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wheeboo · 6 months

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venus | choi seungcheol

SYNOPSIS. in which the love between you and the prince is forbidden. PAIRING. prince!choi seungcheol x servant-commoner!reader (ft. servant-commoner!chan very briefly) GENRE. fluff, angst with a hopeful ending?, forbidden love, royalty au, arranged marriage au (cheol is in an arranged marriage), established secret relationship WARNINGS. cheol and reader both have a lil argument, terms of endearment (darling, love, sweetheart), kissing WORD COUNT. 3.8k

note: fic is vaguely inspired by the bridge part of this song called "venus" by regina song 🫶💕 this is also my first time writing a royalty au, so i hope you enjoy! this also features the very iconic "you came" "you called" line 😭

The ballroom of Pledis Palace is charged with an air of enchantment. The time had just reached the peak of evening. Moonlight filters through the large, grand windows, bathing the open room in an ethereal glow. Along the sides of the ballroom are intricately carved golden marble columns, each one painted with a different tale of the kingdom's past.

In the middle of the ceiling sits a majestic chandelier hanging from a massive, golden chain. The piece is the crown jewel of the ballroom, one that easily draws visitors into all its glory and beauty, and it casts a radiant gleam that seemed to rain down like stardust upon the guests below.

The dance floor reflects the light from the chandelier, creating an illusion of stars twinkling at one's feet. You watch all the elegantly-dressed guests move with grace across the room. The women are all dressed with precise attention to detail, their gowns and jewelry like works of art on a canvas. Some wear dresses in shades of amethyst, emerald, and sapphire, embroidered with beautiful beadwork that glistens like constellations, while others prefer flowing gowns in delicate pastels, as if they've stepped out of a fairytale.

They all hold onto their partners𑁋lavish gentlemen dressed in sophistically tailored suits matching the colours of their ladies' gowns𑁋with utmost love and enjoyment, while you find yourself standing at the side, holding up a tray of drinks as a particular heaviness settles in your chest.

And as your eyes drift ever so slightly, you swear that regardless what direction you look in, he's always there at the end of it, like a light at the end of the tunnel. Yet the light this time was dim and lacked almost all the hope that used to be there when you looked at him.

Not only is the royal family of Pledis here, but also a second one. The Choi royal family of Pledis, and of course, the future in-laws.

Prince Choi Seungcheol is dancing with poise that appeared almost effortless, eyes locked in a tender gaze to his future betrothed, yet the smile to his face doesn't quite reach his eyes. It's the same kind of gaze during the times he would be with you, like in the secret corners of the royal garden that only the two of you knew, or in the times you both snuck out of the castle at the wee hours of the night to stargaze, or the intimate nights you spent with him in his quarters where you had to leave just before daybreak.

It's those times where the certain line between nobility and commoner could be momentarily blurred. It's those times where you both truly felt free in more ways than one.

As you continue to watch the dance and see the way he twirls his betrothed with ease, the world seems to blur, and it felt as if it was just you and Seungcheol in this grand ballroom. His eyes, so familiar yet so distant, meet yours in a fleeting moment. His face falls instantly.

The world and time may have pulled you apart, but in that stolen glance, you were brought back together. In your eyes, you saw the prince who had defied tradition and chosen to be with you without boundaries. In his eyes, he saw the commoner who had been his confidant and, more importantly, his secret love.

"Why are you just standing there? Go tend to your duties," the steward advises you annoyedly, snapping you out of your focus. With a start, you fix your posture, offering a quick nod of understanding to the stern-faced steward.

Hastily, you resume your duty, walking through the large crowd, presenting the tray of drinks and feeling their odd looks linger on you as you move past them. They're taunting you, not with words, but with their subtle, condescending glances. The weight in your chest only deepens with each step you take.

You reach the outskirts of the dance floor, casting another glance towards Seungcheol. His elegant moves and the seemingly affectionate way he held his betrothed gives a bittersweet feeling to your chest, and you can't help but briefly imagine yourself there with him instead𑁋being the one at the end of his smile, the end of his touch.

As the music swelled, the dance finally comes to an end. You watch as the prince gracefully leads his betrothed back to her seat, a warm smile on his face. You know he didn't have much of a choice. He had an obligation to the kingdom, to his family, and to the future over the love he had once whispered to you in the hidden corners of the royal gardens.

Your heart aches again, but you understand. You couldn't be a part of his world, no matter how much he cared for you.

You don't catch the way his eyes follow you once you dismiss yourself out of the ballroom, struggling to hold your tears back.

"Y/N, don't you think you overwatered this area right here?" Chan, a fellow gardener for the royal garden and closest friend, taps lightly on your shoulder, startling you out of your daze and nearly the watering can in your hands. You blink rapidly, bringing yourself back to the present.

All you manage is a weak smile, some embarrassment and guilt flooding your senses. "Sorry, I... I guess my mind was elsewhere."

He gives you a knowing look, gaze sympathetic yet encouraging. "It's okay. I know things haven't been the best recently." He gestures toward the grand castle behind you, its towers standing tall and proud. You know exactly what he's talking about, and it makes you let out a sigh, facing back towards the garden in front of you.

You've poured your heart into the royal garden for so long, finding comfort in its quiet beauty and the therapeutic rhythm of tending to its blooms from day to night.

As the sun dips below the horizon and the moon begins to rise, the garden transforms into a world of magic. The abundance of flowers surrounding you seem to glow vibrantly under the moonlight, and their scent becomes more rich in the cool night air. The air carries a gentle breeze, and the soft rustle of leaves soothes your troubled mind.

There was just something about simply being with nature𑁋in the royal garden and with the beauty that exists outside its walls𑁋that allows you to breathe more freely. Sometimes, you swear that even the flowers are capable of whispering words of their own, as if sharing stories with you alone, or stories that you used to listen to with one particular man.

Just as you're about to finish watering one last final section, you hear Chan's distant voice from afar.

"Y-Your Highness! What brings you here at this hour?"

You freeze in place, the almost-empty watering can slipping from your fingers as you turn around.

Prince Seungcheol stands at the edge of the garden, his gracious figure silhouetted against the moonlit scenery. He's dressed in his nighttime attire, a pair of simple yet elegant black trousers and a crisp white shirt that flows slightly in the cool breeze. His gaze flickers between you and Chan, a hint of curiosity in his expression, and the two of you both offer a respectful bow in his direction as he approaches.

"I just wanted some fresh air," Seungcheol answers sharply, locking his eyes with yours, and there's a small smile that graces his lips once he catches sight of you. "It's peaceful here in the garden, isn't it?"

You heart only flutters to his words, yet that arrow of sadness pierces through your chest. However, even below the auroral skies and with the intoxicating fragrance of flowers all around, your heart feels lighter than it has in a long time.

"Chan, you may excuse us for a moment." He gestures to the young boy, his voice carrying a warm, reassuring tone that you've longed to hear.

With a quick nod, Chan offers a polite bow, shooting you a glance before slipping his way back in the direction of the castle, leaving you alone with Seungcheol.

Seungcheol approaches you, the distance between you decreasing until you're standing just a breath away from each other. You both remain in a contemplative silence, neither of you wanting to break the fragile moment that has been rekindled after so long.

Finally, he speaks in a hushed tone. "You've been avoiding me."

Your gaze is quick to fall to the ground in guilt, unable to meet his eyes.

"You know I had to," You reply simply, voice barely more than a whisper. "We can't be together, Cheol. You should know this better than me. It was the only choice you had. Duty called, and you answered."

Seungcheol's face only contorts with a mix of anguish and frustration. "Duty? Duty won't keep me warm at night, Y/N. Duty won't make me feel alive. You are what my heart longs for. You should know this. This is all purely arranged, don't you remember?"

You let out an audible scoff, feeling your hands crumple into fists at your side. "You're being selfish right now. Think about the kingdom, your family, and the future you're meant to build. Don't you see why we can't... we can't be together? It's inevitable. We shouldn't..." Your find your voice drifting away, words getting caught in your throat.

He steps even closer, his frustration boiling over into desperation. "I am thinking about them. I think about them every day, but I... I can't stop thinking about you either. I can't stop loving you."

"This love won't feed the hungry, Seungcheol. This love won't protect our people. This love won't secure the kingdom's future. This love won't change the fact that I'm merely a commoner and you're a prince."

The moonlight accentuates the sadness in his eyes as your words sink in, and you find yourself unable to hold back the tears that have welled up. The two of you only stand there for a few long moments, simply gazing in each other's glassy eyes, feeling like the garden itself was holding in a breath of its own.

Then in a sudden moment of vulnerability, you step closer to him, resting your head against his chest, taking in his familiar warmth and the scent you've longed for as your tears stain his shirt. Seungcheol wraps you in his strong arms, pulling you closer, and you feel his heartbeat against your body, steady and comforting. It's a sound you've always loved listening to whenever you embraced each other.

"I've missed you, darling," he mutters quietly. "Don't you understand how much you mean to me?"

With his arms around you, you feel a warmth that fills the void in your heart. It's a sensation you've yearned for the past few torturous months.

"I-I've missed you too," You confess, voice trembling. "But... but we can't𑁋"

"Please," he pleads softly, tightening his hold around you. "Can't I just hold you?"

The tenderness his voice holds cuts you off, and you can't help the way your fingers instinctively knead at his shirt.

Seungcheol holds you tightly, as if he's afraid that letting go will make you vanish into thin air. In this fleeting moment, there's no kingdom to rule, no traditions to uphold𑁋just the two of you, reunited in an embrace that disregards the confines of your roles. It's as if the world beyond this secluded royal garden has ceased to exist, and for the first time in a long while, you feel truly alive.

"I love you," he murmurs, voice heavy with sorrow, his lips brushing against your hair. "I love you more than anything in this world."

Usually that particularly intimate exchange brings those flutters to your stomach and a giddy smile to your face, but instead, it only makes your heart throb. Though you know with every fibre in your body that it's true𑁋that you love each other. It's not a secret, nor a feeling to deny.

You find yourself pulling away slightly, angling your head up to be able to take a look at him. His gaze meets yours halfway, and the intensity in his dark pupils nearly takes your breath away. He searches your eyes for a moment, before drawing his lips near yours, his intent clear. For a heartbeat, you're tempted to give in𑁋to taste the sweetness of his kiss once more.

But then the weight of responsibility, the duty you've always known, everything, pulls you back.

"I-I can't," You whisper, the words escaping your lips shakily. "We can't, Seungcheol. It-It's not right."

Seungcheol's breath hitches as you pull away. His lips hover just inches from yours, yearning for a connection that seems increasingly unattainable.

"I know," he replies quietly, his voice barely more than a breath. He still doesn't want to let you go. "I understand. I'm sorry."

You bring a hand up to cup his cheek, caressing his skin softly. "The kingdom needs you. Your people need you. They need a strong, capable leader. They need their prince."

Seungcheol's jaw tightens. "And what about what I need? What about what my heart seeks?"

You only gaze longingly at him. The two of you know the answer to that. You don't have to say anything before he understands with a sigh. His expression softens with a mix of resignation and affection, and he takes your hand in his, bringing it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to your knuckles.

"Your Highness, your presence is requested back in the palace," Chan's voice calls out from behind, breaking the fragile moment between the two of you.

Seungcheol releases your hand defeatedly, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer.

However, instead of backing away, he leans back in close to whisper into your ears, "Come meet me at the royal ballroom tomorrow at midnight," Then he pauses, contemplating, and adding on, "if you wish, of course."

Then his lips curl into a bittersweet smile before turning away to leave. The sound of his footsteps gradually fades as he walks away back towards the palace, leaving you standing amidst the fragrant blooms and under the rays of soft moonlight.

Come meet me at the royal ballroom... midnight... if you wish. Seungcheol's words have been echoing in your mind for the entirety of the day, sometimes even distracting you from the duties you are assigned to in the royal garden.

The more you thought over his invitation, the more it felt like an impossible temptation, knowing well of the risks and consequences it could bring.

The day passes in a blur, the sun making its daily journey across the sky, casting a warm and inviting glow over the palace and the royal garden. And when the late night finally takes over, and the clock strikes midnight, you find yourself cautiously walking down the large corridor of the palace, your feet instinctively bringing you in the direction of the royal ballroom. It's eerily quiet at this time, nothing but skeleton staff that still heightens your paranoid senses of getting caught.

Yet as you stop in front of the grand doors of the ballroom, your heart quickens its pace. You pause for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. Should you really be doing this? Was it entirely a good idea to be here?

But just the thought of simply him draws you in, your hand briefly gliding over the glistening doorknob.

With a determined sigh, you take the leap and push the heavy doors open. The ballroom lies before you, bathed in the silvery luminescence filtering through the grand windows. Your heart races as you step inside.

The ballroom is empty, deserted practically. All of the lights, including the large chandelier, were switched off, the only source coming from the outside world through the tall windows.

As you step further into the room, the sounds of your shoes echoing throughout, the sheer emptiness of the place becomes more apparent. You swear you even hear your own thoughts bouncing off the walls of the room. Doubts start to creep into your mind. What if he doesn't come? What if this was all a mistake?

However, just as you're about to give in to the feeling of hopelessness, you hear a soft sound from behind you. You turn to find Seungcheol entering the ballroom and closing the door shut. He's dressed in a simple black suit, and there's a twinge of vulnerability in his eyes that mirrors your own.

"You came," he says, and his voice is so soft that you can barely hear it over your racing heart.

You fully turn yourself to him, swallowing down a nervous lump in your throat.

"You called."

Seungcheol's eyes light up, and a faint smile crosses his lips as he steps closer to you. The moonlight bathes him in an celestial glow, accentuating his princely features. But in this moment, he's just the man you've been in love with for so long.

He extends his hand toward you, eyes locked onto yours, inviting you to share a dance with him.

"May I?" he asks gentlemanly, and it sends a rush of heat to your cheeks.

You hesitate for a brief moment, glancing down at his hand and back up to his face. "I... I don't know how..."

Seungcheol's smile remains warm and encouraging, his hand still extended toward you.

"It's okay," he says softly. "I'll teach you. Just follow my lead."

Tentatively, you place your hand in his. His grip is firm yet gentle as he guides you to the centre of the empty dance floor, a certain eager bounce in his step that you notice, and the stars painting the ground seem to come to life as you stand with him. Seungcheol places his hand on your waist, and the warmth of his palm against your skin sends shivers down your spine. You loop your arms around his neck, trying to steady your breathing as you prepare to follow his lead.

At first, your steps are awkward, but you try your best to mimic the elegance and grace that he naturally possesses. He's probably had personal training for this kind of thing, You think.

You chuckle at the small moments where your feet accidentally bump or you step on his toes, and Seungcheol's laughter mingles with yours. Nothing but a soft melody of an imagined song fills the silence as the two of you move together in the middle of the ballroom.

"You're doing great," he whispers, breath brushing against your ear as you sway together.

It's scarily easy to lose yourself in Seungcheol's eyes. They're the same eyes that once whispered secrets of love to you beneath the stars. Now they say a lot without saying anything.

You don't know how long you've been dancing, but it feels like an eternity and a fleeting moment all at once. The world outside the ballroom may be waiting, filled with your separate responsibilities and expectations, but in this moment, it's just you and him.

"Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?" Seungcheol comments, even though you were only dressed in your servant uniform.

Your cheeks flush at his compliment, feeling a bit self-conscious under his gaze, and offer a shy smile. "I'm not as stunning as the ladies at the court, nor your betrothed."

Seungcheol gently tilts your chin upward, making sure you meet his eyes.

"Every time I look at you, I feel like I fall in love all over again." His thumb brushes lightly against your cheek. "Every time I watch you down tending to the garden through my quarters, I feel as if you're tending to my heart. I can simply say that you're the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on, sweetheart."

His words make your heart swell out of your chest, his grip on your waist tightening imperceptibly, drawing you closer to him. The space between you vanishes, and you can feel the heat of his body seeping through the layers of fabric that separate you. Seungcheol could shower you with praises all day long, and you would never tire of hearing them. He has a way of making you feel special, cherished, and utterly adored.

"Cheol?" You call out, voice tinged with vulnerability.

He raises an eyebrow, still guiding you through the dance. "Yes, love?"

"Are we crazy for doing this?" You ask. It's meant to be rhetorical in a way, but the uncertainty in your voice lingers, and Seungcheol's expression becomes more serious.

He slows the movement between you two, his pensive eyes locked onto yours.

"Perhaps we are," he admits wholeheartedly. "but I'd rather be crazy with you than live a life without you."

His words quietly suspend in the air around you. The moments pass, but they feel eternal, as if time itself has momentarily paused to let the two of you be together. You're captured in his eyes, just like he is with yours. You see the emotions he's trying to convey: love, longing, and the knowledge that this moment is both a blessing and a curse.

And then without a word, you both lean in at the same time, lips meeting each other's in a kiss both softly and tenderly. It's a stolen moment; it's a secret scene that only the moon and stars witness.

His arms pull you closer, fingers dancing along your spine, as if he's trying to bridge any space that might exist between you. It's a kiss that tastes of bittersweet nostalgia𑁋something of what once was and what could never be. You savour the taste of him on your lips, knowing that once the morning light arrives, this moment may become nothing more than a distant memory.

As your lips break away, you both draw back slightly, foreheads touching, breathing heavily as you savour the precious seconds of closeness.

"You know that I'd give up everything for you," he whispers, breath warm against your skin.

You only smile, tracing your fingers gently over his lips. He leans into your touch.

"I know," You say softly. "And I would do the same for you."

"But just for tonight." He pushes back some strands of hair behind your ear. "Can we pretend that the world doesn't matter?"

You peer into his eyes, and for a moment, you see a reflection of your own pining. Your heart sinks, but it also rises. A smile drifts across your face, but it also carries a trace of sadness. Leaning in, you nearly press your lips against his once again, but then you take in a deep breath.

"Yes," is all you mutter. "I'm all yours."

That's all it takes for him to kiss you again, a bit more fervently and urgently that it nearly makes you stumble in surprise. But the second you pull back from each other, he's grabbing your hand in his, a bright smile to his face, before twirling you around and pulling you in close once more, your laughter echoing in the empty ballroom together. You share one more kiss, and then another, and another, whispers of hushed I love you's against each other’s lips as the night goes on like it will never end.

And it's with each minute that passes that only strengthens Seungcheol's determination𑁋that in some way, he will make sure you both will be together, whether that means escaping the constraints of your worlds, finding a way to keep your love alive in secret, or even sacrificing a part of himself.

With each kiss, he silently promises you that he will find a way. With each kiss, you silently promise to love and wait for him.

taglist (open) ʚɞ @enhazen @haowrld @ylliris-hanniehae @icyminghao @slytherinshua @jeonride @lockburn-castle @vrnism @weird-bookworm @mhlsymlysn @ryuwonieebae @yeonjuns-redhair @wonwooz1

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hyunjinsbelovedamericano · 8 months

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Dating skz headcanons pt2

fluffy fluff

not proof read yet

Bangchan

You guys would play board or card games together,like monopoly.He would get a bit pissed when you win so he would resort to cheating."Chan you just can't just do that!","Do what?Your just mad cause im better",If your playing Uno he would secretly look at your cards then put down the card colour he knows you don't have.You get him back though and make him lose three in a row because that's what he deserved

Lee know

You guys would bully kidson roblox together,you would go on the voice chat games and just roast little kids😭,one of the little kids would be secretly one of the members(han)and you would just annoy and bully him so much to the point you could hear him get mad in the other room.When you hear him talk about someone bullying him on rolls you guys would just look at each other and smile while Han is whining about being bullied

Changbin

I feel like you guys would match with each other,intentionally and unintentionally.You guys would have matching bracelets,rings,shoes etc.One day you would wake up and feel like wearing a saniro onesie turns out that's exactly what Changbin was thinking.you guys would take so many pictures and post them.The captions would be like "I just unintentionally matched with my s/o,soulmates?yes."

Hyunjin

You guys would act out movies scenes together,you would be watching twilight and something cringe would happen so you just have to pause it and act the scene.The best one you guys would do is when Regina George got hit by the bus,especially because he's so good at being dramatic,you would be fully convinced he's a part-time actor"Your acting is so good you should be the next Zendaya", "I am zendaya"

Han

You and Han would try act like each other,you know those tiktoks like "acting like my sister for the day", that's what you guys do but more regularly.He would purposely exaggerate what you do,for the memes of course. "Han I do not act like that"," Are you sure?".But when it comes to you acting like him he would get all embarrassed," Stop,I don't talk like that", "Are you sure?" You say mimicking him from earlier

Felix

For each others birthdays,you guys do this thing where you make your own cakes for them(You have a backup just in case)You would do the funniest designs on the cake,the fans know about this because on his birthday live he explained it and said "so far they've been on a big foreheaded style,last year they have me pennywise,this year they gave me megamind"he would show the cakes to the fans and have a whole taste testing thing to see which came taste better,his normal cake or your cake

Seungmin

I feel like you guys would remind each other or embarrassing moments that happened,if you guys were play fighting (verbally)he would 100% be like "remember when you fell in front of the whole class after doing a presentation?" , "You can't even talk because you did horrible aegyo for the whole world to see",So you wanna be like that?" He would say then you guys would go back and forth about humiliating moments

Jeongin

You and Jeongin would have staring contests out of nowhere,You could be standing line for something and you spot Jeongin in the room instead of saving you just stars and him and it becomes a contest to see who can not blink for the longest,if he wins more than three times in a row he would flex it on you non-stop,he would have so much fun reminding you that you suck at staring contests but then quickly shut up when you win

#skz x yn #skz fluff #changbin x reader #hyunjin x reader #lee know x reader #stray kids fluff #felix x reader #han x reader #jeongin x reader #seungmin x reader #Bangchan x reader #skz imagines #skz headcanons #skz drabbles #stray kids x reader #stray kids imagines #stray kids scenarios

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ev4ikcasswife · 2 months

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The musical version of chansaw is much worse than the movie one.

In the musical (❗️without distorting the characters too much with headcanons❗️), the relationship between Chandler and Veronica can only be written as lovehate without the possibility of further development.

In the movie, Heather behaves more maturely, she doesn't force Veronica to humiliate herself on her knees, doesn't mock her childhood friend (Betty), does not shake her when she feels bad at the party and in general, as is clear from the scene with the locker, Heather Chandler in the movie in some way appreciates her friendship with Ronnie.

This is the problem with the impossibility of a healthy chansaw relationship in the musical—the way these two are presented.

If Veronica was not distorted so much, what they did with Heather in the musical (especially in the West End) is kind of fucked up. I understand that this is theater, there must be a certain percentage of overacting, but not to such an extent that a character who is 17 years old begins to behave like a 10 years old spoiled child.

Like, Regina George on Broadway is also a little bit more dramatic than her movie version, but she doesn't act like the villain from Miraculous. Heather Chandler in the musical doesn't have any aspects to her that make her an interesting character like she did in the movie (The scene where Chan gets s/a in Remington, for example).

Many jdronica shippers have told me that chansaw are problematic and have no chance of forming a normal relationship, citing as an example Chandler's terrible treatment of Veronica in the musical. I'm not arguing that their canon relationship in the musical is a total nightmare, but why are you equating all versions of this ship and not talking about their relationship in the movie at all?/gen. Yes, they're far from perfect, but at least Heather and Veronica had opportunities to bond in the original.

Just thoughts.

(Also, english is not my native language, so I'm sorry for the mistakes)

#heathers #heather chandler #heathers the movie #heathers the musical #heathers 1988 #veronica sawyer #chansaw #jdronica

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biniminisblog · 8 months

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main masterlist

a/n: under here are all the works i have so far. if you enjoyed any of these pls consider reblogging or leaving a reply, i would really appreciate it! all works are sfw (suggestive at most) and are written by me, so happy reading!

SKZ

bf!skz reaction to you calling another member handsome (texts); hyung line _ maknae line

bf!skz reaction to non affectionate s/o giving them affection (texts); hyung line _ maknae line

bsf!skz reaction to finding out you like another member (texts)

heartbreak series

synopsis: just a series of prompts from filipino movies recreated in the form of delulu skz fics.

BANG CHAN

flirty texts w/ bangchan (texts)

LEE MINHO

easy (oneshot)

prompt: “did i do something? why are you suddenly acting so distant?” “just… because.”

SEO CHANGBIN

loading…

HWANG HYUNJIN

under the mistletoe (oneshot)

synopsis: the three times hyunjin wanted to confess, and the one time you did.

HAN JISUNG

seven minutes in heaven (oneshot)

LEE FELIX

good boy gone bad (smau)

synopsis: felix gets caught smoking by you, the school’s regina george, and gets blackmailed to help you pass chemistry in exchange for keeping his secret.

KIM SEUNGMIN

nonchalant bf (drabble)

synopsis: seungmin as your boyfriend who just wants to cuddle but is too shy to say it.

YANG JEONGIN

wish you were mine (drabble)

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rimicchan · 2 months

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Your Melody & hanakotoba (language of flowers)

during the voice drama watch party livestream, hyuga (rimicha's seiyuu) mentioned the meaning of the sunflowers in the pv and how they may relate to his feelings for kirimi-chan. knowing that (and that hanakotoba seems to have some differences here and there) i decided to go down the rabbit hole

disclaimer: i don't know anything about flowers and guessed for some of them, also most of the sources (listed at the bottom of the post) seem to be wikis of sorts run by either a single person or a small group of people

Rimicha

Sunflowers (ヒマワリ/himawari): As mentioned by Hyuga in the voice drama watch party livestream, they tend to mean "I'm looking at only you" and symbolise "longing".

Strelitzia reginae/bird of paradise flowers (極楽鳥花/gokuraku chouka): Pretty hard to translate, but according to my sources, it carries a negative connotation. The best it can probably be translated as is "a love which you are trying to show yourself bigger and better", according to my sources. (To be clear, what's being translated is 気取った愛, which the machine translation didn't give any clues for what it might mean, and a dictionary was somehow even more confusing.)

Oxalis corniculata/creeping woodsorrel (カタバミ/katabami): I honestly don't know if these are the right flowers, but they're the best guess I have for the small yellow flowers at the base of the bouquet. It seems to symbolise "a shining heart" and mean "to be with you".

Hallritt

Geraniums (ゼラニウム/zeraniumu): I can't tell what type of geraniums they could be, but that doesn't seem to matter in hanakotoba anyways. Red geraniums in particular can represent "friendship", "determination", and "solace", and can carry the meaning "happiness when you're there".

Merold

White roses (白いバラ/shiroi bara): Generally represents "purity" (in the "innocent" sense) and "heartfelt respect". It can have the meaning "I am suitable for you", but it seems it can also mean something like "beauty is your only appeal", which is... interesting.

Pink roses (ピンク色のバラ/pinku iro no bara): Seems to represent meanings like "kind heart", "satisfaction", "promising" (in the sense that one could have a "promising future"), and "elegance". It can also mean "first love" or "to be deeply moved".

White lilies (白いユリ/yuri): Again can represent "innocence", but can also represent "unmarked beauty" or "magnificence". It can also mean "a noble personality". (As a sidenote, I think people generally assume you mean a white lily if you just say "yuri".)

Pink lillies (ピンク色のユリ): Much easier than the above, but funnily enough can mean "insinuations" or "words or behaviour that hints at a deeper meaning", and "vanity".

Asters (アスター/asutaa): White asters tend to represent "change" or "reminiscing", and can also mean "a heart that has faith".

Lupinus (ルピナス/rupinasu): They seem to represent "the (power of) imagination" or "being greedy", which is an interesting difference. They can also mean "always content" or "you are my comfort". The last one's kanji can also mean "peace of mind" or "tranquility", so that's what "comfort" means there.

Calluna vulgaris/heather (カルーナ/karuuna): My best guess for the smaller, darker pink long flowers. This one doesn't have many sources for hanakotoba I can find, so the meanings are probably nonexistant, but a few sites I can find are claiming it can mean "self-reliance", "integrity", and "departure".

Loropetalum chinense (白いトキワマンサク/shiroi tokiwamansaku): The best guess I have at the little white flowers with slim petals. This is another one where I had to go digging for other sources for the hanakotoba, so it might just be all made up. Anyway, it can represent "inspiration" or "mysterious powers", or mean "good luck charm" or "I want to love you" (not entirely sure about the last one).

Gypsophilia/baby breath (かすみソウ/kasumi sou): The very small white flowers (notable at the bottom of the bouquet). This is a later edit because someone I know figured it out. Anyway, white baby breath represent "a calm heart" or "a pure heart".

Sources:

https://hanakotoba-note.com/

https://www.hana-navi.net/

http://www.hanakotoba.name/

Specific sources for calluna vulgaris:

https://lovegreen.net/languageofflower2/p282431/

https://hanasaku-gift.com/language-of-flower/caruna-floweringword

Specific source for loropetalum chinense:

https://hananoiwaya.jp/%E3%80%8C%E3%83%88%E3%82%AD%E3%83%AF%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B5%E3%82%AF%E3%83%99%E3%83%8B%E3%83%90%E3%83%8A%E3%83%88%E3%82%AD%E3%83%AF%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B5%E3%82%AF%E3%80%8D%E3%81%AE%E8%8A%B1/

Other sources for translation help:

Literally just a Japanese person I know

#fragaria memories #picking apart fmm with my bare hands #i'm also interested in the fact that both EVER RED and your melody have a clock ticking in them #fmm talk #if you can't tell i enjoyed the livestream a lot

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linettefox · 3 months

Text

Every character that appears in All Stars F

I have too much free time... Have a list of every character in the new Precure movie! They're in order of appearance.

KEY:

👑 - Main role

🎤 - Speaks at least once.

🤜 - Partakes in battle.

🎞️ - Appears in flashback.

🎭 - Cameo.

⭐ - Exclusive character.

LIST:

Sora Harewataru/Cure Sky 👑

Nagomi Yui/Cure Precious 👑

Kome-Kome/Cure Kome-Kome 👑

Natsuumi Manatsu/Cure Summer 👑

Preme/Cure Supreme 👑⭐

Nijigaoka Mashiro/Cure Prism 👑

Laura/Cure La Mer 👑

Kasai Amane/Cure Finale 👑

Puka 👑⭐

Hanadera Nodoka/Cure Grace 👑

Rabirin 👑

Yuunagi Tsubasa/Cure Wing 👑

Ha-chan/Hanami Kotoha/Cure Felice 👑

Yakushiji Saaya/Cure Ange 👑

Haruno Haruka/Cure Flora 👑

Elle-chan/Cure Majesty 👑

Hijiri Ageha/Cure Butterfly 👑

Kotozume Yukari/Cure Macaron 👑

Hagoromo Lala/Cure Milky 👑

Fuurin Asumi/Cure Earth 👑

Latte 👑

Kenjou Akira/Cure Chocolat 🎞️🤜🎤

Ark & his monsters ⭐

Milk/Mimino Kurumi/Milky Rose 🎞️🤜

Kujou Hikari/Shiny Luminous 🎞️🤜

Madoka Aguri/Cure Ace 🎞️🤜

Yuni/Cure Cosmo 🎞️🤜

Tsukikage Yuri/Cure Moonlight 🎞️🤜

Hoshina Hikaru/Cure Star 🎞️🤜🎤

Usami Ichika/Cure Whip 🎞️🤜🎤

Ichinose Minori/Cure Papaya 🎞️🤜

Kaido Minami/Cure Mermaid 🎞️🤜🎤

Yotsuba Alice/Cure Rosetta 🎞️🤜

Akimoto Komachi/Cure Mint 🎞️🤜

Minazuki Karen/Cure Aqua🎞️🤜

Suzumura Sango/Cure Coral 🎞️🤜

Kise Yayoi/Cure Peace 🎞️🤜

Fuwa Kokone/Cure Spicy 🎞️🤜

Misumi Nagisa/Cure Black 🎞️🤜🎤

Yukishiro Honoka/Cure White 🎞️🤜🎤

Hoshizora Miyuki/Cure Happy 🎞️🤜🎤

Aida Mana/Cure Heart 🎞️🤜🎤

Momozino Love/Cure Peach 🎞️🤜🎤

Nono Hana/Cure Yell 🎞️🤜🎤

Hyuuga Saki/Cure Bloom/Cure Bright 🎞️🤜🎤

Mishou Mai/Cure Egret/Cure Windy 🎞️🤜

Ruru Amour/Cure Amour 🎞️🤜

Aisaki Emiru/Cure Macherie 🎞️🤜

Hojo Hibiki/Cure Melody 🎞️🤜🎤

Minamino Kanade/Cure Rhythm 🎞️🤜

Asahina Mirai/Cure Miracle (All forms) 🎞️🤜

Izayoi Riko/Cure Magical (All forms) 🎞️🤜

Tategami Aoi/Cure Gelato 🎞️🤜

Amanogawa Kirara/Cure Twinkle 🎞️🤜

Akagi Towa/Cure Scarlet 🎞️🤜

Sawaizumi Chiyu/Cure Fontaine 🎞️🤜

Hanamichi Ran/Cure Yum Yum 🎞️🤜

Yumehara Nozomi/Cure Dream 🎞️🤜🎤

Coco 🎞️🎭

Kurumi Erika/Cure Marine 🎞️🤜

Myoudouin Itsuki/Cure Sunshine 🎞️🤜

Chypre 🎞️🎭

Coffret 🎞️🎭

Potpourri 🎞️🎭

Regina 🎞️🎭

Aino Megumi/Cure Lovely 🎞️🤜🎤

Sagara Seiju 🎞️🎭

Hikawa Iona/Cure Fortune (All forms) 🎞️🤜

Omori Yuka/Cure Honey (All forms) 🎞️🤜

Shirayuki Hime/Cure Princess (All forms) 🎞️🤜

Aoki Reika/Cure Beauty 🎞️🤜

Hino Akane/Cure Sunny 🎞️🤜

Midorikawa Nao/Cure March 🎞️🤜

Higashi Setsuna/Cure Passion (Eas makes a brief cameo) 🎞️🎭🤜

Yamabuki Inori/Cure Pine 🎞️🤜

Aono Miki/Cure Berry 🎞️🤜

Kiryuu Michiru/Cure Bright 🎞️🎭

Kiryuu Kaoru/Cure Windy 🎞️🎭

Shirabe Ako/Cure Muse (Masked Cure Muse also makes a brief cameo) 🎞️🎭🤜

Zakenna 🎞️🎭

Natsuki Rin/Cure Rouge 🎞️🤜

Kasugano Urara/Cure Lemonade 🎞️🤜

Kagayaki Homare/Cure Etoile 🎞️🤜

Kawakami Aya 🎞️🎭

Prince Kanata 🎞️🎭

Pafu 🎞️🎭

Nanase Yui 🎞️🎭

Aroma 🎞️🎭

Amamiya Elena/Cure Soleil 🤜

Ai-chan 🎭

Hishikawa Rikka/Cure Diamond 🤜

Kururun 🎭

Tarte 🎭

Chiffon 🎭

Hiramirsu Hinata/Cure Sparkle 🤜

Pekorin/Cure Pekorin🎭

Ribbon 🎭

Hummy 🎭

Prince 🎭

Fuwa 🎭

Harry 🎭

Hugtan/Cure Tomorrow 🎭

Syrup 🎭

Kirahoshi Ciel/Cure Parfait 🤜

Mofurun/Cure Mofurun 🎭

Nijigaoka Yoyo 🎭

Kurokawa Ellen/Cure Beat 🤜

Takizawa Asuka/Cure Flamingo 🤜

Kaguya Madoka/Cure Selene 🤜

Pop 🎭

Candy/Royale Candy 🎭

Natts 🎭

Mailpo 🎭

Chourou 🎭

Miss Shamour 🎭

Kuroro 🎭

Shiri (Purple fairy tone) 🎭

Miri (Orange fairy tone) 🎭

Sori (Green fairy tone) 🎭

Fari (Yellow fairy tone) 🎭

PhanPhan🎭

Glassun 🎭

Masuko Michio 🎭

Masuko Mika 🎭

Masuko Miyo 🎭

Shirabe Otokichi 🎭

Shiratori Yuriko 🎭

Koshino Natsuki 🎭

Mori Kyoko 🎭

Himenojou Sakurako 🎭

Karube Tatsunori 🎭

Chinen Miyuki 🎭

Aihara Yuuki 🎭

Ichijo Ranko 🎭

Pikario/Julio (Or Cure Waffle if that's what you like to call him) 🎭

Ban Kenji 🎭

Sebastian/Cure Sebastian 🎭

Wakamiya Henri/Cure Infini 🎭

Shinada Takumi/Black Pepper 🎭

Fujiwara 🎭

Princess Filia 🎭

Flora 🎭

Captain Shalala 🎭

AI (Lala's rocket) 🎭

Kouchou 🎭

Lord Coupe 🎭

Bibury 🎭

Bunbee 🎭

Wisdom/Stone Keeper 🎭

Soular 🎭

Westar 🎭

Aphrodite 🎭

Mephisto 🎭

Lady Teatine 🎭

Sir Johnathan Klondike 🎭

Mermaid Queen 🎭

Rosemary 🎭

Blue 🎭

Past Princess Precure 🎭

Cure Lumiere 🎭

Aunete/Cure Oasis 🎭

Cure Empress 🎭

Cure Echo 🎭

Gueru 🎭

EnEn 🎭

Hanasaki Kaoruko/Cure Flower 🎭

Mirage/Cure Mirage 🎭

Hikawa Iona/Cure Tender 🎭

Cure Nile 🎭

Wonderful Net Precure 🎭

Ohana/Cure Sunset 🎭

Olina/Cure Wave 🎭

Bomber Girls Precure 🎭

Cure Art 🎭

#pretty cure #precure #precure all stars #precure all stars f

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twisted-leader-of-something · 19 days

Text

Vil Schoenheit and the Howl family - Safe Haven

The Schoenheit household was restless again. After all, it wasn't hard to hear the people downstairs talking loudly with each other once more that week. And Vil, the child of the house, didn't want to hear it. Not that he had a choice in the matter.

Vil Schoenheit was in his room, listening to his father and mother fighting about something. There was another voice in the fight this time too, not that Vil cared that much, seeing as he was planning on leaving the house.

Vil pulled out his phone he'd gotten a short time ago, and called someone he knew he'd be safe for the night with, well, he called the someone's landline. It took a few rings, but eventually someone picked up.

"Hello, this is Sasha Howl. May I ask whose calling?" A woman on the phone side of the phone asked. Her tone was serious, but Vil didn't seem to pay it any mind.

"Can. . . Can I come over and stay for the night?" Vil asked, nervously, not bothering to state his name. He was more worried about getting the mother's approval to get inside the home than saying who he was, it seemed.

"Vil! What's the matter? Oh no, are your parents fighting again?" Sasha asked, with her tone of voice changing to a much kinder and loving one. One that made Vil soften on instinct, as he knew that tone of voice very well.

"Y-Yes." Vil said, fidgeting with his hands.

"Say no more. I'll bring Jack, Adolphe, and Ylva. Alonzo will explain everything to your parents." The female beastman said, "Just wait a little longer. Okay?"

Vil nodded and simply said, "Yes."

"We'll be there as fast as we can. But be patient, alright?" Sasha confirmed, "I'm hanging up now. Don't worry about a thing. We'll have smoothies and cocoa when you get here."

Vil smiled warmly at the women's statement, extremely happy at that proposition. "Yes. I looked forward to it."

The wolf beastwoman made a sound of acknowledgement, and then she hung up on Vil.

Leaving Vil to himself.

The Howl's home was decently far away, but the Howl family was all wolf beastman, so they have better abilities than Vil would as a human. But Vil was still upset when Sasha hung up.

Because he'd have to listen to the fight again.

Vil sighed and got up from his desk and opened the door to his room.

From what he could tell, the fighting was coming from downstairs. Most likely in the living room.

Of course it's there. Vil thought to himself. They can't fight anywhere else.

Vil closed the door to his room, and quietly walked down the stairs to the lower floors. As he got closer, he could make out what his parents and that woman who'd joined in the fight where fighting about.

"Erich! Don't you dare drag Vil into your problems!" Vil's mother, Regina Schoenheit yelled at her husband in anger. "Vil has nothing to do with this! She asked you give them money, not suddenly invite them into our lives!”

“But! We need his support!” The other woman stated. She sounded desperate, but Vil didn’t believe the woman’s cry for help since he knew her. She was a model. She definitely could hold her own, and she has. So, why was she begging for money?

“Then why ask for his help now, Eva? Neige’s eight now! You’ve had eight years to ask for help! Why now?!” Regina pointed out, which made Eva nervous.

“That’s-”

“Regina! Stop it! Eva’s-” Vil’s father was about to speak, when the doorbell of the house rang, which made Vil rush towards the front door in excitement, and making the adults stop fighting and walk towards the front door, where Vil had just barely opened the door, and was attacked by the youngest Howl sibling with a hug, and surrounded by the Howl family’s care and attention, like a bunch of worried dogs rushing to an old friend of theirs they haven’t seen in a long time.

“Vil-san!” Ylva happily said, which caused Vil to hug the beastwoman back.

“Hello, Ylva-chan.” Vil said, as he picked her up and placed her on his hip, which the little girl definitely liked, as she cuddled into Vil’s neck.

The youngest male beastman then hugged Vil as well, and simply said, “I missed you, Vil-san. It’s been so long since we’ve had a sleepover.”

“Indeed. I’m looking forward to it.” Vil said simply, and wrapped an arm around Adolphe, which seemed to please the young wolf as well as his white tail wagged side to side.

“Did you wait long?” Jack asked worriedly, before Vil shook his head as if to say no, which seemed to make Jack feel better.

In the background, Vil could see Mr. and Mrs. Howl speaking with his parents and this Eva person, but Vil didn’t mind. Since now Jack, Adolphe and Ylva where there with him. After some time of Jack and Vil talking and the two younger beastman cuddling with Vil, Sasha stopped speaking with the adults, walked towards the group of kids, and kneeled before the group of children.

“Well, everything’s all ready for tonight.” Sasha smiled, even bending down to the level of the kids. “Let’s go home, everyone.”

“Okay, Mama!” Ylva and Adolphe said at the same time, as Adolphe pulled Vil out of his house and the group set off into the woods and Ylva jumped out of Vil’s arms, only for Vil to be soon picked up by Alonzo and for the group to rush off into the snowy forest.

Vil Schoenheit really liked the Jack Howl's family. Jack's kind yet badass mother, Sasha, who'd taught Vil how to cook, Jack's manly and wise father, Alonzo, that gave Vil all the help and support he needed, Jack's adorable little sister, Ylva, that couldn't pronounce Vil's last name right, and Jack's sarcastic little brother, Adolphe, who always had a snappy comeback or joke. Vil was quite attached to the beastman family that lived a mile away from his own home.

The Howl family was quite nice to Vil, despite the fact they knew little to nothing about Vil's acting career. When Vil came over to their home, no matter the reason, they'd offer wonderful food and drinks at the cost of Vil's thankfulness, they'd entertain him with what they had, which typically included board games, books and outdoor activities, and above all they'd do their best to make sure that Vil was comfortable in their wooden cabin. Which, Vil loved. He loved being in a place where he felt he was in the right place. He loved being in the Howl's cabin. In all of the places he's ever been to, the Howl Cabin was surely his favorite by a longshot.

After a few minutes of Vil being held in the wolf beastman’s arms as the group ran, the group came upon a decently sized wooden cabin to which the younger child cheered at the sight of.

“Yay! Vil-san is sleeping over tonight!” Ylva said happily as she shook off the snow she’d gotten all over her coat, just like a dog would.

“Hey! Ylva! Not on the front porch! You’ll get all of us wet!” Adolphe complained, as he brushed off the snow on the steps of the cabin.

“Oops. Sorry Mama, Papa, and Vil-san.” Ylva responded, cheekily as she walked in the house with Jack not far behind.

“Apologize to Jack-onii-chan and me!” Adolphe complained, as he followed his siblings.

“Are you alright, Vil-san?” Alonzo Howl asked, as he set down Vil on the wooden porch of his home, looking kind of serious.

Vil nodded at the adult beastman and beastwoman, who was right beside him with worried looks on their faces. “Yes. I am now. Thank you for letting me stay at your house for the night.”

Alonzo didn’t seem to be satisfied with Vil’s answer, but didn’t seem to want to push, “Vil, I know your life at home isn’t my business, but we’re all here if you want to talk. We won’t push your home life, but if you need someone, just remember that we’ve here, okay?”

Vil, after a few seconds of shock, smiled confidently. “I know. I know that very well, Alonzo-san. Why do you think I’m here?”

Alonzo let out a laugh, the kind of fatherly hearty laugh that made Vil feel good inside, and then, the wolf beastman pat the blonde’s head. “As long as you know not to hold things in. Come on, Sasha’s said she’s going to make some dessert tonight in honor of this occasion!”

Sasha Howl nodded at her husband’s comment. “I was thinking of making some smoothies and hot chocolate for you five while I make something special for everyone tonight.”

“Special?” Vil asked, as he didn’t seem to know what Sasha was talking about.

“I have found some recipes that are both delicious, as approved by my family, and I think will work for what you can eat.” Sasha winked at the blonde-haired boy. “If I told you, it would ruin the surprise.”

“Okay!” Vil said, happily.

Alonzo nodded at Vil’s sudden happiness approvingly. “Well then, let’s get inside then! No need to keep the cook waiting.”

Vil nodded as the two beastman gestured for Vil to come inside their home, to which Vil opened the door to reveal a large and spacious area with window all around the sides of the house. The house mostly appeared to be made of wood, similar to a log cabin would. There was an active fireplace with comfortable looking chairs surrounding it, where Jack, Adolphe and Ylva where sitting, discussing something with each other.

As soon as Vil opened the door, the three Howl children looked in Vil’s direction, and the two boys seemed relieved, while Ylva’s face lit up. “Vil-san! Over here! We got new board games!”

Vil smiled once again at the beastwoman and began to walk over to the three Howl children, “Oh really?”

“Yeah!” Little Ylva said as her tail wagged just like a happy dog’s would at Vil, “We were at the games store and we found this old game! I want to play it with you!”

Ylva held up the old box, which had the name ‘Villainous’ with the front of the box which had a black color on it and a pair of creepy eyes.

Vil looked at the box as he sat down. “Looks interesting. Have you played it yet?”

Ylva shook her cute head and gave a pouty expression. “I can’t open it. Jack-onii-chan and Adolphe-onii-chan aren’t sure how to open it either.”

Vil gave a confused face at the three Howl children, and it didn’t seem like Ylva was lying to him, so Vil smirked. “I’ll open it.”

Ylva’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Vil nodded at the little beastwoman. “Of course. I’m Vil Schoenheit, remember? There’s nothing in Twisted Wonderland I can’t do.”

Ylva cheered and sang Vil’s praises, which made Vil genuinely want to hug and kiss the little girl for her praises. Jack and Adolphe laughed at Ylva’s happiness as Vil got to work on opening the box.

What Ylva said was true. It was hard to open without magic. So, Vil simply pulled out a magical item, which happened to be a bracelet he had on him, and he cast an unlocking spell. To which, the box immediately opened to reveal cards, token coins, and 18 game pieces. The game pieces floated towards the four children, as if wanting the children to pick one. Vil saw a dark purple game piece with a cape and crown that looked like the Evil Queen’s symbols, and he reached towards it and grabbed it. Upon Vil grabbing the game piece, a card appeared in front of him that showed an area.

Upon seeing what they had to do, The Howl children reached for a game piece. Jack reached for a yellow piece that had bones on it. Adolphe picked a game piece that was dark blue and had a flame and a robe on it. Ylva reached for a bright yellow game piece with a flower symbol on top and a dress on the bottom part, and then cards appeared in front of the children. Each one seemed to correspond with the game piece they were given. But, the children still seemed confused. But luckily, someone came in with drinks.

“Ah.” Sasha Howl said, which seemed to make to children perk up upon hearing her voice. “You four figured out how to open it. That’s wonderful.”

Sasha Howl brought forth three different hot chocolates and a smoothie. She handed a hot chocolate that looked like real chocolate with just whipped cream and put it in front of Jack, who thanked his mother for the drink. She handed a hot chocolate with toasted snowflake marshmallows crackers flakes to Adolphe, who gave it a sniff and then smiled. The last hot chocolate went to Ylva, and it was colored pink with sprinkles and whipped cream and some candies on top of the whipped cream, which Ylva immediately started to drink. Lastly, Sasha Howl handed the child actor a smoothie, it was a multilayered and blue and purple colored smoothie that Vil knew and loved that he’d asked Sasha to give the secret of since it was both really delicious and good for him, but the wolf beastwoman refused saying she’s give to him when the time is right as he needs to have a reason to come over the Howl household and learn to drink it in moderation. Upon the smoothie being place in front of him, Vil turned to Sasha and hugged her.

“T-Thank you.” Vil said, as his eyes got watery. “I. . . Needed this.”

The wolf beastwoman seemed shocked at Vil’s sudden hug, but eventually settled into it, and began to pet the human boy, who was now surrounded by the worried Howl children.

“Vil-onii-chan?” Ylva asked, as she snuck her way into Vil and her mother’s arms so she was in the hug too, where Vil could see her. “Are you okay?”

Vil laughed as Ylva snuck into his arms for a hug for comfort, which he granted and shook his head to the little girl. “No. . . Work has been stressful recently with my parents fighting. . . On top of school. . . I. . . Was stressed.”

“Should we just watch a movie?” Adolphe asked, looking very worried. “We don’t have to play a board game if you don’t want to.”

Vil seemed surprised by this. “I-I didn’t mean that-I just-”

“How about we watch a quick movie to settle down and then we play the board game?” The Father of the Household came to the children from out of nowhere and kneeled before the group of children. “Let’s let Vil calm down from his busy week and watch a movie together, and afterwards we’ll have dinner and play the board game together.”

The Howl children looked at each other in confusion, but then they shared a look of agreement, which Alonzo seemed to get. “I’ll put the board game away, while you four decide on a movie.”

“Okay!” Ylva said, and then she turned to Vil. “Vil! Do you have a movie you want to watch?”

Vil stared in silence at the small wolf beastwoman, as if processing the situation. “A-Ah. Um-”

Vil seemed really overwhelmed by the choices the Howls had on the shelves, but then Jack stepped in. “I know! Let’s watch that movie about the old vampire trying to adjust to modern society with his descendants. Remember that one?”

Vil seemed confused as to what the movie was, but Ylva seemed to light up when the movie was mentioned. “Oh yeah! I wanted to watch it with Vil!”

“What’s it called?” Vil asked, confused as Ylva pulled him to the carpet near the couch, where Adolphe was sitting down, wagging his tail at the sight of Vil coming close.

“Listening To The Graveyard.” Adolphe simply said, as Vil and Ylva sat down, with Vil in the middle of the two wolf beastman cuddling him. “I think it’s a good movie.”

“Huh.” Vil said, confused as Ylva went into Vil’s lap, and Alonzo sat down on the couch behind him, making Vil feel a little safer than before. “When was it made?”

“Recently! Um, it came out last year!” Ylva smiled as Jack came to sit at Vil’s other free side. “We watched it at Grandmother’s house! With all of our cousins! It was so fun!”

“Oh really? I haven’t heard of it.” Vil said. “I must’ve missed all of the production stuff.”

“Well, then, I think you’ll be surprised. For an indie movie, it’s quite good.” Alonzo said.

“Indie?” Ylva asked Vil, to which Vil answered.

“An indie movie is a movie made by a small group of people, made with little to no help from big companies that make movies. I get lots of request from these types of people who want me because I’m the best.” Vil gestured some, hoping it might help Ylva out.

“Ah! I think I get it!” The little wolf girl smiled, “It’s like, one of those projects we did at school a while ago! That we did by ourselves without the help of the school and older kids!”

Vil nodded. “Yes, that’s a good way of looking at it.”

“Alright, everyone.” Alonzo finally said, giving Vil a headpat, as if to tell him to be quiet. “Do you have your snacks? I’m going to start it.”

“Ah! My hot chocolate! I left it over by the table!” Adolphe cried, then getting up.

“We’re starting~” Jack teased his younger brother as the smaller wolf seemed to rush to get his hot chocolate.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Adolphe then said, quickly rushing over to where the others where without spilling.

“Ah. Vil-san, you’re so comfy.” Ylva smiled in Vil’s lap, as the two wolf boys sat around Vil. “I wanna cuddle with you all night.”

“Of course I am.” Vil smiled, wrapping his arms around the little girl, which the little seemed to love a lot for her smile. “I’m the best at everything. Of course I’m comfortable to sit on. It’s a part of my job.”

The little wolf girl nodded at Vil’s statement, seeming to be contented to just be in Vil’s arms.

“Alright, are we ready?” Alonzo smiled, which the three nodded at.

“Yes, Papa!”

“We’ve seen this movie some many times I bet I can quote it.”

“Adolphe, be nice to Vil-san, please.”

“I am!”

Listening To The Graveyard was not as bad as Vil would have thought it was at first.

At first, the movie was a typical horror parody he’s seen almost everywhere. Pulling out all the stops for a parody movie. But as the movie went on, it got more emotional, and even seemed to pull out stuff even Vil wasn’t expecting to have in a cheesy vampire parody movie. But, Vil had to give props to the director, because they certainly knew what they where doing with balancing the comedic and serious element of the story. In the future, Vil hopes he’ll be picked by the director for a future movie of theirs, since this movie alone was pretty good in his book to see the director’s potential.

“Hey, hey, Vil-onii-chan.” Ylva asked Vil in the boy’s lap, clearly excited. “How was it? Was it good?”

After a few seconds of thinking, Vil nodded. “Yes, there was somethings I thought where pretty cheesy, but I liked it overall.”

“I knew it!” Ylva said, pumping her fists as if she was proud of her achievement. “I just knew you’d like it!”

“You know me too well.” Vil smiled, then giving the little wolf head pats, making the little girl extremely happy.

“Pet me more!” the little one seemed to insist with her facial expression as Vil seemed to stop, but then Ylva seemed to catch the scent of something, and started to get carried away by it, getting the little girl out of Vil’s lap.

Adolphe seemed to catch the scent as well, as he followed Ylva soon after with his nose high in the air.

“Ah. They must’ve caught the smell of dinner. Come on. Let’s go survey the scene and if the cook’s done.” Alonzo sat up, sneakily gesturing for Jack and Vil to come with him.

Jack and Vil then stood up, following the adult to the kitchen. But, while Vil just walked to the kitchen, Jack and his father seemed to be using their wolf instincts, and where sneaking to the kitchen as if there was an enemy in there. So, when Alonzo noticed Vil was about to do it, he quickly jumped in front of Vil before he could reach the kitchen area, and moved in front of him.

“Alonzo-san, what are you-?!” Vil was going to question the old wolf, but then his mouth was covered by the person in question. With Alonzo simply putting a finger to his lips, showing Vil he needs to be quiet and then peaked over the hallway to see what the scene is. Jack and Vil soon did the same, and they saw little Ylva and Adolphe staring intently at a metal pan with something clearly in it, and Sasha moving around the kitchen. As soon as Vil peaked his head over to see what the matter was, Sasha called out to the three.

“I know you three are there.” the wolf woman said, as wasn’t even looking in their direction, which seemed to frighten Vil before Alonzo put his hand on his shoulders, as if to tell Vil he was safe. Sasha then turned around and smiled at the three boys, holdings trays of something in her hands. “Come on! Don’t just stand their drooling! We’ve got some things to eat!”

Alonzo and Jack then calmly walked into the kitchen, with Vil soon following suit.

“What are we eating?” Vil asked, to which, Sasha then gave a proud smile.

“Cheeseburger casserole! With a side of homemade fries and a soda copycat!”

Vil seemed confused as he sat down. “Huh?”

“Recently, there’s been a new store that opened up in Grandmother’s area.” Jack started to explain. “Since we’ve been going to out grandmother’s a lot lately, we’ve also been getting fast food lately. Now Ylva and Adolphe always want this fast food, but since we’re so far away and we don’t have much, Mama found a copycat recipe and has been working hard to make it taste like the real thing.”

“Ah, really?” Vil asked, which Jack nodded.

“Yes. When you called, you should’ve seen Mama.” Jack laughed. “We were already promised to do this because all three of us have been getting good grades in school lately, and she didn’t want to ruin your diet either. As soon as you called, she started to scramble to try and find alternatives that would fit your diet.”

“Is that so?” Vil’s eyes widened in shock-he didn’t expect the Howl family to care so genuinely for him.

“Yeah!” Ylva chimed in. “She almost dropped the sesame seeds when she heard your voice on the phone!”

Alonzo let out a snort. “Not you all fared much better. When you found out Vil wanted to come over your tails were wagging so fast I thought it was a bug!”

“Was not!” Ylva and Jack said a little too quickly clearly flustered.

“Was too!” Adolphe shot back.

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Now, now. You there,” Alonzo said, in an authoritative but gentle voice as if to gently tell his kids to stop with his tone alone. “No more fighting. The food’s getting cold.”

“Yeah! Come on Vil!” Ylva said, taking Vil’s hand and pulling him closer and closer to the food.

“Vil!”

“Vil.”

“Vil-onii-chan!”

Vil Schoenheit hadn’t had his name called so warmly in a long time, and if he was being honest-he hoped the Howl family would never stop calling to him, like they’d done all those months ago.

#jack howl #vil schoenheit #twst writing #[ Can you tell I LOVE Jack and Vil's relationship even though canonically we have nothing? Because I do. ]#[ TWST staff isn't giving me enough content so I had to make my own. ]#[ It's MY fanfiction I get to write what the TWST staff won't give me.]#[ Well I say that but I wrote this a VERY long time ago and it's been sitting in my drafts until I found it again.]#[ and with the lack of Jack and Vil friendship content I need this. ]#[ mun makes content ]#[ jack howl ]#[ vil schoenheit ]

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girlygirltournament · 8 months

Text

(32 bracket base here by @mad-scientist-showdown)

This is the full 128 bracket!! Full list of matches under cut!!

Preliminary Polls

Round 1 Statistics

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6 (the finals!)

Directory

Bracket 1 - Side A

Mizuki Akiyama (Project SEKAI) Vs. Maria Campbell (My Next Life as a Villainess)

Flora (Winx Club) vs. Abby Sciuto (NCIS)

Mitsuba Sousuke (Toilet-bound Hanako-kun) vs. Forrest (Fire Emblem)

Enid Sinclair (Wednesday) vs. Pearl Houzuki (Splatoon)

Haley (Stardew Valley) vs. Sakura Kinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Veruca Salt (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory / Willy Wonka) vs. Sonoko Suzuki (Detective Conan)

Cinderella (Cinderella) vs. Silena Beauregard (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

Kim Possible (Kim Possible) vs. Amy Rose (Sonic)

Bracket 1 - Side B

Sakura Chiyo (Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun) vs. Lydia Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

Caroline Forbes (The Vampire Diaries) vs. Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon)

Rosie Mayfield (Style Savvy) vs. London Tipton (Suite Life of Zack and Cody)

Momoi Satsuki (Kuroko's Basketball) vs. Tuesday Simmons (Carole and Tuesday)

Effie Trinket (The Hunger Games) vs. Stella (Winx Club)

Honey-Senpai (Ouran High School Host Club) vs. Victorique de Blois (Gosick)

Sakura Minamoto (Zombieland Saga) vs Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Cure Sparkle/Hiramitsu Hinata (Precure Pretty Cure) vs Lindsay (Total Drama)

Bracket 2 - Side A

Lola (Shark Tale) vs. Colette "Coco" (Thea Sisters)

Therese Wolf (Fable Comics) Vs. Orca/Dex @labor9 (Tumblr User)

Princess Ozma (Wizard of Oz) vs. Aelita Schaeffer (Code Lyoko)

Webby Vanderquack (Ducktales) vs. Hiyoko Tosaka (Hatoful Boyfriend)

Fernet (100% Orange Juice) vs. Donko (Taiko no Tatsujin)

Blythe Baxter (Littlest Pet Shop) vs. Shezow/ Guy Hamdon (Shezow)

Numbah 3 / Kuki Sanban (Codename: Kids Next Door) Vs. Ami Onuki (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi)

Jessica Day (New Girl) vs. Caitlin Cooke (6Teen)

Bracket 2 - Side B

Shirou Fuji (Mizutama Honey Boy) vs. Kitty (BBC Ghosts)

Rainbow Brite (Rainbow Brite) vs. Zari (Duolingo)

Momoko Ryugasaki (Kamikaze Girls) vs. Peaches (Ice Age)

Barbie (Sandman) vs. Tilly (Rent a Bridesmaid by Jacqueline Wilson)

Sally (Ninjago) vs. Rainbow Dash (My Little Pony Generation 3)

Princess Pea (Super Why!) vs. Mai Oota / P-Chan (Gokinjo Monogatari/Neighborhood Story)

The Cat (Red Dwarf) Vs. Queen Red Riding Hood (The Land of Stories)

Arcee (Transformers Generation 1) vs. Gaby Solis (Desperate Housewives)

Bracket 3 - Side A

Cher Horowitz (Clueless) vs. Cornelia Hale (W.I.T.C.H)

Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility) vs. Clover (Totally Spies)

Perfuma (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) vs. Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)

Lilligant (Pokémon) vs. Biscuit Krueger (Hunter x Hunter)

Allison Reynolds (The Foxhole Court: All For the Game) art by @detrinity vs. Isabella Garcia Shapiro (Phineas and Ferb)

Hello Kitty (Sanrio) Vs. Barbie (Mattel)

Mari Tsutsui (Rainbow Days/Nijiiro Days) vs. Ella (Total Drama)

Tahani Al Jamil (The Good Place) vs. Rosalina (Mario)

Bracket 3 - Side B

Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) Vs Daphne Blake (Scooby-Doo)

Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs. Amulet Heart (Shugo Chara!)

Holly Munro (Lockwood and Co) art by @lucy-j-carlyle vs. Nikki (UP2U: World Traveller, Love Nikki, Shining Nikki)

Birdo (Mario) vs Lambdadelta (Umineko: When They Cry)

Smurfette (The Smurfs) vs. Regina George (Mean Girls)

Tsukimi Kurashita (Princess Jellyfish) vs. Todomatsu Matsuno (Osomatsu-san)

Blossom (The Powerpuff Girls) vs. Rarity (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

My Melody (Sanrio) vs. Nui Harime (Kill La Kill)

Bracket 4 - Side A

Emily (Stardew Valley) vs. Mitsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer)

Nana Komatsu (Nana) vs. Lucia Nanami (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch)

Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes) vs. Minako Aino/Sailor Venus (Sailor Moon)

Rose Lavillant (Miraculous Ladybug) vs. Marie (The Aristocats)

Glinda (The Wizard Of Oz) vs. Hilda Valentine Gonreil (Fire Emblem)

Ichigo Momomiya/Mew Ichigo (Tokyo Mew Mew) vs. Coco (Bluey)

Princess Peach (Mario) vs. Starfire (Teen Titans)

Draculaura (Monster High) vs. Charlotte La Bouff (Princess and the Frog)

Bracket 4 - Side B

Bee (Bee and Puppycat) vs. Natsuki (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls) vs. Strawberry Shortcake (Strawberry Shortcake)

James (Pokémon) vs. Kurako/Kuranosuke Koibuchi (Princess Jellyfish)

Platinum the Trinity (BlazBlue) vs. Aoi Hyōdō (Maid-sama/Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama!)

Mad Mew Mew (Undertale) vs. Minnie Mouse (Disney)

Tsunoda (Aggretsuko) vs. Cure Coral/Sango Suzumura (Tropical Rouge Precure)

Daisy Duck (Disney) vs. Cure Flora/Haruka Haruno (Go Princess Precure)

Yukiko Kanzaki (Assassination Classroom) vs. Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

#girlygirl tournament #bracket 1 side a #round 1 #tumblr polls #poll runner #polls #tumblr tournaments #poll tournament #tournament polls #tournament poll #tournament #fandom tournament #bracket tournament #character tournament

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katanadepapel · 8 months

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Voice actors 🇺🇲 and 🇧🇷 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

💙LEONARDO💙

TMNT (1987)

🇺🇲Cam Clarke

🇧🇷Manolo Rey

TMNT (2003)

🇺🇲Mike Sinterniklaas

🇧🇷Mauro Eduardo Lima

TMNT (2012)

🇺🇲Jason Biggs

(1°voice)

Dominic Catrambone

(2°voice)

Seth Green

(3°voice)

🇧🇷Antônio Akira

(1° voz)

Bruno Camargo

(2°voz)

ROTTMNT (2018/2022)

🇺🇲Ben Schwartz

🇧🇷Fabrício Rinaldi

TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM (2023)

🇺🇲Nicolas Cantu

🇧🇷Rodrigo Ribeiro

💙

♥️ RAPHAEL♥️

TMNT (1987)

🇺🇲Rob Paulsen

(1°voice)

Thom Pinto

(2°voice)

Hal Rayle

(3°voice)

🇧🇷Marco Ribeiro

(1°voz)

Duda Ribeiro

(2°voz)

TMNT (2003)

🇺🇲Frank Frankson

🇧🇷Renato Soares

(1°voz)

Wendell Bezerra

(2°voz)

TMNT (2012)

🇺🇲Sean Astin

🇧🇷Hermes Baroli

(1°voz)

Felipe Zilse

(2°voz)

ROTTMNT (2018/2022)

🇺🇲Omar Benson Miller

🇧🇷Glauco Marques

TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM (2023)

🇺🇲Brady Noon

🇧🇷Victor Hugo Fernandes

♥️

💜 DONATELLO💜

TMNT (1987)

🇺🇲Barry Gordon

(1° voice)

Greg Berg

(2°voice)

🇧🇷Márcio Simões

TMNT (2003)

🇺🇲Sam Riegel

🇧🇷Márcio Araújo

TMNT (2012)

🇺🇲Rob Paulsen

🇧🇷 Wendell Bezerra

ROTTMNT (2018/2022)

🇺🇲Josh Brener

🇧🇷Marco Aurélio Campos

TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM (2023)

🇺🇲Micah Abbey

🇧🇷Arthur Carneiro

💜

🧡MICHELANGELO🧡

TMNT (1987)

🇺🇲Townsend Coleman

🇧🇷Marcelo Meirelles

(1° voz)

Mário Jorge Andrade

(2° voz)

TMNT (2003)

🇺🇲Wayne Grayson

🇧🇷Yuri Chesman

TMNT (2012)

🇺🇲Greg Cipes

🇧🇷Daniel Figueira

ROTTMNT (2018/2022)

🇺🇲Brandon Mychal Smith

🇧🇷Caio Guarnieri

TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM (2023)

🇺🇲Shamon Brown Jr.

🇧🇷Enzo Dannemann

🧡

💛APRIL O'NEIL 💛

TMNT (1987)

🇺🇲Renae Jacobs

🇧🇷Dolores Machado

TMNT (2003)

🇺🇲Veronica Taylor

🇧🇷Márcia Regina

TMNT (2012)

🇺🇲Mae Whitman

🇧🇷Tatiane Keplmair

(1°voz)

Fernanda Bullara

(2°voz)

ROTMNT (2018/2022)

🇺🇲Kat Graham

🇧🇷Maíra Paris

TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM (2023)

🇺🇲Ayo Edebiri

🇧🇷Any Gabrielly

💛

🤎 SPLINTER 🤎

TMNT 1987

🇺🇲Peter Renaday

(1°voice)

Townsend Coleman

(2°voice)

🇧🇷Dario Lourenço

(1°voz)

Miguel Rosenberg (2°voz)

Orlando Drummond

(3°voz)

TMNT (2003)

🇺🇲Darren Dunstan

🇧🇷Válter Santos

(1°voz)

Renato Márcio

(2°voz)

TMNT (2012)

🇺🇲 Hoon Lee

🇧🇷Nestor Chiesse

ROTTMNT (2018/2022)

🇺🇲Eric Bauza

🇧🇷Raul Rosa

TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM

(2023)

🇺🇲Jackie Chan

🇧🇷Tatá Guarnieri

🤎

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xx-aliceinwonderland-xx · 8 days

Text

THE PLASTICS 2024 CHARACTER PLAYLIST HEADCANNONS 😸

this is 15 songs what I headcannon the plastics would have on their playlists! (I may do one for cady, Janis, Damian, Mrs Norbury, Aaron, etc in the future!)

Regina:

S&M - Rihanna

How to Be a Heartbreaker - MARINA

Physical - Dua Lipa

Baby One More Time - Britney Spears

Girls & Boys - Blur

SloMo - Chanel

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

You Should See Me In A Crown - Billie Eilish

Pound The Alarm - Nicki Minaj

Beautiful - Britney Spears

Cant Tame Her - Zara Larsson

Monster - Lady Gaga

The Monster - Eminem and Rihanna

7 Rings - Ariana Grande

Like a Virgin - Madonna

Gretchen:

Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

Money Money Money - ABBA

Faded - Alan walker

LA Devotee - Panic At The Disco

I’m a mess - Bebe Rexha

Thumbs - Sabrina Carpenter

Dying On The Inside - Nessa Barrett

Happy Ending - Bailey Spinn

My Humps - The Black Eyed Peas

No Time To Die - Billie Eilish

Everything I Wanted - Billie Eilish

Forever Young - BLACKPINK

Queencard - (G)I-DLE

Buttons - The Pussycat Dolls

Love Me Like You - Little Mix

Karen:

In The Name Of Love - Bebe Rexha

Heres To Never Growing Up - Avril Lavigne

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Angel With A Shotgun - The Cab

Arcadia - Smash Into Pieces

Mary On A Cross - Ghost

Lush Life - Zara Larsson

Cheap Thrills - Sia

Shinitai Chan - JubyPhonic

You Don’t Own Me - SayGrace

Fright Song - The Monster High Theme Song 😭

DNA - Little Mix

Oh No! - MARINA

Grrrls - Aviva

If You Seek Amy - Britney Spears

#mean girls 2024 #mean girls: the musical #mean girls musical #mean girls #mean girls 2004 #Karen shetty #regina George #gretchen wieners #Bebe wood #avantika vandanapu #avatinka #renee rapp #reneé rapp #playlist #music #lol #this is my playlist

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bailey-reeds · 1 year

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Stray Kids Hyung Line Valentines Day Headcannons <3

How the hyung line members would celebrate Valentines Day! Part 1 of 2 with @multi-stays

warnings: changbin being a himbo, fluffy, established relationships, Valentines Day stuffs

-------------------------------------------------------

Chan

Channie loves Valentines Day

Gets to show his genuine love for you all day long

Calls out from work just to spend the day with you

Which means a lot cause he's such a workaholic

Fancy outfits, dinner reservations, the whole shebang

Makes sure everything is perfect and no one interrupts his day with you, cause he knows he isn't able to do things like this often

Is praying none of his pesky ass kids bothers the two of you

All day is about you and you alone, let's NOTHING ruin the day

10/10 Valentines Day

Minho

Boy is nervous all day

He isn't very good at showing his affection to you, so he wants the day to be special but doesn't (lee) know how

Clique as hell cause he googled what to do

Gets you flowers, a card, your fav snacks, ect.

Spends that day at home with you and the cats

Gets the kitties little heart headbands, and both of you get then too, cause you MUST match the babies, obvi

Just stays home and appreciates the simplicity

When it's go big or go home, he chose go home

Slay, love him

Changbin

THIS MAN OMFGGG

Such a himbo

So excited

Woke up suuuper early to decorate and order make breakfast as a suprise

Has had the whole day planned out for like 3 weeks

Breakfast, flowers, movies, dinner, you name it, he's already thought of it

Has matching outfits planned and takes SOOOO many pictures

He must show you off 100% of the time because the day is perfect and you're perfect and he must flex about it

Spamming the group chat about how amazing his s/o is, effectively pissing off everyone else

Loves Valentines Day as much as Channie does

Hyunjin

Honestly, I feel like he'd forget till they day before

Never cared for it much till he met you

Just wings it tbh

Painting all day with Jinnie

Slow dancing in the kitchen while waiting for the paint to dry

Belting Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On" at the top of both your lungs

Chick flick binging

He's definitely a Regina George stan, convince me otherwise

Cuddling on the couch with comfy silence

A very peaceful Valentines Day with the ferret

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #changbin x reader #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin x reader #bang chan x reader #lee know x reader #bang chan #lee know #changbin

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olet-lucernam · 10 days

Text

A Hollow Promise [26] chapter vi, part iii

{_[on AO3]_}

main tags : loki x original character, post-avengers 2012, canon divergence - post-thor: the dark world, canon-typical violence, mentions of torture

summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of New York, the Avengers need a few days to build a transport device for the Tesseract. With the Helicarrier damaged and surveillance offline, SHIELD sends an asset to guard Loki in the interim: a young woman who sees the truth in all things, and cannot lie.

Even long presumed dead, her memories lost to her, Loki would know her anywhere.

And this changes things.

Some things last beyond infinity. And the universe is in love with chaos.

(Loki was never looking for redemption. It came as an unexpected side-effect.)

chapter summary : astrid gathers her allies, and draws the attention of her enemies. loki pays a heavy price for a victory.

recommended listening : let's get it started, måneskin

tag list: @femmealec, @mischief2sarawr

special thanks to the lovely @mischief2sarawr: when i had to rewrite pretty much all of this, their encouragement helped me get it done within a matter of days, instead of weeks. (thanks for the virtual tea, sarah <3)

[PREVIOUS] | [MASTERLIST] | [NEXT]

Actually- Ophelia wasn’t even her second appointment.

During daylight hours and early evening, the tight-woven alleys of Shinjuku’s Golden Gai were almost serene, lined with potted plants, faced in pale stone. By nightfall, however, the countless micro-bars that hemmed the narrow passageways threw open their doors and exploded into neon light and colour and conversation, entrances plastered with stickers, interiors crammed with patrons, walls pasted with advertisements and unique theming, spilling with the smell of beer and charcoal smoke, electric signs and sandwich boards and utility boxes jutting out like soliciting hands over the stone stoops.

Each establishment only had a tiny footprint- two storeys high and barely large enough to host more than a dozen patrons at a time- and therefore tended to be selective, some only catering to regulars and refusing tourists.

Fortunately, Astrid had been introduced at a few of the bars before- and she was due to meet someone there.

She had been waiting outside, carefully tucked out of the way of passing foot traffic- the same wool coat from Cornwall now arranged as a cape over her shoulders, draped over a black cocktail dress with one sleeve artistically falling off her shoulder, polished up with her favourite pair of blush-pink heels, filigree golden hardware glinting- when she felt a familiar presence storming up from behind, Manolo Blahniks snapping on the pavement.

A hand seized her elbow, dragging her into the bar with a hiss.

“You suck, ‘Strid.”

Astrid heard the annoyance, and general insincerity beneath it, and grinned.

“Hisashiburi, Miko-chan,” Astrid said in sugar-coated, casual Japanese. “Genki desu ka?”

“I hate you,” the voice groused.

Laughing quietly, Astrid allowed herself to be shoved into the tiny space, and towards a perilously narrow staircase, climbing to the second floor to seek out one of the small booths.

She had barely lowered herself into her seat, shrugging the coat from her shoulders, when the other person dropped heavily into the chair opposite her, unceremonious and pointed.

Socialite heiress, fashion icon, and sole grandchild of the chairman of Fujikawa Industries, Rumiko was confident, intimidating, and the consummate, catty epitome of the rich bitch archetype; she was Regina George’s grasp on social capital, thrown into a blender with Heather Duke’s utter ruthlessness, topped up with Cher Horowitz’s fashion sense. Overdressed in a silk Givenchy slip dress, complete with Cartier earrings and a matching watch, her satin-gloss hair tumbled to her waist and wisped above her downturn eyebrows, jaw locked in a scathing disapproval that would make a lesser being curdle into themselves.

“What are you even wearing? You could have at least worn that Dior piece I got you.”

Astrid smirked at the familiar barb, electing not to point out that her dress was Valentino, and the shoes were Ralph and Russo.

“Good to see you too. Am I buying the cocktails?”

“Fuzakenna yo, kora! You disappeared for two years, yes, you’re buying the cocktails-”

“It was eighteen months, I gave you the heads up, and in my defence, I was abducted for fourteen of them,” Astrid rattled off, already slipping out of her seat and pulling out her wallet, stuffed with freshly obtained yen. “I’ll be back.”

Rumiko jolted. “What?! You were abdu-”

“Later. Long story. Drinks first.”

“You’re a dead woman, North, I swear-”

Astrid hid her grin.

Predictably, Rumiko had loosened up enough to listen to her by the time she reached the bottom of her first drink. If they had talked over coffee, or brunch, Astrid wouldn’t have been able to get a word in edgeways. Rumiko was incorrigible when her temper was piqued, and Astrid had expected her disappearance to be an issue.

The two of them had met by chance, years ago. Rumiko’s paternal grandfather was Kenjiro Fujikawa, the CEO of Fujikawa Industries, a tech company with a niche in sophisticated surgical robotics. While she was merely expected to marry whichever worthy successor Kenjiro selected for her, Rumiko was still regularly pulled to attend medical conferences, and various industry-based galas and dinner.

It was at one such event that Astrid- as Astrid North, not as Alethia- had met her.

The two had become friends, in the kind of half-accidental way that might have happened if they had attended the same school. But they had become close enough that Astrid had expected Rumiko to be a little sour, when she returned, even with the warning that she would be disappearing for a while. Rumiko hated being left in the dark, and Astrid had told her nothing.

She hadn’t expected the sourness to be masking masses of pure, trembling relief.

So as Rumiko guzzled down her second sidecar, Astrid gave her the truth.

It was far from everything, but it was enough- and more than Astrid volunteered to most- either those who knew Astrid, or those who knew Alethia.

When she was finished, Rumiko set her half-empty coupé glass on the table, not quite slamming it down, faintly disconcerted.

“Okay. If it wasn’t for New York, I’d be getting out the straitjacket.”

“If it wasn’t for New York, I wouldn’t be telling you this,” Astrid rejoined, swallowing a mouthful of her espresso martini. She felt oddly drained, brimming with endorphins, like the aftermath of a workout.

“That’s fair,” Rumiko said dryly. “You sound insane. It’s literally like the plot of Men In Black- wait. ‘Strid. Could you be an alien?”

“Maybe.” Astrid admitted blandly, shrugging one shoulder. “I haven’t eliminated the possibility.”

Rumiko blew out a breath, head dropping forwards briefly. “Okay. We need beer. And fried chicken.”

“Mm, good call.”

Once their table was packed with piping-hot plates of fried izakaya dishes, their glasses refilled- Rumiko switching over to a frothing plastic pitcher of beer and Astrid taking up sake- Rumiko was significantly calmer, hardening over with the kind of ruthlessly practical, efficient composure that would have made her an excellent successor to FI, if her grandfather had been an ounce or so less of a misogynist.

“Okay, so- let’s figure out where you stand.” Rumiko said efficiently, picked up a piece of karaage with her chopsticks, grease and sesame seeds glistening on the batter. “I mean, it all depends on what you want, but either way-” she pointed her loaded chopsticks at Astrid, before popping the fried chicken into her mouth, “this agency.”

“This agency,” Astrid agreed with a dip of her head, sipping on her sake.

“You’re off their radar right now, but it sounds like they have the sheer resources and numbers to just keep looking, so, that’s likely temporary.” Rumiko tapped her nails against her glass, leaning forwards against her elbows. “Okay. Do you have any backchannels you can use? Anyone who seemed sympathetic, or might hear you out if you got in contact? You might be able to cut a deal, if you can figure out some leverage. It’s either that, or you’ll need a deterrent. Some way to make the cost too high, or the gains too low, to keep coming after you. Again, you’ll need leverage for that. Where are you staying right now? And how long can you lay low? If we can buy you some time-”

Astrid’s expression had cleared, focused as a lens, and Rumiko paused.

“What?” She prompted.

One shoulder lifting, Astrid bought her cup to her mouth.

“You really need to start that PR crisis firm, Ru.”

Startled, Rumiko reared upright from her casual slouch. “The fuck, ‘Strid?”

“Well, I have just told you that I am wanted by a secretive multinational agency,” she pointed out, dropping her voice low enough to blend within the camouflaging ambient chatter of the tiny bar, “who abducted me and has been covering up the existence of magic and monsters since the forties- and you acclimated within fifteen minutes, then launched straight into working out how to handle it. Remind me again why you’re not making bank from this? Aside from your grandfather being a jackass, I mean.”

“Oh my god, we’re so not doing this right now,” Rumiko muttered into her glass, followed by an unladylike gulp of beer.

One corner of Astrid’s mouth curled.

There was a subtle, telling flatness in Rumiko’s scowl, as the words and their sentiments sank in- like water soaking into soft earth, swiftly and undramatically, absorbed and drawing itself down.

Setting her cup aside, Astrid let Rumiko ignore it, for now. “Are those my only options? Bargain, deter, appease?”

“What, you have another plan?”

The question wasn’t quite rhetorical, but it was tinted with a rational scepticism.

If Astrid had been anyone else- anything other than truth incarnate, or someone who had gone up against SHIELD for years with nothing but her wits and her ability to arm her, fallen in love with a demigod, and promised him everything- she might have agreed.

“If the world doesn’t work for you,” she said, taking up her chopsticks and plucking a cube of fried tofu from one of the plates, swiping in through the dipping sauce, “then change the world. Right?”

Rumiko froze, looking from under her fringe to glare at her incredulously.

“You’re not fucking serious.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because that’s insane.”

“Is it? The world already broke in New York. I would just be rearranging the pieces.”

“I take it back,” Rumiko said bluntly, dropping her chopsticks and topping off her beer glass. “I’m getting the damn straitjacket.”

“Good luck with that,” Astrid answered breezily. “I’ll give you a clean number, later, so don’t worry about me disappearing again. Not completely, anyway.”

“You’re insane,” Rumiko reiterated.

“But you think I can do it,” she stated neutrally, meeting Rumiko’s eyes, the words tasting golden and hot in her chest, metal and bright.

Rumiko stared back at her for a long, fierce moment.

“You’re serious.”

Astrid picked up and popped one of the mayo prawns into her mouth. “Yes.”

Rumiko hissed out an exasperated breath, worry creeping into the crimp of her perfect eyebrows.

“’Strid.” She said grimly. “Seriously. Going up against a multinational spy agency. Is this really worth it?”

“Yes.”

The heat in the word burned like a brand.

Rumiko looked back at her, despairing and incredulous and impressed.

“You’re insane,” she said resignedly.

Astrid laughed. “If you set up the scaffolding for that PR firm within two years, I’ll give you a gift.”

“I am not starting a-”

Rumiko paused.

“A gift?” She echoed, intrigued and sceptical. “What kind of gift?”

“That would be for you to find out. You know I give the best gifts, Ru,” Astrid pointed out. “Remember when I gave you the wing mirror from your ex’s car?”

Rumiko’s mouth tilted into a nostalgic smile.

“That was a really nice present,” she conceded fondly, before grimacing, reaching for the pitcher to top up her beer glass. “But tonight, all I want is alcohol.”

Astrid laughed, and leaned in to clunk her cup again Rumiko’s glass.

“Ah, fine. I suppose I owe you that much,” she agreed easily. “But in that case- shots?”

Rumiko’s eyes glinted.

“Karaoke?”

An hour later, as they stumbled out of the bar, arms linked and heading out to get into trouble somewhere in Kabukicho, Astrid dropped her notebook into her pocket with its second entry.

Ink pens.

Ophelia would be deeply insulted if she ever found out that she wasn’t even Astrid’s third port of call.

Astrid was tempted to tell her. It would be good to regulate her ego.

The taste of alcohol was still sour in her mouth, swilled with water, the tang masked by the fresh espresso and gelato that was gently melting in a glass bowl in front of her.

The afternoon air in Rome was cool, despite clear sun-soaked skies and the heat of the crowded streets. Clouds of chatter and the clink of plates and glasses reflected against the warm, pale-yellow brick, the buildings carved with classical ornamentation, spilling with artfully cultivated vines, stained with graffiti. The sett-block pavement was hemmed with café boards, parked motorcycles, and folding wooden-slat bistro tables; cream parasols and restaurant awnings created pockets of deeper shade, between arched shopfronts.

Astrid spooned up the last of her affogato with a swirl of silverware, lips sealing over the spoon.

Seated at the café bar, she was twisted side-on against the counter, watching the passing foot traffic and outside tables through the windows. A cross-breeze drifted over her every so often, cutting in through the entryway and seeping through her clothes, refreshing her overheated skin.

“Propiro l’affogato, sì?” The ageing server behind the counter prompted, briskly pleasant as he calculated her bill. “The, ah- qual è il nom inglese-”

Astrid swallowed a melted mouthful of vanilla, cream, and espresso.

“It’s affogato in English as well,” she told him, startling the waiter. “Il mio Italiano è pessimo?”

“No, no, per niente! Il tuo accento è- your accent, it’s very good! Molto bene. Ma- in Rome,” the server bought a wrinkled hand to cup his ear indicatively, “you hear it, sì? I can tell you’re English, a little.”

Astrid nodded, setting her spoon down and gently pushing the empty glass bowl away from her.

“Ah, vedo- è il tuo orecchio, non la mia bocca, sì?”

“Sì, esattamente! Ho sentito che- I can hear, that you learn it when you are grown,” he said with a grin, “not when little.”

“Ah, vedo- ciò ha senso. I did a summer at Sapenzia,” she explained gamely. “I had a friend who used to say the same thing. That my cadence gave me away.”

“Aha, bene, bene! You’re here to visit your friend?”

“Sì, ma- as a surprise,” Astrid admitted, unsnapping her wallet from where it rested at her elbow, before glancing towards the windows, and the bistro tables arranged within their sight. “Ah- do you see the two women seated under the vines?”

The waiter paused, looking up and leaning to see. “Sì- la bruna e la rossa?”

“Sì. La bruna? Quello è il mio amico.”

His dark eyes widened demonstrably. “Veramente?”

Astrid grinned at him, resting her chin on the hell of her palm. “She doesn’t know that I’m here.” Slipping a credit card loose from her purse with her free hand, she rapped it against the bar top. “Do you think I could pay their cheque, signore? Come una sorpresa?”

His mouth formed a silent exhale of understanding, tapping the side of his aquiline nose before returning to the register. “Naturalmente, signorina- ah, you want me to tell her it was you? Or will you tell her later?”

“Mm.” Astrid watched the server pull up the order details of the table. “Do you have a serviette, signore?”

Less than five minutes later, Astrid left the café, stepping out into the sunlight just in time to see the same server pausing at one of the al fresco tables.

As Astrid had observed on her way into the bistro, two women were seated underneath the arch of a vine clinging to the outer wall, with several half-finished plates on the table between them.

The first- a redhead, the coppery tresses cropped into a flattering pixie-cut, broad-shouldered in an olive jacket and white capris jeans- had her back to Astrid, the slight curve of her face in profile just barely visible. The second woman was facing towards her, torso leaned askew and head tipped up, mildly annoyed askance painted across her face like a fresco as she spoke to the server.

Arms folded forward onto the table, the fall of her black hair almost bleeding into her tank top, Vittoria Montesi hadn’t changed much from when Astrid had last seen her. She was still model-lean, as though she subsisted solely on coffee and cigarettes- which was probably accurate, if her on-call diet hadn’t changed since residency- with a full, sceptical mouth, poised to argue and drive and diagnose.

Astrid waited just long enough to see the server hand her the napkin, before melting into the crowd with a grin and a lilt in her weaving steps, escaping towards the tourist trap of the Fontana di Trevi.

A new addition was jotted into her notebook with a borrowed pen.

Coffee grounds.

Several hours later, Astrid departed from the Gallery.

Arriving back at the Madripoor penthouse, she stripped out of her clothes, changing into a comfortable camisole, jersey shorts, and thigh-high socks, and retrieved her notebook from the breakfast bar.

New shoes, Astrid wrote onto her list- before flipping the cover shut, tossing the pen down, and collapsing into the sofa with a soft groan.

Four.

It was a start.

Lying in the demi-dark, cheek pressed into the arm of the couch, impatience hummed under her skin like an electric current, settling in the roots of her teeth. Her heart drummed hard and impatient against the adipose-softened wall of her breastbone, eyes open.

The silver light of the city rinsed through the windows, across the apartment, pooling across the floor like the shallow waterline of the incoming tide. Her synapses were slowing, sloping into a long-overdue caffeine crash- but four felt like not enough, not enough, not enough.

She had done more on less sleep.

Four would need to be hundreds. Thousands. Tens, hundreds of thousands.

Four was not enough.

It had only been twenty-four hours, but it had been almost natural, for her to slip into the mindset that she had lived in for years: keep moving, keep working, don’t stop, don’t hesitate, be smart, be quick, be relentless, use your greed, use your selfishness, next step, next step, next step-

Everything else became easy to ignore. The storm within her, whatever doubt and anger and loneliness and turmoil broiled inside, pressing behind her eyes like to urge to sob, became simple fuel, like glucose, until she was done.

None of it would matter, once she got what she wanted- and if it did matter, she would deal with it then, when it was safe.

It was easy, because Astrid was her father’s daughter. He had taught her how to use her worst traits as a whetstone, to make herself scalpel-sharp.

Her flesh was cooling, the cushions were warm, and her limbs grew heavy and slack with every passing moment.

And she suddenly remembered Loki’s parting words to her, as she had finished the dregs of their rose tea at the Cornish tea parlour.

I should get up, darling, he murmured reluctantly. I must get to work. But make sure you take your rest- I want to see you later.

Astrid sighed into a smile, defeated.

Sly bastard, she thought fondly.

She shouldn’t keep him waiting.

Lifting her head just long enough to set an alarm on her phone, Astrid dropped the device on the coffee table and sank back into the sofa, limbs sliding across the upholstery in a drag of wool and cotton and bare skin, as she let sleep claim her- just for a little while.

54 weeks and 6 days out

“I’ve walked the deserts for miles Swam the waters for a tide Searching places to find A piece of something to call, mine A piece of something to call, mine- Coming closer to you-”

You will be careful, won’t you, Astra?

“Hm?” Astrid paused her singing, fingers still strumming at her keyboard, the click of the keys weaving her response into the comment box like a shuttle in a loom. “With what?”

She clicked post, watching the response box disappear.

The text popped up within the thread, slotting into place in the conversation, sealed into format. Astrid clicked away, skimming the rest of the forum.

This, Loki replied, with the mental equivalent of an expansive gesture. Whipping up a group over which you do not have full control.

“Mm, you’re one to talk, alderliefest,” Astrid commented, eyes unmoving from the screen of her laptop, reaching for the plate at her side, “with what you’ve been doing through- Brunn, was it?”

Brunnhilde, Loki confirmed- but immediately becoming distracted by what Astrid had bitten into.

Cut thick, the slab of pain pavé was spread with unsalted butter and honeycomb- treacly and faintly earthy with clouds of unprocessed pollen

It tasted of late summer and wildflower meadows, and dirt on her skin, a shock of calories into her system.

Over the weeks, Astrid had been narrowing down Loki’s preferences. Within his sweet tooth, it seemed that he had a particular weakness for anything that featured honey, or chocolate; honey reminded him of Asgard, of better memories and better days, of the royal city at golden hour and light-hearted laughter, of his brother’s broad grin and of a flash of pale-bright hair that always sent Astrid’s stomach swooping with something unidentifiable whenever it flickered into her mind, through his.

Chocolate seemed to provoke thoughts of Midgard. It made him think of city cafés, of her bed in the penthouse, of cold mornings as she went through her morning routine, of the warmth of the crook of her neck and the view of snow-capped mountains through broad windows.

Astrid had gained a new appreciation of chocolate.

And touché, Loki conceded, his thoughts still humming with pleasure at the taste of the honeycomb.

She tongued the soft film of beeswax from her teeth, quietly content for a precious, ephemeral moment.

It felt better, at least. The ache of their separation- and the omnipresent lack and malcontent that she could live with, but never quite ignore- was less when he was there, and she was reminded that she was doing something, moving closer.

Coming closer to you, Astrid hummed the sweetly-lilting bar.

A warm breeze swept over her, as she glanced up over the top of her screen.

They were in Chile today- on a rooftop amongst the soaring metropolitan clutter of Santiago. Astrid had positioned herself to gaze out at the distant summer-red of the Andes, looming above the basin of the city, hazy through the sun-bright smog; the building she was perched atop was within view of one of the city’s many green spaces, the lush foliage a shock of emerald against the concrete, a faint rush of traffic carried up on the thermal lift.

She changed where she worked every day, cycling through a roulette wheel of hemispheres, climates, continents, countries, the only prerequisites being a stable internet connection and a good view. But she had noticed that Loki liked mountains, and cool open air, and she had begun peppering them in as often as possible.

I, however, am far more removed from my work, Loki pressed, edged with caution. And circumstances leave me beneath suspicion. You are far closer to the fire, songbird.

“Mm.” Astrid traced her collarbone absently. “True.”

Her gaze dropped to the screen, sucking a smear of honey from her opposite thumb.

“But these ones are less the fire, more the firestarters.” She added lightly.

The forum was thick with activity.

The hacktivist group known as the Rising Tide was a hornet’s nest- a collective that had sprung up in the wake of Culver, devoted to dragging SHIELD from the shadows into the cold light of day- and one that Astrid had repeatedly agitated, pointed in the right direction, and watched swarm SHIELD’s most recent project.

With New York, they had been galvanised, by a publicly validated raison d’être.

The corner of her mouth folded up ruefully.

Their organisation was an ad hoc nightmare, and they were incapable of communicating with the general public without coming off as uncredible, melodramatic, conspiracy theory whackjobs - but the Rising Tide were her first true allies, arguably, and incredibly skilled at what they did.

They had given her the lead in New Mexico. Astrid would always owe them a debt, for that.

“Anyway,” Astrid said, straightening, arms extending above her head, feeling her shoulders and spine click and realign, “arguably- if anything is the fire, it’s me. It’s only a matter of time before they try to extinguish me. Before the inevitable, I should burn as bright and hot as I can- don’t you think?”

She felt Loki sigh, fondly exasperated.

As long as you don’t burn out completely.

“Completely?” She noted the specificity.

He smirked, and nipped at her shoulder. A little destruction is good for the soul. Cathartic. You deserve a little of that.

Astrid laughed softly, and imagined her own fingers running through his hair.

From his shiver, it seemed that practice was slowly beginning to pay off.

“Well, I have heard that volcanic soil is amongst the richest and most fertile in the world.”

Ah. You do have a rather volcanic temper, beloved.

“You think so? Interesting. I would call yours glacial, prince.”

She felt his eyebrows steeple in askance, faintly sardonic.

Passive and slow to act?

“Quiet. Patient. Underestimated,” she listed, leaning back slightly, feeling the illusion of him catch her weight. “Ruthless, and relentless. And with the power to reshape the world while no one is paying attention.”

Loki breathed out a laugh, and planted the sensation of a kiss behind her ear, eliciting a pleasantly startled noise from her.

Such shameless flattery, he murmured against her nape, mood warmed beneath the teasing. What am I to do, in the face of such an assault?

Astrid sighed, sinking into him- and willed herself not to think.

“Surrender,” she suggested breathily. “And believe me.”

The phantom of his arm curled around her waist, mouth nestling at the shell of her ear, folding himself around her.

His mood was tepid, opaque.

The anxiety she felt was a pit, somewhere behind the wall of her abdomen.

She refused to dwell on it, and risk drawing the keen edge of Loki’s attention onto it.

Her laptop gave a chirp of distress, and she looked up. The internet connection had dropped again.

Grateful for the distraction, Astrid sang the signal back into strength.

“I’m moving, I’m coming Can you hear what I hear? It’s calling you, my dear Out of reach-”

The bars rocketed up back up, Wi-Fi boosted from a café several dozen feet below.

Astrid exhaled a smile, propping her chin on her palm. “Take me to my bea-each…”

Old songs- ones that she had listened to and re-loved thousands of times over- were best for weaving magic as she multitasked.

Combing her hair back behind her ear, Astrid flipped through her tabs, refreshing each one, keeping up the melody under breath.

“I can hear it, calling you I’m coming, not drowning Swimming closer to you-”

One of her dummy social media accounts reloaded.

Astrid scrolled through her feed at a reflexive skim, idly liking a few posts to keep up her account activity. She was keeping track, but not sincerely expecting to see a moving of the needle, just yet.

It was something that the Rising Tide, for all their skill and drive and passion, hadn’t quite recognised yet: they could afford to lay out the trail, prompt the question, and wait.

Slow is fast, Astrid reminded herself.

Ah. Stark is trending, Loki observed idly.

“Hm?”

Astrid paused, glancing at the trending topics sidebar.

“Ah. Hardly surprising, beloved.” She lifted her shoulder. “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. And the world’s first modern superhero.”

Loki rearranged himself nonchalantly, like draping satin.

Is your heart still set on him, as an ally?

Astrid hummed through a sigh, leaning back slightly more, lounging against him and tipping her head to the skies, propped on the strong ledge his shoulder.

“I think,” she said slowly, “that not even trying to work with him would be like shooting ourselves in the foot, with our last bullet, while in the middle of a firefight, and then amputating the limb with an unsterilised knife and no anaesthesia.”

Graphic, Loki remarked dryly. But I take your point, my heart.

“Can I take that your approval?”

Why should I withhold it? Stark appears to be a wise choice. And the best option, amongst the Avengers.

“Damningly faint praise, prinsinn minn. We’re not exactly spoilt for choice.”

He snickered. Astrid couldn’t ignore how it sublimated at the edges into wistfulness, and a resignation that had fermented from frustration and outrage and hurt, like wine in a cask.

They both knew who Loki was thinking of- the one who should have been the better option.

It was a wound and a rift that Astrid hesitated to touch, for now.

“Still,” Astrid redirected, straightening on the palm of her hands, “I value your opinion. I want you to tell me if you think it’s a bad idea.”

I don’t, truly. An arm slipped around her waist, its weight comfortable and comforting. Astrid had to bat away the reflexive desire to feel the lean muscles flex against her abdomen, as Loki dragged her flush back against him, pinning her to the length of him. Stark listened to you, is aware of the threat, and offered me a drink, he teased. You can keep him if you wish, songbird.

“I have to obtain him, first,” Astrid riposted. “Or have him decide to obtain me.”

Just talk to him, sweet thing. How could he possibly resist?

She grinned broadly, shaking her head, the sickness in her abating. “Now who’s flattering?”

Refocusing on the trending bar, her head cocked as she caught up, wondering whether it was a personal scandal, a Stark Industries development, or a cheap editorial that had put the name in people’s mouths today.

Trending Topics #christmaseveeve #tonystark #mandarinbombings #happyfestivus

Mandarin, Loki noted, reading through her eyes. As in standard Chinese, the fruit, or the bureaucrat?

“None of the above- I think.” Astrid said distractedly, the pixels beginning to split in her vision. “It’s the supposed head of a terrorist organisation. They’ve claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, over the past few months.”

Supposed head? Loki echoed shrewdly.

She twitched her shoulder upwards wearily. “Someone is appropriating a name that doesn’t belong to them. I saw one of the videos, after the most recent incident. I know enough about the Ten Rings to know that this is someone dressing up in their colours. Especially with that moniker they-”

She halted.

Loki went still with concern.

Astra?

Gaze blank, her tongue was numb as she answered.

“The Ten Rings.”

What about it?

“Three years ago. Afghanistan. Do you remember what I told you? The incident created Iron Man.”

Loki froze.

And what better way to bait Stark, he said, quiet and sharp, than to use the name of an organisation that almost killed him?

Astrid’s hand darted out, clicking on the tag, hoping that it was just a coincidence of the algorithm-

BREAKING: Tony Stark’s mansion bombed in suspected terror attack – Iron Man missing

“Fuck!”

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