin smile appeared, apparently, he liked what he saw “Open your legs a bit wider for me please” He said with a velvety tone that made every single hair on Suji’s nape stand. She did as told, and he didn’t think twice before slamming back into her. A strangled hiss left her mouth, and her hands involuntarily traveled to his shoulders pulling him closer. Involuntarily.

He rested his head on her shoulder, with his lips stuck to her neck, nibbling at her skin, eliciting soft moans from Suji. She did her best, her biggest effort to keep her mind clear, to stay in control of her actions. But he was so damn talented, and she was still a woman who knew how to enjoy a good fuck. And the guy was making her feel very good, despite the fact that she was still fully clothed, or sort of. His hips changed their rhythm and... 

“FUCK THAT’S IT!” She let go of her skirt as the words left her mouth before she could even form them inside her mind.

Kyung Soo, after some minutes, had found that place inside her that made her see white and moan like in a cheap porn movie. It took her years of self-loving to find it, and now this damn drug dealer had found it in no time. She could feel his smile against her neck, and it angered her. But he kept thrusting, and the anger quickly dissipated. He withdrew and pushed in hard, again and again. He quickened his pace, and she raised her hips, wanting him deeper inside. He pumped harder and deeper in and she gasped at the strength of each thrust. Just a few more and she will be done. 

His breath matched Suji’s. He groaned as he burst inside the condom. She covered her mouth, not giving him the pleasure of hearing the long moan that accompanied her ecstasy.  He withdrew from her and took off his condom, tossing it into the trash can. Suji was still panting, resting her back against the cold surface of the window behind her, still not sure if she could stand firmly. He lifted his head, looking at Suji from above. He dried the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and pulled up his pants. 

“Somehow…I feel like apologizing”

“For what?” She asked, pulling down her skirt. 

“Jump on you?” Suji shrugged it off and grabbed his hands when he offered help. 

“It wasn’t against my will, although, If they find out about this in the agency, I’ll get fired so…”

“I will take responsibility if that happens, I doubt it though…we have to…”

“A secret, I know, I like this job, I don’t want to lose it”

“Then it’s alright” He said as he took her face in his hand and pulled her again into a kiss. He gave her a wide smile and grabbed her by the hips when her legs wobbled. Suji thanked him and tried to walk by herself, picking up her underwear, not bothering with put it back on. 

“I think I’ll go to bed right now”

“Sure me too, I will see you tomorrow”

“Sleep well sir” Suji saw him disappear through the door and dashed to her room. She took off her computer from under the bed and turned on the microphone’s software. She didn’t press record, she only wanted to see if Kyung Soo had something to say, out of curiosity. She could hear him walk around the room to finally get inside the bed. 

“Damn…that was good” Was the only thing she heard him say. Suji laughed, not sure if it was from happiness or triumph.

TBC

#Kyungsoo #do kyungsoo #do kyung soo #kyung soo #d.o fanfic #d.o smut #kyungsoo smut #exo fanfiction #exo fanfic #exo smut #d.o exo #iliada #d.o

[the-silentium]

Wait for me to come home Pt.5

Masterlist  Part 4

Pairing: Eddie Brock x Reader, Venom x Reader

Warning: Angst, fluff, swearing, mention of homosexuality

Words: 3900 Words

Eddie woke up to your sleeping form curled up on his side. Your steady breath on his chest tells him that you’re still enjoying some rest. He takes some minutes to admire your relaxed face and touch your delicate skin. He is still amazed that you gave them a chance. After bonding with Venom, he always thought that he would live his life alone with dead plants and boxes of chocolate. 

With each morning with you in their arms, they grow more confident of themselves. Eddie stopped fearing that you would finally crack and leave at every symbiote appearance. Which were rather frequent because the symbiote developed an addiction to your touch. Whenever you were near them, he would reach for you and wrap at least a tendril around your body. At home, you didn’t care much, you even seemed to grow fond of his constant touch too. It became a problem when even in public the symbiote wanted to be in contact with you. Sure, Eddie tried to hold your hand often to ease the symbiote, but sometimes, nothing could do. 

Your naked waist was wrapped in black goo, keeping you near them. Sighing, Eddie reached for his phone and checked the hour. 7:04. 35 minutes before he has to go to work. 

He would never be able to return the favor to his girlfriend. She got him a second chance for the job that was made for him and with it, he met a wonderful team. They would often play pranks on each other, but they know when to be serious. They always help those in need without judgment, which Eddie was very thankful for in his first days. Everyone has a different opinion on various topics and they respect it. Eddie never feared to lose his job even if some of his articles were raw. The Journal advocates the truth in all its forms, shocking or not, big fish or not. 

Eddie smiles when you take a deep breath and groan. Your eyes flutter open slowly, adjusting to the light in the room and finally, you find his gaze. 

“Good morning beautiful.” He moves forward to peck your forehead, moving you in the meantime. Venom gives you a light squeeze before starting to ondulate on your skin. He discovered that you tended to stay in bed a little longer when he did it. 

You smile and let out a pleased sigh. You close your eyes again and return on your spot, stroking your head on his side. “Good morning boys.“ 

Chuckling, Eddie strokes your hair while Venom forms himself on his shoulder. He puts his head down on Eddie’s chest and licks your left cheek. You giggle and reach for his head, patting blindly before finally finding him. You pet him like a cat and soon enough, the black symbiote starts purring. 

Eddie opens his mouth to tell you that they really need to get out of bed, but you cut him off. 

"Don’t say it.” Your tone is sleepy, almost pleading. “If you don’t say it, maybe I won’t feel bad about you being late.”

With a smile, Eddie reaches for your chin. You open your eyes and he found himself falling for you again. 

“As much as I want to stay in bed with you,” he says while turning on his side and getting on top of you, “I have to go to work.” He kissed you and had to resist the urge to roam his hands over your naked body. “I would be doomed if I lose this job." 

You sigh and smile at him. "I know.” You peck him on the lips and give a last pet to Venom’s smiling head. Eddie knows how much the symbiote craves the day you will kiss him again.

You kissed his head once. He loved the feeling of your lips on him. It lighted a spark in him he didn’t know possible. The deep feeling he experienced at that moment kept him wanting more, so he tried to reach your lips with his. Eddie felt so pleased every time he did it that he figured the feeling could only be better. But the sudden change of position and his sharp teeth scraping your lips made you flinch. He apologized profusely, afraid that he had crossed some line and you would go. But you stayed and promised him that you would kiss him too. You just needed some time. 

Eddie gets off of you and you follow him. You both get dressed and get to his small kitchen. He makes your coffee just the way you like and you prepare some eggs and toasts for the both of you. Well, more like the three of you. You hum a song that you are the only one to hear and move your head from side to side in a slow rhythm. 

“We love when she sings.” The symbiote’s purrs start again through Eddie’s body. 

“Yeah, we do.” He whispers, unable to remove his gaze from your form. 

Eddie finally regains control of his movement when you turn to him with two plates. He gets the forks and sits across from you. 

“So, what is your plan for the day?” He wondered after a bite. You opened your phone and read through your topic list of the day while eating your meal. You don’t look displeased at all. 

“Remember this museum that was robbed last week?” He nods and you continue. “They assured to the press that their security has been improved to a top-notch level and that this kind of event would never happen again.” The corners of your mouth twitch and Eddie knows there is something more to it. “An investor send them an ex con-man known for his talent to elude every security system. They wanted to know if the system was truly faultless. Turns out it’s not.” You chuckle at that. “I have to accompany Kyle to an interview with this guy and take pictures.” Then you text something to who Eddie think is Kyle. 

The excitation in your eyes would have made him happy but knowing you with an ex con-man made him uneasy. Venom’s head materialized from his shoulder and groans softly. He must have watched Eddie’s memories because protectiveness flooded in waves through his system. 

You frown at their faces and tilt your head a little. “Did I say something wrong?” Venom looked like he was going to take over Eddie’s body and have a snack. 

“You will meet with a bad guy. You could be in danger and we would not be there to protect you." 

You shake your head while swallowing a bite of your breakfast. You reach for him over the table with your free hand and as soon as your finger touches his gooey form, a dozen little tendrils wrap around your hand and wrist. 

"Ven, you don’t have to worry. The guy is an ex-con artist. He never hurt someone if not by stealing paints or pieces of art.” At their unconvinced face, you rolled your eyes. “He is also working as a consultant for the FBI for 3 years now in the white collar division. An agent is constantly by his side and he has to wear a GPS tracking anklet. Plus, Kyle will be with me. Is that enough to prove my safety?" 

Eddie scratches the back of his head. He doesn’t like the idea of his girlfriend in the company of an ex-criminal, but he must admit that if the FBI had their hand on the guy, he shouldn’t be that big of a threat. Right? She wouldn’t be alone with him and if he limited himself to stealing art, she shouldn’t be in danger. 

Eddie feels Venom rummaging in his thoughts and the low growl resonating through him made his opinion clear. If he could eat the man, he would. Ex-criminal or not. He pats the symbiote’s head in an attempt to calm him down. 

"We are just worried. We don’t like the idea of a criminal being around you. But if you are safe, that’s all that matters.” Your smile return at that and Eddie wishes he made the good decision letting you do this. 

“If anything happens, you have to call us, little one.” His tone let no place to argue, but your expression let them know that you knew the line was coming and you are okay with it.

“Of course Ve. I have my two favorite heroes on speed dial if I ever need them.” You get up and walk over to your boyfriends. You kiss Venom on the head and Eddie on his lips. You quickly grab your empty plate and put it in the sink. Eddie finishes his meal in two bites and follows your example. 

He then proceeds to put his boots on and grab his jacket. They weren’t paying much attention to you. They were silently arguing on the fact that they should or should not follow you on your trip to the museum. Venom wanting to be there and Eddie trusting you to call them if necessary. They didn’t notice when you get closer to them and cough a little to catch their attention. When it didn’t work, you just went for it.

“My brother is visiting me in the evening.” You blurted out.

That catches their attention. Eddie’s head was now dead silent. He slowly turns his head toward you. You look so small and ashamed. He doesn’t understand why and it troubles him. 

“I didn’t tell him yet about us.” Your voice is small and you avoid his gaze. 

Eddie reaches for your hand and intertwined his fingers with yours. Thin tendrils wrap around your wrist and your gaze slowly meets his. 

He knows your brother is a very important person in your life. You two were inseparable when you were kids and now you couldn’t make a month without seeing each other. He has always been your best friend and you two shared a very strong bond. Eddie knew the moment you started talking about him that he needed to be in your brother’s good graces. Fortunately for him, you said that he would love him. 

“Babe, there is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m okay with it. We have been together for only a month.” A small smile forms on her lips. “If you want, I will stay he-" 

"No, I want you to meet him.” You cut him, frowning. 

“I’ll be there then.” He smiles. He was a little nervous about meeting your brother but tried to hide it. On the other side, if you wanted to present him to your family, then it was proof that you wanted Eddie and Venom to stay in your life. It alleviates his last fears and Venom is moving contently inside of him. 

“Good. He will show at 5 and I’ll be home at 2. You can show up whenever you like." 

He nods and pecks your lips. Keys in hand, he gets out of his apartment with you following behind. Like every day that you were teamed up with Kyle, said man is waiting for you on the sidewalk. Behind him is a cab, waiting for your appearance to go to the museum. 

"Good morning darling, Eddie.” He smiles at you as usual and nods at Eddie. “Ready for the day?” He moves closer to the door and opens it for you. 

In the last weeks, Eddie befriended the dark-haired journalist. He is talented, open-minded and a quite good company. He invited Y/N and Eddie to his place once for dinner. Never before did he ate such delicious homemade food. Eddie knew Kyle’s husband was a chef, but never did he expect the food to be this scrumptious. Even Venom wanted more despite the fact that the meat was dead. 

Kyle has a real talent to make people admit all their secrets so Eddie had to ask Venom to stay quiet around him. He doesn’t want to accidentally talk to the symbiote and be compromised. It seems that around Kyle, people start talking like he was their most trusted friend. Maybe it was his charisma or his good looks, Eddie didn’t know. 

With time, Eddie grew used to Kyle’s gentlemanly demeanor with his girlfriend. He would always be kind to the ladies; always complimenting them, opening the doors for them, help them when in need and offers them his charming smile. At first, Eddie seriously doubted what you said about him being gay. He got confirmation though at the dinner at his house, when Kyle kissed his husband and how he would look at him. This man definitely has eyes only for his beloved. 

“As ready as I can be!” You answer, excitation in your voice. You peck Eddie’s lips quickly, mumbling them a good day before getting to the open door. You sit on the backseat and Kyle carefully closes the door. 

“I’ll take good care of her. Good luck with your interview.” Kyle says while walking around the car to open the door on the other side. 

“Thanks. I would wish you good luck too, but I know you don’t need it.” Eddie puts his hands in his pockets with a smile at the corner of his lips. 

With a laugh, Kyle entered the car. You wave at Eddie one last time before the driver pulls off and blend with the other cars. Eddie puts a hand on his shoulder in a reassuring manner. Venom was stirring uncomfortably in his body cutting his breathing a little. 

“Ve, she will be alright.” He whispers while getting to his motorcycle. “Sam wouldn’t have sent her there if she would have been in danger.” He puts the engine on and pulls off. 

“We can’t bear the thought of our little one being hurt.” Came Venom low voice. 

“I know bud’. But she will be okay. We will have a nice dinner tonight and you will forget about it all. Don’t worry.” Eddie has to resist the feelings Venom is sending through him. Instead of the unease radiating from the alien, he tries to send him confidence and some calm vibes. It worked a little, but there is always a little nervousness lingering in the back of his mind. 

————————————————————

Eddie’s interview went pretty well. He got all the information needed and the guy slipped on his own lies. Easy really. He returned to the journal to start his article as soon as possible and finish his day early. 

At lunch, you send him a picture of you blowing a kiss to the camera. You soon texted him “Still in one piece” with a heart. He chuckles at your cuteness. 

“Want to answer to that bud’?” He takes a look around him and sure enough, he is the only one on the level still working. The others invited him to the café down the street but he declined, wanting to return to you early. 

“Yes.” Venom popped his head out of Eddie’s shirt and smile as best as he could to the camera Eddie is holding. 

Eddie snaps the picture and sends it to you with “We miss you" 

It doesn’t take long for you to answer. "Miss you two too. I’ll make a chocolate cake for dessert if it can make you feel better!" 

At the mention of chocolate cake, Venom projects himself to the phone, pulling Eddie’s upper body forward. He almost drops his phone when his ribs hit the desk. Venom is now chanting ”Cake, cake, cake.“ in his head and rubs his head on the device. 

The pain faded quickly and he answered you by stating that you broke the symbiote. You laughed it off and wished them a nice time lunch. 

”We can’t wait for tonight.“ He slowly returns inside his host. 

"We are almost done Ve. Bear with me a little more.” He smiles and takes a sip of his coffee. “Now, let’s get back to work.” He says returning to his computer and writing the rest of his article. 

————————————————————

Eddie finally finishes everything. He sighs and lay on his chair. He closes his eyes two seconds and opens them again to glance at his phone. 14:57. Wow, this article took him longer than he thought. 

“Hungry.” Comes the growled complaint. “I won’t say it again. I’ll just start to nibble on your liver.” As to put more weight on his threat, Eddie felt a stinging sensation inside of him. Very little, but still there. 

The journalist has been ignoring the symbiote’s complaint for 2 hours now. He is actually surprised he didn’t start to eat on his organs before. “That’s because our little one would be mad at us if we did. But now, I’m getting really really hungry.”

“Relax Ve. I’ll go grab some chocolate so we can make it home and see what we can grab there.” Eddie grabs his jacket, waves goodbye to his colleagues and exits the building. He stops at the café next to the journal and grabs 2 chocolate bars. 

He eats them quickly and drives home. 15:17. Perfect. He would have time to feed his alien before your brother arrives. 

The ride up the stairs allows them to smell the chocolate cake baking in what Venom hopes is your apartment. Venom tries to hurry Eddie up the remaining flight of stairs. He really hopes the cake is yours because if not, he is sure the symbiote will raid the apartment cooking it and steal it. 

Finally getting at your door, Eddie has his hand on the handle when he freezes. He stopped breathing at what he heard. 

“Last words?” The voice was strong and unknown. He didn’t have the time to move that your scream reaches his ears and Venom took control. 

Venom bursts in and take a quick glance of what’s happening. You are on the floor under a man, trying to break free. If only the boys would have paid a little more attention, they would have heard your laughter. 

Neither of you didn’t have time to turn toward the source of the noise that Venom takes the man off of you by his neck. The black symbiote is growling loudly and bring the intruder’s face near his. The man’s eyes are wide in fear and surprise. His hands try to lose Venom’s grip around his throat, not to avail. The alien’s emotions are amplified by Eddie’s. Both feared for your safety and thought that they were too late. They were too wrapped up in their panic to hear you shout at them to let go of him. Or to notice the similarity between you and the intruder. 

“You dare invade our nest and threaten our little one.” He growls. His grip tightens around the delicate throat and a whimper escapes his mouth. 

At that moment, you started to hit Venom. He ignored your pleas, you had to make it stop. You hit him with your fists. On his back at first, then his upper arm. You don’t get any reaction. You try to pull on his forearm, to remove him from your brother, but his strength surpasses yours by so much. You start to panic. Your brother will die by your boyfriend’s hand. 

“You will never do that mistake again. We will keep our little one safe.” Venom is scared he will lose the little spark inside him that you only ever brought to life. He needs to protect it, protect you. 

Venom opens his mouth wide to eat the intruder in one bite. A sudden pain surges through his arm. He screeches and drops his prey that crawls away from him, coughing. 

His clawed hand shots toward the source of the pain. Maybe there were more intruders. His hand stopped right before it gets a hold of you. Shock shakes Venom. In your shaking hand is a match and you recoil when he tries to reach you. Tears run down your face and you dodge under his hand to reach the man on the floor. You hug him and immediately the guy tries to hide you behind his body. He tries to push you as far from them as possible. 

Eddie is the first to link the dots. How the man tries to protect you with his body, how much you two look alike, the nerf bullets all over the floor. He is horrified when he realizes that this man is your twin brother and you were just playing a game. 

Venom doesn’t know what to do. Pain and fear are all over your face and he hates it. All he wants is to cradle you in his arms and search comfort in your warmth. But with the look you give him when he takes a step forward tells him that he fucked up. 

“Out! Get out!” You scream at him. You pat your brother’s back when he coughs again while keeping your eyes on your boyfriends. Were you still together? Eddie isn’t so sure anymore. You look like you don’t want to see them ever again. 

Venom catches his host train of thoughts and his eyes widen. “Little one we-”

“Get out!” You are crying at this point and their heart breaks at your broken tone. Venom reluctantly walk toward the door. He can’t stand to see you in so much distress. He gets to the roof and swings himself as fast as he can as far as he can. 

They are in pain. The thought of losing you makes Venom wail. They can still smell your fear on themselves and it repulses them. Eddie stays silent, not knowing what to do. He never imagined the evening would turn out like that. 

They are angry. Not at you or at your brother, but at themselves. They hurt you when they promised they would never. They broke your trust. They almost killed the person you loved the most. They lose you.

Venom stops on a roof, unable to concentrate. He feels the urge to get his anger out. Destroy things, kill bad people. But the sun is still shining. Nearly no crimes are perpetrated at daylight and Eddie said no patrol during the day. All he can do is scream to the sky and terrify everyone on the streets below. He feels like he needs more, but he can’t go on a rampage. You would not like it one bit. 

With any option left, the black symbiote makes his way home. Eddie’s home. He gets there in a matter of minutes. He climbs through the window and gets in bed. He is not hungry anymore. The only thing he craves is your touch. 

“We are sorry.” His voice is small, full of guilt. He returns inside his host who lay still. 

“We were scared bud’. I’m not mad at you. We didn’t know.” He replies turning on his side and closing his eyes. 

He hopes that you will forgive them. He knows that it is very unlikely to happen, but he can’t stop himself. He just wishes that if you can’t find it in yourself to forgive them, that you will not forbid them to ever approach you again.

A/N: Does anyone know who is the FBI consultant? Also, which serie would you like to have the next chapter first? Home or Unsteady? Thanks for all your support!

Tag list: @slither-in-a-half @a-frozen-bag-of-corn  @noshi-chan 

#venom x reader #eddie brock x reader #neal caffrey #angst #twin brother #the boys are in shit #venom #eddie brock #y/n

[dvbermingham]

Chapter 1: Hamachi

Chapter 1: Alonso

I was coming off one of the worst weeks of my career. My former boss, whom I knew only as Takuto and for whom I’d worked for about six days, was stabbed in more than two places on his torso, and once in the neck region. I found him splayed out like a starfish on the sidewalk down a side street with no street sign. There was a distant sound of running through puddles, and I swear I heard a muted trumpet echoing off the brick apartment buildings somewhere down the block.

As a bodyguard, finding your boss in a pool of his own blood, is generally hailed as the end of your shift.

It was rough. I always thought of myself as a natural guarder of bodies. I get very attached to bodies, whatever type they may be, and if I’m assigned to guard one, well, that protectiveness comes out and I get very difficult to peel off.

I tried not to fault myself too much. I didn’t have much time to get to know Takuto, it being a truncated work week and he living high on the untrusting meter. I gleaned through my investigatory talents and the brief synopsis from Alonso, that Takuto was a chef at a restaurant, probably a Japanese restaurant. I heard words like chirashi and P&L on more than one eavesdrop. Apparently in this particular field of work, this kind of thing happens. People in high places, especially ones in the high-stakes food and beverage community, often get violently replaced. Something about the number of knives at hand, the ambient heat of any given kitchen, the stress of maintaining fish at the right temperature.

That kind of thing did not deter me. Violence comes with the job. Why would someone hire a body guard if their body wasn’t in some kind of perpetual state of risk. It kind of goes without saying.

In the short time I knew Takuto, I hadn’t been given much insight into who his enemies were, what kinds of valuable assets he possessed, any of that sweet detail that might make my job easier. I got the impression that Takuto didn’t know either. He seemed like a man who hadn’t quite found his footing in his new job, an apprentice turned chef turned sushi-alderman in a manner of hours. He seemed like the kind of many who needed some thorough body-guarding, but without that information, the job was nothing more than looking scarier and more aware than you really are.

You’d have to ask Alonso personally if you want to know why he hired me. God knows he wouldn’t explain it to me. He simply said, “I know talent when I see it.” I was in the middle of a také course, miso soup included. I had become a big fan of sushi. I found the formality of the dining experience balanced me out. The beauty and grace of every aspect was a welcome vacation from my normal life. Plus such fish were high fatty oils. Perhaps you’ve gathered by now, perhaps you haven’t, but I promise, if you were to pass me on the street, you’d bet your life that I’m the kind of guy that likes his fatty oils. You might even say I look like a guy who deals exclusively in fatty oils. They’ve always held a special place in my heart. Maybe that’s why I was hired.

This was 1996, in case you couldn’t tell. Sushi was still an elusive cuisine in America at this point in history. The country hadn’t rediscovered its craft culture quite yet — the nineties had us all in a climactic frenzy whose origins dated to the fifties, probably earlier, but definitely at least the fifties. The factory processed food system had triumphed over its communist cousins, whose food system was undoubtedly just as factory-based but was somehow different, I’m not sure. Either way, we won, and in celebration we pumped our money into deep fried hot dogs and bloomin’ onions and all-you-can eateries and tuna melts. Not to say I have anything against those particular items. In fact, I choose them because they more or less define me as a consumer.

Sushi was just one of those things that flew under the radar. No one really trusted raw fish, they didn’t rate rice quite as high as bread and pasta, and wasabi was feared for its potency. It just so happened that a sushi bar opened up right across the street from my apartment. Me being the type that needed extended breaks from Dexter, presently my only companion and also my cat, I had the habit of trying any restaurant or bar I could find.

I was only one of a handful of people who frequented this establishment, whose sign simple read, in dull red lettering, Fishy Smell. Nor was it the best neighborhood for such a restaurant. People of that ilk, my neighbors at the time, didn’t have my unique brand of open-mindedness. It was almost as if they were attempting to deter people from eating there.

Still the sushi was good. The chef clearly took his job very seriously and treated me with respect. I did get the overall impression that they were somewhat nervous about opening a restaurant in that location. Whether it was the crime, the degenerates, the filth on the streets and sidewalks, the noise from the fire-escapes and roofs where in the heat of summer the chronically claustrophobic congregate, and how all this would influence the delicate nature of their fish, or something else, a concern uniquely Japanese, a concern about culture and its export.  I won’t brag but I did some research after my third or so meal in Fishy Smell and it turns out for most of history the Japanese were not particularly inclined towards cultural imports or exports. Such a recent and drastic reversal, I suspected, might cause a few of their more traditional citizens some mild anxiety.

While the rest of the country remained in their comfy, all-American reveries, the elusive world of the sushi magnates began to form before my very eyes. Perhaps America was right to dabble in a California roll once a year, perhaps at a holiday party, and leave it at that.  Perhaps they sensed that the sushi underworld was still afoot, and that stepping into an authentic sushi restaurant, and I believe I’m quoting Newsweek here, was one of the most dangerous things you could do in 1996.

As I was saying, I was in the middle of my také course, I think on my mackerel (one of my favorites re: fatty oils), getting eyed in a characteristically cryptic manner by the chef, when a well-dressed fellow walked through the doors. He was a regular, always sat in the end seat at the bar, far on the other end away from the door, and who always had a different guest with him. The chef greeted him with deference, seemed to serve him with a particular air of fear, as if at the slightest moment of disappointment, he guest could put down his chopsticks, walk outside, and shutter the restaurant, closing it forever and suffocating the staff and public unfortunate enough to be trapped inside.  

So that night, as I was sitting alone at the bar, drinking a beer and reading a book on mythology, a topic to which I returned rather frequently, eyeing my mackerel, best for last. The bar was empty — it was near closing time, and it was raining outside. At about 9:30, just as I was about to pop that little nigiri in my mouth, the door opened and the regular, the fellow, enters the restaurant, then locks the door from the inside.

I sat up. My antennae told me to. I do sometimes find myself trapped in places, but never like this. The chef and waitress disappeared. The man approached me, all smiles. In New York, this is a definite sign of danger. “Hi,” he said, his voice deep and velvety. “I’m Alonso. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.”

I made a face that said, sure, what else am I doing. Alonso took the stool next to me and began talking. didn’t have to say much to get the idea across. He had people who needed bodily protection, which was precisely the kind of protection I offered. I didn’t really care at that time of my life who I guarded, what they did for a living, the kind of people they tended to anger to a point of needed protection. That kind of information couldn’t really be trusted coming from well-dressed sushi bar patrons anyway.

“So what do you think,” he said after his spiel.

“You’d be surprised how many people in New York have offered me per-diem jobs as their goon or thug or even a pair of legs, a pair of shoulders, an extra set of eyes, a quick change of clothes. It sounds like you’re just looking generally for an all around frightening kind of presence in any given situation.”

“You catch on quick.”

“With nine millions people running around with their own agendas, sometimes people need reminding that their own agenda’s don’t align with other more powerful agendas. Guys like me tend to fill that job role well.”

The conversation went on. Alonso liked to talk. He liked to get you to see things from his side of the story. But since this is my side of the story I’ve decided I won’t give him any more space. If I do, we’ll be here all night. Suffice it to say, I was interested in money at the time and didn’t have a lot of use for myself other than precisely what he was asking of me. I could start the next day.