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#none of the guys I've approached recently were interested
malfoycoffee · 6 months
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trouble in paradise
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pairing: drew starkey x reader
summary: the outer banks cast decides to go to bora bora for a vacation before season 4 filming starts.
warning: none
Bora Bora. The very name exuded enchantment. With its turquoise waters, overwater bungalows, and lush tropical beauty, it was a destination that felt more like a dream than reality. As you stood on the powdery white sands, the gentle waves lapping at your feet, you couldn't help but feel awestruck by the beauty of this place.
The trip was a gift, a week-long escape before the whirlwind of filming the highly anticipated fourth season of Outer Banks began. Your group of friends and co-stars from the show—Drew, Chase, Madelyn, Rudy, and Madison—was like a second family to you. You'd share the rollercoaster ride of fame together, forming bonds that ran deep.
But there was one person among your friends who had always occupied a special place in your heart—Drew Starkey. Drew had been your best friend since the very start of filming. You'd laughed together, cried together, and shared secrets that only the closest of friends could. Yet, somewhere along the way, feelings that ran deeper than friendship had grown between you two.
The first day on the island was pure magic. You and your friends laughed until your stomachs hurt, snorkeled among vibrant coral reefs, shared stories around a bonfire, and danced the night away at a beachside club. It was a time of relaxation and pure bliss.
But the real adventure began the next day when you and Drew decided to spend the morning exploring the island. You hiked up to a stunning viewpoint, capturing breathtaking views of the island's landscape and the endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It was a moment that took your breath away, and Drew's presence beside you made it all the more special.
The days that followed were filled with more adventures and unforgettable experiences. You went jet-skiing, explored hidden lagoons, and danced the night away at a beachside club. It was as if time had slowed down, and you relished every moment.
As the second to last night of your vacation approached, the group decided to have a night out at a local club. Music thumped, laughter filled the air, and the energy was electric. You found yourself dancing with your friends, and every now and then, a guy would try to strike up a conversation with you. But none of them could hold a candle to Drew, who watched you with an unreadable expression.
As the night wore on, Drew's jealousy became more apparent. You could feel his eyes on you, and it made your heart race. It wasn't like him to be possessive or controlling, but something about this situation was pushing him to his limits.
Eventually, Drew couldn't take it any longer. He grabbed your arm and pulled you away from the dance floor, leading you to a quieter corner of the club.
"What's going on, Drew?" you asked, your voice laced with concern.
His jaw clenched, and he looked into your eyes with intensity. "I can't stand seeing all those guys hitting on you, (Y/n). It's driving me crazy."
You raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of surprise and frustration. "Drew, it's just harmless fun. You know I'm not interested in any of them."
He shook his head, his expression conflicted. "I know, but... it's hard for me to see you with someone else. Especially after everything that happened with your movie and Dylan."
Your heart sank as you realized the source of Drew's jealousy. Your recent romantic comedy film with Dylan O'Brien has garnered a lot of attention. Interviewers had probed about your chemistry with Dylan, and dating rumors had swirled on the internet. Drew had been watching from the sidelines, and it had clearly affected him more than he was letting on.
"Drew, you have nothing to worry about," you said softly, placing a hand on his arm. "The rumors were just that—rumors. And besides, you're my best friend."
He looked down at you, his eyes searching yours. "I know, (Y/n). It's just... I've realized something. I don't want to be just your best friend anymore."
The words hung in the air, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. Drew's confession had taken you by surprise, and it left you at a loss for words.
Before you could respond, Drew excused himself, leaving you standing there, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The next day, Drew was distant, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of unease between you two. The tension was palpable, and it cast a shadow over the remaining days of your vacation. You had never seen Drew like this, and you didn't know how to bridge the gap that had suddenly appeared between you.
On the last night of your vacation, you couldn't take it any longer. You needed to talk to Drew, to confront the feelings that had been left hanging in the air.
You found him in your hotel room, sitting on the balcony, gazing out at the moonlit ocean. You walked up to him, your heart pounding in your chest.
"Drew," you began, your voice barely above a whisper, "we need to talk."
He turned to you, his expression guarded. "About what, (Y/n)?"
You took a deep breath, your eyes locked onto the waves crashing on the shore. "About us, about what you said last night. I need to know what you meant."
Drew sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry for dropping that on you like that. It was unfair."
You nodded, feeling a mix of anxiety and anticipation. "Unfair or not, I need to know. Do you want to be more than just friends?"
He looked at you, his blue eyes searching yours. "Yes, (Y/n). I do. I've felt this way for a long time, and I couldn't keep it to myself any longer."
A rush of emotion washed over you, and you couldn't help but smile.
Drew reached out and took your hand in his, "Would you be my girlfriend, (Y/n)?"
You smiled and leaned into a kiss, "Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend."
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Feeling really nostalgic about July 17-18, 2008, the last time I believed in Joss Whedon
It was just cool, you know? Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog dropped in three separate pieces over the course of the week. We'd get 15 minutes of story, and then two days to froth over the whys and wherefores in Livejournal comments before the next piece came out. And those days were so good.
Buffy fans are so fucking smart, y'all. They could combine academic rigor with unselfconscious fangirl squee. Squee was a hermeneutical method, a mode of interrogating the text--one we often dismiss and diminish, because if there's anything grosser than teenage girls getting goopy over a vampire they like, it's 30 or 50 or 70-year-old women getting goopy over a vampire they like. But it's similar to what I've seen called a "redemptive reading". You approach a piece of media specifically looking for its best parts, the pieces you love the best, and you allow yourself to fully embody the joy of liking something and caroling your joy to other people who like it too. In a perpetually burned-out time, squee can be like a desert oasis.
So the people who liked Buffy and Angel and Firefly watched Doctor Horrible in a manner both squeeful and intersectionally feminist, and saw all the amazing interesting things it was doing, showing how insecure geek masculinity fundamentally self-sabotages the main character, Billy, because the relationship he wants has been there in reach for months, and it's his own perception that he needs to be an alpha male warrior that has kept him from it. It interrogated the entire genre of costumed heroes, with two men thumping their chests and comparing their dick sizes, and none of them doing anything as direct and helpful for their society as Penny, the woman who stands on sidewalks collecting signatures to help a homeless shelter.
Part II came out on July 17, and the series would end with Part III on July 19. So on July 18, I spent most of the day reading Livejournal comments about it. There were all these theories: Maybe Penny was secretly Bad Horse, the archvillain whose approval Billy has craved since the beginning. Maybe she will collapse the love triangle with Billy's rival, Captain Hammer, by acting on her clearly-demonstrated discomfort and dumping him. Maybe Billy will learn that relationships are based on intimacy, not being The Best. Maybe Penny will become a superhero and replace Captain Hammer as Billy's nemesis. Maybe Billy will succeed and rule the world and give Penny Australia.
And then... none of those things happened. Joss Whedon ended the series in a way less progressive, less imaginative, less cool, than even the most half-baked fan theory out there. The story opened up possibilities to break out of an old, tired, toxic set of stories around men and women and sex and heroics, and then hid under a rock rather than change a single one of them.
July 19 was the day I concluded that while Joss Whedon might have his own baggage to work through about toxic masculinity, and artists have the right to make work meaningful to them, he wasn't making art that was meaningful to me. And I basically stopped expecting anything of him.
And then, for years, Buffy fans, educated and squeeful feminists and sharp pop culture critics, got told they were crazy histrionic SJWs for thinking Whedon didn't shit solid gold. For years. (I recently saw a video essay that included the line, "If you have the phrase 'mewling quim' branded onto your memory, you probably need some Metamucil" and, ouch, rude.)
There was so much excitement! A lot of us actually believed in the guy (although even then, there was enough evidence for many people to suspect what we now know to be 100% true about him.)
We wanted it to be good. We wanted to enjoy it.
I miss that feeling.
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isanggayfrog · 9 days
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the person you were kissing wasn't me | p.jh
sypnosis: it's better to keep some things to yourself.
warnings: angst, fwb situation, idk if i missed anything
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you huff as you run, your uniform tie and hair blowing in the wind. the soles of your feet ached from how long you'd been standing at the restaurant you work in, tending to customers and serving dishes.
despite the tire of your bones and the muscles screaming at you to rest, you happily run your way to the home you shared with your best friend jihyo.
well, best friend was one way to label your friendship.
growing up together was probably one of the reasons you and her were so close. met in middle school, stuck together through high school, and now living together as you navigated through college and took on part time jobs.
✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧
the first incident was when you were both fourteen. young teenagers driven by recklessness who believed they were invincible never ended well. that's how you found yourself in detention after skipping school to hang out at the convenience store nearby.
how the teachers never realized that putting partners in crime together in one room was a bad idea, you'll never know. even more of a bad idea was when they left you alone.
so you and jihyo sat in silence, listening hard for footsteps approaching. but none came for a while, so you let your guards down.
she walked over to sit beside you, leaning her head on your shoulder as she picked on her nails. "have you ever kissed someone?"
she said the question so nonchalantly that you barely registered her words. when you did, however, you almost jumped in surprise. "why would you ask me about that?"
"because," she said, turning to look you in the eye, "haven't you ever wondered? kids our age usually do."
"i-i never.. really thought about it."
she made an expression of disbelief. "but aren't you curious?"
you shrugged, resting your cheek on the palm of your hand. "i mean, sure. i've seen enough romance to want to know why people like it."
jihyo looked away, thinking. you watched her side profile, ingraining it into your brain, but admired her as a friend. only as a friend, you always told yourself. you don't like her that way.
when she turned back to you she paused, staring deep into your eyes, before she spoke. "do you want to try?"
"try what?" you whispered, as if the two of you were up to no good once again.
"to kiss," she whispered back, leaning slightly closer. "i've never.. and experiencing it young couldn't hurt, right? i mean, we're just friends trying it out."
just friends, your mind echoed, she only feels that way towards you.
"okay," you breathe out.
and that was only the first time.
✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧
the second incident was a little later in eleventh grade. a new student, austin, had recently joined your school. he was your typical bully - a jock, tall, muscular, a total jerk to those who refuse to grovel at his feet and kiss his shoes.
you loathed that guy.
especially since he never left jihyo alone. you understood why he'd taken a liking to her - but god, couldn't he chase some other girl instead? although, you'd feel bad for whomever he ever took an interest in.
so one day in the cafeteria, you in a conversation with jihyo about the latest biology homework, he pushed through the doors and marched his way to your table.
austin pushed you away by the face and sat between you and jihyo, squishing you against the wall. you grumbled in annoyance, but chose to stay silent.
"hey, jih." he flashed his oh, so charming smile at her, stealing your glass of water and taking a sip. "so, you wanna come over to my house after class? i need your help with, uh, chemistry."
his buddies laughed from behind, with you rolling your eyes and miming a gag.
"um." jihyo was evidently uncomfortable. "no, sorry. i have plans with y/n."
"oh." austin spared you a glare before coming back for another attempt with jihyo. "c'mon, this loser? you'd be spending your time better with me. i could make you have fun."
your nose flared. this guy really needs to go. you watched with narrowed eyes as the glass of water in his hand tilted ever so slightly.
jihyo sighed. "no, i'm really sorry-"
austin poured the glass's contents on jihyo, creating a blotch on her blouse that made the white cloth somewhat see-through.
"oops," austin smiled 'innocently, "my hand slipped. c'mon, sweetheart, i have an extra shirt in my locker-"
"hey, man," you fumed, shoving him away from jihyo. "leave her alone."
he scowled at you, because how dare this lowly worm even talk in his direction? "what are you gonna do, huh? cry to mommy? tell the principal? my dad knows a lot of people, you don't want to mess with me-"
"yeah, go tell your daddy you don't have game." you shed your jacket and wrapped it around jihyo protectively, whose eyes darted around in embarrassment.
"don't- what!" austin spluttered. "how dare you assume that! i could date any girl i wanted!"
"yeah, go ahead!" you shouted. "just not this girl!"
"and why not?"
jihyo answered that for you. she tugged you down and planted her lips firmly on yours. she let the kiss linger for a moment before pulling away and glaring at austin. "because i'm taken."
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it's true the two of you aren't as close as before, or maybe your friendship had simply changed because of time, but she's a little different now. you don't see each other as often despite living together, due to schedules and shifts that don't align.
which is why you're excited to surprise her with your early return home, just before she left for her night shift at the convenience store.
you stop in front of the elevator once you reach your floor, panting. she can't see you so disheveled, so you attempted to fix yourself.
until you heard voices.
you recognized the voice as jihyo, so you peeked from the corner to see who she was talking to.
"you go home safe, alright?" she says to some man, patting his shoulders. "text me when you're home."
your heart almost stops when she gets on her tiptoes to share a passionate kiss with this man.
you can't tear your eyes away, no matter how much the sight drained all happiness from you. every hope of someday confessing your feelings for her evaporated, as did the excitement of getting to surprise her.
but you didn't have the right to be jealous. even though you and her kiss from time to time, and share a lot of things other 'friends' don't share, you weren't officially together. that doesn't mean it can't hurt, or that you can't feel like you'd been betrayed.
so when the man leaves, you pretend to have just arrived and greet jihyo with a smile you hope she didn't realize was fake. "hey, jih! guess who got released early?"
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mikuni14 · 4 months
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There are so many series airing now that even though I feel like I can keep up, EVERY DAY I come across a set of gifs on tumblr that remind me of another series I've missed. The sad truth is that none of them impress me enough to keep an eye on the release date of the new episode 😟 (although now I will be looking out for the Sign, hehe)
Bake Me Please is fine. I will definitely watch for Guide, Ohm plays similarly to UWMA, but he is better at interacting with someone who openly tells him 'fuck you' than P'Deeaaan. Their pool scene was really nice 🥰 Is The Mother related to the mother of the twins from Twins? 🤔
My Dear Gangster Oppa is fine. I watch it for Meen ngl. I still think their relationship is rushed and groundless, and Guy is just too childish, idk ,the series just... misses something..
Playboyy I like the new pair the most, I also think they are the sexiest and most believable couple. The second ep is even more chaotic than the previous one, there is still a lot of laughter and surprising/shocking moments, which makes me approach the next episodes wondering what they will come up with next instead of engaging with the characters and the plot, which is.. not good. Imo, the series is terribly edited, it seems like I'm constantly missing something, rewinding the player and it turns out that no, I haven't missed anything, it's just like that. I just have the impression that a lot of scenes have been cut out, which is why there is often a lack of continuity in the story. After two episodes, I say that Playboyy is a series that makes little sense, and despite the large amount of sex, it's not really sexy, but it is a pure stream of fun and wild ideas 🥳 The only question is - how long will the fun and new ideas last to keep the viewers interested? 🤔 No matter what the theme of the show is, mystery, possible murder, sex, kink etc, this series presents these dark topics in a way that is way too funny to be treated seriously (and their fashion choices certainly don't help).
Last Twilight is fine. I watch for Mhok, he's such a golden boy. This series is a bit too "feel good" for me. It's absolutely not a flaw or anything wrong, it's just not really my style. Besides, I find myself constantly having a feeling of deja vu, as if I've seen this story before, even the scenes… like recently... hmmm... Moonlight Chicken?
Pit Babe this is one of those BL romance that has everything interesting… except the actual romance 😆 Ok, first of all, Pavel carries ALL the weight of this couple, he is interesting and hot for two lmao. Basically everything that doesn't involve MLs is interesting, especially the supporting characters (and even new ones appear and they're fun too!). The non-romantic scenes, Babe's relationships with the other characters, the relationships between the other characters are much more interesting than what happens between Babe and Charlie. Oh, and I totally ship… Babe and Way 😋 Maybe it's the actors, I don't know. I just like watching Pavel and Nut on screen. And I feel and see Way's love 🥺 It just seems to me that an actor with such magnetism as Pavel MUST be paired with an actor with equal or just slightly inferior charisma. He can't just be pretty and sweet. Nut isn't as pretty as the actor playing Charlie, but he's the only one who can manage to take my eyes off Pavel lol
Twins I liked this episode much more than the previous one, even though there was almost no romance (except for the kiss, there were some nice accidental kisses this week and it's a trope I don't even like that much 😃). I admire Sprite for his dedication and sacrifice, I feel sorry for him having this kind of family, especially his toxic mother. I'm officially back to being invested in this series 😉
The Sign 10/10
Today is the premiere of The Whisperer 💖💖💖
(there are still plenty of series for me to watch 😥)
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confetti-cupcake · 1 year
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WIP Wednesday
Thanks for the tags @lostinabuddiehaze, @elvensorceress and @monsterrae1! ❤️❤️❤️ I've been posting a lot of non-Buddie snippets from my Survivor fic recently, so let's change it up — here's a tidbit from my murder mystery And Then There Were None-style whodunnit fic set toward the beginning of season 2, featuring both Buck and Eddie, who have just arrived at the manor, unaware of what's about to take place 😈
Eddie can barely make out the name written out on her luggage tag with handwriting as pin-straight as her hair: Dr. Hanako Ito.
“Is it just me, or were you expecting more of a beachy, resort-type place?” she asks, looking around at the manor. 
“Not just you. But hey, where else are you going to find…” Eddie trails off, studying the shrubs decorating the path to the front door, “dueling angel and devil topiary?”
“Creepy, yet impressive.” They followed the path down, passing vivid designs, and Eddie did his best to ignore the striking one of a hooded figure holding a scythe. “Owner has some interesting taste.”
“That’s for sure. You looking forward to the time away?”
“Look, I love my husband and my son. And my job is my passion. But between you and me?” she whispers, low and conspiratorial. “I could really use a vacation.”
“Hey, no judgment here,” Eddie says. “I think we all could.”
Hanako’s chauffeur opens the front door, which is bookended on either side by gargoyle vulture statues. They’re greeted by two butlers, outfit in neat suits, who welcome them. One takes their bags, and the other leads them through the parlor to the recreation room, where the crowd of other award recipients awaits.
“Hey! We were thinking you’d never show up!” a young man sitting close to the door says as he springs to his feet. “Now the party starts.” He runs a hand through his jet black hair before extending his hand out for them to shake. His piercing emerald eyes make him look like something out of a fashion spread, and are the kind that make Eddie stop in his tracks — all-consuming, but unnerving all at once. “Duncan.”
The next few minutes is a blur, while Eddie is stopped by everyone stepping up to introduce themselves on his way to the bar. There’s Harlan, a fire chief from a few states over, whose handshake could strangle someone if he isn't careful. There’s Griselle, a bubbly elementary school teacher who held onto Eddie a beat too long when they hugged, and Sheila, a 40-something police officer whose face tells him she's already exhausted by every single person at this brunch. And Detective Julian Crawford, who Eddie only knows how to address as such because of the badge proudly displayed on his belt. 
Not everyone approaches him. A scholarly-looking guy with thick glasses sits in the corner alone, sipping on a Shirley Temple. And an older woman, probably in her late 50s, her hair in a bun so tight that Eddie doesn’t know how she doesn’t have a splitting headache, stands by the old-timey record player, observing the whole thing with beady, unblinking eyes. 
It’s a while before he even spots Buck, who’s sitting at the bar chatting up a petite brunette in a pink sundress. Or, as he comes to find out when he actually goes over to say hi, is smiling and nodding at the petite brunette in a pink sundress as she, er, drives the conversation.
“It’s really the all-purpose drink, you know? You just cut up all the fruit you have in your fridge or hanging out on your counter, and just put it all in with your red wine of choice. God, I love wine. I could drink it at any meal, even breakfast. Did you know that’s why they call it sangria? Because the red wine makes it look like blood. Isn’t that interesting?”
Before Buck can respond, the woman turns to Eddie. 
“Hi!” she says, before Eddie can say anything. “What’s your name?”
“Uh, Eddie. Eddie Diaz,” he says before shaking her hand. 
“Eddie! It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Mary! Mary Almond. You know, like the nut,” she says with a girlish giggle. “Nut. That’s such a funny word.” She gestures wildly to the barstool on the other side of her as her drink threatens to slosh over the rim of her glass. “Sit down with us! We were just talking about— wait, what were we talking about?” she asks Buck. 
She’s giving… Miss Rhode Island from Miss Congeniality. But she’s gorgeous, in a very approachable, girl-next-door kind of way. And she's clearly full of fun facts. Probably Buck’s type, if he’s being honest. Not that he’s ever thought about this exact thing before. Nope.
Tagging: @ashwinmeird @elvensorceress @megslovesbooks @lightningbuck @jacksadventuresinwriting
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kayla-crazy-stuffs · 2 years
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Uhhhh
Trying to get my braincell to work hang on-
Giant Karl and Tiny fiances?
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They're almost the same, both wants giant!Karl with tiny fiances so I put them as one ask :) Enjoy.
Tw: None, I think
Karl was pacing slowly around his library, while he was reading another one of his many books that he had. He had been concentrating so hard on it, so much so that he didn't realize how long he had been there reading.
He decided to close the book by looking at the clock beside him. Nine o'clock of the night... It wasn't too late so he could keep reading for a while longer.
He went through several shelves trying to find a book to continue his reading. He found several that interested him so he sat down at a nearby table as he began to read them.
He wasn't really there to read the books, though. He recently started hearing little voices that used to be in the library, so today he planned to stay and 'read' to see if they really weren't his imagination.
He was there for a while reading in silence, waiting for the voices, although he didn't have to wait long since they soon began to be heard. However, Karl frowned.
The voices did not seem to be calm like other days, rather they seemed overwhelmed, so he got up and tried to find where the voices were coming from.
//
Quackity began to pace back and forth on the shelf where he and his fiancé stood, thinking of how to help Sapnap. "Sap, I told you not to go that way." he said with concern in his voice as he moved closer to him, trying again to lift up the book that was keeping his fiancé trapped.
Sapnap coughed a little as he tried to get up, but it was impossible. "I didn't know that the books were going to collapse when I went under them! -... Help me Quack... I can barely breathe..." he said, coughing again several times.
Quackity went to try to lift up the book again, stopping when he heard huge footsteps approaching. “S-Sap? I-I think the human is getting closer…” he commented, panic beginning to seep into his voice.
He desperately grabbed the book again trying to lift it up. “Sapnap! Try to push the book up!” "I can't! It wheights too much!" he yelled at Quackity when suddenly a shadow loomed over them. “Q-Quackity…” he whispered, collapsing suddenly as the lack of air overcame him.
//
Karl was following the voices, until he saw in the distance a small person trying to lift up one of his old books. Although as he approached, he was concerned to see that it was actually two small people and that one of them was trapped under the book.
It seemed like the little guy trapped underneath said something before passing out. At that Karl quickly reached for the book, lifting it from the little boy. He put the book aside wanting to make sure the little boy was okay, but when he went to pick him up, the other hugged him close to himself, moving away from him.
"Don't touch him!" he yelled, hugging him even tighter as he pulled out a pin. "Hey, hey, you're going to be fine, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to make sure your friend is okay." The little boy looked at him doubtfully before sighing.
"Okay, but do something to him and I swore that I'll stab you!" “Okay, okay. So what's your name? Mine is Karl.” he said softly as he scooped up the black-haired boy in his hand.
The other put the pin in his backpack while he watched him warily. “My name is Quackity… And this is my fiancé Sapnap…”
Karl smiled softly. "Well, nice to meet you two at last." "Wait, did you know we existed?" Karl chuckled. “I assumed that you were just voices, not people, though I'm glad I'm not here alone.” he said, placing a hand on the shelf for Quackity to climb up.
“Hey…uh…Karl, would you mind if we stayed with you? We don't have anywhere else to go…” “Sure, it'll be nice to have company, I've been lonely lately.” he replied as the little boy climbed onto his palm.
“That’s something that is about to change, mi queridísimo Carlos.” he said with a laugh. Karl let out a laugh at that. It was obvious that his life was going to change after finding Quackity and Sapnap.
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mediawhorefics · 1 year
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Book ask! 1, 10,19, 20! 💙
book answers <333
book you’ve reread the most times?
excluding the series that shall not be named... i have a few ~comfort reads that i've found myself revisting over the years. the watchmater of filigree street (natash pulley) is one of them. shocker i know, none of you expected this!! i've also read the captive prince series (c.s. pacat) a few times, esp. kings rising the last book. i really don't like diana gabaldon as a person (i think her stance on fanfiction is not only stupid as fuck but also hypocritical considering she stole her male lead from old doctor who episodes and didn't even change his name.) but the first outlander novel remains a favourite of mine in the historical romance department and i've read it many times. the series got lost along the way (at least i lost interest) but the first one is really entertaining! also time travel and scotland, you know i'm there for it. i've read red white & royal blue (casey mcquiston) a bunch. 3 or 4x ? it's got that classic romcom vibe and i deeply connected with the way it approaches grieving someone when you're young/for the first time. i've also read cyrano de bergerac (edmon rostand) a lot. both in the original french and different translations. it's excellent.
10. do you have a guilty fav?
i don't know if i believe in guilty favs tbh! as long as it's not hurting anyone, why should i feel guilty about art that i enjoy? but for the sake of the game/for the sake of argument, i'll try to come up with a list. i guess i read a lot of star wars novels (big nerd over here) and they're very quick adventure-y types with a sprinkle of character study so it's hard to consider them as literature sometimes? so a few of those would be on the list. i really enjoyed the padme trilogy, padawan, master & apprentice, all of claudia gray's sw novels, the rots novelisation, brotherhood etc. there are a few het romances i also love a lot that i suppose i could include here? outlander is the first. but i adore emily henry's writing too which makes me feel pretty basic bitch, but she writes a lot of fun romances with bookish themes and that's like catnip to me. any of the darth vader comics ?? that counts, right? oh! i recently read an arthurian retelling that cast merlin as a queer teenager coming to camelot impersonating her brother and meeting young arthur and kind of falling in love with him. i suppose that had a cringe cover but i had so much fun with it. one of my fav ya i've read recently. it's the other merlin! idk that i'd describe it as a favourite book overall but....
19. most disliked popular books?
i loathe the all for the game series that was popular on tumblr a few years ago? there was nothing compelling about it to me. it wasn't that well written, the characters weren't that compelling, the sport was boring and the romance just didn't have the ooof i needed from it. i truly never understood the hype. i tried reading the kiss quotient (helen huang) which was huge in the romance circles a while back and never finished it. ok this one comes from the depth of my childhood and will not be relatable to many of you but les chevaliers d'emeraude (anne robillard) is SO awfully written it gives me hives. i don't know if it counts but i despise jules verne too. fuck that guy, i know he's ~classic but his writing is so fucking dull. and i haven't read albert camus since high school so my opinion might change if i revisit him, but i remember him making me soooooo angry. i think everything written by cassandra clare is pretty awful. i hate her style. sooooo many people were gushing over boyfriend material (alexis hall) and i hated that. the main character was annoying and immature and simply not charming at all to me. i don't think i laughed even once. i need to laugh in a romcom, come on!! it has a four stars rating on goodreads and i simply do not get it. it was boring and i hated the writing style. and apparently, there's a sequel too ??? talk about the most unnecessary book written ever. sorry to fans of it, it was just no my cup of tea.
20. what are things you look for in a book?
not necessarily all at once but:
a historical setting (i esp. love the first half of the 20th century)
some fantasy elements. it doesn't have to be high fantasy (though i like that too) but a little sprinkle is always fun.
romance !!!!! i love a good pinning, swooning, soft, tender romance!!! (duh) enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, strangers to friends to lovers. it HAS to be a slow burn because instalove turns me off.
i love a good found family/a good friend group!!
time travel is not a must but it's an easy way to seduce me
my main character type is heart of gold/noble intentions/heroic but struggling with anger issues... so a bit of that and i'm sorted.
snarky female characters. (actually just well-written female characters in general, which feels like a very basic ask but we allllll know it's not that easy)
i looooooove a good mystery. not a murder mystery, i'm not super into those. but i love a book that presents us with something to solve (like the shadow of the wind)
i'm not super into unhappy endings (tho. i don't mind them once in a while) but i love melancholic stories and Drama. just something that makes me FEEL.
it has to be atmospheric/it has to transport me.
i love poetic writing/beautiful prose.
also it (almost always) has to be gay. lbr.
book asks
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volffe · 3 years
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I just want a pretty boy to be splayed out across my bed sometimes. Is that so much to ask???
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kdinjenzen · 3 years
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I've been wondering for a while, did CRWBY know about your interest in Robin Hood when creating the huntresses/casting you, or was it just the most serendipitous coincidence?
I’ve talked about this before! The answer is... it was a complete coincidence. A happy one! But a complete coincidence.
I usually am someone who, and I say this to my partner a lot, find myself as “A Fandom Of One.” My interests are mine and mine alone. The more people involved the messier things could get and I really didn’t enjoy the idea of losing something I loved because of someone else.
And... actually I kept a lot of myself to uh... myself. Not just enjoyment but everything.
Coming out was scary and I ended up closing myself off more in a lot of ways that only ended up hurting me.
You all see me as someone who is really open and out there but... I wasn’t always like that. I was too afraid to be me even after I finally said to the world who I was.
When I saw the casting call I was super excited to see the characters I loved come to life in a new way but I had decided I was not in the mindset to audition for a lot of reasons... 
I actually don’t think I’ve talked about this part much, actually.
The biggest reason was that I was deciding on if I should give up doing VO entirely because hey being trans and working in the entertainment industry is not easy and sucks and people don’t take you seriously and... none of that has really changed.
After years of “You don’t sound like a woman” or “we just don’t know how to cast people like you” or “it wouldn’t be right having you voice a guy since you identify as a female” etc ... I just... I couldn’t keep it up. It was hurting me so much that I began to feel less and less, I dunno, human in the eyes of the people around me.
(Note: None of these things came from RT, it was all from projects unrelated to RT.)
But because of that I had lost all confidence in my voice, in myself entirely actually, and was talking with several people close to me (and a therapist) about finally giving up on the dream and just finding... something else, anything else, as a distraction from it... or just burying my head in the sand and doing the day-to-day and nothing more.
I was done. Completely and utterly done. Dreams were for suckers. Nothing was going to change, nothing I did mattered, so why even bother trying anymore.
Yeah well, jokes on me because two weeks before RTX 2019 Kerry and Miles approached me asking me to audition for May.
I was... happy to have them approach me but I probably came off as abrasive and annoyed... again, I was BUSY, I had a lot of work on my plate AND I was having several existential crisis at the same time... but they wanted to hear me audition so, I did.
When they told me I got the role I broke down and cried for hours... every time I thought about it I’d begin to sob... and then I recorded May’s very first lines just days before RTX 2019 and it was finally real.
...and the rest is history, I guess.
Never thought I’d see the day, honestly. But hey, now we’re here.
So uhhhh... TLDR, actually only my partner and a few close friends knew I was a huge Robin Hood fan until recently. Guess there was still little bits of shell left on my shoulders even after all this time. Whoops.
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bittersweetmelxdy · 4 years
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May i please get a scenario where gavin and mc are in highschool; dont quite know eachother yet but gavin overhears some guys talking about her and he decides to teach them a lesson,,pretty please i've been thinking about this non-stop since i read something similar in one of his dates(??at least i think it was one of his dates)
Yes, it was his ‘Old Days’ Date (I think that’s what it’s called), and because of that date, you may notice this has some elements from that date, as I wanted to show the scenario where MC never finds out about it, and I hope you like it x
Title: the silent protector and his beloved girl
Pairing: Gavin x MC
Words: 1,806
It was early April, the cherry blossoms had recently bloomed, and the petals danced in the air as the gentle breeze weaved its way between the branch, jostling the blossoms. The early morning air, littered with the sounds of students, joking and talking as they made their way towards the campus. A girl stopped at the gates of Loveland High School, hearing someone call her name and she spun around, uniform skirt fanning out around her legs, bright smile painting her lips. The two friends ran up to the girl as she waited patiently for them to catch up, and the three of them chatted happily as they entered the main school building. Unbeknownst to the trio, as they walked through the school grounds innocently, a group of boys, hiding on the side of the building, eyed them up and down, especially the girl known across school as their ‘Campus Belle’. The leader of the boys who was crouched close to the floor, his figure half-shrouded in the shadows, smirked at stood slowly, eying his friends, silent words being exchanged between them as they entered the building.
A lone figure stood in the gates of the campus, all other students giving him a wide berth out of pure fear. The boy had just come back from a week suspension, his cheek still sporting a white bandage, and his knuckles mildly bruised. His honey-toned eyes narrowed, watching the boys enter the building, and his glare scared the students around him, their faces paling and pitying the people on the receiving end. As Gavin entered the building, he made his way over to his locker, and glancing out the corner of his eye, he saw you.
You were two years his junior, he had never interacted with you personally, but he somehow had your loudmouth friend following him around claiming he and him were now friends, so he was never starved for updates. He was content to watch you from afar, your beauty making you worth of the ‘Campus Belle’ title, but that wasn’t what truly captivated Gavin. Gavin knew that your status as the ‘Campus Belle’ did you no favours, he often sadly had to watch from afar as jealous classmates would talk about you viciously when you weren’t present. Along with jealous female classmates, Gavin gritted his teeth, jaw clenched tight as he recalled the leering glances some boys gave you, his fist tightening on the locker door. Seeing you were making your way down the corridor, waving to your friends who were making their way upstairs to the classroom, and you stayed on the ground floor walking towards the offices. Seeing that a couple of the boys from earlier were about to follow you, Gavin slammed his locker shut with loud bang, walking at least 5 metres behind you, cutting off the boys from you, silently protecting you as you headed over to talk to the music teacher, and Gavin seeing you safe, turned to speak to Mr Keller as he prepared to return to school after the suspension.
Lunchtime finally crawled around, every student breathing a sigh of relief as the bell rang through the school grounds. You and your friends moved your tables close together, choosing to sit around your seat, which was directly next to the side of the classroom, the sliding panels pulled back to reveal the corridor. You and your friends opened your lunchboxes, grabbing your chopsticks and digging in, chatting happily about the newest TV shows, idol performances and general gossip. Looking to the side you saw that Minor was rooting around his desk and after asking what he was looking for, he pouted telling you he couldn’t find his wallet to buy lunch. Laughing at his antics you smiled and dug in your backpack for your purse, handed him enough money to buy his lunch, him thanking you profusely before dashing off to buy lunch. What you didn’t know, was that Gavin saw the whole interaction, he was standing, leaning against the windows to outside, watching you through the sliding panels as you ate lunch. His usually cold gaze, melting into warmth as he watched you laugh and giggle carelessly, oblivious to the world around you. He watched you interact with Minor, and when you lent your friend money, his heart was touched at your kindness, reminding him of that day in the rain where your kind soul stopped to look after that poor stray kitten, despite the heavy downpour soaking you to the bone. He recalled you bright eyes, their light barely hidden by your glasses, stray hairs sticking to your face, as he threw his uniform jacket over both of your heads, ushering you to safety. To this day he could still faintly smell the scent of your shampoo, the thing that disrupted him from his musings was the reappearance of Minor, who was incessantly chattering at him. Gavin choosing to offer him a one-word response, left his post watching over you, to go each lunch on the roof, Minor following him the whole way.
It was after school, and Gavin took up his usual spot, sitting hidden between the boughs of the gingko tree, the green leaves shielding his presence from others. He sat quietly and calmly; his head leaned back against the trunk of the tree, as he heard the familiar and calming sounds of his girl playing the piano. The songs weren’t overly complicated, and she did often stumble through passages she wasn’t as well-practiced on, but Gavin could clearly hear the emotion in her tone, the clear notes soothing his troubled thoughts. However, unfortunately the peaceful moment was not to last, Gavin’s closed eyes twitched as he heard the callous words of the boys below him, thoroughly ruining his reverie.
“Hey, are you sure you want to go for her, there are easier girls...” one of the boys said, disturbing the quiet, but the conversation didn’t interest Gavin at first.
“Yeah but none of them are our ‘Campus Belle’, are they?” the leader of the group sneered your title, making Gavin’s jaw twitch.
“I’ve heard Gavin’s got his eye on her.” another member mockingly said, and Gavin glared down at them, as the others started to laugh.
“Gavin? The school overlord? Does he really believe he deserves to be with a girl like that?” the first member laughed as he spoke, a pit settling in Gavin’s stomach, knowing with your good grades and kind heart, you and he were worlds apart.
“Plus, I heard he’s transferring soon...” the fourth member of the group finally spoke up, sing-songing his open-ended sentence.
“I’d take the chance with Gavin for a girl with legs like that.” the leader spat on the ground, a sinister smile growing on his face, “Can you imagine, how he’d react having his beloved girl all over me? The revenge alone would be worth all the trouble he’s been putting us through.”
The leader, noticed a small statured freshman hovering at the corner of the building, knowing that this kid was there to hand over his protection money, the leader nodding to his friends and the four of them moved from below the piano room, walking to the alley behind the school building. A few seconds passed, before a ‘whoosh’ was heard as Gavin landed on the ground, having jumped from the tree. His eyes narrowed, an unusual cold breeze rattling through the school yard, taking a step in the direction of those boys. Pausing for a moment, he looked back up at the piano room, hearing his girl had moved on to play what he considers now as ‘their song’, a stark contrast to the brutal scene about to occur.
Gavin walked around the corner, leaning against the wall of the school, watching the leader and his followers bully the poor freshman into forking over his protection money.
“I thought he paid you last week, is your protection that expensive?” Gavin’s cold tone cut through each person present, the leader let go of the freshman’s collar, and the poor boy scuttled out of the alley, head down, Gavin watching him leave.
“What, terrorising us one more time before you leave?” one of the followers mocked him, “Is the school finally getting rid of you?”
Gavin glared at the boy, the force of his stare causing the boy to shrink back, “That’s none of your business.”
“But after you leave, your beloved girl will no longer be under your personal protection, meaning she’s free to take,” the leader arrogantly walked closer to Gavin, stopping right in front of him and getting in his face as he whistled in a low tone, “And with a waist and legs like hers, I would mind taking care of her mysel-”
He didn’t finish that sentence, as Gavin had punched him straight in the jaw, the leader being knocked clean off his feet from the punch. However, he scrambled back to his feet, launching himself at Gavin with his friends as backup. What followed, was a fight where Gavin took on all four guys, the sounds of punches being thrown, and grunts of pain permeated the afternoon air. Finally, the fight ended with the four guys nursing their injures on the floor, Gavin being the only one left standing, panting from exertion. Not sparing them a second glance, Gavin turned and left the alleyway, leaving the aftermath leaving with a simple parting sentence.
“Don’t even let me hear, you went anywhere near my girl.” his cold no-nonsense tone, not inviting any argument from his opponents.
As he approached the gates of the high school, he froze in his steps, seeing you on the phone, your bike balanced on the gate post beside you, and keeping his presence quiet he came within earshot.
“It’s fine Dad, I can pass by the grocery store on the way home.” you listened to your Dad’s response and giggled slightly, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be safe. Bye love you!” you ended the phone call and swung your leg over the bike and set off.
Gavin watched entranced, as you rode off, your hair flying behind you, and for a moment he wondered how your hair would look if he took you on a flight. But he shook his head sadly, remembering the words of the boys, he and you were worlds apart, you were the ‘Campus Belle’ and he was the ‘School Overlord’, there was no chance for the two of you. However, knowing how kind your soul was, he hoped the letter would reach you, if only so he could tell you the goodbye you deserved before he disappeared.
Gavin cast his eyes to the sky, allowing the warmth of the sun’s rays to warm his face, and whispered a wish to the wind, “Please, fate give us a chance...”
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mycatshuman · 4 years
Text
A Risky Mystery
This is heavily based on an ask on @the-officially-kat 's blog about how prinxiety got together in their Scooby-Doo au. You can find that ask here
Art by @the-officially-kat
Colored by me
Masterlist | More
Warnings: There is a moment when the others think Thomas and Virgil have gotten seriously hurt, so look out for that. Let me know if I missed any.
Thank you to @icequeenoriginal for reading through this for me!
--------------------
A lone van drove along the twisted road into the town of Letchworth. The people of the town watched the van through their curtains as it passed by while on it's way to the town's only hotel, Brooks Inn. The town was on fear induced lockdown during the night. But the people in the van couldn't possibly know that. 
The people in the van were actually kind of professional sleuths. They had handled countless different mysteries before. Each one ranging from predictable to bizarre with various different monsters as the cause of each one. Of course, the townspeople couldn't possibly know that. So they watched with fear-filled eyes as the van pulled into the Inn's parking lot. 
Out of the van came a small odd little group consisting of two glasses-wearing figures, a princely looking fellow, a fellow with dark eyeshadows under his eyes, and a dog. Together, they walked inside the Inn and the townspeople lost sight of them. 
-------
An older woman sat at the front desk to the Brooks Inn. The inn was empty, not a guest laid in her rooms. It was to be expected, the recent events have scared away any previous guest and most others left after one night. The old woman, whose name was Agatha, sighed. She wasn't sure why she didn't just close the inn. After all, it was late and recent circumstances provided a bit of a risk in staying open at night. Just as she decided to close the inn, a small group walked in. She quickly put on a small, reserved smile and greeted them. "Hello, welcome to Brooks Inn." 
The one in darker blues and glasses stepped forward. "Yes, hello. We would like two rooms for the night please." 
The woman nodded. "That will be $75," she said as she moved to grab two keys for each room. She placed the keys on the counter and took the money the man in front of her had placed down. "Can I have a name for the records?" 
One of the others spoke up, "Virgil Rogers." 
The woman frowned a little before filling out the information on the computer. "Alright," she said. Let me take you to your rooms. She led the group up the stairs and then to their rooms. "Here we are." She handed the keys over. "Rooms 2B and 3B." 
"Thank you!" One of the group called. He had glasses and lighter colored clothes. 
The one from earlier, Virgil, spoke up as he glanced around suspiciously. "This town seems awfully empty."
The woman bit her lip. "Oh, that." The group became alert and they all turned their attention to her. "Um, recently, we've been having some trouble in town." 
"What kind of trouble?" The last human of the group asked. His look seemed to consist of colors one would associate with a prince. 
"Well.." The woman hesitated. She didn't want to sound crazy but she decided to just tell the group, it wouldn't be right to keep it from them, they were at risk too, even if they didn't know it. "A phantom has been terrorizing the town recently. They scared off my last paying guest." 
The bubbly one's eyes lit up as Virgil groaned. "Well gang, it looks like we've got a mystery to solve!" The woman's eyes widened in surprise. The first one of the group, the one wearing the ascot, spoke up. "We are sleuths. We've solved a few mysteries before. This one will be a breeze. And I assure you, there is most definitely a logical explanation for this." 
The woman nodded slowly, not quite believing them. "Well, enjoy your stay," she responded before turning and leaving to go shut down the Inn. 
The group watched her go before turning to each other. "Alright, we'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well!" The bubbly one exclaimed and took one of the rooms with the other glasses-wearing figure following him after giving his own good night. 
The other two and the dog turned to their own room and closed the door. 
--------
The next morning, the gang gathered in the inns dining room to discuss their next move to begin their investigation. "Alright, let's start by looking around for any clues and if we find anyone willing to be interviewed, we'll interview them," Logan explained. 
"Sounds like a plan," Patton agreed. 
 "We're not going to split up, right?" Virgil asked as he scratched behind Thomas's ear. 
"Not, yet," Logan answered and pulled a journal out of his bag. "I've written down a few questions and things we should look out for while we're investigating." 
Roman rolled his eyes. "Come on, Logan we've been through this a million times. We know what to look out for and what kind of questions to ask. Let's just get going already." 
"Be nice," Patton chided. 
The group got up and left the Inn and began walking around town. They found it a little weird that the town now seemed so lively. When they had arrived last night, it was still fairly early, far too early for everyone in town to be all locked up in their homes. After walking for a fair amount of time, the gang noticed a few people walking around as if they were on eggshells. Virgil bit his lip before jerking his head at one of them. "Maybe we should ask one of them." 
"Alright." Logan walked over to ask if they could interview them while the rest of the gang waited. Soon Logan waved them over. The gang approached as the person before they inspected them carefully. "You said you saw the Phantom," Logan started. "Would you mind telling us about that?" 
The person bit their lip and glanced around. "Well," they started. "I was just taking my evening walk. When I started to hear this loud wailing." The person before them shivered. "It was really unsettling, so I turned to go home only to run into the Phantom. It looked like they had stepped straight out of a scary movie. They had pale bluish-grey, ghastly skin and it terrified me." The person sighed. "Ever since then, the Phantom has walked around every night. And two nights ago, they nearly pushed someone off the roof of the library." 
The gang shared a glance, they had never dealt with a mystery like this. Sure there were some terrifying monsters they had to deal with but none of them ever put people’s lives at risk. "Did the Phantom say anything to you?" Patton asked.
They nodded. "Yeah, they told me to leave and never return before I regretted it." 
Roman's nose wrinkled. "That's interesting. Is there anything else you can tell us about the Phantom?" 
The person shook their head. "Nope, I'm sorry." 
"That's okay, thank you for your help," Patton said and the gang walked away. 
"Do you guys think whatever this phantom wants is something that involves getting all of the people in town to leave?" Roman asked. 
Virgil shrugged. "I mean, it seems like it, but why?" 
"Let's head back to the Inn for lunch and then I'll do some research on the town and see what I can dig up." 
"Sounds like a plan," Virgil said as he ruffled Thomas's head. The gang head back to the Inn. Patton ordered a pizza while Logan went to get his tablet. Roman, Virgil, and Thomas wandered into the dining room to wait for their friends. Soon they were joined by Logan who immediately began working on pulling up the town records, recent articles, the most recent town map, and an older town map. By the time Patton came in with the pizza, Logan had about three different theories about why the town was being haunted and a few different suspects. 
"So, what have you discovered, Logan?" Patton asked as the group ate. 
"Well," Logan began. "I have found that recently, a wealthy business owner had offered to buy the whole town. But they refused. So he offered to buy single bits of land at a time." 
"I thought it might be something like that," Roman piped up. 
Logan nodded. "Yeah, I think our most likely suspect is Carl Livingking. He's the business owner. Although why he would want to buy up the town, I haven't a clue." 
Virgil bit his lip, "I have to agree, that seems like the most likely situation. But why would he go to the lengths of risking people's lives to get the town? I mean, it seems like he's trying to scare people off, and you can do that without putting people's lives at risk so why is he doing it?" 
Logan shrugged. "That's what I can't seem to find anything on. The land isn't even that good. But something tells me that we're missing out on an important clue."
"Hey, L," Virgil started. "Can I borrow your tablet for a minute?" 
"Sure."
Virgil quickly opened a new tab and did a quick google search. Soon he found something that looked promising. "Maybe you can't find anything, because this town is fairly new." He spun the tablet around to face the rest of the table. Thomas hopped up on a chair to get a closer look. "It says here that apparently, the land that this town sits on is part of a larger area that is said to be the hiding grounds of the legendary Sanderson Gang." 
"Oh, I've read about them!" Logan exclaimed. "They were train robbers. They stole over two million dollars worth of coins and precious stones. But they were never caught. No one knows where the loot went. Rumors spread that it was somewhere in this area but most people thought the gang had fled the country with their treasures and settled down on a remote island somewhere in the Pacific. Eventually, the rumors died down and some people settled down here and started a town. Since then, the Sanderson Gang faded into legend and most people forgot they were real people." 
"So Mr. Livingking must be trying to find the treasure," Patton exclaimed. 
"And what better way than to buy up all the land, evict the town and start a massive expedition."
"He could keep people out and avoid anyone trying to steal the loot." 
Logan nodded. "Yes. It seems so, he isn't doing a good job of covering his tracks. He was actually able to buy a nearby abandoned factory." 
The gang went silent as they looked between each other. "Should we set up a trap?" 
Roman asked. 
Logan bit his lip. "It would be wise. During my research, I found that the Phantom has put two people in the hospital with near-death experiences. Even if it's not him, the Phantom is clearing trying to scare people out of the town so they should still turn up if we are out at night." 
"Yeah, I'd rather have a trap for the most likely culprit already then not have one and risk someone else getting hurt," Patton agreed. 
"Alright, so what's the plan?" Virgil asked as Thomas hopped up on the chair beside him. 
Logan quickly opened the drawing app on his tablet and began to sketch out a plan. 
"Okay, Patton, Roman and I will set up a trap in the town square-"
"Oh don't tell me," Virgil started. "Thomas and I are gonna be the bait." 
"Well, you two are the faster runners out of all of us," Logan explained. "It's only logical." Virgil and Thomas pouted. Logan rolled his eyes. 
"Would you do it for a Thomas Treat?" Patton asked Thomas. The dog's ears perked up a bit but he stayed still. 
Roman poked Virgil with his foot. "Do it or you're straight." 
Virgil sputtered. "Don't threaten me!" 
Roman snorted. "Then do it." 
Logan rolled his eyes at the two childhood friends. As Patton finally convinced Thomas. And it only took ten Thomas Treats. "Okay, I need you two to go on a walk around town. Virgil, I need you to talk out loud about buying the whole town with Thomas. It'll be like you surveying what you're going to buy while taking your dog for a walk." Virgil cringed, not likely the idea of acting like one of those rich people. "I want you to eventually end up at the abandoned factory and if you happen across the Phantom, lure him back to the square. Okay?" 
Virgil groaned. "Yeah, I guess." 
"Great," Logan said and the gang continued to flush out their plan. In the end, they came up with an elaborate trap, one of the few things Logan allowed himself to be elaborate in, that included the entire town square. They were to block off all other entrances into the square except for the one leading to the factory. Virgil and Thomas would lead the Phantom into the square where they jump on a trampoline in front of the town hall and jump up onto the balcony and when the Phantom tried to jump on it, Logan would click a button to release the mechanism which would cause the trampoline to be pulled along a track and drive him right into a giant ball out in front of an apartment building where Patton and Roman would drop a large net over from the top of the building. The plan was flawless.
-------
Virgil and Thomas walked through the old factory apprehensively. "I don't know about you, Thomas, but this place is really too scary." Thomas nodded his head in agreement as they walked. "Like, I think there's no one here, so let's go." Just as Virgil and Thomas turned to go, a loud wailing sounded throughout the factory, bouncing off old machinery and creating a terrifying echo. 
"Get out!!!!!" Virgil and Thomas froze. The wailing got louder until the Phantom stood right in front of them. "GET OUT!!!" It screeched. 
"Don't worry, we are!" Virgil shouted and he turned tail and ran with Thomas running along beside him. The Phantom chased after them with a terrible that grated at their ears. They raced through town but ended up getting turned around. Eventually they scaled up a fire escape and ended up on the roof of Town Hall. They skidded to a stop as they got to the edge. They gulped as they looked down at the trampoline below them, a jump from this height would still be risky. But soon the Phantom was behind them. And before anyone could blink, Thomas and Virgil jumped. 
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Roman groaned as he waited. "Where are they?" He asked Patton. The other shrugged. Just then, as he glanced around the square, he noticed Thomas and Virgil on the opposite roof with the Phantom close behind. Roman's eyes widened in fear. Before he could say anything, the two jumped off. "Virgil!!" Roman screamed. 
It all happened in a blur. The Phantom jumped off too and bounced right back into the air after landing on the trampoline. They flew in an arch and landed into the ball pit. Roman and Patton dropped the blanket in shock and raced off the building quickly as they could. Meanwhile, Logan raced over to the ball pit with the police. The Phantom was indeed trapped. "Just hold on," Logan told them before meeting up with Roman and Patton. "What exactly happened?" 
Tears streamed down Roman's face as he answered. "They jumped off the roof!" 
"What?!?!!?" Logan exclaimed. "Where are they????" Roman went to answer only for a shout to draw their attention. 
The gang turned to find Thomas and Virgil stumbling out of the doors of town hall. The world around Roman stopped. The noises and flashing lights of the police cars fading into the background. Images flashed through Roman's mind. They have been best friends since birth. This was the boy who dyed his hair neon green on a date, the boy who ran to his house to show him his new dog, the boy who continuously jumped into terrifying situations willingly for his friends despite his fear. And suddenly the realization that he was so irreversibly and incredibly in love with. 
Roman marched as fast as he could to Virgil without running. His hands cupped Virgil's face as soon as he reached him. He slowly leaned in and kissed the other softly. Virgil returned the kiss without hesitation. It was so much better than either could have imagined. 
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Thomas howled approvingly as Patton and Logan clapped. Eventually the two pulled away. "How did you-" 
"I found some rope and tied it around my waist and a hook on the roof before I jumped and we swung down into the open window." 
"I was so worried." 
"I'm okay. I'm okay."
"I think we should just hurry up and wrap this mystery up and get out of here," Patton said. 
"Agreed," Roman and Virgil said in sync. The gang moved over to where the police handcuffed the Phantom. Roman clung to Virgil, which made it a little difficult for them to move, but they managed. 
Logan walked over and grabbed the mask. "This is none other than Carl Livingking!" He exclaimed. 
"What?" The sheriff asked. 
"Carl had learned about the legend of the Sanderson Gang's loot and decided to look for it. So he offered to buy up the town. But when he was refused he decided to try and scare everyone out so he could begin looking for the treasure."
Carl huffed. "Yeah, and I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids and your dog." 
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Roman sighed as he laid in the back with Virgil, clinging to him like a kola. "I'm sorry again, Thomas." Thomas turned his head back to face them from his spot in the front seat as if to say it was okay. Roman smiled and nudged his face into Virgil's chest. Virgil pulled him closer and they slowly fell asleep. Content being in each other's arms. 
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Taglist: @spxced-oxt @superwholocked-for-life @mirror2thespirit @aroundofapplesauce @lyditist @little-euro-girl @unicornofdarknessstuff @maryann-draws @odette-ssbu
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iamyoursinblog · 4 years
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Find you
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Pairing: Park Jinyoung x Reader x Im Jaebeom
Genre: fluff
Word Count: 3,1 k
LIST
Part: [ 1] [ 2] [ 3 ] [ 3.5 ] [ 4 ] [ ]
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 POV Jinyoung
"Run to the library quickly. You've got three seconds!" he hissed into the tube and passed out. He hid behind the book row, looking out the side of the window.
He went to the library to give the book away. Turning to the exit, girl in a red sweater catch his attention, who sitting on a table near the window. He didn't immediately believe his eyes. But it was definitely you! It was their chance with Jaebeom to meet you. So he's acting like he's in a spy movie right now. He got amused because he was acting like a teenager. A minute later, Jaebeom appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily. He ran to the door and grabbed Jaebeom for jacket dragged to the place where he was hiding before.
"What a jerk? What are you doing? Why such urgency?" Jaebeom wanted to keep talking, but Jinyoung covered his mouth with his hand.
"Shut up already!" whispered Jinyoung
He pointed with his finger on the window where you was sitting. Jaebeom turned his head and froze when he saw you. He almost laughed with Jaebeom's reaction. You really act on them just as much. He turned his eyes to you. You sat and read the book. You were wearing reading glasses, and your fingers were playing with strands of your hair. How can someone look so depraved just by reading a book in a library. He rested his forehead in Jaebeom's shoulder. How can he handle it?
"She definitely loves red," Jaebeom said, looking at you.
"Was she also in red when you first saw her? When I met her she was wearing a red dress." he replied
"When I met her, she was wearing a red suit, " said Jaebeom
"We have to approach her," he said, though he lacked the courage to do so.
"Yes, come on," Jaebeom replied. But a few minutes passed, and none of them budged. They looked at each other and giggled. They were arguing over who should go first, turning their heads, they saw that your place was empty. They ran out into the middle of the hall looking around.
"Damn, it's all your fault" Jinyoung slammed Jaebeom on the shoulder.
They ran out into the hallway. "There" Jinyoung pointed to the end of the corridor where you turned the corner. They ran there. Turning the corner, Jaebeom abruptly stopped. Jinyoung crashed into Jaebeom, causing them to fall.
"Why the hell did you stop so abruptly?" Jinyoung said shoving Jaebeom. But Jaebeom did not react at all, looking at the wall. He turned his head and sat down again on the floor, losing his balance. You stood near the wall with your arms folded on your chest, and you watched them on top of your glasses. You squatted, looking at them.
"So that's who was staring at me in the library. I think I've seen you before." "And you too" you pointed your finger at Jaebeom. "Too many coincidences to be an accident," you said before getting up.
"We liked your coffee shop. So we decided to meet each other," said Jaebeom, and got to his feet, giving Jinyoung's hand.
"And you go by promo of 1+1. Meet one, the other as a gift?" you chuckled.
"Yes, and you are against it? I think the offer is very profitable." replied Jinyoung.
"I'm sure you won't regret it" added Jaebeom
"Sorry, but we have to go, miss" the guy in the black suit appeared next to you.
"Yes, let's go," you told to the guy. "It was nice to meet them, 1+1" you looked at them from head to toe, before turning and going to the exit.
"I think we just screwed up," he laughed as he continued to look at you. He looked out the window watching you get in the car before getting out of sight. He turned and saw that Jaebeom was still looking out the window.
"But she remembered us, even though we came separately," Jaebeom turned his eyes to him. "So there's a chance."
"You don't think we've been playing in 'good guys' for too long..." he said, moving away from the window, "Come on, Mark is waiting for us."
They went to the restaurant where Mark was waiting for them. They said hello and made an order.
"Mark, remember that coffee shop you told me to go to?" asked Jaebeom.
"Yes, I thought you'd like it there, they've got a lot of interesting books." answered Mark
"Books are the only reason why you told me to go there." asked Jinyoung
"Yes, and what? You can't just get there. Nobody knows about them, only those who have been told about this by a person who has already been there can come there."
"Do you know the girl in red who works there in the second hall?" asked Jinyoung.
"I know" laughed Mark "But only she is not an employee, she is the owner."
"Tell us about her" asked Jinyoung
"Forget about it. She's not in our league. I'm even afraid to turn to her once again when she's at the bar. I've never met anyone like her. I heard that if you post on the Internet about this coffee shop, it's gone in a minute. She seems to have too much power. Even the two guys who work there, they're not bartenders, they're security guards."
"I've only seen one guy," Jaebeom said
'Me too' confirmed Jinyoung
"The second guy is on sick leave. One of the new customers recently got drunk and threw a glass in her direction, but the bartender stood in front of her and the glass crashed against his head. Usually in such cases there is began a panic, even me feel uncomfortable, but she looked like she saw it every day. A minute later, the customer was entered by security, and she calmly pulled shards of glass from his wound until an ambulance arrived." Mark shook his head "I have to go, see you later" he said, looking at his watch.
"Yes, see you" replied Jaebeom
'She's really something,' he thought to himself. And how do they deal with that. If he had the idea of hiring someone to find out more about her, now he realizes that it could be dangerous.
"Can we hire someone to find out who she is?" asked Jaebeom when Mark left.
"I've thought about it too, but now I'm not sure it's a good idea. Judging by what Mark said about her, she learns that she is being watched for 5 minutes, and in next five will know who exactly do it".
"Why don't we go to the coffee shop tomorrow?" asked Jaebeom.
"She certainly won't communicate with us there. It seems that she often visits the library, it is necessary to meet with her in neutral territory"
"It feels like we're discussing a takeover of a company, not an acquaintance with a girl." laughed Jaebeom
They came home with the hope that they could meet you again.
POV You
You were sitting in your office, the day was too busy. You smiled remembering those two guys outside the library. They seemed too innocent. You picked up the phone and dialed the number.
"My goodness. I never thought I'd be able to hear your beautiful voice again." answered male voice
"Too much sarcasm, from someone like you" you answered
"I just thought you were on the side of the angels now. Although it's safer for them if you're on their side."
"You've forgotten, I'm always on my side" you grinned.
"Closer to the point, baby. I don't think you called to find out how I was doing. Who should be found?"
"I sent pictures to your mail." You selected some screenshots from the surveillance camera in the coffee shops and clicked send.
"Ok. Will you come to see me sometime?"
"Have you forgotten? I'm kind of on the side of the angels," you said, and hung up.
A few days later you were sitting in a car looking at the pictures. 'They're really 1+1,' you thought. Always together, live together, even their families are friends. You read the name of the companies that their families own, they seemed too familiar. You took out your phone and opened your mother's letter, which had blind dating candidates. After scrolling through the list, you found two familiar names. 'Best in everything' you grinned. You kept looking at the photo, from home, from the car, from the workout, from the restaurants. You stopped at the last photo "This is more interesting" you said and laughed. You put the last photo in the envelope and put it in your bag. "Get rid of it" you passed the rest of the photos to the driver.
"Yes, Miss"
"I'll be on my own for a few days. I want to check something."
"Okay, miss. I'll be in the coffee shop. Drive your car from home?"
"My father didn't burn it after I refused to be part of the family business?"
He smiled, "He's probably still hoping that in a few years you'll change your mind. As far as I know there were no restrictions on your account"
"A couple of years? Hmm, maybe I'll change my mind" you got out of the car and went towards the library.
You've never been in a crowded place, unnecessarily. You felt like someone was looking at you all the time. When you went out and turned the corner, you heard quick steps in your direction. You wondered who might have been chasing you, so you decided to stop and see. But you didn't expect it to be your clients. You barely kept a smile when they fell in front of you. It's been a long time since you've been entertained. You've decided to see what'll happens.
You went into the library and sat down at your favorite place by the big window. You opened the book and started reading, it always calmed you down. It was a little escape to a made-up world. That's why you opened this coffee shop for those who wanted a break from the outside world.
"Excuse me, can I meet with you?" You looked away from the book and turned to the sound source. There was a nice guy in his 20s, standing in front of you, with a bright smile, holding out a drink for you. Apparently your look was too dissatisfied because you were distract from reading. That's why the guy apologized a few times and putting the drink next to you disappeared from view. You looked closely at the drink before you went back to your book. You heard laughter at the next table. Turned your head you saw two students who giggled and whispered, looking in your direction. Apparently today you will not be allowed to read quietly. You took a deep breath trying not to kill these girls mentally. You were too annoyed by the people who were discussing you behind your back, you could have seen us differently before. But as you were reminded recently, you're on the side of the angels. 'Devil pretends an angel' you laughed at the thought. After looking at the hall, you made sure that those you wanted to see were not here. You got up from your seat and went between the book rows to get the book back in place. You turned on your heels and headed for the exit. When you went into the library, you noticed a coffee shop, you decided to wait for your car there. You were hoping there wouldn't be too many people there at that time. When you got to the place, you went inside, and was happy because only a few tables were occupied. You sit on a table by the window from which you can see the parking lot, and you made an order. You feeling the vibration and picked up the phone.
"Your car will be in half an hour"
You smiled that your wait wouldn't last long.
POV Jaebeom
He was reaching the entrance to the library when he saw Jinyoung standing in front of the entrance.
"Well, what went in search?" said Jinyoung, when Jaebeom came closer.
"People already think we live in the library," he laughed. They were walking past the coffee shop when the red clothes in the window caught his attention. He didn't believe his eyes right away. You were wearing a red smock ruffle blouse and short black shorts that were naked on your beautiful legs. He stopped, but Jinyoung continued to walk towards the library. Grabbing Jinyoung by the collar he drew to himself.
"Hey, what are you doing?" said Jinyoung, stepping back.
"I think our plans have changed. Let's go and take some coffee."
"What? What coffee? Aren't we..." Jinyoung didn’t finish when he saw you in the window. "Coffee? Great idea, I really want to drink a coffee"
They went inside and quickly made an order. The hall was half empty, you were sitting on the couch at a table near the window and something looked at on the phone, with not very happy look. But then she smiled broadly, and from your smile a wave of trembling passed through his body. I think it's the first time he's seen your sincere smile. They took their order and went to your table.
"Is it not occupied?" he asked, and without waiting for an answer, they sat down on the couch opposite you.
You looked up from the phone and first looked at Jaebeom and then at Jinyoung. "You really are 1+1! But usually people wait for the answer to the question they asked before you take further action." you raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure it's not occupied here," Jinyoung said.
"Then absolutely loses the meaning of your question, if you were sure that the place is free" you turned your eyes again to your phone.
He just loved what you said. I always left the last word behind me. He laughed.
"I think we started the wrong way," he said with a smile. "Hi. How are you?"
"Great" you answered without even looking at them.
"Isn't it customary to ask in response 'how are you' from the interlocutor" said Jinyoung, taking a sip of coffee
"Even if I'm not really interested?" you asked, finally looking at them.
"Even if you're not interested", Jaebeom smiled.
"How are you?" You fake smiled for a second
"We're great too, thank you for asking," Jinyoung replied, smiling broadly.
"We not introduced each other last time," Jaebeom said.
"Are you talking about the time when you both were lying at my feet" you grinned
"Yes, about that time" replied Jinyoung
"I know yours names"
"You know?" asked Jaebeom
"Yes, I do. 1+1!" You sent a stinging smile to them, and goosebumps ran over his skin. 'What a cute devil' he thought to himself.
Jinyoung laughed loudly, "If you like it, you can call us like that. But for help my name is Jinyoung, and this is my best friend Jaebeom"
"What's your name?" asked Jaebeom
"Why are you trying so hard to meet me?" you asked, taking the phone in your bag and completely switching your attention to them.
"We like you, " calmly replied Jinyoung
"Do you like me? Are you two?"
"Yes. Did you forget, after all, you called us 1 + 1" smiled Jaebeom
"Very interesting couple" you said your thought in loud. You looked intently first at him and then at Jinyoung.
Every time you looked at him with that glance, he seemed to fall in love more and more. "In that case, I have a couple of questions."
"Of course, ask everything you're interested in," Jinyoung replied.
"Are you gay?"
"No" they answered at the same time, and you chuckled. "We like girls. And now we like you," Jaebeom added.
"Are you bisexual?"
"No" they answered and looked at each other
"This time the answer was less confident. Perhaps you yourself do not know the exact answer to it." you said carefully watching their every move. "Have you kissed?" you asked, pointing your finger at them
"No" they answered again together. He heard the vibration of your phone before you took it out of your bag. You picked up the phone, but you didn't produce a word, you just looked out the window and nodded. He looked out the window, too, and saw a guy in a black suit, the same guy they saw in the library hallway.
"Then the last question. Did you want to kiss each other?" your view has changed, now he would have called it piercing through.
"No" they almost responded together, and he was glad that his answer coincided with Jinyoung's response.
You smirked and got out of your seat. So without saying anything, you're gone.
"See you " said Jinyoung to you after
For a few minutes they sat in silence, watching you leave the window. He still felt a tremor in his body from your gaze. Each time your presence caused indescribable emotions. He turned his eyes to Jinyoung and saw all the same emotions on his face as he was experiencing himself.
"I wonder if it's progress?" he said, "She spoke to us, but we still not knew her name."
Jinyoung laughed at his words. "I think it can definitely be called progress"
They had coffee and headed for the exit.
"Sorry" to them spoke the girl behind the bar. "Before going out, the girl you were sitting with asked to pass it on to you" she held out a white envelope and he took it
"Thank you" smiled Jinyoung
He turned the envelope over and saw the inscription in beautiful handwriting:
"Are you sure the answer to the last question is 'no'?"
He opened the envelope and the cold walked through his veins, chaining his whole body in a tight knot when he saw a photograph. It was a screenshot from a surveillance camera. In the pictures, he pressed Jinyoung against a wall in a dark corridor, and their faces were only a few centimetres apart.
"We seem to be in trouble," he said, handing over an envelope with a photo of Jinyoung.
'It's time to stop playing honestly,' he thought. He glanced again at the photograph which jinyoung held with trembling hands, and his face was an unreadable mask.
"Let's go" he put his arms around Jinyoung's shoulders, and headed for the exit. "I think we've been at the club in a long time ago" 
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LIST
Part: [ 1] [ 2] [ 3 ] [ 3.5 ] [ 4 ] [ ]
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foxtrony · 7 years
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This is hilarious. Can you imagine a KHR AU where Tsunayoshi ended up being Reborns son? And when Nana casually tells him the man she married wasn’t his father but actually the Worlds Greatest Hitman™? And that he was literally the only one in the family who didn’t know (Vongola included depending on your take)
It could go either way really. A hilarious comedy where Tsuna Nopes out of that hella fast and try’s to prove nana wrong. ( thus the registry) but nope, that’s reborns name alright. Shit.
Or
It could go full steam ahead angst. Tsuna never really having a great home life with the young lion always gone and Nana not the best mother. He could try to find this guy. Reborn. Since he probably didn’t know about Tsuna, and he does find him, with the insane luck he’s always had, he finds this mountain of a man, this person that not even the best in the mafia can find if he didn’t want them to and just… tells him. And he’s hoping so badly that maybe this time will be different.
Maybe this time someone will see something in him that’s not just the Dame-Tsuna that everyone’s seen for most of his life, that even his own mother sees him as. And Reborn laughs. He laughs and tells this little 10 year old kid that so badly wants someone, anyone to care, that theres no way in hell he could ever be their father. Just look at him! Weak, spineless, a coward.
Reborn in all his arrogance, in his own self inflated Ego, an image he’s even started to believe. forgets that even the most terrifying of predators start out as baby’s, they start off with soft claws and closed eyes. He forgets, or ignores this and didn’t see how this kid who had no idea about the mafia or any type of ‘skill’ tracked down him, the Greatest Hitman in the World, or how he had the balls to still approach him after seeing what he does. All he sees is what everyone sees. What everyone has always seen. Dame-Tsuna.
And that just breaks Tsuna. His last chance. His last hope. Gone. Because this..this, MONSTER of a man refuses to see his own weakness in a child. Refuses to see the way his eyes catch the light just like his, refuses to see the way Tsuna still stands firm even under his heavy intimidating gaze. When grown men have flinched just from being looked at, this kid stared straight back at him, in pain, clearly, but all the same. He refused to look away.
(For half a second, Reborn wonders. Staring into those infuriated, heartbroken eyes. Eyes that refused to move. If maybe… No. He was just being sentimental and that’s not something you could have in the Mafia. Not even if he did wish it were true. That he could have someone to pass his skills and teaching down to, besides Dino.)
(……maybe even have someone look at him the way Aria always looked at Luce….)
But unfortunately, he can’t just leave the kid there. He knew about the mafia, for one after seeing Reborn take out his target. And kids had a bad habit of running their mouths even when they shouldn’t. But he didn’t want to kill the kid.
(At the time he decided it was because he was feeling benevolent, kind. Later after everything is over and he has his kid back, finally. He’ll realize what it actually was. That even though he didn’t think much of the kid consciously at the time. Subconsciously he was already interested in him. He wanted to see what he would make of himself. If he would rise after this or break. He was already attached and he didn’t even realize it.)
So before Tsuna can do anything, can even SAY anything, Reborn knocks him out. The kid drops like a box of rocks. Throwing him over his shoulder he heads out, there was a family recently that had been looking for kids to raise. They had been in trouble for some type of bullet with the rest of the Mafia but he’d been underground with the rest of the Arcobeleno at that time so he was iffy on why exactly a bullet would get so much attention. But mini wars happened all the time and if the Family wasn’t wiped out afterwards they usually brought in orphans and the lke to bolster their numbers in the future. The mafia also, normally left them alone for a good few years after that to gain back strength.
(it was an unspoken rule to never outright wipe a family out unless the Vindice allowed it. And they only allowed it in the most extreme of situations.)
(At the time Reborn would deny the reason why he thought to put Tsuna there, was so he’d have a better chance to learn and survive. So he could see what the kid grew into. )
Giving the kid to the family was the easy part. Physically handing the kid over to a grateful don was easy. Watching the dons wife cradle him was easy. The kid was so small it couldn’t have been hard for the strong woman. Leaving the room however proved to be difficult. Something in him urged him to stay, something told him that this wasn’t right, something was different, wrong. But NOTHING was wrong. Nothing was trying to kill him or trap him. There was nothing there. The Don could tell the reason the hit man was lingering. He knew at that moment that Reborn, The Worlds Greatest Hitman, had no idea what they were doing to the children. He didn’t know about the Possession Bullets. He had no idea. The Don also realized if he figured it out, that his life and the life of the Family would end. Because no one tricked Reborn.
After many promises (all fake) about how the Don would treat the boy like his own son, and what was his name, where did he come from? (I don’t care how you treat him idiot, make him strong. I have no idea ask him yourself, he’s a street rat.) Reborn left. Just…left.
In the coming days many things would happen, he would head back to head quarters to find Luce waiting for him. Her expression so very devastated he couldn’t find words, only a rapid sinking feeling in his stomach that if he were a more emotional man would have sent him to his knees. He knew what this was about, it had to be about that but there’s no way he was his, it was impossible. He would have known he would have felt something -oh god wHere WAS HIS KID-
Because Luce wouldn’t wear that expression if this was just him being stupid. Luce wouldn’t wear that expression if they could just go back and pick the kid up -I don’t even know his name what is his name- She wouldn’t be waking towards him with tears in her eyes -his eyes his eyes I'v seen those eyes those were my mothers eyes why didn’t I SEE- she wouldn’t hold his unresponsive face in her hands and say she was sorry, so, so sorry -Don’t do this to me Luce there’s a boy out there MY boy out there I have to find him don’t look at me with those damning eyes-
He learns from her that yes, The Boy wa- is his son. That the reason Luce didn’t say anything beforehand was because the future she saw at first was lovely. When Tsuna would first approach him it would impress the hell out of reborn. He’d be so interested he’d take the kid on as an apprentice, he wouldn’t find the courage to tell Reborn he was his son until later though. They would go through many things but bond beautifully. She didn’t know what changed in Tsuna to make him decide to tell Reborn right then but the moment it happened everything changed. (He thinks he knows what it was. He’d known someone was watching his hit but hadn’t known it was a kid. Normally he’d have gotten it done quickly then tracked down the bystander but when he realized the person wasn’t leaving he’d decided to have a little fun.
(He regrets it now. God does he regret being such a sadistic bastard for once in his life) he’d tortured the mark and during the entire time he’d told the mark (lurking person) how very much he hated liars, hated people with held truth from him. When he realized it was a kid. -My Kid. My fucking kid godDAMN IT- he hadn’t exactly regretted it but now he did. With every part of his none existent heart, he fucking regretted it.)
He learns from her that the Estraneo family have been found guilty of experimenting on the children of their family. That no one could find them, that they’d gone to ground weeks ago and the last person to talk to them, had been Reborn.
When he had been handing his son over to them. Fuck.
She told him as he held his head in his hands that the Family had been set for eradication from the Vindice. But no one could find them. Not the Vindice, not the Vongola and not her.
He was in shock. He knew he was in shock. Because the one constant in Reborns life was that Family always stuck together. He was an Italian man to his core, Family, Familia were his life. Even when he hadn’t had either they were always values he’d understood and upheld. The Mafias own type of honor. And he’d given his kid away. His small son who had looked at him with eyes that held a desperate kind of hope, a desperation he’d known himself as a child when his mother was sick and they had nothing but each other. He knew those eyes, his mothers eyes and he’d ignored them. Stewed in his own fame, convinced himself that he would have KNOWN if he’d had a kid. He was Reborn, The Worlds Greatest Hitman. He would have known.
But he didn’t. And now looking into Luce’s own sad eyes he knew his son would be lost to him for a very long time.
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zutaraverse · 7 years
Text
Chapter 8: Finding The Right Path
Chapter 8 of Blood, Chi and Full Moons: Find previous chapters here or: Chapter 1 Part 1 | Chapter 1 Part 2 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 Part 1 | Chapter 3 Part 2 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 Part 1 | Chapter 7 Part 2
"Aren't you a little young to know what that kind of heartbeat means?" retorted Katara with a nervous laugh, composing herself while Zuko was still opening and closing is mouth like a gaping fish. Toph had just metal bent her way into his private arena while he and Katara were getting more than comfortable in one another's arms.
Toph stood taller than either had seen her, and had lost much of her childish fat, leaving her much thinner and more shapely than before. Her figure could even be described as delicate when she wore some of her traditional dresses — but she was rarely seen to do so.
"Ha!" she replied, flicking her head so that some of her bangs moved from her face, "I'm fifteen…Tell me Sugar Queen, how old were you with Jet?" Toph grinned broadly. She already knew she had won this.
"I… That's beside the point! It was war, we could have died any day!" defended Katara, feeling her face redden.
"Yeah well, Sweetness, you weren't the only one who grew up during the war — we're all children of conflict here and we all grew up far too fast. But, whatcha gonna do about it - I was never going to get my kicks from normal things! Might as well enjoy what we've got - I see you two are taking that on board," she said nonchalantly but with a strange drawn expression hovering over her features.
It was true. All of them had been thrown into a world that adults found hard to navigate. They were all too young and too innocent — but somehow, against all odds, they had survived. But surviving had cost them their innocence and their childhood. There they stood, considering their lives and the way they had been affected. Toph, 15 years old, had fought against her parents' captivity and left home at 12. Katara, now 17, had taken her mother's place at far too young an age. Zuko, 19, had never felt his father's love and had been banished at the age of 13. The start of each of their journeys had thrown them together at the hardest of times. None of them could relate to a normal child's found solace in other people like themselves, but mostly in one another. There was no need for explanations for their sadness when they remembered the war, nor pity when they confessed what had happened to them. Simply understanding and camaraderie.
They snapped out of their reverie as Katara approached Toph and threw her arms around her. Surprisingly, Toph didn't squirm away as she usually did - instead she hugged her back tightly, feeling tears prickling behind her eyes. She had missed them. This was her true family after all.
"I'm glad you have clothes on Sweetness! Not that I would have minded…" she added. Katara considered the girl in front of her.
"Do you play for both sides Toph?" asked Katara, slightly surprised. She had never noticed this preference in her friend before.
"Mmmm you could say that. You want to watch out Fire Prince Sparky," she giggled, winking at him. "Right, well I will leave you to get decent and meet you in that room with all the cushions and tea," she said confidently. "I'll take my hug from you when you are less… ah… preoccupied with other things… Bye!" and with that she bent her way out the same way she came.
"I'm fine now!" Zuko called after her. He was still standing where he and Katara had been embraced, and looked stunned at the exchange that had just happened. Since when had these girls he had grown up with become so open and confident about their sexuality?
Katara walked back to him, apparently at ease now, and wrapped her arms around him for a quick kiss.
"Katara you know I can't stay long with you and Toph… I've got those reports from the colonies to get through," he said regretfully. Although he would have preferred it if Toph had not interrupted them, spending time with the two girls was second on his list of things he would rather be doing.
"No, I understand. At least stay for a cup of tea?" she asked, looking up at him hopefully. He kissed her nose gently.
"One cup," he promised. Katara smiled up at him. "Why do we always get interrupted though!" he moaned as they walked out of the arena. "I build a fucking impenetrable metallic arena and of course the world's only metal bender has to arrive," he grumbled half to himself.
Zuko couldn't keep his one-cup-of-tea promise before being called away, leaving Toph and Katara alone to catch up.
"So, Sweetness, heard what happened with you and that general…" started Toph. She was never one to be subtle about hard conversations. Katara sighed, forcing down another gulp of tea.
"It was a captain. How did you hear about that?" she asked quietly. Toph shrugged.
"News spreads pretty quickly when you know what to listen for. Although I think the story may have been exaggerated somewhat… One version makes you some merciful saviour while the next tells of the bloodthirsty water bender! Did you really skewer him with an icicle eight feet long?" She was leaning forward now, all interest and excitement. Katara let out the breath she had been holding quietly - Toph wanted to talk about the Agni Kai, not the reason for it.
"No, I did not! I did trap him in a ball of water suspended in the air until he almost drowned…" Toph made an appreciative noise, "But I didn't kill him - I spared him his life. His admiral killed him when he had lost and still attacked me. You aren't supposed to do that in an Agni Kai and apparently its a big deal."
"You didn't kill him? Why? He fucking deserved it!" grumbled Toph, slightly put out by the lack of violence.
"It was supposed to be a political move; as in if he could rot in a deep, dark jail for the rest of his life then people might get the message that it is not alright and not pass it off as personal revenge… as it turned out, though, the admiral's finale brought much more attention to the situation. I hope it sends a message," she explained bitterly.
"I think it did. There are little girls all over wanting to be you! They were doing it all wrong though, I had to teach them to be more bossy!" Toph grinned as Katara punched her playfully in the arm.
"How are you though Toph? What have you been doing?"
"Eh, this and that. Mama and papa Bei Fong have finally accepted the fact that I'm my own person, so at least that is sorted out." Toph took a sip of her tea.
"That's wonderful Toph! Its good you can go back to your family. You really missed them," encouraged Katara, not without sadness at the thought of the split in her own family since she had met her father in the North Pole.
"They still need work, but I'm happy about it. Other than that I've just been travelling and rebuilding. I spent a lot of time in Omashu with Bumi - I love that guy! He's amazing! And… eh… yeah. I can't compete in the Earth Rumble anymore because apparently 'it isn't a competition if you always win'," Toph made a face, "Those stupid cowardly bastards! I'll tell you what though, I'm sort of craving something long to do. I've… I've not been happy recently. Maybe happy isn't the right word. Maybe 'content' is a better word. I just feel like there is something missing," she looked down at her hands, a sadness lining her features that made her look much, much older than she was.
"Oh Toph," said Katara quietly, reaching out and taking her hand.
"Its alright. I'm not the type to give in… I just… I guess I'm just a little lost," she admitted, a familiar lump rising in her throat. Somewhere in the back of Toph's mind a younger version of herself was horrified at her breaking down in front of Katara - but a wiser version told her that Katara was probably the only person who could help her. She had been more of a mother to her than her own mother, and she needed someone - anyone - to understand. Katara had gone through shit, so she would probably get it… right? "I just, I don't know if I can ever find a path again," she continued, letting tears slide out of her sightless eyes. "Its as if everything is dull - like I'm feeling everything through sand and I'm stumbling around in the middle of nowhere!" she choked out. She felt Katara shift and found herself wrapped in the older girl's arms.
"I know how it feels," she cooed into Toph's black hair, "everything is distant and you can't connect to reality. You feel like you've been swallowed up somewhere and you might never feel the sunlight on your skin again. You are cold even in the sweltering heat, and physical pain hardly affects you at all. You try everything to force some life back into your system but nothing works." Toph nodded into her shoulder, overcome by an intense gratefulness for Katara's understanding.
"But you are still here Toph, and you will get through this. It is horrible and affects every part of your life, but I'll help you. Stay here for a while? Zuko and I know very well how you are feeling. You shouldn't be alone right now," she continued gently, rocking Toph in her arms.
"Thank you K—Katara!" sobbed Toph, shaking in her arms.
"Hey, thats what we do for family," she whispered, her own throat closing at her words.
Toph had fallen asleep instantly after her exhausting day. Katara listened for her light snoring at her door before walking past and heading for Zuko's rooms. She knocked but received no answer, and so peaked in to find the room still dark and uninhabited. Quietly, she entered, shutting the door behind her and lighting the candles adorning the room.
It was late. Where was he?
She looked around his room and settled in one of the armchairs to wait. However, as time ticked on, she became uncomfortable and drifted to the large double bed. She lay down on it - just to see what it was like - she told herself. As soon as her head touched the soft pillow, though, she too fell asleep.
Zuko finished reading through the uselessly detailed reports very late into the night. He made a note to hire somebody to go through the reports for him and only hand him the ones that were worth reading. Sighing, he put out the lights and wondered towards his room. He frowned. There was light coming from under his door…
Slowly, he crept to the room and pushed the door ajar quietly to peak in. He relaxed as he took in the half melted candles and a sleeping Katara on his bed. He felt an inexplicable surge of pride at the sight of her in his bed. Zuko hovered in the doorway, unsure whether to take her back to her room or to leave her sleeping as she was. He bit his lip. He should ask.
Gently, he tapped her shoulder and called her name. Her eyes cracked open, before she realised where she was and she sat up blinking away the cobwebs of sleep.
"I didn't mean to wake you completely - I just wanted to know if you wanted to stay here or if you wanted me to take you back to your room?" he asked, taking in the image of a sleepy, messy-haired Katara with amusement.
"I… We need to talk Zuko," she said, yawning.
"I think we should wait till tomorrow morning - you look like you're about to nod back off!" he said mockingly, taking off his outer robes and shoes.
Katara shook her head.
"No, we need to talk now while Toph is asleep!" she insisted. He sighed and sat cross legged across from her on the bed, waiting to hear what she had to say. A part of him was disappointed that she only wanted to talk, but he smothered that train of thought.
"Toph is depressed. Seriously depressed or she wouldn't have talked to me about it. I'm very worried about her Zuko. She was so young during the war!" Zuko sighed.
"We were all young during the war, Katara," he reminded her.
"Yes, I know. But we have all found some sort of a path; you as Fire Prince, Sokka as future Chief, Suki as Kyoshi Leader and future Cheifess, Aang as restorer of the Air Nation and me with this whole research thing. We've had our down times but we've all created something to keep ourselves occupied, to fill the void opened up during the fighting. Toph hasn't. All her projects were short term and she's lost, left to face her demons with no distractions. We need to do something!"
Zuko considered her words. She was right. Toph was possibly the most powerful and yet the most lost one of all of them. And she was still so young!
"She can stay here for as long as she likes, just to calm down and find her way?" he suggested. And Iroh would adore having her around.
"I was… see I was thinking, what if we - uh - taught her?" Zuko's eyes widened in realisation.
"Do you think that's wise? I mean its already a risk that there are two of us practicing fire and water every day!" And , he added mentally, we wouldn't get to have fun on our own!
"I've been thinking about it a lot. Yue said that not everybody is like us and that we are drawn to one another like the tides. Well, the tides are turning with everything I have discovered and everything we have learned. And suddenly Toph appears wanting some reason, some mission, some meaning to who she is. When I teach you blood bending you will be able to feel it too, but she is just as strong as either of us, you know. I've been observing and not everybody is like this; the other fire benders have sort of chi pooled in the areas typical of fire bending. That means that even if I were to redirect their chi flow, hardly any would reach the other patterns. You and I, though, we have equal amounts of chi flowing throughout - and so does Toph. I don't know why. I've been thinking about this since we spoke to Yue…" she trailed off, looking to him for his reaction.
Zuko considered it. To learn earth bending would be incredible. It would give Toph something about herself she never knew, and it would further whatever this was Yue was letting them do. On the other hand, the more people knew, the more people risked finding out. Although, Toph was as tough as they came and would defend their secret to the end.
"Don't you think it is a little dangerous teaching a blind girl to shoot fire?" he asked. It wasn't an objection exactly - just a consideration. He had already accepted Katara's proposal.
"I've been thinking about that too; the way you felt the heat in the room today - it was like I feel the moisture. If there is anything Toph is good at it is feeling things she can't see. Maybe she wouldn't have to bend fire - she could learn to understand heat like she learned to understand earth."
"It would give her a new way to see," he said, half to himself. Katara nodded. Zuko sucked in a breath, screwing up his courage. They were walking a very thin, very dangerous line as it was.
"When do we start," he asked. Katara looked relieved at his acceptance.
"Well there is no point starting tomorrow - we would have hardly slept and we need all the concentration we can get! Maybe tomorrow we can talk to her about everything. She might not want to be a part of this, after all. And then if she does we can start the day after?"
"You're right. She won't be responsive until lunch though, so we can talk her through things then?" he reasoned. Katara nodded in agreement and smiled at him.
Zuko frowned as something occurred to him. "You know its not actually that late right? We could still get enough sleep to do our routine…" he suggested. Secretly, he wanted to spend some time alone with her before Toph started interrupting everything.
"I know what the time is. I was kind of thinking that if I stayed here tonight we probably wouldn't end up getting so much sleep. But if you'd rather train, I can go now," she said lightly, turning as if to leave.
"No, no!" he cried, a little too quickly. Ah yes, the good old show-her-how-desperate-you-are-trick. Well done, Zuko. You sound even more pathetic then usual! He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I mean, who needs training right? I don't, in fact, I can function really well without any…"
He was cut off by Katara's laugh and the now-familiar sensation of her lips on his. Pulling her close and under the covers, he snuffed out the candles with a flick of his wrist and decided that his bed was far better with her in it.
Neither really remembered how they had got to their underwear, nor did they care where their discarded clothes had disappeared to. Zuko ran his hands all over her exposed skin, memorising the patterns of her body; the feel of her ribs through her skin, the arch of her back, the curves of her legs as they wrapped around him. He felt Katara doing the same, but she seemed to enjoy the feeling of his chest and stomach most of all. He rolled them so she was on top of him and she could have access as much as she liked. She seemed to enjoy it.
It was slightly unfair that his chest was exposed and hers wasn't. No, unfair was the wrong expression. It was simply annoying. He wondered how far he could go before she asked him to stop. However, when she started kissing his jawline and letting her teeth graze his skin, he decided it was worth trying.
He ran his fingers all around her top wrappings, trying to find an opening, but cursed under his breath when he couldn't find it. Katara had stilled under his touch and was laughing slightly at his fumbling fingers. Gently, she took one of his hands and guided it to the middle of the front of the wrappings, letting him feel the slight bulge of the coiled cloth. He pinched it and pulled, letting the rest unravel and be pushed aside.
Zuko regretted having snuffed the candles. He wanted to see her! But there would be time for that, he hoped, at another point. The important thing now was that she was comfortable. Slowly, she lowered herself so she was once again lying on top of him, but this time instead of the rough cloth, he could feel her warm breasts pressed against him. He caressed them gently, savouring their softness on his fingertips. He decided to change their position again so she was below him and he could explore her with his tongue. Her nipples hardened under his kisses, and in a daring move he trailed his lips lower.
Suddenly, he encountered rough skin where there had been only smooth before. It took him a split second to realise these were her burns! He gently explored the whole area, ignoring her stiffening at his attention. There were lots, he realised with dismay. Many more than the ones he had half-glimpsed that day in training. They stretched across her whole width, just underneath her breasts - many were small, some were larger, but he knew they would all have burned just the same.
He carefully kissed as many burns as he could find, feeling her relaxing under his touch. It struck him as though this were destined to happen ever since she touched his scar underneath Ba Sing Se. She had offered to heal him and he was doing his best to heal her now.
She gently pulled on his shoulders to signal to him to rise back up her body, and kissed him with a ferocity he had not felt from her before. He vaguely noticed that her face was slightly damp with salty tears as she caressed the burned side of his face.
They did not go any further together, not wanting to ruin the beauty of the moment with something that may turn out to be emotionally disastrous. That was more than fine though, this was far more than either had ever expected to experience.
Tired but more comfortable than either had been in a long time, they fell asleep curled in one another's arms.
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