#sometimes it felt like the makers are just ticking of the list and it did not felt organic in some scenes

[shinjisdone]

Ticking Springs

(A Yandere Pinocchio X fem!Reader fic from Lies of P)

Pɑɾt 1; Sluɱbeɾ

capitolo uno

capitolo due

capitolo tre

capitolo quattro

capitolo cinque: is here

capitolo sei

capitolo sette

Capitolo otto

Capitolo nove

Capitolo dieci

Pɑɾt 2; Awɑƙeƞiƞƍ

It was a privilege to share the same blood as Giuseppe Geppetto. To be his family, his niece and take part in the marvelous worlds of puppets. The privilege to learn from him as his apprentice. The privilege to care for the things he cares for and to have the things he cares for, care deeply for you.

Tag List:

@greeknerd007 , @mitsureigen , @kame11a , @thirdblogsacharm , @sarah22447 , @blueberryhitosh1 , @written1nthest4rs , @huicitawrites

TW in general: Yandere behaviour, creepy and still puppet, dubious intentions and relationship, still in WIP more warnings may occure in time, also I am running out of pictures of P he looks the same in every pic (but prettily so)

[Also, I am gonna be like that and mention that I would not mind any comments or reblogs! This series is definitely gonna have short chapters and is currently building up settings but there's gonna be good ol yandere Pinocchio tailing after you like a puppy afterwards, no worries!]

This night also proved itself to be a long one. As well as lonely.

The prattling was thankfully easy to stop, or at least cut down to simple replies when requested. The complete silence once you shut the two butlers down however, felt like a sudden and bare contact with ice.

All windows were tightly shut to fight off the howling wind and rain and the only flickering light left in the workshop was that of your own. Just as Geppetto had returned and hung his coat, it was taken off just as quickly.

You've paid it no mind. Uncle was a busy man. Always has been.

Usually having a part of your table be empty and clean felt like a load of work was finished and tidied away but you found yourself musing over the doll in your hand. You put it in a sitting position before, only for it to fall again and again on its back. Feeling bad enough, you decided to have it sit on the edge of the table while supporting it from both sides.

You remember clearly how you were able to have it sit on a tiny, little stool, that you borrowed from your father's office, and pretended to have it listen to your whimsical stories. Now it feels like an old lady unable to properly stay still without help.

Uncle even inserted kneecaps to have it bend or, as you liked to pretend when you were younger, swing its legs at the edge of that small stool.

She was a friend to you in older times who was constantly nice to you. Not just sometimes.

Though in this state, holding it in your hands like this, the doll felt more like an obstacle than a friend.

A sigh of frustration escaped you. No matter how enticing the image was, you could not insert a voice box in it. Not yet.

Your dear, old friend was too outdated. Too small and not meant to serve and entertain as a puppet, but to be a little girl's companion as a doll. That little girl has grown though, and the doll offered her nostalgia rather than actual help. A doll, the size of a forearm, could not offer any aid in becoming a puppet maker.

It would have to grow like the little girl did.

Nodding to no one but yourself, you quietly promised the doll your return as you walked out of your room and skipped down the stairs. In a flow you turned around the corner to collect an oil lamp and made sure to flick on the hallway's light. Though when taking a peek outside, the stormy weather adviced you to look for an umbrella.

"...I know you, that glint in your eyes...is so familiar..." With a quick but playful gait, you found an umbrella leaning abandoned in the corner. Uncle must be collecting these like dust and setting them aside whereever he may find himself to be considering Krat's predictable moderate rain.

The floors creaked at your steps and the walls seemed to replicate the wind's howl in their own manner. You'd rather interpet it as that than believe that the old wood is not strong enough to withstand the noise outside.

Geppetto once mentioned that this was his way of forecasting the weather and if he could go outside at an nice day. Yet you did not really feel like taking advantage of that little 'quirk' the workshop offered.

"...a gleam...", Testing out the waters first and if that umbrella number uptenth was indeed not used up, you quickly made your way outside. Uncle's coat was still not hanging there and it made you let out a sigh of relief.

He would be incredibly upset at you. Being up and about at this hour and singing! Now you are even stepping out into the rain.

The door was shut a bit too roughly as you rushed through the plaza. The destination was an stone's thrown away but the walk still proved itself to be a hassle through the pouring weather. Nevertheless, you felt it would be worth it.

The plaza was rather empty. A few silhouettes hidden by their long cloaks, as dark as the sky, were standing or talking idly in the corners, a few with peers and some with puppets. Alongside the chatting and tinny that accompanied the rain, your footsteps were the loudest as you approached the bulleting board. The dim lights illuminated the stained glass but you could still make out the newspaper clips. There on the corner was an edition posted from this month still.

KRAT NEWS ISSUE 1089

Tailor shop Cherry now offering new fabric for your puppets! In collaboration with the WORKSHOP UNION now having materials in stock!

Tailor shop Cherry

ROSA ISABELLE STREET 27

NEAR THE CITY'S...

You skipped over the trivial information, writing down the street's name. It admittedly made your stomach drop a bit at the sight of such a prestitious place known for its luxury and...expensive prices. Yet the monthly pay you earned should be enough. Your wallet could suffer just for once...right?

Oh, if your parents ever heard of such an endevour...they surely wouldn't be pleased.

Your shoes ended up soaked in the rain but nothing too difficult to clean and hide. The wet umbrella could be hidden in your room...as well as your coat.

"And I know that visions are seldom all they seem..."

You neatly folded the paper - only to throw it away once it was too wet to store anywhere. Writing its content in your notes, you shoved the notebook back into your cupboard. "...but if I know you..." Skipping the last few stairs, you hummed as you tidied the place.

Or; 'Getting rid of evidence' - it sounded so foolish and cheesy but also exciting.

The wind continued to howl and the rain aggressively hit the walls but your mood nor your plans would be deterred. Even if they were the only sounds to accompany you tonight.

"...I know what you'll..."

Passing the hallway with hand towels in your arms your quick gait became slower and slower. Stopping mid-way, your gaze mustered the dimly lit area. You heard that right.

"...do...?"

Your foot took one, careful step as you leaned further to the wall. That didn't come from the outside, couldn't have now, could it?

No. The rain and wind came from the window to your left. And to your right...

Nose scrunching up, you turned around the corner. You held up the oil lamp above your head, narrowed eyes scanning the table and your song continuing in a soft and confused tone.

You turned the butlers off, didn't you?

"...You'll love me...at..."

Yes. Yes, you did, certainly you did this morning. Neither you nor your uncle touched them since then.

So why are you hearing rattling?

Those were springs. You were so, so incredibly sure, the sound as familiar as the beating of your own heart.

"...once..."

You bit your lip and decided to stay still. Head tilting to the other side, you listened again. The rain, the wind, the flickering flame in your hand...

And that's it.

Waiting a few moments more, you sighed through your nose before continuing where you halted. If you don't hurry, Geppetto will be back.

You really hoped he wouldn't end up being right that staying up late would bite you later.

#yandere lies of p #Lies of p #lies of p x reader #lies of p pinocchio #yandere pinocchio #Pinocchio #Lies of p pinocchio x reader #Pinocchio x reader #P x reader #Yandere #ticking springs

[ohprettyweeper]

Caught on Fire

Part 2

Summary: Your first date with Josh goes even better than you planned. Pairing: Josh Dun x Reader Word Count: 1560 Warnings: FLUFF A/N:Tag list is always open, enjoy this next part!

Part 1

After a few good hours of sleep, you woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. You threw your hair up, slipped into your light, cotton robe, and made way for the kitchen. You turned on the coffee maker, then remembered your date that morning and immediately flipped the switch back to the ‘off’ position.

Josh’s next day off coincided with your next day off after he had asked you to meet up sometime, so you two had decided that it would be the perfect time to meet for coffee. You’d managed to get away from your shift early, stopped on the med-surg floor to check Zack Joseph’s condition before heading home to get some sleep.

A hot shower, natural hair, and light makeup later, you analyzed the contents of your closet. The Spring weather would allow for a pair of nice jeans, a solid color v-neck tee, and your favorite pair of sandals.

Shrugging at your reflection in the mirror, you told yourself, “Here goes nothing.”

Josh was already sitting at a table by the window in the café where the two of you had agreed to meet. A lot of EMS and hospital staff frequented here, as well as those on PD. You had never come here and not run into someone you didn’t know.

You knocked on the window and waved at Josh, who grinned when he saw you. A few moments later, you were seated in the booth across from him, nerves not entirely on the fritz, but not exactly calm, either.

“Good morning,” Josh greeted.

“Good morning,” you returned. “How was your shift?”

“Well,” Josh said, letting out a breath and ticking a list off on his fingers, “none of my guys had to be delivered to the hospital, didn’t have to pull any sleeping old guys out of bed before they died, no houses burned to the ground. So not too bad.”

You nodded. “That is a good shift. ER wasn’t so bad, either. Trauma was pretty dead. Makes for a slow night, but I’ll take it if it means people aren’t dying.”

“No kidding.”

The waitress came by then, took your coffee orders, left menus, then left you two to your conversation. You shared the few things that had happened in the ER, and Josh updated you on some of the guys at the station.

“Oh, speaking of that — I hear Zack is going to make a full recovery.”

Josh nodded, sipping at his black coffee. “Yeah, he’s got a few days left, then they’ll start talking about sending him home. It’ll be a bit before he’s back on the job, but he’ll get there. You been talking to Nicole?”

“Uh, no,” you said, suddenly embarrassed but not sure why. “I’ve been checking in after my shifts, when I can. I’m not bothering him or anything, I just —”

“Slow down, Y/N. I think that’s sweet of you.”

You bit your lip in an effort to stop from blushing. “Thanks. I know it’s probably none of my business, but when I was with Chad — before he left, of course — I felt like I was part of the family you guys have at the station. I got to know people and you guys got to know me. After Chad left and we decided to call it quits, it felt a little bit like I lost that family.”

You cleared your throat, thinking that perhaps that had been an overshare but you felt a load off your chest. You had your friends, but outside of the ER, it wasn’t the same as it had been with the firefighter group. You missed it more than you knew, until you had seen Josh and the guys again at the hospital.

Josh reached across the table and took your hand, squeezing gently. “We missed you too, you know. Or at least I did. And I know Nicole has always enjoyed when she works with you at the hospital.”

You smiled with relief. “Yeah, I enjoy that, too. She kept me updated on you guys every now and then. I suppose I could go ahead and embarrass myself a little more and let you know it was always kind of nice when she would mention you were still single.”

“Oh really?” Josh smiled, a warm pink painting over his cheeks as well. You realized he still had a hold of your hand, but you didn’t mind. You liked the way his calloused hand cradled yours; there was something about it that made you feel safe and secure.

The catching up continued and before either of you knew it, lunchtime had come around. Since coffee was all you had for breakfast, you were starving and so was Josh. After a few minutes of perusing the menu, Josh flagged down the waitress and the two of you ordered lunch. Another two hours passed before Josh finally announced he needed to get going.

“Not because I want to,” he assured as he walked you to your car, “but I promised my mom I’d come by this afternoon.”

“Of course, I get it. I think it’s too early on to be making your mother mad, anyway.”

Josh smiled. “Yeah.”

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head adamantly. “Definitely not. I actually like the way you said that it’s early on — like there’ll be a later.”

“You want a later?” you asked, brow raised.

“I definitely do. Do you?”

“I do,” you smiled.

Josh’s fingers laced through yours, pulling you to a stop in the middle of the cafe parking lot. You bumped into him, but his strong figure held strong. His smile was a nervous one as his hand carded into your hair and his lips met yours.

Josh strolled up to his house when he got home from his parents, still floating on cloud nine. He had stamped down his attraction to Y/N while she was with Chad, but now that Chad was completely out of the picture and she was open to a relationship with Josh, it was as though a whole new world of potential had opened up.

He phoned Tyler as soon as he was in the house, checking on their plans for guys’ night out.

“We’re still on,” Tyler confirmed. “Nicole’s working the overnight shift, so I’m on my own. By the way, Nic said she saw Y/N last night and maybe overheard a conversation about how excited she was for her date with you this morning.”

Josh chuckled. “Oh yeah? Well, then I guess that would explain why it went so well.”

“I guess so. Hey, why don’t you bring her to the barbecue at our place next weekend?”

“That’s not a bad idea. She mentioned missing being around everyone.”

“Perfect. Listen, I just dropped off some food for Nicole at the hospital, I’ll be home soon. Mind picking me up, then we can go meet everyone?”

Josh nodded. “Yeah, that sounds fine. I’ll see you in a while.”

He disconnected the call. The idea of Y/N being back around with their group, but by his side now and not Chad’s, it made him even happier than he had been before Tyler extended the invitation to bring Y/N to the barbecue.

After washing up a bit and changing his clothes, Josh sprayed on some cologne and checked the time. He didn’t need to leave just yet to pick up Tyler, so he decided to take a chance and call Y/N.

“Well, hey you,” she greeted.

“Hey,” Josh smiled. “Is it too soon to be calling? I don’t wanna look like a nerd.”

“No, you’re not a nerd and no, it’s not too soon to be calling,” she giggled. “How was your visit with your parents?”

“Good. Try to see them when I can, but since Zack got hurt on the job, they’ve been even more tense than usual. Mom’s always happy to see me safe and sound.”

Y/N sighed. “Can’t blame her for that.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Y/N. I’m always safe. But it’s nice to have you worried about me, too.”

They talked for a while longer, until Tyler called on the other line to figure out what Josh’s hold-up was. He switched lines back and apologized that he needed to end the phone call.

“This morning it was your parents, tonight it’s Tyler. You don’t need an out to only get doses of me, you know,” she teased.

Josh chuckled but returned, “I’ll never get enough of you, I promise. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“I’d really like that.”

“Okay. Night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Josh.”

Reluctantly, he hit the red button to end the call. He found his keys and made way for Tyler’s, realizing how long it had been since he had felt this way about a girl. He already wanted to spend every second possible with her.

Can I take you out on your next day off? Josh texted on his way out of the driveway.

Her answer didn’t take long. My next day off is tomorrow.

I’ll see you then. Call you in the morning to make plans.

Josh shoved his phone in his pocket and worked on getting the twitterpated smile off of his face before he met up with the guys.

Tags: @oceaneyesinahouseofgold​

#twenty one pilots #fanfiction #josh dun #josh x reader #firefighter au #repost #FLUFF #can you save my heavydirtyqueue

[jaanedil]

Mohit Raina as Dr.Kaushik Oberoi in Mumbai Diaries 26/11

Hum human body ko dekhte hain, human character ko dekhna hamara kaam nahi.

#mumbai diaries 26/11 #mohit raina #dr kaushik oberoi #uff this scene #its my first day of quarantine that's why I am spending my time making mediocre gifts and hoping the next one will be better #I cant believe I have to spend the two last days of ramadan and eid alone #disclaimer : mumbai series is not about the why and how and the political issues regarding the terror attacks #its about the city Mumbai and their people facing a tragedy #and in the middle of it the hospital where the problem of the system are exploited brutally in this horrible night #like in this dr Oberoi says that the death of the police officer did happen bc of the gun fights but he could not be saved #bc lack of resources and money #regarding the pandemic you get a hint of all the work that the medical staff is doing #soo a lot of issues are in these series but also too many #sometimes it felt like the makers are just ticking of the list and it did not felt organic in some scenes #but all the scenes with the three new interns are incredible and I love all of them #if this would be my first day as a intern I would need 5years of vacation #can please somebody watch it so I have someone to talk about it ? #and there was too much Hindi in it #mumbai main itni hindi kaun bolta hai ? #myedit

[descentivity]

Depression, Trauma, (and Most Importantly,) My Thoughts on Hello Charlotte EP1 & 2

Eating has been difficult for me for as long as I remember. It started off as an aversion to food, in favour of spending my time more efficiently on what my dumb little mind viewed as more important: Homework, video games.

Over time, it turned into anorexia. I had already gotten used to eating just under 500 calories a day, and my depression took my poor habits and twisted them into a cowardly and slow attempt at suicide.

On my road to recovery, I’ve found that years of poor eating choices have lead to my body struggling to process food. I have to eat at a painstakingly slow pace lest my stomach turns against me, and the smell of food is sometimes enough to diminish my appetite altogether. My bowel movements are, for lack of a better word, a shitshow.

This brings me to today, the 10th of August, 2021. 6 or so years of barely eating enough to survive later, I’m setting the world record for the slowest consumption of a fillet o’ fish in the history of mankind. 

In my absolute boredom and unfathomable stomach pain, ManlyBadassHero’s playthrough of some random horror game (I can’t remember the name) appears in my YouTube recommended, and I’m reminded of a horror game I bought on sale on Steam, the last of a trilogy. In all honesty, I only bought the game because it was dirt cheap and one of my sisters’ names is Charlotte. I was too horrified at the time to process the story nor play the previous two games, so I did a quick achievement run and left it at that. I was certainly very confused as I had no idea who any of the characters or what any of the concepts were, but the gore had me too mortified to go and find out myself. 

A year later, I’m looking the trilogy up on ManlyBadassHero’s YouTube channel, and decide to start from the beginning of his Hello Charlotte journey, in 2016.

Hello Charlotte EP1

I’m going to be completely honest with you, the first game really didn’t resonate with me too well. It was a cute, quirky, RPG Maker horror game, with two loveable main characters and an interesting world. However, with context from the third game, the events felt too self-isolated and inconsequential. Felix and Charlotte are in a little self-contained TV world created by a fictional race called Pythia - creatures with 3 or 4 eyes that can create miniature dimensions, once brought into a hivemind by an “Oracle,” which seems to be some sort of god. They all seem to be falling apart and have taken a horrific turn as most of the Pythia have been “executed,” and those who haven’t have either gone mad or into hiding in their own bubbles of (albeit temporary) safety.

The ending of the game is somewhat misleading, too. Once Charlotte and Felix escape the TV world by having Charlotte merge with the Oracle itself, the game almost plays off the previous events like they were all a story made up by a young and imaginative Charlotte. Did they happen at all? Is she a reliable narrator or point of view to begin with? (Spoiler alert, she is not.) The explanation for it all seems to be that Charlotte herself is a schizophrenic, though the legitimacy of this is brought into question in the third game, which I will talk about later. Altogether, the game didn’t bring out many strong emotions in me, and I was starting to zone out as I moved on to the second game’s playthrough.

Hello Charlotte EP2

What struck me as odd in the second game is that while the first game seemed to bring Charlotte out of her own strange, black-and-white world and back into reality, we’ve found out that she’s right back where we started last game. A black-and-white world, inhabited by her imaginary friends. Aliens, gods, and the like. However, Charlotte’s seemingly made-up world feels more alive this time. I’m not sure if this is the consequence of the game developer improving their skills or an intentional detail, but even more characters are introduced, and previously shallow tenants of Charlotte’s home are given more depth. The hazmat-suit wearing aliens have faces, personalities and whole backstories attached to them, now. Charlotte has a best friend at school named Anri, who has a obsessive crush on her. She’s friends with a bullying victim named C with horrible germaphobia, who has almost identical struggles to her (more on those struggles later.)

What also surprised me is the continuity between the first and second game. For some reason, I thought that this Charlotte would be starting from scratch, completely oblivious to the fate of the first game’s iteration. However, this concept only seems to be used in the third game, so I guess I was simply mislead. This game, in fact, takes place 3 years after the first, and the Oracle still lives on within Charlotte’s conscious. However, it’s a dying god, on its last leg. It had already been dying during the time of the last few Pythia, but it had used the last of its strength to free Felix and Charlotte from their world. As the Oracle’s health declines, so does Charlotte’s mortal body.

Unlike the first game, most of the themes in this game hit way too close to home. The feeling of second-hand helplessness when someone you barely knew ends their own life. Anri’s obsessive and outright manipulative lesbian crush on Charlotte, bordering on bullying. The schooltime harrassment and trauma Charlotte underwent. The fear and dangers of social interaction. Feeling unlawfully punished by your school teachers for seemingly nothing at all. Depression, self harm, and the primal urge to escape from it. Getting roped into others’ mental health, until both of your issues converge into a disgusting amalgamation of the need but severe lack of therapy and a break from it all. Delusions of what could’ve been and the possible, yet near impossible future ahead. Looking back on everything you’ve ever done and regretting every second of it.

While I ticked off the trauma presented to me on a silver platter in the form of a fucking RPG Maker game like a twisted bucket list, I found myself relating more and more to not only Charlotte, but the students around her. Scarlett, whose life was so perfect that nobody had even thought about her possible mental issues until it was far too late. Anri, who would lay down her life for a girl who simply doesn’t feel the same way. C, who desperately wanted to escape from reality by any means possible.

An interesting fact about Hello Charlotte is that there are numerous omnipotent beings amongst its cast. They aren’t shy about providing very in-depth character analysis to Charlotte, and in turn, to the puppeteer (I suppose now is a good time to inform those who are unfamiliar with the series that the puppeteer refers to a species, character, and the player, all at once. Charlotte has a puppeteer controlling her by the name of Seth. You are/are controlling Seth as the player. Capiche? Capiche.)

What this meant for me watching Manly’s playthrough was the feeling of two gods (in this game, at least) peering right into my soul, analysing characters that reflected my exact experiences and even my personality during my school days. I learned and realised things about myself that I simply hadn’t known before. Just like Charlotte, I’m simply looking for direction in life, and I’m too afraid to act without instructions. I found myself bullied, manipulated and abandoned by someone who simply wanted my affections, and only learned to miss them when they were gone. Like Anri, my desperation for love and approval from an individual in turn lead to anger and resentment for them. Like both Charlotte and C, I eventually turned to hurting myself to make all the pain go away, refusing help from others and developing a shell of false optimism and naivety to forget about the damage I had dealt to my body, personality and relationships.

As much as I hate to admit it on my little obscure Tumblr blog with 0 followers and 0 traction, I still struggle with these things. I have no direction in life, and wander aimlessly, hoping for one of my offshot attempts at content creation to take off. I find myself missing the girl who emotionally abused me to hell and back every day. I resent another girl for never feeling the same way I felt about her. I still don’t take care of myself, and spend every day in a state of denial about my physical decline and sickliness. I’m so incompetent emotionally that I spend days ignoring my own boyfriend, starving him of the proper relationship that he deserves all because of how broken, fragmented and distant my own mind is.

Hello Charlotte EP2 has four endings. All four of them, in my eyes, are bad.

In the first, C and Charlotte overdose together, leaving their mortal realm to become gods. They choose to ignore and forget the pains of their mortal lives, and live the rest of their godly lives in ignorant bliss. Do I want to forget about my depression and trauma? Learn nothing, and forget about everything that made me who I am today? Or worse even, do I dare take the plunge into “godhood,” and leave this mortal plane to end my suffering altogether?

In the second, Charlotte discovers that C isn’t who she thinks he is, and she finds him without a soul. Alive, but empty. Charlotte could not save him. Consumed by grief, she ascends and becomes a god, consuming the entire world around her. After all is said and done, she realizes her mistake. All of her friends are gone, C is still empty and unresponsive, and now she is alone. Sometimes, I feel as though I’ve already gone through this ending, many times over. Countless times I’ve let my depression become all-consuming and take over my life. I’ve pushed so many people away and hurt so many more, and for what? I have nothing to gain from every fit of depression, and the consequences make it seem nothing more but a selfish attempt to make myself feel better.

In the third, Charlotte is the only one who dies. In her last moments, the Oracle comforts her, like a mother cradling her child. They embrace, and say goodbye to each other, as Charlotte’s own life was the only thing keeping the dying god alive. At this point, I’ve started to draw parallels between the Oracle and depression. Depression isn’t always a horrible thing that beats you down and keeps you from being truly happy. Sometimes, wallowing in my own sadness and depression would be the only thing that keeps you sane, stable, and calm. The feeling of hopelessness really is bittersweet, and in desperate times, goes hand-in-hand with acceptance of one’s circumstance. Oftentimes, I find that this is the most realistic way I’ll go out. One day, I may just accept depression, and succomb to it. There may not be a struggle at all. Rather, a quiet, submissive hum, which will fade away into silence.

In the fourth and final ending, Charlotte and C die alongside each other. After her death, Charlotte confronts the Oracle, and wishes to save everyone, and for everyone to be unhappy. Of course, this is where the classic saying: “Be careful what you wish for” comes in. Because of her wish, everyone’s soul, what makes them individual and unique, is erased. After all, no one can suffer if they cannot think at all. In some ways, emptiness is pure bliss. This once again goes back to the bittersweetness of depression. The sheer emptiness it may bring on, at times, is bliss. Feeling nothing isn’t always a bad thing. It’s a way to cope with the horrors of the world. To remember nothing at all is such a tempting yet unattainable solution that I can’t say I haven’t longed for in the near or distant past. Charlotte, of course, is distraught that her friends are all gone, their identities and souls lost forever. Following this, she has one request to make of another god, the observer. She wishes to be killed, as all of her actions have lead to nothing but pain for others and herself. The observer, however, refuses this offer. Instead, he comforts her and takes her hand. They go on a journey together. He suggests that one day, she’ll learn to control her power, and she can recreate the world and her friends. As they leave, Charlotte reflects on her hopes and dreams for the journey. She hopes to learn to be kind, and not hurt others. She wants to change her ways, and become an honest, good person. Charlotte, slowly but surely, is on the road to recovery.

Putting the unsettling sequel to this game aside, maybe I could learn a little bit from Charlotte.

#tw suicide #tw depression #tw anorexia #tw self harm #disordered eating tw #hello charlotte #charlotte wiltshire #anri warhol #scarlett eyler #charles eyler #indie horror #review

[dameronology]

the one after you adopt the child {mando x reader}

summary: you and din finally catch a moment for some bedroom activities after the child goes to sleep (but not in the way you’d think) 

warnings - language. yall should know this by now.

anyways, enjoy!! this is just pure fluff 

- val xx 

‘I left you for five seconds, Din!’ 

You couldn’t see the blasted man’s face through that goddamned tin-can he wore but you hoped to the makers above that it was...remorseful. Or at least a little bit guilty because dammit, Din, it’s not that hard to keep an eye on a bright green child. His legs were the size of erasers and the Mandalorian had let him run away. He had one job. One job. 

‘He’s more agile than you’d think.’ Din’s modulated voice shot back. He was stood in the middle of the cockpit, arms folded tightly across his chest. 

‘You want to talk to me about agility?’ You dropped your arms to your side, flailing them out in frustration. ‘You are a Mandalorian. A trained warrior and you got beaten out by a frog!’

‘Just look downstairs for him, please.’ Din grumbled. ‘I’ll check up here.’ 

You’d had the little green child for the better part of two weeks. Becoming parents so suddenly had certainly been a steep learning curve; there had been a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of tears and plenty of bickering. Still, you wouldn’t have changed a thing - even if you and Din had been childishly arguing, officially becoming a family had brought you closer than ever. 

Turning on your heel, you headed down the ladder and into the hull of the crest. The whole room was pitch black; it was often kept that way so that Din could easily take off his helmet and climb into bed beside you without worry. You knew that you were going to see his face one day; there was sort of an unspoken agreement that you would get married at some point. It made sense - you were practically his whole world. 

‘Oh, you little shit.’ You murmured. Having turned on the lights and followed the sounds of little snores, your eyes landed on the Child asleep on your pillow. He was drooling slightly, arms flopped out on either side of him. ‘C’mon, kid.’

You gently picked him up, trying your best not to disturb him as you carried him back up to the cockpit. Din was on his hands and knees on the floor, peering under the dashboard for the creature. 

‘Din.’ You whispered, gently nudging him with your foot.

‘Huh?’ He turned around, climbing back to his feet. ‘Oh, you found him, cyar'ika.’ 

‘He was on my pillow.’ You softly smiled, placing him back in his floating cot. After softly brushing a finger across his tiny cheek, you shut the lid on it. ‘Napping.’

‘Finally.’ Din groaned. ‘I haven’t caught a break in two weeks.’

The last fortnight had been spent jumping from planet to planet, constantly looking over your shoulder for the Imps and bounty hunters. Now you were in deep space, perhaps the furthest out you’d ever been - but that didn’t matter. You were together; you, Din and the kid. That was the most important thing. 

‘You know what means.’ You winked, reaching out to grab his hand. ‘We can go down to the bedroom.’

‘And sleep.’

‘So damn hard.’ 

You had never been so happy to collapse into bed; having spent the whole day entertaining the child with peek-a-boos and dried frogs, you were shattered. Din was tired for different reasons - because of Imps, because of the Guild, because he worried so much about you - but now, he just wanted to hold you. The only time he could truly relax was when you were by his side; when he knew you were safe. Letting the Child into his life had only doubled that worry - after all, he had a family now. A fucking weird one, admittedly, but a family none the less. 

After kicking off your boots (and flipping over the drool-covered pillow), you flopped onto the mattress. Din turned out the lights, fumbling to remove his helmet and the remains of his armour. You’d become accustomed to it by that point; used to seeing your own reflection peaking back at you when you had a conversation or diving out the way whenever the sun blindingly bounced off the grooves of his helmet. It made moments like this - when there was no armour, no helmet and just Din - much more special.

You felt a pair of warm arms wrap around your waist and a moment later, you were pulled tightly into Din’s chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head, stubble ticking your skin as he buried his head in your shoulder. Sometimes, he just needed a hug. 

‘You’re doing good.’ You quietly murmured, hands slowly brushing through his tufty hair. ‘Most people have time to prepare for parenthood - and their houses don’t usually fly. That kid is lucky to have you.’

‘No.’ Din shook his head. ‘He’s lucky to have you - without you, there’d be no me.’

‘I love you.’ You gently placed your hands on either side of his face, bringing it up to place a kiss on his lips. He hummed softly when you did - a sound that could have made you melt.

‘I love you too.’ He replied, forehead pressed to yours. ‘I’m always going to look after you and our family-’

‘- our elite.’

‘Our what now?’

‘Isn’t that Mando’a for family?’ You scrunched your face up.

‘Oh cyar'ika.’ His body shook against yours slightly as he chuckled. ‘It’s aliit.’

‘Man, I gotta brush up on my skills.’ You muttered. 

‘It’s sweet that you tried.’ His hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer towards him. 

You’d picked up a few words from Din simply from spending time with him. He especially had a habit of muttering names and phrases in Mando’a whenever you were making love - but those weren’t really appropriate to say out loud outside of the bedroom. It was a hard to learn a second language whilst also running from the Imperials, the Bounty hunters and a considerably long list of other people that he’d managed to piss off. 

‘You should sleep.’ He murmured quietly. He could never sleep until he knew that you were safe and sound in his arms, so part of it was a plea for his own, tired sake. 

‘Already on my way.’ You snuggled into his side, a content sigh escaping your lips. ‘I love our little el..elite? Fuck. I still can’t say it.’

‘You don’t have to.’ He softly said. ‘I feel it. That’s the most important thing.’ 

#mando x reader #mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #din djarin imagine #mando imagine #mandalorian imagine #star wars x reader #star wars imagines #din djarin fanfic #mando fanfic #mandalorian fanfic

[jjyusmile]

full moon | eric sohn

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ meltingjukyu’s spooky season ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

pairing: shifter!eric x {gender neutral} reader!

words: 2.7k

notes: this was requested by @dinosvvrs​ ♥ as the final instalment of my spooky season prompt list!

notes: i need to stop myself from falling in love with this boy ,,, fluffy and energetic, just like our maknae!

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾  ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

you checked your phone and nothing had changed. the swirls of paint that had been brushed against your canvas were beginning to dry under the harsh light of the art room. getting impatient, you took one of your favourite strawberry jellies from your pocket and popped it into your mouth; the obnoxious ticking that came from the clock by the door drew you to count the seconds that went past: 11:48pm.

his baseball practice was going on longer than usual.

when your best friend was practicing baseball, late-night hideaways in your safe space weren’t uncommon, especially coming up to exam season. you found yourself drawn out of the library and into the art room when times got too stressful for you to handle; your frustration made for colourfully beautiful strokes on a page.

as you wandered down the corridor with your rucksack slung over your shoulder, you hummed along to the music playing through your headphones. the opaque white hue that lit the corridors was almost blinding that the moment you stepped out of the building, a wave of relaxation hit you -- as did the droplets of rain that fell from the sky. checking your phone again, you huffed and tucked it back into your pocket. the walk from the arts building to your apartment wasn’t too long because you walked across the baseball field, something your best friend taught you in your first year, cutting off around five minutes of your journey. flooded with lights, the path along the field led close to the fan stands that lined the diamond; mixed in with the dampening air, the smell of fresh paint overwhelmed your senses as you noticed the outline of white around the playing field. the overwhelming sense of pride filled you as you wandered along the path, catching a look at home base through the rain that threatened to fall quicker. the moment triggered a memory of the way your best friend slid in with three seconds to go -- he won the season that day.

the sound of clattering brought you out of your daze as you stopped in your tracks. taking out one headphone, your eyes flickered around every part of the field to assess your surroundings -- I definitely I heard something? 

stepping your foot closer in the direction of the noise you heard, another loud crash sounded in the same direction. a shadow of an animal on all fours darted out from behind the seating stand at the speed of light and into the trees that lurked around the back of the field.

you sped up slightly to see what had happened -- most likely a stray dog has gotten into the rubbish they kept behind the stands. poor thing, you thought.

the area behind the stands of seats was hidden away from the outfield lights as the bins were cast away in the shadows. as you approached, you noticed the subtle glimmer of moonlight as droplets fell from the sky and into the puddles that formed on the ground.

a low rumbling sounded from the direction you were headed in that caused you to stop in your tracks once more. perhaps the animal left behind its family?

sneaking up to the edge of the wall, you peered around the back of the stand, careful not to startle any animal that was left behind. was it a deer? a raccoon? you attempted to quieten your breathing as your heart quickened its pace in your chest.

a shadow, flickering slightly, told you there was something back there, and your mind screamed at you to turn back… what would eric do in this situation? … where even was eric…

the moment your mind wandered to your best friend, the shadows head flicked in your direction, two piercing eyes broke the darkness with a yellow glow. in a flash, you slapped your hand across your mouth to stop any unnecessary noise from attracting the creature. your back hit the wall as you squeezed your eyes shut. the vivid memory of piercing yellow eyes floated in your mind -- that creature wasn’t on all fours… was it a human?

you heard a quiet rustling once more and focused your attention to your hearing, eyes squeezed shut in the hopes that you wouldn’t get caught. your chest heaved up and down in a panic -- if you moved now, it might hear you. moments had passed and the rustling sound had ceased; it had become eerily quiet but you were too afraid to open your eyes just yet.

droplets of rain that once ran down your face had stopped too and warmth ran over your body. opening your eyes, you were met with bright blue ones only inches from your own; they held their training jacket over your head to block you from the rain.

eric.

“what are you doing out here? do you know what time it is?” he scolded -- the furrow in his brow ever prominent. that was much like your best friend, a day wouldn’t go by without him worrying about you constantly.

“I- ... be quiet,” you rushed, more afraid that the creature might come to get eric more than yourself.

“what are you talking about? come on, let’s get you home…” he started.

you pulled your hand away as he went to grab your wrist in an attempt to pull you toward your apartment. “stop. listen to me, please. you need to be quiet, eric. please.”

the shadow lurked in your mind for a moment and a chill ran down your spine despite the odd warmth that radiated from eric. his eyes flicked between your own in concern as he scanned over your face. as he pulled away to see what you were talking about, you grabbed at the fabric of his shirt, pulling his chest closer to you so you had his attention.

“I think there’s something over there by the rubbish…” you began, a wave of worry washing over you once more as you voiced your concern about what you saw moments ago.

at that moment, something you thought was a figment of your imagination became reality. it only took a second for you to look into your best friend’s eyes and notice a flicker of the yellow hue that haunted your mind…

as you began to pull away, his palm, warmer than before, held onto your wrist. his irises, now fading back to blue, were prominent in the moonlight. his gaze was warm, nothing like how it was moments before in the shadows.

“it was you…” you began, realisation washing over you like the shower coming from the sky.

he looked up for a moment. the dusty light of the midnight moon washed over his face in beautiful streams, his sharp features accentuated in the subtle shadows. he was still dressed in his baseball training kit as small beads of sweat stuck to his temples and tufts of his slightly damp blonde hair fell into his eyes.

he inhaled slowly and turned his gaze away from his maker to flicker between your own -- would you hate him if you knew?

bravely, he grabbed your hands from their steel grip in his shirt and held them against his chest. this is what he did when you were thinking irrationally -- but this time he knew, you had every right to think irrationally.

you took in a breath for what felt like the first time in minutes and relaxed your shoulders.

“you have some explaining to do.”

that was how you both ended up sitting on the top step of the stands under the cover, hidden from the moon and raindrops.

eric had draped his jacket over your shoulders in an attempt to warm you up as you found it difficult to be too close to him at this time.

you tapped your fingers against the denim on your knees in anticipation. you had so many questions whirling around your mind and didn’t know what to ask next.

“so, the blue contacts?”

he turned his head to the left to gaze at you with curiosity. he was expecting the usual questions about his other half but you were more curious about the little things.

“the blue contacts hide the yellow that overpowers my irises in the change. I can control it really well most of the time but sometimes a minor mishap can make them glow. most of the time, they turn from blue to a subtle green… the blue from the contacts mixes with my true eyes to make green… science.”

you huffed. smart ass.

“so what about just now? you’re wearing the contacts and I could still see the yellow shining through them…” you played with the fray of string that hung from the hole you had made in your jeans -- a habit you had when in a difficult situation.

“on full moons, it’s difficult to hide my true self. the strength is too powerful for something like a contact lens to hide.” a subtle smirk played on his lips and your chest felt more at ease -- this was the eric you knew.

suddenly, he was no longer eric sohn, star pitcher and college heartthrob… he became the best part about him… eric sohn, your best friend and all-round charmer. his smile could ease any anxiety that arose in any situation.

a sudden shiver stormed through your body and the visible action caused eric to move closer to you. you hadn’t noticed the warmth that radiated from his body before.

“the animal that ran away before… were they also a shifter?” you quizzed, turning your head to gaze out at the field ahead.

“that was my cousin. she’s is still going through transition -- it takes around three months... so three full moons after you turn eighteen for a shifter to complete their transition. I was trying to help her gain control over it, but she began to lash out and I think she was afraid she’d hurt me as I was still in this wonderful form you know and love.” he nudged your shoulder affectionately to lighten the mood. “so she ran away… I texted her to let me know how she gets on. but she’s got this, we all did it.”

you nodded your head, unable to say much as you processed the information. many questions were at the tip of your tongue waiting for eric’s answer. he squeezed your shoulder supportively.

“and how did you know it was me?” you pondered after a while, something you had thought about the moment your eyes opened and melted into his own.

he took his hand from around your shoulder and began to rummage in the pocket of his coat. within seconds, he pulled out the small blue packaging you had placed in there when you first sat down on the steps.

a look of confusion washed over your face and eric’s eyes crinkled as a grin formed on his face.

“strawberry jellies. your number one favourite snack… and the smell that lingers on you the most.”

he had the sudden urge to smooth out the furrow that made its way onto your brow more prominently. he lifted the hand unoccupied by the best snack in the world and grazed his thumb between your eyebrows, almost absentmindedly, as he began to explain.

“as shifters, we have heightened senses. especially wolves like me. it’s not what you’re thinking -- we aren’t like those wolves in twilight or anything, we just have an excellent sense of smell and recognise where the scent comes from quicker than your average human.”

his hand had made its way along your collarbone, distracted. eric wasn’t afraid to show his affection to you anymore; he didn’t have anything more to hide from you. it was no secret that he had loved you since you were kids -- the mere fact that he was a shifter inhibiting him from ever pursuing anything. but that hindrance vanished the moment you opened your eyes back there.

he dragged his hand down your back and reached to grab your hand; it still shook slightly but as his fingers intertwined with your own, your shaking hand stopped.

the silence wasn’t deafening. he knew you were trying to process everything he had just told you. yet, your mind, whirling a mile an hour, was conflicted between processing the information and registering the touching moments eric has shared with you in the last few minutes. an overwhelming love for him washed over you the moment you realised he was still eric -- perhaps it was a love that was always there, it just needed a nudge to rise to the surface.

“thank you,” he snapped you out of your trace, his gaze locked and memorising all of your features. “thank you for understanding all of this… I know it’s a lot.”

you went to open your mouth but he interrupted you --

“and I’m sorry.” he looked down at your intertwined fingers for a moment, wondering how to phrase his next sentence. “I should have told you a long time ago but I was just scared that you’d look at me like I had grown two heads every time you saw me.”

your fingers squeezed his in an attempt to make him look back up at you. and when he did, any words you were about to say got stuck in your throat. he looked so vulnerable, almost puppy-like… but you’d never tell him that because he’d claim you were being stereotypical in a snarky but charming way.

you shook the thought from your mind as you looked down at your hands too, a small smile graced your lips.

“thank you for trusting me.”

a smile reached his lips to match your own. the temperature of his body automatically warming as if his temperature depended on his mood -- maybe it did, and you had all the time in the world to find out.

as your thoughts ran absentmindedly, you were drawn out of it by eric’s next move.

he brought your intertwined fingers up to his face as he rested his chin against the back of your hand. his eyes fixed on your own in a loving gaze; they locked longer than usual. any apprehension that clouded eric’s mind washed away the moment a smile beamed against your lips just for him. he drew his chin away from your hand and replaced it with a brush of his lips, causing goosebumps to trail up your forearm.

but in typical eric fashion, the whisper of a kiss turned into his teeth jokingly grazing around your wrist. you pulled away with a high pitch squeal, his jacket dropping from your shoulders in your attempt to get away.

startled by your amused reaction, he reached down to grab the fallen piece of clothing and darted up onto his feet in an attempt to catch you.

“hey! I wasn’t really going to bite you.” it took at least a lap around the field for you to grow tired, hair drenched by the sudden opening of the heavens. your giggle echoed across the diamond as eric chased you, a foot in toe the whole time as he jokingly failed to catch you.

as you came to a halt, eric’s beaming smile swept your attention from any game you were playing. he strode toward you with childlike glee and pulled you into his side as he wandered toward your apartment and out of the field.

as you passed through the gate, his hands held your shoulders from behind; the small gap in the entranceway attempting to make him lose contact… not on his watch.

“did you really think I was going to bite you?” amusement laced his voice as he smirked in your direction.

“uhh- no…” your voice cracked a little as the 0.08% of you that really believed he was going to bite you seeped through.

he chuckled loudly, throwing his head back as his arm reached around your shoulders once more. as his laughter died down, he leant in to whisper to you -- the proximity of his lips grazing your ear sending shivers along your back.

“I promise, I wasn’t going to bite you… yet.”

and with that, he darted away from you and his laughter echoed through the air as you chased him the whole way home.

#deobiwritersnet #tbznetwork #the boyz eric #tbz eric #eric sohn #eric #eric fluff #tbz eric fluff #tbz one shot #tbz fluff #i'm in myfeels #don't touch me

[me-myself-and-my-fos]

Happy Anniversary

Pairing: Archie Hopper x Nicole Hopper

Word Count: 1.3k

Summary: Nic and Archie celebrate their first anniversary as parents

A/N: I know our anniversary isn’t until October but I thought of this and it’s so soft

Tag List: @hyperionshipping @heavenshipped @dancing-with-skeletons @astralshipper

As the French toast was frying, Ichabod let out a little whine. Nic looked over at the nearly 3 month old and quickly flipped the piece of bread on the stove before picking up Icha from his spot on the counter. He was always fussy in the mornings, especially when Archie wasn’t up. She held him against her chest, kissing his head softly.

“I know, pumpkin, you want papa to hold you. He’s asleep right now.” She whispered to him. Nic grabbed the pacifier from its spot on the counter next to where Ichabod had been. Quickly but gently she gave the pacifier to her son, and he was immediately calmed, snuggling into her shoulder. With one hand, Nic continued to cook breakfast. While the French toast was still cooking, she started on some sausage, cooking it on the stove in a separate pan.

As she did this, she spoke quietly to Ichabod. “Today is our wedding anniversary, Icha. I wanted to do something special for your papa. Especially after last night.”

Archie had been up half of the night with Icha, who had a small tummy ache. They had tried everything to alleviate it but to no avail. Eventually Archie insisted that Nic get some sleep and he’ll stay to comfort and calm Ichabod. After about 10 minutes of protests Nic finally relented and went to bed. Her husband didn’t join her until 2 am, when Icha finally felt better and fell asleep.

He always did so much when taking care of Ichabod and trying to give her time to rest. Sometimes it annoyed her, though only because she is Icha’s mother and feels like she should be doing everything. It took Archie the first month of being new parents to convince her to let him take some of the responsibilities off her shoulders. Nic felt like she could never repay him for being so patient and helpful, although she still tried in small ways. Like this morning’s breakfast.

Icha continued to suck on the pacifier, already beginning to nod off on her shoulder.

Just wait until he’s asleep to put him down, she told herself.

She still had more French toast to make, the first two pieces being hers. Now it was time to make Archie’s. Nic had just finished frying them when she plated. She put blueberries and sliced bananas on the breakfast and on the plate before heating some maple syrup. It was at this point she carefully set Icha down in his bumbo chair, hoping to not wake him. Once Nic was sure he wouldn’t wake, she finished putting together the breakfast. She drizzled maple syrup on the French toast before putting some sausage on Archie’s plate. Just as she put sausage and poured syrup on her own plate, the coffee maker beeped. She was so busy pouring their cups of coffee and rummaging through the fridge for Archie’s favorite creamer that she didn’t hear him come downstairs.

“Muffin? What are you doing?” He asked. Nic jumped in her spot, hitting her head on the inside of the fridge. She hissed and pulled her head out of the fridge, the French vanilla creamer in hand.

She rubbed her head to soothe the pain. “What are you doing up?” She looked at him. “And why are you wearing a different shirt?”

He was wearing a baby blue t-shirt with ‘#1 Dad’ written on the front in black ink. It had lots of food stains on it from all the times Nic had worn it when she tried to get a quick bite before Icha woke up to be fed. Last night when he was comforting Icha, he was wearing a black t-shirt as part of his pajamas.

“Icha spit up on me so I had to change before bed,” he explained. When he did get to bed he pulled the first shirt he could find from the laundry basket at the foot of their bed and put it on. But now that he thought about it, that might have been the dirty clothes. Honestly he was too tired to care at the time. “But what are you doing?” Archie asked, stepping over to the counter.

“Making anniversary breakfast,” she told him.

He shook his head. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” she replied as she poured some creamer into his cup. “I mean, this past year you’ve were so patient through the pregnancy, and you’ve just… you’ve been so helpful when I need you, even when I don’t ask.” Nic looked at him again and he walked over to her. She hugged him tightly, and Archie pressed a kiss to her head. “I just wanted to thank you for being an amazing husband like always.”

“It’s easy to do when my wife is just as amazing,” he told her softly. He kissed her on the lips gently. “Let’s have some breakfast?”

Nic nodded as they pulled away. She put the creamer back in the fridge and gave Archie his plate of breakfast. They ate in silence on the couch, Icha sleeping soundly in his seat that they had moved to the coffee table to keep an eye on him. Archie just sat back down with a second cup of coffee when Nic pulled out a small box, holding it out to him.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he told her, taking it from her.

“I thought you might like this,” she smiled at him.

Archie opened the box and looked at Nic in surprise before looking back at the gift. He gently removed the pocket watch from the box and held it in his palm. It was nothing fancy, a simple gold pocket watch with a small gold chain. The top had his initials engraved in it.

“Open it,” Nic whispered encouragingly.

He did as suggested and opened it. The clock itself was black with white Roman numerals for the numbers, the hands of the clock were gold as it ticked, already set on the correct time. But on the inside of the pocket watch above the clock was a picture of Nic holding Ichabod on the couch, with Perdy and Pongo sitting on either side. It was simple but perfect.

Archie smiled as he cupped Nic’s cheek with his hand and kissed her. “This is beautiful. I love it. Thank you so much, honeybun.”

Nic grinned, hugging Archie and burying her face in his neck. “I’m so glad you love it.”

Gently he put the pocket watch back in its box and set it on the table. He stood from the couch and walked over the pantry in the kitchen. Archie dug in the back for a moment before pulling out a box of his own, it was bigger than the one Nic had given him. He stepped back over to the couch and sat beside Nic, handing her the box.

“Happy anniversary,” he said.

The look she gave him clearly said he didn’t have to get her anything, but he could tell she appreciated it. Nic lifted the top off the box and stared up at Archie with a look of surprise similar to what he had given her. She pulled the object out, and admired the measuring cups. They were different colors, and ones much bigger than what they had at home. The sizes ranged from ¼ cup to 2 cups, and Nic couldn’t stop herself from pulling her husband into a tight hug.

“These are amazing!” She exclaimed, pulling away only to kiss him. “Where did you even– I’ve only been able to find these for the bakery and– how?”

Archie chuckled at her rambling. “I was at the store the other day getting some groceries we needed when I saw them. I knew you’d like them.”

“Like them? I love them!” She kissed him again. “Thank you so much, Cupcake.”

“You’re welcome, Nic.” He pulled her into another hug. “Happy anniversary.”

Nic smiled into the hug. “Happy anniversary.”

#my conscience #otp: happily ever after #mywriting #self insert community #self insert fic #self insert #self shipping community #self shipping #self ship #self ship community

[banditthewriter]

Ryan Brenner’s Soulmate

Another one of my soulmate oneshots for my anniversary! 

Trope: They are only able to see in black and white until they meet their soulmate.

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists!

*gif not mine*

Enjoy!

*****

The world in black and white wasn’t as bad as some people made it out to be. Granted some of that came from the frustration and stigma that surrounded people who could not see in color.

Somewhere in the world you knew that your soulmate was also seeing in black and white. That helped you accept the reality a lot easier than most people in your situation. You weren’t alone in the world, not really.

As you pulled on your uniform for the diner, you wondered what your soulmate thought about the black and white life they lived in. Did they dream of the day they would see colors? Did they wonder what you looked like? Did they struggle with their black and white life like you knew some people did?

Did they even care?

Not everyone wanted a soulmate. You’d read plenty of stories about a person who would meet their soulmate and, with their world now lit up in every color of the rainbow, would disappear without a trace.

The walk to the diner was mostly in a wooded area, but you didn’t mind. Few cars went down the road that led to your neighborhood so you walked along the street, your eyes eating up the scenery. A game you sometimes played with yourself is naming the colors that you knew existed in the world but that you wouldn’t be able to pick out when you first got your colored vision.

Red. Green. Blue. Purple. Yellow. Orange. 

Then there would be other colors, like magenta and violet and seafoam. You knew the names of all of the colors and you couldn’t wait until you could identify them all.

The diner that you worked at was called Mikey’s. The sign was large and flickered. You were told the background of the sign was green, but of course you just had to take their word for it. It was tucked into a little side street but it was usually pretty busy. This close to the train station, you got a lot of drifters and tourists.

People loved coming to small towns. You didn’t understand the appeal. You’d leave if you could.

Today the diner was pretty quiet, a few people sprinkled around different tables and booths. Once you were inside, you moved around comfortably. Tea for table three, extra fries for booth six, more silverware for table seven, glasses of water for table one, bring food out to booth five.

It was something you had done for years and it only required half of your attention. The rest of you looked around for any of the new people in the diner. Would they be your soulmate? But every time you met their eyes and everything stayed dim, you felt that flicker in the pit of your stomach.

You wanted to meet your soulmate for more than just the colors that would come. You wanted to meet them because you were ready to fall in love, you yearned for it. How long until you would get that chance? 

The day ticked on more and more until it was time to close up. You swept the floor, stacked the chairs, and told Mikey you’d see him tomorrow. The walk home was dark and lonely, but you were used to it.

Today was not the day that you’d meet your soulmate but maybe tomorrow. 

Just like always, you hoped your soulmate had a good evening.

------

The diner was fairly empty as the clock said that it was almost time to close up. You moved around the tables and cleared off what you could, smiling at the regulars and checking on the people you didn’t recognize. It had been a long day and you were ready to get off of your feet.

The bell over the door made you look up. A man walked in with a hat pulled down over his eyes, a bag on his back and a guitar case hanging from his hand. You watched the other waitress greet him and get his order.

“He’s handsome,” Kelly said as she joined you on the other side of the counter, her eyes darting over to the man who was curled into himself a bit. “Kinda quiet, but I don’t mind that.”

You flicked her wrist with a laugh.

“I’m guessing you aren’t seeing the rainbow,” you said, using the phrase most people used for when they met their soulmate.

“No, but I’d still like to see more of him.”

Kelly was relentless. A lot of people didn’t mind sleeping with someone even if they weren’t soulmates, but that had never been what you wanted to do. You preferred to wait until you either found someone you loved, color or no, or found your soulmate.

A little while later, Kelly had stepped out back for a smoke break before it was time to close up. You watched a few of the last people leave. It left an older couple in the back and the newbie. You hovered near the counter, not wanting to step on Kelly’s toes. You’d seen her flirting, but she hadn’t seemed to have much luck.

You didn’t want to flirt with the newcomer, but you did want to check if he needed a top up on his coffee. Maybe a to go cup because he looked exhausted.

With one of the to go cups in hand, you went to the coffee maker and poured it in. You’d leave room for sugar and creamer, but you grabbed one of the cardboard sleeves and a lid. Then you headed over to where the newcomer was sitting.

“Thought you could use a pick me up,” you said as you bent down to grab a few napkins to wipe up a few droplets that you spilled. “It’s on the house. You just look like you’re…”

You met his eyes as you handed over the cup and the moment your eyes met his, you felt like you were in the middle of an explosion. Color. The world was washed in brightness, despite the late hour. 

The color of the booths was hideous. Mikey really needed to change that.

“Oh,” you breathed as you put the cup down and slumped against the counter. “Uh, hi? I’m uh… I’m Y/N.”

The man seemed just as shocked as you, but his eyes weren’t moving over the diner like yours had been. No, he was looking at you. You looked down and winced when you realized that your uniform was a pretty ugly color as well.

“I’m Ryan,” he said, his voice soft and low. It made you look back up at him. “I’m… I was heading out tonight, but I think maybe I should stay.”

You laughed and closed your eyes, feeling your heart race in your chest.

“I hope you do.”

------

Kelly was disappointed that the newcomer was spoken for, but she wasn’t upset. In fact she squealed so loud that Mikey came running thinking that she’d seen a mouse.

Ryan had laughed, the sound so perfect that it melted you down to your toes.

------

Mikey gave you the next day off so that you and Ryan could get to know each other. You took him around town, showing him the sights of the place where you had been born and raised. The two of you talked for hours, learning as much about each other as you could in such a short time.

He was a drifter, hopping trains around the country. He didn’t have a permanent address, didn’t have a permanent anything. You felt the apprehension of it in your chest, the knowledge that he would be leaving at some point hanging over your head as the two of you spent the day together.

He noticed it as well.

“You’re worried about something,” he said as he sat down next to you on a bench, both of you surrounded by what felt like a hundred different colors in the middle of the park.

“You’ll be leaving,” you said quietly as you looked down at your hands. The hands of a waitress who had never left her hometown. “You’ll get on a train and go to the next city or town and you’ll… maybe you won’t come back. There’s not much here to catch the interest of someone who can go anywhere he wants to.”

Ryan’s dark brown eyes moved over you carefully. You’d looked up the colors the night before because you wanted to know what color his eyes were. They almost looked black, a color you had become more than accustomed to.

They were brown. Dark, dark brown.

He reached out one hand to cover yours. You stared down at the tattoos on his fingers until his other hand tilted your face up.

“I’ve been traveling around the country because I never felt like I had a home. Didn’t think I’d ever meet my soulmate and I’d live in a black and white world. Why would I leave when I have you here?” Before you could reiterate that your town was small, he shook his head and squeezed your hand. “Wherever we are? That’s the most interesting place in the world to me.”

You felt warmth flood you at his words and the sincerity in his voice. You eased your head down to his shoulder and closed your eyes. 

------

The bedroom was dark. At night, with barely any light filtering in through your curtains, your room reminded you of the time before you met Ryan. Black, white, shades of grey; nothing was distinguishable in the night.

Except now you knew that your bedding was yellow and violet, your walls were cream, the painting on the wall showed dozens of colors that could be found in a forest. You knew that the guitar case that was propped up in the chair in the corner had stickers on it, each one more colorful than the last.

You rolled over to face Ryan. His eyes were closed, his chest moving up and down with his slow breaths. It had been two months since you’d seen the rainbow. It seemed that he had meant it when he said that he wasn’t going to go anywhere else. He did odd jobs around town to afford a room in the one motel that only had five rooms available. 

These days he stayed the night with you more often than not. You were starting to think he might as well stop renting the room at the motel and just move in.

His tattoos drew your eyes. There wasn’t any color on most of them, black ink only. You had traced your fingers over most of them plenty of times already, learned the curves and lines of them so that you could probably draw them with your eyes closed. 

“You should be asleep,” he said as he rolled over and draped his arm over your waist, tugging you in close to him. “It’s late. You’ve got a shift tomorrow.”

You snuggled into his side, your hand over his chest. The skin under your hand was warm to the touch. 

“I want to travel with you,” you said quietly, earning a surprised noise from him. “I’ve never left this zip code for more than a day trip. I’m not saying we have to go around the country, but let’s at least go away for a long weekend.”

Ryan’s eyes opened as he curled you in closer to him. Your faces were a few inches apart. He stared at you for a long moment in which the silence stretched on for what seemed like forever.

“If you wanna travel around the country together, I’m not going to say no. I just don’t want you to do it because it’s what you think I want.”

You propped your head up on your hand as you looked down at Ryan. He looked so good like this, his dark hair falling over his forehead and his face relaxed, sleep still tugging at him.

“There’s so much to see,” you said quietly into the dark of the room, “and I want to see it with you.”

After another long silent moment, Ryan tugged you in for a kiss.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll get a car, pack some bags, and go explore.” He rolled the two of you over so that he could curl himself around you. “Wherever you are, that’s home to me.”

You closed your eyes and let your body relax. It would take some planning, but you knew it would be worth it. The world was full of colors and you wanted to see every one of them with Ryan at your side.

X

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[cola-fucking-losers]

okay fuckers here u go

Edd scrolled through his phone. His other hand was on Ringo, scratching her as she purrs on his lap. It was a Saturday morning, and there was nothing to do.

Like, there was literally nothing to do. Usually there would be a movie or show that day he would like to catch up on, or would have plans with Matt or Tom. Or like- he would even be up to ask Eduardo or Mark something. Even Jon sometimes make plans with him, even if it was sudden, at least there was still something to do.

There weren't even commissions waiting in his list at the moment. And there wasn't any interesting online for him.

Except for some weird drama in a community he's in, he's not in the mood for that yet.

The Brit sighed as he shuts his phone down, and places it in his pockets. He glanced at his roommate, who was busy making breakfast. For a moment, he wasn't bothered by his boredom. The sun was peeking inside their kitchen, bathing Eduardo's tan skin. All while he quietly flipped a pancake, with a focused, yet soft look on his face.

When the pancake landed perfectly back on the pan, He heard the faint thud and soft sizzle, followed by an audible exhale. Eduardo wears a small smile.

Edd shakes his head, finding it ridiculous that it was probably him stroking his ego again, over a small pancake flip. He places Ringo down, and walks to the kitchen. He goes to the corner where they kept containers for coffee and where their tiny coffee maker stood. It was cheap but, Edd owned it and he loves it. He's pretty sure he called the coffee maker Gary.

He pats Gary, before filling it up with water and start to let it heat up. Pale hands move around, grabbing spoons and cups.

It wasn't hard to notice what kind of stuff Eduardo liked, they did live together. There was just something odd about it. Edd liked his coffee brown... - light brown. Balanced, but a little creamier. Meanwhile, Eduardo was that type of person who likes his coffee black, but with honey.

He's pretty sure he read people like those in stories. He doesn't understand why people like black coffee though. It was too bitter for him.

He stirs the two mugs before he carried both back to the table. And he returned again to grab plates. Eduardo was finishing up, gently setting up the stack of pancakes.

The Brit would never admit it, but Eduardo's cooking was really good. There's just something about it that catches the charm of homemade cooking. It was probably the reason why he's up earlier when it's a Saturday morning.

That and it's more peaceful those days. Neither were up to start a fight so early, which made the apartment quiet, but in a good way.

" 'stad mine?" Eduardo asks, his voice groggy. He points at the other mug, the one he wasn't holding. Edd nods.

They both sat together, that was a recent change. Usually, they sat from opposite sides of the table.

Not that Edd is actually complaining. He bonks his head carefully on Eduardo's shoulder, and let it rest there.

Eduardo stiffened for a few seconds, before he continues to drink his coffee. The Brit made low efforts to feed himself, lazily moving his arm to move the spoon to grab a piece of pancake and slowly returning to his mouth.

This felt...really nice. Huh.

There was sudden urge to cuddle closer, so he did. Eduardo didn't really complain, but he was avoiding eye contact. It was cute.

The urge to hold his hand was there too. He wants to say a pun, make Eduardo groan or laugh about it. A normal thing to do, yet he starts to feel like moments like those have a lot of value.

He also wants to hug Eduardo closer from behind, maybe even ki-

Whoah there Edd slow down-

Edd finally sits up straight again and eats his breakfast. He's once again reminded that he's not even sure what they are now. They've been so intimate lately that it's hard to tell if they're just being really nice to each other or doing something more.

He's scared to let his thoughts linger on it for long, for some reason.

But Eduardo starts to return the same gesture. His head reluctantly leaning on his shoulder. Then Edd fights the urge to wrap his arms around the man, to pull him closer.

He wants Eduardo closer to him, and never let go. But he fears that if he holds too tight, or too loose, The Hispanic will leave with a force that pains him too. Did that make sense? It kinda did to him.

"You okay?" Eduardo Asks, moving his head away to look at the Brit. Edd forces and a smile and nods.

"I'm just really bored." "Of course you are." Eduardo rolls his eyes. "Try to enjoy relaxing, not everyone gets to go on weird adventures. You just almost angered an underwater species yesterday, and apparently that wasn't the first time you've done that." "Okay but- It was intentional the second time. The first? No." There it is again, that darn scowl. "Just don't try to drag Mark next time, He wouldn't stop complaining." Chances are, He can't even bring Eduardo to start something stupid. Even if Edd could manage to stir up his anger to it's boiling point, Edd's pretty sure he can't make him go on a rampage again with his powers, even if it's intentional this time. Should he proud of that? believing that Eduardo could control his anger now? He's sure that the man has upgraded, and he's somewhat happy that the Hispanic is slowly turning his life around for the best. Edd stuck his tongue out, he'd rather not be dealing with those. breakfast didn't help get rid of the thoughts. To hell with doing nothing though, He'll just have to find whatever entertains him inside his home and indulge in it.

Before Eduardo could stand up to move his empty plate, Edd moves to lie on the man's lap.  Immediately startled, The Hispanic tensed up, unsure what's going on and what was the Brit's goal here. Edd could tell Eduardo was blushing, I mean, he was sure this was kind of awkward. But until Eduardo starts asking him to move, Edd doesn't leave. He could whiff up Eduardo's clothes, the very faint scent of their fabric softener, and well...Eduardo's smell. The guy was smelly, Edd would often joke about it, but really, Eduardo wasn't stinky. No, he smelled...well, like him. Like the forest in a sunny day. Dried herbs and the earth. Like a cozy cottage and a small farm surrounded by trees. "Hey-! What the fuck are you doing?" Edd could only nuzzle his nose close to Eduardo's hip as he wraps his arms around the man.

"This is...Really gay-" Eduardo comments, letting his hand reluctantly pet Edd's tuff of hair. "Oh? And us almost kissing isn't?" The man sinks back to the silence again. The clock ticks, The sunlight is seeping through the windows is moving in an achingly slow pace. Ringo is done with her meal and is playing with Bingo somewhere. Edd STILL isn't doing anything. But then with Eduardo, He guessed he didn't really mind doing nothing with the man. "Hey," He starts, sitting up again, and stared straight at this Hispanic's eyes. "Let's get on my bed." Surprisingly, Eduardo doesn't start shouting, but he does slowly turn red again. "Or maybe your bed, whichever you prefer." "I- are you fucking stupid? Someone still has to wash the dishes." Edd is shocked at the fact the guy is more concerned at the dishes. Edd's more concerned at the fact he's really doing this. "We can wash those later, come on, we have the whole day for ourselves." "That sounds wrong." "Can't we just like? nap? You have to go to work and we won't have any more chances to sleep together." "You were implying something else aside from sleeping."

Edd pouts, but he lifts Eduardo over his shoulder and starts moving. Eduardo starts shouting, almost like an angry dog. "HEY! DROP ME! IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Unphased, Edd just continues to move past his own room and into Eduardo's. Said room pretty much screamed his name. Edd’s probably gonna have a lot of fun in here. 

#long post #cola losers #are yall happy leave me alone u_u

[hoshigomi]

Valley of Xuanyao // RAY! (not a review.)

Some thoughts on Xuanyao/Genyou/Dazzling Valley/Mysterious Valley/whatever you want to call it + Ray!

(This isn’t a fully-formed, plot critical review by any stretch of the imagination, but I wanted a chance to say everything I loved about these pieces of theatre, as well as a few criticisms I have.) (These are all my opinions and I’m sure people would agree or disagree with plenty of them!) (It’s literally just a couple lists, read at your own discretion.)

There are MANY SPOILERS HERE so watch out.

First off: Genyou no Tani / Valley of Xuanyao / Chinese Aterui (I guess it’s not as much like Aterui as I initially assumed) / AVATAR (the blue people one) (but set in China) / not NOT Pocahantas ~

Call it what you want, I’ll admit right out of the gate that I didn’t follow the entirety of this show. It got a lot better on the second and third try, but the first go was a little rough. 

Official plot summary here. 

Things I LOVED:

This show is beautiful. The set is very Alphonse Mucha aesthetic in style, and it makes me very sad that exactly 0 pictures do it justice. Not only is the set STUNNING, but it’s INNOVATIVE as well, the way they used huge hilly mountainous set pieces to create, well, valleys (haha) and set the scene actually grabbed my attention SEVERAL times. There are also no pictures that do the palace set justice, but the grandeur of it took my breath away, as did the EASE with which the set took us between settings. Unfortunately the visual aesthetic of the show is like not something I’m skilled enough to describe in words, but my point here is that if you get the chance to see this show, it would be worth it for the visual feast alone. 

This show is beautiful (music edition). BOY! The music is HAUNTING and POWERFUL and simple and complex all at once. I have told several people that if either the opening or finale songs are put on that custom CD maker thing in the theatres I would literally buy a custom CD just to get my hands on these songs like a couple weeks before their official release. I got chills every time Shirotae Natsu opened the show (we could NOT ask for a better new fukukumichou), and without fail, at the (spoilers) mass exodus of the Wen people (hello, Coto Moses?) song. 

The show is beautiful (general stage edition): It’s SO DANCEY. IT IS SO EXPRESSIVE. Even though the vast majority of the cast is costumed… nearly identical to one another, watching a n y one of them is a treat different from any other. There is no shortage of opportunity for these women to emote physically, and not a single one of them holds back. There are also like a billion acrobatic tricks in this show for some reason. They don’t take you out of anything, it’s just all VERY PHYSICAL. The Wen men and women specifically use physicality HARD to express their… history, I guess? There are several scenes with a few singers and a few dancers working together to tell a story. They give me CHILLS. The women (led by Honoka) in the palace also serve to set the aesthetic world and honestly I don’t have anything smart to say about them but they blew me away. Aomi Sario does several cartwheels. Yuunagi Ryou jumps like five feet in the air and does a somersault. I don’t know why any of these women are airborne as much as they are but they sure are good at it. 

Other standout things I loved- there were a LOT more, but I need SOMEONE to talk about these people and moments, and I guess it’s my burden to bear. 

FOR SOME REASON OOKI MAKOTO TALKS LIKE A LOT. She may talk more than Amahana Ema, freshly-transferred Ayaki Hikari, or Kiwami Shin. I can’t stress enough how much there is NO REASON FOR THIS. She ALSO, in a TURN OF FATE, IS NOT PLAYING AN OLD MAN. She’s playing a young soldier (NO FACIAL HAIR!!!!!) who at one point is goofing around under a tree on the edge of a stage and does some incredible pantomime work getting a spider off of her. I’m a little in love with her. I could not be happier that they truly just let her GO OFF this show. If you have ever liked Ooki Makoto, you need to see this show. 

Ooki Makoto is always accompanied by Tenju Mitsuki who, as usual, is doing The Most for the Least Payoff because she like angered a God in her past life but not enough for the God to not give her the most beautiful face known to man. She doesn’t get to do much at all, unfortunately as USUAL, though her character very much has the vibe of her Kamatari character, and she does get to do a really fucking sick trick where she gets hit by an arrow and despite watching her through opera glasses three times in a row I have no idea how she does it. 

SEO YURIA REALLY STEPPED UP HER GAME? This was a good meaty role with a nice little bit of her Red Oni from Another World mixed in for like chaotic measure. She sounds vocally FANTASTIC and looks at times actually TRULY PHYSICALLY IMPOSING. I’ve always been theatrically on the fence about Seo, but it looks like she’s really finding where she fits onstage and her strengths and is working HARD. I’m really into it. 

Arisa Hitomi does beautiful work as the narrator of the whole piece, more or less, I just wish we could have seen more of her. That’s kinda how it’s gonna go from now on huh. Sigh.

Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon . I will live and die in Hoshigumi, but if one day they move her to somewhere else to be top star, (after I mourn for a year and go through the five stages of grief), I will be right there by her side. Her character is spunky and fun and young and then gets tortured and killed (sorry, I said there were spoilers) in a way that I almost couldn’t WATCH. She’s an expert on throwing her (rapidly becoming lifeless) body around onstage in a way that really, really, really broke my heart. I winced. I’m sure I’m not the only one in the audience who would have put myself in her place to save her. 

It’s very cool when they use projections to enhance moments in this- like a sword striking a rock and the sparks that fly, or the mysterious man disappearing. Additionally, the SOUND DESIGN of this show was pretty flawless.

Current Kumichou and Soon-To-Be-Senka member Mari Yuzumi played, obviously, Coto’s mom, and the two of them share some really beautiful moments and part of a song- it was a fitting and sweet part to give her, and I’m so glad she got some real stage time here because lord am I gonna miss her. 

There’s a little drumline throughout some scenes of Wen people featuring (I THINK) Toudou Jun, Asamizu Ryou, Sayaka Rin, Sakuraba Mai, and POSSIBLY Kuresaki Rino. They don’t do anything to serve the plot, they just sometimes act as a transition in and out and winding through group scenes. It kicks ass. 

Though this show was by NO MEANS an “ensemble show” (it was obviously very heavily (and wonderfully!) pulled by Coto, and all the ensemble was…. To be honest, visually mostly indistinguishable from one another), it like… WAS an ensemble show. There are MANY scenes with the HUGE chunks of the troupe, whether it’s the soldiers doing some INCREDIBLE sword and spear work or the dancers as the Wen people telling stories through the sheer power of their NUMBERS, or the women in the palace with their ribbons and dance, the real power of this show is in the ensemble and what they give to the story. Personally, ensemble driven stories tick ALL my boxes, so even if the plot was a little rough for me, the sheer POWER of Hoshigumi really made this a show that I realize now, sitting at my desk in Tokyo, I wish I was seeing again like today. This show did a complete 180 for me, and I can not recommend it enough. It isn’t FUN, but I can’t find the words to express how MOVING and BEAUTIFUL it is. If you can’t see it in person, I guess I recommend buying the blu ray, renting out a movie theatre, and watching it on as big of a screen as you can possibly get.

RAY:

Ray was just OKAY to me, though I admit I DID love it a little more with each consecutive viewing. I wonder how I’ll feel about it at the end of the Tokyo run- it very well might grow on me and stick in my heart as a revue I really love, but for now I’m personally a bit lukewarm on this one. I’m gonna express my three gripes first, and then move on to the things I love. 

1.) God this revue really fucking abuses projections. Not only does it OPEN AND END with an unnecessary mini movie, and not only do they use the projections to transition us literally through the starry galaxy to the PANTHEON which they make with like Windows Screensaver level skill and then for some reason also show us on a real backdrop- if they had the REAL backdrop, why did they need to also show us a CGI version?, but they also straight up show us MOVIES while people are singing. As captivating as I find every single woman in Hoshigumi, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the acid trip that was the projections. They weren’t STILL EITHER. They were THIS distracting, down to the literal giant eye. I hated them so much. They didn’t make any visual sense, they didn’t enhance a thing, they really weren’t even vaguely thematically appropriate. I hope beyond hope that the venues they use for the tour just don’t have the tech power for this and the projections get cut. I didn’t like a SINGLE one of them. 

2.) I can’t really explain this one but something was… missing. The numbers weren’t…. varied , I guess? They were all the same like. Power level and mostly had the same amount of people onstage (a lot), and while there’s NOTHING I love more than a big group number, this one had… I guess maybe too many? Or maybe it wasn’t the amount that is the issue, maybe it’s just how they weren’t like tonally varied. The numbers were all GOOD, but the flow was weird? I don’t know. Something felt off. If anyone sees this and gets what I mean, please talk to me about it. 

3.) And this one is personal preference, but I thought the whole Ray theme was…. Much too heavy handed for an ohirome GT. To clarify, I think this would have been VERY suitable for a taidan revue, thematically, but I think it’s too early to be playing top star name games and adorning the whole stage with her name… repeatedly. I GET that it’s clever because like, ray of light, starlight, etc, but I didn’t like it. I wouldn’t have liked like, Dramatic ‘S’ as a first revue either, for example. This isn’t personal or about Coto, if they had made Kai top and called her first revue like ‘Seven Seas’ I also would have been like ….#yikes. I just wish they’d save this stuff for later in Coto’s run. 

That said, the good outweighed the bad! Some numbers of note (this is NOT all of them, just the ones that stuck with me) include: 

The opening, which was very fun! The set was cool, multi layered and opening with just Coto inside like a cut out diamond shape on a platform and made good use of a pretty bare stage to really give EVERYONE a moment. There were more featured faces in this number alone that I didn’t even RECOGNIZE than I can count- and that made me really happy to see! Special shoutout to Taiki Hayate and Ruri Hanaka for getting to stand on the edge of the stage and sing. I just think they’re neat. The opening was rock-y and sexy and mature and it was very fun to get to see so many people shine in it. 

This was followed by Seocchi in a number with again, a BEAUTIFUL set. Seriously, when they aren’t abusing the hell out of a projector, this revue IS VISUALLY STUNNING. It’s like set on Jupiter kind of, there’s a swirling galaxy all lit up behind the dancers (Seo, Amato Kanon, Minato Rihi- who has big Renta energy and always makes me happy to look at) Aomi Sario, Ruri Hanaka, notably.) This number has big Look At The Youth Of Tomorrow energy. Seo sounds INCREDIBLE, and everyone who is featured here makes my heart leap. This was definitely one of my favorite numbers. 

There was a tango that would have been 90x sexier if only it didn’t feature those stupid turbans on literally everyone. Mikkii gets to sing her bridge solo (thank God), and the energy is rowdy. Everyone is in white pants.

The chuuzume is nice. It starts what feels like oddly early, but probably isn’t. They abuse the projections during the start of this one, (Hanagata Hikaru) and then thankfully pull the screen up and get rid of them for a while. The chuuzume is neat in that it also features a lot of little groups of siennes, from the young ones (who even get to SING small solos and things) (and I mean SMALL ones)- Amato Kanon has a solo at a point (and is CENTER ON THE BRIDGE for the kyakuseki part of the chuuzume), Aomi Sario and (iirc) Yuuhi Maki get a small duet, little groups are coming on and off constantly. It’s fun. They put the otokoyaku on the bridge and they do some sharp dancing and some kinda… seductive, to me, stuff. Most everyone is in red. The aesthetic of this chuuzume is GOOD.

THIS ROCKETTE MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE ROCKETTE EVER.

Aesthetically it is flawless, and it’s led by three girls including RURI HANAKA who gets a CENTER OF THE BRIDGE SOLO. These costumes are BEYOND adorable as well! Look at them! This rockette really shows off how skilled some of these girls are. They also do a lineup that goes as usual from shortest to tallest to shortest again, except they break this up by putting the three leads in the MIDDLE, which really means its like, short to tallest to SHORTEST to tallest to short again and believe me when I say it is COMICAL. There’s a solid foot difference between some of these women. 

The Olympics number which immediately follows the rockette is lovely, it features a biiiiiig group of the cast and then Mizuno Yuri, Otosaki Itsuki, Sazanami Reira, Aomi Sario, and Amato Kanon as the colors of the Olympic rings. Musically this one didn’t stick that hard with me, but it’s a visual treat, and everyone’s dance proficiency is on full display. Plus if you look at the back of the stage you’ll see Yuunagi Ryou and Hiroka Yuu doing like a dance battle and pulling and pushing each other around which is extremely relevant to my interests. 

From here it got really lovely for me personally. Amahana Ema and Kiwami Shin led Swingin’ On A Star on the bridge (and both of them sound lovely and sweet), and then theres a couple dance featuring about 10 or so people including  Toudou Jun and again Yuunagi Ryou (this is the only place in the revue I didn’t have trouble spotting her unfortunately, and I’m GOOD at finding her), going on while Maisora finishes up the number. It’s sweet and it’s sugary and it’s a piece of like small lightness after all the very Heavy and Full group numbers before. 

The kuroenbi is pretty good, it felt somehow… unfinished? But immediately after that is Coto jumping into You Are My Sunshine which I personally find to be the most charming thing in the world. It includes solos for Seo, Hanagata Hikaru, Aichan, and a LOT of attention on Hoshigumi’s musumeyaku who get to ALL line up on the bridge together and sing. It’s a treat. It made my heart happy and made me grin really big. 

Other shoutouts go to 

Sazanami Reira and her wild hair flips

Akachan who for some reason sounds vocally like she’s underwater, which was hard for me to place until recently 

Maisora and Coto who really DO work together well as a combi though these two shows didn’t give them much chance to see that (please watch Mozart once it’s out on DVD to see what these two can DO together)

Mari Yuzumi for still killing it with everyone else in every number despite the fact that she’s so up there that they’re moving her to senka after this- boy I am gonna MISS her

Amato Kanon for holding my future in her, soft, capable hands.

Minato Rihi for smiling like Renta

The upperclassmen for not letting being completely sidelined ruin their attitude and for still giving their all to everything and pulling my attention with their YEARS of expertise

Kisa Kaoru, Soua Takeru, Houma Toa, Hiroki Yuzuha, and Kuresaki Rino just because they make me smile.

Sakuraba Mai and Haruto Yuuho who should actually be a top combi together. 

Seo Yuria for really just like stepping it up all around and drawing my attention and taking up SPACE.

Ruri Hanaka because holy shit, girl….

All in all, this was a good pair. Not every revue works for everyone, and maybe this one just didn’t grab my heart the way I wished it did. It was still fun, and it definitely had enough numbers that I loved for me to want to go back multiple times, and whatever Ray lacked, Valley picked up for me. It’s a good set of shows, and everyone does really lovely work. I can’t wait to see where Coto and Maisora’s Hoshigumi goes!

#takarazuka #hoshigumi #valley of xuanyao #ray #tkz

[sope-and-shine]

Christmas Special: Day 4

-> Pairing: Jimin x Reader -> Elf!AU // Kinda platonic-kinda romantic -> Word Count: 3.6k -> Summary: Working as Santa’s go-to elf has it’s ups and downs. ->Warning(s): None?? If you don’t like Christmas don’t read maybe??

A/N: This one is so late. It’s not what I planned originally, but it’s still pretty on point with what I was going for. I’ve spent so much time on this that I can’t spend anymore. Sorry for any mistakes or things that don’t line up! I hope it’s at least enjoyable!

Christmas is a magical time for everyone of all ages. It’s a time of laughter, joy, and togetherness. Families come together to celebrate the holiday with merriment, practicing traditions as a whole. Celebrations of many different kinds and of many different backgrounds from all over the world! Despite the nip of chilly air and harsh weather across the globe, it was still welcomed in the Christmas spirit. Couples - old and young - using the cold as an excuse to stay close to one another. Shop owners and their employees excited for the days off they would have to bask in the Holiday cheer. Nobody in their right mind wanted to work on Christmas.

Nobody human that is.

Elves were all about Christmas, they work around the clock 349 days a year to ensure that Christmas Eve runs smoothly for everyone. Elves of all shapes and sizes run around doing whatever job they were assigned to prepare for such a large event. Not the short, shrimpy characters that children imagine, but the full grown, working Elves. The North Pole is only ever at a standstill Christmas Day, the next three days after, and both days of Christmas Eve if you weren’t a part of the Santa’s roster. It’s a special night for everyone, and Elves love to celebrate their hard work before they get back into the swing for the next year ahead of them.

You - like a select few - are one of Santa’s Elves. Not to say that all Elves aren’t Santa’s Elves, but you’re a part of the special bunch that help the big guy stay on track throughout the year. Santa has 8, including yourself, that take care of issues within the Pole so he doesn’t have to do it all on his own. Each elf was given a special task that was given based on their own skills and personal traits that Santa entrusted them with for the success of the holiday season. 

Santa’s shops were run and operated by three Elves: Seokjin, Hoseok, and Jeongguk. All toys were manufactured in the toy shop with Seokjin, inspected - and decorated if it was called for - before they were sent to Hoseok to be boxed or wrapped, and finally sent to The Dome with Jeongguk to be sorted for the Christmas run. Seokjin was a great toy maker, arguably one of the best in the shop! Not only were his skills amazing, but he has one of those personalities that just made you want to keep going and work harder with every word of encouragement he gave you(Even is he did throw in poorly timed puns and cringe worthy dad jokes). He gave his all to his Maker Elves, and Santa trusted him to keep toys chugging along the conveyor belts. Hoseok was another bright personality that lit up the Decoration and Packaging Shop. He was especially good at decorating and wrapping when he first started in the shops, and it didn’t take long before Santa appointed him his current position within the shop. His bubbly personality kept everyone in bright spirits throughout the day, and it made working long hours much easier. Especially when he’d turn up Yoongi’s station and blast the holiday tunes throughout the workshop speakers. Jeongguk stopped by everyday, three times a day to collect and move to The Dome where all the presents are separated and split for Christmas Eve. His natural strength made his lead an easy placement for the big man in red, almost a no brainer since the boy could handle almost anything. Jeongguk wasn’t only in charge of ensuring the bags were filled correctly, but he also made sure Santa’s sleigh was ready to go and in tiptop condition. His go-to and happy attitude made him an even better candidate.

Then there was Yoongi and Taehyung. Yoongi worked in the broadcast tower reporting weather and keeping the music going across the Pole to help with the Holiday cheer. Taehyung worked in the stables with the reindeer taking care of them everyday, up until it’s time for take off on Christmas Eve. Neither boy was any good in the workshops with Yoongi falling asleep at his wrapping bench and Taehyung ignoring the color patterns placed in front of him. Their attention spans were pretty limited, and a lot of the elves had given up on them very early on. But Santa wasn’t as willing to just brush them aside. He discovered Yoongi’s love for music as well as Taehyung’s fascination with the reindeer and gave them a new start. Santa saw them at their best even when others saw them at their worst, and they made it their mission to do their job correctly and efficiently so Santa could continue to help others just like them. 

Elves including Namjoon; a tall, clumsy elf with no real knack for anything that he was given. Toy making, decorating, wrapping, cooking, baking, reindeer care, naughty or nice tracking, and mail delivery. Everything that one could think of, he’d already proved he couldn’t do it. But Santa knew better than to write him off. He’d seen Namjon in action, when he forgets for just a second that anyone is actually watching. He’s helpful, kind, and very headstrong. He thinks before he speaks and encourages others even when he can’t encourage himself. That’s why Santa placed him in the school where he can observe the younger elves and help guide them to where they should go. This way - in those special cases - they have someone who knows what it’s like to not really be a good fit.

A good job for Elves that didn’t make toys well or couldn’t decorate as nicely as others was Naughty or Nice Tracking. It’s a small department, it was probably the second most important to ensure Santa’s Naughty and Nice lists stay on track. It’s an exclusive group of 20 to 30 Elves that go out into the world and check up on children. They could be troubled, they could go from one list straight to another out of the blue, or they could just need a helping hand. The Naughty or Nice Tracking Elves made sure that if a child wasn’t tracking right, they were list jumping, or they just needed a friend, that someone would be able to check on them. They were lead by Jimin, another Elf who didn’t really enjoy making toys. Decorating was nice and wrapping wasn’t terrible, he just didn't find any joy in either activity. Not like the joy he felt with looking after and encouraging children to be good and kind to others.

Then that left you: Santa’s right hand. You were what kept everything running while Santa stuck to his own schedule. If Santa was in the Naughty or Nice Tracking Department, then you were in the broadcast center checking up on Yoongi and the elves he worked with. If Santa was getting his fill of cookies, then you were checking up on Seokjin and Hoseok in the workshop to make sure nothing was going astray. You collected the mail from the millions of children writing to Santa  and delivered it directly to him, your personally made sure the reindeer were being brushed and had fresh supplies - Really, you just wanted to give some good boys pets. You knew Taehyung could handle it. You made sure Namjoon wasn’t having any trouble placing Elves, reporting back to Santa is there was anyone that needed an extra push. But most importantly, you made sure Christmas Eve loading, takeoff, travel, and landing went smoothly every year. You were one of the 8 that opted out of a few more days off in favor of spreading joy across the globe to those in need of it. 

Without the 8 of you, Christmas would be a bust. That’s why as Christmas gets closer, everyone gets a little more tense. The Naughty or Nice Tracking Elves were working double what they were before, sometimes going days at a time without being seen. Breaks in the workshops happened more often as the days got shorter and the weeks started to disappear. Hours and minutes ticked by faster and faster, almost cutting themselves in half if you looked away for even a moment. Seokjin and Hoseok always took it the hardest as they tried to account for and encourage everyone that Christmas would be fine just like every other year. Jeongguk has already reported to you about a stack of boxes that had toppled over in The Dome, and had to send them back to Jin and Hobi to make sure they weren’t damaged on the inside. Yoongi always tried his hardest to stay awake longer than he normally would at the beginning of the year, but requests usually come piling in for him to. Elves begging for songs to be played, sometimes the same song appearing so often that Yoongi has no choice but to repeat for a while. But that usually stresses others out after hearing it constantly being played. Christmas music may be the majority of what they play at the Pole, but even Elves have their limits. Taehyung has to be extra careful with who he lets into the stable as Christmas quickly approaches. Reindeers are emotional creatures just like any other animal, and they’re hyper aware if someone is anxious or stressed. They have a tendency to sort of self destruct if they get too worked up. If someone looking for relaxation comes in and stresses out the reindeer, then everyone will have an even bigger problem on their hands.

Your pile of chores only grows higher as days continue on. With more shop breakages, the more supplies need to be ordered. You’d had to ask Mrs. Claus to go twice this month already, and it was just past December 8th at this point. If the boys in the shop couldn’t calm down their workers, then you could see Mrs. Claus just sending you with another elf to collect. She was a busy woman herself making sure everyone had enough to eat, she couldn’t leave as often as you’d need her to at some point. She and her husband were very busy, and that left everything to you: The next in line. 

If anything was wrong, then you were the one everyone was supposed to go to.

“So, that’s where my problem is right now.” Jeongguk slides out from underneath the sleigh. Dirt and grime cover his cheeks and clothes, not to mention his brown hair is a mess. He’d decided to take a look at the sleigh early this morning to make sure everything was still tight and working well, but he found that there was something wrong with Santa’s engine. The hunk of metal wouldn’t start, and if it didn’t start then it wouldn’t float. If the sleigh wouldn’t float, then the reindeer wouldn’t even hit the snow at the end of the run. That left you in need of - once again - more supplies.

“And you’re absolutely positive that we don’t have any of these things here?” You asks, not even looking at the boy. You stare straight ahead towards the sleigh trying to recount every supply you’d gotten a week ago down to the tiny box of screws you ordered.

“I’m sure, (Y/n)! I promise, I wouldn’t have called you here if I didn’t think we needed it. Honestly, I was kinda hoping that as soon as you walked into The Dome it would just turn on.” He admits, resting his arms on his knees.

“Jeongguk!” Another Elf calls for him. He excuses himself with the promise to be back quickly, leaving you to get lost in your thoughts about everything. Perhaps if you got everyone to take a 10 minute break and stretch, then you’d be able to get them to calm down. Then again, they’d probably freak out that they’d just lost 10 minutes they could’ve used for working on their jobs for the day.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” The voice calling you out of your daydream was one you instantly recognized: Jimin’s. Just like most of the Naughty or Nice Tracking Elves, you hadn’t seen much of him either. You’d heard from him - being Santa’s right hand and all - but just that he was doing some last minute scoutings.

You turn to him, taking note of the change in his hair. He was blonde when he left, but it looks like he dyed it black while checking in on a few kids. His usually pointed ears were still tucked away in their covers, something Tracking Elves wore when they went to investigate their lists down south. You had a pair yourself for the trips with Mrs. Claus to receive the supplies every month. Despite it being new, it still suit him just like every other color he had already tried and wore beautifully. 

“Yeah? Did you need something?” You ask, tucking a loose strand of your own hair behind your ear. 

He reaches into a black messenger bag that hangs down at his side, and pulls out some papers, “I want to talk to you about some scheduling issues I’ve been having.”

You sigh. You were hoping he’d brought back more mail. You honestly had hopes that he brought you 10 times what he had in his hand if it meant you didn’t have any real problems to attend to, “Can I look at it a little later, Chim? Guk has a few problems of his own that I need to fix ASAP.”

“Yeah, I get that, but this needs to be done soon.” He stresses, shaking his papers a bit.

“I know, Jimin. I know! But I already have a pile of things that need to be done. Isn’t this something that you can look over?” You ask.

A look of guilt flashes over his face, his bottom lip tucking itself between his teeth. He looks like he wants to say something, but The Domes side doors slam open before he can speak, followed by a deep yell of ‘(Y/n)!’. You can’t help but sigh as you see not only Seokjin and Hoseok storming in, but Yoongi and Taehyung as well. Now, 6 out of the 7 people you were responsible for apparently had problems. You can’t help but think that if Namjoon walks through the door next, you might just scream.

“What?” You ask, not prepared for the onslaught they had prepared for you.

“My conveyor belt is broken! It won’t take the toys to Hoseok anymore!”

“-Heidi won’t eat any of her food and she’s just laying around. I think she might be pregnant!”

“-I’ve been trying to keep track of the weather forecasts, and I already found one predicting a hardcore blizzard in the Northeastern Hemisphere around Christmas.”

“-We don’t have any glitter.”

It takes a full minute to fully grasp what they all had said, but by that time Guk was back with yet another problem to add to the list only you can solve, “So, we ran out of spare lights for the run.”

The list just never ended at this point! This was your 4th Christmas as Santa’s right hand elf, but it felt like your first one all over again. This quite possibly had to be the worst one yet with how many problems kept coming up. Couldn’t any of them figure this out without bombarding you first? Guk’s matter were definitely the most pressing, and Taehyung had some leeway despite the need to come to you instead of the actual vet. Jin’s could be forgiven, but someone could easily take them over to Hoseok’s shop with the cart Jeongguk usually hauls them with until you could come to him. Hoseok...you weren’t even going to entertain this when he knows how to contact you about needed Decorating supplies.

All you needed was one break, just one!

“(Y/n)? Hey, I need your help! I broke the glass case in the school and I can’t find a broom.” Namjoon joins the group of boys surrounding you, obviously not picking up on the urgency that was going on.

“That’s it!” You huff. Too much. All of them were too much! You needed to get away from them before you lost it. Problem after problem with them, yet none of them could do it without you! They were grown Elves, they were told what they could do, not everything had to be reported to you directly and they knew that! 

You direct yourself to Jeongguk first, “I’ll get the supplies ordered today with everything else I have to reorder. I need to know by 5 o’clock if you need anything else, and that goes for all of you. Text me.” You send him away and nod Hoseok away with him as well. You turn, “Jin, have someone hand deliver until I can get a tech to go and check it out. If you can’t wait, then go grab one yourself. Joon, the broom is in the closet in your office that’s to the right of what you broke, that’s why you couldn’t find it.” You wave them away as well and immediately turn to Taehyung, “Tae, if you think she’s pregnant, please go and find the vet! Do not waste her time looking for me when she should be having a check up.” You sigh, shooing him away as well. “Thank you for informing me, Yoongs, but we don’t need these reports until Friday hits.” He nods in understanding and leaves just like the others, leaving you with Jimin by the apparently broken sleigh. 

7 problems not really fixed, one more to figure out. You take the paperwork Jimin still holds in his hands and glance at the shift numbers, running through a mental list before confirming what he’d have to do, “Just use some backup Elves from the on-call list. Tell the others first, but they should be able to help out until we can get through this year.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He takes his papers back, but he lingers behind to stand with you for just a moment longer, “Are you okay?”

You don’t miss the concern laced in his voice. You saw it with the others as you dismissed them - something you’d apologize for later - but he was the only one that stuck behind. “I’m fine, Chim.”

“Let’s take a walk.” He suggests. Well, it was more of a command than a suggestion. He’ll end up dragging you with him even if you say no, so there’s no real getting out of this one. You just nod in agreement and follow him out of the garage and into the Run of The Dome. Multiple conveyor belts move throughout the room, always staying clear of where Santa’s sleigh is supposed to go. There a few piles of gifts that have yet to be taken to the correct room, waiting for their assigned elves to come back to them. It’s quiet compared to what you’d just gone through, something you really needed at the moment. Jimin himself seems like he could use this walk more than you with how much he’s fidgeting. Like  he’s almost uncomfortable. 

“Are you okay, Chim?” You ask, looking to him through your peripherals as you walk around the room aimlessly. As annoyed and as stressed as you may be, you can’t deny that he must also be stressed out as well.

“I’m really sorry for coming to you with this when I could’ve done this myself. I just wanted an excuse to spend time with you since I haven’t seen you since I left last week.” He admits sheepishly.

His confession makes you blush and turn your head, a small ‘Thank you’ leaving your mouth. Park Jimin certainly had a way to mess with you, especially after you’ve been a butt. You sigh, “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. All of you at once with problems is just too overbearing.”

“You know, you are entitled to a break too.” He doesn’t look at you, he just walks next to you knowing that you’re listening to him. “You take care of everyone here, but you don’t take care of yourself.”

“There’s a lot going on right now, Chim. I can take care of myself, I promise.” You say. You’re not the least bit convincing however, as Jimin only sighs at you. 

You both walk closer to where the piles of gifts are set up, clearing the way of any stray presents that could fall off of a belt. It’s almost unreal to watch everything come together like this. The Dome was probably your favorite spot in the Pole besides the stables. Part of you wonders if Jimin has a favorite spot in the Pole. He was always gone, so there was really no way to tell with how little you saw of him.

“How was your trip?” You ask.

He shrugs, “Same as usual. Another child that was hopping from list to list. Turns out he wasn’t being naughty, his sister was blaming her faults on him. Stealing cookies, writing on the walls, salt in their father’s coffee. Let me tell you, it was not as fun as it sounds.”

You stop in front of a present pile and pick you up to inspect it, “Do you ever regret choosing that job?” 

“Depending on what I’m checking in on, I do. The children I see that have lost their hope and trust in Santa, they’re the ones that hit me the hardest since they’re usually the children in bad homes. They’ve lost faith in their parents so there’s no one else that they can trust.” He explains, tucking his hands away in his pockets. He shrugs, “I feel bad when I come back and remove those files from the lists, because I really don’t want to give up on them.”

“I feel bad when I can’t help everyone at the same time.” You admit, taking in a long, heavy breath, “Everyone has their own issues that are important to their department, but they’re not always important to me compared to the others. I forget that.”

“I don’t know, glitter didn’t seem that important to me.” Jimin chides.

“But it is! Sara Edwards from Richmond, Virginia and Kim Taeyeon from Gwangju, South Korea; both are 4 years old and they want Shimmer and Shine dolls! I can’t give them Shimmer and Shine dolls without any Shimmer or Shine!” You argue.

Jimins hands move from his pockets to rest on your shoulders, a proud smile just for you, “And that’s why you shouldn’t doubt yourself.”

You give a weak smile back, already feeling better from his quick little pep talk. It wasn’t a wonder why he was the head of his department. If you felt this relieved, then you wished you could see the kids when he comes to check in. It was powerful.

“Could I have an encouraging hug?” You ask, fingers tapping at the edge of your coat.

“If that’s what it takes.” Jimin laughs and pulls you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you in a big hug. He’s warm, and his fruity scent feels like home. You feel protected, like you’re with family. You must have the same effect on him with how he sighs in content, “Are you feeling the Christmas spirit now?”

“Yeah. I do.” You nod shyly, still tucked into his chest with your arms loosely wrapped around his waist. 

Christmas may be hectic this year, and it may just get worse next year. Everyone’s problems may not get resolved, and you may have a breakdown at some point before the presents even get packed into their bags. But at least you know you have someone who’s looking out for you.

#fae #bts #jimin x reader #park jimin x reader #christmas au #elf au #25 days of christmas #25 days of bangtan #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim taehyung #jeon jeongguk #btsrm #bts rap monster #bts jin #bts suga #bts jhope #bts jimin #bts v #bts jungkook #bts x reader #fan fiction #sope-and-shine

[writinginstardust]

Falling Like Stars | Chapter 3

Pairing: Tyler Jones x reader

Warnings: none

A/N: Do y’all want a lil bit of jealous Tyler? because we got it! But also lots of the soft good stuff because as you should know by now, I am a massive sap.

Word Count: 1464

*

"What the fuck did you do?" Those were (Y/N)'s first words to me when she met us outside the bar with Scarlett and Zila.

"Got in a fight. No time to explain right now, we've got to get out of here. How'd you do on the clothes front?" I noticed the girls had all changed, (Y/N) now wearing a dark pair of high-waisted shorts and a crop top. Cute. I tore my eyes away and focused on the clothes she was shoving into my arms.

"Those are yours, I hope they fit okay, Scarlett abandoned me and I don't know your size." Her cheeks flushed adorably and her hand fiddled with her hair - A nervous tick I'd witnessed a hundred times though rarely with me. I'd thought the brief awkwardness when she arrived for the mission had passed but she'd seemed nervous since Zila let her out of the med-bay. I wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe I could ask Scarlett about it.

"Thanks." I said and took the clothes from her after an almost uncomfortably long moment. I didn't even need to look at my sister to know she was smirking. "Scar, find out where Cat is and get us some directions while we change. See if you can figure out a way to get Auri across this place without trouble as well."

"Okay."

I spared one last glance at (Y/N). I had no reason but I couldn't help It sometimes. Never had been able to either. She smiled and I felt myself smiling back before Scarlett shoved me off with the others to change.

*

Their plan to hide Auri was a cargo box. Very original. I didn't have any better plans though and it worked even if it didn't make the journey particularly easy for Kal and I.

My muscles were starting to ache a little by the time we all settled down to sleep and I wasn't looking forward to a night on the floor at all. (Y/N) came and sat beside me though and suddenly it didn't seem so bad. She fell asleep quicker than I'd have thought possible. Probably still exhausted after almost dying less than 24 hours ago.

Her head was turned towards me and I felt her breath warming my face when I turned to look at her. She certainly looked exhausted. Her skin had a certain pallor to it that had never been there before. I thought back. It was there when she'd arrived too. Fainter, but still there. What kind of missions had De Stoy and Adams been sending her on?

As I watched, she shifted. Warmth flooded through my side as she let her weight fall against me, cuddling my arm and dropping her head onto my shoulder. I thought I might combust. We'd hugged in the past, of course - she'd been one of my closest friends for years, but never like this. This was different. At least, I thought it was. It certainly felt different.

After a while the floor started getting uncomfortable. No surprise there. My back was aching and I wanted to shift to alleviate the pain but, with (Y/N) leaning against me, I couldn't. Not without waking her up and I wasn't about to do that. She needed the sleep more than I did. And yes, maybe I did enjoy having her so close to me but that's beside the point. I talked with Scarlett for a while to keep my mind off the discomfort.

I'd nearly fallen asleep at last when (Y/N) disturbed me.

"Er...what's she doing?" My eyes followed her pointed finger to where Auri was...painting? The same strange drawing over and over again on the walls, the floor, the bed. She drew one more, bigger than the rest, in the middle of the floor before climbing into bed and going back to sleep like nothing had happened.

The two of us sat in stunned silence for a few minutes trying to figure out what the fuck that was. (Y/N)'s body was warm where it was still pressed against my side and I didn't think she'd noticed yet. Eventually she just shrugged and rested her head on my shoulder again. Knowingly this time. Did that mean something or would she have done the same to Scarlett or another friend? It was probably just comfier. But what if the contact was as calming for her as it was for me? No. Stop. This was not helping. I was going to drive myself crazy with all these unanswerable questions. 

She fell asleep again. Maker knows how. No one else had woken with Auri's little artistic venture so I decided to try and sleep too. We could figure it out in the morning.

And figure it out we did.

Unfortunately, "figuring it out" had somehow led to me being crammed in a crappy hotel bathroom with Cat, Kal, Fin, Zila, and Auri. unsurprisingly that was too many people for such a small space and it was driving me mad. Knowing (Y/N) was on a date with a guy that wasn't me was only making my mood worse.

The sound of laughter, definitely at least slightly tipsy, seeped through the door. They were back.

I quietly seethed as I heard (Y/N) giggling breathily at some whispered flirtation. It was fake. It had to be. But that didn't stop it from pissing me off. I could picture it in my mind. His hands on her waist, his body pressed close to hers, his face tucked in the crook of her neck, lips whispering any number of flirty and filthy things. I wanted to punch something. Preferably the guy whose hands were probably all over her just feet away. But really I just wanted it to be me. My hands tracing her body. My chest brushing hers. My lips saying those things and brushing against her neck. The want was almost too much to bear.

Finally I heard two heavy thumps followed by some precautionary slaps. Scarlett yelled that it was safe and we all eagerly bundled out of the bathroom. My vision tinted red at the sight before me.

(Y/N) was half lying on one of the beds with one of the security guys sprawled beside her. Her hair was slightly disheveled and she was fixing her make-up nonchalantly, seemingly unbothered by the guy's weight trapping her leg or his head on her chest. Well I was bothered. She looked up as we entered and grinned at me. I felt some of my irritation slip away. Only a little though.

"Well that was interesting."

"Sure was." Scarlett smirked at (Y/N) from the other bed. "I never knew you could be such a flirt, you'd think I'd taught you." My stomach churned.

"I've picked up a lot of new skills since Adams and De Stoy started sending me off."

"Clearly." She winked at me smirked. I really hoped no-one else saw. "You boys should get going."

"Yeah, you don't have a ton of time," (Y/N) added. She looked down, frowning. "Can someone help get this guy off me? He weighs a ton."

Kal tugged him off with ease and she slipped off the bed. Fiddling with the hem of her dress - was it really that short before? - she walked over to me, concern clear in her eyes. She rested a hand on my shoulder and searched my face.

"You okay?" She asked gently, her voice quiet, meant only for me. 

"I'm fine." It wasn't entirely true but it also wasn't an outright lie. 

"If you say so. You better get changed."

I changed as quick as I could, very aware of how many sets of eyes were in the room with me. It felt like I was being watched. (Y/N) had a slight blush dusting her cheeks when I turned back to face her. Could it have been her looking? Yeah, I thought, because obviously there's just no way she could keep her eyes off you. Maker, just because you're constantly staring at her, doesn't mean she's doing the same. 

(Y/N) came over and hugged me. Tightly. Still lost in thought I barely noticed but wrapped my arms around her waist instinctively anyway. It felt so right and I wanted to stay like that forever. She pulled away and my mind kicked back in as it protested the loss of contact. Lips pressed against my cheek and I had to remind myself how to breathe.

"Good luck," (Y/N) said with a soft smile and pink-tinged cheeks before nudging me towards the door where Kal was waiting. Heart fluttering wildly, I turned and left. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for a long, long, time.

*

Tag Lists: (send an ask if you want to be added!)

Everything: @wonderfilledness @writingbychelle @ad-astraaaa

Aurora Cycle: @aurising

#aurora rising #aurora cycle #Tyler Jones #tyler jones imagine #Tyler Jones x reader #Tyler Jones x you #Tyler Jones Fanfic #aurora rising imagine #aurora rising fanfic #aurora cycle imagine #aurora cycle fanfic #reader insert #Fic - Falling Like Stars

[ohprettyweeper-moved]

Caught on Fire

Part 2

Summary: Your first date with Josh goes even better than you planned. Pairing: Josh Dun x Reader Word Count: 1560 Warnings: FLUFF A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed the first chapter of this! Tag list is always open, enjoy this next part!

Series Masterlist

After a few good hours of sleep, you woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. You threw your hair up, slipped into your light, cotton robe, and made way for the kitchen. You turned on the coffee maker, then remembered your date that morning and immediately flipped the switch back to the ‘off’ position. 

Josh’s next day off coincided with your next day off after he had asked you to meet up sometime, so you two had decided that it would be the perfect time to meet for coffee. You’d managed to get away from your shift early, stopped on the med-surg floor to check Zack Joseph’s condition before heading home to get some sleep. 

A hot shower, natural hair, and light makeup later, you analyzed the contents of your closet. The Spring weather would allow for a pair of nice jeans, a solid color v-neck tee, and your favorite pair of sandals. 

Shrugging at your reflection in the mirror, you told yourself, “Here goes nothing.”

Josh was already sitting at a table by the window in the cafe where the two of you had agreed to meet. A lot of EMS and hospital staff frequented here, as well as those on PD. You had never come here and not run into someone you didn’t know. 

You knocked on the window and waved at Josh, who grinned when he saw you. A few moments later, you were seated in the booth across from him, nerves not entirely on the fritz, but not exactly calm, either. 

“Good morning,” Josh greeted. 

“Good morning,” you returned. “How was your shift?”

“Well,” Josh said, letting out a breath and ticking a list off on his fingers, “none of my guys had to be delivered to the hospital, didn’t have to pull any sleeping old guys out of bed before they died, no houses burned to the ground. So not too bad.”

You nodded. “That is a good shift. ER wasn’t so bad, either. Trauma was pretty dead. Makes for a slow night, but I’ll take it if it means people aren’t dying.”

“No kidding.”

The waitress came by then, took your coffee orders, left menus, then left you two to your conversation. You shared the few thing that had happened in the ER, and Josh updated you on some of the guys at the station. 

“Oh, speaking of that — I hear Zack is going to make a full recovery.”

Josh nodded, sipping at his black coffee. “Yeah, he’s got a few days left, then they’ll start talking about sending him home. It’ll be a bit before he’s back on the job, but he’ll get there. You been talking to Nicole?”

“Uh, no,” you said, suddenly embarrassed but not sure why. “I’ve been checking in after my shifts, when I can. I’m not bothering him or anything, I just —”

“Slow down, Y/N. I think that’s sweet of you.”

You bit your lip in an effort to stop from blushing. “Thanks. I know it’s probably none of my business, but when I was with Chad — before he left, of course — I felt like I was part of the family you guys have at the station. I got to know people and you guys got to know me. After Chad left and we decided to call it quits, it felt a little bit like I lost that family.”

You cleared your throat, thinking that perhaps that had been an overshare, but you felt a load off your chest. You had your friends, but outside of the ER, it wasn’t the same as it had been with the firefighter group. You missed it more than you knew, until you had seen Josh and the guys again at the hospital. 

Josh reached across the table and took your hand, squeezing gently. “We missed you too, you know. Or at least I did. And I know Nicole has always enjoyed when she worked with you at the hospital.”

You smiled with relief. “Yeah, I enjoyed that, too. She kept me updated on you guys every now and then. I suppose I could go ahead and embarrass myself a little more and let you know it was always kind of nice when she would mention you were still single.”

“Oh really?” Josh smiled, a warm pink painting over his cheeks, as well. You realized he still had a hold of your hand, but you didn’t mind. You liked the way his calloused hand cradled yours; there was something about it that made you feel safe and secure. 

The catching up continued and before either of you knew it, lunchtime had come around. Since coffee was all you had for breakfast, you were starving, and so was Josh. After a few minutes of perusing the menu, Josh flagged down the waitress and the two of you ordered lunch. Another two hours passed before Josh finally announced he needed to get going. 

“Not because I want to,” he assured as he walked you to your car, “but I promised my mom I’d come by this afternoon.”

“Of course, I get it. I think it’s too early on to be making your mother mad, anyway.”

Josh smiled. “Yeah.”

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head adamantly. “Definitely not. I actually like the way you said that it’s early on — like there’ll be a later.”

“You want a later?” you asked, brow raised. 

“I definitely do. Do you?”

“I do,” you smiled.

Josh’s fingers laced through yours, pulling you to a stop in the middle of the cafe parking lot. You bumped into him, but his strong figure held strong. His smile was a nervous one as his hand carded into your hair and his lips met yours. 

Josh strolled up to his house when he got home from his parents, still floating on cloud nine. He had stamped down his attraction to Y/N while she was with Chad, but now that he was completely out of the picture and she was open to a relationship with Josh, it was as though a whole new world of potential had opened up. 

He phoned Tyler as soon as he was in the house, checking on their plans for guys’ night out. 

“We’re still on,” Tyler confirmed. “Nicole’s working the overnight shift, so I’m on my own. By the way, Nic said she saw Y/N last night, and maybe overheard a conversation about how excited she was for her date with you this morning.”

Josh chuckled. “Oh yeah? Well, then I guess that would explain why it went so well.”

“I guess so. Hey, why don’t you bring her to the barbecue at our place next weekend?”

“That’s not a bad idea. She mentioned missing being around everyone.”

“Perfect. Listen, I just dropped off some food for Nicole at the hospital, I’ll be home soon. Mind picking me up, then we can go meet everyone?”

Josh nodded. “Yeah, that sounds fine. I’ll see you in a while.”

He disconnected the call. The idea of Y/N being back around with their group, but by his side now and not Chad’s, it made him even happier than he had been before Tyler extended the invitation to bring Y/N to the barbecue. 

After washing up a bit and changing his clothes, Josh sprayed on some cologne and checked the time. He didn’t need to leave just yet to pick up Tyler, so he decided to take a chance and call Y/N. 

“Well, hey you,” she greeted. 

“Hey,” Josh smiled. “Is it too soon to be calling? I don’t wanna look like a nerd.”

“No, you’re not a nerd and no, it’s not too soon to be calling,” she giggled. “How was your visit with your parents?”

“Good. Try to see them when I can, but since Zack got hurt on the job, they’ve been even more tense than usual. Mom’s always happy to see me safe and sound.”

Y/N sighed. “Can’t blame her for that.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Y/N. I’m always safe. But it’s nice to have you worried about me, too.”

They talked for a while longer, until Tyler called on the other line to figure out what Josh’s hold-up was. He switched lines back and apologized that he needed to end the phone call. 

“This morning it was your parents, tonight it’s Tyler. You don’t need an out to only get doses of me, you know,” she teased. 

Josh chuckled but returned, “I’ll never get enough of you, I promise. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“I’d really like that.”

“Okay. Night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Josh.”

Reluctantly, he hit the red button to end the call. He found his keys and made way for Tyler’s, realizing how long it had been since he had felt this way about a girl. He already wanted to spend every second possible with her. 

Can I take you out on your next day off? Josh texted on his way out of the driveway. 

Her answer didn’t take long. My next day off is tomorrow. 

I’ll see you then. Call you in the morning to make plans.

Josh shoved his phone in his pocket and worked on getting the twitterpated smile off of his face before he met up with the guys. 

Tags: @takenvysleep @faceofcontvsions @svintsandghosts @adversaryproject

#twenty one pilots fanfiction #twenty one pilots fanfic #twenty one pilots fic #tøp fanfiction #tøp fanfic #tøp fic #josh #josh dun #reader #reader insert #josh x reader #josh dun x reader #too many tags #so little time.

[let-me-love-you-loki]

Hounds of Justice--Ch. 44

Chapter 44

           The wind nearly blew me over as I walked out of the back door of Black and Brave. The students had already gone to get some rest. Every single one of them had done a fantastic job. Sarah had made progress in getting over some of her fear, although it was going to take a while before she was truly what I would call fearless in the ring.

           Seth had given me the keys to his CUV so I could go back to the house. He’d decided to go check in on the place he owned were a number of the male student stayed when they were training at the school. I was tired anyway, so it didn’t bother me too much.

           I engaged the GPS with the address of the house, cursing under my breath that I still hadn’t mastered the route between Moline and Davenport. Halfway there, large flakes of snow started falling. They hit the ground and melted into the asphalt, glowing bright in the headlights before they disappeared. If the temperature dropped low enough, it would start to stick. God only knew how long it was going last.

           By the time I pulled into the garage, the grass was dusted with white. I dug my phone out of my bag. Waited for the line to connect.

           “Hey, babe,” Seth said on the other end.

           I tucked the phone between cheek and shoulder. “Hey. You might want to head back soon. It’s starting to snow.”

           He chuckled. “This isn’t snow, Llane. It’s powder.”

           “Well, powder can still be dangerous.”

           The sound of his voice muffled, as if he’d put his hand over the phone. When he came back, there was laughter in the background. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll come home.”

           I made a face as I turned on the coffee maker, needing something warm to drink. “I just don’t want you to get hurt trying to drive back after the roads freeze over.”

           “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

           “Don’t rush!”

             I changed into a pair of flannel pants and a tank beneath an oversized sweater. Fleece socks kept my feet warm on the cold wood floors. I curled up on the sofa with a cup of coffee, flipping through channels with Prince and Kevin curled up on each side. Every now and then, I’d check my phone, starting to worry when ten minutes became fifteen and then twenty.

           When the garage door engaged nearly forty-five minutes after we talked, I was on edge with anxiety. Seth came in the side door, nose a little red from the cold and bundled in a hoodie and a jacket. He toed off his shoes by the door and grinned at me as he tossed a set of keys and his wallet on the counter.

           “Are you okay?” I asked breathlessly. Kevin stirred when I stood up but sank back down into his nap when he realized nothing exciting was happening.

           He smiled, tugged me into his arms. I craned my neck to look up at him. “Maybe the roads were worse than I thought.”

           I tried not to smirk. “Ah.”

           He rolled his eyes. His lips brushed my forehead. “You were right. I wouldn’t have wanted to drive in this after it freezes tonight.”

           Stunned. Uncertain that I’d heard properly. I blinked.

           Seth led me by the hand toward the sofa. He sat down just where it curved into its L shape and tugged me down beside him. I curled against him, my head resting on his shoulder as he enveloped me in warmth.

           “Besides,” he said with quiet tenderness, “Mom takes care of the bunkhouse anyway. I just wanted to see what kind of stuff those guys were doing.”

           I smiled as I threaded our fingers together. His lips brushed the top of my head. “You’d like to be here more often, wouldn’t you?”

           “Yeah. It’s hard enough just keeping up with all the stuff going on with my family when I’m on the road. If it wasn’t for Marek and the rest of them, I don’t think I could run the school.”

           Words rushed through my brain, cobbled themselves together into sentences. A wish turned to hope to desire in the depths of my heart.

           Quiet settled between us. I stayed there, my head on his shoulder, his arm curled around me, even after I felt the light rumbling of a snore go through his chest. A smile played on my lips.

           “It wouldn’t be so bad living in Iowa,” I whispered into the silence. Kevin rested his chin on my feet, almost agreeing with me.

             “So you two’ve figured your stuff out?” Dean asked as we warmed up in gorilla. Mixed Match Challenge went life on Facebook in just a few minutes, and our match was up first.

           “Some of it,” I replied. “He’s trying. That’s all I can ask.”

           A ghost of a smile settled on Dean’s lips. He glanced down at the tattoo on his left ring finger. It was a permanent reminder of his wedding band, even when it wasn’t physically there. “Sometimes that’s all you can do, dollface.”

           I rose up on my toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Dean.”

           He blushed and put his arm around my neck. “Be bored mad.”

           Roman stood just behind me, his radiant warmth spreading throughout my entire body. Seth was on my left, Dean on my right. Charlie stared into a camera just a few feet away, a microphone held in her hand.

           “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guests at this time, The Shield.”

           She turned toward us, the camera following, shifting to fit all four of us into the shot. We gave our best unconcerned and aloof expressions. Seth and Dean had the Raw Tag Team titles around their waists. The Intercontinental title rested over Seth’s shoulder. Roman hoisted the Universal Championship into view.

           “You guys have dominated the Raw roster for weeks now. You three collectively,” she said, gesturing to the guys, “have every championship in the men’s division. Do you feel like you’ve become targets?”

           “You’re always a target when you’ve got gold, Charles,” Roman replied smoothly. “It means you’re the best and everyone wants to prove that they’re better than you.”

           “We’ve put in blood and sweat and blood and tears to get these titles. And anyone who wants to step up can come take their ass-whippin’,” Dean said ferociously.

           “While the three of you have been taking over the men’s division, Llane, you’ve been burning through the women. How does it feel to be the number one contender for the Raw Women’s Championship?”

           The truth was that it felt euphoric. It was something I never thought I would see this early in my career, but I knew that wasn’t something I could say. So instead I shrugged, tried to look more confident than I felt.

           “I earned it, Charlie. I beat some of the most talented women in this business, and I think that’s a pretty good indicator of what I can do.” I glanced at Dean. “With these three at my back, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

           “Oh really?” A voice came from just behind Charlie.

           The camera backed up, made room for a new arrival. Ronda. She was in her usual backstage gear—boots, leggings, her own tee-shirt, and Piper’s jacket. The Women’s title was draped over her shoulder.

           “You’ve spent more time in the ring with Dean Ambrose than by yourself,” Ronda spat. “There are half a dozen women on the Raw roster better than you.”

           “And I beat every one that stepped in front of me,” I retorted, stepping away from the others. My heart raced in my chest. I knew her reputation—both from MMA and from the people she’d faced in the WWE ring. “The only one I haven’t beat is you, and that’s just because you’ve been too scared to step into the ring with me.”

           The bravado in my words surprised even me. I fought the urge to swallow, to look nervous.

           Ronda moved closer, going toe to toe with me. “The only thing I’m scared of, little girl, is how I’m going to explain ripping your arms out of their sockets.”

           I gave her a smirk of my own, cracking my knuckles like Dean did during promos. “Just remember, Ronda… when you get in the ring with me, you get in the ring with a big dog, with a lunatic, and someone who will burn everything you love to ashes. You might be the baddest woman on the planet, but I’m the most fearless.”

           A second ticked by. I grinned. “Believe that.”

Tag List

@sammyfireheartashryver @0paint-the-stars0 @easyobsession @lakamaa12 @bethany99stuff-blog @cburdine @themumbler @bruiserw8 @xbutterflius-effectusx @iwritewwe @echrai

#hounds of justice #seth rollins #seth rollins fanfiction #dean ambrose #roman reigns #llane black #wwe #wwe fanfiction #real person fanfiction #ofc #oc #multi-chapter

[sea-and-storm]

Prompt #16 - Bond ;  (Make-up)

                                                [ MANY YEARS AGO ]

Ibakha could remember when she was but a youngling when time seemed to move as quick as a startled hare. Each turn of the season would see the Shuurga moving onto their next camp, and she had spent many of those days with her siblings and friends exploring as far past their camp as their wary parents would allow them;  sometimes further beyond still when their backs were turned. Everything back then was new and exciting and an adventure just waiting to unfold. Though they never quite seemed to unearth all the secrets of the land before it was time to move along again, leaving them to pick up their search in the following year upon their return.

But as she had gotten older, time had gradually begun to slow. With each year that passed, the novelty and excitement of exploration had faded more and more. By the time she was a young teen, Ibakha had memorized the lay of the lands that they called home like the back of her hand. The bright-eyed excitement of childhood was giving way to the hum-drum mundanity of adulthood looming on the horizon.

Then she was a young woman with all the responsibilities such entailed. There was no longer any time for the adventuring of her childhood, but even so, the busy days still crawled along. Almost maddeningly so. Day in and day out, there were always the same tasks to be done. Weaving and repairing the nets. Walking the coastline in search of the plants their healers and poison-makers requested. Cleaning and cooking the day's catch. So on, and so on. A seemingly endless list of chores and tasks for the good of the clan's whole.

When naught seemed to change any longer and each day seemed more-or-less a repeat of the last, Ibakha had begun to feel as if time had stopped altogether. She had spent no few evenings staring out over the sea on the horizon, wondering what laid beyond. What new lands were there? What strange creatures and people? That thought had ignited within her a longing for something new and interesting to break up the monotony.

Perhaps she would have followed that yearning and curiosity, if it hadn't been for Ambaghai. She had known him first as the boy who had accompanied her on many of her girlhood adventures, taking on the self-imposed duty of making sure the she and the other younger children kept from harm. It seemed then only natural that as he had grown into a man that he would take up a protector's role for their people. It seemed more natural still, given their early childhood bond, that Ibakha would eventually come to call him her husband.

Life had changed and once again, it seemed as if time had resumed its forward march. It came quicker still when she learned that she was carrying their first child. And if it weren't already moving quickly enough, the days had started to positively fly by once she had actually brought their son, Arukh, into the world. The monotonous feeling of each day being the same that she had once felt was long gone then, but was instead new and exciting -- a feeling she hadn’t felt since her own youth -- as she watched her beloved son learn and grow.

When the gods saw it fit to bless them with a second some years later, Ibakha had been ecstatic at the thought of adding yet another to their family. Motherhood very much suited her, and she was all too eager for the chance to bring another life into this world and marvel with pride as she watched them come into their own.

But she had never once anticipated that when this child came, the selfsame gods that had blessed them with her would just as quickly lay their claim upon her and steal her away.

Ibakha had known what it felt like for moons to pass in the blink of an eye, and for days to drag along at a snail's pace. Somehow, this last year of her life -- knowing what was to come at its end -- had done both simultaneously. Each day that she held her daughter in her arms felt as if she had been hers for an eternity, and the love she felt for the tiny babe had only grown exponentially as such. Yet still, as she laid abed of an evening, Ibakha wept as she thought of how each coming of dusk meant that she was yet another sun closer to having to say her good-byes.

Now, as she sat across their yurt watching Arukh and Ghoa happily playing with figures of steppe creatures their father had carved for them, Ibakha couldn't shake the thought of this being their last evening together as a whole family from her head. Shortly after first light of the following morning, Elder Unegen would come and leave with the toddler in tow, to be raised by the udgan of their clan not as the daughter of Ibakha and Ambaghai, but as a daughter of the gods.

"How do we explain this to him..?" she asked in a quiet, almost broken whisper. "Arukh will be heartbroken."

Neither she nor her husband had had it within them to try and keep Arukh away from his younger sibling. Already the spitting image of his father in temperament, the young Xaela had resolved from the moment he had laid eyes on his sister to take care of her. In the beginning, Ibakha had wanted him to be able to have these precious memories to cherish, yet now she couldn't help but wonder if it had been a terrible mistake. He had bonded with her more deeply than she had anticipated. They all had.

At first, Ambaghai said nothing, not even looking up from the bone darts that he was carving. He had always been a man of few words, but they had become even more scarce in recent moons. She hadn't once seen her husband weep in all the years she had known him, but all the same, she knew that his heart hurt just as deeply as her own. He was trying to be strong for her sake, and she loved him for it, but she knew that even he must have been reaching the limits of the hurt he could carry in silence by now.

"He will be," he finally sighed as he put down his whittling, tired silver eyes rising first to his wife and then to the younglings by the fire pit as they burst into happy peals of laughter. A hint of a smile tugged onto his face at the sight, the barest twitch of his lips and the softening of his sharp features alone enough to speak volumes of the love and pride that he felt -- and when they disappeared again but a tick later, it spoke volumes of his sadness as well. "We all will be," he continued in a softer voice, one reserved only for her. "But we will learn how to live with that hurt. We must."

Ibakha bobbed her head in a slow, reluctant nod at his words. She knew he was right, for there was no other choice. They had already discussed it once, not long after they had learned of Ghoa's choosing. Refusing to allow it to come to pass would only see them all facing exile, Arukh included, and their daughter would be wrested from them regardless.

They had also talked of taking their family and escaping in secret, but both she and her husband knew it was no real option. Without the protection of their clan, meager as it was, they would be easy pickings for capture by either the Kharlu or Jhungid. That was, if some other hungering steppe beast didn't set upon them first. There was no life for them beyond the Shuurga's territory, and especially not with young children in tow.

At least by cooperating, both Ghoa and Arukh would be safe. As much as she hated the situation, as much as she had wracked her brain trying to figure out any possible way to avoid giving up her child, Ibakha knew as a mother that that was what was most important.

Still, it made it no easier to swallow, and the longer she sat there and thought on it, the more a frustrated, helpless anger began to bloom in her chest. How cruel of a tradition it was, to not only take a babe from their parents but to do so only after their first year of life. After giving them such and long-yet-short time to form a bond that would take the breaking of hearts to sever. She knew that, logically, it was because none of the childless shamans would be able to care for a child before its weaning. But right now, her heart wasn't thinking with logic.

"I don't know if I can, Ambaghai.." Ibakha whispered hoarsely. Her hands curled into white-knuckled fists, her lip quivered, and her eyes stung with the beginnings of tears. She had done such a good job to hide her grief from her children all these moons, always rising and hiding away from their eyes when it became too much to suppress. But now that they were down to the very last of their time together, she couldn't bring herself to let Ghoa leave her sight for even a single tick.

Seeing the impending breakdown about to occur, Ambaghai rose from his seat to kneel in front of her own. So very carefully, he pulled the much smaller woman in close, one hand rising to stroke her hair. Beneath her, she could feel a slight tremble in her husband's form, and but a moment later the telltale dripping of moisture onto her bare shoulder. Only then did the sobs begin to wrack her body in earnest, mercifully muffled against his chest.

Only fulms away, both Ghoa and Arukh continued to be engrossed in their playing, blissfully unaware of their parents' hearts breaking for them.

#ffxivwrite2018 #prompt 16 - bond #make up day #restless seas #ghoa mankhad #ibakha mankhad #ambaghai mankhad #arukh mankhad #elder unegen #drabble #backstory #the past #I DID IT #I PARTICIPATED ONCE #THAT WAS MY PERSONAL GOAL #(even if it was on a make up day shhhh..) #also holy moly 2 drabbles in 2 days hrffff... #time to REST

[endemictoearth]

About Town Pt. 1

LONG TIME NO FIC

Hiiiiiiii guyyyyyys, sorry! I’m not convinced I’ve kicked my funk just yet, but this prompt from @i-dream-of-emus piqued my interest, and got me to sit down and write something! It’s not done, I’ve started part 2 and sketched out where I want it to go, but I really wanted to get something out there, and this seemed like a natural pause in the story while I gathered my thoughts.

PROMPT: Rae is well-known by the staff of Town Records, and when they don’t see their most loyal customer for a couple of weeks they get worried. Some how, they find out that she’s in the psychiatric ward, and want to do something nice for her during her time there.

So, each week, a member of staff visits her at the hospital with the latest NME and Melody Maker, and the week’s new releases. Rae borrows the CDs for a week, then buys what she can afford of the ones she likes most.

And guess who is Town’s grumpiest / best-looking part-timer?

* 

I didn’t keep exactly to the brief, and some of this will show up in the second half, but it seemed to scratch the itch of “What if?” for me. (Well, half-scratch . . . still got a bit of an itch.)

Not tagging anyone, but I’ll stick it on this month’s Round-Up. Hope you like it!

* * * * * 

It often takes awhile to notice when something’s missing. Like one of those “Can you spot the differences between these pictures?” puzzles they put in to pad out the Sunday papers. At a casual glance, it all seems the same, but when you have a think and start to really look, you see what’s gone from the scene, what’s been changed.

Finn chewed his thumb nail as he restocked the magazine rack with the shipment of latest issues.

“Dave?” He shouted to be heard in the back room.

A muffled “Yeah?” floated out of the half-open door.

“Where d’ya want me to put the Melody Maker Souvenir Issue? They sent us extras!”

Dave stuck his head out from the stock area. “They probably printed too many, the wankers.” He nodded to the counter. “Stick some by the till. Maybe we can shift ‘em as an impulse purchase.”

Finn nodded, chewing on the inside of his lip, now that both hands were occupied.

After stacking a bunch neatly on the counter, he plucked a copy from the top of the pile. Dave always let him have a couple of mags a week at no charge. For no reason he could name, Finn glanced guiltily at the open door to the back and slipped a second copy into his knapsack, then sat down at the stool behind the till, humming along to Elastica playing on the in-store speakers.

Waking up and getting up has never been easy,

Oh, oh, I think you should know.

Oh, oh, I think you should go.

Make a cup of tea, and put a record on.

Saturday mornings were always slow, but Finn liked putting things right round the shop. He’d straightened out most of the sections, filled all the magazine racks, even tidied the notice board. He wasn’t the most personable employee at Town, and he knew Rob generally liked a late night of a Friday, so he didn’t mind volunteering to come in at half-eight on a Saturday, even if he ended up bored for the last hour or two of his shift.

It also meant he could visit his nan after. Normally, he’d stop over at her cottage, which was much closer to Town than his own house, but she’d had to go into hospital for some routine tests earlier in the week, and they’d kept her over, saying they wanted to monitor some levels or something. It didn’t sound good, but they kept telling her not to worry, which she in turn told Finn, but his nails looked even more of a state than usual.

He was gnawing on another cuticle when Rob rocked up through the front door, looking rough but resigned to a full day of work.

He nodded at Finn, who nodded back, and then shoved the door to the back wide open as he went to deposit his stuff in his locker.

Finn didn’t have a locker, as he only worked about ten hours a week. His eyes flitted to the clock, and he was surprised to note that Rob had come in early. It wasn’t yet noon, and Finn was supposed to leave at one. Usually, they were ships passing.

Finn looked down at the cover of the Melody Maker special, the Brothers Gallagher staring deadpan back at him. The song changed over on the stereo system, and he could hear the clock tick a few seconds in the silence before Morning Glory (ironically) started up.

There were no customers in the shop, hadn’t been for most of the morning, but suddenly and unaccountably, it made Finn feel nervous, restless. He’d felt it was quiet for the past few weeks, really. It was like he was living the same Saturday over and over each week, waiting for . . . something.

Rob came out and plopped down next to Finn behind the counter, sighing.

“Y’alright?” Finn asked.

“Good as can be expected.”

Finn nodded.

“You?” Rob asked back.

Finn shrugged.

“Eh?”

Finn sighed now. Rob was a decent sort, and there wasn’t anyone else about. “Me nan’s ill. Well, maybe not, but she’s in the hospital for a bit, I guess to make sure she’s not? Anyway.”

“Hey, that’s shite. Sorry to hear it. Hope she’s okay, yeah?”

“Thanks.” Finn shifted on his stool, still restless. “This place has been dead. Deader’n usual, even.”

“I know. Haven’t even seen that girl, you know the one, is it Mae?, come in recently. Have you seen her?” Rob asked offhand.

Finn froze. “Rae,” he whispered. That was it.

He’d kept having these weird half-thoughts, just glimpses flitting across his mind, of a figure with long dark hair, moving around the shop. But they’d been so fleeting, so transitory, he hadn’t been able to put his finger on it.

She rarely spoke to anyone, just sort of appeared, usually around noon of a Saturday, this sort of time. Sometimes he’d see her in the late afternoon during one of his mid-week post-college shifts, but she’d been a fixture on Saturdays until recently.

He furrowed his brow. “Yeah . . . I mean, no. It’s been a few weeks, at least. Wonder what’s happened to her.” As soon as he said it, he realized he hoped nothing had happened to her. That she just decided to spend her Saturdays somewhere else, or was out of town, even moved. Though, he didn’t really hope that last one.

*

She didn’t buy much, but when she did, it was something good. Something he could tell she’d thought long and hard about, having saved and researched and listened to as many tracks as she could before committing to it.

He distinctly remembered her being near the front of the queue for the new Oasis on release day back in October, though. He’d asked his dad if he could bunk off and work, so he could get his hands on his copy first thing in the morning, before the shop opened to the public.

“Remember when that last Status Quo album come out?” he asked, eyes pleading his case. “You moved your morning meeting so’s you could get it first thing.”

His dad had rolled his eyes but relented, as long as Finn promised to take the bins out for a month without his usual whinging.

And when he turned up at the shop, there was actually a line down to the chemist’s a few doors away. He’d felt special, being able to walk past the crowd and wave to Dave inside, who came over to let him in early. “Not your usual release day, eh?”

Dave grunted. “I noticed you pre-ordered one, too. You can have your pick of the discs, as long as you’re quick about it. I’ll have to let this lot in soon, or risk the wrath of Mr. Singh next door. They’re blocking his entrance.”

Finn ducked his head behind the counter and saw nearly a hundred CDs in neat stacks. Logically, he knew they were all the same, but he wanted the best one. He randomly picked the third one from the top of the second pile, inspecting the case for damage, the wrapper for tampering. It looked good--pristine, even. He slipped it in one of the paper bags by the till and put it in his own bag, in a pocket all by itself.

Even now, months later, he could remember that feeling of satisfaction after so much anticipation. Before he’d even listened to anything but the two songs released for the radio, simply possessing it—the mere possibility of how much he might like it--had been tantalizing.

He wasn’t precisely sure why his brain was hashing over that day on this day, until the memory expanded to seeing her, Rae, come in with her eyes shining and cheeks flushed from waiting in the morning chill for more than an hour. He remembered noticing her uniform, which he’d never seen her in before. She looked like she felt uncomfortable in it, but possibly a little less uncomfortable than normal, since she was getting to pick up this album.

Dave was running the till; Finn was bagging the CDs. It only took them about half an hour to get through the line, but the moment when Rae was at the counter seemed . . . well, memorable. After all, here he was, remembering it.

“Yours was the third name on my list for this, love,” Dave chided Rae as he took her bills and made change.

“Yeah?” she asked, “Who was ahead of me, then?” She was in a good mood, all smiles. Finn couldn’t remember ever seeing her smile that big.

“Just this one,” he hoiked a thumb in Finn’s direction, “And Rob, of course.”

Rae turned to look at Finn, probably reflexively, and their eyes met. “Felt like today’d never come, eh? Been waiting for this for months.”

That might have been the first time she’d spoken to Finn without him speaking first. And the only time he’d initiated conversation was likely to be part of a transaction.

Finn nodded. “I know! It seems like I’ve been waiting forever, but their first album only came out last August.”

Her lips closed over her teeth, but she was still smiling. Then she said, “Hard to believe—feels like I’ve had those songs in me head for years.”

It was his turn to smile. How was it he could remember this moment so clearly?

That was when the moment ended, however. The man behind Rae cleared his throat in irritation. “Could you two hurry it up?”

The smile fell from Rae’s mouth; Finn handed her the bag with her new music and, as she turned, he said, “Hey, lemme know what you think of it, yeah?”

The corners of her mouth lifted a fraction and he would have sworn she nodded as she turned to leave.

*

He’d known something was missing; how could he have not realized?

He supposed she had always just been there, in the background of the shop, quietly . . . existing. He was intrigued by her, sure, but she seemed pretty private, and he wasn’t one to press anyone. He was more of a hang back and let them come to him sort of bloke. She seemed cool, and he liked to idly speculate about her, but that had been good enough.

Rob sighed. “It is bloody dead in here, isn’t it?”

Finn nodded, feeling a little disoriented. It was, but he was wrapped up in wondering.

“You can leave early, if you want. I’m here now, and there’s no reason for the both of us to be bored senseless.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, escape while you can. Go see your nan.”

“Thanks, Rob. Have a good one—hope business picks up.”

Rob smiled. “Usually does.”

Finn shrugged on his jacket and slung his bag across his chest, then waved to Rob as he headed out.

His walk to the hospital was fairly short, and he was so distracted by thoughts that it seemed like he arrived in less than a minute. 

He started to walk down the hall to the nurses’ station to check in, when he saw a flash of long dark hair down the corridor off to his right. His head turned instinctively, and there she was, like he’d conjured her with his jumbled thoughts. She was standing next to a younger girl, head bent down to listen to the girl whisper in her ear.

When the girl was done, Rae straightened up, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she did. The hallway was dim, but for the spot they were standing in, an open door let the light from the courtyard windows in, and the light played across the sweep of her hair.

He was staring at her, mouth open, when she spotted him. He watched as she went from noticing him as a presence, then as a person, to the second she recognized him. Her shoulders hunched up, and she looked down immediately, as if not looking at him could make him not see her.

She didn’t last long before glancing up to make sure. He held up a hand in greeting, and she nodded. Her little friend looked up at her, her expression bordering on incredulous, before shoving Rae in the small of her back to propel her towards him.

Rae shot the girl a dirty look before dragging her feet down the hall.

As she approached, he began to smile. He was glad to see her, see she was . . . well, she might not be okay, as she was in hospital, and he could see her tag despite her long sleeves. But she was here.

“Hiya!” he said, brightly, his usually mumble gone for once. “Funny running into you, we were just wondering about you at the shop.”

Her eyes flew to meet his. “What? Why?”

“Well, we just . . . hadn’t seen you in a while. Sort of got used to you coming in every week. Saturday mornings are pretty boring without you.”

The expression on her face was impressive, but still hard to read. “Really?”

“Well . . . yeah. Sometimes you were the only customer I’d see before noon.”

She scoffed under her breath, and half smiled to herself. Then, suddenly, asked, “What’re you doing here?”

“Oh, visiting me nan. She’s . . . they’re observing her. For, like, levels, or summat.”

Rae nodded, like she understood. “Sorry to hear it. I won’t keep you. Nice to . . . I mean, thanks, or . . . whatever.”

She turned to walk away, and Finn found himself protesting. Out loud. “You’re not keeping me. I’m early this week. It were so dead, Rob said I could leave before one. I—“  

Rae pivoted cautiously to look at him while he floundered.

It was then he remembered the extra copy of Melody Maker. “Oh, hey! Do you, I mean, is it alright if I . . .” He fumbled with the clasps on the front of his bag. “I just happen to have an extra of this week’s . . .” He held it out to her, hopeful. “If you want it, that is. It’s a special edition, that’s why I grabbed an extra.”

Her eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion for a split second. “You sure? It’s not for someone else?”

“No!” Why had he practically shouted that? “No, sorry. I just . . . grabbed two instead of one. I can always get another; they sent us loads.”

She turned to fully face him, but snuck a glance over her shoulder at her little friend, who was grinning down the hall at them.

“Well, thanks, then. I’ve been starved for news of these two for weeks now.” She gestured to the brothers on the cover.

Finn grinned. “They’re still the same old arseholes, far as I know.”

“Arseholes who can make some bloody great music.” Rae smiled back, holding the magazine close to her chest, like it was something precious.

“It’s good to see you, Rae,” Finn said. “Hope we’ll see you at the shop soon.”

Her eyes softened at that, and she nodded faintly. “Yeah, hopefully.”

He wanted to ask her why she was there, what was going on, but he had no right, and from the little he knew her, he knew she wouldn’t want him to pry.

He waved again; this time in farewell.

When he got to his nan’s room, he still had a smile lingering on his lips.

“You’re happy about something,” his nan teased, before he even saw her.

He dipped his head, shaking it in denial, but said, “Well, yeah, happy to see you!”

She gave him a knowing look, but didn’t question him, just held her thin arms out for a hug.

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