#on the other hand I definitely heard about them multiple times during that span of 6 years

[spaghettioverdose]

*sees the build a bear post*

"Build a bear.... build a bear.... builda bear..... WAIT BUILDER BEAR???? THAT FUCKING SCP NAME MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE NOW"

#only took me lik 6 years #in my defence I never interacted with anything build a bear related I don't think they're even a thing here and definitely don't think #they're a thing where I used to live in romania #on the other hand I definitely heard about them multiple times during that span of 6 years #I mayhaps be a fucking dumbass

[zeppelin-and-unicorns]

what would happen if Jackie got pregnant during season 8 by a one night stand and the dad didn't want to be involved, how do you think the gang would react, I kinda think she would catch a lot of crap from them, especially Hyde and Donna, but I think she would want a stress free pregnancy so she would distance herself from them and maybe after the baby was born she would let them back into her life slow

Okay, I know Hyde and Donna acted like complete pricks on season 8, but I refuse to believe that they would act like pricks if something like this happened.

This is going to be a looong answer, and I even wrote a small ficlet because I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL HELP ME.

We've all seen how they reacted when Kelso didn't want to take responsibility with Brooke. No matter who the girl is, knocking her up and abandoning her is a completely shitty thing to do and they would not be okay with that, especially if the girl in question is Jackie.

This might be a wake-up call for them.

I totally understand why Jackie would be reluctant on telling them or even being around them once the news is out. To be honest, I don't even think she would actually tell them, judging by how they treated her on s8. But I also don't see Jackie not telling anyone, this is a very serious situation, she would need a shoulder to cry on, and I think she would probably tell either Mr. Forman or Mrs. Forman, maybe even Fez, since they're roommates and all that.

But of course, Hyde and Donna would find out eventually. You can't just hide a pregnancy when you live in a small town like Point Place.

Once they find out, they would definitely be shocked and upset. Donna would be upset not only because her friend is in such a crappy situation, but also because Jackie didn't even consider telling her and asking her for advice. That's when she'd notice how shitty of a friend she was.

Hyde would probably have many, many thoughts going through his mind. As I said multiple times, I simply do not believe that Hyde stopped loving her out of nowhere, what he and Jackie had was real, they had a nice, loving relationship and there's no way in hell he got over her in such a short span of time.

At first, he'd be upset because the girl he loves is having a baby with someone that's not him, and being upset about it would make him angry, because he won't be able to keep lying to himself after finding out something like this. This hurts, and this isn't the kind of hurt he can distract himself from with booze, pot, and meaningless sex.

The anger would completely take over once he finds out that the baby's dad wants nothing to do with Jackie and the baby. That's when I believe he'd try and talk to her.

Hyde knocks at Jackie and Fez's apartment, looking nervous and antsy. Jackie opens the door and stares impassively at him.

Jackie: So, you know.

Hyde: Yeah, I know.

Jackie: What? No snippy comments? No 'haha, Jackie's a knocked-up whore'? Aren't you going to laugh at me and say I deserve this?

Hyde ignores her and enters the apartment, he starts pacing nervously through the living room.

Hyde (looking pissed): Who did this to you?

Jackie: It doesn't matter. He wants nothing to do with me and the baby. Look, it's late and...

Hyde: Jackie, you need to tell me who did this to you, so I can find him and set his ass straight.

Jackie: I don't want you to do that!

Hyde: Well, that's too bad, this isn't about you anymore, Jackie! This is about your kid! Now tell me who's the bastard and I swear to God, I'll kill him if...

Jackie: I'm not thinking about myself, Steven! You and I both know how bad it is to be raised by a parent who never wanted you and treats you like crap, so I'd rather raise this baby alone than raise him or her with a father who doesn't care, alright?

Hyde sighs and runs his fingers through his face.

Hyde: Jackie, this isn't right, you can't do this alone, I...

Jackie: No, you don't get to care now. Just leave me alone, I can handle this. I have the Forman's and Fez, I'll be fine.

Hyde: You have me too.

Jackie scoffs and rolls her eyes.

Jackie: Yeah, right.

Hyde: I mean it, we can tell people it's my kid, and...

Jackie: Because getting knocked up by your ex-boyfriend who dumped you for a stripper and completely humiliated you is so much better than getting knocked up by a stranger, right?

Hyde feels the back of his eyes burning. Jackie's right, what he did to her was unforgivable, and he's lucky she's even talking to him. But he doesn't want her to go through this alone, he wants to be there for her like he wasn't in the last few months.

Hyde: I just want to help you, Jackie.

Jackie: You'll help me by leaving me alone. Goodbye, Hyde.

With that, she shoves him out of the apartment and locks the door, hoping he won't hear the sobs that were escaping her.

The next morning, Hyde's sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast with the Forman's and Donna, he looks very mopey and is barely touching his food.

Kitty: Is everything alright, Steven?

Red: Don't tell me you're upset because of the stripper, she left over a week ago!

Donna: Actually, Hyde and I found out about Jackie yesterday. Fez accidentally told us during the cir... during our heart-to-heart talks.

Kitty and Red exchange looks. Kitty looks uncomfortable and sad, Red looks pissed.

Kitty: Oh... Well, you were bound to know eventually

Donna: I don't know what we're going to do

Hyde pushes his plate aside, looking pissed.

Hyde: I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to track this bastard down and I'll kill him with my bare hands, I don't care what Jackie told me, I'll kill him.

Red: Already tried. The loud one won't tell me who it is and I think it's better this way.

Hyde gives Red an incredulous look.

Hyde: How is it better this way? She needs someone to be there for her, someone who'll hold her hand while she's having the kid, someone who'll get her all the weird foods she's going to crave... That kid needs a dad, man! And she won't let me...

He interrupts himself and takes a deep breath, not looking at the other people sitting around him.

Donna: All Hyde's trying to say is that... Jackie needs us right now.

Kitty looked at her husband, who has put his newspaper down and was glaring at the duo. She immediately knew that things were about to get ugly.

Red: She's been needing you for a long time now, but none of you gave a damn! The loud one cries to me ever since this dumbass thought it would be a good idea to get drunk and marry a stripper, leaving his girlfriend of years alone to fend for herself, so I'm going to tell you what to do!

Red stands up angrily and Kitty stands next to him, rubbing his arm in an attempt to calm him down. He points at both Donna and Hyde, who looked scared.

Red: You are going to do what she tells you to do! If she tells you to leave her alone, then you are going to leave her alone! She doesn't need to deal with any of your crap right now!

Red storms off, leaving Hyde and Donna alone with Kitty. Donna has tears in her eyes, and Hyde looks extremely regretful and guilty.

Kitty: Red's just... A little protective of Jackie after everything that happened. I'm sure Jackie will come around eventually, all you two need to do is give her some space and be there for her if she ever needs it, okay? And try not to be so mean with her anymore.

After that lovely talk, Hyde and Donna (who were already feeling like crap) feel extremely guilty, and they try to apologize to Jackie and make up for their mistakes. Jackie fights them at first, but she caves eventually, because the pregnancy was really wearing her out and a few extra hands wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Also, she could tell that they were really sorry for their actions and she didn't feel like punishing them anymore, she has more important things to worry about.

They are both there for her when she needs them, especially Hyde. They developed a really nice friendship, and he proves to her that he's changed. He drives her to all her doctor's appointments, he helps her set up a nursery, and he gets attached to the baby before it's even born. He's in the delivery room with Jackie (and Mrs. Forman) when she's delivering, and the second he heard the baby crying he knew he was a goner.

He still loves Jackie, by the way. Never stopped, and he wants her back. But he held himself back and respected her time, Jackie was too busy with the pregnancy and taking care of her newborn baby, and he didn't want to add more to her plate.

Once the baby's slightly older, Hyde ends up asking Jackie for another chance. He declares himself for her and after a day or two of thinking, Jackie says yes and they get back together.

They eventually get married, he ends up legally adopting the baby, and they raise the kid together. She gets pregnant again after a few years and they have a big, happy, loving family.

Again, another fix-it that no one really asked for, but I can't help myself.

#ask #what if #jackie x hyde #jackie and hyde #zenmasters #ficlet #red forman #kitty forman #donna pinciotti #jackie burkhart #steven hyde

[angelikook]

Pas de Deux

Pairing(s): Dance teacher!Hoseok x reader

Genre: Hurt/comfort, fluff

Word Count: 6.7k

Warning(s): Profanity

Summary: Your dance teacher, Hoseok, might teach you a bit more than just dancing.

A/n Moral of the story, never seek validation from anyone. You can do whatever you want as long as you're happy and you're not doing anything wrong.

There will be a mention about Blue Side and its meanings. Check this link for the complete analysis (it's in Indonesian). Shout out to the writer for the in-depth analysis.

There were days when you wished you were more flexible. Or athletic. Or both.

Like today for instance.

Your weekly Friday-night private dance class didn’t look too good as usual. First of all, you had a literal dance God stood in front of you as your dance teacher. In front of him, you looked like a baby giraffe learning how to stand on four wobbly legs.

During the past few months you’ve been his student, through ups and downs that had more downs, his smile never faltered, his energy never died out, and his patience never ran out.

Every time you fell on your bruising butt, he only held out his hand to you and put on that million-dollar smile of his. Sometimes- Scratch that- Most of the times, you felt bad when you fell for the nth time in the span of an hour. Other times, you felt bad after your first fall. You definitely didn’t want him to think you were unworthy of his time and attention. That was the worst way a person can embarrass themself.

Your teacher, who went with the name Hoseok, and stage name j-hope, once again danced real slow in hope you could follow him. You both moved at a snail’s pace, but of course, your lack of athleticism wouldn’t let you go for 10 minutes without falling.

Out of nowhere, one of your feet caught up in the other one and made you stumble. And with that, your body unceremoniously collapsed. It was like any other times you had fallen, but unlike those times, you heard a loud crack coming from your foot.

“Oh, shit! Are you alright?” Hoseok stopped instantly and squatted beside you. “Of course you’re not fine. Why did I even ask that?” He mumbled more to himself.

“Which foot was fractured? Can you try moving them?”

You, ever so carefully, tried to move each of your feet. Weirdly enough, you were pretty sure your left one was the one fractured, but you felt a sharp pain when you moved your right one.

You voiced your thoughts, “Umm… I’m not sure which one is fractured. I think it’s the left one, but the right one is more painful.”

Hoseok sighed. “We need to go to the hospital. Here, let me carry you.”

“Wait, I-”

Like you weighed nothing, he heaved you and carried you bridal style. Instinctively, you circled your arms around his neck, his very sweaty and veiny neck. But during this critical moment, a sweaty neck wasn’t on the top of your priorities.

“I don’t think this is necessary,” you said even though the pain on your feet had subsided a bit from being lifted off the ground.

“Absolutely.” He grabbed your bag and turned off the lights. “It would be better if we can use the stretcher, but since I’m alone, we have to settle with this. Sorry if this is uncomfortable.” He walked out of the studio and locked it before walking off to the parking lot.

You estimated that the entire walk from the studio to the parking lot must’ve taken around 10 minutes. At this point, you were 100% sure you felt like a dead weight for him. Yet, he still kept walking while holding you as if it was nothing. It was either you overestimated your weight, or he was stronger than you thought. Your bet was on the second one.

During the ride to the hospital, you racked your brain for a way to say thank you while actually sounding like you were grateful instead of just for formality. But after minutes had passed, you came up with nothing so you just settled with the old “thank you so much”. You just prayed he could see your sincerity through you.

“Don’t mention it. This is what I always do every time someone is injured.”

True to his words, when he entered the emergency room with you in his arms, a nurse yelled his name and directed you two to an empty bed.

“What happened?” the nurse asked as Hoseok carefully lowered you on the bed.

In an instant, the comforting heat radiating off of him disappeared. In exchange for his warmth, you felt the cold mattress and the typical freezing hospital room.

“The usual. But she said that both her feet hurt.” He gestured to you.

“I’m going to call a doctor, okay?” Without waiting for an answer from you, the nurse left.

Once the doctor came, you explained in detail what happened with Hoseok butting in sometimes to add completely unnecessary details. He said things like, “we were almost done with the class”, or, “we were alone there.” Lucky for him, your pain stopped you from wanting to strangle him.

You talked more about possible treatments, how long it would take, and most importantly, how much it would cost. In the end, it was decided that you needed an x-ray.

“You can leave now if you want. I’ll be alright,” you told him right after the doctor told you to wait for the x-ray. The guilt of making him do all of these was starting to eat you inside out.

You had felt guilty from falling multiple times, and now you fell to the point you broke your ankle. If it was possible, you felt ten thousand times more guilty. And the fact that he wasn’t even complaining at least once made you feel like a disappointment.

Maybe it was better if the earth swallowed you whole right now.

He shook his head as he sat on the chair beside the bed. “No way. How will you get home?”

Crap, he was right. There was no way you could walk by yourself after all this. Or call a taxi. Just imagining you had to wear a cast and a crutch already made you shudder. This was going to be a long month, or months, for you.

“You must feel tired now. You’ve been here for-” You glanced at the clock behind his head. “-around an hour now.”

“Do you have a friend you can call over?”

The question hit you more than it should’ve. Your friends, the same people who indirectly forced you to try dancing, all lived across the city. You knew there was no way they would be willing to spend their Friday night at the hospital with you. In your mind, you could already imagine them going out on a fancy dinner, cuddling with their partner, or watching a movie.

Your lack of response was an answer in itself.

“It’s okay. I don’t have anything to do anyways.”

“You don’t have any more students? Tonight? Tomorrow?”

He shook his head. “You’re my last student for the week.” He stopped for a while before continuing, “And my most interesting one.”

You cocked your head to the side. “Interesting? How?”

“You made me think of… things, basically, clearly.”

“Like what?”

He took a deep breath before answering, “I’ve been the best dancer, performer, whatever you wanna call it. And after I started teaching too, I became the best dance teacher in the city. Like, you must’ve already known that from the tariffs of my classes.”

You nodded.

“But since you came to my class a few months ago, things have changed. I just lost… my confidence in my teaching. Maybe my methods are wrong or I need a different approach or maybe-” His words caught in his throat. “-I don’t cut it to be a teacher.”

Your eyes widened at his words. He had mistaken your inability to do athletic stuff for his bad teaching.

“I think you got it all wrong,” you said urgently.

You didn’t want him to think he was a bad teacher. He was, in fact, far from that. So far, you’ve never met a teacher even half as nice as him or half as understanding as him.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “How?”

You hesitated for a moment. Were you really going to out yourself? Your heart screamed, “yes!” at that.

“Well, you see, I’m not the best at, you know, physical stuff. I was actually setting myself up for failure by trying out dancing.” You saw him frowning even further. You let out a nervous giggle. This was a bad idea, but you were already in too deep anyways. “I know this is confusing. My friends have told me that a lot of times.”

A few seconds of silence passed. Hoseok just stared at you, probably trying to figure you out, who knew. You were just weird like that.

Finally he broke the silence. “Can you drive?”

The question caught you off guard. “What?”

“Driving?”

“Of course I can.” You looked down on your injured feet. “Well, not for a while, I guess.”

“And I take it you never accidentally kill someone, right? Or else you wouldn’t be here, you’d be in jail.”

This time, you were the one frowning. Where was this conversation heading? Nonetheless, you nodded your head, answering his question silently.

He, for the first time after you broke your ankle, broke into a grin. “Then you’ll be fine. And I don’t think you set yourself up for failure.” He pouted. “Don’t ever say that again.”

You smiled back at him. “Okay.”

A few moments later, you were called to do an x-ray.

Wordlessly, Hoseok hoisted you up and put you on a wheelchair he found nearby. With that, he pushed you towards the x-ray room. You weren't going to lie for the fact that it kinda felt nice to be pushed by a handsome guy. On the other side, it only made you feel even more guilty.

Once you arrived in front of said room, a nurse took you in and told Hoseok to wait outside.

With your clumsiness, this obviously wasn’t your first time getting x-rayed. So you didn’t really feel nervous, not at all. Plus, you were significantly older than the last time you got x-rayed. There was nothing to be scared of, right?

Who were you kidding? Of course you’d be scared. Your heart thumped loudly against your chest, you wondered if the nurse could hear it. Probably she could, but even if she could, she didn’t say anything.

Okay, then. Maybe you should focus on something else. What about something to tell Hoseok about his fear? You didn’t do a great job of comforting him. Instead, he was the one comforting you. The hell was that about, Y/n?

Without you even realizing, since you were so focused on Hoseok’s fear, the x-ray was over and you were pushed out of the room. Phew… Wasn’t that easy? But you still haven’t thought of something to tell Hoseok, though. Nevermind, you’d probably be better off improvising.

Hoseok sat on the long bench in front of the x-ray room with a small plastic bag in his hand. You were sure he didn’t have that before. Beside him, sat the nurse who accepted you into the emergency room who now was talking animatedly to him.

For the first time since you entered the hospital, you got the chance to take a good look at the nurse.

Her outfit hugged her curves perfectly, no weird bumps or creases. It was as if the fit was tailored just for her. Her hair was up and away from her face in a tight and neat bun. Her makeup faded here and there from the long hours of working, no surprise there. And her glasses only complemented her whole look, making her look beautiful yet strong at the same time.

Looking at her made you wonder about how you looked in comparison.

You were still in your work out clothes that you designated for dancing. They were saggy in weird places as a sign of old age and definitely had been left forgotten in your wardrobe for a long time because you didn’t work out. The leather in your shoes also flaked in some places, indicating that you needed to buy a new pair. You knew not to buy them, though, remembering you weren’t athletic.

As you looked down on your clothes, you realized there was a giant blob of sauce stain just in between your boobs. Where- What? How did you get that? And why hadn’t you realized it until now?

You abruptly stopped yourself from self pity as the nurse pushed you closer to them. If you didn't have beauty or grace or sexiness, at least you had confidence.

The nurse Hoseok was talking to was the first to notice your arrival.

She stood up and asked you, “Are you alright? Do you need a painkiller?”

She was nice, too. No wonder Hoseok would be interested in her.

For a second you imagined what it felt like for someone to be interested in you. You haven’t felt that in a long time. Not that you missed the feeling, you were content with being single and had no intention to date anyone. At least not while your ankles still hurt.

You shook your head. “It’s not that painful.” You turned to the nurse who pushed your wheelchair. “When will the result come out?”

“In a few minutes. For now, you can wait here or in the emergency room.”

You looked at Hoseok, expecting him to answer for you.

He immediately took the cue. “We’ll wait here. Thank you.”

“Alright. I’ll direct you to the doctor’s office once the results are out.”

You mumbled a “thank you” before the nurse left.

The other nurse, who talked to Hoseok earlier, though, didn’t leave as much as you wanted her to. Instead, she sat back beside him and continued the conversation like nothing happened. Like you weren’t even there.

“When I get off my shift later, do you want to grab supper?” she asked while batting her thick lashes. Were nurses allowed to wear fake lashes, you wondered.

Just like the Hoseok you knew, he turned down the offer politely. “Sorry, I don’t really eat supper.”

She pouted in an attempt to look cute. But honestly, with the makeup and sexy clothes, her cuteness was uncalled for.

Gosh you wished you were as sexy or pretty as her, surely you could get any man you want. Nope, you were still happy with being single.

“What about tomorrow? I get bored on Saturdays.”

“I-” His eyes flicked around the room. “I need to check my schedule first.”

Her face lit up. “Text me, okay?” And just like how she didn’t wait for your answer earlier, she left without waiting for his.

You grimaced at their awkward conversation. “She seems… nice.” It came out more like a question.

He exhaled long and hard as if he held his breath the entire time. “And too much.”

“What-?” you sputtered. “She was blatantly asking you out.”

“Yeah, I know that. That’s why she’s too much.”

A question crossed your mind. “Have you known each other for a long time?”

“Not really. But since the number of my students blew up, injuries became more common, so...”

“Oh.” You nodded understandingly.

You suddenly remembered that you had to comfort him.

“You’re actually a great teacher, you know. At least that’s the review from Google. You have 4.8 stars! That’s awesome.” At this point you just blurted out anything nice to him. “My favorite restaurant only has 3.6 stars.” And by anything, you meant everything.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Thanks?"

“No problem.”

“What about you, though? What do you think of my teaching skills?”

Once again, his questions caught you off guard.

It was still fresh in your mind about the day you signed up for a class with him. How he answered all your questions with his smile never leaving his face. The day of your first class with him, he explained the basics with so much patience. He never said no whenever you asked him to show the moves again and again and again. And today, he took you to the hospital and even waited with you through all the procedures.

He was an extraordinary teacher. And person.

But there was no way you could say all that. It would only embarrass you more.

“I think you’re… nice.”

He furrowed his eyebrows deeper at your words. He surely would get wrinkles early if he kept frowning like that. And that would be so bad for his handsome face.

Okay, maybe it was better if you said all that in the first place.

“I mean,” you spoke up again, trying to redeem yourself. “You’re the best teacher I’ve ever met. You’re nice, understanding, and patient. Something I rarely see in other teachers.” And handsome, you wanted to add, but it was a story for another day.

He finally no longer furrowed his eyebrows.

“May I ask you a question?” he asked quietly.

Another question from him wouldn't hurt, right? “Sure.”

“Why did you decide to try dancing if you knew you weren’t good with ‘physical stuff’?” He did the airquote thing. “Sorry if it’s too personal.”

“No, it’s alright.” You chuckled. “Remember the friends that kept telling me I’m clumsy?”

He nodded.

“Well, they were kinda the reason.”

“Okay…”

You took a deep inhale. “We’ve been friends since the third grade of primary school. We’re basically inseparable. But as close as we are, we have different lives.”

“I understand.”

“One is an athlete. She’s a swimmer and takes part in a lot of national championships. The second one is not as athletic, but she does golf in her free time. She’s extremely good, though. The last one is a pole dancer and she really takes pride in it. So far, I’m the only one who doesn’t really do physical things. In fact, I’m not into physical activities at all.”

“That’s alright. Everyone is different. What do you do?”

“I loved studying.”

“Loved?”

You took multiple deep breaths to prepare yourself to come with the truth. “They always make fun of me for liking reading over physical activities. Until one point I can’t even look at books anymore.” You bit your bottom lip. “They even made a different pact and left me out.”

Books were an important part of your life. And reading was the only time when you could let yourself go from the harshness of the world. The time when you could forget your problems, or even who you were, for a little while. Knowing your friends didn’t like that made you question yourself.

“I think studying is important.” He commented. “If no one is studying, no one will get to be anything.”

“I know that. And I wanted to learn how to be more physically active. That’s why I took this dancing class.” Then you added, ”It’s actually my last resort. I’ve tried and failed other activities.”

“I don’t think you should listen to them. Even your oldest friends can’t be right all the time.” He smiled reassuringly. “Thanks for sharing your problem with me. I’m gonna show you just how amazing non-physical activities can be.”

He looked down on his lap and immediately handed you the plastic bag he'd been holding. "The nurse gave it to me, but you can have it instead."

You accepted the bag and peered inside. There was a loaf of bread, still looking fresh and warm.

After that, everything just flew by. Maybe because you were tired and the day was almost over, or maybe because you had Hoseok beside you, who made waiting felt fun. Or maybe both, who knew.

Soon the results came out and the nurse took you to the doctor’s office with Hoseok following in tow. The doctor explained everything and helped you, along with Hoseok, to get used to walking with crutches. You were also given some pills to ease the pain. And after all that, off you go.

You were back in Hoseok’s car, heading home. Somehow, the smell of his obnoxious orange car freshener smelt comforting compared to the hospital’s disinfectant.

“You really shouldn’t have waited for me.” You glanced at the time on your phone. It was almost midnight. “It’s really late now. I’ll have to give you a big tip later.”

He laughed. It sounded like heaven in your ears. “There’s no need for that. I’m just concerned with your health. Plus, I do this to all of my students. Think of it like part of my service.”

You giggled. “Alright, if you say so.”

He snorted. “One time, a student was even left all day in the hospital by their parents so I had to wait overnight until they came.”

“That’s horrible. Don’t they care about their kid?”

"They do. But they care more about their alcohol."

"I take it they were drunk while their kid was injured?"

"Apparently their stress response is getting drunk."

"Oh my…"

"When I say you're not even half bad as my other students, you have to believe it."

Proving to you one more time about how much of a gentleman he was, once you arrived at your apartment building, he parked his car and helped you out of the car. He guided you all the way to your apartment, making sure you weren't hurt on the way. Maybe you really should find a man like him. Or maybe… him himself?

Nah, you weren’t looking for a partner, remember?

He helped you settle down and was about to leave when he stopped in the middle of the doorway.

He turned around. “Wait. Do you live here alone?”

“Why?”

Instead of answering your question, he blurted another question. “Does your family live nearby?”

“They live outside of the city. Why?”

He looked like he was deep in thought before shaking his head. “Nothing. I’ll just come back tomorrow to help you since you’re alone.”

You weren’t one to stop a handsome guy from helping you, but you already owed so many favours for him.

“You have a date with the nurse, remember?”

He scoffed. “I told her I need to check my schedule. Looks like it’ll be full.”

Okay…

A question suddenly came out of your mouth, "Why do you keep helping me? I have no use for you. I can't attend your classes anymore."

It was true. You wouldn’t be able to do any physical activities, including dancing, for a few months. Not to mention your lack of athletic abilities that would demotivate you from trying to dance again even after you recovered.

At first, he looked startled. His eyes widened and mouth agape. But then he quickly regained his composure before answering, "Is it wrong if I think of us as… friends? Are we not friends after all of this?" He gestured to your leg.

You gestured to your surroundings. "But friends don't do this. My friends don’t do this.”

"Don’t base your understanding on them. They're not good friends, Y/n. I'm sorry.”

“But-” You really wanted to counter his argument, defend your oldest friends. But you knew deep down that he was right and there was nothing you could do.

“Let me be a good friend for you, okay?" he said as he linked his pinky to yours. Marking his promise and the start of your friendship.

He wasn’t one to break promises and you knew it firsthand. Had you known him before, you would’ve tossed your friends long ago.

Over the course of a week, he’d shown you care more than what you’ve gotten from your friends your entire friendship.

He cooked you breakfast, because he said that you had to stop eating junk food if you wanted to recover fast.

“Athletic or not, health is very important,” he said.

“Yes.”

“That means you need to eat healthy, Y/n.” He rolled his eyes. “And don’t even try to give me the puppy eyes, it won’t work on me.”

He force fed you your meds when you intentionally forgot about them.

“I put your meds directly beside your glass and you still managed to forget?” he yelled. “Drink it, or I’ll leave this instant.”

At his threat, you immediately took them. You enjoyed his company and weren’t ready to have him leaving you.

Because he noticed how sullen you looked when you realized you couldn’t go out, he tried to cheer you up by dancing crazily to a song playing on the TV. He waved his arms randomly and went around you while yelling incomprehensibly.

“Can you feel the energy, Y/n?” he asked in between his yells.

“No. Stop before the neighbors complain! You’re too loud!” You cupped both ears with your hands.

“Tell me you feel the energy then I’ll stop.”

You chuckled. “Fine. Yes, I feel the energy. Now, stop!”

He abruptly stopped and threw himself beside you on the couch.

“Ew, you’re sweaty. Get off of my couch!”

Among everything that Hoseok had to help you with, adulting was the hardest. In particular, the working part of adulting. Obviously, you needed to take a leave for a month and in order to do that, you first had to go through your boss’ wrath. Fortunately, a certain man with the stage name j-hope was ready to help you.

“It’s gonna be easy. I mean, how scary can bosses be.” He dismissed your worries with a wave of his hand.

“Very scary, I warn you.”

Contrary to his belief, after the phone call with your boss ended, Hoseok was scarred for life. Bosses were indeed scary, especially your boss.

With wide eyes, he whispered, “Never ask me to call your boss again. He’s literally a devil in disguise.”

“But did I get permission to take a leave?”

“Oh, shit! I forgot about that.”

“Hoseok!”

When he had a class to teach, you tried to fill the void by texting your older friends. But as expected, they instead made you even worse.

One said, "Hope you get well soon. We'll come back once we're not too busy."

What about the two others? Well, they only read and liked your messages.

That was alright, right? They all had their own lives and were probably busy. It wasn’t like your injury was a big deal anyways… right? There was no need for them to be worried about you or shower you with attention or visit you. Yeah, that was absolutely normal… not.

There was no need for moping around, though. The next day, your old friends and your knight in hypebeast clothes came over. Yes, said knight was Hoseok. Yes, they came at the same time. It was okay to have a handsome man and your way-past-hormonal-stage friends to be in the same place at the same time. Or at least that was what you initially thought.

"Y/n," one of your friends said with a frown on her face. "What happened? We were so worried."

You almost wanted to roll your eyes. They didn't seem that worried when you texted them yesterday.

“And who’s this?” another friend asked while staring at Hoseok. And it wasn’t a nice stare either, more like a judging stare.

You scowled, but still tried to keep some decency. “This is my friend slash dance teacher, Hoseok. Hoseok, these are my friends that I told you about.”

The last one of your friends was the first to shake his hand. “Wow. Is that so? I hope you only hear nice things.”

At that, both you and Hoseok faked a laugh. Your friends didn’t seem to realize though.

“Yeah, nice things indeed,” you commented once your laugh died down.

You were in the middle of talking and catching up with your friends while Hoseok interjected here and there when you needed to go to the restroom. Both to relieve yourself and to hide from the awkwardness for a while. It always felt weird to merge two friend groups.

“Guys, Imma go pee for a bit, okay?”

Hoseok instinctively stood up to help you, but you gestured to him to sit back down. “I got this, don’t worry.” You gave him a small smile and went to the bathroom.

Sure it did take longer for you to just pee compared to when you weren’t injured, but it still didn’t take too long in your opinion. The cast made everything more complicated, but not particularly harder. However, when you were flushing down the toilet, you heard some talking noises, way louder than usual. It sounded more like angry yellings. And as you were washing your hands, you heard a slam of a door. What was happening?

Couldn’t stand to not know what just happened any longer, you quickly finished your business and went out, only to find your once full-of-guests living room now bare with just Hoseok in it. All the while, Hoseok was cleaning up the coffee table while humming a tune.

“Where-?"

You didn’t even get to finish your question when he answered, “Your friends left.“

“So soon?”

He shrugged as he tossed away the cloth he used to clean. “They probably have things to do.”

“And they didn’t even say goodbye to me.” You sighed and plopped yourself on the couch. “I only heard loud noises and a door closing. They didn’t say anything to you?”

“Nope. But, I told them to get their life together before criticising people.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. Never in your friendship with your friends had you ever told them off like that. Sure they weren’t that nice, but you didn’t feel it was right to do that. Yeah, you were pretty much a coward. You scared your friends would leave you.

But to have Hoseok said that? Sure it was nice for your friends to know they were jerks, but you were surely going to lose your friends now.

You huffed and your shoulders sagged.

“What did they even do?” you asked as you watched him taking a seat beside you.

“You’ll find out. It’s better if you know it first from them.”

His answer only made you more curious and mull over what could have happened. What did they do that made a nice person like Hoseok say such a thing? Why did they leave abruptly? Would they end your friendship because of that? Would they ever explain to you what happened? So many questions were running through your head, but you couldn’t even guess the answer for any of them.

Hoseok knew how much you were distraught by what happened, so he, being the sunshine that he was, took you to watch him teaching dance to little kids.

“I’d be the oldest student there,” you whined.

“You come not as a student.” He laughed. “You come as my friend.”

“They’d be embarrassed if I watch along.”

“No way. They’re cool with it.” Then he added, “And cute.”

He wasn’t one to lie. The kids were indeed adorable. And their parents were also nice. While you were talking to the parents, the kids occasionally went to you to show you or ask you something. Mostly to ask you what happened to your foot. But one asked you a question that made your cheek heat up for the rest of the class.

“Are you Uncle Hobi’s girlfriend?”

“Oh- Umm…” you stuttered. “I-”

The parent quickly cut it before you could answer. “Don’t ask a question like that!”

“But I’m curious since he said he likes someone.”

You wondered who he liked, but you knew better than to gossip about romance with a kid. So in the end, you refrained yourself from asking.

Once the class finished, Hoseok came up to you with a proud grin and a sweaty body.

“How was it?”

“You were right. They were cute. But one little birdie told me something.” You smirk.

“Oh, no. I don’t want to see that face.”

“C’mon. Just answer me. Who are you crushing on, Hobi?”

He groaned. “You knew about my crush and the nickname. I shouldn’t have brought you here. This was a bad idea.”

“I think it’s fun,” you teased. “Now, entertain me.”

He sighed. “It’s a girl I know from one of my classes.”

“Not the nurse, huh?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Never the nurse. Did that answer your question?”

“Not really. But I’ll take it for now since you’re stinky. Go take a shower!”

“Yes, ma’am.” He laughed.

His Friday schedule, that used to be filled with a class with you, was now empty. He was a high-demand teacher, his empty classes were almost instantly filled, but no one really wanted to have a class on a Friday evening. That was reserved for laying in bed and nothing else.

So, instead of letting you mope around during the time which you should have been having a class, Hoseok took you to his secret space on the other side of the dance studio. Secret space because no one in the world knew what was inside aside from him and one curious student that accidentally found it.

Hope World was the name. Such a fitting name for a place with a warm atmosphere, two huge speakers, several smaller speakers, and two giant monitors. There were also a lot of hypebeast plushies and decorations. On the couch, on the table, even on the floor, covering most of the surface in the room.

You took a seat on the couch while feeling its soft surface beneath your hand. “What is this place?”

“This is where I make music. I’m a dance teacher by day and a music producer by night.” He grinned.

“Why did you decide to show me this? This seems… personal.”

“Because I want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with doing the things you like.” He turned on the computer and played a song.

“The song is called Blue Side. For a long time, I have had problems finishing this song. But then I found the final piece.”

“What was it?”

“I needed to let go of my past happiness for a greater happiness,” he answered without hesitation, as if he already rehearsed that. “That’s kinda the gist of the song, too. And I think you need that advice right now.”

He was right. Sacrificing your past happiness that was your old friends would probably change your life drastically. You needn't seek their validation in anything you do. Only you mattered because you were the one living your life. Question was, were you ready to let them go?

You looked at him in his eyes. A small smile played on your lips. “Thank you.”

He smiled back before going back to his computer to change the song.

“Okay enough of depressing shit. Let’s dance!” He carefully took your hands in his and pulled you up on your feet.

“I can’t dance,” you whined. “With or without the cast.”

“We’re not doing that kind of dance, you doofus. We’re just swaying along to the song.” He wrapped an arm around your waist so you could follow his sways easier. On instinct, you wrapped your arms around his neck.

He swayed ever so slightly, following along the rhythm of the song. The melody filled around the room, into your ears, and out of it again. Hoseok’s strong hands held you, making sure you were steady and wouldn’t topple over. The smell of the room that was so Hoseok, you were pretty sure he used his own perfume to freshen his room. Yet, among all of these foreign things, you felt just right. You felt home.

Once you got the hang of it, you laughed. “This is the easiest dance move you’ve ever taught me.”

“Glad you think this is the easiest because I don’t know any other easier moves.”

“Well, I’m sorry for being unathletic,” you defended yourself. “I didn’t ask to be born like this.”

“What? Born naturally gorgeous?” Soon after those words left his mouth, he looked anywhere else but you, totally pretending like nothing happened.

With cheeks burning, you complained, “You can’t say that and pretend nothing happened.”

He looked back at you and laughed. “Why? Are you shy?”

You punched his chest in a joking manner.

It was when the song stopped when you realized how close you were to Hoseok. You could even smell his cologne, see his tiny freckles scattered on his face, and feel his breath that smelled like mint, a sure sign he ate too many mints. If he was handsome from a distance, he was mesmerizing up close.

Your eyes found his and you saw how captivating his eyes were. Pools of warm brown eyes, deep enough to drown and hypnotize you. And when he smiled, they turned into crescents with wrinkles at the side. Simply put, he had the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen.

Your mind snapped back into reality and you immediately let go of him in a panic. Just as you let him go, he also let you go on instinct, making you unable to keep your balance and struggle to find your footing.

“Oh, shit!” He steadied you again with his hands on your waist. “Are you alright?”

Your eyes widened at the event that just unfolded. “Yeah. Thanks for saving my life again.”

“Just so you know, I don’t mind saving you repeatedly if that’s what I need to do to keep you alright.”

It was safe to say that his words echoed in your mind for the rest of the day.

The next day, your questions from the previous days were answered.

“We’re very sorry about what we did,” one of your friends said as soon as they entered your apartment.

“Is this about when you guys left a few days ago?”

“Yes. But we have a reason for that,” another friend answered.

“And the reason being?” You raised an eyebrow, anticipating what was coming next.

You were no longer sure if you wanted to hear it.

“We-”

“We talked shit about you to Hoseok,” the last one interjected. Always to the point, that one.

“We’re very sorry. I know it was wrong and stupid of us to do that. We get it if you don’t want to befriend us anymore,” the first one spoke up again.

Sure you felt sad, but a part of you knew that this had been happening long before. It was more like you waited for them to finally come clean and confess to them, so you weren’t surprised at all. And with them coming clean, you were relieved. You could finally let them go in peace. Just like what Hoseok had said.

You nodded your head slowly. You didn’t have the strength to even look at them in their eyes. “Thanks for being honest with me and for being my best friends all this time. But everything has an end and I think this is ours.”

“I assume they have apologized?” Hoseok asked after looking at your bright smile. The smile of a person who could finally let go of their burdens.

It was Sunday, the day after your friends confessed, and you were stuck in the library with him. While you wanted to listen more to his songs, he wanted to take you to the library. It took a bit of bickering, but he won in the end since you both had never been to a library together before.

“Yes. Thanks for defending me. You didn’t need to do that.” You reached for a book that was too high.

Hoseok came behind you and grabbed the book before handing it to you. “Hadn’t I done that, they’d still walk all over you.”

Oh how true his words were, but you weren’t going to admit that.

“Whatever. I’m still grateful, though.”

“You’re very welcome.”

You sat at a corner and he followed suit, sitting right beside you.

“And what did you say to them?” he asked.

You shrugged. “I don’t remember, but what’s important is that I cut ties with them. I did exactly what you had taught me.”

“I know you’re a good student. Always diligent and curious. And a fast learner, too.”

“Aren’t you proud of me?” You grinned at him.

“I’m always proud of you, ever since the first day you joined my class.”

Sure, there were days in which you wished you were more athletic, but if it weren’t for your lack of athleticism, you wouldn’t have been this close with Hoseok. Or ending your toxic friendship. So you gotta give the credits where it was due.

“Last lesson, enjoy the things you love to do unapologetically.”

“One question, what was your past happiness?”

Masterlist

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[moonbeam-writing]

Hi!! Can I request you a Kuroo scenario where he falls in love with the reader one day after seing one of her match for the first time during a tournament ? After running into her a few times, he ends up taking the courage to talk to her (or confessing ? 👀)

— Love at First Sight

๑ Requested by a lovely Anon!

๑ Quick Note: Of course! This is so cute! Thank you for requesting, lovely! <3

๑ Characters: Kuroo Tetsurou (Haikyuu!!)

๑ Warnings: None!

๑ Word Count: 1,500

—

The first time Kuroo Tetsurou saw you, you took his breath away. He had little to no clue who you were or which school you went to, but what he did know is that he wanted to get to know you more. At that moment, though, he had a game to focus on, but his heart was set on seeing you afterward somehow.

However, despite having the game to focus on, he still found his eyes finding their way to you before each set, had managed to pick up the sound of your cheering amongst the crowd, or at least what he thought was your cheering. That part was purely wishful thinking on his end, but Kuroo knew he’d love the sound of your voice regardless of whether or not that was you. At one point during the match, Kuroo had even managed to catch your eye.

He found himself convinced that love, at first sight, was a possibility. He knew that it wasn’t love, at least not yet, but he certainly knew that it was infatuation. He felt this strange pull towards you like he needed to meet you no matter what. Kuroo thought about looking around his wrist or pinkie multiple times throughout the small breaks he had, wondering if the Red String myth about soulmates was true, but didn’t. He didn’t need to seem like he was crazy in front of you or anyone else, realizing that if that were the case, he would have seen the string by now. That one moment of eye contact changed everything.

After the tournament ended, Kuroo nearly missed you. He had managed to just barely catch you on your way out, politely tapping on your shoulder and introducing himself. Your hand felt so small in his as you shook it and your smile practically made his heart stop. The slightly noticeable tint on your cheeks was adorable and Kuroo couldn't help but feel like you felt the same. Of course, you did feel the same. There was something about his wild hair and the obvious passion with the game. The captain that you only just learned the name of had somehow managed to draw you in. Unfortunately for the two of you, you both lived a good five hours away from each other. For the time being, the two of you settled with exchanging names and numbers, hoping to gain the courage to possibly text the other first.

Though it was a few months before the two of you saw each other again, but when you did, it was exciting. It was completely random and purely by chance.

Kuroo had been in town for a game and the two of you had coincidentally gone into the same coffee shop, Kuroo, however, was convinced it was by fate. Any time Kuroo had seen you, despite it only being twice, it was by pure chance and he wasn’t about to question it too much. He got to see you and he wasn’t about to question it. It was bad enough that the two of you were barely able to talk and your texts were hours apart sometimes, so he was absolutely taking advantage of what the world was so graciously giving him.

The entire time you were with him, you felt light. There wasn’t any form of tension in the air, no odd weight on your shoulders. To your knowledge, Kuroo felt the same, or at least, he certainly looked like he did. You were so happy to finally see him again, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Your week had been long and you had been meaning to ask if he’d want to meet up for the last month and now here he was, right in front of you, talking to you. It almost made you feel like a little girl with her first crush, and you weren’t too far off. In such a short amount of time, you were absolutely head over heels for him.

Unfortunately, the time came for the two of you to say goodbye to each other. You saw him off before he left, bringing coffee and a breakfast pastry to him for the trip back. Neither of you wanted him to leave, but he had to.

From then on, the universe seemed to try making it easier for you two to talk, text, and occasionally see each other. In the span of another four months, you were able to see him another two times and now he was asking if you’d come to Tokyo for an upcoming tournament. 

The butterflies in your stomach were intense. They almost always were when you were able to go see him, or he was coming to you, but this time was different. You weren’t sure how or why, but it was definitely different. Regardless, you couldn’t help your obvious excitement.

Everything felt similarly to the last tournament, the one that you met him at, though the biggest difference is that this time, not only were you not going just to go, but you were able to wish your favorite captain good luck before the start. You noticed that this time, Kuroo seemed a bit more hyped up than last time, and you couldn't help but wonder if you were the cause.

Much like the first time Kuroo had seen you, between almost every set, Kuroo’s eyes would look to you in the crowd and every time he found you, your eyes met. It wasn’t much of  a shock, though; your eyes hadn’t left him nearly the entire game, aside from a few close calls in the game. From up in the stands, you couldn’t help but admire him out on the court; all of Kuroo’s strength and determination, and the obvious love he had for both the game and his teammates was incredible to see, part of you was wishing that the current game would never end just so you could keep watching him do what he loved. Of course, with that thought, you also had to admit to yourself that you were stalling a little. You were anxious to find out why today felt so different compared to any other day that you saw him, but luckily for you, it seemed like the game was wrapping itself up once and for all.

Once the match was officially done, you were one of the first people to leave the stands, excited to, hopefully, be one of the first people to congratulate the team, especially Kuroo, on their win.

As soon as you had gotten towards the front doors, the boys were on their way there themselves, all of them exhausted, but clearly amped up from their win. Upon seeing you at the door, Kuroo’s victorious smirk turned itself into a wide grin, seeing his favorite girl right in front of him.

“Tetsurou!” Your voice sounding off against the surrounding noise made his smile bigger as you began to move, meeting him halfway and stepping comfortably into his open and waiting arms. “I’m so proud of you!” You paused for a moment, stepping on your toes slightly to look over his shoulder better. “You guys too! You were all so incredible!” Their thanks was heard, but you were already back to being shoved up against Nekoma’s captain for it to register in your head.

“Thanks, (Y/N)!” Kuroo smiled down at you, though you could tell that there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes, which was odd and out of place for a number of reasons. “How long are you going to be here?”

“A few days, nothing too major. Even though they’ve met you, my parents aren’t really all that big on me staying a full week here, ha ha. It’s honestly a miracle they’re letting me be here for a few days on my own.” The two of you shared a small laugh over it, because you were absolutely lucky, but so was he. Kuroo knew he needed to make his move. “Any reason why?”

“Yeah, actually. Um, I know I haven’t known you too long, a bit under a year, really,” you couldn’t help smiling slightly at the rare sight of a nervous Kuroo. It was something you’d probably not see again for awhile. “And it might be a bit difficult because of the distance and all, but I was wondering if you’d possibly want to go on a date with me, and if you had fun, would you want to be my girlfriend?”

The grin that had made a place for itself on your lips was practically infectious as you tightened your grip on him. “Of course! Hell, you don’t even have to wait for the end of the first date, I’d gladly be your girlfriend, Tetsurou.”

Hugging you back once again, Kuroo pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. Though the captain was a man of science, he couldn’t help but think that maybe love at first sight was actually real.

#haikyuu request #haikyuu scenario #haikyuu drabbles #kuroo #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo tetsurou x reader #fluff!

[korkrunchcereal]

WoW Q and A

Elaborate on the Chains of Domination cinematic: Story of Anduin and Sylvanas/relationship with the jailer is foundational to Shadowlands. Anduin was dominated. Jailer needed someone like Anduin to be able to walk into Bastion and claim the key. Brief moment of Anduin gaining control in cinematic, so still in there. Chains of Domination will explain more.

When he (Anduin) walks past Uther, did Uther know what was happening or did he feel bad? Couple things going on. His hand touches his wound, made by a weapon of the maw. Uther recognized on some level that power, as well as stirring memories seeing this blonde, kingly figure. Confrontation with Sylvanas in the raid one of the biggest moments in WoW.

Moving from classic to BC while keeping a copy. Whats it going to look like for gold, items/banks. Am I going to see differences or is it two separate entities for all time? Logging in at pre patch will snap a copy of your character. There will be an option to move onto BC classic, or stay in vanilla classic. Can pay a fee and activate “clone” to put them on BC classic if you choose to stay Vanilla. Beta is around the corner. 

How will high population  numbers be handled in TBC classic? How will you handle bottlenecks, sharding, dailies etc. Recognize high population, want to make sure experience is enjoyable. Optimization improvements to help stabilize servers. Experience of rare material and multiple people going is part of the game. Willing to make targeted changes if there is particular problems. 

 Will there be more race/class combinations? Player agency and choice is major theme. Customization key, but also want to reinforce differences. Want to maintain a world that doesn’t have exact symmetry. Have gone back over the years to change things. For now, think they’ve gone about far enough. Nothing planned, but never say never.

 Surprise on Covenant armor? Based on heritage armor. Pure aesthetic, want to give players more and more options. Gameplay reasons to not tmog the entire range (warrior wearing cloth for example)

Workflow change during pandemic? Happened very suddenly. Team reached to each other to find comfort. The isolation found purpose for devs. Making Shadowlands/games help to reconnect friends and people.

Any plans to address faction imbalance? What happened to cause it? Something talked about a lot. Know there’s a very real problem, particularly high end. What caused the problem? Imbalanced in racials allowed to persist too long. At this point, don’t think racials are imbalanced. People staying Horde however due to social reasons now; compounded issue from all the way back from MoP etc. No real answer. Social issue requires social answer.

Have you ever seen a swing in either faction direction due to story elements? Across the game as a whole, faction balance is pretty good. Its raiding/high end PvE that the imbalances really emerge. Have seen faction switches/more cross faction alts in BfA for example. 

If I play BC, when I decide to play on main char and a classic era realm at 60, will I have to name change? You have your name in both places. Ensure people don’t park on names forever.

Any plans to connect more realms? Had to do survey across all populations in all realms. Essentially have to copy an entire realms database onto another. Not a flip a switch thing, lot of work. Have been able to address a large amount of the very low pop. realms. Had to pause for Shadowlands launch due to launch and Shadowlands had huge effects on server populations. Last time they connected realms was right before WoD, and realms had a LOT of queue problems. Watching and waiting for populations to go down before making the jump.

Never gonna have cross faction raids, dungeons etc? Not gonna say never. Essential to hold onto identity but...

Will our amount of Anima be increased later? Is it possible for sanctum upgrades to be account wide? Lot to collect. Hotfixed Anima drops so far. Looking for new sources of Anima for next patch. Over all looking at the costs. Cosmetics are generally account wide. Anima is designed to span the bulk of Shadowlands. 

Sire Denathrius is an eternal one and imprisoned. What will he do? Will we see him again? Best laid plans can adapt. During BfA, intended Bwonsamdi to be a one off. There, but no big deal. Once they heard the VA they went “we need more of this character”. Planned for Sire Denathrius to be there, you kill him w/e. Then heard the VA and went “this guys awesome we love him.” Changed plan to keep Sire Denathrius alive. Will find some other role for him to take. Watch fan feedback to see how community responds/gravitate to. He is in that sword, there may just be allies of him that would be interested in liberating him from the sword...

When will we see more Heritage Armor? As each one was released, got more and more excited from response/enhanced feel of the game. Working on further Heritage Armor. Some coming to near future updates, some more in the future.

Any plans to bring back the AH app? Not as you know it perse. It got turned into a lot of automation. Revamp removed app, then change of the AH. Meant to be more of a socialize thing then accumulation of gold by automated system. Recognize however convenience factor. Consider getting back into some form, but not like how it used to be.

Will there be more new character customization options for Shadowlands? None in Shadowlands. Tend to be fairly big projects. Release them when it’ll be very good for players. Lot of work to juggle. Felt like they got good feedback and support from it. Want to invest going forward when it makes sense.

What are actual requirements for flying in Shadowlands? Where can we fly? Can we fly across the realms? Shadowlands pathfinder no rep grind. Just requires completing full covenant campaign (9.0 and 9.1). Cannot fly from zone to zone. Once unlocked, alts will be able to fly freely. 

In the BC classic, will there be class tuning that would make it notably different than 2007? Broadly no. Want to keep the authentic behavior of final patch, like classic had. Seal of blood

Is there work being done on new Torghast Anima Powers for later patches? Spec specific, when can we see? WIll be done through all patches/future patches. new powers etc. As for powers working outside Torghast, keep OP nature of them inside Torghast.

Difference between passage of time in Shadowlands and in Azeroth? Salanar the Horseman in DK order hall said he was in the veil for what felt like days and it was between WoTLK and Legion. Meet characters for whom time doesn’t seem to have meaning. What is time a construct of? Order. On Azeroth, understand the passage of time because of influence of titans/order. Outside of the influence of order, time loses meaning. A lot more fluid. Shadowlands about eternities. Can have it perceived differently by different characters even going through same thing.

Bringing back 10-man content, either as different difficulty or different instances for smaller groups to tackle. All raid basically is/can be 10 man. These days its the 5 player mega dungeons that fill the role. In BC, ZA and Kara filled that niche of the smaller group doing the BIG, raid like content. Fulfills the spirit of 10 man content.

Will summoning stones be available at launch of BC or come later? Will have them at launch.

What’s Bolvar up to and where is his story going? Will he have a major role to play? One of the fun parts of Shadowlands was getting Bolvar back into the mix. We saw him be pivotal in Torghast and getting into Shadowlands. Saw there was a price to pay for visions with Torghast. He will be front and center in Chains of Domination. Good rallying figure.  

In BC, how will pvp titles be handled without battlegroups? Originally, reward was made for the best player in each battlegroup due to technical reasons. Now that they have better technology, fair way is % based, though still want to keep it small amount. 

In Stormwind, Darnassus refugees mention going back once the smoke clears. Does this mean Teldrassil can grow back and become habitable again? The damage was pretty definitive/lot of lives lost. Don’t want to reverse on a whim. The story of the souls of the Night Elves however is not yet done, nor is Tyrande’s story going into Chains of Domination and beyond.

Will fresh classic servers be added in addition to TBC servers? For the timeline of BC classic, no new classic servers. Eyes on it however for the future. Will discuss once BC launches.

How do you get the Wandering Ancient Mount? Got to have Shadowlands. Will be in 9.0.5 patch update next month (March). 

#Blizzcon #Blizzcon 2021 #World of Warcraft

[moontheoretist]

The show currently on had a bunch of stuffed shirts sitting at a round table. ["...my esteemed colleague, Professor Newell, gives too much credence to the ex-Avengers' education. I simply don't believe they all read and fully comprehended the document they were rejecting. Steve Rogers had a high school diploma and one year of art college."] Steve curled his lip. ["That doesn't mean he's illiterate," Newell, a brown-haired man with glasses, said. The other man, his tight coils of hair salt and pepper gray, raised an eyebrow. "As a lawyer, I'd be the first to say legal documents are needlessly complex, but no lay person can just sit down and read a 1000-page legal agreement and absorb the intricacies with nothing more than a high school education from the 1940s. Not without help." Newell ceded the point with a nod. "And Wanda Maximoff is a street orphan and doesn't even have that. Ditto Clint Barton, who grew up in a traveling circus. The Ant Man has an engineering degree, which makes me think he would have ample education to comprehend the Accords, but he had little time to do it in—only the flight to Germany, and investigators say he was likely shrunk and in Clint Barton's pocket, as there's no evidence of him on the passenger list, but he suddenly appeared at the Leipzig/Halle airport. It's questionable he bothered to shrink the Accords with him or bring the necessary resources to decipher all the legalese."] Scott got up and left the room. Wanda curled up and hugged her knees to her chest. Steve remembered the hasty conversation he'd had with Scott before the battle. Scott had no idea about the Accords back then. He thought they were there to fight over killer assassins. Steve rubbed his forehead. ["That leaves only Sergeant Sam Wilson, a man well-educated by the armed forces. I wondered what made him reject a document that his own government and one hundred and sixteen other countries supported, and then I read up on Lieutenant General Ross' record. Any man who has served in the military and heard of Ross' abuse of his own forces and how he used his own daughter as bait in pursuit of The Hulk would have zero respect for the retired general and Secretary of State. Ross was spearheading the US support of the Accords. Whether or not this influenced Sergeant Wilson's decision to reject them, I cannot say."] "This is bullshit," Clint said, obviously fuming. "I didn't need some stupid diploma to tell me the Accords are a shitty idea." ["You haven't said anything about the Black Widow," the moderator said, shifting his papers around on the big desk. "Ms. Romanov is an interesting case. Raised and educated by the top-secret Soviet training program called the Red Room, the Black Widow supported the Accords at first. She appeared to recognize their necessity, but then during the fight at the airport seemed to run into an issue of allegiance in fighting her friends. Understandable, I think. It's why the Avengers should never have been sent to contain the renegades. But who else could battle that sort of might? "In any event, it appears to be no coincidence that the Avengers who sided with the Accords all have master's degrees or higher." "Or much higher," the mediator said, abandoning neutrality. "Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes as a master's in engineering as well as officer's training, Stark has multiple doctorates, and the Vision is said to have access to the sum of all human knowledge. The King of Wakanda obviously has the finest political education as a leader of his nation, and I understand he is also an engineer." "Nothing is known about the Spider-Man," Newell said. "No, that's true. He'll have to remain an enigma." "But it's your contention that education had something to do with renegades choosing not to support the Accords," the mediator said. "I think it's obvious."] *** ["Hello, all. Thank you for time. "As Mr. Sjöberg mentioned, I recently came into some information regarding The Winter Soldier that I felt was of international importance, especially since he had the protection of some very powerful people. The ICC is just the place to turn when the State is unable or unwilling to carry out an investigation and prosecute the perpetrators."] Steve drew in a shocked breath. ["I found this information at a Hydra bunker in Siberia, where Rogers, Barnes and I had an altercation about whether suppressing this information was cool or not." Stark gave an acid grin. "In the course of this disagreement, Rogers disabled my suit and left me in the Hydra bunker to freeze, unable to radio a rescue team."] Sam sank his head into his hands with a curse. ["However, Rogers' 'leave our teammates behind' policy turned out to be useful, because while searching for a way to communicate with my rescue team, I discovered a trove of records spanning back decades on the Hydra supersoldier program. I looked through all of it, hoping to save it and get retrieved before Hydra returned. "What I discovered was more than enough: movies, photos, and detailed plans to assassinate political heads of state, industrial leaders, diplomats, prominent artists, radical leaders and activists, all of whom were murdered by The Winter Soldier. Included in these documents were the names of the ones who ordered the kills, the criminals behind the deeds. For the last three weeks, with the assistance of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, that's what we've been up to—rounding up the bad guys with a vengeance." The murmurs grew into a roar of approval. "Most of the Hydra operatives still living have been arrested for their complicity in murdering countless important figures who stood against Hydra's core principles of racism and fascism. Despite the unnecessary delay introduced by Rogers, who could have put us onto Barnes and thus the location of the bunker that much sooner, the loved ones and family members of the deceased will at long last know, and hopefully find peace in knowing, just what happened to their loved ones, and why."] Tony's voice trembled on the last part, and Steve felt a pit growing in his stomach that he couldn't shake off. ["My only regret is whom I have to thank for this. The man behind the Vienna bombing was the one who revealed the truth to me by showing me the video of my parents being murdered by The Winter Soldier. The man who told me the truth is a criminal. But then, the man who kept the truth from us all is a criminal as well. "Thank you all for listening. There will be no questions."] *** Tony lifted his hand and smacked away the letter he was writing as Rhodey walked in. "Sour patch! Look at you. How're the legs feeling?" "Better now that I tweaked the timing on the left one. Feels more natural now. But, Tony..." "Awesome. You should totally patent that port thing. That was really good work." Tony pulled up the schematics of Rhodey's braces to take a look at the timing adjustment port Rhodey had added. "I don't have time for—that's not why I came in here, Tones. Vision got a call—" "Time, shmime. I'll have Friday draft up the diagrams and application for you." "It would be my pleasure, Colonel Rhodes." "Yes, fine. Thanks, Fri. Tones, listen. Something's happened with the renegades." Tony stopped fiddling and gave Rhodey his full attention. "Tell me." "It's weird as hell." Rhodey dropped onto a lab stool and rolled over to join him. "Wanda contacted Vision to tell him she delivered Rogers to the US Embassy in Nairobi. I checked, and sure enough, according to embassy officials, she made him walk in like a zombie, then directed him to 'Wait here until Tony Stark comes to arrest you.'"

Into the Weeds by truet

This is literally the best Team Iron Man fic I read till now, and it includes all the things I missed from the other ones: acknowledgment of Rhodey’s smarts, acknowledgment of the education Rogues had, acknowledgment that Wanda may actually get angry at Steve when she learns what he did and what it means to her, acknowledgment that Hydra agents who ordered the murders should be arrested, acknowledgment of Tony relying on other people to actually accomplish or polish the things he engages with (JCCT, braces).

The only thing it doesn’t have is acknowledgment that Shuri doesn’t need BARF to help Barnes, but it’s only because the fact that the story never reaches that point, but damn, so many Team Iron Man fics mistreats other charas and I know it is not malicious, that it is because the authors love Tony and want him to fix the issues himself, but Tony isn’t omnipotent god of science and I would like people to get that Shuri is as mart as he is and can definitely handle helping Barnes and making his arm without Tony’s help, as much as Rhodey can fix his braces and doesn’t need Tony to constantly do it for him, because he has proper education to handle that, and also he is the user, so he knows best what is wrong and what is right and what works.

I also tend to like the stories which don’t demonize Wanda more than the ones which do, because I think she was radicalized, but not evil and those stories, where she is an evil Hydra agent or actually went mad long ago and nobody noticed, as much as interesting and enjoyable don’t really get what it means to be radicalized and then trying to de-radicalize and also heavily fall into the trap of demonizing a woman in the same way misogynist media creators usually do and the only thing I can blame is the fact that we all are raised in the society which hates women and even if we don’t actively believe in it some of it stays with us, in our subconscious and affects what we write and how. Everybody is capable of evil as long as they believe something very much and Wanda is more prone to that due to her background. Not to mention that those stories also usually infantilize her and I like to see her actually being treated like an adult she always was, who understands the consequences of Steve’s action for her and who would do something, albeit something stupid mind you, to mitigate her case, because she is an adult, and she like any other adult person would want to help her case somehow.

Oh, and author also knows how the whole “who arrests who” system works, so their stories actually show that nobody in the MCU creator board of creators, including the Russos, does a goddamn research about Europe. Most people don’t have this knowledge, so movies don’t seem off to them, but to people who do have this knowledge movies are weird and illogical.

#tony stark #pro tony stark #steve rogers critical #mcu steve rogers critical #james rhodey rhodes #wanda maximoff #mcu fanfiction

[hard-boiled-criminal]

Planetary Magick: 1

(Twisted Wonderland x Earthling! Witch! Reader)

This is crossposted on my ao3 and quotev. I have a chapter on some general information you should know about this fic before going into it, so please go and look at it first. I’ll have it linked in the masterlist. There is some essential information there, so I’ll also have a shortened version of the general information linked in the masterlist. 

I haven’t quite decided all the love interests yet, so please comment who you want to be included. But don’t comment until after you’ve read the essential information post. I’ll know if you haven’t when you comment. I started this fic with my two favorite boys in mind, so they’ll probably end up getting more attention at the beginning.

Without further ado, here we gooooooooooo

_____________________________________________

“Alrighty, here we go,” you mumbled to yourself as you got yourself settled and comfortable, then set a twenty-minute timer on your phone for your meditation session.

You breathed in deeply for four counts, held your breath for four more counts, then exhaled for four counts, closing your eyes during the exhale. You scanned your body, seeing how every part of you felt and releasing any tension you discovered. You focused on your breath and how it moves the body, allowing you to clear your mind. Any wandering thoughts that passed through your head you let go, like seeing a leaf floating down a river: you notice it, then let it go.

Inhale. Hold. Exhale.

Inhale…hold…exhale…

In…hale…out…

.                            .                            .

             You let out a low, gravelly hum as you began to awake, blinking. Or you think you’re blinking, at least. It was the same level of dark when your eyes were open as when they were closed.

             ‘When did it get so dark? Last I remember, it was mid-afternoon… What was I doing again?’ You hummed again, but in a way that you didn’t use your vocal cords. It was more of a throaty exhale. ‘Oh, that’s right! I was medita…ting…fuck, I fell asleep while meditating, didn’t I? That’s one of the big thing’s you’re not supposed to do, (y/n).’

             Seeing as you probably wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep now, you went to sit up from your laying position, just to hit your forehead against solid wood.

             “Ah fuck,” you quietly exclaimed in both surprise and mild pain.

             You raised your arms to figure out what you hit your head against, but they also hit wood. Starting to panic a bit, you rapidly felt out the area all around you: it’s all wood. You were in a box. You desperately tried pushing on all of the sides, one at a time, hoping that you weren’t sealed inside. Nothing budged. Your breaths began to speed up, becoming shallower.

             ‘Why am I in a box? How did I get here? Oh fuck, have I been kidnapped?! Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ Various expletives cycled their way through your thoughts as a result of the panic.

             You yelped when the box suddenly began to tilt forward, causing your body to slide down the box that you now realized was quite a bit longer than you were tall. Your feet stopped your sliding when they hit the new bottom of the box, letting you stand upright. You didn’t know what this meant. Why would someone stand your box up? What was happening? You heard a voice speaking from outside the box, but your panic prevented you from processing their words.

             You quickly shifted your priorities when the box started to heat up like a wooden oven, beginning to fill up with smoke. You didn’t have time to scream. You had to get out of there. With renewed vigor, you rammed your shoulder into the wooden panel in front of you. You felt it budge! It didn’t open, but it budged. You didn’t wait to ram your shoulder into it again. This time, the wood gave in to your force easily, popping off of the box and onto the floor. Maybe it gave way a bit too easily, as your momentum sent you careening to the hard floor, your shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. You heard a loud scream that you knew wasn’t yours, you simply didn’t have the breath to scream, as your momentum didn’t stop, making you somersault multiple times towards the center of the room. Well, somersaulting is a bit of a generous term; it was really more of a chaotic rolling, limbs flailing about as the world blurred between right-side-up and upside-down.

             Something you always suspected, but now knew for sure, was that unexpected somersaults are very painful on the neck, not to mention your head that slammed into the hard floor each roll. You didn’t know where the cracks you heard came from, but you doubt it could be anything but your body. You just hope those sounds were the good kind, like the cracking-your-knuckles cracks and not the snapping-your-bones-in-twain cracks.

             When you finally rolled to a stop, you laid limply on your side, unmoving. You painfully gaped for breath, trying to fill your lungs with the sweet oxygen you were barred from when rolling. Your vision blurred and swam; unable to make out anything or focus on anything except colors, you closed your eyes from the sight lest you get a headache.

             Still disoriented and generally out-of-sorts after you caught your breath, you struggled to roll onto your knees, resting your forehead on the cool floor in hopes to ease the overwhelming dizziness that you could practically feel in every bone of your body.

             “Why are you up?!” You heard strange voice yell out, coming from where your wooden prison sat.

             You turn your head ever so slightly so you could semi-face where the voice came from. You squinted, trying to focus your gaze, but everything remained blurry. You could see bright cerulean flames dancing around what you think was your box, presumably the same flames that smoked you out. And by the floor was an animated gray blob, slowly growing larger. Or was it just getting closer? You couldn’t tell, your attention snapping back to your throbbing head as your vision span once more.

             You groaned as you closed your eyes and turned your head back to where it was, the cold, probably stone, floor felt nice. It helped soothe your steadily worsening headache a bit, but any relief was better than none. You weren’t in a rush to move from your spot, and since the floor was stone, you wouldn’t have to worry about the fire spreading.

             “If you’re just gonna sit around, then hurry and gimme those clothes!” That strange voice that reminded you of Team Rocket’s Meowth yelled again, though this time is was much closer. “Otherwise—”

             You cut them off with a louder groan than before and held up an index finger in their direction to both shush them and to say, ‘give me a minute.’ “Please, just, give me a sec. I’m dizzy and might have a concussion—no, probably have a concussion. So please, don’t shout.”

             “Hah? Why should I care about what some dumb human has to say? Now gimme those clothes unless you want me to roast ya!”

             You grunt as you force yourself to stand, the dizziness mostly subsiding. You looked over to see if you could make out the Meowth-sounding figure now, but to no avail; your vision was still blurry and refused to focus. All you could see was that gray blob, but now you could make out a patch of white and two patches of that same cerulean blue on the figure.

             “I’m sorry, the fuck did you just say? You want me to give you my clothes? Fat chance, ya little pervert.”

             They made a disgruntled sound and yelled again, which did not help your headache at all, “I’m not a pervert, stupid human! Just shut up and hand over that uniform!”

             “I’ll pass,” you quickly glanced around the room, looking for an exit. There was a large area of dark brown embedded in the wall to your right, no doubt being a set of double doors; you now had your escape route. You hope you were staring into the eyes of that bleary gray figure. “…yeet.” And you bolted towards the doors.

“Wha—hey! Get back here stupid human!” You heard them shout after you.

Running felt stranger than normal, like there was more drag, like you were dragging something with your arms. You looked down and finally paid mind to your clothes: they were definitely not yours. You were wearing something like a coat—or a cloak? —with heavy bell-sleeves, the source of the extra weight. You now also noticed that there was a hood pulled over your head as well. It was a miracle it stayed on after your rough tumble.

‘Yeah nope, fuck that. I’m not ready to be sacrificed by some fancy cloak cult,’ with that thought fueling your determination, you stayed true to your ‘yeet’ and rammed your other shoulder into one of the doors, not wanting to waste time on opening it like a civilized person. Besides, that would probably be quite difficult as it was still hard to see, and your hand-eye coordination was probably going to be shit because of your probable concussion.

Luckily, the doors were unlocked, the one you charged at bursting open upon impact with little resistance. You didn’t dare slow down, sprinting down the outdoor hallway the doors led to. And as you noticed a group of people approaching, you couldn’t slow down. You danced through the gaps between them, the sudden twisting bringing back the dizziness. Your poor coordination made sure that you bumped into a few elbows on your way through, adding a couple more bruises to the list. You didn’t bother to spare them a glance or even acknowledge them. Your body was screaming at you to stop, your frantic running only serving to further agitate your too-fresh wounds, sending streaks of stinging pain through your body.

It was no use though. Fatigue finally won you over, and you practically collapsed onto the floor of what was a library of sorts. Or maybe an archive? Even if you couldn’t make out any individual books, you could easily tell that the walls were lined with filled bookshelves. You panted heavily as you laid on your back, too exhausted to care about lying on the floor. Your peace could only last for so long, though.

“Did you really think you’d get away from my nose? Dumb human!”

You grumble in fatigue-induced anger, using a chair to help stand yourself back up. You’ve had enough of this pervert’s shit. You’re hurt and scared and tired and confused, and all you want to do right now is sleep. You quickly hoist up the chair, resting the side of the chair’s back on your shoulder, brandishing the chair as a weapon as your hands grasped the seat. You were just about ready to use the chair as a battering ram on this rat of unusual size.

“If you don’t wanna get roasted, better hand over—Buwah!?” Out of no where a whip stuck the strange creature, staying wrapped around it. “Ow! What’s with this cord?”

“This is no mere cord. It is a lash of love!” Their masculine voice sounded strange, as if they were forced to talk around a physical lump stuck in their throat.

Their voice was rounded, but in an odder way than usual. It was as if each word was its own separate circle: only one circle per word with the circles never quite connecting. It was as if they composed their sentences like a piece of music but added a breath mark between each and every note. You didn’t know how else to describe it. His words were round but ended strong and abruptly, as opposed to the gentle waves and curves you’d expect from a rounded voice.

You didn’t notice him until he stepped closer. His ensemble of clothes was mostly black, and the colors that weren’t black were at least dark. More than half of his face appeared to be covered with a black mask, so could you really blame yourself for not being able to make him out in this dark library?

You slowly lowered the chair back to ground as you tried to process that he called it a ‘lash of love.’

“Ah, found you at last. Are you one of the new students?”

“Uh, I’m sorry—”

“Yes, you should be! You shouldn’t do things like leaving the Gate on your own!” He cut you off and kept talking, not giving you a chance to speak, let alone defend yourself because you didn’t know what the fuck was going on. “Not only that, you have yet to tame your familiar, which has broken a number of school rules.

“Let me go! I’m not their freakin’ familiar!” The creature took the words right out of your mouth while squirming in the man’s grasp.

“Sure, sure. The rebellious ones always say things like that,” he immediately dismissed the thing’s outburst. “Just quiet down for a moment.” You couldn’t quite see what he did, but the gray beast could only make muffled noises. You think the thing was gagged, but you don’t know by what. “My goodness,” he directed his attention to you again. “It’s unprecedented for a new student to leave the Gate on their own. Ugh… How impatient can you be?” He sounded very offended by your actions, still not giving you the chance to explain that you were busy trying not to die. “The entrance ceremony is already well under way. Come along now. Let’s head to the Hall of Mirrors,” he turned on his heel, quickly walking away.

You had three options: 1) Follow him to whatever the Hall of Mirrors was. Maybe it’s like a hall full of those body-warping mirrors they have at carnivals? 2)Stay behind and wait for something else to come try to kill you. 3) Run away and hope you don’t run into something that wants to kill you.

You quickly jogged to catch up to him. “I—uh, where are we going?”

“As I said, the Hall of Mirrors. It’s the room you woke up in with all of the doors.”

‘Doors? Is he talking about the sealed box I was in?’

“All students who wish to attend this academy must pass through one of those doors to arrive here. Normally, students wake up only after the door is opened with a special key, but…” he glanced over to you, silently expecting an answer.

You pointed at the Meowth-voiced creature. “He kinda smoked me out.”

“So, in the end, the culprit appears to be this familiar. If you’re going to bring it with you, you have to take responsibility and properly take care of it.”

“Um, sir? That’s not—”

“Oh my!” He cut you off once more. “Now isn’t the time to be long winded. The entrance ceremony will soon come to a close. Let’s get a move on.”

“Sir, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what’s going on,” it came out form your mouth quietly, barely above a whisper.

“What’s this? Are you still dazed? It appears the teleportation magic has left you disoriented…”

‘…teleportation…magic? Was I—Was I kidnapped by a wizard LARP group?’

“Well, it is fine. It happens often enough. I shall give you an explanation as we make our way there. For I am gracious.”

‘Gracious my ass; your favorite thing is to assume things about me, and you know what they say about assume: it makes an ass out of u and me.’

He cleared his throat as we stepped into the courtyard I had previously ran past. “This is ‘Night Raven College.’ Those magicians blessed with a unique aptitude for magic gather from all over the world, here at the most prestigious magical academy in Twisted Wonderland.”

‘Oh shit, they’re a Harry Potter LARP group. I don’t think Harry would condone kidnapping someone though…’

“And I’m the principal, appointed to take care of this academy by the board chairman, Dire Crowley.”

‘Crowley like the demon from Good Omens? Or like that guy who wrote a book on demons? Or maybe that one guy from Yu-Gi-Oh…’

“…” You patiently waited for him to say, “You’re a wizard, Harry,” but he never did. ‘I can’t believe I have to deliver this line without the lead up. “A what?”

He ignored you to continue with his ‘gracious’ monologue, “Only those magicians seen as worthy by the Dark Mirror can attend this school. Chosen ones use the Gate and are summoned here from around the world. An Ebony Carriage carrying a Gate should have gone to meet you as well.”

“A carriage? You mean one with a horse?”

He gasped, offended, for some reason, “Of course it was drawn by a horse! Our school would never be so uncouth as to have it drawn by anything else!”

“Well, I would have remembered if there was a horse. Horses are the embodiment of equal opportunity fear*. You don’t forget running into a creature like that.” You shivered at the thought of the horse-like fae you’ve heard about in legends. Like the one that can apparently kill gods.

“It seems you are more dazed than I first thought. Well, no matter! I shall continue with my explanation, for I truly am so gracious. The Ebony Carriage goes to welcome new students chosen by the Dark Mirror. They are special carriages that carry the doors to the academy. The market decided long ago that carriages are used to welcome people on special days.”

“The market? Are you telling me stocks have something to do with this?” You had to actively try not to say ‘stonks’ instead of ‘stocks.’

He ignored you again, instead speeding up his walking as the gray creature started squirming and making muffled sounds again. “Come. Let’s go to the entrance ceremony.”

With the both of you now speed walking, it didn’t take long for the three of you, counting the creature, to make it back to the doors you had originally burst out of. Crowley, not being one to wait for anything, quickly barged in. “Not at all!” he exclaimed, probably responding to something you didn’t catch.

“Ah, he’s here,” you heard someone say from inside the room.

‘…You’ve gotta be buttfucking me,’ was your first thought as you peeked out from behind Crowley to see the room filled to the brim with people wearing the same cloak as you.

“I cannot believe you all. We were missing one new student, so I went to find them,” he stepped to the side to present you, making your anxiety spike as all the eyes in the room turned to you. “You are the only one yet to be assigned a dormitory,” he now directed his words to you. “I shall watch over the raccoon, step in front of the Dark Mirror.”

You were never more grateful than now to have the large hood obscuring your face, preventing anybody from fully seeing it. You weren’t planning on going anywhere before you got kidnapped, so you didn’t bother fixing up your appearance at all. You probably looked like a mess. If you fell asleep during meditation, that must’ve meant that you were extremely exhausted; you wouldn’t be surprised if your eyes looked like they better suited a meth-addict grim reaper. Regarding what type of death your eyes belonged to, until you got a good look in the mirror, it was up for debate between two options: if your eyebags were dark enough to make your eyes look like they were sunken into your skull, yet at the same time pop-eyed from the contrast of white and red to dark bags, or if your eyes and eyebags were swollen to all hell, giving you a upper pop-eyed look, as if somebody squeezed you and your eyes tried to pop out of your head, but their escape was thwarted by your skin, just barely strong enough to hold them back. Your face probably looked a bit sallow and nothing but bone; today had been a taxing endeavor, both physically and emotionally. You’d kill for a nap—or any sleep—right about now.

You nervously walked up to the floating mirror, your movements stiff and tense, like a frightened deer.

You were ready to come face to face with your deathly reflection, but instead of your face, there was a mask instead. It looked like a floating porcelain mask that had its own free will, making subtle changes in facial expression and everything. It had a black lacy design in the shape of a masquerade mask around its eyes. ‘Probably has an edgy personality too,’ you added as an afterthought when you noticed the dancing green flames in the background. You couldn’t help but feel that it looked vaguely familiar…

“State thy name.” It spoke with a finality in its tone.

‘So, it talks too, huh? Oh, it’s probably one of those facial motion capture programs. Look at this man; it feels like he’s trying to match the same energy that the Wizard of Oz had. Nobody can live up to that legend of a man.’

“(y/n) (l/n).”

You subtly glanced around the room with your eyes, not moving your head, to try and see if there was a ‘man behind the curtain’ somewhere. You didn’t even see a curtain. Just a bunch of coffins and cloaked people.

‘I’m sorry, are those coffins? I can see better than before but not well enough to make out the finer details, but I can tell those look coffin shaped. Like the kind you would see in Scooby-Doo. Does that mean Crowley said I was transported here in a coffin?! What the fuck, man.’

“The shape of thy soul is…” the mask paused for dramatic effect… okay, for a lot of dramatic effect because this was a long pause. “I do not know.”

‘…what was the point in the dramatic pause, then?’

“Come again?” Crowley sounded like he was about to go into shock.

“I sense not a spark of magic from this one… The color, the shape, all are nothing,” the mask roasted you. “Therefore, they are suited for no dormitory.”

‘Rude but I guess that is kind of how it works? After all, magick is just convincing reality and the world around you to bend to your whims by performing certain actions. So, it’s like being a bender from avatar. But instead of the elements, its reality, sort of. Bending the world’s natural magick… But still, fuck you. I may just be a beginner, but I’m still a witch…wait, unless it’s talking about ‘sleight of hand’ magic. Is this like a Hogwarts school or like a Houdini school?’’

People started murmuring in the audience you now had, staring at you, judging you. You could feel a lump in your throat start to form, a telltale sign of the beginning of an anxiety attack.

“An Ebony Carriage would absolutely never go to meet someone who can’t use magic!” Crowley sounded stunned and frustrated. “In one hundred years, there has not once been a mistake in student selection. So why in the world…” Since Crowley was so wrapped up in what was going on, he failed to notice that his grasp on the creature had loosened.

“Pah!” The gray creature, which you think is a cat since you can see better now, exclaimed as he freed himself. “Then I’ll take their place!”

“Stay right there! Raccoon!” Crowley’s attention was now directed on the freed rabid cat.

“Unlike that dumb human, I can use magic! Let me in the school instead! If you need proof, I’ll show you right now!” The little cat exclaimed

‘Wait, what does he mean by proof? If he’s about to do what I think he’s about to do… then shit.’

“Everyone, get down!” The same voice you heard when Crowley and you entered spoke.

‘Don’t have to tell me twice,’  you lowered yourself to the ground and laid on your stomach; the back of your head was still throbbing, so you didn’t want to chance irritating it more by lying on your back. You crossed your arms in front of your face on the ground so you could comfortably rest your head in the crook of your elbow. Laying like this made your hood fall further over you face, obstructing the top half of the room from your view. The bottom half was all you needed to see though, as the cat spewed blue flames around the room—the same flames that made you panic inside the coffin.

“Waaaah! Hottttt! My butt’s on fire!” You heard an animated voice yell.

“At this rate, the school will be a sea of fire!” You heard Headmaster Crowley shouted. “Somebody, catch that raccoon!”

You heard some of the people in the room bicker about who should go after him, not because of the fear of being burned, but because they were being lazy and saw it as a hassle. ‘Well, I’ve got a bone to pick with him anyway,’ you sighed and stood up, casually walking over to the cat. There was fire everywhere, but you couldn’t find the energy to care. You were tired and hurt and probably concussed, and you had had enough. If your clothes catch fire, you can just stop, drop, and roll. God, you were so done with all this.

So you walked through the hot flames, no doubt getting some burns on your legs from the ordeal, and the slacks you wore that weren’t even yours didn’t burn easily, but the flames still managed to burn several holes through it. The cat didn’t notice you approaching, preoccupied with yelling at the bickering students. Luckily, the cat made sure there were no fires surrounding them, so you got a break from the heat. You took a moment to pat out the fires on your pants and the bottom of your cloak using the ridiculously large sleeves of your cloak. Satisfied that you weren’t burning anymore, you reached for the cat and lifted them up by hooking your hands in its armpits. They screeched at the unexpected flight lesson and immediately began to squirm.

“Alright, I think you’ve done enough. I’m sick of your shit, so cut it out before I choke you ‘til you pass out,” you blandly said to the cat since you were, as you put it, sick of their shit.

“Unhand me you stupid human!” They demanded as they wriggled in your grasp. You held them tighter. You could feel the others staring at you, completely silent for a few seconds before someone broke the quiet.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” That familiar voice of the stranger shouted, a heart-shaped collar suddenly appearing around the cat’s neck.

“Nygah! The heck is this!?” The cat shrieked and started tugging at the collar.

“Laws of the Queen of Hearts Number 23: "One shall never bring a cat into a festival," you could now see that the familiar voice belonged to a student with red hair, red as in bright ruby red. “You being a cat means you've broken the rule. I shall have you leave at once.”

“I'm not a cat!!” The cat denied the truth. “I'll burn this collar right up and… E—eh? I can't use my fire!”

“Hmph! You won't be using any magic until I remove the collar. Just like an ordinary cat,” the redhead explained.

“Wh-what?! I'm not some pet!” He’s a strong independent cat who don’t need no man.

“Don't worry, I'd never keep a pet like you,” fuck, that redhead can roast. “I'll take it off anyway when you get thrown out.”

“Wow, as wonderful as ever. Any and all magic gets sealed by your Unique Magic, Riddle,” another student spoke, this one had light colored hair.

‘Would you call that shade a pale lavender or periwinkle?’ You questioned his hair color.

He mumbled something inaudible under his breath before speaking up, “No, I wouldn't ever want that cast on me.”

“You must do something about this! It is your familiar!” Crowley shouted at you again.

You sighed, frustrated. “He’s not mine.”

“Properly discip... eh? It's not yours?”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to tell you this entire time, but it seems I couldn’t get it past that thick skull of yours,” You couldn’t stop some of the irritated sass from leaking out.

“Y-you did?” Crowley looked rightfully embarrassed as he cleared his throat. “Anyway, let's get it out of the school at any rate. We won't turn you into a stew. For I am gracious. Someone help, please.” Another student took the cat from your arms and carried him towards the door.

“Gyaaaa! Let me go!” The cat protested, desperation thick in their tone. “I'm going to, going to… Become the greatest magician!” Those were his final words as he was thrown out of the room.

“We had a bit of trouble along the way, but this brings the entrance ceremony to a close,” Crowley said with a pleased tone of finality. “Dormitory Heads, please show the new students back to the dormitories.”

This didn’t really concern you anymore, what with being rejected by a mirror of all things. So, you stood there, starting to space out.

‘…wait a damn minute. If that was a fire-breathing cat, then… the kind of magic they’re talking about is… real fucking magic. Like fantasy world, Dungeons and Dragons’ kind of magic: flashy fireballs and eldritch blasts… What the actual fuck is going on? Have I been drugged? Is this just a real bad acid trip? I know I’m not dreaming because I feel like DIO used Road Roller on me. What’s gonna happen to me? Because something definitely went wrong with that mirror since it rejected me and holy shit what are they gonna do to me? Is this gonna be something like a ‘you know our secret so we can’t allow you to live’ kinda deal? Am I gonna die? Is that why they had coffins prepared? Are they gonna shove me into one of those and bury me al—’ you were snapped out of your thoughts when the headmaster waved his hand in front of your face. Glancing around, you saw that you two were now the only occupants in the room.

“There you are,” he pulled his hand away from your face. “Well then, (y/n), I’m terribly sorry about this but… We must have you leave the school. Those without any talent for magic cannot be allowed to attend class here.” He must have noticed you tense up when he said that, because you thought that meant disposing of you. “There is no need to worry. The Dark Mirror will send you directly back from whence you came. Enter the Gate, and picture your home clearly in mind…”

You did as he told, picturing where you last were when you had began your meditation. Feeling very much like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, you found yourself chanting ‘there’s no place like home’ in your head.

“Oh, Dark Mirror!” Crowley called out. “Guide this one back to the place they belong!” A moment of silence. “Once more. Oh, Dark Mirror! Guide this—”

“It is nowhere…” the mirror interrupted.

Your eyes snapped open, a tight strained smile on your face. ‘I’m sorry, the fuck did you just say?’ Crowley seemed to have a similar dumbfounded reaction.

“The place they belong is nowhere in this world; it does not exist.”

“What did you say?” Crowley voice the pg-13 version of your thoughts. “That is unbelievable! Hmm, well, the unbelievable has been on parade today.”

‘Uh, yeah. There was a goddamn fire breathing cat ready to kill us all.’

“This is the first time it’s ever happened since I became Headmaster, what should be… Where exactly did you come from?” Crowley asked you.

“Uhh… Do you just want the country, or do you need the planet’s name since the mirror said I don’t belong in this world?”

“Just the country is fine.”

“Well, I’m from (country), but I have no idea how far away we are from it right now.”

“I’ve never heard of that place,” your stomach dropped at Crowley’s remark. “I have a general grasp of where all the students came from, but I’ve never even heard that name before… If you really are not of this world, then I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to know your planet’s name.”

“Well, I’m from Earth.”

“Earth? As in the ground, soil, dirt?” He sounded like he didn’t really believe you. “Well that’s not very helpful, but I suppose you could call any planet ‘earth’ if you so wished. Well, no matter,” he clapped his hands in finality. “Let’s go do some research in the library.

“Who in their right mind would name a planet after its dirt?” You heard Crowley mumble under his breath as you followed him, clearly trying to keep you from hearing him, but that didn’t work out so well.

‘I think it might be the other way around, where we made another word for dirt named after the planet itself.’

You and Crowley made it back to the Library where you were before, but this time you could see just how large it was since Crowley turned the lights on. Using his magic, he practically summoned various historical books and world maps that showed the different countries and borders that were present at certain time periods.

Your vision was still too blurry to read, but you could still make out shapes fairly well, so you stuck to looking through the various world maps. The first thing you noticed were the continents: they were all wrong. You didn’t recognize any of them, though they were consistent across all the maps you had in front of you. These were not Earth’s continents. Desperate, you looked closer at the borders of different countries to see if any looked familiar, squinting to see if you could even have a possibility of reading the names.

You take a deep breath, ‘Okay, (y/n). You’re a-okay. There’s an explanation for this. I’m sure of it. Maybe you just astral projected on accident or something. Okay. You can deal with that. You’ve read about how to get back to your body. You can do it.’ You visualized a cord of sorts connecting the you here to the you that you remember meditating at home. And then you pulled. You opened your eyes and— ‘…I’m still here.’

“There really isn't anything,” Crowley was the first to break the silence. “Not only the world map, but the name of your home isn't written in any history. Are you truly from where you say? You aren't lying to me by chance?”

“No! Why the hell would I lie about any of—" you gestured around you wildly “—of this?!” You must have looked absolutely terrible because you saw Crowley almost look a little guilty for his accusation.

“Looking at all this, you may have somehow been brought here from another planet, after all... There's also the possibility you're from another world.”

“I really am an alien, aren’t I?” You could feel a lump rising in your throat, that previously pending anxiety suddenly rapidly rising. You sadly chuckled out a resigned ‘fuck’ and rested your forehead against the table, your hands grasping, digging into the back of your head. You could tell you were spiraling, but you couldn’t do anything about it. Your breaths quickened as bad thoughts and worries about what the hell is going to happen to you now kept infiltrating your head without pause. You tried to take deep breaths, only for your breath to hitch and prevent that. ‘Okay, okay, we can do this; mantra time,’ the only other way you knew that helped you calm down was to repeat an unrelated mantra in your head until you stopped hyperventilating. ‘The—the mitochondria… is the powerhouse of the cell**. The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.’ You repeated that phrase as best you could, both in your thoughts and aloud.

Eventually, you were able to get your breathing back under control. ‘Okay…okay. We’re good. I’m good. I’m fine.’

Crowley cleared his throat, obviously not used to being in these kinds of situations and continued as if nothing happened. “What did you have on you when you came here? Do you have any identification, like a license for a magic car, name on a shoe… You appear to be empty-handed.”

You gave your pockets a quick pat down. “I got nothin’.”

“This is concerning. I can't just let someone who can't use magic to stay at school. However, as an educator, I can't just toss a penniless teenager out on the street with no form of communication. For I am gracious.”

‘…Teenager? You know what, I’m not gonna correct him. It’ll probably benefit me more to let him think I’m a minor.’

“Hmmmm… That's right! There is an unused building on campus. It was once used as a dormitory in the past so if you can clean it up, you should at least be able to sleep there. For the time being, I shall allow you to stay there! Then I will look for a way for you to return home. My graciousness is limitless! I am a model for all educators. We had better be on our way. Let's head to the dormitory. It may be a bit old but there is a certain charm to it.”

You felt bad for the poor librarians who would have to clean up your mess. You couldn’t stay to do it yourself because Crowley already took off, his long legs giving him a longer stride, making you speed walk in order to keep up with him. You couldn’t wait to lie down and rest your aching body.

    *Confederate statues in the US—getting rid of the scary white men but keeping the horses: https://youtu.be/aFgGazYzDPo

 ** “The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” is easy to remember (since it’s been ingrained in all of our heads) and is completely unrelated to most causes of an anxiety attack. Unless it’s a bio test.

 Okay, so, I wasn’t expecting to get to 6,000 words but here we are. So we have a witch reader, and by witch I mean drawing sigils and making spell jars and such. Let’s see how long it takes for the reader’s adrenaline to run out and realize just how badly they’re hurt. Also, reader is probably end up being a babysitter for those overgrown toddlers (you know who I’m talking about). You thought boarding school would mean getting away from parental figures? Ha! Think again! Cuz the reader is gonna step up and fill that role because these poor boys are young and stupid. But that’ll have to wait until after the reader gets some proper medical attention.

Chapter 2

#twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland #malleus x reader #reader insert #gender neutral reader #idia shroud x reader #x reader #malleus draconia #idia #can you guess who my favorite boys are yet #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #probably more #haven't really decided yet #come on down and vote for your favorite boys #don't be shy #tell me who you wanna romance #jade leech #jade leech x reader #floyd leech #floyd leech x reader #adult octomer azul? #adult octomer azul #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader

[recurring-polynya]

🔆 — obviously they end up married and procreating, but in your headcanon, do you see them expanding their family? Having more kids? Being content with just Ichika? She seems like 2 kids in one kids body. Where do you see the Abarai family in the future?

🔆 do they see themselves together for the long run ? like , getting married , starting a family , and all that jazz ?

So, when I first found out the timing on Ichika, I was honestly pretty upset about it. Part of it is that I think it’s nice for people to be married for a while without kids. We don’t know when Rukia and Renji actually started seeing each other romantically, but my personal preference is that it happened late, possibly during or after the TYBWA. We do know from WDKALY that they had a pretty short engagement, and then conceived Ichika almost immediately following the wedding. It’s kinda depressing to me that they would have this huge separation, followed by two years of slow burn, followed by six months of dating -> engaged -> married and then BAM preggo. Dang.

Secondly, even though she’s been a lieutenant for a year, tops, Rukia is now acting captain of a squad that has just taken enormous losses, one of her top officers has just transferred to Squad 4, and the Soul Society is in ruins. This seems like... a terrible time to have a baby?

On top of all this, Rukia has never struck me as a person who has always dreamed of being a mom or would be particularly delighted to find herself pregnant. I’m not saying she wouldn’t want to be a mom, or that she wouldn’t be a good one (I am not a particularly maternal mom, and to be honest, I think we could use some better representation). I think Renji would both like to be a dad and would be an excellent and intuitive dad, but he loves Rukia for who she is. He would accept not having kids before he would try to talk her into doing something she didn’t want to.

I am a compulsive fix-it person, but within the confines of canon, so I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of all this. In my ongoing, low-burn, canon-spanning fanfic epic, I tried to put in a few earlier scenes where Rukia interacts with some Kuchiki family members who have babies, and starts to feel some stirrings that having babies doesn’t mean quitting your job and your personality. She’s always valued her independence, but she’s also been alone for a really long time, and at the same time she is trying to adjust to the idea of maybe she would like to have a romantic partner, she’s learning the trials and tribulations of having a sibling, and she’s really re-examining her entire concept of family.

I have never been particularly fond, either, of the idea that Ichika is somehow the Kuchiki heir (and I don’t think she is, especially since she has Renji’s name, but we really don’t know for sure and it’s a common enough idea in fanfic), because the entire Kuchiki family is kind of a drag and also they are problematic billionaires and I don’t like Rukia and Renji just blindly assimilating into that. As a compromise, I came up with the idea that maybe Byakuya named Rukia and Renji a branch family to the Kuchiki (his favorite branch family, don’t tell anyone), so they’re part of the family, but pretty far off from the actual succession and they have a lot of freedom to Start Shit and make the other nobles clutch their pearls constantly.

Bringing it all together, I can finally start to make some sense of this. Rukia and Renji get married with the sense that they would like a family, plus they are somewhat obligated to generate an Heir. It’s shitty timing for sure, but the timing is only going to get shittier. I have heard of women who get PhDs and have babies in grad school. On one hand, this is an absolutely bananas thing to do. On the other, if you know that’s what you want, it is entirely rational, because at least most grad students have a flexible schedule and it’s better than having toddlers when you’re trying to get tenure. If you can manage it, this is actually a really effective way to manage a scientific career. So, in other words, they had their (1) baby, and then Rukia got down to brass tacks, training her bankai and getting her squad in shape. I can definitely see Renji in a primary caregiver role (I think they have a nanny, but he scales back at work and takes care of a lot of stuff), and that also partially explains why he’s still a vice-captain. (If any of this is compelling to you, I did write a short story about it once)

Now, I am actually going to get to your question and the answer is: it depends on what happens in a theoretical continuation of Bleach.

Rukia has just been officially been named a captain in the Bleach epilogue. I think that if things continue to be peaceful, and she settles into her role, after a few years, I could definitely see them sitting down at dinner and saying “you wanna have a big family?” Maybe two or even three more. Ichika is practically an adult at this point, but given the longevity of souls in Soul Society, I feel like it’s not uncommon for kids to have even multiple decades between them. I don’t think she would have any bitter feelings about this, she has always appreciated as being an integrated part of their lives, even when it got a little hectic and also she really loves her baby sibs.

On the other hand, if there’s another big war or an extended period of low-level conflict, I don’t think they would have any regrets if Ichika turned out to be an only child. Rukia and Renji have had a tremendous number of awful things happen to them in their life, and I think they have a tendency to focus on what they have instead of what they don’t.

The primary thing that I think would put a crimp in further kid plans is if Renji had to take a captaincy. I don’t think Renji particularly wants to be a captain, although he would be an excellent one. The way the setup of captains is after the timeskip, I cannot imagine anyone retiring, so I can’t see this happening in the peaceful scenario. I have no idea whose place he would even take. In fact, even if some captains got killed in some future conflict, I would think that by that point, Kira or Hinamori, for example, would be more likely to step up and take over their squads than to bring in Renji. Renji certainly wouldn’t take 1, 2, 4, 12 or 13, and they already blew the storyline where Byakuya dies and he takes 6. I suppose he could take one of the other squads if they lost both captain and vice-captain. Renji becoming the new Kenpachi is the spiciest possible take and I would read the shit out of that.

The actually family development I would like to see would be for Byakuya to get married, dude it is your job. Are you guys ready for my dream Byakuya love story that I will never, ever write because I do not ship him with any existing characters and I would die if I had to tag something Byakuya x OC? TOO BAD, here it is anyway: I think Byakuya doesn’t think he could ever fall in love again, and up until the main Bleach storyline, the idea of being remarrying is abhorrent to him. After a few years of being an ancillary part of the Abarai family, though, I think he could finally bring himself to find some suitably noble wife to Bear Him an Heir. In Byakuya fashion, I imagine he would dig through a bunch of genealogy records and find some woman who is the dead end of some old lineage of Great Soul Society Generals or some shit and out-of-the-blue proposes to her. This woman is the Spinster to End All Spinsters. She is like, 400 years older than him. She is not conventionally attractive and wears a lot of sweaters she knits herself. She has a lot of special interests, including carnivorous plants, and is extremely hardcore about her hobbies. She is the Sybil fucking Ramkin of Soul Society. Her spiritual energy is bonkers. She and Byakuya do not get along at all, but that’s okay because they have big plans to ignore one another (aside from procreational intercourse). Rukia is losing her mind. Renji is trying to smooth things over. Nothing is smoothed. Hitsugaya rather likes her and keeps trying to give Byakuya pep talks. Finally, like, Byakuya’s prize orchid almost dies and she saves it and Byakuya goes full heart eyes for her, and he has to be romantic at her. He wears an ill-fitting sweater she makes.

So, to sum up: Rukia and Renji get married, have Ichika. Byakuya gets remarried, makes an heir or three. Twenty to thirty years later, Renji quits to go be the stay-at-home soccer dad he’s always wanted to be. Byakuya Jr. becomes Vice-Captain at the Sixth (or possibly Ichika? That would be fine, too). Rukia eventually becomes head captain. When the younger batch of Abarai kids get old enough, someone convinces Renji to run for office and he becomes the Leslie Knope of the Central 46. Bam. The best timeline.

#otp meme #renruki #i...have thought way too much about this #this was very long and rambly #but you asked!

[noona-clock]

The Risk - Part 5

Genre: Fighter!AU

Pairing: Park Seo Joon x You (Female!Reader)

Warnings: Disgustingly cute fluff and also one curse word

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Words: 2,935

Over the next year, Seo Joon made (basically) good on his promise not to ever get punched during a fight. He had gotten kicked a couple of times, but after you had appeared in front of him with very raised, very angry eyebrows, he had reminded you that you’d only made him promise not to get punched.

You hadn’t said anything about getting kicked.

So, obviously, you had made him amend his promise right then and there.

He trained incredibly hard during that year, working especially on his reflexes to make sure you wouldn’t ever have to see him get hit -- punched or kicked.

Before meeting you, he had already trained hard and had an uncanny ability to stay focused on his goals and work until he achieved them. But after meeting you, after hearing just how much you disliked watching him get hurt, he stepped up his game.

In the span of that year, Seo Joon fought in six other matches (not including the match he won the night he officially asked you to be his girlfriend), and he only got hit somewhat badly once. But that had been in his abdomen, not his face, so you had been a bit easier to console.

Also in the span of that year, Seo Joon had done his best to make you fall in love with him, though that was both unknowingly done and took way less than a year. It had only taken three months, in fact.

After the first month of your relationship, Seo Joon had waited for you outside of your class, just like he had on the day you’d first kissed in the garden. But this time, he was holding a rather large bouquet of flowers, all different kinds but all the same color -- your favorite color.

When you’d opened the door of the building and seen him there, your cheeks had immediately turned beet red. The friend you’d been walking with had smirked wildly and poked your side, teasing you about the tall, handsome stranger waiting for you with flowers.

“What are these for?” you’d asked shyly once you’d approached him, a bashful grin curving your lips.

“You have been my girlfriend for exactly one month,” Seo Joon had replied, unable to keep himself from smiling down at you as you brought the bouquet up to your nose. “I thought you deserved some flowers, at least.”

Your response had been, “You didn’t have to buy me flowers.” But those had just been your words. Your smile had been far too wide and, frankly, cheesy for you to actually think that.

So, Seo Joon had done the same thing after month two. He waited for you outside of your class holding a bouquet of flowers, this one even larger and more beautiful than the last. Other students had noticed him, and he’d even heard someone wonder out loud if he was Park Seo Joon, the MMA fighter.

He’d tried not to react or even look in the person’s direction because this was about you -- not him. If someone came up to him to ask for an autograph or a picture... he might actually refuse. You still didn’t care if it happened when the two of you were together; in fact, you encouraged it because his fans were a big reason he had been able to make a career out of what he loved to do.

But anyway. Back to our scene.

The second you’d seen him standing there again, holding yet another embarrassingly big bouquet, you’d bit your lip and speed-walked over to him.

“What are you doing here?” you’d asked as a smile had formed on your lips. You’d immediately slid your arms around his middle and stood on your toes to greet him with a quick kiss.

Before Seo Joon had the chance to answer your question, a loud catcall whistle filled the air. You’d whipped your head around and cried out to the friend you’d been walking with every time he’d come here.

“I’m so sorry,” you’d chuckled after turning back around to face him, your cheeks incredibly pink.

He truly wasn’t sure when you looked more adorable than you did when you were embarrassed -- happily embarrassed, that is. Not embarrassed like ‘I want to crawl into a hole in the ground and stay there forever’ kind of embarrassed.

“I know I should buy you flowers more,” he had told you as he’d handed you the bouquet. “And not just on special occasions. But today, it’s officially been two months since you said you would be my girlfriend.”

You’d smirked and shot him a playfully quizzical look. “I don’t think two months really qualifies as a special occasion.”

“It does when you’re my girlfriend,” he’d murmured before placing a quick kiss on the tip of your nose.

And since you had been so embarrassed -- and since you’d pointed out that a monthly anniversary wasn’t actually an anniversary -- he’d done it again on the third month.

But... this time... it would be a special occasion.

Seo Joon zipped up his jacket before reaching over and grabbing the bouquet, hoping the frigid air outside didn’t nip at the petals as he stood to wait for you.

His breath blew soft, puffy clouds in front of him as he walked to the building he’d become all too familiar with over the last three months, and he checked his watch to make sure he wasn’t running late.

Today was not only the three-month mark of your relationship, but it was also the last day of your final exams for the semester -- hence the special occasion thing. He had thought about taking you out to dinner, ordering your favorite dessert, maybe some wine? But then he’d decided he should probably let you choose. You were the one who had been studying and taking tests for the last month, so he would cater to your every whim tonight.

(Let’s be real though: he catered to your whim every night. Seo Joon was definitely one of those boyfriends. He practically worshipped the ground you walked on. 🤷‍♂️)

Just as he came to stand in his usual spot, the front door to the building swung open. He heard a handful of students let out a relieved sigh, chattering about how glad they were the final -- and semester -- was finally over.

His brow furrowed softly, but before he could start worrying too much about you, he spotted you walking out the door. You quickly said goodbye to your friend before hitching your bag over your shoulder and heading toward him.

A tired but still very happy smile played at your lips, and you let out a soft sigh as you snaked your arms around him. You slid them underneath his jacket, pressing your cheek to his chest as you tried to steal his warmth.

“How did your test go?” he murmured, holding onto you with his free arm and rubbing your back soothingly.

“Fine,” you sighed. “It’s over, so that’s all that matters.”

He placed a kiss on the top of your head, and he expected you to pull away then... but you didn’t. So he didn’t.

And then after at least a minute, he asked, “You’re not going to ask me what I’m doing here? Or what the flowers are for?”

You let out a negative hum, shaking your head just the tiniest bit before you snuggled against his chest even more. “I don’t care today, I’m just happy to see you,” you muttered.

A smile played at Seo Joon’s lips, and he squeezed you once before moving to turn you and start heading toward his car. “How about we go do something? To celebrate?”

“Sure,” you replied quietly, sticking to his side as the two of you ambled down the sidewalk.

“Anything you want,” he announced with a squeeze of your shoulders. “Dinner, movie, shopping...”

Seo Joon heard a soft sigh escape your lips, and then you said, “Can we go back to your place? Order takeout and just relax?”

“If that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do,” he replied.

You stopped walking then, tilting your head up and raising your eyebrows at him.

“Well, right now, I want a kiss,” you told him.

A smile quirked at Seo Joon’s lips, and he bent down to grant your request without a moment’s hesitation.

“And I want my flowers,” you added, reaching over and taking the bouquet from him. “Thank you for them, they’re so beautiful.”

“You know why I got them, right?” he asked quietly.

“Besides the fact I finished all my exams?”

“In addition to,” he confirmed.

“I’m guessing... it’s been three months?”

Seo Joon moved to kiss you again as a reward for being so smart, and you smiled against his lips.

“Are you really going to bring me flowers at school every single month?” you asked with a note of amusement in your voice. “You really don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t have to,” Seo Joon replied. “But I want to. I want to make sure you know how I feel about you. How important you are to me.”

“But then what do I do?” you asked as Seo Joon reached into his pocket to get his car keys ready.

“What do you mean?”

“To show you how I feel about you and how important you are to me? I haven’t done anything,” you pointed out with a slightly pouty lower lip.

“Now that is not true,” Seo Joon countered. “You came to my match.”

“But that was three months ago!”

“So? You coming to one match is definitely equal to me bringing you flowers multiple times,” he said. And then, because he knew you would try to argue again, he added, “I’m a guy. Guys don’t need to be reminded as much because just the fact a girl is still with us is enough. Every day when you wake up and decide you still want to be my girlfriend is how you show me I’m important to you.”

Just as the two of you approached his car, right before you broke off so you could each get into your respective seats, you paused. You quirked a brow up at him.

“Did you even know you were this romantic?” you asked with a barely hidden smirk.

“No,” he answered, chuckling softly and shaking his head. “Only for you.”

“How did I get so lucky?” you mused.

“I ask myself the same question all the time,” Seo Joon whispered before he gave you one more kiss.

About fifteen minutes later, Seo Joon dialed the number of the nearest Chinese takeout restaurant while you put your flowers in a vase in his kitchen. And, yes, you’d had to buy a vase for his apartment because he hadn’t previously owned one. Is that surprising?

As he ordered way too much food over the phone, he watched as you stepped out of your shoes, shuffled over to his couch, and flopped down onto it, practically face-planting into the cushions with a soft groan.

Once the restaurant employee supplied him with the total and said it would be delivered in about half an hour, Seo Joon set his phone on the counter and went over to join you.

“I think my brain is on its last leg,” you told him as he carefully slid onto the couch to lie down next to you.

“No Scrabble tonight, then,” he murmured, fitting himself behind you and sliding an arm over your waist.

“No,” you chuckled. You instantly settled into his hold, letting out a very content sigh as he pressed a kiss to the back of your shoulder. “All I want right now are cuddles.”

“Then cuddles you shall get.” As if he hadn’t planned to do that already. 😉😏 “We have a full half-hour before the food is delivered.”

“Only a half-hour? No, I was thinking more like cuddling all night,” you replied. 

“Ooh, all night,” Seo Joon smirked, nuzzling your neck and nipping your skin there. “I like the sound of that.”

You let him press lazy kisses along your neck and shoulder for a few moments, and then you asked in a quiet voice, “Can I? Stay over?”

He knew you were nervous because, while you’d been to his apartment countless times by this point, you’d never actually spent the night. But for him? He’d been waiting for you to bring it up for weeks now. He hadn’t wanted to push you by asking you himself, but he would’ve let you stay at his place practically from the very beginning. Not for that reason, but just because he liked having you around. He imagined seeing you when he fell asleep and again when he woke up would just be... heaven.

“Of course, you can,” he murmured, his lips brushing over your skin. “You’re welcome to stay over any time you want.”

You turned around in his arms, a fairly giddy smile on your lips before you pressed the tip of your nose to his. “How very accommodating you are.”

“Hey now,” he began in the sternest tone he could muster. “I’m not this way with just anyone. Don’t go around telling everyone you see they can come and stay at my place.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” you giggled. “You really think I’d want to share you? Absolutely not.”

Your words made Seo Joon’s heart flutter more than he would ever care to admit out loud, even to you. “Good,” he grinned. “I don’t want to share you either.”

You let out another giggle before tilting your head, pressing your lips to his over and over again.

“Can I tell you something?” he asked in-between kisses.

“Mhm,” you hummed. You kissed him one more time before settling back, allowing him to look at your face as he spoke.

“I’m really proud of you,” he said, his voice soft but filled with earnest adoration. “You’ve worked really hard, at school and at work, and I just want you to know that I’m proud of you.”

“Well, thank you,” you replied with a very bashful grin. “I’m proud of you, too.”

Seo Joon smiled over at you, bringing one hand up and tracing over your cheek with his thumb. He searched your face, taking in every single feature, every single inch of you he could see...

He had planned to say this tonight, yes, but he hadn’t quite worked out the logistics. He hadn’t been sure if he’d wanted to make some grand gesture or something, but... right now, just lying here on the couch with you, he knew this was the right time.

“Can I tell you something else?” he asked again, his voice even softer this time.

“Yes, of course,” you chuckled gently.

He looked into your eyes for a few moments, and just before it felt like you were going to urge him to say whatever it was he wanted to say... he said it.

“I love you.”

Your eyes widened, and before he knew it, your lips were on his.

“I love you, too,” you murmured, still kissing him.

And, good grief, if Seo Joon had ever been happier, he sure couldn’t remember when it had been.

“So...” he began, plastering a very angelic smile on his face. “Does that mean you’ll come to my match this weekend?”

He had told you he loved you because he meant it, yes, but... it was also the best way he could think of to invite you to the fight in a couple of days. There hadn’t been one since the one and only match you’d gone to, but he knew you weren’t looking forward to them.

“Seo Joon,” you scolded once you pulled away from him. “Of course, I’ll be there! I told you I would. I won’t like it, and I’ll be anxious the whole time, but I’m still going.”

And you did go -- to that match and to the six other matches Seo Joon had during the first year of your relationship. You didn’t like it, and you were anxious the whole time, but you still went, just like you said you would.

As I mentioned earlier, Seo Joon only got a hit a couple of times during all seven of those matches. He had trained harder than ever to make sure he didn’t have to worry you, and, if he was being honest, the opponents he’d faced hadn’t been much of a challenge.

Overall, that year had been pretty excellent. One of -- if not the -- best of Seo Joon’s life so far. His career was still at its peak. His relationship was stronger than ever. He fell in love with you more each day, and he knew without a doubt that you were The One he was meant to be with forever.

Truly, he felt like he was on top of the world. Like nothing could go wrong.

He should’ve known better.

As soon as he saw his manager’s name on his phone screen, he should have known. There was no way he could have known, but after hearing it, it felt like it was so obvious. Like it had just been waiting in the wings for him. Inevitable.

“Hey,” Jang Ho greeted tersely. Not his usual tone of voice.

“What’s up?” Seo Joon asked.

“I just got the schedule for your next match.”

“Yeah? When is it?”

“It’s next month,” he told him. “And... you’re fighting Martinez.”

...Oh, fuck.

Martinez.

The only fighter Seo Joon had ever lost to.

Part 6

#kwritersworldnet #park seo joon scenarios #park seo joon imagines #park seo joon au #park seo joon fluff #park seo joon fanfic #kdrama scenarios #kdrama imagines #kdrama au #kdrama fluff #kdrama fanfic #kdrama actor #park seo joon #park seo jun

[queensdivas]

Garden Party. A Gwil Short

You can thank @filmslutt​ for that cute little moodboard you see below! I asked her to send me a request because I was super bored and then this came up! Don’t ask me how I got this from that from I think it’s sort of cute in a sense. 

I hope everyone is doing okay with what’s going on in the world. Please be careful and just enjoy the fact that we live in the same Universe that the Bohrap boys live in. 

Love you all and enjoy!

Masterlist

I’d say the best advantage of living on an island far up north would be the smell of the North Atlantic Ocean. The people are so friendly, the food is all home cooked and fresh, and it’s super quiet. The worst thing? When you finally head to civilization for a week to spend with your family ya meet a really great guy and now he’s wanting to bring his friends up to meet me! Not that I haven’t met them over facetime and of course I said yes because he wouldn’t stop talking about them and how great they are! I’ve also seen their instagrams, they’re definitely super close with one another!

So. I thought it would be fun if I had a garden party! I’ve busted my butt through the entire summer with the help of Gwil who kept making time out of his super busy schedule to help me with my gardening. Our Scots Bluebell turned out beautifully all around the house, of course the thistles turned out gorgeous. The bellheathers turned a bright purple, my jacobite roses bloomed of course, and finally my dwarf cornel though taking a little longer than usual, turned out great! 

Alright it’s 1:10 and Gwil just told me he just picked them up from the airport. He said there’s going to be a total of eight people he’s bringing tonight. Luckily I’ve got enough room in my big old house to fit everyone. The last ferry usually leaves around eight and driving here around night isn’t always the best. I’ve got plenty of bunkbeds and single beds. 

For an appetizer I’m starting with Partan Bree (which is crab bisque), then two main cuisines of Bangers and Mash along with the second cuisine of course mini scottish pies. And for dessert it’s Cranachan!

One knock came from the back door as it opened for my friend to come and give me a hand with the cooking. You think I would do this all by myself? Of course not. Look, I love multitasking, but when it comes to cooking I’d like to make sure everything is cooked well. 

“How much time do we have Maisy?” Bonnie asked as she carried in some of the groceries I asked her to buy. Of course I invited my best friend. Though he’s met her multiple times when he drove up here, just didn’t want to be alone when they all come up here. 

“Inverness Airport is where everyone is meeting so we got about five hours. I have to start taking apart the crab if you want to start getting the mash ready.” Bonnie nodded as she walked behind the counter. 

“So who's all coming to this party?” Bonnie asked as I started cutting the skin off the crab. 

“Gwil of course. Joe, Ben and his girl sadly can’t remember her name. Rami and Lucy, and another couple Allen and his wife Jessica.” Finishing the first crap as I moved onto the next one. 

“Holy Hell. Didn’t realize you were feeding’ the masses today!” Bonnie laughed as she began peeling the potatoes. 

“Neither did I until a few days ago when he told me they were out and about. But oh well.” I laughed as I stopped peeling for a second to turn on the TV. 

“What are we feeling Bonnie?” I asked her as I scrolled down to the apps. 

“Have you watched Rosemary's baby?” For some odd reason whenever Bonnie and I cook, we just love watching scary movies. Don’t ask me why because we just do! 

“I’ve heard it’s freaky so yes. Hulu?” 

“Netflix.” I nodded as I opened netflix then got the movie started. 

I finished peeling the last crab as the pile of crab meat was sitting there ready to become some delicious bisque. We started watching the movie while beginning to cut up the crab shells. Bonnie and I kept stopping once every few minutes to watch the movie because it’s just so bizzare. Who names their kid Guy? Imagine growing up with your first name being Guy! No offense to those named Guy, but what a poor kid! 

“From the way Guy’s attitude. She blames it on being an actor, but I think that’s just him being an ass hole.” I pointed out as I placed the crab skins apart of the meat to start cutting them apart. 

“So not ALL actors are self entiled ass holes?” 

“Cheeky bitch.” I tossed a piece of crab skin at her as she darted a piece of skinned potato at me. 

“Gwil is much calmer and knows how the industry works. Oh my god her hair!” I got distracted at how big the top of random chicks hair was! It’s all shoved on top! 

“It looks like a popcorn kernel! Oh she’s dead..” We both stopped to start watching again as the old couple came into the scene. They’re like the old version of Barbie and Ken with the amount of pink they were wearing! My phone ringing broke my train of thought as I put down the knife. Why is Gwil trying to facetime me if he’s driving? I placed my phone against the mixing bowl and answered the call. 

“Is that crab?” He asked as I held the crab's dead claw in front of the camera. 

“Why are you holding a crabs claw? Oh my god does Gwil enjoy nipple clamps? Ben owes me money if this is true!” Joe chimed in as I smirked at the camera. When Gwil and Joe were in the Swiss Alps in that golf tournament, he facetimed me during the golf tournament with them driving around the golf course, while singing Material Girl. It Was a sight. 

“No he isn’t into nipple clamps Joe.” I heard him groan as he aimed the phone over to Gwil who was trying to focus on driving, but kept looking out of the corner of his eye towards the phone. 

“What’s for dinner?” He asked as I went back to cutting up the crab skin. 

“For as many people you’re dragging up here, we’re having Partan Bree, Bangers and Mash, Mini Pies, and for dessert you’ll be eating Cranachan!” I smiled as I heard a bunch of moaning for food in his car. 

“Gwil when were you going to tell us she was going to fatten us up!” Lucy giggled as I kept smiling at Gwil. 

“You guys just left the airport?” I asked them as I finished cutting the skin. 

“Yeah we should be up there in about four hours Maisy. Miss you biscuit.” He started to blush as everyone in the car was beginning to awww and chuckle. 

“Miss you too marmalade . Don’t worry I won't embarrass you in front of your friends quite yet. Until you get up here at least. Now let me cook so I can feed everyone!” I told him as he looked away from the road for a second. 

“Okay Maisy. Love you.” 

“Love you to Gwil. Drive safely please!” I sent him a kiss but I heard a certain someone scoff. 

“Wow you’re not gonna say goodbye to me?” The camera turned to Joe as he was making a very large pouty face. 

“Sorry Joe. Goodbye Joe and please make sure my marmalade drives safety.”

“Much better. Bye Maisy!” Joe waved as he hung up the phone as I got back to it. 

“Biscuit? Marmalade? Where the hell do you guys come up with this stuff?” She asked as I shook my head. 

“Super long story. Sort of what happened when we went to that castle in Tain with biscuits and marmalade. Long but funny.” Bonnie nodded as I got a picture from Gwil. It was a self with everyone in the car. Bonnie looked over at Joe and smiled. 

“That Joe guy is kind of cute.” Bonnie commented as she finished peeling all the potatoes. 

“Maybe he’s single.” I commented as I placed the shells into the oven. 

*Four Hours Later*

Bonnie brought out the last chair from the house as I flung the pure white embroidered tablecloth onto the long table. I want to make sure everyone has some space to eat and relax because it gets a little nipply here at nights, being up here on Orkney Island kind of comes with the package. But I love it up here! 

I walked over to the small shed with my boxes full of packed fairy lights so I could hang around the tree branches. We dragged the old dining room table out of the house and put it under the tree. Luckily we’ve got a warm evening with our usual nice breeze. 

“Hey Bonnie! Can you double check the pies for me?” I asked her as I grabbed one of the chairs to stand up on to hang the lights. 

“Maisy! Do we want music playing in the background for tonight?” Reaching up to wrap the first strand on the closest branch. 

“Ummm. Throw on my Harmonium record would ya?” Weird yes. But their music is just so relaxing and perfect for some really good cleaning and cooking music. For the record the movie took a really dark turn real quick and was so weird. But I would definitely watch it again because it went from oh shit to HOLY SHIT! In a span of twenty minutes!

“Reach you!” I had to balance myself on one foot as I got the strand on the tiny little branch. 

“Gotcha!” I cheered as I kept going with the rest of the lights. 

“MAISY!” She screamed from the kitchen as she hung up the next part of the strand. 

“WHAT!”

“WHAT WINE DO WE WANT?” Wine? WINE!? YOU DON’T HAVE WINE WITH SAUSAGE AND MASH! 

“Bonnie! You know better than that! We have all throughout the entire dinner! I got a few bottles in the cellar of that 90 Shilling down there. But just in case they want wine, grab a bottle of Gavi Di Gavi that I have down there, I think it’s been aged for a little while so it should go good with the Bartan Bree at least.” She turned around to go back inside, but then turned back around to stand in the doorway. 

“Pies are almost done, the soup is hot and ready, also they’re here.” Okay good pies are ready AND GWILS HERE!? SHIT! I climbed down from the chair as I fixed my necklace and let my hair down from my clip. 

I began walking towards the side gate but stopped at the back porch to flip on the backyard lights. The fairy lights I hung from the tree lit the table nicely along with the candles that are soon to be lit. I took one last glance down at myself to see that my floral dress was laying nicely, booties were tied and my necklace was fixed. 

Alright. Here we go! 

Opening the side gate as I heard all of them talking amongst each other as they were walking up to the front door. Gwil looked absolutely stunning in his dark green button up, black pants, oh and those dark brown loafers. A beautiful snack! They were walking up to the front door as I walked all the way around front. 

“Well well well. Look at this merry band coming onto my porch.” They all turned towards me as Gwil smiled. He walked down from the front porch to scoop me up in his arms to do a quick spin. Then a quick peck as it’s rude to kiss multiple times in front of your guest. 

“And these are for you?” He stuck a small bouquet of lilies and lavenders. 

“Thank you biscuit.” One quick peck as he placed his arm around my shoulder as we began walking towards the crowd. 

“Those who haven’t had the chance to meet her. This is Maisy Kerr. You already know Joe of course.” I smiled as Joe walked over to give me a quick hug. 

“I know I should be all nice and not rude, but where is your bathroom?” He was trying not to do a pee dance as I also tried not to laugh. 

“Upstairs, second door on the left.” 

“Oh my god thank you!” He rushed inside as I motioned for everyone else to follow inside. Gwil stopped for a moment to sneak in a few more kisses which made me giggle. 

“I’ve missed you so much Maisy! I hope you don’t mind, after I drive them back down to the airport if I stay with you for a few days? London and Bristol have gotten a little old without you and this place is just relaxing.” Not being sarcastic at all, but I love it when he just comes up and stays. 

“You can literally come over whenever you feel like honey. We’ll talk about it after dinner, and have to go meet everyone.” I placed a soft peck on his cheek then walked past him, but then gave his butt a little slap. God I love that tooshie. 

Everyone was standing around the hallway as we walked in then shutting the door. 

“Shoes on our off?” One of them asked as I locked the door. 

“Either or. We’ll be eating outside this evening and having a bonfire, so I would leave them on.” How can you not have an outdoor dinner without a bonfire. Wouldn’t make much sense if we didn’t have one. 

“Maisy this is a lovely home. I’m Lucy by the way.” Oh my god she’s an adorable woman holy crap!

“Lovely to meet you Lucy and thank you. Has been with my family for generations.” Everyone made it outside as Bonnie was tossing a bunch of kindling wood into the fire pit. 

“Aye welcome! The name Bonnie! Hi Gwil!” She waved as Gwil waved back. 

“Please make yourself comfortable and I’ll start bringing out the food in a few moments.” I turned back into the house as Bonnie scurried over to help me. Which then Gwil decided to come inside and join us. 

“How have ya been Gwil.” She got into the fridge to pull out a few bottles of the yale and wine. 

“Oh fine Bonnie. Just been busy with work.” He told her as I gave the bisque one last stir as I heard Joe coming down the stairs. He stopped in the doorway to look at Bonnie for a quick second. 

“Bonnie this is Joe Mazzello. Joe, this is Bonnie Geddes.” They approached each other and shook each other's hand. 

“Mind giving me a hand Gwil.” I pointed to where the bowls were as he began pulling them out. 

“Bonnie, would you mind taking the wine and ale outside. Also light the candles please?” Bonnie snapped away from Joe as she started to take them outside. Joe of course helped her due to the fact that he was already hooked on her. 

“Well that was quick.” He commented as we both high fived each other. I began pouring the bisque into the bowl as he took the ones with the full ones outside. 

I grabbed the last two bowls as everyone was sitting already and opened the wine and ale. There were two empty chairs that sat across from Bonnie and Joe, Ben was sitting next to her and his girlfriend. Allen sat on the end of the table with his wife on his left, then Rami sitting next to his wife, and Lucy sitting by the empty chair. 

I placed Gwils and bowls at the table. He grabbed his from my hand as I sat down in my chair. Pulling my chair in as everyone was continuing to talk. 

“Ben, that's nasty.” Lucy told Ben as he was finishing his cigarette. 

“Just a hobby Lucy. I don’t do it every day, just every other other day.” He put out the cigarette as he wrapped his arm around his lady friend. 

“Ah Maisy this is Ben and his gal pal Olivia Cooke.” She smiled as I waved over to her. 

“Oh and that’s Allen and his wife Jessica. And of course Rami and Lucy down at the end.” 

“Please dig in everyone.” I stood up as I began unscrewing the cork off the wine bottle. It’s a little stuck! Crap! 

“Gwil hold the bottle.” I asked him as he held the base of the bottle as I tried to pull the cork off. 

“It’s not wanting to come out!” I laughed as I kept trying to pull. I finally got it to pop and the cork flew across the lawn. 

“Perfect.” 

“So tell me Maisy. What exactly do you do?” Rami asked as I began filling up my glass. 

“I own the Wetdrumstick Pub here on Finstown and then a pub called Misty Maid in Kirkwall. Well to be fair it’s been in my family for the longest of times, now I just took them over until the next person comes along.” I told Rami as I passed the bottle to Gwil then sitting back down. 

“And I’m just gonna assume that you are all actors along with Gwil here?” Bonnie asked as I took a sip of my wine. They all laughed at each other as I shrugged to Bonnie. 

“And what about you Bonnie?” Joe looked to Bonnie as she took a drink of her ale. 

“A fisherman..er women. Following the dreams of a Scottslady.” She laughed as Joe nodded his head. 

“Maisy this bisque is delicious! What recipe is this?” Jessica asked as I put down my spoon. 

“I’ll have to find it somewhere or write it down for ya.” 

“Does this have milk in it?”” Joe asked as I nodded. He leaned back in his chair as Bonnie looked at him in confusion. 

“Allergic to dairy?” Bonnie asked him as they began their conversation. I turned to Gwil as he had my arm wrapped around my chair. 

“You shaved? Why?” I just realized he didn’t have that gorgeous stubble. Not that he doesn’t look handsome without it cause my god. But it’s always good to add a little extra garlic powder to your spaghetti sauce. 

“It was for the show because apparently Russian men didn’t have facial hair besides the really crazy ones.” Fair enough. 

“Hey listen since you’re staying here for a few days. Would you mind if we went into Thurso and stopped by my favorite bakery? I’ve been craving some of Mr. Monks Bahulu?” 

“Of course. Not checking into the pubs?” 

“I will before we head into Thurso. Only if you don’t mind...biscuit.” He grabbed my right hand to give it a soft kiss. 

“Not at all. Anytime with you is perfect.” We chowed down on the bisque then onto the sausage and mash, then the mini pies. Everyone was reminiscing on old jobs, catching up, and even future productions. I think it’s pretty cool that Rami is playing a Bond villain in the next big Bond movie. Is there a new bond or no? Or is it that one dude, I haven’t been to the movies in a while so I’m not sure whose who anymore. 

“Who's ready for dessert. And does anyone want coffee or tea?” I think I officially stuffed their faces and stomachs nicely. 

“Coffee for me Lucy?” Rami asked as she took a sip of her wine. 

“Coffee please.” 

“Two coffees.” Allen added as I looked over at Bonnie and Joe. 

“So probably just a bunch of coffee then.” They were off in their own world anyhow. 

Gwil and I walked inside the house as I reached into the fridge to pull out the dessert. He looked underneath the foil as I slid over and hid it from him. 

“Help me with the coffee and you’ll get a nice slice for yourself.” I told him as I grabbed my shredded coffee beans to start making the coffee. Gwil snuck up behind me as he wrapped himself around the back of me. His lips began pecking the side of my neck as I began giggling a little bit. 

“Gwil...hehe..Stop. You’re distracting me.” His lips stopped traveling along my neck as I spun around to face him. A large smile was on his face as I placed my hands on his cheeks, then squishing them together. 

“You come up here so much you might as well just move in.” I told him with his cheeks still pushed together. He mumbled something as I let go to work on the coffee. I should have enough mugs for everyone, should probably pop onto Etsy and get some more if I can. 

“So is that a no?” Ten cups of coffee? That should do it. 

“What’s a no? Did you not want coffee cause I have plenty of tea.” I began filling the coffee pot with the hot water as 

“What if I moved in here with you? I know it would be a hassle for work at first and I would be in London or a few days out of the week. But what if I did move in with you?” The hot water began spilling over the pot as I almost dropped it in the sink. Move in? Wait what? What? WHAT!? Move in? Who on earth would want to move in with me? I live so far up north! It’s a super damp winter! No one wants to live in a super damp winter! 

“I’ll take your silence as a no. Too soon I guess.” Well it’s a super damp winter and I’m only available in certain times because I have two pubs to run and barely have the time to see him or anything. Wait he’s an actor! We hardly see each other in the first place because he’s busy traveling the world already!

“I’ll get a key made for ya as soon as I..Gwil?” When I turned around, he was already outside with the dessert with him. Ah crap! I walked out into the doorway as everyone was digging into the dessert. His head popped up with a little disappointment as I shot him a smile. Should be able to get it made in a few days or so, with him staying there it should be rather easy to give him a copy of the key. Not that I ever lock my door because everyone knows not to come on my property. 

“Coffee will be out in just a few moments everyone.”

I think living with him would be rather fun. 

Taglist:

@leah-halliwell92​ @jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​ @bonafiderocketqueen​ @dancingcoolcat​ @yourlocalmusicalprostitute​ @johndeaconshands​

#gwil #Gwilym #gwilym lee #gwily #gwilym x reader #gwil x reader #Gwil x o/c #joe mazzello #ben hardy #Lucy Boynton #rami malek #allen leech #Fic #fanfiction #bohrap #bohrap boys

[kirinyakou]

Fan Account Summary From Touken Ranbu Utaawase

Since the DVD is being released today, I decided to post a fan experience for this since I loved this performance.

**Note This is a general fan account and not for a specific performance as I watched multiple performances spanning different cities; Fukuoka and Hiroshima. And the ad-lib and small gestures in each one is different so I am not able to recall everything per show.

Tickets

I pre-purchased all but one of my tickets before the performances online, I was lucky and was able to buy the last one at the venue. (This really depends on the sold-out status online.) I also noticed a lot of people lining up in both Hiroshima and Fukuoka performances trading tickets with the ticketing office. Some people also had signs asking to exchange tickets privately as well.

During the Fukuoka performances since all the seats were not sold out online, you could purchase the tickets before the showing started. This this was a performance during the weekday I think that might have been the reason that lots of upper seats were empty. The Hiroshima performances were during the weekend so all the tickets had already sold out online.

Buying Goods                                                                            

In Fukuoka, the line wasn’t very long as I arrived pretty early and before the first performance of the day. However in Hiroshima I arrived in the morning and the line was super long something that I wasn’t expecting. It was already a 4 person line and it was coiling from the main level where goods were sold to second floor outside. I wanted to be able to purchase the goods I wanted the first day. They did have a limit on the Hoodie Ribbons. Everyone was only allowed to buy 1. So I had to line up a few times to get the ribbons for the other characters. It was easy to do this right after a performance, as the lines at that time were really short in comparison. Only a few items were listed as sold out by the end of Day 2. I thought they generally had a good stock.

While waiting in line, they had staff hand out leaflets like they do at Comiket. It was helpful especially if you weren’t sure what you wanted or you were able to see the large banners at the front. As you get closer to the ‘entrance’ of the sells booth they will have a display with the actually products so you will be able to have a better idea of what you want.

There was also a separate line for the Gacha items and it was just as long as the regular merch line. I didn’t go for those, so I don’t have much to add about this.

Trading Goods

Around the area, you’ll find the fans of certain characters/actors will have pins/and other goods for trading. So you can trade with them if the items you got from the gacha were not the characters/actors you like. Everyone will usually carry a clear case and they keep it open so you will be able to easily see which character they are looking for. And usually they dress in the colour of the characters so that’s also another way of finding out who you want to trade with.

Performance Time

As it got close to the opening time, people started to line up at the different entrances. This was determined by where your location was on the ticket. There wasn’t definite signage for this, usually others figured out where to line up based on where others were waiting.

I had heard a lot of about staff checking tickets to see if the name matched for other types of concerts not Touken Ranbu in general. That didn’t happen to me though. However I was worried about it as the rules for ticketing in 2019 seemed to have changed compared to past years. The staff at the door will take your ticket and rip the stub. Then you continue ahead where they will check your bag for cameras. They will ask you this as well.

Once you are inside the venue, there was a table for all the promotional material for the actors. It wasn’t promotional material for Touken Ranbu but for their other works. There were free for anyone to take. Further along there were tables with boxes with each of the actors names on it for fan gifts.

Finding the section entrance wasn’t difficult as they labelled all the pillars. They had staff at various doorways who ca direct you to your seat if you are lost. I also noticed a lot of fans in kimonos and the audience age group was wide as well. This year they had a main stage and then an isolated stage in the middle of the venue. They alternated skits between the two. I was a little difficult to see the middle stage if you sat facing to the main stage, so you really had to rely on the screens.

Opening Skit

The opening skit started with Kotegiri Gou practicing for the concert. It’s the video that was released on youtube that featured Tsurumaru prior to the start of the Utawase Performances. He is then later joined by Monoyoshi Sadamune, Kunihiro Horikawa.

The skit is mainly to tell you the rules that need to be followed during the performance, such as no filming and photos, no smoking inside etc. And also to turn on and off your penlight at certain times. And Gou will ask what will happen to you if you don’t follow these and here is where the adlib starts.

The adlib of the skit changes per showing so you will usually hear something new. For one of the Fukuoka showing, the joke was about turning into mentaiko and the other was about having to commit seppoku.

One of the Hiroshima ones was probably the most memorable. Since the performance was right at Christmas, it was themed just for it. When Gou asked what would happen, Kunihiro replied back that you would turn into Santa-san.

Kunihiro: *acts like santa, bend back pretending that he was lugging a large sack on his back* HO HO HO

He then proceed to hand out a ‘Kane-san’ to both Gou and Monoyoshi. He said ‘For you’ (in English) as he handed it out. And Monoyoshi would reply back ‘For me’ also in English.

Now it was time for the real start. The performance opened with all of the swords appearing in Shinto clothing. Each one had their own emblem on the front and there were two main coloured groups. Red and Blue. Tsurumaru appeared with a torch taking center position.

The first skit was about a nostalgic sound that Ishikimaru heard. He was trying to recall where/what sound it was. First Kogitsunemaru entered and joined him. Then Tsurumaru entered asking to play a round. I guess it was Tsurumaru and Ookurihara that was farm duty as Ookurihara entered and made his complaint. Next Yasusada entered from behind. It was also quite cute that Yasusada did a called out to other swords when he entered the sage where Kogitsunemaru, Tsurumaru and Ishikirimaru played go. Whenever he did a hotscotch entrance he would pronounce the name and surprise Kogitsunemaru while attaching their motto line. For one instance he used Hizamarul and shouted A-ni-ja.

お百度祷歌 from this skit became one of my favorite songs and was quite memorable.

The next skit was Tonbokiri’s dream. It started with everyone, (Nagasone Kotetsu, Aoi, Kunihiro, Yasusada and even Tomoe) asking for conpeito. In the end eveyone was denied of the treat. I loved how Tomoe would enter and speak with a mouthful of dango.

That’s when his dream started where everything thing becomes a conpeito. During the last song, as he was holding on to the last note, Yasusada would gesture to the crowd to encourage use to keep applauding/cheering.

I personally thought camera work that aired on the large screen for this skit wasn’t very good. At the Fukuoka performances as they did a lot of extreme close up on the face, especially for this skit. Spi did make certain facial expressions but it could have been framed better. But it was better by the time I went to the Hiroshima performances.

After that were the 3 songs until the next skit featuring Aoi. This one was performed at the center stage.

Next was Akashi’s skit back on the center stage. His story on the incident with the Plum Blossom Tree. The idea was that when something bad happens people tend to lie. And thus using the incident of him breaking off the branch of the tree he was able to place the blame on someone else. Imanotsugi was his first victim and Kogitsunemaru was the second. This broke my heart right here when Kogistunemaru believed it was his fault!

Next up was the Tokugawa family. The Time Renegade would bring a sea beam and leave it at the middle stage. Nobuyasu who figured out the motive of the assassination attempt, tries to save his father with the help of Hideyasu. As each sea bream was pick up by Ieyasu, they would go and take it back. The first time was by slowing time down, second was where Hideyasu held up the sea bream covering his face and started talking, pretended to be the father of the one that Ieyasu was holding and was able to successfully get it back. In one of the performances Ieyasu dropped the sea bream before heading it back. The last one, they retrieved by shooting darts to make the two faint. They exaggerated the liveliness of the fish quite a bit when ever they picked up the sea bream. It was almost like almost rodeo-like.

Next skit two skits were on the center stage. Kanesada appeared in a yukata and was soon followed by Kotetsu and Aoi. The had a little talk on how they kept their hair. They sang 夕涼み 時つ風 and it was quite the surprise to see who was playing the guitar. It was Kunihiro! He appeared in his red tracksuit at left main stage playing the guitar.

‘Two Kistunes’ skit featured Akashi, Kunihiro, Nagasone Kotetsu and Otegine being fooled by a fox that took Kogitsunemaru’s form. And vice versa. The song in this one, was more upbeat and fun. The switch between the two Kogitsunemarus was well done I thought.

During the skit with pulling of the sweet potato, it was cute how Tomoe discovered this giant leaf and he attempts to pull it up, by just lifting up his sleeve. He maintained his graceful figure and pulled up the hem of his sleeve just a couple of cm, and took a step forward assuming that it was enough. Eventually Mutsunokami came in along with Yasusada to help. And they eventually roped in Ookurihara. However not without him saying that he was able to do it himself first!

During 百万回のありがとう Mutsunokami was at the upper left rafters, so I was able to see him up close during the Fukuoka Performances. There was a girl behind me who was decked out in his colours and ribbons so he waved very excitedly towards our section. Unfortunately Kogistunemaru was stayed in the middle ground level so I was only able to see him up close during the Hiroshima performances.

During the final ceremony performance, the new sword manifested. And it turned out to be Kuwana Gou! I had no idea at first who was playing the mysterious character that appeared.

Ending

At the end, after all the characters are announced, and everyone appeared back on stage, there was a short announcement asking us to not post or mention anything on twitter about the new appearance of Kuwana Gou. It was quite how everyone in the audience answered with ‘Hai’. And some of them on stage stared to make the ‘x’ symbol.

Then everyone did their comments/thanks.

The most memorable one for me was during the Hiroshima performance Imanotsurugis’ in which he pulled out a white piece of paper and said that he had message from Iwatoshi. The message from Iwatoshi asked that Master give a lot of presents to Imanotsrugi since it was Christmas. However that plan was quickly foiled as Kogitsunemaru pulled the paper away from Imanotsurugi and exposed it as a blank piece of paper.

I was disappointed that neither the Fukuoka or the Hiroshima performances had the silver and gold streamers dropped so I wasn’t able to get one to commemorate the performances this year. T_T

But overall I really enjoyed the skits this year and the song list was great too. I love hearing Spi sing live, so I think he parts were well highlighted this year.

FIN

#utaawase #kogitsunemaru #spi #tonbokiri #touken ranbu #歌合 乱舞狂乱 #utaawase ranbukyouran 2019 #ranbukyouran #刀剣乱舞 #kotegiri gou #ishikirimaru #imanotsurugi #yamatonokami yasusada #izuminokami kanesada #horikawa kunihiro #2.5D #musical #hachisuka kotetsu #nagasone kotetsu #monoyoshi sadamune #ookurihara #mutsunokami yoshiyuki #tomoegata naginata #akashi kuniyuki #tsurumaru kuninaga #otegine #kuwana gou

[skzluvs]

Wish you were gay; Hwang Hyunjin

Genre: Pure Fluff! Little bit of Angst

Warnings: None

Word count: 1.5 K

A/N: This is just a small filler since I’m currently working on a Felix Au! but I hope you guys really like it.

“Oh Hwang Hyunjin how much I wish you were gay

Your lack of interest it's been killing me inside

And I can’t stand another day with A growing pain inside my chest

You are cold hearted

Always living up to your title "Ice prince"

I'm the only one who knows you aren't as ruthless as you pretend to be

I have the ability to see right through your persona

But you continuously keep on pushing me away

Despite all of your attempts to avoid my feelings

I'm still here trying to make you understand that my love for you is genuine

Only if one day you were able to see that I'm here

That I've been trying to make you feel okay

As you seem to ignore all of my efforts

I wish you were gay so I could feel less miserable at your indifference”

Who’s not yours but dreams to be sincerely Y/N.

You walked through the corridor holding the little pink notebook which held the unaddressed letters as you were never able to deliver them. They were meant to say all of those unwanted thoughts that lately became loud in your head. You wondered if one day you were going to be able to say all those things to Hyunjin face to face.

Impossible, you thought as you shoved the book into your matching pastel pink backpack. You took a seat at the back of the classroom. Because you knew he liked to seat there. Where he couldn’t be bothered by the rest of the students.

You waited impatiently for his entrance. As usual he will be early because he hated the unnecessary attention. Nonetheless he already got enough for being the most popular student on the whole school.

You tapped your pencil into the desk in exasperation as you heard steps coming your way. You bit your lip trying to suppress the smile that was slowly creeping into your face. There he was wearing a simple white hoodie along with his denim jeans. Casual but still dazzling.

And the truth is that Hwang Hyunjin would make anything look good.

- Hyun...”- you tried to call him but as he walked passed you he didn’t even spared to look your way and continued his tracks to his own seat.

Your smile suddenly became a frown. It was not a novelty that you were being ignored by him but it still hurts to be treated so cruelly.

The bell rang announcing the end of the period

You tried to gather your things slowly as people ran their ways to the door excited for Lunch time. You didn’t mind staying a little longer to be alone with Hyunjin you knew how much he avoided crowds specially the ones involving frenetic students forming during lunch.

When the classroom was empty he stood up from his desk and walked with his hand on his front pockets. Always giving off that cool unapproachable vibe.

You were always mesmerized by his beauty but what attracted you was simply that stubbornness he tried so hard to maintain.

You didn’t tried to hold a conversation with him this time because you weren’t ready to be rejected twice in the span of an hour. Therefore you let him go as you watch him from behind.

After you have gotten your lunch you sat down in one of the tables that were outside the lunchroom. were everything seemed more quiet and reserved just like hyunjin liked. You knew his usual spot was just a few tables away from yours near the big blossom tree.

Pulling out your notebook you wrote

“You are colder than the winter but with a gaze that can melt

Open your heart to me and I’ll never let it freeze

Let me be the sunshine that warms your feelings up when it’s under 0 degrees”

And there he was eating his food in such a tranquil way that it even made you feel contented at the peaceful sight. Some girls approached him breaking the harmonious atmosphere.

You observed carefully as he send them death stares from disturbing him but they didn’t seemed to care as they sat down trying to caught his attention. You knew hyunjin couldn’t stand people following him and trying to talk to him just because of his popularity. So you thought about helping him even if he treated you as harshly as he treated the rest.

You made your way to the table. The girls were obnoxiously giggling and hyunjin kept on looking uncomfortably at the cold food that rested on his plate.

He was more of ignoring them than actually telling people off he acted heartless but he definitely wasn’t rude.

“Hey Ladies aren’t you supposed to have somewhere else to be” you said clearing your throat to make yourself noticed.

“Y/N don’t you have books to read go back to dreamland and mind your own business” The leader spoke, looking at you in disbelief.

Your knees shakes a little what were you doing standing up for the boy who didn’t even acknowledge your existence. It seemed stupid but you were surely not going to regret this.

“Books actually increase your intellect you should try reading some one of these days I mean there’s still lots of space in that empty head of yours” You backfired with confidence.

“ Are you trying to pick up a fight with me” she said defying me.

“certainly not, but hyunjin and I have things to discuss so I’m politely asking you all to leave”

“Hyunjin doesn’t have time to waste on someone like you Y/N stop saying nonsense and get lost”

“ Well it seems like he doesn’t want any of you here since you basically invited yourselves he’s just nice enough to not tell you that you are bothersome but I am not that nice so why don’t you go and trouble someone else’s lunch time” You smile sarcastically at them and they walked off not before telling Hyunjin they’ll talk later.

After they left silence filled out the whole entire ambience. You were about to speak but he turned his head looking the other way with his cold face. You weren’t expecting a thank you or anything but it seemed like your presence wasn’t too pleasant for hyunjin either.

knowing you were never going to be able to reach someone so highly illustrious as him you lowered your head. Thinking how stupid was for you to keep on trying you seemed like a push over that’s probably what he thinks of you YN- you said as a whisper before you pulled your bag from the table and threw it on your shoulder walking off with nothing but shame.

Back in the classroom you were writing math notes when a sudden thought came across your mind.

Today you had been ignored multiple times and you needed you pour all those sad thoughts into your confident. Scanning your bag the pink covered book was nowhere to be found and desperation was all you could feel.

You excused yourself from the classroom as you tried to search for that such important diary everywhere. At the lunchroom, at the tables, at the restroom, the hallways, your own locker everywhere.

You were about to go insane those pages held more than your immense admiration for hyunjin it held the pain of an unrequited love. If someone was to read your letters you were screwed.

What if the girls stole it and they tell hyunjin what if you become the biggest joke of the school and everyone laughs at how pathetic you truly are.

You were terrified to say the least you ran to the cherry blossom tree and slide yourself holding your knees as the tears started to fall off your face.

You felt a slight tap on your shoulder as you were Uncontrollably sobbing. You tried wiping your tears away trying to focus on the person in front of you with blurry vision you were still able to recognize his beautiful face.

“Y/N don’t cry” He said offering you a tissue.

He knew your name you were in a state of shock.

He always pretended not to see you what was he doing now.

When you calmed down a little he offered you a hand so you could stand up.

“Do you really wish I was gay?” he asked confused hiding a big authentic smile.

“What?” you asked even more confused than him until your brain clicked.

He knew

You went speechless your mouth went dry and all You wanted was crying again and hide forever the embarrassment of your worst nightmare.

“How-... I-” you said stumbling down your own words

He lifted a pastel pink covered book that he has been hiding all this time behind his back.

God you wanted to deny it all but you were into deep now. He had all the proof in his own hands.

“I don’t really think you meant it tho” he said getting closer to your face.

“You don’t really wish I was gay because if I was I wouldn’t be able to kiss you” He said almost brushing your pink lips with his own plump ones.

You closed your eyes hoping to close the proximity between them but they felt empty as he rapidly ran from you smiling

“You can kiss me if you can catch me” he said teasing me while holding the book.

I ran behind him giggling at his childish attitude.

For the first time You got to experience the real Hyunjin and You certainly couldn’t be more in love with him.

#stray kids imagines #stray kids fluff #stray kids blurbs #stray kids angst #stray kids scenarios #stray kids school au #stray kids au #hwang hyunjin #lee minho #han jisung #bang chan #lee felix #seo changbin #kim seungmin #kim woojin #yang jeongin #kpop #wish you were gay #billie eilish

[kimtanathegeek]

Two Brothers, Many Paths - Ch 22

Oh man, things are starting to escalate now....

Thank you for reading! :)

—

Undertale copyright Toby Fox

Story and original characters by me, Kimtana

Please do not use without both permission and credit.  

Read below, or read it on AO3 here.  

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Sans transported to a group of boulders that overlooked the end of the forest and the large purple doors. He crouched down around one of the boulders and piled up a mound of snow to hide himself behind as he peered over it.

They were definitely monsters—not humans—and there were dozens of them. They worked in teams, some cutting the tall white pines down, others sawing the fallen trees into quarters, and the rest loading the logs onto long, narrow, four-wheeled carts. The large purple doors were wide open, and, once a cart was full and the logs had been strapped down, a few monsters grabbed the T-shaped beam at the front and pulled the cart laboriously through the doorway before disappearing into the depths of the cavern.

Sans focused on the movements of the monsters, making sure that none of them left the decimated forest. The monsters concentrated on their tasks, making quick work of the forest on the right side of the trail—the side their shelter was on. Sans could see the boulder grouping where their shelter was located in the corner of his eye in the distance. He would stay and watch the monsters for as long as he needed, ensuring that they didn’t stray further than the trees, while hoping he wouldn’t spot his brother leaving the shelter to look for him.  

As Sans watched, he noticed that the carts were piled quite high before being pulled away into the cavern. There were multiple empty carts lined up on the trail awaiting their loads, and no empty carts returned outside to be filled again. Sans was relieved by this, since it meant that the monsters might only be out here to collect the trees, and not to explore the rest of the valley.

After a while, the entire right forest was cleared. While the crew of monsters moved on to the left side, Sans noticed a few new monsters emerging from the cavern. They were not wearing overalls and work gloves like the others, but were adorned in casual cloaks to stave off the frigid temperatures of the valley. These monsters went over to the span of tree trunks and raised an arm, extending their hands over the former forest. Sans watched in shock as the trunks glowed white for a moment, then dissipated away—just like a monster’s body dusting off.

Sans struggled to hold it together as memories of his mother played out in his mind. He wanted to shut his eyes and block out the sight of the trunks’ remains blowing off into the wind, but he needed to keep watching to ensure Papyrus and their shelter were safe. The tears, however, he could not control.

After just a few moments, the trunks were completely gone, leaving the ground snow-filled and white once more. The cloaked monsters then walked throughout the area, bent down as they took something from pouches tied at their hips and placed the items on the ground in rows—they were too far away for him to see exactly what they were doing. As Sans wiped his eyes on his sleeve, he noticed that saplings were sprouting up where the trunks had been. He realized that their pouches were filled with pine seeds and that was what they were putting on the snow. They grew swiftly into tall, young trees, half the size of their predecessors.

So the trees were grown with magic, Sans thought, wiping his eyes dry and chancing a quiet sniffle. Those must be monsters who can do agricultural magic.

That was a magical skill Sans desperately wished he had—the ability to grow plants, crops, and trees anywhere, any season, and at a rapid growth rate. If he had that power, he and Papyrus would never have to worry about food again. Unfortunately, it was a form of magic that skeletons just didn’t possess.

Sans watched the monsters who had created the trees return into the cavern as the workers continued clearing the left-side of the forest. He wondered if there were other crops being grown in the cavern using agricultural magic. It made sense that there would be, since the thousands of monsters would have run out of food by now, so they would need that magic to survive. It would also explain why the monsters didn’t leave the cavern to forage for food.

Wonder what kind of food they have in there....

Sans heard his stomach give a pleading growl, begging him to stop thinking about food since he wouldn’t be eating breakfast until the monsters were finished. Sans pushed thoughts of food out of his mind and continued watching the workers clear the forest.

At last they had finished clearing. The cloaked monsters came out again to remove the trunks and plant more white pines as the workers finished loading the last of the logs and packed up their gear. Sans watched as the workers loaded their tools, wrapped up in large tarps and tied with thick ropes, onto the back of the last remaining log-filled cart. The workers went ahead of the cart as it started moving ploddingly, pulled by four monsters at the front. The narrow cart eventually cleared the doorway, and the large set of purple stone doors swung slowly until they shut with a loud thud.

All was silent in the valley once more, and after a few moments’ hesitation, just to be sure, Sans heaved a huge sigh of relief. He allowed the tension within him to finally relax, his body having been braced, ready to run or move at a moment’s notice for far too long. He felt shaky, but glad.

They just wanted the trees. They only wanted the trees....

Sans remained in his hiding spot a few more minutes, ensuring that the doors did not swing open again, then stood up and transported back to the shelter.

He opened his eyes and ran for the entrance, eager to get back to his brother, who, he was sure, was in a panic by now. As he opened the entrance, he heard Papyrus give a whimpering gasp in fear, so he called out to him.

“It’s me, Pap! It’s me! It’s all right, they’re gone now.”

Sans entered, sealed the entrance, and crawled through the opening when he was struck by Papyrus’ body, who had flown from the bed to hug him.

Sans returned the hug, comforting his brother with shushing noises and gentle back rubs. Papyrus was whimpering and trembling, afraid he’d never see his brother again.

Sans let go only to enter the main room, then sat on the bed, with Papyrus following closely behind. He explained to his little brother what had happened, all that he had seen and heard, and soon Papyrus also relaxed with relief that the monsters had gone back into the cavern.

“We’re safe now, Pap,” Sans said soothingly, rubbing the top of his brother’s head affectionately. “And judging by the size of those trees, they won’t be back out for a while. Why don’t we have some breakfast, huh?”

Papyrus nodded, then slid off the bed to prepare the meal. Sans watched him grab the mushrooms from the prep table—Sans had placed them there the night before so that they were in Papyrus’ reach. His mind drifted as he looked from the prep table to their pitiful pantry, filled mostly with mouseshroom nightlights, green reeds, and little else. The image of the open cavern door popped into his mind.

Wonder what kind of food they have in there....

 -

 Over the next few weeks, Sans formulated a plan.

He thought about it as they foraged in the darkened area, collecting the same mushrooms and same reeds that had become their main source of food, every meal being exactly the same.

He devised the steps he would need to take as they ate their meager food stocks in their meager portions, as he watched Papyrus become weaker and gaunter over time because of their meager diet.

He prepared when they foraged down the watery paths, his eyes seeking out the luminous gems as he filled his haversack with them.

He made run-throughs of the plan in his mind repeatedly as he sat observing his brother during his bone magic lessons.

He weighed the risks against the benefits as he watched his brother eat pieces of snow for mid-meal snacks in place of food.

He did all this without letting Papyrus know what he was planning. If he did, his brother would be beside himself in worry, concern, and fear. His brother didn’t need to know, so he wouldn’t tell him.

And each day, Sans checked the trees, monitoring their growth.

Waiting.

 -

 A month after they had been jolted awake with the sounds of the forest being cleared, the noises returned.

They had been in the middle of breakfast when it started, the sudden sounds making them jump. Papyrus started to panic, but Sans calmed him soothingly.

“It’s ok, Pap. It’s just like last time. It’s ok. We’re going to be ok.”

Behind his reassuring demeanor, Sans was trembling with the frisson of anxiety.

This is it.

“Pap, I’m going to go out and watch them again, make sure we’re safe, ok?”

The little skeleton looked up nervously and nodded.

Sans had to struggle to remain calm to his brother’s eye. He knew he had plenty of time before the workers finished and returned back into the cavern. His mind raced as he went through his plan for the millionth time before finally acting upon it. It was a strain to move slowly so as not to tip off Papyrus that he was up to something.

“You stay here, finish your breakfast, I’m just going to pack a few things up before I go,” he said, grinning encouragingly. “Last time I was out there, I wished I’d brought something to sit on, something to keep me warm in that snow.”

Papyrus mumbled an “okay” and turned back to his unfinished breakfast. Sans emptied his uneaten portion onto his brother’s burlap napkin and rubbed his head reassuringly.

He pulled the haversack off the bed and dumped out the contents that made it a sufficient pillow. Then he went into the fire room, glancing over to make sure that Papyrus still had his back to him as he ate.

He went to the pile of burlap and rough cloths he had placed against the wall and peeled back the top layers. Within the pile was a large cache of blue and pink lucent gems he had stored for this very moment. They were bundled up in scraps of cloth and tied with twine to not only hide them, but to make it easier for him to pack them into the haversack without alerting Papyrus. After he had carefully and silently placed the last bundle of gems into the bag, he fastened the straps.

The sounds outside continued, and his heart broke as he heard Papyrus gasp and whimper with each sound.

I hate to leave you here alone, Pap, but.... I’m doing this for you....

He strolled back into the main room with the bag in his hand while his mind urged him to run as fast as he could. He put on his jacket at an achingly slow pace, his heart racing. He shouldered the haversack, straining not to jostle the gems within. Then he went over to his brother.

“Pap, stay here, ok?” he said, rubbing the top of his brother’s head. “It’s just like last time—a bunch of loud noises, but nothing to worry about. I just need to make sure they go right back in, and not come near here. Don’t leave, whatever you do. Don’t leave. No matter what. Do not leave.”

Sans secretly worried that Papyrus would go out looking for him when he didn’t return soon after the noises ceased. He knew he would be gone much longer than last time.

“I won’t,” Papyrus answered. “Be right here, waiting for Sas.”

Sans wrapped his arms around his brother, the seriousness of what he was about to do weighing heavily on his soul.

“Papyrus,” he whispered into his brother’s ear. “I love you so much. If anything happens to me, and tomorrow comes and I haven’t come back, please, please go to the cavern. They will take care of you. But don’t go until tomorrow. Wait for me until then.”

Every bad outcome entered his mind, forcing him to shut his eyes. He hugged his brother tighter as he momentarily reconsidered.

But he had to do this. For Papyrus’ sake, he had to carry out his plan.

Papyrus held on to his brother, trembling, scared about why his brother was saying these things. It was just like when he lay dying....

“Sas gonna be okay...?” he whispered timidly, tears forming.

Sans hugged even tighter. “Yeah, I’m just saying, just in case. That’s all. You know, always hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Right?”

Papyrus whimpered sadly at their parents’ adage. “Right....”

Sans gave one last squeeze.

“I love you, Papyrus. So, so much.”

“I love you, too, Sas. So, so much....”

Sans stood up and went to the opening, turning back to look at his brother for what might be the last time he’d ever see him. He grinned widely to relax his brother and to hide the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes, then crawled outside.

 -

 Sans watched the workers cut down the last of the trees from behind the snow mound he had formed again in front of him. He was lying on his stomach so that his legs were rested enough to run. As he waited, he ran through his plan repeatedly. He’d been going over it in his mind for weeks, but now that the moment was at hand, he didn’t want to forget any crucial steps or make any mistakes.

If this went wrong....

The last tree was felled, and the monsters with agricultural magic exited the cavern to make the new batch of trees for the following month’s harvest. This was Sans’ cue to get ready.

He got to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest so loudly, he was afraid the monsters in the distance would hear it.

The tree saplings grew, rising up quickly, and when they were at half-height, their growth stopped. The monsters, having completed their re-planting task, returned to the cavern. The woodcutters finished getting their tools together, wrapped up in the tarps and tied tightly with ropes. The tools were loaded on the back of the cart and strapped down. Then the monsters headed towards the cavern, four of them taking hold of the cart beam to pull.

Once the cart started rolling, Sans took note of a tree right next to a torch behind the cart. He had been on that part of the trail before, so there was no doubt in his mind that his magic would work.

He took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and in a moment, he was gone.

Sans appeared on the path right next to the tree and torch he had pictured. His heart raced as he ran for the cart, adrenaline coursing through him. When he got closer, he slowed his pace to match that of the cart’s, readied himself, then took a running leap towards it. He grasped frantically at the tarped bundle, scrambling to pull himself up onto the back of the cart.

He slid between the tools and the freshly cut logs and laid flat against the cart-bed, pushing up the bundle to hide himself. He gasped for breath as the cart moved noisily ahead, his head pounding with tension and fear. He was shaking terribly, matching the rattling of the cart on packed snow.

Sans ducked as close to the floor as he could, holding his breath as the cart thudded with a bump, the sound of the wheels crunching on snow changing to the scraping on stone. He heard a great, groaning, grinding sound followed by an enormous, resonating thud.

The large purple stone doors had just shut behind the cart.

Sans was now inside the cavern.

#undertale #undertale fanfic #undertale fanfiction #sans #papyrus #sans and papyrus #sans undertale #papyrus undertale #skelebros #babybones #TBMP #TwoBrothersManyPaths #Two Brothers Many Paths

[rokrendering]

Address: 6/38 Macpherson Street Bronte, NSW 2024 Australia

Phone: [phone]

Email: [email protected] Website: www.rokrendering.com.au

Description: Hello, before we introduce ourselves the team at Rok Rendering would like to welcome you to our website. Rok Rendering was formed to provide you our customers with top notch rendering services that add value to your property or project. Our team at Rok Rendering draws on many years of experience in the cement rendering industry which allows us to provide you with high quality workmanship and expert advice. Cement Rendering can be used to improve the look of your home and increase the value, but with so many different types of rendering jargon thrown around it is sometimes hard to keep up. The team at Rok can answer all your questions and give you various options in order to get the outcome you desire. We are highly skilled in cement rendering,acrylic rendering, coloured rendering, blueboard rendering, granosite rendering and rendering repairs meaning your project will be in safe hands with the team at Rok. Rok Rendering understands transparency and honesty is important to our clients so we uphold both them traits as key pillars in everything we do. We understand that the decision on picking a company for a trade service can feel overwhelming but if you want a company you can trust and that will deliver what you desire, we welcome you to call us and let us work together on your next project. We have the team and resources to take on jobs large and small across Sydney, Wollongong, Southern Highlands and Canberra The team at Rok Rendering draws on generations of experience in the cement rendering industry working on all projects ranging from large commercial projects to smaller residential work. This experience allows us to provide you with high quality workmanship and expert advice At Rok Rendering we are committed to providing you, our customers, outstanding service throughout your rendering project. We are highly skilled in cement rendering, acrylic rendering, coloured rendering, blueboard rendering, granosite rendering and rendering repairs. We have the team and capacity to take on jobs across Sydney, Wollongong, Southern Highlands and Canberra. EMENT RENDERING SERVICE OVERVIEW What is cement rendering? Cement Render is a combination of sand, cement and clay or lime. Cement render can be applied to brick, cement, stone and painted walls (undercoat must be applied first so render does not fall off when applying onto painted walls). In cases where render is to go onto painted walls acrylic render is recommended over traditional cement render. Cement render is a great option for rendering your home, even though acrylic render materials are being used more often then ever before. Cement render has been used for so long and it can definitely be classed as a cost effective option when deciding to render your home. Though some of disadvantages of sand cement render can become apparent when it comes to flexibility as acrylic render can withstand wall movement to a larger degree than cement render. Though overall traditional sand cement render is a great product which has stood the test of time, it hides imperfections of old and/or bad brickwork and creates an extra layer of protection to fight erosion. Cement render is used for a more reasons than one. Home owners can use render to increase the life span of their retaining walls while also making them look great. Cement render thickness can vary and it will depend on factors such as the brickwork and how much render is needed to be applied so that the wall will be straight and smooth. Cement render sometimes gets bad reviews as acrylic render manufacturers try to push their products onto customers and into the marketplace. Truth is sand cement rendering is a great option to render your home but is a inferior product to acrylic render. When it comes to cracking walls using acrylic will not stop your wall cracking when the structure moves it will just give more assistance in comparison to sand cement. Cement render is usually painted and sealed. Cement Render can be painted after 28 days.. What are my options when it comes to giving my cement render a coloured finish? So you want to render and have heard of coloured rendering what does that mean? There are three ways to give your cement render colour. If you plan to do a render colour finish we definitely recommend using an acrylic render instead of cement render. When it comes to the colour being in the first coat of render adding oxide is the only way where the colour is in the render, the other two options coloured acrylic render and paint. Read more below about your 3 options when giving your render the desired colour. 1. Adding oxide to your cement render mix This is the only option where your colour is included in the cement, this is done by adding a liquid formula to rendering mix. It is worth noting oxide colouring is not consistent which means in the case you were top choose grey oxide you will have varying shades of grey on your walls and also the shades of grey will change over the years. With that being said although decreasing in popularity some people do decide to go with a cement render and oxide finish. 2. Coloured Acrylic Render Coloured Acrylic Render is longer lasting and 20 times thicker than paint giving it durability. Coloured acrylic render comes in every single colour your paint comes in and a lot of different textures. If you do decide to go with a coloured acrylic render look we definitely recommend your base coat render be acrylic render instead of cement render. Coloured Acrylic Render cannot be applied directly to a wall without a base coat. Coloured Acrylic Render products we use all have a sealer, meaning you won't need to do a thing after we are done Read more about both acrylic render and coloured acrylic render by clicking the links below: Acrylic Rendering - click here to learn more Coloured Acrylic Rendering - click here to learn more Coloured Rendering vs Painting Your Render - click here to learn more 3. Painting Paint like coloured acrylic render cannot be applied straight away on cement render, you will need to wait about a month. If you decide to use acrylic render base coat then you can paint in 48 hours. Cement render is the most traditional and common rendering option. A paint job usually follows after about a month. Other rendering options like acrylic rendering base coats with a colour finish are creating more and more options for consumers. ERVICE OVERVIEW Acrylic Rendering is more durable, longest lasting, can be applied to many difference surfaces and is more expensive than traditional cement rendering. Cement render dries solid and is susceptible to cracking if there is movement in the walls, acrylic render remains flexible and can withstand small movements in the wall,. Acrylic rendering allows you to be creative with your finish, options including smooth or textured. In some cases acrylic rendering is the only option, as an example cement rendering won't stick on timber, concrete or fiber cement, where as acrylic will. What is coloured rendering? Coloured rendering is the common name given to render that is coloured. Coloured render is an acrylic render that is more durable and gives off a more natural aesthetic look than painted finishes.

Should I use coloured render? Deciding between colour acrylic render and paint to be the finishing coat on your cement render/acrylic project is a personal choice. Coloured acrylic renders have been gaining popularity as an alternative to painting: Below are some of the benefits of coloured rendering •  Colour rendering usually comes with a manufacturer warranty making it longer lasting. •  Coloured rendering has a natural looking finish that radiates outwards •  Coloured rendering increases protection against water and mold •  Coloured rendering can be used inside and outside What colour render brand should I use? There are many colour acrylic render suppliers so it is not often clear on what brand a customer should select. It is best to discuss your options with your rendering company who will be able to guide you and explain to you which brand they are using for your project and why. Acrylic Render Finishes One of the most appealing features of coloured render finishes are the different textures and finishes that can be achieved. With so many brands and so many products there are many options when deciding on your textured finish. Below is a snippet of different coloured rendered texture finishes SERVICE OVERVIEW Cement Rendering Repairs are essential when the cement rendering job has not been done right by a previous company or if the building has actually moved due to a structural issue. If the cement render is beginning to crack we can inspect the building and make recommendations in order to fix the problem. Rok Rendering can provide multiple options in order to solve any cement rendering defects. Our Benefits Rok Rendering aims to give all our customers the attention they deserve from start to finish • Preliminary discussion on what needs to be rendered and what your looking for • Project Manager to perform property analysis and give you options and recommendations if you desire • Project Manager to answer queries pre-quote • Project Manager to conduct a quote of property - including price and timeline • Support during project in regards to any queries or issues that may arise • End result will be a quality rendering project and a clean work site Timeline and Cost of Project The cost and timeline of the project will be set in the quote, though time may vary due to weather Service Areas Our team at Rok Rendering has carries out Cement Rendering in Wollongong, Sydney, Canberra and the Southern Highlands. Call us today on 0452 523 921 for a free quote.

Coloured Render vs Painted Render At Rok Rendering we have been providing quality rendering services for our clients over three generations. When it comes to rendering your home you usually get the render painted as the final finish, however with new render products on the market there is an option to colour render your home. Colour rendering is a second coat of render applied onto your first coat of render that takes the place of painting. A lot of our customers do a little bit of research online and after seeing the benefits promptly ask for the colour finish looks. Coloured render is a finish coat render that has the colour inside the render its self. If you decide to pick a colour render finish on your home you will no longer need to paint. A lot of people who decide to go down the colour render path have already got their render painted but years down the track have regretted and decided to get a colour finish. Colour render can be applied over painted renders but a few extra steps will need to be taken so the render sticks to the existing substrate Colour render just like paint must be applied onto a initial base coat render. You cannot just apply coloured render straight onto your brick wall as it will not stick, won't be straight and is not recommended by any render material supplier Colour render just like paint must be applied onto a initial base coat render. You cannot just apply coloured render straight onto your brick wall as it will not stick, won't be straight and is not recommended by any render material supplier Coloured Render popularity has increased over time due to the following advantages it has over a painted finish. • Can get render colour finish in all paints colours including Dulux and Taubmans range • Lots of different textures from fine to coarse - we can get the texture your after • 20 times thicker than paint, will not peel in harsh coastal conditions • More resistant to sun, water and mold • Won't peel and flake because of its thickness and flexibility Coloured Renders are increasingly being used due to the above factors. When faced with a decision on how to coat your render, coloured rendering is definitely a choice that is cost effective, long lasting and looks great. Rok Rendering can provide you with the best colour rendering services. We can get you the finish and the colour you want to create the dream finish. With so many different rendering brands and products on the market we can make the decision easy by offering you options that suit your needs. You don't render often, so when you render do it right with the team at Rok Rendering. With three generations of experience in the rendering industry you can be assured you are in good hands. Cement Rendering is one of those things that is most noticeable when the job is done wrong or not a professional standard. For home owners cement rendering is a renovation to their house they might do once or twice in a lifetime so Rok Rendering prides ourselves on delivering an excellent rendering project outcome for all of our customers. When hiring a tradesman there should be no guess work when it comes to the quality they offer, expectations should be set before the project and met at completion. Repairing external rendered walls is a very common call out for the team at Rok Rendering, with a lot of our work being in the realm of restoration. Hiring tradesman is complicated and confusing enough, no one wants to be quality checking a tradesman they are paying! At Rok Rendering we can come to your property and provide you with a solution to your problem. We only use the best material and our work is always of the highest quality. If you would like to work with a cement rendering company that you can trust call Rok Rendering today on 0452-523-921 or contact us using the online form by clicking here. The quality of you render remains long after the invoice is paid! Acrylic Rendering vs Cement Rendering - A comparison At Rok Rendering we have been providing quality rendering services for our clients for over three generations. The most common question we are asked by our prospective clients is what is the difference between acrylic render and cement render. That is a loaded question as the differences between the two comes in application, price, quality, texture, where it can be applied amongst other things. This article will give you an understanding of the two types of renders and their key differences. Difference #1 - The mix Cement Render The mix will arrive on site in the form of tonnes of sand, cement bags and lime. These ingredients are then mixed with water in the right ratio to produce a sand and cement render mix. You can also buy cement render in bags as well. If sand cement render is not mixed correctly it is hard to work on the wall and the renderers will not be able to do the job correctly. Cement Render in essence takes a more experienced crew as it is traditional and older method of rendering. Acrylic Render Acrylic render usage has increased rapidly in the last 10 years with one of the main reasons being the ease of mix. When mixing acrylic render you cannot really mess up the mix, but you need to make sure the mix is consistent for application. The acrylic render is bought premixed in bags and when mixed water you have your render mix. The mix still needs to be right for what you aim to do when rendering. Thought in comparing acrylic render to sand cement render - acrylic render is easier to mix • Winner - Acrylic render is easier to mix correctly but cement render is easier to mix. So acrylic render is the winner ever so slightly as the mix will be 100% consistent and not contain any impurities when it comes to the mix. Difference #2 - Workmanship Cement Render Renderers have been using cement render since they have been cement rendering and for that reason they are a lot more skilled in its application and finish Acrylic Render - There are many acrylic renders on the market and not all renderers are that proficient in its use. Rendering is a trade that comes down to the hand of the applicator and lack of experience in use of acrylic render is definitely a thing. • Winner - Cement Render - By a whisker as acrylic render usage is close to surpassing the usage of sand and cement render Difference #3 - Texture Variety - Assuming you are painting the render and not applying a colour finish - The mix Cement Render Is usually more coarse then it is fine. Sand Cement Render texture is one size fits all as their are set ratios when it comes to making the perfect mix. Acrylic Render - Comes it different textures from fine to coarse - if your deciding to paint you can get a texture that you desire. Note: If you are applying a colour finish - your base coat render texture will not matter as it will never be seen, texture of the base coat render only matters when painting. • Winner - Acrylic Render - Lots of textures to pick from to get you the finish you would like to paint on! Difference #4 - Cost Cement Render Is a lot cheaper when we are talking large commercial projects, which is why a lot of builders tend to go with sand cement render. Overall it is a economical option when rendering. Acrylic Render - For larger projects acrylic render can be a lot more expensive than cement render. But when it comes to smaller projects the extra cost is warranted. • Winner - Depends on how we measure it. If it is cost Cement Render, if cost in comparison to what you get Acrylic render Difference #5 - Quality Cement Render Has stood the test of time and is a great render finish. It a bit more prone to cracking than acrylic but if your wall is cracking there is usually more factors at play than the render. Acrylic Render - A lot more durable when it comes to fighting erosion(oceanside property) and holding up to cracking walls. Acrylic Render with the added plastic acrylics makes it a great option when rendering your home. . • Winner Acrylic Render - It has to be acrylic Cement Rendering is one of those things that is most noticeable when the job is done wrong or not a professional standard. For home owners cement rendering is a renovation to their house they might do once or twice in a lifetime so Rok Rendering prides ourselves on delivering an excellent rendering project outcome for all of our customers. When hiring a tradesman there should be no guess work when it comes to the quality they offer, expectations should be set before the project and met at completion. Repairing external rendered walls is a very common call out for the team at Rok Rendering, with a lot of our work being in the realm of restoration. Hiring tradesman is complicated and confusing enough, no one wants to be quality checking a tradesman they are paying! At Rok Rendering we can come to your property and provide you with a solution to your problem. We only use the best material and our work is always of the highest quality. If you would like to work with a cement rendering company that you can trust call Rok Rendering today on 0422 299 610 or contact us using the online form by clicking here. Cement Rendering Cost 2021 - Render Pricing The cost of your cement rendering project will depend on a number of factors. Below is a comprehensive list of factors that will determine the cement rendering cost for your job. Cost of cement rendering your house? Factors that influence the price: Decrease PriceIncreasePriceGround level walls, low wallsTressel work, high walls, step ladder workEasyaccessDifficultaccessNoscaffoldsScaffoldsrequiredSoletraderCompanyUninsuredInsuredLower paid employeesHigher paid employeesLessexperiencedHighlyexperiencedNot much work scheduled inLots of work scheduled inBadreputationGoodreputationNewbusinessEstablished business Cement Rendering is a large investment for property owners and home renovators so it is important that is done by a professional company the first time. Cement Rendering Cost realistically include two things what you pay for your rendering service and what you get for what you pay. This article will touch on what you for your cement rendering assuming all things are equal. Cement Rendering Cost Cement RenderingPriceRangeSingle storey house7,500 - 15,000Double Storey house14,000 - 28,000Front Fence2,000 - 7,000Bathroom Render - Ready for tiling1,200 - 3,000 Coloured Acrylic Rendering is another option when it comes to rendering your home, coloured acrylic render is a second coat applied to the base coat. Coloured Acrylic Rendering is a lot more crack resistant then painting and will last longer than 15 years which will mean you won't be painting so often. The above information is a guide which can be used to select the rendering company after meeting them at your property for a site visit and quote. At Rok Rendering we can come to your property and provide you options so that we can get you your desired rendering finish. We only use the best material and our work is always of the highest quality. If you would like to partner with a cement rendering company that you can trust call Rok Rendering today on 0452 523 921 or contact us using the online form by clicking here. The quality of you rendering job remains long after the invoice is paid! Cement Render Crack Repair - My cement render is cracking - what should I do? Cement Render can crack over time, the reasons for this are numerous. When your cement render is cracking it creates a visible issue but what is the root cause? What are the reasons for cement render cracking? Listed below are reasons that your cement render might be cracking • The renderer was not applied and finished correctly - we have repaired external rendered walls where the renderer did not take the steps necessary to do the job correctly. • The product the renderer used was bad or not mixed correctly - not all products/materials are created equally • The wall is moving and causing the render to crack - common problem, structural issue causes bricks and in turn the render/paint to crack • The render is super old and naturally it is starting to wear - and so it ends What are the types of cement render cracking? By looking at the reasons the render is cracking you can figure out the most effective way to fix it and ways to lower the chances and/or decrease the speed of which it happens again in the future. A lot of times pinpointing why there are cracks in externally rendered walls is cracking is not so simple, often there can be more than one reason. Repairing the render/concrete that is cracking is the main goal and below are the different ways to do it. Render Crack Repair Project Photos - Before and After Below is a before after of a render repair project in Alexandria, eastern suburbs of Sydney Repairing cement rendered walls - four ways to do it 1. Patch up/Repair and re-render only the areas that are cracking This may involve replacing corner beads, installing mesh and filling in drummy areas after removal of old render. effective way to solve the problem as you do not re-render the whole wall you only fix up the problem areas. Though it is worth noting the patched areas might be visible after re-painting, which leads us onto the next option 2. Patch up/Repair and re-render all areas of wall This is the red carpet treatment for your wall as you not only fixing up the render by installing mesh and filling in drummy areas to fix all existing cracks. But you are also applying a fresh coat of render over your wall. If the existing wall is painted an undercoat will need to be applied so that your render sticks and you do not have render that does not stick and cause issues down the line. 3. Render removal - Remove all render off the wall the more drummy areas you have the more this option makes sense. This is a very costly option but it is one of them things to do if the existing render is really drummy in a lot of areas. Rendering over existing render is sometimes an option when the old render is really solid but onto drummy areas it will just mask the issue with your render for a short time . This option can save you money in the long run, just depends on the wall and state of existing render. It is not often though you will need to repair your render using this method. 4. Rebuild the wall and then render it - sometimes this may be the best option if there is structural issues. Drastic we know, but if your render has been applied correctly by a professional renderer and it is cracking very quickly - there are structural issues. You can patch the wall when ever it cracks, rebuild the wall or just decide that your okay with it looking cracked. Sometimes repairing the cracked render every few years may be more cost effective then rebuilding a wall. Cement Rendering is one of those things that is most noticeable when the job is done wrong or not a professional standard. For home owners cement rendering is a renovation to their house they might do once or twice in a lifetime so Rok Rendering prides ourselves on delivering an excellent rendering project outcome for all of our customers. When hiring a tradesman there should be no guess work when it comes to the quality they offer, expectations should be set before the project and met at completion. Repairing external rendered walls is a very common call out for the team at Rok Rendering, with a lot of our work being in the realm of restoration. Hiring tradesman is complicated and confusing enough, no one wants to be quality checking a tradesman they are paying! At Rok Rendering we can come to your property and provide you with a solution to your problem. We only use the best material and our work is always of the highest quality. If you would like to work with a cement rendering company that you can trust call Rok Rendering today on 0422 299 610 or contact us using the online form by clicking here. The quality of you render remains long after the invoice is paid!

Keywords: cement rendering, acrylic rendering, coloured rendering, blue board rendering, renderer sydney, dincel rendering, hebel rendering, cement rendering northern beaches, cement rendering sydney, acrylic rendering sydney, cement rendering wollongon, cement rendering cost, cement rendering repairs, rendering services sydney, cement rendering services, cement rendering company, remedial rendering work, cement rendering canberra

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[michelles-garden-of-evil]

Episode 32 Review: Sea Fever

{ Not available on YouTube }

{ Full Synopses/Recaps: Debby Graham | Bryan Gruszka }

{ Screencaps }

I apologize for the delay in posting this review. Once again, I’ve been busy in real life and didn’t have enough time to work on it last week. (And so soon after starting my Shadow Over Seventh Heaven review series!) But now I’m back and I have enough time to write about my favorite show again--and, in a week or so, hopefully enough to continue my other review series as well.

This is the first episode to differ completely from the Lost Episode summaries published in various U.S. and Canadian newspapers--and therefore probably the point at which the original outline and the final one began to diverge. Episode 30′s summary described an event that happened in the episode, but whose cause appears to have been changed during forced rewrites; last episode’s was still accurate after revisions; but this one’s summary is the first to describe a scene absent from the final, aired episode. (More on that later.)

Shall we begin this review? This episode features some of the darkest Jean Paul (yes, Jean Paul!) dialogue thus far, along with many entertaining facial expressions as multiple characters feast on the scenery. It’s a wild ride with a genuinely scary scene, and, if you like those things, I think you’ll enjoy it.

We open right where last episode left off, with Elizabeth reacting to Jacques’ little comment about Holly and how he would stake her life in a bet that Vangie couldn’t contact Erica in the planned séance. ”Jean Paul,” she shouts, “your inference that I would harm my daughter to take her fortune for my own is insulting and in bad taste: something I’d never expect of you!”

The handsome devil replies, “Your strong defense against a simple query lends credence to a simple supposition”--which is just a fancier, less archaic way of saying “the lady doth protest too much.”

She flounces and runs into Vangie at the door--figuratively, not literally, although that would be amusing. “You interrupted Mrs. Marshall’s romantic exit from which there might be no return,” Jacques comments, which sounds suspiciously like foreshadowing.

The conversation drifts to the séance and how Jacques is most definitely not going to back down because he’s not a coward, and then, suddenly,

Vangie SCREAMS!

Apparently, every time a female character other than Raxl screams, she has to try eating her hand immediately afterwards.

She’s screaming because she can sense that someone is tampering with the cryonics capsule. And, at the same time that this happens, Jacques also de-possesses Jean Paul:

I’ll let these headache faces speak for themselves.

Jean Paul who threatens to kill anyone who tampers with the capsule. Very nice (not)! Normally, I find his concern for Erica romantic, but this is going too far. He reminds me of the captain in the CBS Radio Mystery Theater episode "Sea Fever" (also by Ian Martin) who…well, I don't want to spoil the ending, but let's just say that he is even crazier in love than Jean Paul. It isn’t one of the best CBSRMT dramas, but it will likely chill your bones. It certainly chilled mine.

Love this shot of Colin Fox backacting while Paisley Maxwell and Angela Roland stare at him with wide-open eyes. This episode is full of unintentionally funny facial expressions.

Jean Paul hurries back to Maljardin with Elizabeth and Vangie, and heads to the crypt immediately to see Raxl about the capsule. She recaps to him about the capsule tank’s malfunctioning in the previous episode. He asks who discovered it; she tells him Dan, which only makes him more suspicious of him. SHe also recaps to him about how Alison and Dan are searching for the cyanide that he stole from the lab. “Everyone questions my changes of mood,” he shouts. “Now I must question changes in others!...There is danger hiding everywhere on Maljardin. It has a history that has plagued the family, that will plague all who pry into my affairs!"

While Vangie questions the sincerity of Elizabeth’s devotion to Jean Paul above, Jean Paul leaves red flowers on the cryocapsule and announces his planned next moves to his love: “Erica, my dove, now [there] are some people here on our island who would destroy the process by which you will be returned to me and fill my arms again, but I promise you, no one, no one under any consequences [line flub], will live again if he or she causes you to remain forever dead!"

A beautiful shot of Jean Paul with flowers for Erica.

When Raxl next joins Jean Paul in the crypt, she tells him that “only the priestess of the Serpent knows what is really on their minds.” Jean Paul mentions that she has told him before about the human sacrifices that the priestesses used to perform on the island--which is not recap (as we have only heard her tell Matt about them so far), so she must have told him sometime before Erica’s death. She insists that, although that was true long ago, their altar has not been used for them since Jacques's time.

“But, if his evil can rise again, as you fear,” he begins, implying that he wants to start making blood sacrifices.

“No! Please, M’sieu, no!” Raxl interrupts.

“I will do what has to be done, Raxl. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Raxl draws the Sign of the Great Serpent in the air and the same Great Serpent symbol that's in the Temple appears on screen. It’s a cool effect and not something that’s ever seen in any other episode.

She leaves the crypt, looking back at Jean Paul a few times, probably in complete disbelief that he wants her, daughter of the unseen Priestess of the Serpent, to sacrifice Dan and any other troublesome guests to protect against THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES. This is a shocking new low for Jean Paul Desmond, and shows the darker side of his character. This is a man who, even without a curse and even when he is not possessed, is capable of murder because of his obsession with his love interest. This is a male yandere.

She sees Matt in the Great Hall, who tells her that he’s searched all over Maljardin and that there must be many hidden rooms there. It turns out they have both searched in every room they know about and still have found neither the missing cyanide nor the conjure doll and silver pin. He demands that she tell him the legend of Maljardin and that old black magic. And so we learn from her some very important background information, some of which is never brought up again:

Where there is evil, there is magic. Where there is magic, strange things happen, but first there must be evil, and there is!...Before the time of Jacques Eloi des Mondes, when this house first stood, it was a palace of kings and there were many people here until this island became his!…Only the greedy and foolish [natives] remained, and none who left ever returned.

There is a curse here, Reverend: him, that devil!

The implication is that Jacques did not build the château, but took it from someone else, which connects to his revelation about a month earlier that he was a “free looter”--or, in other words, a pirate. Matt argues that Jacques cannot still hold control over Maljardin because he died three hundred years ago, but Raxl says that “for some of us, three hundred years is but the span of a single lifetime,” indirectly revealing her true age to him.

She smiles at him right after she reveals to him that she’s centuries old. I think this is the first time Raxl smiles on the show, and the only time in the entire Maljardin arc.

Matt asks about the natives who stayed on the island, and Raxl says of them, “They died very soon. It was the curse on Maljardin. Have you ever seen a man who has lost his soul, Reverend? Their eyes down, the fishermen no longer fish, the children cease to play. They do no more than sit and wait [for death]...Since then, no native has ever tried to settle on Maljardin.” Only Vangie, the Conjure Woman, can go back and forth to and from the island “on the wings of the Great Serpent,” but she, too, is destined to die someday on Maljardin.

At the end of this scene, Vangie enters and adds that she doesn’t know when she’ll die, because the tarot cards did not (and cannot?) give her an exact date. This would seem to make her death on the show a foregone conclusion, but that may or may not be the case. (I say that not only to avoid spoilers, but also because the show and the original scripts give the Conjure Woman radically different fates, as we shall explore in future reviews.)

Meanwhile, down in the crypt, Jean Paul is still talking to Erica about how he is determined to kill anyone who interferes with the cryonics process when Jacques starts intruding on his mind. Like in Episode 27, the special effects team illustrates this by superimposing Jacques’ face from the portrait over that of Jean Paul when he is talking to him:

The best example from this episode.

None of Jacques’ lines in this scene are as funny as those of the old, pre-Lost Episode era Jacques, even if Fox-C still delivers the devil’s lines with the same amount of sarcasm and relish as before. His best line this time around is, in my not-so-humble opinion, “Suppose we just whisper so dear Erica may sleep.” I miss early Jacques’ jokes already--yes, even the ham-handed, cornball puns--and it hasn’t even been a week’s worth of episodes since the last.

We cut to Raxl and Vangie in the Great Hall, discussing the upcoming séance. Vangie says that she wants to find out if Erica’s spirit genuinely wants Jean Paul to continue mourning her and keeping her frozen. She insists that Raxl let her touch the cryocapsule before the séance, most likely to get a sense of Erica’s energy before they perform the ceremony.

Jean Paul: “What are you doing!”

Raxl: “Please, M’sieu. The Conjure Woman is trying to help.”

Jean Paul: “Only for a séance, Vangie. Erica must remain undisturbed.” Vangie: “And if you don’t like what you learn?” Jean Paul: “I’ll face that--when the time comes!”

The Lost Episode summary indicates that, at some point in the original draft, Raxl and Vangie had a conversation about Jacques, and Raxl would have told her how she can tell him and Jean Paul apart. As I’m sure many of you have realized, Raxl and Vangie oscillate between knowing that Jean Paul is being possessed and merely suspecting, depending on the episode. In the original Episode 32, Raxl would have known when Jacques is controlling Jean Paul’s body and Vangie would have only suspected until after Raxl explained. Ruling out all obvious non-diegetic clues such as the vanishing portrait shots and Jacques’ theme music, she could have said any number of things, including:

His energy/aura changes (although, logically, Vangie would notice that, too).

He wears the ring from the portrait (which we know is diegetic, because Elizabeth commented on it in Episode 13).

He opens his eyes really wide and makes silly faces.

He makes corny puns Never mind, we’re not doing that anymore.

He acts far too cheerful for a man who is supposedly mourning his dead wife.

He talks about kippers.

Etc.

I suppose we’ll never know which one(s) she mentioned, but I suspect #1, #2, and/or #5. Anyway, Jean Paul leaves to return upstairs and Vangie continues whatever she started doing with the capsule. He orders Jacques to “stop turning people against [him],” which he refuses to do, threatening to keep Erica dead if he doesn’t shut up about it.

“When we really get into the battle, someone has to die,” quips Jacques.

“Perhaps it will be you!” shouts Jean Paul in response.

“Or you, Jean Paul Desmond,” the handsome devil replies. “Or will you be preceded by one of our guests? Now let me see. A likely candidate could be...”

Jean Paul turns away from the roars of laughter, and the episode ends before Jacques can name the guest(s) he plans to murder.

Could it be Vangie? Or Holly? Dan? Alison? Even Elizabeth?

This episode was a fun one to watch, and probably the first review I’ve completed in only one day since sometime last winter. Jean Paul’s willingness to put everyone’s life on the proverbial line to save Erica shows a dark side to his nature that mostly vanishes at the end of this story arc--which is a shame, because I find morally ambiguous antihero Jean Paul the most interesting version of his character. I recommend this one, if you have access to it.

Coming up next: A Quito-centric episode where the detained guests learn shocking truths about Jean Paul’s manservant.

{ <- Previous: Episode 31   ||   Next: Episode 33 -> }

#strange paradise #maljardin arc #ian martin #week 7 #episode 32 #review #genuinely scary episodes #cbs radio mystery theater #creative line interpretation #cryonics capsule #diegesis #hand staple mouth #headache faces #kippers #lost episode summaries #scenery chewing #sign of the great serpent #smiley raxl #yandere

[steffiwritesstories]

D u b l i n ,  1 6 1 1  A . C .

What had he done wrong?

Surely, this small slip-up, that one second where he lost grip of his words couldn’t have been the reason why Alec was so angry at him, right…?

“Go away! I don’t ever want to see your face again!” A pause, then a scoff full of hatred. “I wonder why Mother ever agreed to raise you alongside me. Not when you obviously can’t control yourself. ”

The words stung. More than the slap he had delivered to Felix’s face, throwing off his tiara, the gold clattering worryingly as it made contact with the cold stone of the castle’s hallway.

A pungent stench of wine hit Felix when Alec came close enough to glare into Felix’s eyes, anger and wrath colliding with innocent fear. Alec’s long hair hung down in greasy strands and in the midst of his shock, Felix had wondered when the brother he had once loved had turned into the person standing in front of him.

With shaking hands, Felix searched through his wardrobe, pulling out the thickest cloak he owned. 

Enough was enough.

He might have been a prince, but with how overlooked he was, he could as well have been a servant, disappearing in the endless hallways of the castle.

It was night outside, he could hear Alec’s snoring through the slightly open door that led into his brother’s sleeping chambers. Felix knew if he looked, he would find him sprawled out on the covers, not bothering to undress from the clothes that reeked of wine and beer and peacefully snoring away into his pillows.

His hand clenched, knuckles whitening under pale skin.

If even his brother had turned on him, the one reason why he had held on, hadn’t tried to escape the castle… if even he was gone, what reason was there to stay?

The sky was covered by clouds, heavy and grey like they would empty their load to the land in the span of a few moments. The rain might give him cover from being detected, being stopped and found out.

He didn’t know if he would come back, if anyone would miss him - okay, maybe his head maid, Sooyeon, who he had been close with. The love she gave him was almost enough to replace the love his mother, the Queen, had never given to him. 

Felix swallowed as he fastened the cloak around his neck, taking off the small, golden tiara that was always nestled between his dark brown hair and carefully placing it on the desk next to his bed. Where he went, he wouldn’t need it anymore.

With a last look towards the door to Alec’s chamber, Felix turned around and creeped towards the door, his face set in a determined grimace. 

The heavy wooden door closed behind him with a creak that echoed through the empty hallway and made him wince, stopping to hold his breath with wide eyes.

Nothing. 

No guards were there to stop him. 

Out of the two princes, Alec had always been the one who was more guarded, more taken care of, more treated like the prince he was. No wonder - he was the crown prince. He should follow their father. He was to become the new king.

Not Felix. It was never Felix.

Sometimes, he wondered if his parents knew he existed.

Felix shook his head, clenching his hands into fists and slipping into an alcove when he heard footsteps coming into his direction. Hidden behind the curtains pulled in front of the window, he listened to the quiet sounds of the armored guards as they passed, unaware that the prince was hiding about a meter away from them.

Seconds and minutes creeped away, painfully slow and filled with tension.

Only when Felix was sure the hallway was silent again, did he leave his hiding place and continued on his way.

It was later than he thought - or something had happened. There was no way he was silent enough for the guards to not spot him - but none of them called out to him when he entered the stables, entering a carriage with multiple stacks of colorful wool and silk and hiding below the fabrics.

This plan was stupid, reckless and formed in the span of a few seconds - but if he was lucky, none of the guards would discover him hiding away and he could get away.

He tried to ignore the slowly rising thought that the guards had discovered him but weren’t saying anything because it was better if they let him get away. It was better if they didn’t have to deal with him again - the unwanted prince, the unwanted addition that had come shortly after Alec.

Felix gritted his teeth and curled up, making himself as small as possible.

Whatever part of him had been hoping for a last ounce of love, of hope had been trampled down brutally during the fight with Alec - still, he preferred to think that it was his decision to run away and not what others had pushed him to do.

*

After a long, bumpy ride, the carriage stopped and voices dragged into Felix’s exhaustion-muddled mind. Had they reached their destination?

Slowly, Felix dared to peak out from beneath the fabrics - and yes, he recognized those buildings. White stone that darkened to gray in the night, dark brown wooden beams that supported the houses’ structure and wet, slippery cobblestone.

Felix swallowed, looking around. It was raining, the water rushing down and dampening the sounds of people wandering around, unloading the carriage.

He had to leave before they discovered him.

So, Felix crept to the opening of the carriage, straining his ears to listen for anyone too close that might see him.

What would they even do if they saw you? Why do you worry?

Even if the people of the town didn’t recognise him, he doubted they would be kind towards a boy who had hidden himself between expensive wool and silk. They weren’t for him to ask for help.

Felix gritted his teeth, jumping from the carriage and dashing out into the street, the voices of the workers fading behind him.

*

Why hadn’t he thought about where he wanted to go?

Clenching his teeth to stop them from rattling against each other, he pulled his cloak tighter around himself. The rain hadn’t let up and the thick wool of the cloak was now proving to be a huge hindrance since it had soaked up its weight in water. Now, not an inch on Felix’s body was dry anymore - neither the thick, white shirt nor the dark cloth pants tucked over his boots.

He didn’t dare to knock at the closed doors, figuring that he wouldn’t be let in since he never had been the prince the people looked up to. He had just been the unwanted extra - for all of his life.

Who would even recognize him as a prince - without his tiara and looking so pathetic?

Oh, how desperately he wished for some warmth. Warmth for his dirty, wet clothes and also for his stone-cold heart, freezing from all the missing love. 

He had just wanted someone to be close to him, to show him what it meant to be loved again. The thought sent a spear of longing through his chest and he hugged himself tighter, biting his lip harshly.

There was a tavern ahead of him, at the end of the street. Yellow light spilled onto the streets through opened windows and music and deep, rough laughter wafted over as well as the sounds of multiple people conversing loudly with each other.

Felix swallowed, tightening his grip on himself. The yellow, warm light was calling to him - bearing a promise of warmth and comfortable dryness. Should he dare to ask for help?

He was shy, rarely one to speak outside in public unless he was directly asked and always staying as close to Alec as he was allowed to. Even if it was more often than not that Alec pushed him away again, telling him to stand on his own and fend for himself - or he would never learn how to behave like a prince, let alone a king.

Felix shook his head, his expression hardening. What he had thought about Alec didn’t matter anymore - he was on his own. He was no prince anymore.

With slow steps, he walked towards the tavern, using both his hands to push open the heavy door and slipping inside.

The stench was what hit him first - the smell of wet clothes and wool, of too many unwashed people in one place and bitter, cheap beer. Felix swallowed down his discomfort and walked through the crowd of men sitting at the tables - only a few seemed to have noticed him slipping inside and stared at him - to the counter, climbing on one of the free stools.

The man behind the corner was busy wiping his glasses with a rag that maybe once used to be clean and wasn’t paying attention to him.

“Excuse me,” Felix spoke up, praying his voice didn’t shake as the men turned around and stared him down with a raised brow, his eyes raking up and down of what he could see of Felix’s body. A few of them whistled lowly, turning to each other with a sharp grin on their faces.

Felix swallowed, eyes darting around. “I-is there a possibility for me to seek shelter from the rain for the night?”

It was silent, most of the conversations around Felix having died down by now. The men were looking at him, staring him down. 

The bartender chewed slowly on whatever was in his mouth before he turned around and spit out soundly. “Sorry, lad,” he answered eventually. “Got all the rooms full ‘til the weekend - ya gotta have to find another place.”

Disappointment and relief flooded Felix at the same time and he bowed his head quickly, his skin crawling. “Thank you still.” He slipped from the chair and made his way back to the door, not noticing one of the figures in the corner raising from their seat and following him.

The rain continued to fall from the sky and Felix pressed himself against the wall of the building he just left, hugging his stomach and blinking back the tears thrumming behind his eyes.

Would it have been better to wait until the rain was over? Probably.

Would he have been able to stay inside the castle for another day? Definitely no.

And so, even if rain was soaking him to the bone again and managing to wipe away any trace of warmth Felix had gathered inside the tavern, he trudged on.

*

It wasn’t long before he was hiding again, covering in a house entrance. The rain didn’t let up, a constant curtain of water murmuring right outside his hiding place. It barely masked the sound of his sniffling cries.

He was alone.

All alone.

What use would it be for him to still be alive?

He didn’t want to be here anymore.

The sound of footsteps, a shadow was falling over him.

“Why are you here all alone, my prince?” A voice as velvet as honey, warm and smiling like it didn’t know anything about the cold surrounding them.

Felix looked up slowly, eyes wide and scared. Then, he gasped, tears forgotten for a moment.

“Who-” are you? The question caught in Felix’s throat because the man he was looking at, the man crouching in front of him, was easily the most gorgeous man he had ever seen. Pale, smooth skin, a sharp, chiseled face that was barely softened by the curve of his lips, a sculpted, lean figure, hidden beneath a black cloak with expensive-looking embroidery on the sides - gold shimmered subtly. The hood was drawn back and yet, his black, long hair didn’t seem to be wet at all.

The man tilted his head, standing up again and offering Felix a hand that seemed to glow in the pale, white moonlight. His hand and nails were well attended, a sign of wealth and money. 

“My name isn’t of any importance. What is important is that I will help you.” He had Felix standing - barely, seeing as how hard he was shaking and the stranger had to catch him - and pulled him closer against his body and Felix had half a mind to feel the thrum of fear through his chest before he looked into the eyes of the stranger.

Eyes glowing amber, like warm, liquid gold - they made his fear melt away and Felix barely felt it as the stranger’s arm snuck under his cloak around his waist.

A cold finger lifted his chin, holding him still so he couldn’t escape those hypnotizing eyes. 

“They don’t know what they’re missing out on, my prince.” The stranger’s eyes scanned over his face and Felix barely dared to breathe, hypnotized by the soft tone of adoration and love in his voice. “I’ve watched you for quite some time - and I know you deserve all the attention I can give to you. You’re destined for so much more.”

Maybe Felix should be warier, maybe there should have been alarm bells ringing at the implications that someone had been watching him - but he was cold, he was tired, he was sad and alone and deprived of love and attention and this stranger seemed to know everything he was missing. And he was ready to give it to him. 

“Your wish is my command, Sir,” he whispered without thinking. He wanted to please this strange man, wanted to earn the attention, the love he was promising him.

The man smiled gently and pulled back again. “Good. Now… We will get you away from here, my prince. This place isn’t for someone as important as you.” His arm stayed put around Felix’s waist and he pulled him from the shadows, starting to walk down the street. 

“Where are we going?” Felix softly asked, looking around as the buildings around him became taller, turning into the houses of the rich townspeople.

“To my home. But just before we leave…” The stranger stopped in front of an empty alleyway, pulling Felix with him as he went inside and the darkness between the two buildings swallowing them.

Fear started to build up in Felix’s mind. “What are you-?” He tried to move away, but before he could, the stranger pulled him flush against his chest, his grip as hard as iron. 

He smiled, but this time, it wasn’t gentle or soft - it was dangerous and Felix swore his heart stopped as he saw his teeth elongating into fangs.

Oh no.

“You’re not going anywhere.” One of his hands opened the clasp of the cloak around Felix’s neck, letting the soaked wool fall to the floor and exposing his throat.

“No, no, please…” Felix whimpered. His words tapered into a blood-curdling scream as the stranger sank his fangs into his throat.

Pain tore through his skin, burning every other thought away. He tried to squirm away, he clawed at the grip around his waist but the hands didn’t budge.

Was this how he was going to die?

He didn’t want to die… no, not like this.

And still, Felix felt his life bleed out, his attacks getting weaker and his screams turning into painful whimpers and sobs.

Why had he been so naive? Why...

Everything turned fuzzy, a mud of fog in his brain and he was sure he was going to break down soon. 

He was so thirsty, so...thirsty...

But there were words breaking through the fog, at the same time as something warm, something wet got pressed against his lips, liquid trickling into Felix’s mouth. Eagerly, Felix lapped it up and the words engrained themselves into his brain.

“I am Marquis Jules de Montmorency, your maker. By drinking my blood, you will stay loyal to me, do as I say and stay by my side as the strongest of a new generation of vampyres.”

The liquid did wonders to quench his thirst. 

“Yes, master.” 

The world slipped away from him.

#vampyres #short story