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from-seas-to-skies · 3 years

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Farm Grown / Hawks x Reader ♕︎

uwu, I had the lovely @weirddpand4 draw this picture of cowboy Hawks for this work!!!

warnings: NSFW, spanking, cream pie

words: 4,802

“Oh, wow! Look at that! I’ve never seen grass so green before!” your friend, Urakaka Ochaco, exclaims.

Glancing up from your phone, you follow her line of vision; gracious hills of rich green grass stretch out far into the horizon, meeting with the brilliant shade of blue. It’s so unlike the skyscrapers and closely-knit houses you’re used to seeing. No, this is what pure beauty looks like, Mother Nature in one of her most wonderful forms. Although the fields are dotted with wildflowers and corn fields, you don’t miss the dirt road further up ahead, a large wooden sign planted next to it.

When Ochaco originally came to you with the idea of being a farmhand, you thought she was crazy. You’ve finally graduated from high school, got the title of professional hero, and this is the first thing she wanted to do? However, as she further explained, it was a family friend who needed help during the summer months, and what were heroes for? Granted, you wanted to run around the cement jungle and provide help that way, but this “almost vacation” didn’t sound too bad – plus, with the puppy eyes Ochaco flashed at you, it was impossible to say no.

And so, here you are, sitting in the passenger side of a coupe with Ochaco behind the wheel. You have to admit; the surrounding atmosphere is beautiful, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to run barefoot through the grass. Clouds of dust rise as the car eventually comes to a stop outside of a weathered farmhouse. Ochako flashes you a smile, her large eyes twinkling.

“Look at how huge this place is! I know Uncle Iroh said he had a couple people helping out, but this is incredible! We’ll each have our own room!”

You can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Ochaco’s always been easy to rile up, and the fact that she’s genuinely excited to spend quality “bonding time” with you is heartwarming. As the two of you step out of the car, the front door to the farmhouse opens, revealing an elderly man with a long beard and a kind expression. His face cracks into a smile when he and Ochaco make eye contact; the two hurry towards each other, warm greetings and bone-crushing hugs being shared between the two. It’s no wonder Ochaco was so excited to spend the summer here; with a relationship like that, you’d be happy to see the man too.

“Oh, come, come!” Iroh says, hurrying around the car and popping the trunk open. “You must be Ochaco’s friend, yes?” he asks, looking towards you. A wave of pleasant warmth washes over your being as he sends you that charming smile. “I appreciate the help! I only have my nephew and another man working here already, but the extra hands will come in handy.” He pauses then to chuckle at his own joke. “But I think it’s about you two get settled, yeah?”

“Right!” you respond, pulling out your own suitcase.

As you walk up towards the wraparound porch, you glance to the other trucks sitting out in front of the farmhouse. Iroh said two others were already here, so you figured the trucks must be theirs…

“Zuko!” Iroh booms. “Our guests are here!”

After a moment or so, a boy around your age staggers from the kitchen, a tray in his hands. From the looks of it, a teapot and some cups line its surface.

“Tea is our specialty, here,” Iroh says, nudging you with your shoulder. “Get something to drink and then we’ll show you your rooms.”

Later on that evening, you’re gazing out your window, watching the sun fall. Hues of orange, peach, and lilac paint the sky, bidding the world goodbye for the night. It’s definitely different to experience it here than back home, back where silhouettes were outlined by the golden glow. A steady breeze carries on, carrying the scent of wildflowers and musk; your curtains flap from the sheer force of it, but you pay it no mind. It’s like Ochaco brought you to a slice of paradise, even if it’s with the intention of putting in labor.

In the distance, you hear calls and the distinguished moos of cows. Shifting your gaze, you catch a herd of cows being moved towards a barn; a man riding a brown horse wrangles them in, a border collie by his side. The way he pulls it off is smooth, and it’s clear that he’s used to pulling such a feat. However, what really catches your attention is the pair of magnificent scarlet wings protruding from his back. Now, you’re used to seeing some rather flashy quirks, but this guy’s is just… Wow.

“Hey, Uncle Iroh wanted me to come get you,” Ochaco’s voice says suddenly. Turning around, you see her standing in the doorway, a pleasant expression playing on her face. “We’re having oyakodon for dinner! Doesn’t a hot meal sound delicious?” And, as if to amp up your spirits, Ochaco licks her lips and pats her tummy. “I’m so hungry from a long drive!”

You huff in amusement. “Yeah, I am too.” Turning around, you catch a glimpse of the cows disappearing into the barn, that mysterious cowboy stationed by the doors. “Hey, Ochaco,” you start before realizing it, “but who’s that other guy that lives here? The one with the wings?”

Walking over to where you stand, Ochaco peers out the window, following your line of sight. “Oh, him? That’s Keigo. Uncle Iroh says he’s only been here for the past year or so, but he’s really good at what he does! I heard all the animals like him a lot – maybe it’s because of the wings?”

“Don’t you think it’s… odd that’s only a farmhand? With a quirk like that, you’d think he’d be doing something else.”

Ochaco shrugs. “I dunno. Maybe you should ask him sometime? Oh, but I’m really hungry! Can we go eat, now?”

“Yeah, sorry, I just got distracted…”

And so, you soon find yourself sitting at a sturdy wooden table, a bowl of oyakodon sitting before you. It smells utterly delicious - and paired with the tea Iroh brewed, you know you’re in for a treat. Just then, you hear a door opening and closing; there’s a chatter of some sorts, but then there he is, right there in the flesh.

Strong build, wide shoulders, blond hair that looks permanently tousled, and oh yes, those magnificent wings. Perhaps you shouldn’t be staring so much, but the sharp line of his jaw and intense eyes make it nearly impossible to look away. You’ve heard of such things, read about them in stories, but maybe, just maybe, you might’ve fallen for the guy at first sight. That, or he’s just too damn attractive for his own good.

“Howdy! Oh, shit, who are these two cuties?”

Or maybe not.

“Oi! Keigo! Can’t you be respectful for once in your life?” Iroh barks, popping around the other. He scowls as he slaps a wing out of his way. “Make a good impression for yourself. These two are going to be here for the rest of the summer, so don’t be an ass.”

“C’mon, gramps,” Keigo drawls, “you know I’m better than that. Plus, if they don’t like my attitude, then it’s not really my fault, huh?”

“Nothing ever changes,” Zuko says lowly, his words followed by a deep sigh.

You and Ochaco share a look. It seems like your Prince Charming is nothing more than a sarcastic asshat. How befitting.

“Liven up, birdies,” Keigo says, sliding into the chair directly across from you. “I don’t bite.” He winks at you. “Yet.”

Your entire body jolts at his proclamation. This guy really is shameless, isn’t he? Still, you can’t help but feel undeniably attracted to him. Curse his charisma, dammit.

“Aw, sweet! Is this oyakodon? Hell yeah.”

To the side, Zuko facepalms. Iroh merely chuckles and shakes his head, much like he’s way too used to this kind of behavior and has accepted it as it is. Hell, even Ochako cracks a smile. You, on the other hand, stare at Keigo in confusion. He has a bird-based quirk, doesn’t he? Does it not bother him to not eat chicken…?

Keigo puts up a hand, an amused glint in his eyes. “Look, I already know what you’re gonna ask, kid. I can practically see the gears spinning in that pretty head of yours. I fucking love chicken.”

Oh… Well, that takes care of that, doesn’t it…

After that first fateful encounter, you’ve grown used to Keigo’s ways. It’s funny, though, how he and Zuko’s personalities basically sit on either end of the spectrum, yet Iroh treats the both of them like they’re his children. While Zuko is serious and straight-laced, Keigo is more of a chatty free spirit. That said, you’ve also gotten used to Keigo’s flirty side. You suspect it’s because he likes to get a rise out of everyone. Whether that’s the case or not, your eyes often wander after him, stare down the hard lines of his back. Even better, you itch to trail your lips over the scruff lining his jaw. The guy’s too damn hot and he knows it.

Over the past month, a game of cat and mouse has started between the two of you. Him, trying to act all chummy and overstepping numerous boundaries. You, trying not to give into the weird relationship that’s bloomed between you and him. Sure, you might have flirted back, but what were you supposed to do? After all, Keigo’s proved himself to be a rather cool guy.

“You can’t keep spacing out like that, kid,” Keigo says, snapping you from your thoughts. Glancing down at him, you attempt to suppress your embarrassment, but Keigo’s too smart for that. Despite his relaxed attitude, he’s surprisingly intelligent and quite observant.

Hands tightening around the saddle, you scoff. “I wasn’t spacing out…”

Keigo cocks an eyebrow. “You know, if I wasn’t holding onto the reins, Nugget would’ve bucked you off a long time ago.”

This time, you snicker. You know that he has an undying love for chicken, but every time he refers to his horse as Nugget, you can’t help but laugh. This guy really is like a child.

“Pffft. Laugh all you want, birdie. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to ride.” Narrowing his eyes, he flashes you a sultry look. “If you want, I can show you.”

All laughter dies on your tongue. A spark of heat erupts in your stomach, makes your heart thump against your ribcage. He always manages to fluster you, to plant naughty little thoughts into your head. You swallow thickly. “I think… I think I’ll stick with Nugget for now.”

At that, Keigo shrugs, his expression turning into something more nonchalant. “Suit yourself. Seriously, though; you should always keep your focus while riding a horse. Anything can happen, and you’ll only know you’re fucked until you’re being crushed. Better yet, you’re flying overhead and end up snapping your neck. Hate to break it to you, but you don’t have wings to break your fall.”

“Keigo.”

He looks back up at you. “What?”

“Your wings. It’s just that… Well… Why help out on farm?”

Keigo blinks at you, no words slipping out. “Hah? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Shit,” you say quickly, mentally cursing yourself out, “that’s not what I meant. You can fly, can’t you? It just seems like you could’ve made a name for yourself…”

“And become a hero, right?” You wince at his words. He hit the nail right on the head. “Heh. Yeah, I guess you’re right. I could spew a whole bunch of shit from my mouth and call it a day, but that’s not my style. I’m a hero in my own right.”

You furrow your brows. Remaining silent, you wait for him to carry on.

Keigo sighs at your implication. “Not all heroes wear capes or whatever. What about cops? Firefighters? Nurses? People who help put food on your table and help that old man out? Just because I’m not stopping some robbery doesn’t mean I’m not important.”

His words come as a slap to the face. He has a good point; actually, scratch that. He has a fantastic fucking point.

“I’m sorry,” you say after a moment’s silence. “That was selfish of me.”

Keigo waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t beat yourself up, kid. Nugget gets nervous if you get into a bad mood.”

Absentmindedly, your hand drops onto the horse’s neck, giving it a couple of reassuring strokes. “He’s a beautiful horse.”

“Yeah – well, until I bathe him. Getting up close and personal to horse cock isn’t fun. A bit degrading, actually.”

Slapping a hand over your mouth, you try to muffle your sudden laughter. Air streams through the cracks of your fingers.

Instead of his usual smirk, Keigo flashes you a genuine smile. You’ve only seen it once or twice before, but it never fails to make your heart stop. His whole face scrunches, his pearly teeth a startling white compared to his sun-kissed skin. Okay, so maybe you’ve fallen in love with this guy. It’s no big deal; you’re only here for the summer, so there’s no point in chasing after something you can’t have.

“What, did ya find that funny? I’m here all week, folks.”

“You saying you’re a standup comedian now?” you shoot back. “I didn’t know they accepted clowns on farms.”

“Ohoho, so you do got a mouth. Where’s that been all this time, huh? Would’ve made things a lot more fun.” Reaching up, he knocks his cowboy hat further back, revealing more strands of sandy hair and bronzed skin. “Listen here, partner. This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.”

“Oh my god,” you say with a snort. “You’re such a dork.”

Keigo snickers. “You know you love me.”

Heh. Yeah…

If only he knew.

Maybe you should’ve taken his words more into consideration.

Your instincts are more attuned to what could happen in battle, not for words. Besides, Keigo is a sneaky bastard. Most of the things that spew from his mouth are innuendos and pure sarcasm. He doesn’t really come off as a genuine type of person.

It’s whatever. You don’t like to read into things too much, and maybe that’s your fault, maybe it’s not. Who knows?

Even so, your eyes continuously drift over to where he stands. He busies himself with hanging Nugget’s saddle and harness away, his body lax. If one’s thing for sure, he definitely seems a lot more comfortable around animals rather than actual human beings. You can’t blame him, but what about you? Is he comfortable around you?

Clearing your throat, you turn back to the task at hand. Brushing Nugget down, you trail your hand over the coarse hair, the hard muscle. You meant it when you said he’s beautiful. Shiny brown coat, straw colored hair – he seems like the perfect match for Keigo.

“Cowboy Keigo,” you mutter. “Tell me, Nugget,” you begin, “does Keigo treat you right? Feeds you apples and lumps of sugar? A pretty horse like you deserves to be spoiled.” At the mention of his master’s name, Nugget whinnies. “Is that a yes? You’re avoiding the question, man.”

“Are you seriously trying to sweettalk my horse?” Keigo pipes up. Stepping over the stall, he hoists himself up onto the gate and straddles the wood. Wings sweeping behind him, he flashes you a peculiar look. “Didn’t they teach you in school that you shouldn’t seduce a horse? I don’t know about you, kid, but bestiality isn’t smiled upon around here.”

“Then what does that say about you, bird boy?” you quip. “Surely you don’t put yourself in that category?”

“Ooo, degradation. How did you know that was one of my kinks? Were you looking through my search history?”

Rolling your eyes, you set the brush to the side and join him at the gate. Climbing up, you mimic his movements and straddle the wooden beam. “Kinky cowboy, huh? Kind of has a nice ring to it.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve got the bedazzled white boots and everything. I mean, I’m already wearing the assless chaps and everything.”

“You sound more like a stripper rather than a farmhand. What do you think, Nugget?” you ask, turning towards the horse. Nugget merely snorts and shakes his head.

“Hey, hey, don’t agree,” Keigo tells him. “I’ve got to keep my secret life a secret, you damned horse. Help a guy out.”

“I guess your partner would rather throw you under the bus,” you say with a chuckle. “Good horse.”

“Now you’re just trying to hurt my feelings.”

“Cry me a river, bird boy. Or do I have to kiss your booboos?”

At that, Keigo falls quiet. The look in his eyes is unreadable, but the way his body tensed tells you something else entirely. Abruptly, he swings his leg over the gate and hops back down onto the ground. Aw, shit. Did you take it too far? It was only lighthearted flirting and yanking on his leg-

“C’mere,” Keigo says, offering you his hand. His voice is a lot more… soft.

With little to no hesitation, you take hold of his hand and get off the gate. You’re about to ask him what he wants, but then he’s abruptly pulling you to the side, further away from the stable’s open doors. Birds are singing outside, their sweet melody carrying along with the sweet summer breeze. It almost seems like an entire world away. A grunt escapes your lips as you’re shoved against the wall, the smell of straw and musk filling your senses. Keigo steps in close, the heat radiating off his body sending shivers down your spine.

“Listen here, pretty little birdie,” he drawls, his lips pulling back in a smirk, “but I may just have to take you up on that offer.”

Wait, what?

“What the hell, Keigo? Where is this coming from?” you question. It’s not like you’re against him being so damn close, it’s just… unexpected.

“Oh, right, like I’m supposed to pretend that you don’t gawk at me at any chance you get. You’re not very subtle, you know.”

Embarrassment heats up your insides, crawls up your neck. So this bastard is really going to rub it in your face, huh? Seems just like him.

“Then why didn’t you say anything about it before?” you hiss. “If it’s such a problem, don’t stay silent. You’re not the type to let things like that slide.”

“Who said it was problem?”

Keigo: 1 / you: 0

Spluttering, you try to gain control of your whirling emotions. This is not how you were expecting this conversation to go. Actually, you weren’t expecting this conversation at all!

“I know for a fact that you can’t get enough of me,” Keigo continues. “And if I’m being completely honest, I like it. You look so cute when you stare after me, birdie. Then you have the audacity to pretend like nothing happened whenever I catch you.”

“Is that what this is all about?” you huff. “Okay, fine. I admit it. Maybe I watch what you’re doing more than what’s necessary. It’s not my fault you walk around all the time without a shirt on or anything…”

“Normally, I’d say because it’s because I get hot when I’m working, but knowing that you were watching made it all the better.” He winks at you. “Gotta hand out a treat here and there, you know?”

“You really are a clown!” you squeak. Keigo laughs as you weakly shove at his chest. “You’ve been leading me on this entire time? What am I, a joke?”

“Hey now, don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. It’s not my fault you couldn’t come up to me like a civilized adult.”

Okay, now you’re fuming. “Keigo, you fucking idiot-“

Swooping in, Keigo cuts you off with a kiss. Unsurprisingly, his lips are soft; he tastes like citrus and salt, and before you know it, you’re looping your arms around his neck, knocking his hat off in the process. A huff of laughter fans across your lips as Keigo pulls back, his mouth hovering over yours. “Shit, I’ve been wanting to do that ever since your pretty ass sat at the kitchen table for the first time.”

You sigh. “You really do have a bird brain…”

You kiss him, again and again. Perhaps you should be ashamed that you have your tongue shoved down somebody’s throat rather than working, but there’s no way you’re stopping now. Like him, you’ve been waiting for this moment. The two of you have been tiptoeing around each other, rolling the tension back and forth like a goddamn snowball.

But fuck if it doesn’t feel good.

His hands aren’t shy, not in the slightest. Fingertips map out the ridges and dips of your body, seek out the spots that really make you tick. You bite back a giggle as he drops his mouth down your neck, the scruff covering his jawline tickling your skin. Your own hands trail over his body, tracing over the hard lines of muscle that hide beneath his clothes. Time and time again, whenever you’d see him without a shirt, you wanted nothing more than to run your hands all over him. This is your chance, now, and you’d be damned if you didn’t take it.

“Shit, shit, shit, not the wings,” Keigo pants into your neck. The scarlet feathers feel like silk beneath your fingertips; skimming over them, you follow their shape, feel how they get fluffier the closer they are to his shoulders. “Oh, fuck. You know just what you’re doing, huh, birdie? Playing around with me like that. Two can play at that game.”

Another grunt slips from your lips as he pushes you against the wall, harder this time. His hands shamelessly drift underneath your shirt, warm palms sliding over your skin. Your shirt comes off before you know it, being unceremoniously thrown to the ground.

“Fuck, birdie, aren’t a pretty one,” Keigo purrs, his nose bumping against your throat as he sucks another mark into your flesh. “I bet you’re real pretty down here, too…” Making quick work of your jeans, he easily slips them down your legs and you eagerly step out of them. “Don’t mind if I do, kid,” he murmurs into your ear before nipping at the lobe.

A weak moan breaks from your throat as a hand slips into your underwear and cups your sex. His hand is just so warm, and the roughness of his callouses causes your head to spin. Within no time, wet, sinful noises sound from between your legs, mixing with your heavy breaths and Keigo’s encouraging words.

“Yeah, you like that, birdie? My fingers feel good, huh? Wait until you get a feel of my cock.”

Spurred on by his words, you hastily unbutton his shirt, pushing the fabric to the side and running your hands over the swell of his pectorals, the ridges of his abdomen. A faint dusting of blond hairs covers his chest and arms; and, if you look close enough, more sticks out from the waistband of his jeans. Keigo hums as you continue to feel him up, his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek.

“Like what you see? I bet you’ve been wanting to do this for a long time… Fuck! Not going to go easy on me, huh? I like someone who can bite back.”

“Has anybody ever told you that you talk too much?” you breathe. Fingers wrapped around his cock, your movements catch up to his in speed. “You should consider yourself lucky that I like your voice.”

“Oohoohoo, feisty. That mouth of yours is saying a lot of mean things today, isn’t it? Guess I’ll have to put you in your place.” He pauses, swipes his tongue over his bottom lip. “But, if I’m being entirely too honest, I don’t think I have the patience for that.”

“Keigo,” you pant, “I swear to Christ if you don’t fuck me right now-“

“On it, on it. Don’t get your panties in a twist, your majesty.” In hurried movements, he strips you of your underwear and shucks his chaps and jeans down. Large hands grip onto your thighs and then you’re being hoisted up, sandwiched between his rigid body and the wall. “Why, won’t you feel that,” he purrs, “I’d say it’s high noon.”

“Don’t talk about your dick like that, you dork,” you scoff. “Oh, fuck.” Another pleasured noise slips through your lips as you grind down against him, his cock just barely teasing your hole.

“What was that, birdie? You know what they say – sweetie on the farm, a freak in the barn.”

“You’re anything but sweet. Just – Keigo, please?”

“Alright, I get it, enough teasing.” Adjusting his hold on you, he flashes you a tiny smile. “Hold on, partner.”

A choked groan breaks free from your throat as his cock slides in, your velvety walls sucking him in greedily. That damned smirk of his stays on his face the entire time he fucks you, along with that devious glint in his eyes. His façade only cracks after you start stroking his wings and squeeze around his cock; if he wants to act like a cocky son of a bitch, then so can you.

“Shit, you’re fucking tight,” he pants. The smack of skin against skin fills your ears, right alongside Keigo’s breathy moans and muttered words. “Keep squeezing like that, birdie, and you’re gonna make me cum quicker than I want to.”

“You almost sound like that’s exactly what you want me to do,” you breathe. “A cowboy like you has got to have some stamina, right? Don’t tell me all of that work goes to nothing.”

“Jesus, and you called me talkative. Fuck, I can’t wait to shove my cock down your throat and shut you the hell up – I said don’t squeeze like that, holy hell. Dirty little head you got there, huh?”

“Shut the fuck up,” you mumble, yanking him back into a kiss. Keigo only moans loudly as you continue to play with his wings, quickly finding out that the spot where they protrude from his flesh is the most sensitive.

“Milk my cock, birdie,” he mutters between broken kisses. “You’re so fucking good to me, oh yeah. I should’ve done this weeks ago.” A startled squeak bursts from your throat as he abruptly strikes your ass. Sucking air through his teeth, he does it again, relishing in the desperate noises spilling from your mouth. “That’s right, birdie. Come on, make me cum. I’m gonna cum so fucking hard for you, fill you up until your belly’s bloated.”

“Keigo-“ You moan as his hand drops down, fingers furiously rubbing at your sex.

“That’s right, say my name. Let the whole fucking world know who’s fucking you this good.”

“Keigo-“

Smack.

“KEIGO!”

The knot building up inside you snaps; with a cry, you cling even closer to him, your velvety walls spasming around his thick cock as you cum.

Slamming a hand against the wall, Keigo fucks into you harder, faster, the wet noises sounding from between your legs almost deafening. “Oh fuck yeah, oh fuck yeah, oh fuck, fuck, fuck – ah- ah- ugghnn…” Burying his face in your neck, his hips erratically jerk as warmth fills your insides. “Still… cumming… fuccckkk…”

Your eyes flutter as he shallowly thrusts into you, the sinful squelch of his cum leaking out around his cock filling your ears. Slowly, he comes to a stop, his hot breath fanning over your neck and the side of your face. Gingerly, you let him go, completely unaware that your fingernails had dug into him in the first place.

“Well,” he starts, lifting his head and flicking away sweaty strands of hair, “that was eventful, wasn’t it?”

You scoff. “Tell me why I like you again…?”

“Oh, darling,” he drawls, leaning in and pecking the corner of your mouth. “I don’t think you like me. I think you love me. You aren’t very subtle.” He laughs as you smack him on the chest.

“Okay, fine. You’re lucky I love you, bird brain. Don’t go rubbing it in.”

“Silly birdie,” Keigo hums, his face scrunching into that wonderful smile of his. “I may just love you too.”

Wait, seriously?

“And no, I’m not joking or being an ass,” he continues, as if reading your mind. “What’s it called? Love at first sight? I dunno, seems like cheesy bullshit to me, but I… I like the appeal of it. It sounds nice when you’re involved.”

Your heart thumps against your chest.

Oh, fuck.

#mha #my hero academia #bnha boku no hero academia #keigo takami x reader #takami keigo x reader #hawks x reader #keigo takami #takami keigo #hawks #mha hawks #bnha hawks #mha smut #bnha smut #empress writes

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izzielizzie · 3 years

Note

You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift for Maeve/Luis?

Yes, oh my god I haven’t posted any writing in forever and this is so long but hopefully it’s worth it? Idk, I’m just happy my writer’s block is gone. So you know, send in asks and all that jazz. Also, enjoy!

You're on the phone with your girlfriend She's upset, she's going off about something that you said

Maeve hated eavesdropping, and she knew it was wrong, but it was hard to ignore the shrill voice on the other end of Luis’s phone. Maeve had wandered into the kitchen about five minutes after Bronwyn’s Christmas party started an hour ago. She told Bronwyn, who was still glowing her just-saw-Nate-for-the-first-time-in-months glow, that she was going to get a glass of water, but if she was being truthful as she sat on the cold granite with the bag of chips she fished out of her mom’s hiding spot, she really just couldn’t deal with being around people whose lives extended past Bayview High. She was perched on the counter, her legs pulled up to her chest. It was unusually warm for two days before Christmas, and Maeve felt weird in shorts and a knitted red pullover.

Luis didn’t notice her. Not that she expected him to. In his grand life, Maeve was pretty irrelevant, but one does expect to be noticed in their own kitchen. She didn’t really want to be seen anyway, so she paused the Beatles album playing on the kitchen speaker.

Maeve watched out of the corner of her eye as Luis paced around the hardwood floor with his phone a few inches away from his ear. His left hand was tugging relentlessly at his hair. After a few non-committal grunts, Luis turned off his phone, stuffed it in his pocket, and returned his hands to his hair where he tugged aggressively.

'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do.

“You’re gonna make yourself go bald you know,” Maeve said after Luis stood in the same spot for a minute, his hands tugging at his hair. Luis jumped and turned to look at her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I mean, it is my kitchen.”

“True.” Luis crossed the kitchen until he was right next to her. “Should you be sitting on the counter?”

“Probably not, but I’m hardly heavy.” Maeve extended her left leg, shifting herself until she was at the end of the counter. She hooked her foot around a stool from the island, and pulled it towards them. She shifted back onto the counter. “There. Have a stool.”

Luis smiled. “Thanks Maeve.”

“No problem. Was that Vanessa?”

“Yeah.”

“What was she yelling about?”

Luis took a deep breath and Maeve realized that possibly wasn’t the most tactful question. Not only because Luis’s girlfriend was constantly yelling, but because she just made it clear she was listening to his conversation.

“You don’t have to answer that.”

“No, no it’s okay. She’s just being a bitch about something I said.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing really. Except that I had the audacity to make a joke.”

“Are you okay?”

“I will be if you don’t tell her I called her a bitch. And if you don’t repeat my duck joke. I think she thought I was talking about her.”

Maeve giggled. She knew Luis’s jokes could be out there sometimes.

“It’s absurd, I know. But god she kills me sometimes,” Luis said after a moment of silence.

Maeve didn’t know how to respond, so she passed him the bag of chips with an apologetic smile.

I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night. I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like.

“What are you doing in here? Why aren’t you with everyone else?” Luis’s question was a reasonable one, but it still stung.

Maeve shrugged. “I wanted to be alone I guess.”

“Alone with potato chips and the Beatles?”

“Just about,” Maeve said with a smile.

“Vanessa hates any music from before the nineties.”

“Do you?”

“Nah, I grew up with the Beatles.”

“I did too.”

And she'll never know your story like I do.

“It must be weird. To be the youngest out of all of us. I mean, you’re only a junior.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“I’m not used to be the youngest.”

“Because four of your brothers are younger than you and only one is older?”

“Just about,” Luis said with a smile, echoing her. His smile dropped for a moment. “Vanessa is convinced I have three brothers.”

Maeve smiled as she stretched her legs in front of her. “She got rid of two of them?”

“Apparently.” Luis titled his head at her. “You look like Bronwyn in that sweater.”

“Do I?” No one ever told Maeve she looked like Bronwyn.

“Yeah, hold up.” Luis leaned forward, his hands on her hips as he twisted her towards him more. Maeve could feel sparks travel up her sides at his touch. His fingers were under her sweater, pressed against her skin. His dark brown eyes studied her face for a minute.

“Do I?” Maeve asked, her voice hardly audible.

“Do you what?”

“Look like my sister?”

“Nah,” Luis grinned the first genuine grin she’d ever seen. “You’re prettier.”

Maeve fought off a smile. “Don’t let Nate hear you say that.”

“It’s not my fault if he can’t accept the truth.”

Maeve opened her mouth to say something - she wasn’t quite sure what, she seemed to be running on liquid courage at the moment - but she never got to say anything because Luis’s phone started ringing. He glanced down at it, his grin fading.

“It’s Vanessa. I should answer it. Thanks for cheering me up.”

“Any time,” Maeve said.

But she wears short skirts I wear T-shirts

The next time Maeve saw Luis was five days later at Café Contigo. They were having dinner with Cooper before he had to go back to college, and Maeve was feeling increasingly uncomfortable as she stepped through the beaded curtain to the back room when she saw Vanessa standing over Luis’s chair. She was tossing her hair over her shoulder every moment she could, and her skirt was too short for the frigid wind blowing around the building. Maeve tugged at her t-shirt that used to belong to her mother. The shirt was faded so badly the words couldn’t be read, and the shirt, which usually comforted Maeve with its soft fabric and its perpetual coffee and doctor’s office scent - a smell that Maeve associated with her mother - was now facing Maeve’s wrath. She twisted the hem and considered just turning right back around. Being around Vanessa always made her feel like a fool.

“Have my sweater,” Addy mumbled in Maeve’s ear, pressing the heavy cardigan in her hand. Her eyes were on Luis and Vanessa, her look of disgust evident.

“Thanks,” Maeve mumbled back. Addy was the only one that knew about Maeve’s crush on Luis. Mostly because she was the one who informed Maeve that the crush existed.

She's cheer captain And I'm on the bleachers

“Are you exciting to start cheerleading again?” Bronwyn asked Vanessa politely as the conversation died down.

“Of course,” said Vanessa with a smirk. “I’m so glad Luis and I go to the same college. That way I can keep cheering him at football games.”

“That’s great!” Bronwyn sounded too enthusiastic, and she looked like she’d swallowed spoiled milk. Bronwyn was firmly in the “dislike Vanessa” club. Maeve snickered at her sister’s expression, and Vanessa turned to her. Maeve could feel Addy roll her eyes at Vanessa’s hawk like expression.

“Do you still write for the paper?” She asked it in a way that suggested writing for the paper was something awful.

“Sometimes,” Maeve said.

Vanessa smirked. “It must be boring, stuck on the bleachers writing about games.”

It must be exhausting ruining your boyfriend’s life all the time.

Maeve shrugged. “Not really.”

Vanessa smirked again, but didn’t say anything.

Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find That what you're looking for has been here the whole time.

“Hey, Maeve, hold up.” Luis grabbed Maeve’s arm at the end of the night as she was about to leave. Bronwyn was going to drive around with Nate, so she was stuck driving home by herself.

Maeve turned and smiled up at Luis. “What’s up?”

Luis looks down at her for a moment before shaking himself and taking a deep breath. “I’m really sorry about Vanessa.”

Maeve, who had been annoyed with Vanessa the entire night, let her anger get the better of herself. “Are you really wiling to spend all your time apologizing for your girlfriend, Luis?” She tugged her arm out of his grasp, ignoring the butterflies that his touch bring forth. Luis didn’t answer, and she didn’t wait for one before stalking out of the door, letting it slam behind her despite good intentions.

If you could see That I'm the one Who understands you.

Maeve rested her head on her steering wheel after she stormed out of Contigo, letting her heartbeat even out. She didn’t want to let Luis bother her, but Vanessa had been annoying her since the girls had met, and Maeve hated the way Luis let her walk all over him.

She was about to turn her car on and drive home so she could wallow in self pity from the comfort of her window seat when someone knocked on her window.

“Ugh,” she mumbled when she saw Luis outside her car. She loved that boy, she really did, but he wasn’t someone she wanted to see at the moment.

She rolled down her car window. “Hey Maeve,” he said.

“Hello,” she responded.

“Can we talk for a sec?”

Maeve nodded and reached for the door handle. Luis stepped back, letting her climb out. She hadn’t been able to appreciate how handsome he looked earlier, but as he stood in front of her wearing black jeans and a blue bomber jacket over a white t-shirt, she mentally cursed Vanessa for being lucky enough to end up with him.

“I have a present for you.”

Maeve blinked at the white takeout box he handed her. “Um, thanks? Why?”

“You’re welcome. And because it took you a minute to point out something I should have realized a long time ago. You get me like that, you know?”

I know.

Maeve nodded.

“So thanks.”

“Any time.”

Been here all along. So, why can't you see

“I guess you want to head home?”

“Sort of. My curfew’s soon and my parents are expecting me. They’ll send a search party if I’m even a minute late.” Maeve mentally kicked herself. She probably sounded really childish to Luis. But to her immense relief, he just nodded.

“Your parents are more lenient than mine. If they don’t know where I am at any given minute they think I’ve been murdered.”

Maeve laughed. Luis ran his hand through his hair before reaching forward to touch the end of her cardigan.

“I wish you hadn’t taken Addy’s sweater. You looked cute.”

“You saw?” Maeve asked. She had hardly even stepped into the room when she accepted the sweater.

“You were the first person I saw.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Where was that shirt from?”

“My mom’s high school field hockey team.”

“Ah. Hockey. Not my sport.”

“But every other sport is.”

Luis winked at her. “I’ll let you go, but hey, Maeve, I’ll see you tomorrow right?”

“Probably. I’ll stop by Contigo for a few minutes.”

“Thank god. Vanessa never does, so you’re the one who lights up my day.”

You belong with me,

Maeve was practically floating when she climbed the steps to her room after her conversation with Luis in the middle of the parking lot. She’d hid the box from her mom, who’d wanted details about her night and probably would have wanted to open the box with her younger daughter. She was a little overbearing like that.

Maeve pulled off Addy’s cardigan, pausing to fold it neatly and place it on her cluttered desk, before dropping onto her window seat. She gently untied the ribbon around the box, and pulled open the flaps to reveal alfajores stacked neatly, one on top of another. On top of the cookies was a note written Luis’s cramped, slanted writing.

I know alfajores are your favorite. Enjoy!

- Luis

Maeve smiled down at the box. It struck her then, that she never once told Luis about her love for alfajores. He had just guess after watching her for so long. The idea warmed her from the core.

You belong with me.

As she bit into the first cookie, her phone buzzed with an unknown number. She unlocked her phone and grinned when she saw the text.

Hey Maeve, it’s Luis. Addy gave me your number, rather enthusiastically might I add

Maeve snorted. Addy really was trying.

Hey Luis

His response came right away.

Hey. Like the present?

Very much, thank you

Luis typed, erased, and typed again. Maeve watched the grey dots linger for an absurdly long time, munching on the cookies as some jazz drifted up from the kitchen. She could see her parents dancing in her mind, and she let herself imagine was dancing with Luis would be like.

Finally, the text came through right as Maeve was going to lock her phone and go downstairs to see if her parents wanted to make hot chocolate with her.

Want to go for a walk or something tomorrow?

Maeve grinned at her phone as she typed her response.

Walk in the streets with you in your worn-out jeans I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be.

Luis’s first though when he saw Maeve the next morning was that she looked beautiful. She was wearing a striped ribbed shirt tucked into the kind of faded jeans Vanessa would refuse to wear because they were “too tacky”. And Vanessa would most certainly balk at the scuffed black Converse high-tops Maeve was wearing. Now that he thought about it, she never seemed to wear different shoes. Quite the change from Vanessa’s shoe closet.

Maeve tugged her hair from her ponytail as she stepped in front of him, turning to look at him, her mane of nearly-but-not-quite-curly hair falling to her waist. If walking backwards bothered her, she didn’t show it. There was something childish about Maeve, something Luis wasn’t able to put his finger on. Maybe it was the way she wrinkled her button nose when she was happy, or maybe it was the way she bounced on the balls of her feet when she walked with him, like she was skipping, but not quite. Or maybe it was the way her freckles and amber eyes lit up her face, her dark hair falling down her back and framing her face in a way that made her look like the most beautiful girl in the world.

If he was being honest with himself, Maeve Rojas was the girl he’d wanted. For over a year. This walk was orchestrated just to spend time with her, and he silently thanked his luck for the fact that she agreed to come.

Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself, "Hey, isn't this easy?"

“Okay, and then what happened?” Luis asked, doubling over with laughter as Maeve recounted her last interaction with her friend/mortal enemy Lucy Chen.

“Oh she threw a fit. Poor Knox.”

Luis kept laughing, glancing at Maeve to see her shift on the bench and throw her hair over her shoulder. This, spending his time with Maeve, this was easy. Much better than spending time with Vanessa.

And you've got a smile That could light up this whole town.

Maeve grinned at him as he sat up. “I’m glad I could make you laugh.”

“I am too. I needed it.”

Maeve frowned, and he already missed her smile.

“Please don’t frown at me. Your much prettier when you smile.”

Maeve giggled, her nose scrunching. “Are you suggesting I’m not pretty when I smile?”

“No Maevey,” Luis said, casually resting his arm on the back of the bench, his hand nearly touching her shoulder. “I’m suggesting that you’re pretty at every moment of your life. But your prettiest when you’re happy.”

Maeve smiled at him, and Luis secretly wished she has shifted over and rested her head on his shoulder.

I haven't seen it in a while Since she brought you down.

“But seriously, Maeve,” Luis said, looking down at her. “Why do you hang out with Lucy? I remember her from last year and she’s nearly as exhausting as Vanessa.”

You say you're fine I know you better than that.

“I’m fine,” Maeve says. Honest, I am.”

Luis gives her his best side-eye. “No, you’re not.”

Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?

“Humph. What are you doing dating Vanessa then?”

“I’m not sure,” Luis answered honestly, surprising himself and Maeve.

“We’re a mess,” Maeve said.

“We most certainly are.”

She wears high heels,

Maeve, who had been very comfortable here on this bench with Luis, was brought back to reality by the sound of Vanessa’s obnoxious high heels.

“Luis! What are you doing?” she demanded, looking at the two of them.

“Sitting. What do you think?” Luis asked angerly. Maeve noticed with a pang that he’d moved his arm back to his side.

I wear sneakers.

“I see that!” Vanessa snapped. “Sitting with a girl who wears tacky jeans and Converses.”

Maeve rolled her eyes. Vanessa Merriman could say what she wanted, but nothing bothered Maeve. It bothered Luis though.

“Can you, just once, not be awful about everyone? Especially my friends?”

Vanessa snorted but didn’t say anything. “I’m leaving. My car is a block away. Come with me or don’t bother.”

Luis hesitated for a moment before standing and trailing after Vanessa like a dejected puppy. He gave Maeve apologetic look over his shoulder, waving casually as if he hadn’t just broken Maeve’s heart and left the shattered pieces on the bench for her to pick up and haphazardly put back together.

She's cheer captain, And I'm on the bleachers.

Hope was a dangerous thing, Maeve realized as she sat on the bench long after Luis had left. It filled up people’s most secret, barren corners with an indescribably brilliant feeling, and when it left, it took the feeling with it.

You like the dream, not the reality Bronwyn had said once. God, Maeve hated it when her sister was right. Because, the thing was, no one would choose short, scrawny, boring Maeve Rojas over a girl like Vanesa Merriman. It was a fact.

Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find That what you're looking for has been here the whole time.

So, Maeve was left to pick up her broken pieces, walk home in the rain, and continue living her dream.

If you could see That I'm the one Who understands you,

Sorry about earlier was the only text Luis had sent her. Just three words.

Maeve stared at her phone, sitting on her window seat with a bowl of ice cream in front of her. The ice cream had been her mother’s idea. She didn’t know about Maeve’s crush on Luis, but she knew heartbreak when she saw it.

Maeve wasn’t sure how to respond.

Was it’s fine, but I’m sorry you have to date a girl who doesn’t get you to passive aggressive?

Been here all along.

Was I’ve known you longer too obvious?

So, why can't you see

You’re being blind, idiot was much too mean. Even for her.

You belong with me.

Maeve was a fan of facts. And the most simple one was this: Luis Santos belonged with her. In the end, after consulting Addy, she sent three words back: It’s okay, Luis.

Standing by and waiting at your backdoor.

Luis stood at her back door, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, subconsciously mirroring Maeve’s movement from earlier that morning, when they had been waiting for their coffee before their disastrous walk. She pushed open her back door after a few minutes. She had changed into sweatpants and an old t-shirt. Her hair was wet, and she still looked as beautiful as he had in the morning.

“Why’d you come to the back door?” Maeve asked. Luis could read the subtext loud and clear.

Why are you here?

“It seemed better than the front door I guess.”

I just wanted to see if you were okay

“Well, makes sense.”

I’m alright.

“Yep.” Maeve put her hands in her pockets.

Cool

“Yep.” Luis echoed, running his hands through his hair.

Cool.

All this time how could you not know, baby?

“So, how’s Vanessa?” Maeve moved her arms around, with her hands still in her pockets. She looked like she was flying.

Are you still dating her?

“She’s fine.”

Yeah, I am.

Maeve nodded. “That’s nice.”

You’re being blind.

“Yeah.”

I know.

You belong with me,

“Well, I’ll see you around, Luis.”

I’m not going to beg.

You belong with me.

“Not if I see you first.”

I know.

Oh, I remember you driving to my house In the middle of the night.

Maeve snuck down her steps to the back door. She had a new understanding of how Bronwyn must feel when she sneaks Nate into the media room. Maeve pushed the back door open to see Luis standing in the door.

“Why in the world did you drive here in the middle of the night?”

“I broke up with Vanessa.” His voice sounded broken and vulnerable. She had never heard him like this.

Maeve didn’t say anything. She just ushered him into the house.

I'm the one who makes you laugh When you know you're 'bout to cry.

Maeve led Luis down to the media room where they sat side by side on the leather couch, Luis with his head in his hands. Maeve hesitantly rubbed her hand up and down his back.

“Sorry I just showed up.” He sounded like he was about to cry, and Maeve hated how sad he was.

“Do you think you get restaurant perks if you’re single?” Maeve asked thoughtfully as she rubbed his back. Luis snorted. “It was a serious question. But I’m glad I made you laugh.”

I know your favorite songs,

“What restaurant do you suggest I go to?” Luis asked, humoring her question.

Maeve thought about if for a moment. “Maybe that one on Elm Street. They play The Beatles. I’m sure if you went at the right time Eleanor Rigby would be playing.” Maeve glanced at him. “That is your favorite song right?”

“Yeah,” he muttered.

“Although it’s kind of sad. But oh well.”

Luis glanced at her. “Is music your only requirement for a restaurant?”

Maeve shrugged. “At least they’re not cooking beetles.”

Luis shook his head at her, a half smile teasing his lips.

And you tell me about your dreams.

“Did I tell you I want to own a restaurant?”

“You did.”

“I never told Vanessa.”

Maeve turned to him, touching his cheek gently to turn his face to hers.

“Vanessa doesn’t matter anymore Luis. Not really.”

Think I know where you belong,

“I know, but...”

“But what?” Maeve asked.

“But I feel like she still belongs in my thoughts, you know?”

“Sort of. You’re not going to move on from her in five minutes. It’ll take time.”

Luis nodded. “You’re pretty wise, you know that?”

Maeve made a face at him.

He plowed on. “Who belongs in your thoughts?”

Think I know it's with me.

You, Maeve wanted to say. She only shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

Can't you see That I'm the one Who understands you?

Luis smiled at her and sat up, putting an arm around the back of the couch. He still wanted her to lean against her shoulder, but she didn’t. “That’s totally fine, Maevey. You don’t have to spend all your time chasing after someone.”

Maeve snorted. “It’s like you can read my mind sometimes.”

“Nah, I just get you.”

Maeve met his eyes and smiled.

Been here all along. So, why can't you see

“You’ve understood me since we met.”

“Indeed I have, Rojas.”

You belong with me.

“Thanks for sitting with me Maeve, but I think I should head home. I don’t want you to get in trouble with your parents.”

Maeve shrugged. “After Nate and Bronwyn, my mom wouldn’t even bat an eye if I dated a serial killer. Not that I plan to.”

“No one plans to date a serial killer.”

Maeve shook her head. “My thoughts exactly.”

Standing by and waiting at your backdoor. All this time how could you not know, baby?

It took Maeve over an hour to find Luis’s house. Addy’s instructions sucked, but Luis gave her better ones after she asked if she could stop by. She parked her car in front of his house, and she looked down at her phone when it buzzed.

Come by the back

Maeve followed a pretty stone path to the backdoor and stood for a moment before he appeared.

“Hey,” he said, opening the door and stepping out.

“Hey back,” Maeve said. “I had a question for you.”

Luis smiled down at her. “Ask away, Maeve.”

“Wanna get lunch tomorrow. At the pizza place on Elm?”

“Maeve, are you asking me on a date?”

“Yes?”

You belong with me,

“Good, just making sure.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes Maeve, it’s a yes.”

You belong with me.

“Oh. Good.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow Maeve.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Maeve was about to turn away when Luis called her back. “Yeah?”

Luis gave her an odd look she couldn’t interpret, but it made her feel warm and happy. “Nothing. See you tomorrow.”

She could understand what he was trying to say loud and clear: thank you for asking.

You belong with me.

“See you tomorrow.”

Of course

Have you ever thought just maybe

The next day, Maeve and Luis ended up on the same bench as the day Vanessa yelled at them. They were talking about everything and nothing when suddenly Luis put his fingers under her chin and turned her head towards his.

“Hi,” he whispered. Can I kiss you?

“Hi back.” Please do.

That wasn’t Luis’s first kiss. Not by a long shot. But he thought, in that moment, that this kiss was the only one that mattered.

You belong with me?

“I love you Maeve Rojas.”

You belong with me.

“I love you too Luis Santos.”

#maeve x luis #izzielizzie's fics

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herohotline · 4 years

Text

We’ve Ran Into Eachother So Many Times But You Don’t Even Know My Name

Keigo Takami x Reader

A/N: I finally finished this :,/ It came out a lot longer than i intended HHGNGh

Word Count: 4,000+

Warnings: Mentions of suicidal attempt- but that’s it, it’s a very fluffy story and that’s not the plot!

You liked a lot of things in life. You liked cats, desserts, and plants; music, dancing, and even though you hated heights, you loved airplanes. Tall buildings and their impending doom are one of the things that you just don’t agree with.

You’ve tried to quell this fear many times, and you’ve found ways around it. Every so often your friends convince you to ride the more scary roller coasters, you sit up on your apartment balcony and sit there with your music and plants as you stare down below- but you can only stomach a few seconds before you’re looking away in a fit of anxiety. You’ve even gone to therapy about it because you know that your fear of heights is linked to trauma.

You were barely a teenager when you had tried to off yourself. You were well past that phase, of course, but teen angst and the desire to end it all got the best of your young mind as you jumped off one of the tallest buildings you had access to. Thankfully, you survived, but the injuries hurt like hell and it left you with scars.

And a long-lasting fear that just won’t go away.

You suppose it's alright to have this fear- it just meant you were better. You want to be alive, and your fear was proof. But you were past that depressing teenage phase and you wanted to move on completely. It just wasn’t fair to be held back like this in your opinion.

Villains, though? You weren’t scared of villains. Well, you were reasonably scared- as you wanted to live, and they could possibly end that- but you weren’t scared scared. That’s why when there was a sudden villain attack in the mall, busting the ceiling open and trapping civilians and yourself under the damage, you weren’t scared. You kept a level head and you began counting heads.

The area you were stuck under was fairly accessible. Everyone was still standing, though some had fallen over in shock, but everyone was mostly fine. The entrance had been blocked off and some pillars broke through the small shop, but that was it. You prayed that no one was stuck under the damage somewhere else.

“There’s seven of us here,” you talk to the group, gathering the things you dropped off the floor. “We should stick together and hide in one place until the heroes get here.”

No one disagrees with you. They follow you like lost sheep as you all pile behind the cash register counter and huddle. After that, it’s a waiting game, silent beside the sound of scared breathes and quiet weeping so that the villains don’t find you.

The one who has it worse is the little girl. She’s the one crying, of course, and the woman who is assumingly her mother surrounds the child in her arms as she coos in her ear. The crying makes you uncomfortable, to be honest, so you remember the chocolate bar in your bag and hand it to her with a tense smile. The mother looks at you thankfully while it distracts the child from crying.

It truly doesn’t take the heroes a long time to find their way in the mall and cuff the villains before sending them off in police cars. That’s when damage control and civilian rescue starts- it startles all of you when the wall blocking the entrance is busted through, but bright red wings quell the fear.

It’s Hawks.

“Anyone need a ride?” He asks and you quickly stand along with the other civilians. You gently lead the mother and child his way and he grins, immediately conversing with the little girl and making her giggle before he picks them both up and flies off. Other heroes begin to make their way inside with blankets and medical gear, slowly leading all of you outside the building where it’s safe and the ambulance is waiting.

As you make your way outside, you watch as Hawks lands from his flight, two other civilians in his hold as he drops them off and then immediately sets off again, his ruby-red wings basically shining as he speeds away. You admire his tenacity and strength- how many people had he gotten out in the time of you walking from the shop to outside?

Watching him fly back again with more people than last time, you quietly thank whatever God exists that you didn’t get hurt in the wreck. You might be able to handle a broken leg or arm- but to fly in the air? Even if it was the only chance of surviving… you don’t think you’d be able to stomach it.

You leave the mall as alone and unscathed as you came.

---

The next time you see Hawks, it’s not in a life or death situation. But you still don’t talk to him- it’s really just a chance sighting at most. He had simply walked into the noodle house you frequent, picked up his order, and left with a flap of his wings, taking off into the night sky.

A part of you wonders what that’s like. To always be in the air- you suppose it’s not scary for him. But even the thought of having extra appendages seems difficult and you wonder how he learned to fly.

Was it the same as birds? Did his mother push him off a ledge one day and hope for the best? You sure hope not.

“Hey, Amakuza,” you address the cook who you were on decent terms with due to your consistent presence in his shop. “What’d the big guy order?”

Amakuza shrugs. “Your favorite, actually. Extra spicy.” He seems uninterested.

You suppose it’s not that interesting- it’s just food. But now you know that the pro-hero Hawks has good taste, though you’re unsure why you even wanted that information in the first place.

---

Your third encounter with Hawks is the one you hate the most- the one you’re most ashamed of.

He was just doing the right thing. There was construction on your way to work- apparently, they were working on the road. This didn’t concern you as you didn’t own a car, so you kept walking a safe distance away. But someone’s quirk somehow went haywire, and the drilling was loud and harsh before the road broke entirely and pieces were sent flying everywhere. The fear didn’t even register yet as it happened so fast- you were aware there was a stray slab of concrete headed your way, but before it even hit you, you were sent flying in the air.

That’s when the fear came to you, so strongly it knocked the air out of your lungs.

“That was close!” The man holding you- the man you rescued you- whistles low and casual as he keeps you up in the air.

“Let me down,” you say as soon as you can find your words. Body shaking like a leaf, you desperately grab onto his clothes- you actually look down and you can’t believe he flew you up so high. “Let me- let me down. Let me down!”

You’re so frightened that you don’t even realize you’re crying. Snot runs down your nose and tears spread across your cheeks and drip off your chin.

“Hey- are you alright? Did you get hit?”

“Let me down!” You scream, and then you start struggling against him. You’ll punch, kick, cry- you’ll do whatever you need to do to get back on the ground. “Let me down! Let me down!”

Your vision blurs with red, and suddenly you’re sitting on the broken concrete with red wings surrounding you and a blonde man looking concerned as he hovers over you. Breathing comes out short and hurried, your body still shaking so hard that it feels like you’re vibrating. The man with red wings- Hawks, you’d later realize once your head was put together- continues to hover and talk to you. You can hear the words, but they don’t process at all. He’s probably saying the things they always do- breathe, you’re okay, breathe.

Your heart feels like it’s ready to burst out of your chest as you scramble to your feet, putting a good amount of distance between you and the man who saved you. “Stay- stay away from me,” you demand as you look at him, your face scared and distraught. You continue to back away from him as if he were a threat. “Stay away from me!” And then you turn your back to him, fear driving your movements as you quickly leave the scene and scurry off to work.

People eye you the entire way. They either saw what happened or saw that you were crying in public which is already eye-catching enough, but you ignored them even as you entered your work building. Only when you locked yourself in a private bathroom did you find peace.

And you felt fucking awful, so you suppose it wasn’t peace that you found. Instead, it was a heavy, guilty heart as you were forced to go on with your day and work in a crowded office until you could retreat home, tail between your legs.

You just wish you could tell the hero that you didn’t mean it.

---

How do you tell someone you have absolutely no access to that you’re sorry?

Apparently, you go to his agency building and just hope for the best. That’s the conclusion you came to, anyway, as you walk there the next morning- being extra cautious around construction this time- with a pot in your hands.

Walking inside the building alone was anxiety-inducing. Slowly making your way to the front desk was worse. And then you had to explain yourself to the receptionist who eyed you and your plant with- assumingly- heavy judgment.

“I… um, I wanted to drop this off. For… Hawks.” You place the potted aloe vera plant down on the receptionist’s desk gently. You don’t even know if you can do this, technically, but you might as well try.

“A plant?” The woman asks.

“Yes. It’s an apology gift.” Your fingers drum on the desk. “Do you think you’d be able to make sure it gets to him?”

The woman looks unsure as she reaches forward, picking up the pot and eyeing it. She gives you a guilty look as she sets it beside her. “I’ll try. But Hawks can be rather flighty… I can’t assure you he’ll get it, or even take care of it.”

“That’s okay, I figured that. If he ever gets it… just let him know it’s from someone who is very sorry. Thank you in advance,” you bow respectfully at the receptionist before quickly leaving the building. You feel guilty for leaving her with your apology- but it’s too soon to come face-to-face with someone you yelled at. The entire walk back home you just hope that the poor plant lasts at least two months before he inevitably kills it- either because he never got it, or because he hates you.

An aloe vera plant is admittedly easy to take care of. You only water it once every three weeks or so, and it doesn’t need much sunlight. You picked it out from your collection of plants specifically because you thought it was best for someone like Hawks. Minimal care was required, it was nice and green, and if he really took care of it he could make use of its soothing gel.

You also took its meaning into mind. An aloe vera is a healing plant- as a gift, it means a wish for good health, beauty, and protection. You figure after your childish tantrum, you could at least hope he lives a healthy life.

But as you sit at home, you think it’s silly that you even bothered. Hawks probably doesn’t even want it- and the meaning of it would be lost on him. You could have at least left a card attached, but you were too chicken shit to do it.

At least you tried.

---

Ever since your last encounter with Hawks, you’ve tried harder to kick your fear in the teeth. Nearly every evening, you go up the fire escape of your building until you’re on the roof and staring at the world below. You force yourself to last at least five minutes or more before you run away. It’s easier to manage once the sun has left and the moon shines instead- in the darkness, it’s harder to see what you’re so afraid of.

It’s still there, but it’s better.

Fitting that on one of those nights you head to the top of your building is when you meet the number one hero again.

It’s a chance meeting, just like the rest. You think maybe he’s on patrol when you see him fly by- or maybe he was getting dinner, but he notices you somehow and lands on your building.

There’s a considerable amount of distance between you.

“What’s someone like you doing up here so late?” He grins- he always does. The one time you saw him without a smile was when he was trying to help you.

“Trying to overcome my fears,” you tell him honestly because he deserves at least that much. “I’m… sorry about before. I shouldn’t have lashed out on you.”

He waves his hand in dismissal, walking a bit closer to you. “Ah, it’s fine. You were scared- that’s what people do when they’re scared.”

“Still,” you frown, “I was harsh on you. I mean it when I’m sorry. I don’t like that I lost control of myself like that.”

“That’s fair,” Hawks agrees and puts his hands behind his back, the smile still coy on his face. “But you’re already forgiven. I enjoyed the plant.”

Oh. Your eyes widen in surprise, “really?” You ask.

“It wasn’t exactly hard figuring out who it was from. No one ever apologizes to me.”

“Is that because you never do anything wrong, or you’re surrounded by stubborn people?”

Hawks just hums in reply, standing next to you now as he looks up at the sky. His large wings twitch subconsciously and your eyes are drawn to them- they’re a beautiful skeptical so you’re sure he gets stared at all the time. “If you have somewhere to plant it…” You disrupt the silence softly, your feet shuffling. “The aloe vera will fully grow, and you can use its gel. It’s not really much, but it’s good to keep the skin young and for sunburns.”

The hero eyes you curiously, his smirk making you a little nervous before he looks back to the sky. “You’re a lot calmer than when we first met.”

“That’s not the first time we met,” you argue and his eyebrows lift up in surprise.

“It wasn’t?”

“No. You saved me and a few others from when the downtown mall got intruded by villains… And you also came by my favorite ramen shop, but you left as quickly as you came. So last time wasn’t the first, but the third,” you shrug, “if you want to be technical about it.”

“I’m not sure I enjoy technicalities,” Hawks laughs. “They’re too confusing to be caught up with.”

“That’s fair,” you nod.

The air is a little awkward- at least, it is for you- now that you both have nothing to talk about. You’re glad you got to apologize to him, but now you realize you know nothing about him. It’s late enough that you should probably go to bed anyway, so rather hastily you tell him that you’re going. He looks surprised as you climb down the fire escape but he says nothing other than ‘see you later’ before flying off. You halt mid-step down the ladder as you can’t help but watch- but soon he’s out of sight.

It’s amazing how fast he is. But it’s time for bed so you let out a shaky sigh as you continue your way down to the patio of your apartment.

---

The fifth time you meet Hawks, he’s the one who comes to you. You’re relaxing on your patio with a book in your hands and a stray cat that likes to hang out laying in the sunbeams when Hawks comes bustling through rather suddenly. You gasp in shock and the cat quickly scrambles away, and several of your potted plants fall off the patio.

“Hawks!” You cry, already hovering over the fence as you watch your plants fall to the concrete. A potted plant falling from such a height is already dangerous- what if it hit somebody?

But also, they were expensive and you cared about your plants very much, so you couldn’t help but sit still in shock as you watch them fall to their death. Perhaps Hawks realized the urgency in your voice- maybe he cared, because before they do, Hawks shoots down and grabs all three of the pots before they hit anyone or break on the ground.

“Sorry about that!” He apologizes as he makes his way back on your patio, a lot less rushed as he carefully holds the plants. You quickly pick them up and set them back down in their respective spots, inspecting the leaves for any damage. “You have quite the collection, huh?” Hawks looks around your tiny patio, stepping carefully around your ‘collection’. You absentmindedly hum, still looking at the Coleus’ leaves. A few of the stems had come off, but it’s mostly fine.

“It’s even worse inside,” you tell him. Hawks whistles as he looks through the glass doors and into your apartment.

“No kidding!”

“So, what are you doing here? Would you like to destroy more of my plants?” You wouldn’t lie- you’re a little peeved that they all almost died. At least he was fast enough to pick them up, but still.

Hawks makes a weird sound from his throat as he winces, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “I really didn’t mean to. I actually came to ask about the aloe vera.”

You purse your lips, sitting back down on your lawnchair you placed out on the patio when you first moved in. “It’s fine. What would you like to know?”

Why didn’t he just look it up? You can’t help but wonder.

“When should I water it?”

“Every three weeks.”

“How much sun does it need?”

“Six to eight hours. Place it next to a window or in a backyard.”

“Does it need… vitamins?”

“Hawks, why are you asking me these things?” You interrupt his little quiz with a sigh. The stray cat from before finally comes back, eyeing the hero cautiously before laying down next to your feet. You pet it on the head softly with a frown. “You didn’t need to come all the way here for some basic plant care questions. What do you really want?”

Hawks clicks his tongue. “You caught me,” he says. “I really wanted to get to know you, that’s all.”

“Get to know me or get to know why I’m afraid of heights?”

He shrugs, that all too familiar smile coming back on his face. He finally sits down on the only other chair available, his wings spreading behind him before folding up. “Well, I wouldn’t complain if it was brought up.”

“Are you always known for being so crude?” You raise an eyebrow at him. So far, you’re not exactly impressed with his behavior. From a distance Hawks is charming, but right in front of you? Sure, he’s handsome, but he’s a bit blunt. A lot blunt.

“I am the man who’s a bit too fast, didn’t you know?” Hawks leans back in his seat, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers together atop his knee. “So- why are you afraid of heights?”

You roll your eyes. “Last I checked, I didn’t sign up for a therapy session. Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“I do not.” He says simply, and you don’t believe him.

“What about- I don’t know- the hundreds of villains out there?” The stray cat eventually hops on your lap, making himself comfortable while keeping a keen eye on the hero in front of you. He probably doesn’t like him- and you’re pretty sure you feel the same way.

“They’ll be taken care of. Right now I’d like to relax- I want to relax most of the time. Indulge me.”

You don’t see any real reason why you should, but Hawks is proving to be a persistent insect, so you sigh and give in. “I jumped off a building as a teenager. Now I associate heights with death. It’s like a trigger.” If he’s going to be blunt, you might as well do the same. You pet the cat’s back to soothe your agitated nerves and give him a look. “I’m mostly fine now. But you caught me by surprise that one time, which is why I reacted the way I did. Are you satisfied?”

He nods. “What’s your name?” He asks rather suddenly- and that’s when you realize that yeah, he doesn’t even know your name.

You slowly give it to him. You’re uncertain why he’d want it- but it gives you a feeling that it’s a sign he won’t be leaving you alone any time soon.

“Call me Takami. I’m sick of the hero name, anyway,” The now-named Takami inspects some of your potted plants that surround him. “Would you like to fly with me?”

His question makes you laugh in surprise. “Why?” You ask him. You could ask him this question a thousand times, really.

Why is he here? Why is he interested? Why does he care?

“Would you believe me if I told you I wanted to help?” Takami smiles again, his eyes gleaming beneath his visor.

“Why would you want to?” You’ve had enough. Picking up the cat, you gently place him down on the patio floor before sitting upright, elbows on your thighs as you stare the hero down. “I’m serious. I told you my thing, now tell me yours. Why do you bother?”

He leans forward as well and your bare toes touch the front of his boots. “I like your personality,” Takami starts, “and I’m being selfish with you. I’d like to have someone to talk to outside of the hero stuff. So I figure if I’m being selfish-“ he reaches forward and suddenly pinches your cheek, making you jolt back with an angry look. The hero grins. “I might as well help you out while I do it. And maybe I can learn more about plants or farming or whatever, too.”

You stare at him silently as you rub your sore cheek. “It’s not farming,” you grumble under your breath. Your shoulders sag in defeat as you finally break away from Takami’s gaze and your eyes fall to the floor. It’s quiet for another moment before you sigh, lips pursed. “Fine. But I’m gonna get dressed first- I don’t want my eyes to fall out from wind pressure.”

Takami hops up from his seat, his expression somehow even brighter than before with his hands on his hips. “Great! I’ll wait here.”

You groan in acknowledgment as you open your glass door and step inside your apartment- but you only make it a short distance before you come back outside. Without warning Takami, you throw a book in his direction and he easily catches it, his eyebrows raised.

“It’s a plant dictionary. I’m only gonna let you do this if you can tell me the name of three plants on my patio.” You think that’s fair enough. “You up for that?”

He's already grinning, flipping the book open. “Fuck yeah,” he says. You laugh under your breath and finally go to your room to get dressed. It’s amazing how his charm comes back full force as he stands on your patio, eagerly looking up and down from your book and muttering under his breath.

You hum. Takami is handsome, and apparently, he’s lonely, too. You suppose his offer is a mutually beneficial one- so you quickly get bundled up and find some cheap swimming goggles you bought forever ago. Honestly, you could also use a friend.

When you come back out onto the patio, Takami bursts out laughing at just the sight of you. You ignore him and put your hands on your hips, feeling confident. “Alright, I’m ready.”

“You’re not,” Takami giggles and snorts, placing the book on a miniature table. “You’ll get way too hot. Lose the snow boots, first of all. Some sneakers will be fine.”

“What if they fly off?!”

“I’m not- I’m taking you in the air, I’m not flying you full speed!” He exclaims and your shoulders sag.

“Oh. Right.”

He laughs hysterically again as you take off your boots and snow hat, along with several hoodies and sweaters. As you take off your very-many layers and toss them inside the house, you ask, “what about the plants?”

“Right,” he says, his knuckles tapping on the book he just read confidently. “There’s a Coleus, a spider plant... And a succulent,” he points at each plant as he speaks. The succulent was probably the easiest one, so you feel like that one shouldn’t count, but you keep quiet.

“Good job, you’ve won. Am I ready to go?” You think you’re finally suitable for flying- down to a single hoodie with a jacket over it, a pair of jeans and some sneakers laced up as tight as you could get them.

Takami grins, giving you the ‘ok’ sign with his hand. “Perfect,” he says. He gives you exactly 0 seconds to prepare before he picks you up, his speed suddenly showing as you’re suddenly being carried- his hands under your knees and wrapped around your back. “Okay, you ready?” He steps on top of your little fence surrounding the patio, looking down at you.

You bite your lip, looking down below. He shakes you in his arms- “hey, look at me.” You do so, nervously biting your lip even harder. “Are you ready?” Takami asks again, voice a little softer.

With a big breath, you exhale and try to relax. “Yeah,” you tell him. “I’m ready.”

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neshabeingchildish · 4 years

Text

Share Our Talents

Okay, this can be the last Video Game Tournament Weekend chapter. I’ve been stagnant for the past few weeks. Between being sick, broke, overworked, and depressed, I just had a hard time creating. Seeing the promo for Cave the Date helped, though. All up in my “Love on Charlotte” feels at the moment.

Share-a-Lair 8

The two of them had been at each other’s necks all day, a little more than usual. On the one hand, Max generally seemed to be playing around with Henry or at the very least, unaware of how much he was bothering him. But, he definitely had to be purposely upsetting him today. Charlotte… didn’t want to get involved. In general, she was a peacemaker, and specifically, she was their peacemaker. But… This was supposed to be a fun weekend!

She had been having a blast with Oyster, who wanted her to try to do his hair like hers. “Your hair isn’t the right texture for this style.”

“Can you do it to Angus?” He wondered. Angus’ afro was 3c, maybe 4a, so close enough to her curl pattern where she might.

“What makes you think that Angus wants this hairstyle, Oyster?” Charlotte asked.

“I’ll take it,” Angus said, laughing. Charlotte then proceeded to make rows of braids on the sides of Angus’ head, pulling up into a fro hawk, as he played videogames.

On the other side of the room, Henry glared at Max and Ray came up with a plan, “Look at that! Look at that!” He said.

“What?” Henry and Jasper wondered.

“Charlotte and the puffy haired kid. They’re hitting it off, right?” He asked. “What if… he asked her out on a date?”

“She’d say no,” Henry said, at the same time Jasper said, “He’d get embarrassed in front of his friends.”

Ray rolled his eyes and said, “You kids no nothing. I’ve gotten rid of a TON of women by just pushing them off on somebody else and I’m sure that I can get Charlotte off of that kid you hate, the same way.”

“Charlotte’s NOTHING like anybody that you’d date,” Henry tried to point out to him.

Meanwhile Jasper said, “You can’t outsmart Charlotte, Dude.”

But Ray was on his way. He flopped down next to the two and made Charlotte mess up her current braid. She scoffed and looked at him. “So… This is cute,” he said and pointed between the two. Angus glanced at him, confused. “You two look… mighty cute together. Anything in common?”

“Max,” Angus said. This was Max’s girlfriend, as far as he could tell.

“Oh, that guy, yeah. I don’t see how either of you are friends with him, if I’m being honest, but you’re JUST friends, right Charlotte?” Ray asked. She laughed nervously while Angus got distracted from the game to look up at her reaction, messing up the same braid again.

“Yeah, yeah, we are,” She said, then told Angus, “Eyes front, Bro. I’m almost done.”Angus returned to the game, but Max had just won the match. He groaned, but this wasn’t Max’s girlfriend? That was… interesting… But, she definitely wouldn’t be interested in him though. She seemed really smart and stuff. He was some artsy dude who embarrassingly had once referred to himself as a living Drake song.

“Well, I think that you would be adorable together,” Ray said.

“You don’t know anything about this guy,” Charlotte told him.

“I know that he’s beautiful. His voice is very soothing. His hair is nice and full. He’s great at video games. He has fashion sense, I think… for your generation, I guess. You like fashion and video games, too.”

“I’m a musician!” Angus said, more to Charlotte than Ray.

“Charlotte LOVES music!” Ray said, giving him a playful punch in the arm. Charlotte squinted her eyes at Ray. What was he up to? “You know, she was in a band once?”

“I was too, with Max,” Angus said. “Now, I have my own. I make tracks, they’re kinda rock, kinda rap, but not like that metal rap stuff from your day. Good, honest rap and good honest rock. It's a vibe, really.”

“My day?”Ray repeated. “I’m not that old…”

“So, there’s like an age gap between you and your partner?” Angus wondered.

“My partner?”

“He thinks you and Schwoz are together,” Charlotte presumed and clarified.

“WHAT?” Ray said and now, he was done speaking to this guy. He returned to Henry and Jasper and told them, “Not gonna work. Kid’s a complete moron.”

“You sure about that Mr. Schwartz?” Henry asked, laughing. But, they heard Angus ask Charlotte, “So… You’re… really single?”

She laughed and looked at him, “I don’t know how anybody finds the time not to be, to be honest. I’m single by choice. I have no idea why he’s trying to play matchmaker. He’s not good at it. He’s not good at most things…”

Angus got eliminated and sighed. Two losses for him, then. “Well, yeah… I can’t imagine what somebody like you would see in me,” he said.

She furrowed her eyebrows and said, “All done! We oughtta take selfies.”

Max was watching the whole time. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but he felt territorial, nonetheless. Technically, he knew that he probably shouldn’t be. Charlotte was very independent and wasn’t officially his, and even if she was, she was the type to value her freedom and love someone who could trust her to be around anybody else. But, not everybody else knew her like he did. He had paid a lot of attention and learned a lot of information. While Angus might be hitting it off with her or was happening right now, he had no idea that their little whatever was happening right now, he had no idea that their little superficial brief connection was cutting into Charlotte's lunch time.

Soon, her blood sugar would be low, she'd be cranky and ready to snap at people, then be mad that she had to fix something to eat/that she had let herself get hangry.

Max left them to their laughter and such and went to fix her a sandwich, some fries, put a few cookies on the plate, and make some tea. He set everything down and went outside to grab some flowers, just to accent the tray. Whenever he got back inside, she was getting up from the couch with her grouchy face on…"Char!" He called.

She looked up, and he could tell that she was about to brush him off because she needed to get something to eat, so he spoke quickly as he handed her the tray, “Made you lunch. I know that you’re approaching hangry hours.” She stared at the tray for a moment as he announced, “Grilled gouda BLT with arugula and spinach and honey mustard, fries, lemon white chocolate cookies and a chai latte… Your… brunch order, right? Whenever you call The Deli Royale? I just… hacked into their system for the recipe so I could make it for you at home for a fraction of the price… free to you!”

She looked up at him, and he could see in her eyes that he had won. She stepped closer and smiled, picking up a fry. “Wanna share?” she asked.

“Not really hungry, but might grab a few fries.” They sat at the island and chatted while she ate and touched him casually, numerous times. They were sitting close, knees touching and he leaned in to tell her stuff the entire lunch.

“So… Are you on truce with Henry right now?” She asked. “You two sure seemed out for blood earlier.”

He shrugged his shoulders, “He was out for my blood. I basically was just plucking him in the forehead. You know that if I ever actually wanted to come up against Henry, he’d be destroyed.”

“I appreciate you holding back for him,” she said with a little smile.

“I don’t do it for him.”

“You know, you’ve said that before to me, but you never expound. You do it, why? For the sake of being a hero? Because you’re bigger than that or something?” She wondered as she took a sip of her drink.

“I do it for you,” he said, as plainly as one might say ‘hello.’ She choked on her latte and he winced. She laughed at herself by the time she stopped choking and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to catch you off guard,” he said, blushing. “You all set to destroy these guys?” He asked.

“Yep!” She was about to take her dishes away, but he grabbed the tray from her, kissed her on the temple of her head, which she leaned deeper into, and he smiled against her skin and went to put the dishes away. Charlotte slowly slid off of the stool to go back to the others, unable to stop smiling about what had just happened. That was… not platonic, right? That was definitely not her imagination. Max had made her lunch, told her that she mattered and kissed her on the face. Sure, friends did stuff like that, but… This didn’t feel like that.

“Where’d you vanish to?” Oyster wondered when she showed up again.

“I was right there, at the island, having lunch,” she said and pointed to it. Max laughed from the kitchen… which was open to the living room. “Or, are you messing with me, Oyster. Because, I honestly can never tell if you’re actually confused or pulling my chain.”

“I actually have never joked about anything, ever in my life. I’m a very serious person,” he said. Charlotte sat down in between Oyster and Angus as Angus played against Henry. Max came to the couch and Oyster and Charlotte slid over so that he could be in between her and Angus.

Whenever Henry and Max played against each other, they were bickering again. Charlotte laughingly watched them, but the more that they played against each other, the uglier it got. “I mean, maybe I won’t beat you in this game, but I definitely think that there’s something that I have to be able to beat you at.”

“Whenever you think you’ve figured out what that is, let me know and I’ll be happy to prove you wrong,” Max retorted and stuck his tongue out.

“Invoking Best Friend Privilege for Charlotte to tell me Max’s weaknesses!” Henry declared, on the verge of losing the match.

Charlotte’s legs were draped across Max’s lap as she listed off on her fingers, “Well, I know for sure that you can’t defeat him in anything academically especially not math or science related, he’s a former tennis champ, master of pranks (Henry scoffed, but he knew that it was probably true. Max was smart. Smart goes a long way with pranks), his Hero Tracks shows that he’s got more hero credentials than you, he’s whupping you in video games…”

“I asked for weaknesses, not to add insult to injury while he decimates me!” Henry fussed at her.

“SORRY! I’m doing the process of elimination out loud!” She fussed right back. “For instance, we know that he can cook AND ALSO bake, he plays guitar, is good with animals and babies… OH! Can you draw?” She wondered. “Henry is pretty artistic. Remember that time you carved that pumpkin to look like Ray?” She asked Henry, excitedly hoping that she was helping, because Max had just beat Henry and Henry had fallen back onto the couch in exhausted defeat.

“I can draw. Remind me to show you some of my gadget designs and portraits,” Max said, coolly, then asked Henry, “Can I get you some ice, Hen?” He smiled as Henry slammed the controller into Schwoz’s hands.

“He’s not good at writing,” Oyster said. “Remember those songs you used to try to write?”

Max narrowed his eyes at him, but just as well, because Charlotte shook her head and said, “Henry sucks at writing. Jasper’s the writer of our group.”

Max’s head turned quickly towards her and he pointed a pinky at Jasper and asked, “That Jasper?”

“He’s the only one I know,” she said, defensively. Jasper lowkey worshiped Max. There was no need for him to start being ugly to him. “He could’ve helped you write a song, Mr. Extra Toe.” Max chuckled and handed off his controller to Wolfgang. Charlotte tilted her head, trying to think. “Oh! He’s good with flowers!” She cheered, excitedly.

“Once brought a plant back from the dead,” Max bragged.

“It became a room sized monster,” Nora reminded him.

“So, I made it EXTRA alive!” Max said. His sister rolled her eyes.

“I need to know that story,” Charlotte said. Max moved his mouth to begin, but she cut him off. “Not now, though. Jasper… I’m invoking Best Friend Privilege for you to remind me of Henry’s strengths as his best friend and soulmate.”

Henry frowned. He couldn’t BELIEVE that it was this hard for Charlotte to tell him something that he could be better than Max at. But, Jasper was READY to be tagged in. He yelled, “Dance Battle!”

Henry’s ears perked up, but when Max smirked, his shoulders sank. “Are you a dance champion too?”

“I mean… not a champion, but if you’ve seen me fight, you should know that I’m very fluid and agile… also I’ve danced for many years.”

“Didn’t you have a dance battle at a school dance one time?” Nora asked.

“Sure did. Dude got served. Then, I swerved on the girl that I battled for.”

Charlotte sat up more erect and asked, “It was for a girl?”

“Mostly for my pride. After she chose me, I realized it was really pitiful that I was willing to put all those moves into getting her to like me.” She nodded, but she looked bothered. “You… okay?” He asked.

“Sure.” She laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Then, after Jasper yelling out random things, Charlotte finally said, “Brotherhood!” Max furrowed his eyebrows. “No offense, but whenever we met you, you sold your sister out and while that may have changed by now, your siblings are here way less than Piper is and Henry NEVER would have done anything to ever hurt, harm or shame Piper, all the years of her life, so… I’ll say that. And, it’s gonna have to be enough for Hen, because I have racked my brain.”

“Max has DEFINITELY done a lot of crappy things as a brother,” Nora said, nodding her head. She and Billy began to list off some stuff while Henry gave Charlotte a high five.

Max smiled and said, “Well, at least there’s that, Henry Hart.” Then, he began a slow applause that made Henry feel less excited about the small victory.

Charlotte placed a hand on Max’s and stopped him, giving him a look and mouthed the words, “For me?” Her eyes did the questioning. Would he stop bothering Henry right now , for her? He immediately stopped taunting Henry and intertwined his fingers with Charlotte’s.

“Anything,” he whispered.

#Share a Lair #henry danger #the thundermans #crossover #crossover fanfic #Nesha Crossover #Thundanger #Thunderbolt

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kalendraashtar · 5 years

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Fanfiction - Testament of Light

Hello lovies! This little one-shot was a way for me to stretch my angsty muscles, before I dive back into joy. There are a few trigger warnings, so be sure to check the tags if you are unsure if you should read it. Love X

Testament of Light

This is the last chance, after what already was the last chance.

I’m here because, I guess, in some remote part of me I still care. Not for my own life, but for those who would be left with doubts and insecurities and anxieties from my absence. Because they would be left to fill in the vacant Claire-shaped space, in all its jagged edges and glorious emptiness.

I sit through hospitality session. They are all more or less the same. Hammered success statistics (I would always fall within the minority, the ones failing), house rules (for me to break), treatment plans (whose ultimate purpose was to stall my own plan).

Lamb nods when the counsellor asks if he helped me pack for my stay. It’s a soft way of asking if there are any objects inside my bag that I could use to harm myself. He is the hardest to disappoint and I’ve tried so damn hard. His faith in my restoration is unshakable, the last piece of art on the collection of his heart, and he indefatigably seeks the brush able to compose me into a semblance of wholeness.

My first therapist used to say, “You’re not the summation of the things done to you”. I never gathered enough courage to tell her how unspeakably wrong she was. I am the summation of all things done to me – offered, inflicted, traded, both accepted and denied – and of all the ripples of my own creation. They might not be the whole definition, but they are the commas, the full stops, the small spaces between letters, the tone in which I utter whatever I feel like writing for myself.

My parents’ death. A man who didn’t know how to love me, that I called my lover. Another man, not by my own choice, with the smell of pine trees all around us. My suspended licence to practice, when it became apparent that I was “unwell”. Summation.

We go up to the room they selected for me. There is no door, because I’m on permanent suicide watch. There’s no lamp on the ceiling, my sheets are strapped to the bed and my only chance of finding freedom is if I go into anaphylactic shock from dust mites. I’m resourceful so I’ll fight the odds, but these folks seem to have thought this through.

I kiss Lamb goodbye - I have kissed him many times in one-sided farewells, unbeknownst to him, that never proved themselves definitive. He requests (pleads) my cooperation with the treatment, my compromise with life and I nod (I would nod to everything for him to leave this wicked place); he smiles, while his eyes linger on me. He memorizes me, just in case.

The next day is a whirlwind of evaluations, greetings from other patients (mostly youngish women) and a group session. I walk through it all like a woman lost in the desert, watching the wind wipe away the footsteps that prove my existence, longing for something in the horizon.

Antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, thermal springs, crystals, chakras, group therapy, hypnosis, sleeping cure, meditation - no drug or hail-mary is foreign to me. But even when the cloak of depression was lifted from me, I still couldn’t bear the effort to stand and walk on my own. I couldn’t tug on those boundaries that outlined my shape and force them to hold steady, to contain everything and still find enough space for some tomorrows.

My roommate, a petite brunette called Mary, who seems like a strange echo of myself, asks if I have met the lead therapist of the program when we return to our bedroom. I have not; I’m scheduled for an individual session with him soon. She assures me he is unlike anyone she has ever met and that he is slowly changing her - she hasn’t made a single attempt since entering the house; she speaks of it in the past tense while I only know it in the present, the future continuous, the infinitive.

I speculate that she simply hasn’t met that many counsellors, not as I have - the tough-love believers, the Freudian followers, the apologist masters. I’ve been a creature of interest for them all, up until the moment they realize they can’t fix me (the crack is too deep, it’s all that I am) and they have to place me on a high shelf to be able to keep going, moving on to the ones they can help.

He is not what I thought he would be. The therapist looks like a bloody rock star, a movie star, a sports star, maybe like an entire constellation of unattainable things. We glare at each other for a long while, unflinching, and I can tell he is good at the staring game; he keeps slightly tilting his head, as if to better hear something I whisper towards him from across the room, except all my statements are made with silence.

Eventually, I cave in (his eyes level me) and ask, “Aren’t you going to tell me now how you’ll help me finding happiness again?”.

“Ye think ye’ve already found it.” He shrugs and smiles softly. “Ye think it’s only on the other side, so there’s no point in me saying otherwise. That is for ye to decide, eventually.”

“Oh, I see.” I laugh humourlessly - it’s a strange sound, raspy and low. It resounds in the emptiness inside. “You’re one of those types that likes to pretend that he knows - he understands - what I’m going through.”

He doesn’t take the bait. It washes over him and the droplets of my own territorial anger bounce back, wetting my face.

“Will ye tell me about yer family?” He asks and it’s clear this is not a demand. He doesn’t summon my family as an easy avenue to reach me, doesn’t go for the stale and smelly “How did their loss make you feel?” or the even more malevolent “This all started with your family, will you tell me about it?”. It’s not their death that he seeks, so I give him their life in small precious pieces, safe in the open palm of my voice (trembling, missing).

It’s the most talking I’ve ever done in therapy. He hums, nods and adds humorous comments to my little anecdotes; and just when I wait for the punch to finally come (their death, the start, the end), he tells me we should continue the next day - and would that be alright?

“Yes. I think so.” I hawk, pressing my palms together. “I’ll clear my schedule.”

He laughs and I marvel at the sound. “Ye should come outside. Everybody will be in the garden. I hear there’s lemonade today.” He reaches out with his hand to me, inviting me towards the exit.

And I finally see them. The scars on his forearm, long and angry; not pink and soft and foreign like my own, but almost silvery and an integral part of his own skin, seemingly a pathway for his blood to follow towards his heart (in case it forgets, in case he forgets the way again). I realize that he does know, he knows better than most, better even than me.

People say that no one ever returned to tell us what death looks like; near-death experiences (levitation, security, warmth, serenity) pinned on a failing hippocampus, low oxygen levels and false memories. And I agree. But there are those who might come back from a dark courtship, from absolute surrender to nothingness. And what would they tell?

I stand on the threshold for a while, breathing the kind of fresh air that only exists after heavy rain, when the earth rises from the ground and caresses us back. And for once, I think that maybe I’ll see my own shadow keeping me company and I’ll believe that I’m still here, that I’m still a being touched by light, and that maybe – maybe – I’ll be able to linger.

I step outside and follow Jamie into the sunlight.

#Testament of Light #one-shot #Outlander fanfiction #Jamie and Claire #angst #tw: suicide #tw: depression #tw: therapy #Modern AU

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wildpawed-moved · 5 years

Text

THREES.

❥ TAGGED BY: stolen from @divisus bc she said so ❥ TAGGING: @deadmenanddemons ( kane ), @murderousbitch, @90smagicalboy, @crackedmxgic, @panamastayed, @blackinkbloodstream, @atlantisking, @anditsxsorrows, @witheriingsouls ( buffy ), @magaprima, @cardinalrot and literally everyone else who wants to

MUSE: Sebastian Matthews bc all dash games go to him automatically unless specified and i’m just not even slightly subtle about him being my favourite muse on this blog

3 strengths

He has genius level intelligence and is highly analytical. It’s almost a flaw that he can’t just take things for what they are and he has to get into things and figure out how and why they work, which is why he takes to mechanics and chemistry so well. Honestly, big maths equations ( whether it’s chemistry, physics, aerodynamics, anything really ) are just so much fun for him and he loves to get his mind working over drive.

Animal thing aside, he’s extremely observant. He’s often ignored by outside ( not people of the pack and even then those on outside the inner circle tend to brush him to the side ) people, them just seeing him as a domesticated bird of prey ( thanks curse! ) and pretty much ignore him, which leaves him in the background and lets him just observe one’s behaviour, mannerisms and so on. With all this said and done, while he watches he can listen in to conversations and things and just mention things that might have gone unheard or misinterpreted.

While birds aren’t olfactory hunters, you’re not going to be able to do much without him hearing or seeing it. While the pack always bicker about who has the best sense of sight or hearing or smell, their ears and eyes don’t have much on Seb. He’s extremely valuable, though the wolves aren’t super willing to admit it.

3 weaknesses

He trusts no bitch. Like when he was living as a completely as bird in the wilds, if you had a human shape you were completely evil to him. While going full bird could be seen as extreme, he was in an extremely abusive relationship with his father which ended in him finding out that Vincent actually got his wife killed, so Seb’s faith in humanity as an entire entity was completely obliterated. Is he working on fixing that? Not entirely. In the wilds, you know where you stand. Predator or prey and if something wants has intention to kill you, you know about it. Humans can lie and mask their intentions with smiles and kind words and he’s just super cautious about it and pretty much won’t bother trying to make any connections unless B has something established with them. He still watches out for her though.

With his curse cutting himself off completely from the rest of the world except for some super specific circumstances, he really doesn’t put in the effort to reach out to people, really not helped that he’s ‘just a bird’ at face value. And his whole not trusting anyone thing. He’s paranoid with good reason, but he also really does get in his own way about making friends and having other connections with people.

He’s super patient but also impatient. It’s all about context. He’s a bird of prey, so he waits when he hunts. But in his human form ( or through the translations through B ), when it comes to tutoring his children / other kids of the pack and just other people in general, he gets a little short tempered. He’d never lash out, but he becomes easily frustrated. He often forgets that what might be super simple and easy for him can be extremely complicated for others ( read: his idea of a good time could reduce me to tears ).

3 secrets

He sucks at communication, but he’s not as big of an asshole as he presents himself as. He used to get beaten up all the time at school and that whole population treated him like crap, so being on the defensive and being a sarcastic, bitter d-bag is a defense mechanism and the only one he has in his human form. If you can break through his five billion layers of wall, he is a soft bean that’s just been through a lot of struggles in his life.

He thinks about hurting, even killing his dad a lot. His past isn’t something he’s open about ( unless you’re Blaez ) and he’d really rather forget the guy exists ( or even his life pre-curse was ever real because its strengthened him in so many ways tbh ) because he’s got such a better life now, curse aside, but he also believes he’ll never be completely free of Vincent’s chains until the bastard ceases to exist. When he has bad mental days / nights, he has his moments where he expects the guy to randomly appear to do what he always used to do and a part of Seb wishes he did so he can take the fucker down.

Because I can’t think of anything super specific for this last point I could pretty much say him as a person because like, he’s something of an enigma as a whole. Doesn’t say much, when he does speak he speaks in a way that leaves heaps up to the imagination, always has something of a super harsh or vague expression because bird’s don’t emote. He’s just a big ol’ mystery if you don’t have the patience to let him trust you so you can actually get to know him.

3 fears

Ya boy has a big fear of abandonment / being forgotten! And he also fears being forgotten and also being in an abusive relationship ( platonically speaking, as he knows B wouldn’t hurt a fly ). He can / can’t recognise the signs ( it really depends on how long he’s spent around the other person ) and while he feels he’s mostly safe, there’s always that thought in the back of his mind that things can and will turn to shit when he least expects it.

He has a very rightful fear of owls. Like those birds move perfectly silently in the night and could easily take a hawk down while his eyes aren’t very useful and the lack of warm air makes flight more of a chore. If he sleeps in his territory as a bird, he’ll sleep on a branch as close to the trunk as possible and won’t move until sunrise. He feels people underestimate just how hard it is to survive his life but that really is a whole other post for another time.

He fears failure a lot to, whether it’s in his chosen fields of study or just in life generally. He was told he couldn’t do a lot of things as a teenager and while his curse does put a stopper in his tracks occasionally, he is completely driven to spit in the face of his father and not reaching his own goals makes him super frustrated.

3 goals

Not to quote that Cab song or anything, but he wants to live, not just survive. Bird life is hard and while he can juggle it with normal life ( depending on how dysphoric he is at the time ), he really does want to live his best life, whatever that may be.

He genuinely ( though also spitefully ) wants to do every single thing in the world, however big or small, that his father told him he never could or would.

The bird thing makes it hard as hell, but he does want to have a scientific breakthrough or some big achievement that he can have his name on and be recognised for it. He can’t really have a 9-5 career in the industry, but that’s his tiny little goal that would fulfil him the most.

#☾; dash games

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aftgficlibrary · 6 years

Text

Post-Canon

Here is a list of fics set after the books so we can live on even after the series ends (Note: due to the sheer amount of Post-Canon fics, this only includes completed fics and is an extremely long list)

light fires at night (to push back the void) by inthesea (M | 61,862 | 3/3)

The first time Andrew realizes he wants to hear the words, Neil isn’t even doing anything. He’s just sitting there, staring at the horizon with that stupidly dramatic faraway expression of his, and letting the cigarette burn down between his fingers all the way to the filter — an outrageous waste of good nicotine, if you asked Andrew.

(Or: 20+ times Andrew and Neil say I love you, and one time they say it out loud.)

Trust Fall (And Welcoming Arms) by SpangleBangle (E | 84,557 | 13/13)

Life goes on after the Foxes win the championship, and for Andrew and Neil it’s uncharted territory with only each other for guides. Maybe it’s time to put away some of those hard edges, and learn how to touch more softly, and speak more honestly. And if they falter, they have their family to help them get back on their feet.

right side of rock bottom by allyasavedtheday (M | 20,019 | 1/1)

Neil thinks it might be the first time he’s taken a breath in days.

He hadn’t realised it because he’d been so caught up in packing and saying goodbye to everyone but now that it’s over he remembers his self-imposed countdown was meant to be up by now. It’s the end of the school year and five months ago, he thought he’d be dead by now.

Instead he has a team and a future and a home and Andrew.

(The last two might be interchangeable.)

A little look into Neil and Andrew’s relationship after The King’s Men where they learn to touch, to talk and to trust.

The Name Game by minyrrds (G | 3,042 | 1/1)

What happens when Andrew and Neil change the names on their jerseys

something like home by nightswatch (T | 5,197 | 1/1)

Andrew keeps showing up at Neil’s apartment. But that’s what he gave him the key for, isn’t it?

lessons in trust by nightswatch (T | 3,609 | 1/1)

They don’t talk about what exactly they are, but Neil is more and more convinced that they’re on a good way to becoming something.

raze it to the ground by ilgaksu for badacts (T | 4,511 | 1/1)

It stops being about Neil entirely, and it starts being about this: Andrew is really, really fucking tired.

sugar, spice, and something nice by ephemeralsky (T | 6,258 | 1/1)

Andrew appears by his side seconds later, takes one look at the charred disaster, and says, “At least you did not burn the Tower down.”

Neil sighs. Happy birthday, he thinks mockingly as he chucks the brownie into the garbage bin.

(or: Neil finds a new hobby and indulges his family with sweets, Andrew indulges Neil, and they both can’t stop staring at each other)

a love song for the cliffhanger boys by ilgaksu for clockworkmoon (T | 1,680 | 1/1)

Some days, you work with what you got.

thorn in my skin by ephemeralsky (T | 5,861 | 1/1)

These days, both of them are able to sleep on the same bed without any weapons underneath their pillows and on their person, and Andrew is not sure what he wants to do with this knowledge. They have poured years into forging their armors, and now they are stripping them, piece by tattered piece.

(or: the five weapons Neil has at his disposal + the one weapon he wields without knowing it)

/Graphic Depictions Of Violence

next stop: nowhere by nightswatch (M | 8,117 | 1/1)

Neil and Andrew have a week to themselves and decide to hit the road.

i’ll carry you home by broship_addict (E | 4,257 | 1/1)

“I thought we agreed that you were getting rid of it. Not coming back with two.”

“We agreed that I would take the cat to the shelter. I did.”

Or, Andrew and Neil and their cats, in seven parts.

above us only stars by nightswatch (T | 2,206 | 1/1)

Neil wants to say that he is fine. He wants to say that Nathaniel Wesninski doesn’t own a single part of him.

The Days That Followed by lipsstainedbloodred (E | 7,410 | 1/1)

Andrew’s hand moved up further to Neil’s ruined cheek and he held a hand over it briefly. “These are not ugly,” Andrew said, forcing Neil to look up and face himself directly in the mirror, “You will not be ashamed of these. You will not shy away from your reflection because of them. These are not ugly.”

or, the fic where Neil is self conscious of his scars and Andrew forces him not to be.

Hold It Together (Until You Can’t) by Joana789 (M | 5,560 | 1/1)

Andrew holds his gaze just for a second longer before turning away, and Neil breathes in, because even if Andrew Minyard, with his extraordinary memory, remembers the date — which is likely, Neil knows — he gives no sign of it.

Neil thinks that perhaps it is carved into his memory only.

Exactly a year after Baltimore, Neil doesn’t expect to feel like this.

Kisses on Scars by rememberednoah (G | 1,941 | 1/1)

In which Andrew decides to kiss all of Neil’s scars. In which Neil isn’t quite sure how to react and feel about this.

Josten Has A Neck Fetish by keihtkogane (T | 2,301 | 1/1)

An full length ficlet extension of my tumblr headcanon which ends with Andrew revealing Neil has a neck fetish on live television.

–

Written for the anon who asked: omfg can i pleASE get an extension of the last part of your andreil and subtle touches headcanon? the part where andrew’s like “josten has a fucking neck fetish”

Every Choice Leads To You by SpangleBangle (G | 2,809 | 1/1)

Andrew knew they had to get up at some point, if only for the bathroom, but was loathe to hurry the moment along. He would take every greedy minute of Neil snug in his bed, for as long as he could. It was the choice he’d made years before, and the one he made every day when he saw Neil’s ‘good morning’ smile. He had a feeling it was a choice he’d be making for many years to come. And while that thought should be terrifying, with Neil sweet and content in his arms, fear was far away.

All Hail the Underdogs by wildfrancium (T | 25,411 | 10/10)

Ten years after Neil Josten becomes Neil Josten, life is full of Exy and Andrew. And then they decide to try fostering a kid.

Late Night, Welcome Home by ThePackWantstheD (T | 1,160 | 1/1)

“I thought Andrew shredded those pants,” Kevin answered.

Neil’s lips quirked further up. “Wymack got me another pair.”

“What did I do to deserve this kind of punishment?” Kevin asked. “You’re the problem child.”

Fighting Heavy Shoulders by OrdinaryVegan (T | 2,718 | 1/1)

He would stick a knife in the throat of anyone who tried to make him admit it, but Andrew was actually a little concerned about Neil running this race. From what he can tell, this can go one of two ways. Option one: Neil would be reasonable and just survive the race. Run at a sensible pace, make it across the finish line alive, and keep his mouth shut the next time some asshole reporter starts harassing him. Option two: Neil, because he is Neil, would try way too hard to keep up with the people who actually put in a lot of time training for these things. He would pull a muscle or pass out on the course, and Andrew would have to drag his ass to the nearest hospital, which would really throw a wrench in Andrew’s weekend plans of doing absolutely nothing. Not even to mention the absolute hissy fit Kevin would throw if Neil were injured. If Andrew were a betting man, his money would go to option two.

—

Wymack follows through on his threats, and Andrew is a protective asshole in love.

built this house on memories by modernpatroclus (T | 4,138 | 3/3)

Prompt: OMG when i was reading ur last andreil fic i started thinking “okay but what if neil woke up and didNT REMEMBER ANDREW” CAN U MAKE THIS HAPPEN I WILL PAY U

Or: Neil gets amnesia and can’t remember anything past the night he was drugged in Columbia.

Something Borrowed by Pi (Rhea) (T | 7,266 | 1/1)

After graduation, Neil and Andrew go on a road trip to return particular items to Neil’s mother’s contacts.

Or: two times Neil visited the Henrietta, Virginia.

Perfect by SpangleBangle (G | 1,547 | 1/1)

Ten years on, and things are just perfect.

But Broken Pieces Make Beautiful Mosaics by lipsstainedbloodred (T | 1,926 | 1/1)

Neil Josten is a broken, damaged thing. Pieces of a tattered personality and a traumatized mind, scared and skittish with one foot always out the door. And on Nathaniel Wesninski’s birthday, he runs.

Pillow Talk by zayndehaan for ohwhatanight (M | 3,826 | 1/1)

Neil finds a new fear, and doesn’t know how to bring it up without sounding foolish.

(a.k.a. lots of snuggling and banter and feelings)

Take Another Drag by OrdinaryVegan (T | 2,233 | 1/1)

Andrew knows exactly who Travis is. Travis William Patterson, 27 years old, 6’3” backliner from middle of nowhere, Texas, current starter for the Boston Hurricanes, #9. As a matter of fact, Andrew is looking at him right now. ESPN is showing Exy highlights from last weekend, and Neil’s team just happens to be up at this very moment.

The Neil on screen has just performed some ridiculous move that absolutely should not have ended with a goal but somehow did, and he is immediately met with high-fives from his teammates and an affectionate-looking hug from Travis. Andrew can most certainly be objective, and this exchange looks pretty platonic. But Andrew is also a man attracted to men, and he has to admit that Travis is good looking. Really good looking.

Neil seems to be spending a lot of time with his new friend, and Andrew is Not Jealous.

dreamed in red by Frostandcoal (M | 7,261 | 1/1)

Four times the nightmares don’t win, and one time they almost do. Post-canon.

Minyard-Josten: A Rivalry For The Ages by dustbottle (M | 4,203 | 1/1)

After four years of playing together at Palmetto State University, Neil and Andrew end up on different professional teams. Neil is the new striker for the Atlanta Hawks; Andrew is goalie for the Boston Rebels. This is the story of their so-called rivalry.

Three guesses as to who starts the rumours.

(Spoilers: It’s Neil.)

Inside the Outsider by ouroboros for finkpishnets (M | 2,215 | 1/1)

It is little things like that that make this okay. Small rules, steps to follow: Pants staying buttoned, Neil’s hands where he can see them, no words but “Yes or no.” And, now, door locked. Check.

(Andrew looks back on the first time he does more than kiss Neil)

uncurling lifelines by Frostandcoal (M | 3,202 | 1/1)

That Andrew likes Neil being vocal in bed – that’s a key, and Neil intends to use it. This is something that Neil can give Andrew, a thing Andrew likes, that doesn’t involve touching or crossing boundaries Andrew is not yet ready for Neil to cross.

Besides, if Neil is good at anything besides Exy, it’s running his mouth.

Or: Neil learns that Andrew “I’m An Instigator At Heart And So Are You” Minyard might just like hearing Neil express not only his consent, but his enthusiasm, when they’re in bed.

back and forth by broship_addict (T | 2,573 | 1/1)

Years later Andrew and Neil find themselves revisiting Palmetto. It’s a lot more fun than Andrew’s ready to admit.

Lost Boy by the_ocean_burned (M | 6,401 | 1/1)

A look through Andrew’s eyes during some of the major events in the series.

Since I did use scenes and quotes from the series, I’m going to put a disclaimer on this one: All copyright rights to the characters, dialogue, and canon events belong solely to Nora Sakavic. I don’t own any of it; please don’t sue me. I’m broke.

The Self I Am by dustbottle (E | 5,536 | 1/1)

Though Neil and Andrew have been on the same professional team for years, the Minyard-Josten rivalry is still going strong. No one has caught wind of the truth of their relationship – but maybe it’s time for that to change.

(Or: Neil and Andrew decide to come out. This is how it happens.)

late night by Frostandcoal (G | 2,355 | 1/1)

People think that Exy “saved” him, but they are wrong. Exy is not a savior – there are no saviors for people like Andrew.

In which Andrew Minyard decides to pay it forward thanks to an all-night bodega, terrible ice cream choices and a cashier who just happens to play collegiate Exy.

out of breath by Frostandcoal for tycutiovevo (G | 3,418 | 1/1)

For tycutiovevo, who wanted Andreil in cold!weather, no angst. I hope you like this, bb! <3! <3!

Neil wants to live his life like he plays Exy – he wants the freedom to take chances, he wants the thrill of last-second goals, he wants the exhilaration of pushing his body to its limits, wants the ache and burn of every single bruise and scrape. His body is marked by other people’s cruelty and other people’s choices made on his behalf – he wants to cover it with the marks of the life he chose for himself.

Neil doesn’t understand what a “blizzard” is, and thinks it’s a good idea to go running in one. Andrew is not impressed.

Delayed Reaction by run_for_me (T | 3,035 | 1/1)

It’s been so long since he’s felt anything but affection for Nicky that he’d almost forgotten there was time when he’d been viscerally and intensely afraid of him.

In which the events of Neil’s first visit to Eden’s Twilight are finally addressed a year later.

I Want to Hold Your Hand by conniptionns (T | 5,009 | 4/4)

If this was Allison and Renee it would be cute and fluffy and very Across the Universe for this song, but it’s Andrew and Neil so

until the end of the world by broship_addict (T | 2,731 | 1/1)

Twenty years, two cats, and a whole lot of sports-related injuries later, they’re still home.

light it up by broship_addict (T | 1,879 | 1/1)

Neil Josten is probably the only person in the world capable of getting Andrew into an ugly Christmas sweater.

missing you (is all i am) by dustbottle (T | 2,677 | 1/1)

After graduating college, Andrew starts his professional Exy career as goalie for the Boston Rebels. Meanwhile, Neil is in his fifth and final year at Palmetto State University. Being apart turns out to be harder than either of them expected, and adjusting is a struggle.

When Neil visits Andrew in Boston, things come to a head.

maybe just the touch of a hand by niallszayn (G | 1,822 | 1/1)

All the Foxes come to Nicky and Erik’s wedding. Bets are made, and no one ever understands Andrew and Neil’s relationship.

Careless by Poteto (G | 1,474 | 1/1)

Matt likes to think Neil is done saying things that will get himself killed. Andrew disagrees.

way i tend to be by Frostandcoal (G | 1,665 | 1/1)

For erinaceinae-lutrinae on tumblr, who gave me the following prompt:

“Someone on Neil’s pro-team decides his nickname should be junior, and Neil does not take it well.”

Blossom Under Kindness by dustbottle (E | 3,433 | 1/1)

After Neil’s first year as a professional Exy player, Andrew and Neil spend their summer together in Columbia. There are good days and bad days. Today is a good day.

take my breath away (you know i’m bound to choke) by essenceofheroism (Not Rated | 1,620 | 1/1)

or the one in which andrew dreams neil runs away.

We Can Be Soft by SpookyMiscreant (M | 20,229 | 13/13)

Andreil and their daily lives. Fun ensues as always. Some of my HCs and some HCs from Tumblr. This has no plot or timeline please forgive me.

of being happy by artemis_west (E | 4,774 | 1/1)

On his flight home, Neil could barely sit still. He kept going back to his phone and staring at the message on his screen, the last one he’d received from Andrew:

I’ll be there.

Sounds Like a Good Excuse for Coming Home by OrdinaryVegan

Andrew is stressed, and Neil is problematic. Long-distance can be rather inconvenient, especially when your not-boyfriend is a murder magnet.

Summer Showers by Previously8 (T | 1,852 | 1/1)

Includes, but is not limited to: lots of staring, one (1) mention of chia seeds, Neil Josten’s new phone, the colours blue, green, and orange, talk of walls, a visit to Home Depot, and "452%”.

Rated T for swearing.

billboard. by lolainslackss (T | 2,940 | 1/1)

“Even when I turn away I can’t unsee it,” Aaron continued, his back to the rest of them, “It’s disgusting.”

…

Neil follows Kevin’s advice and agrees to be part of an ad campaign for Exy shoes. This ends up with Neil’s face on an eight-hundred-foot-wide moving billboard, and he’s not at all sure what to make of it. Neither is everyone else. Especially when Andrew notices everything.

Right Here in the Light by OrdinaryVegan (T | 2,398 | 1/1)

It takes all of his willpower not to physically react from shock when he finds Piper curled up tightly on Andrew’s chest, King tucked behind the bend in her knees. His surprise is two-fold. First, he can’t believe he slept through another person being added into their bed. And second, he can’t believe that Andrew is actually asleep in his current position. His arm is wrapped tightly around Piper’s shoulders, the entirety of her small upper body resting on his chest. Neil can do nothing but stare in awe at the pair of them. He thinks of how far they’ve all come, each of them with their own unique struggles, and his sentimentality nearly gets the better of him.

“Staring,” comes Andrew’s low voice, disguised by disuse. All these years, and Neil still doesn’t know how he does that. His eyes aren’t even open. Ridiculous.

A few members of the domestic Andreil household find themselves awake in the middle of the night. In other words, Andrew Minyard is the best father in the universe, and no one will convince me otherwise.

this calls for a toast by Frostandcoal (G | 1,872 | 1/1)

Three years ago, Andrew Minyard threatened to kill her if she ever spoke to him. She hasn’t, but only because she’s had nothing to say.

Until today.

It’s Katelyn’s wedding day, and she’s got a little something to clear up with her brand-new brother-in-law.

As the Fire Spread by OrdinaryVegan (T | 2,022 | 1/1)

Neil’s weight beside him is now familiar and even a comfort, sometimes. But on the occasions when Andrew’s senses are on overdrive and the smallest movement feels like an avalanche, an earthquake, a fucking planetary realignment, Neil knows better than to take Andrew’s abandonment personally.

Neil’s hoodie is thrown over the back of his desk chair, so Andrew makes his way over to dig out the pack of cigarettes from the pocket. He thinks he could light it with just the fire on the edge of his tongue, but he grabs a lighter from the drawer just in case.

—

Neil wants to help. Andrew just wants to breathe without feeling like his lungs will go up in flames.

Weddings and Other Kinds of Vows bya_case_for_wonder (T | 12,328 | 1/1)

“Lord, Andrew, you’d think you hadn’t been dating the guy for half a decade!” Nicky said. “When is he going to ask you to marry him, of course!” Andrew had known it was coming, but it still felt like the world slowed down a little. The question hung in the air between them like an ugly spell, until Andrew shook himself enough to answer. “He’s not going to ask me.“

Nicky is finally getting married, the third Fox wedding in as many years. Andrew is just trying to get through it, Neil is just trying to have a good time, but with all this love in the air, their friends keep insisting on asking questions they are Not Ready For. They try to work through it together.

Time is Standing Still by OrdinaryVegan (G | 1,441 | 1/1)

Andrew and Neil have a daughter, and she is an actual ray of sunshine.

Leave Me on the Tracks by OrdinaryVegan (T | 2,092 | 1/1)

If this had happened a few years ago, Andrew would have stood by and watched him leave. No argument, no attempted persuasion. Because that’s what people do. They leave, or they treat you badly enough that you leave first. People are never worth the trouble.

But not this time. The past decade with Neil has made Andrew come to terms with the fact that this means something. Andrew is rather shocked to find that he believes he himself should be enough to make Neil stay. That he is worthy of it. That he wants Neil to stay, and he will be damned if he lets him go without a fight. Andrew is asking. And if that won’t make Neil stay, nothing will.

In which Neil tries to protect Andrew, and Andrew tells him to get over his hero complex.

Patch Your Wounds by OrdinaryVegan (T | 2,290 | 1/1)

“Really, Neil,” Andrew drawls. He could have chosen to phrase it as a question, but Neil knows he isn’t surprised. It’s more of an acknowledgement of Neil’s apparent inability to remain injury-free. “You’ve been here for less than forty-five seconds, and you’re already bleeding on my carpet.”

—

In which Neil is a klutz, the cats are a nuisance, and Andrew is his own special brand of helpful.

I Want You To Know by kayxpc (G | 733 | 1/1)

one love, one house by freefall for cats-are-assholes (T | 2,592 | 1/1)

It’s the little things that make an apartment into a home, that make a sequence of moments into a life.

Or, five times Andrew hates that damn couch, and one time he thinks it isn’t so bad.

Missed This (Not as much as You) by kayxpc (E | 2,087 | 1/1)

Neil and Andrew finally get a weekend off of their professional teams and pickup exactly where they left off.

Hidden by kayxpc (G | 2,000 | 1/1)

His Father’s Eyes by maeusetod (Not Rated | 3,012 | 1/1)

Sometimes Neil had thought about, when and under which circumstances he would hear the name Nathaniel again, but he had not expected it to happen like this.

Shut Up, Baby by aftgandreil (arituzz) (E | 693 | 1/1)

“Can you not call me Josten when we are about to have sex?” Neil protests, tugging the hem of his shirt up and over his head.

“What do you want me to call you, then? Asshole?” Andrew says with a smirk on his face, already taking his boxers off.

“Fuck, no. Just–” The advances they’ve made so far have been amazing, Neil thinks, engraving the sight of his naked lover in his head. He can’t help biting his lower lip at the vision in front of him. They’ve come this far, which is more than Neil could have ever hoped for. He guesses it won’t hurt to try for a tinsy little bit more. Locking his eyes with Andrew’s, he says, “Call me baby.”

restless by wesninski for lorcathegreat (G | 2,121 | 1/1)

It’s an expression of restlessness, the kind of bout of spontaneous recklessness at which Neil has always excelled. A new city with new teammates and a new apartment and new stress, and Neil turns to Andrew one summer night, the smell of cigarette smoke mingling with the perfume of Andrew’s flowers on the balcony because they haven’t picked the lock to the roof yet, and says, “let’s get out of here.”

Or: Andrew and Neil go on a road trip and bring the cats along. They should have just found a cat sitter.

if things went differently by yuhee (T | 1,810 | 1/1)

The day Neil Josten disappeared on the Foxes, he had died in a fire incident along with his father and his men. Or so they said. Because Andrew now sees the man in flesh and bones at a city in England after two years.

this place is a shelter by Joana789 (T | 1,786 | 1/1)

”Well,” Andrew says, and the answer feels raw on his tongue. ”Someone has to make sure you don’t run again.”

ask me no questions (and i might not cuss you out) by WingsOfWax (T | 2,77 | 1/1)

Neil’s and Andrew’s relationship becomes public - without their permission. It’s annoying because now they have to actually deal with it. Neil gets more than a little rude when someone asks the wrong kind of question.

"Call me Marcus; he’s strong and noble.” by AroPeterWam (E | 6,899 | 1/1)

“Which one is Sir Fat Cat McCatterson? And why does he have a long name? I like the name King Fluffkins, but isn’t that too many noble titles for the cats?” Marcus, slowly coming out of his shell reached under the coffee table for one of the cats. – In which Neil and Andrew come across a boy who might not be like any of their stray cats.

wake your ghost by Frostandcoal (G | 2,741 | 1/1)

“Kevin’s been obsessed with Riko Moriyama his entire life. It’s going to take more than a bullet to stop that.”

The amount of mental energy Kevin has wasted on Riko is like a faucet, and Andrew has yet to see any definitive proof that Kevin’s ready to turn off the pipes.

In which Kevin has Complicated Feelings ™, Neil does not approve, and Andrew does not care. And Andreil!Banter, for it is like crack unto me, and I love them :|

Close & Closer by kayxpc (E | 1,290 | 1/1)

Andrew & Neil map another safe place out in their relationship

You & Me by kayxpc (E | 782 | 1/1)

A bottom Andrew fic because the fandom is in need of more and I couldn’t get it out of my head.

Here With You by kayxpc (G | 295 | 1/1)

Andrew and Neil sleep together after being apart for far too long

an acceptable surprise by kayxpc (G | 1,181 | 1/1)

permanent key//permanent home by kayxpc (T | 1,025 | 1/1)

Andrew visits Neil

She Was Found by OrdinaryVegan (T | 1,591 | 1/1)

"We’ve been over this and over this. We have looked at it from every possible angle. We agreed on this, that this is what we both want. You agreed to get over your daddy issues, and I agreed to actively ignore every parenting example I’ve ever had. Right?”

Neil nods his head once with a little too much force to be convincing. “Right.”

“Okay,” Andrew says, not really sure if it was loud enough for Neil to hear. He tightens his hand on Neil’s neck, pulling him closer until their foreheads are touching. Neil’s hand has made it up to hang off of his bicep, gripping like it’s the only thing keeping him on the ground. Andrew fights to keep his voice as even as possible. “Neil. You have to tell me that you’re in this all the way. This is permanent. Once we sign those papers, she is ours. Forever. I refuse to send her away. I will not be like them,” he says, fiercely. “Do you want this?”

AKA Piper: The Prequel

Sundays by celestia (G | 887 | 1/1)

A lazy sunday

something just like this by kayxpc (G | 566 | 1/1)

happy holidays from the foxes by artemis_westfor OneSweetMelody (G | 5,446 | 1/1)

This is my gift exchange for Jules, who wanted Fox family bonding during the holiday/post-grad! A fic set in the future after the books, when all the Foxes have their kids. They have a yearly reunion during the holidays! Soft andreil living their happy life, Andrew healing and having a better relationship with Aaron and Nicky, everyone is happy and sappy. Merry Christmas!

Always by merlypops for badtemperblue (G | 583 | 1/1)

“Am I annoying you?” “You always do,” Andrew said, cradling Neil’s cheek gently before he shoved his face away again. “Always, Josten.” Neil’s heart squeezed in his chest with something that felt dangerously like happiness. He was glad that name was still alive. He was glad he was still around to hear it. He was glad Andrew wasn’t gone.

Neil and Andrew on a plane. Fluff ensues.

smile, smile, smile by mikeymomoo (G | 744 | 1/1)

andrew is getting groceries and a fan spots him. he fucks with him.

All We Ever Knew by OrdinaryVegan (G | 1,317 | 1/1)

Robin comes to Neil for life advice, and he is surprisingly helpful.

Phone Calls by celestia (G | 3,339 | 1/1)

It’s Andrew’s birthday. Even though he and Neil don’t celebrate birthdays, Andrew always gets three phone calls on his birthday.

tell me pretty lies by kayxpc (G | 754 | 1/1)

Andrew and Neil apartment shop after Andrew graduates.

out & proud by kayxpc (G | 1,417 | 1/1)

Same sex marriage is finally legalized in Germany and the foxes come to support Nicky and Erik! Lots of love and happiness in this fic, angst who?

Eventually by writerforlife (T | 850 | 1/1)

Eventually, Andrew Minyard found his version of happiness.

Weddings in Germany by kayxpc (G | 978 | 1/1)

all the foxes visit Germany for Nicky and Eriks wedding! :) pure andreil fluff ahead

New Places by Q_Jem_Bee (M | 937 | 1/1)

That was the greatest thing about this, about them.

They had all the time in the world.

[Podfic] right side of rock bottom byfrecklebombfic (frecklebomb) for Fleur Rochard (fleurrochard) (M | 20 | 1/1)

Author’s summary: Neil thinks it might be the first time he’s taken a breath in days.

Instead he has a team and a future and a home and Andrew.

(The last two might be interchangeable.)

Permanence by justapipe-dream (ginita105) (T | 702 | 1/1)

Neil wasn’t the reason for Andrew’s newfound stability, but he had been the eye opener. Neil had taught him that not all humans wanted to break the glass walls he built around himself, some had the decency to find the door and knock.

For the Vagabonds by OrdinaryVegan (T | 1,301 | 1/1)

Neil and Andrew versus the Maserati and the mountains.

Out by Q_Jem_Bee, shewhoisntnamed44 (G | 4,378 | 1/1)

Chris was lucky enough to have a co-worker who Neil Josten owed a favour to – and was about to launch her journalism career through the roof.

Beg and Borrow and Steal by OrdinaryVegan (T | 3,349 | 1/1)

Andrew and Neil are dragged into a school dance by their certified Sassmaster and Ray of Sunshine daughter.

pull me back by thetinyconstellation for lethargicawe (T | 2,032 | 1/1)

Neil has a bad day and his boyfriends do what they can to help. Well, if he lets them.

Children of the Universe by aceaaronminyard (necklace) (Not Rated | 1,630 | 1/1)

in which aaron and andrew figure their shit out with only a minimal amount of bruises

“If Aaron is being honest, Andrew looks like a spawn of Death herself; dark and weathered and just as lethal. Aaron smiles cruelly at the glare Andrew fixes him, and for the first time in months, feels galaxies explode in his lungs and make a home under his fingernails.”

mel i mató by R_Gunns (T | 1,934 | 1/1)

Being away from Andrew was harder than Neil had anticipated. Missing him was loud, thinking about him was like a cacophony of sounds, a discordant mess of sensory memories that Neil couldn’t make sense of.

(Neil’s final year at Palmetto is over, and he’ll be moving in with Andrew soon. In the meantime, he pines.)

home (is whenever i’m with you) by nightquills for apear55 (G | 2,067 | 1/1)

It’s been weeks since he saw Andrew last, and Neil can’t wait to finally see him in person, have him near, hear his voice without the tinny echo of a phone call between them.

Neverland is home to lost boys like me byjustapipe-dream (ginita105) (G | 627 | 1/1)

‘Oh, how lucky you are,’ it said, ‘Two lost boys found their Neverland in each other.’

proper punishment for an angel by artemis_west (E | 5,912 | 1/1)

Neil’s mouth gets him in trouble. What else is new?

In which… by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto (Not Rated | 22,238 | 1/1)

…the Foxes get the love they deserve. ~ This fic is a story of growth, character development, and happiness, where Neil loves his Fox family in varying degrees, ranging from platonic to romantic or sexually. Beginning at the start of Neil’s Sophomore year at PSU, he is becoming more confident, self-assured, and a happy person, supported by his original Fox family and learning how to be a leader toward the six Freshman that arrived at PSU.

Ice Cream by kayxpc (E | 944 | 1/1)

Nora’s tweets have inspired andreil smut. It’s what they deserve.

[Podfic] The Name Game by frecklebombfic (frecklebomb) for Fleur Rochard (fleurrochard) (G | 18 | 1\1)

Author’s summary: What happens when Andrew and Neil change the names on their jerseys.

Independence Day by imagined_melody (G | 1,054 | 1/1)

Neil Josten graduates from Palmetto State University on May 12—five years to the day after he arrived.

In which a life transition falls on an important date, and Neil deals with the prospect of his life changing again.

To heal a wound, you need to stop touching it bywesninskids (Not Rated | 2,203 | 1/1)

Some nights, Kevin Day jerks awake with the weight of his past. These nights, Neil’s there to pull him back to the present.

Sunday Mornings by cleopatras (T | 1,178 | 1/1)

how Neil and Andrew spend a Sunday morning in their home in San Clemente

three keys by lovelyloss (T | 516 | 1/1)

andrew thinks about the three keys neil and him share. [my descriptions are bad whoops]

Another Lonely Christmas by SpookyMiscreant (G | 1,112 | 1/1)

This is a gift for ten-paces-fire for the aftg winter exchange! Kevin is stuck playing Exy overseas instead of in Columbia with his family for christmas.

this is it by morticianists (T | 207 | 1/1)

the future isn’t as bleak as it used to be.

Neil is forbidden to have a relationship with Andrew by his new contract by Vinjana (G | 586 | 1/1)

Neil, who joined Andrew’s team, doesn’t read his contracts…

a haze of fleeting moments by luna_lovegood (G | 2,666 | 1/1)

Renee looked at her as she sat up on the couch and undid her braid, eyes bright and lips stained red. “Alright,” Renee agreed. “That sounds like fun. Do you have any nail polish?”

“Chanel or Essie?” Allison shot back and smirked.

(Or, five moments Renee spent with people she cared about.)

“Why did you name it Burrito?’ by AroPeterWam (Not Rated | 6,828 | 1/1)

“So, is this language barrier ever going to end?” It was Dan who spoke, seemingly entertained by them as she rubbed her temples. – Marcus meets the Foxes and other issues his dads help him through.

You Found Me by howmanyshipscanashippership ( T | 1,539 | 1/1 )

Andrew wakes up a few days after the Foxes win the championships from a nightmare. He wants to look to Neil for comfort and wonders when that became a thing. He falls back asleep and remembers various scenes from when Andrew first met Neil and then things some more about that. Andrew never says to Neil "I love you" but it is heavily implied.... so cannon compliant.

#masterlist #postcanon #i am so sorry this took forever but phew there was a lot of them #andreil #andrewminyard #neiljosten #kandreil #kevinday #renison #reneewalker #allisonreynolds #theme:postcanon

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holydragon2808 · 6 years

Text

Replaying Dragon Age II and Forgot How Much I Loved Bethany Hawke

It’s been quite some time since my last full run of the Dragon Age series. Finished my replay of Dragon Age Origins some time last week and I’m now replaying DAII for the umpteenth time lol. I used to see a lot of people say that Bethany is so one dimensional compared to Carver which I’ve always disagreed with that personally. Despite my preference for Bethany, I do find both twins to have a lot of depth to both their respective characters. However, here are the reasons why I’ve always enjoyed having Bethany around. I started a discussion a few months back on the Dragon Age Wiki site about which twin I preferred and why (as well as asking others about their preferences) so I just decided to copy/past what I said on that site. Gonna undercut because it’s pretty lengthy.

I personally always preferred Bethany over Carver. One, I don't care for playing mages in RPGs in general as I said before (just not my style personally. Usually into the sneaky rogue type most of the time or I'll play a warrior of some sort) two, I just can't get into a sibling rivalry type of relationship when it's already forced onto my character (my Hawke had enough to worry about with the other party members and their colossal issues as well as trying to look after Leandra and in my case trying to keep Bethany out of the Templar's radar in Act 1) without having a sibling who's basically a younger and even more annoying version of Gamlen in her ear constantly complaining about being overlooked and it being all her fault and blah blah blah) and three I just found Bethany's character to be more interesting and actually more plot relevant if she joins the Circle.

I see a lot of people in general believe that Bethany is one dimensional or doesn't develop like Carver does. I personally disagree with that entirely. I actually like how different the twins are in their developments. Carver wanted to be a famous swordsman and make a name for himself and feel like he's apart of something important (which is why he thrives and gets that stick out his butt when he joins the Grey Wardens). It's cool to see his development and all but it has very little plot relevance IMO with the mage/templar conflict in Kirkwall.

Even if he joined the Templars instead of the Wardens, I never felt any reason for my Hawke to sympathize with their side of the conflict at all (him joining the Templars seemed to be more about him trying to get back at his brother/sister and being desperate to escape their shadow than him genuinely believing in the cause, especially in Kirkwall's Circle) so for me personally, it was hard for me to get invested in the conflict even if I'm a mage considering how oblivious the Templars are of that fact. It makes sense that they can't touch you in Acts 2 and 3 but not so much in Act 1. You'd think they'd at least comment on it (though I'm aware the developers had to cut corners because of time constraints or whatever) and it just breaks the immersion for me when I'm a mage and Carver's alive despite his potential for character growth from whiny annoying brother with a massive chip on his shoulder due to his own insecurities (that he projects onto Hawke a bit unfairly at times) to a very mature, considerate and capable warrior. Where some people find sibling rivalries interesting, I find them cliche and overdone and I just couldn't get into this one. The game gave me no real reason to care about mending the relationship (or enforcing it) beyond role playing purposes. They just played up his jerk qualities a little too much in the first act without enough balance with his more virtuous qualities for me to care about him in general.

However, with Bethany, her arc is a bit more subtle compared to Carver’s, but subtle =/= one dimensional. All she's ever wanted was to feel a sense of normalcy and acceptance. Her character arc isn't about proving herself as some awesome warrior or making a name for herself (though she's definitely awesome in battle). It's about her reconciling her apostate status with (her initial) perception of the Maker's/Andraste's will regarding mages as well as her faith in the Maker as well as finding a place where she doesn't feel like a burden to her family.

I found Bethany to be surprisingly refreshing considering the majority of the cast has far too much to angst about. Throughout Act One, she confides in your character about her issues without immaturely casting blame at your feet (Carver) or dipping into wangst territory (Anders and Fenris come to mind though I do like Fenris overall and hate Anders in this game but that's another discussion entirely) which gets me far more willing to hear her out and indulge her personally rather than Carver and his massive chip on his shoulder and his petty insults to garner attention and a rise out of his elder sibling. All her life she's felt like a burden who's role as an apostate forced her family to go (in her eyes) way too far out their way to keep her with them. She brings it up a lot and it's clear that one of her flaws is that she's become too adjusted to being protected ("It [being an apostate] was something I never had to work for. Other people took the risks to keep me free") to really understand just how bad other mages had it and just how lucky she truly was to have a family that loved her ( As she says in the final goodbye on the mage path: "I always thought it was hard living outside the Circle. Always on the run. I never realized how free I was").

By leaving her behind during the Deep Roads Expedition quest after she expresses she wants to go, in a way, Hawke is unintentionally reinforcing this idea that she a burden that needs protecting (which similarly to Carver, is why you gain rivalry points with her if you leave her behind). She also realizes that as long as she's with the family, Hawke will always prioritize keeping her safe above pursuing any dreams they might have which is exactly why she doesn't put up a fight (and begs Hawke not to basically stab Cullen to death) when she's apprehended by the Templars. For the first time in her life, she is the one making a sacrifice for her family instead of the other way around. I personally thought this was a good start to her character growth into a young independent woman who could learn to accept herself as a mage in a world (sans Tevinter) that despises magic (and with being forced on the other side of the fence, she would inevitably later gain a better understanding of what Anders meant with "You have no idea just how lucky you were. To have someone who loved and could help you. Most mages would kill for that").

With Bethany in the Circle, it gave my character a real reason to care about helping the mages in the city (and being pissed at the Templars for taking Bethany away and being angry at herself for not getting back in time to reclaim the estate) and a real reason why she couldn't do as much as she'd like for them (Knight-Commander Meredith practically holding Bethany as leverage to get Hawke to cooperate with her during the "On the Loose" side quest). Despite a lot of the mages being completely crazy in Kirkwall, Hawke (or mine anyway) would always stand by her sister (and was practically waiting for the moment to be able to openly defy Meredith and her zealotry.

Reuniting with Bethany again in the Gallows (if you side with the Mages in "The Last Straw") was actually one of my favorite moments about that ending. Seeing her as a confident young woman happily and (most importantly) proudly and unashamedly embracing her magical gift, willing to fight for her freedom as well as that of other mages (in a much healthier way than Anders/Justice) and gaining a much healthier perspective of the Maker's will and magic (that being locked away and living in fear and oppression just for being a mage just "cannot be the maker's will") spoke volumes about her willpower and development over the years. I also like to think that she found her personal understanding of what her father tried to teach her ("Magic will serve what is best in me, not that which is most base") and was able to use that and pass it along to her apprentices and I love in Legacy how she says she still finds strength in those words even while being locked away in the worst Circle in Thedas. It's a far cry from the insecure, scared, naive and ashamed of her gift (or rather ashamed of the difficulties it put on her family) little girl she was in the first act.

In other words, I loved that the hardships she endured in the Gallows for the past 6 years didn't break her spirit or resolve nor did it break her faith in the Maker. It served as a nice and unexpected contrast to my own character during my very first run as a warrior years ago. I was playing a sarcastic Hawke and during their final conversation about the Maker, I think sarcastic Hawke can say something like "He just loves watching us rip each other apart" where Bethany is like "I cannot believe that. The Maker is just and merciful. This injustice was created by men. A new age begins today. People will overcome their fears and find better ways to live with mages. Whether we live to see it or not, a new age is coming brother/sister. I wish mother had lived to see this. I hope she's found peace". It was just interesting to note that my character's challenges made her more cynical in her view of the Maker while Bethany's hardships only made her stronger in some ways. I was proud of her really.

As for Warden Bethany, I just didn't think it fit her personally. Just like Templar Carver, I personally felt it a step back from where they were in act one. They both each make peace with their fates in these scenarios too, but I find Warden Carver and Circle Bethany to be better. The latter in particular. I don't feel like a character has to always go from innocent and nice to bitter/resentful or to constantly angst about everything in order for it to be considered "deep" or "compelling" growth. I like that Bethany was still very much her sweet old self in the Circle but she's become far less naive and sheltered and unafraid to fight for what she truly believes in and embraces her prodigious magical talents (because face it she's pretty awesome in a fight and I loved having her as my mage throughout act one and was devastated that I was forced to use someone else).

I enjoyed Dragon Age 2 despite it's many flaws and I always play rogue (my very first run was a 2 handed warrior though but after I did a duel wielding rogue and stuck with that) and Bethany always goes to the circle in my play throughs. See this post for a follow up on the Hawke Siblings Warden path.

#dragon age #dragon age ii #dragon age origins #daii #da2 #bethany hawke #rogue hawke #female hawke #carver hawke #hawke siblings #leandra hawke #malcolm hawke #dragon age inquisition #champion of kirkwall #marian hawke

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hooptrition · 3 years

Text

Patty Mills brings it back home

“Who would've thought?” The text message on her phone finished with four words that sent Rebecca Kelley wandering off down a memory trail that dated back to the year 2000.

As assistant coach for the Canberra Under 14 boys team in that year, she had been part of the team's season that culminated with a trip to Townsville in far north Queensland for the Australian Club Championships. And it was her mum Di, having been that team's manager, who was now texting the question that had to be asked, as the baby of that long forgotten team, Patty Mills, prepared to return home with the NBA Championship trophy.

In all the wonderful hoopla that accompanied Patty's return to Canberra, including the awarding of the Keys to the City, the story behind the story and the lessons it may hold still lies in wait, to hopefully be applied to and appreciated by following generations of youngsters and their parents.

Kelley, now a deputy director in Canberra's governmental machine and a mum to her own growing family, remembers a tiny youngster who was already moving to a different beat.

“He was the first kid I'd ever seen wearing headphones as he wandered around and naturally I had to ask him just what he was listening to. He gave me a listen and I have to say that the rap I heard from Eminem really wasn't my thing and in fact wasn't really something that most kids in Canberra were even aware existed at that time,” she explained.

Despite being the youngest and smallest and not having much of playing role at that national tournament, Patty was the central team motivator and energy creator for the group, revealing for the first time possibly the origins of his world famous towel waving antics years later in San Antonio for the Spurs.

“On the team bus he'd be standing up, singing and carrying on and more often than not would have the whole team standing up rapping and dancing along. Here was the baby of the team who wasn't playing much and yet he had a unique rapport with all the kids, on the bench he was constantly animated and vocal and at training he was going the whole time.

“You wouldn't have thought back then he was a kid going places. He was good but he wasn't outstanding, but who knew what was ahead?”

Kelley's last honest reflection is part of a larger question that has produced an incalculable amount of literature and theorising about just what is talent, whether it's mostly down to nature or nurture and what exactly are the things we should be looking for that might indicate a tiny 11 year-old might one day scale the basketball world?

By the next year Patty had started to blossom on the court and at an Under 14 tournament hosted by key regional rivals the Illawarra Hawks, he began a rivalry with Hawks star forward Daniel Jackson that would track all the way to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Australian Junior teams.

Brad Luhrs who has a been a seemingly constant figure over the past fifteen years in Canberra junior basketball was Patty's coach at that event for the first time.

“You could tell he was a clear standout at that level then,” Luhrs said, “as was Jackson for Illawarra, though he was way taller and bigger.”

“Patty was quick and he had great ball handling skills but if you'd asked me then, I would have thought the other kids would eventually catch up or that he'd slow down.”

Within a couple of years Patty was the point guard general for Canberra's Under 16 State team and had begun to draw the interest of national talent identification coaches who were part of the now disbanded Intensive Training Centre (ITC) across the country.

Naturally Patty had also attracted the attention of other sports, and as well as setting and still holding almost every junior record at Woden Little Athletics club, he dabbled in Australian Rules football alongside his basketball.

Jason Denley was Patty's coach for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) team that contested the Under 16 National Championships in 2003, Patty still being 14 at the time due to his very unGladwellian August birthdate.

“He was small, incredibly fast and utterly fearless and for a kid with such athletic talent and I was most surprised by his lack of ego,” Denley said. “He never complained to referees and somehow he seemed to be someone that his teammates and opponents both admired for the endless energy and passion he brought to every play.”

ESPN's Sports columnist Bill Simmons has long held a view that every successful franchise needs a team “Chemist” to keep everyone happy and connected and along those exact lines Patty was continuing to expand his role as the supreme on and off court motivator.

“There was a group in our large boys and girls ITC training sessions that Patty used to be one of the leaders of, and in the warm up stretching they would launch into singing that they had obviously choreographed some time before,” Luhrs remembered.

“Amazingly James Taylor's 'How sweet it is to be loved by you' is the one that sticks in my head and to hear 14 and 15 year old boys harmonising and chiming in at coordinated spots at the top of their voices might have been something other coaches wouldn't have tolerated. Somehow though that sort of comfortability as a group and self-confidence was their calling card and at the end of the day how can you not want that?”

An invitation to his first Australian Junior Camp followed soon after 2003's Under 16 Nationals and as that camp stretched across an age range from 14 to 17 Patty was once more the smallest and youngest fish in a pond that was becoming increasingly concentrated.

At the camp Patty was one of the two standouts guard prospects along with Victoria's Scott Pendlebury, who would famously eventually choose Australian rules football over basketball thus clearing the way for Patty to start on scholarship at the AIS.

Brian Goorjian was at that time the new Australian Boomers Head Coach following on from the team's disastrous qualifying loss to New Zealand that had scuttled 2002's World Championship plans and he was front and centre at that camp to see what the next generation had in store for the program.

“Within the first half hour of Goorjian arriving on the floor there was one kid that he used exclusively to demonstrate every defensive and offensive drill,” Denley recalled.

“Paaaatty get out here, delivered in a rolling Californian twang, was pretty much the chorus for the camp and despite being so young, Patty was clearly already some sort of leader by the dint of his sheer energy and joy for each task and endless clapping and hollering for anyone and anything he or the group came across.”

Interestingly, at the same time Goorjian was possibly signalling that even at that early stage Patty was going to be part of his national team plans (Patty would eventually find his way to the Beijing in 2008), an entirely different version of Aron Baynes to that which played a part in this year's Spurs triumph alongside Patty was lumbering through drills at the camp.

Shortly after that camp Patty moved in to the AIS on a full time basis but still maintained his role as the spiritual leader of the ACT junior teams he continued to play for at Junior National championships.

“My overriding memory is of his infectious energy, the talk and support that just never waned,” Luhrs recalled from his later time as ACT Under 18s Head Coach. “And this was with him as the star of the team and it was obvious that this wasn't just something he discovered when he was sitting on the bench. It was part of him.”

At the AIS Patty bought all his familiar calling cards into play as then Men's Assistant Coach Paul Gorris confirmed.

“You'd watch him play and he was super quick and talented but when you think back then about the idea of the NBA you never could have imagined it,” he said.

“I was lucky enough to also be coaching the ACT Under 20 team back then and the thing that sticks with me is just how humble he was around the group. He was our big ticket item, with everything run around him and all his team-mates knew that, yet he was always mindful of involving them. He was playing with his mates he'd been with since they were 11 or 12 and they were quite happy to defer to him as needed, but somehow he was able to keep things so that it was never about him.”

The all singing and dancing Patty was still very much in evidence in those team and Gorris' favourite memory of those teams inevitably gravitates back to the off-court feel of the group Patty inspired.

“Back the there was an unwritten rule that I'd drive the 12-seater van to the stadium for each game and everyone would sing along to whatever sort of weird music the team had selected to prepare with. Naturally it was Patty and his cousin, Luke Currie-Richardson, (now not surprisingly a dancer with the world famous Bangarra Indigenous company) who would be leading the chorus up the front of the van. Coming into Ballarat stadium with the whole bus rocking along in full voice is something I never grow tired of remembering.”

For an outsider looking in, the overriding question would have be to just how did this diminutive energiser bunny with super quicks, a solid skill package, a streaky shooting stroke (the recent improvement in which is story all of its own a certain Mr Engelland may be able to explain more fully) and seemingly unquenchable faith in the power of positive encouragement make it in arguably the world's single most challenging athletic league?

Rebecca Kelley recalled running into Patty on occasions around the AIS years after her involvement with the Under 14s.

“He was always one of those people you have touch points with and although my involvement with his basketball career was like a grain of sand on the beach, he's always remembered me and is always quick with the 'G'day Rebecca!' and a chat. I guess it's part of his personality, he's a nice guy and he's not just going to be a great athlete, he's going to be a leader in his own way like the Cathy Freeman of this generation.”

Gorris has been in regular touch with Patty since he first left for St Mary's College in 2007 and commented how much he hasn't changed despite the time away and the constant spotlight.

“He's matured and grown up a little bit from worldly experience but deep down it's still, the same Pat, still very much about the family, still very much about everyone else.” he said.

In the back end of 2011 during the NBA lockout Patty played nine games for the Melbourne Tigers before a forgettable stint in China and his rescue by the Spurs early in 2012. He was four or five in line on San Antonio's guard depth rotation then yet something about him and his approach to that situation or challenge separated him. To watch Greg Popovich's (San Antonio's Head Coach) grizzly visage turn sunny side up every time Patty and his side line support antics were mentioned in interviews during ensuing years is in itself truly amazing.

Is it possible that the natural talent of selflessness and never-ending positive energy is actually way more powerful and valuable than any analyst can put a finger on? Are the tendencies Patty displayed way back in 2000 as a 12 year-old in Townsville the sort of things talent identifiers should be more heavily factoring in?

Are team “Chemists” as Simmons like to call them, a species all to themselves that someone should be tracking or nurturing?

Fittingly Daniel Jackson, Patty's regional rival from those heady junior days has now migrated to Canberra as one of the centre-pieces of the city's semi-professional team, and trying to size up exactly how Patty has been able to do what he's done thus far, is maybe best left to him.

“I've known him since he was 12 and never heard anyone say anything but what a great guy he is...not that he's a nice enough guy or a good guy, but a great guy.” he offered, “and when that's the case there's no doubt it's easier to succeed as everyone in your team is in your corner and pulling for you to be good.”

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thatonehiddenbladeingibraltar · 7 years

Note

Omg I loved those video game hcs with the overwatch heroes! You know the ones where they were watching their S/O play their favorite game? Can I request the same thing except with Dva, Tracer, present day Genji, and Lúcio?

Much like every other set with the same topic, please feel free to go ahead and guess which games I’m referring to :)

Images are not mine.

Headcanons referred to can be found here and here

Present day Genji:

One of the few things Genji had retained over the years was his love of video games

And watching his S/O play video games. That too.

It didn’t take much begging from you for him to join you on the couch as you booted up the game

However, once the intro was over you and Genji were probably ready to jump into each other’s arms from a massive overload of fear

Although there were moments where the two of you managed to laugh, for the most part your eyes were transfixed on the screen and from the occasional glances you made, Genji was going through the exact same thing

Even when nothing was happening, the two of you were constantly scared that something was going to surprise you because of the game’s dark and somber atmosphere

The sharply defined graphics didn’t help either

Although it did make the game look extremely polished

When the protagonist got stabbed twice and had their hand chopped off by a chainsaw, you were surprised that neither of you screamed

Well on the outside at least

However, Genji’s arms were around you the moment an enemy shows up in the game, shocked from the grotesque and molded form of said enemy

He actually has to make sure that the two of you didn’t reach the brink of insanity with constant check-ins and taking the time to meditate before and after every gaming session

Even though you do keep good track of how much ammo and health packs you have left, Genji watches them like a hawk

Especially during a boss battle

God those bosses chewed up resources like it was nothing

He warns you whenever you’re starting to run low on bullets or fuel and suggests which weapon to use next

You swear you can feel Genji wince at some of the boss forms when you’re battling them

Especially the spider lady. You could feel the disgust roll off of him in waves

When they’re over, the two of you do sit in silence for a good period of time until Genji broke it

“That is…unnatural.”

The two of you do hand the controller off to each other, but for the most part he lets you take control of the situation

He always made sure to save the game even when he wasn’t playing the game

And the two of you made a mutual agreement that the elderly woman in the wheelchair that always showed up randomly was the weirdest part about the game

During the final boss battle, Genji did scoff a bit at how easy it was but you knew better

Needless to say, you were glad Genji was by your side throughout the entire ordeal, even though the two of you promised each other to never play that game again

Well that was until you got through all of the extra content and then you would officially stop

Because goddamn the lore was too well woven to be left alone

Lena Oxton/Tracer:

One thing Lena absolutely hated about your favorite game was how dark everything was

From the music, to the environment, to the tone itself, everything was dark

Not being able to see ahead was one thing that Tracer couldn’t exactly admit to liking

She actually has to force you off the couch to take a break and your smile only seemed to make her more exasperated even when you willingly go with her

Whenever you gave her control of the game, she immediately activated night vision and never turned it off

You swear that finding new batteries would be your main goal aside from story progression

Lena constantly twitched as you wandered around the area in search of a safe place and more resources

Absolutely screams when a jumpscare happens

Except at the cheap ones. She didn’t react to those at all

She did look startled whenever a random giggle but her agitated expression faded quickly

Every time some grotesque figure appeared on-screen, she always groaned and looked away

Tracer did hold onto your arm tightly when a giant wave that was sent from the heavens knocked the protagonist off of the flimsy wooden raft they were on and into a river filled to the brim with mutilated corpses

However the most disturbing thing that she did find about the game was the cult

God she hated the cult so much

And the amount of psychological horror that was featured throughout every step of the game

You actually caught her gaping at the screen with a terrified expression when a shadow appeared on the ground and appeared to be moving closer and closer until you turned around and there was nothing there

The only times Lena screamed was when you were close to dying or if tensions were running extremely high and she couldn’t take it anymore

It didn’t happen as frequently as you thought it would though

She did coo at the baby in the protagonist’s arms near the end of the game, but looked horrified when white noise began playing and light engulfed the screen before cutting back to the weird dream-like Catholic school

Lena’s shocked expression made you chuckle as the credits rolled and you couldn’t help but burst into laughter when she bombarded with you a thousand questions per second

Not that you minded all that much. She did seem more interested with the game more than ever now, which was all you could ask of her

D.Va/Hana Song:

When you told Hana about your favorite game, she immediately wanted to play it

Or at the very least, see why you liked it so much

Even though you barely got to touch the controller, you were alright with it, if only to carefully watch D.Va’s expressions as the game slowly progressed

But when you did get the chance to play, Hana was watching very attentively to every aspect of the environment

She did fall backwards slightly when a deathly pale woman with dark matted hair and an evil grin popped up in front of a window as rain and lightning continued to reverberate in the background

The two of you do jump at times, especially when a random noise echoed through your headphones

However the one moment in the game that made the two of you cringe was when a partially developed fetus lying in a white bathroom sink in amniotic fluid and blood

Its wails did not help in one bit.

When you do hear the radio telling you to turn around, Hana immediately snatches the controller away and keeps the protagonist moving forward and away from the malicious voice that blared over the radio

You didn’t say a single thing as she was staring at the screen intently, almost as if she was daring the game to tell her to do the opposite of what she was doing

Although neither of you screamed during the entire ordeal, you were certainly close to doing so at various intervals

Especially during the part with the bleeding fridge hanging in the main entrance

And the really disturbing bathroom scene describing several domestic murders that all included ‘some strange chanting’

D.Va does get extremely into it when she sees one of the hallway paintings disassembled all over the floor and the disappearing letters on the walls

However when she manages to solve all of the puzzles (with your help of course), the voiceover and subsequent cutscene left you in chills and a bit of curiosity

Hana does furrow her eyebrows when the unnamed protagonist turns around

“Isn’t that the actor from that popular zombie show a few decades ago?”

Regardless she is excited to see what the final game was when you told her it was only a game demo

That was until you told her that the full game had been canceled a few months after the demo was released

Expect her to be protesting to the game company for them to develop the full game for the next couple of weeks

Lúcio Correia dos Santos:

When he heard the in-game audio the first time, he fell in love almost immediately

Insists on you using his headphones to fully experience the binaural resonance while he plugged in a second pair of earbuds into another audio jack

Even though he prefers to let you play the game, you do catch him jump slightly whenever a voice shifted from one place to another

Lúcio does make a few observations of his own as you move the story along though

You swear he’s actually going to be buying any and all books on Norse mythology

Some of the visuals do make you turn away in disgust or make you take a break from the game, but trust Lúcio to take over if need be

If you also need calming music, he’ll put on a playlist and let you detox while he continued on

The two of you did have to admit that the game mechanics were quite smooth for its genre

However when the two of you begin to reach the climax of the game’s plot, you swear Lúcio’s also feeling the same amount of disgust and discomfort as you were

Especially when the protagonist’s backstory was fully revealed

At the end of the game, the two of you actually breathe a sigh of relief as the protagonist comes to terms with their past and the hallucinogenic visions and voices had begun to recede as the credits began rolling

Although the two of you did agree that it was a well-written game describing PTSD and psychosis, you and Lúcio also made a mutual agreement to never pick the game up again

But he did suggest the idea of performing at a few live concerts that were known to support reputable organizations that helped people with similar or identical situations to the protagonist

Which you were completely on-board with one hundred percent

@elise-the-assassin @videogamesanddragons @sylvennia @freedomaboveallelse

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junker-town · 4 years

Text

Andre Drummond on breaking up with the Pistons, being the best rebounder ever, and his new rap album

Cavaliers center Andre Drummond.

A career-spanning Q&A with the Cavaliers center.

Heading into the 2019-20 season, Andre Drummond’s NBA career was metronomic. Just 26 years old, the two-time all-star had spent seven seasons with the Detroit Pistons as, for better or worse, a model of consistency.

Before the season ended, Drummond’s relatively calm NBA journey was flipped upside down when Detroit traded him to Cleveland for John Henson, Brandon Knight, and a second-round pick. He only played two games with the Cavaliers before head coach John Beilein was let go. Then Covid-19 shutdown the NBA.

Since, Drummond has donated $160K to support Cavaliers arena staff and healthcare workers, while also helping supply over 10,000 headphones to schools in the Cleveland and Detroit areas. Drummond has also spent almost all of his free time working on his second album, which is set to release on May 1.

In a phone interview with SB Nation, Drummond spoke about his whirlwind season, his upcoming album, why he’s the best rebounder who ever lived, and so much more.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

SB NATION: Where are you right now?

ANDRE DRUMMOND: Miami. We’ve got some family down here.

SB: What has the past month or so felt like, having to adjust to a totally new routine?

AD: The past few weeks, it’s been crazy. Just not doing anything, locked in the house and really not knowing what’s going on. So I think the unknown is probably the most crazy thing for me right now. I’m getting a ton of time to spend with my family, which is really good for me. Obviously you don’t normally get to spend so much time with loved ones, so that’s been good. But other than that it’s kind of just a waiting game right now.

SB: Are you following the latest developments with the season, whether it’ll come back or not?

AD: I’ve seen different things and gotten memos and things like that but it’s still all up in the air.

SB: Can you describe an average day from sunup to sun down?

AD: Seven in the morning I’m awake, I ride my Accell bike. Then I’ll do some workouts with my best friend. We use gallons of water as weights. So we use those to workout a little bit outside. Then the rest of the day I’m sitting here listening to beats and writing songs.

SB: How hard is it to stay in shape?

AD: For me it hasn’t been difficult at all. Like I said, I have the bike here and a pretty long runway in the back of my house as well, where I can go right outside. So it’s not that hard to stay in shape.

SB: Do you have access to a hoop?

AD: No, I don’t, actually.

SB: When was the last time you touched a basketball?

AD: Whenever our last practice was in Cleveland.

SB: A few players have said that. Would you have participated in ESPN’s televised HORSE competition a couple weeks back if someone asked you to?

AD: Yeah I would’ve did it.

SB: I saw you were shooting threes in Cleveland towards the end of the season.

AD: Yeah, letting them go.

SB: How would you describe the year you had before the season ended?

AD: I think it was going well. I was playing really well, added a few things to my game. Obviously the three-point shot is something I’ve been working on, and I showcased it this season a lot more. The trade obviously happened so we’re all aware of that. It was definitely a different environment and a different feel. But I’m definitely enjoying it so far. [The Cavaliers] did a great job getting me adjusted, getting me acclimated to the city and the team, and it’s been really fun. It’s just kinda sad that I didn’t get a chance to finish the year out with them.

SB: You said something this year that caught my eye: “I think I’m definitely the best ever when it comes to rebounding. I don’t think there’s anybody who’s even remotely close to the things I’ve done when it comes to [rebounding].” When did you first think that?

AD: I’ve always thought that about myself. I’ve just never been vocal about it. I’ll never put another man before myself. I’m always gonna think I’m the best. Even if I’m wrong I’m still gonna say that I’m right. I’m still gonna find a way to try and prove it.

SB: Did you catch any flack for that statement?

AD: No, I mean, everybody has their opinion. I don’t really read into it.

SB: Throughout your entire career you’ve been one of steadiest, most durable players in the league. But then the year you’ve had would feel bumpy for any player. First you’re in trade rumors with the Atlanta Hawks. Then you’re dealt without any forewarning from the Pistons — as you tweeted — and sent to a lottery-bound Cavs team with a loaded frontcourt. You play just two games for John Beilien before the team lets him go. What was the strangest part of it all for you?

AD: I just think that two-week span, with all those things happening. Just between the trade, and Coach B getting [fired] and then all of this happening. It’s just a crazy stretch. You just gotta let it happen. There’s not much you can do. You can’t fight what happened. I just try to be the best professional I can and try to help my team win.

SB: I assume some of you wanted to stay in Detroit for the rest of your career, but was there ever any part that said “Hey, maybe this breakup is the best for the both of us? We didn’t really have any postseason success and weren’t showing progress.” Where was your head before the trade happened?

AD: For me it was just a part of the game, a part of the business, and I just happened to be falling into it, so it was definitely a different experience for me. Do I have any hard feelings for Detroit? No. Do I have anything negative to say about it? No. Because at the end of the day that was home for me. And they’ve always been good to me, so I have nothing negative to say about that. I’m in Cleveland now so that’s all I can worry about now.

SB: I know there’s obviously a lot more important things going on but have you thought about your own future, and where you’re leaning with the player option in your contract?

AD: For me I haven’t really thought too deep into my next decision yet because obviously we can’t really do anything yet.

SB: I know you just said you’re spending more time with family during this downtime, but are you doing anything else now that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do?

AD: I’ve really taking the time to work on music and finish my album so that’s been the biggest thing I’ve been working on thus far. Spending time with my family, getting to see my daughter down here. That’s really about it.

SB: When you say “working on your album” can you be a little more specific?

AD: More time to write. More time to really sit down and pick what kind of beat I want to use instead of just picking a random one and going in. I’ve taken my time with it and think it’s gonna be really good.

SB: How many songs have you already recorded?

AD: I’ve done 14 in less than a week.

SB: Do you have a release date?

AD: May 1.

SB: You put out an EP in 2018 called FYI. I believe your new record is called FYI 2. What are some differences between the two?

AD: The first one was just my coming-out party. Me sharing that I do make music and I take this seriously and I’ve taken the time to really perfect my craft. That was obviously my first project and what I thought was really good. And when I listen to it now, I’ve come a long way. My sound, my beat choices and my lyrics. So I’m excited to share the new version of me.

FYI was all over the place with beat choices and more just having fun with it. Just trying to get a project out to let the world know. But now the process I took with FYI 2 is more in depth, and the meaning behind the songs are definitely more meaningful because they actually come from a place.

SB: When did you first know that you wanted to make music and actually put out a project?

AD: I’ve been making music since 2013 and I had over 2,500 songs I’ve made. Those were all just trial-and-error songs. And over time I kept making more and more. Some of the songs from my project in 2018, I made in 2013, 2014, so those were some songs I made a while back and decided to put out.

SB: Do you write your own lyrics, and if so how long does it take to put a song together?

AD: For me, it doesn’t take too long. Once you get me out of my seat when I hear a beat, then it’ll be a good day, but there’s always days where I’ll go through beats and say ‘this doesn’t sound too good’ but I’ll listen to it anyways. It’ll take me maybe an hour to come up with an entire song. Sometimes I just go in and start making the melody and start placing the words while I’m in the booth. I don’t even write it.

SB: Who helps in the collaboration process? Are people just sending you beats?

AD: I have my team of people that I bring with me to the studio. The beat-picking process is pretty easy. I have a wide variety of beats from different producers all over the world. You know it’s just whatever I come up with, whatever idea I come up, we’ll hear a beat and start shooting ideas. It’s a really fun process. I just started working with Rico Beats, Pop Smoke’s producer. RIP to Pop Smoke. Other than that I used a beat from Gigahurtz, he’s out of Portland.

SB: Dame Lillard and Iman Shumpert are two NBA players who’ve shown legitimate ability as rappers, too. But sonically I wouldn’t really throw you in that same category. Is it fair to say your sound isn’t like theirs?

AD: No, I’m more commercial.

SB: [Laughs]

AD: That’s not even a knock against them! I’m just not a rapper [laughs]. That’s not me. I don’t have a rapper’s mentality. I don’t have that sound. When you hear them rap it sounds good. Whenever I rap … that’s just not my sound.

SB: Which musician out there would you compare yourself to, if you were telling someone who’s never heard your music before about it and wanted to get an idea of what it was like?

AD: I just have my own sound. I don’t think anybody should compare themselves to anybody.

SB: A couple years ago you said in an interview that Jay Z, Biggie, Tupac, Nas and Kanye were your five favorite rappers. It’s strange for me to call someone who has those five on their list an old soul but I also feel like there aren’t too many people in their mid-20’s who’d have that type of list. Has it changed? Is anybody new catching your eye?

AD: That’s still my top five. That’s just the music I listened to growing up. I love the way they rap. I love their music. And I love what they were talking about, which drew me to them. There’s all kinds of stuff [being played] in my house so it depends on who’s the DJ that day. We were listening to Afrobeats yesterday. [I listen to my own music] all the time.

SB: I read that Candy Rain is your jumpoff record as a DJ. You’re 26. How is this possible?

AD: That was my go-to! [Laughter]. Whenever I felt like the crowd was dying I was like ‘let me go to the 90s real quick.’

SB: When did you start DJing?

AD: I started in college actually. I didn’t really take it seriously until I got to the NBA, when I could afford a DJ set. I’d use the DJ set at the bars. When I got to the NBA I started DJing for real and had a lot of fun doing it.

SB: Have you thought about starting your own Club Quarantine?

AD: I’m actually planning on starting something really, really soon. Probably in the next week or so. I’ll start getting on Instagram Live and start DJing. Look out for Drummond Quarantine Radio!

I have my equipment in storage. I just have to get it. I don’t know how many records I have, there’s a huge box full of them. Maybe a little less than 100. It’s hip-hop, and some oldies that my mom gave me.

SB: On your new album, are there any guest stars people might know?

AD: Yeah but I can’t say them. We all agreed on a day when we’re gonna announce that.

SB: Do you know what day?

AD: I will not tell you that either [laughs]. You just have to wait and see.

0 notes

queendophne · 7 years

Text

Love at First Note - Chapter 2

Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Stony

For: Stony Bingo Round Two fill

Prompt: Secret Admirer

Summary: (PART 2/3) His teachers started an activity this quarter calling it ‘pass on the goodness’. Steve was semi-interested until he thought about using the anonymity to talk to Tony! All he had to do was figure out a way to bypass the ‘only for your classmate’ rule. Steve thought it was a stupid rule to have so he planned on figuring out a way around it. He did not want to get in trouble and cause ma to worry and be mad at him for it. Don’t worry though! Steve’s got a plan!

Notes: the first two parts of this fill are Tony and Steve in Kindergarten. The eiplogue or last part is their wedding. There is a cute fluffy fic. I had fun writing this! Enjoy part 2! The wedding is next.

Other Locations: on AO3

Steve was a shy extrovert, whatever that meant. His ma explained it as a person who liked people but was a bit scared to put themselves out there. Steve wanted to tell her that he was a brave boy and that he could face any situation! Then he met him. Or saw him. Steve did not get a chance to really talk to him the first time. Though he really wanted to.

Steve was visiting his best friend Bucky before the next activity when he saw him. He had this large smile on his face as he talked and Steve really just wanted that smile to be turned towards him. He could not hear the conversation but the light in the boy’s eyes was so enticing and full of wonder.

“Who's dat?” Steve tried to whisper but he knew he had failed when Bucky just gave him an annoyed look. His best friend was very nice and funny but he had his moods; today was one of those days.

“His name is Tony,” Bucky answered looking bored but Steve could tell Bucky was assessing Tony's threat level to his position. Bucky was always worried that Steve would lose interest in him.

“Tony?” Steve tested the name and he decided he liked it. Bucky just shrugged at him before going back to his puzzle that they were working on.

“Some wich kid,” Bucky continued as he placed another piece to the puzzle, “t’inks he is the most smartest pewson in the room.”

“He seems nice,” Steve commented smiling at Bucky happily, “you can tell me aaaall about him duwing lunch at home!”

“Why don't you go talk to him,” Bucky pointed at Tony's direction making Steve freak out and try to lower his friend’s arm.

“It's embewassing,” Steve kept a tight grip on Bucky's arm making the kid flinch a bit.

Bucky just sighed and decided to ignore Steve's presence for the rest of their break. Steve did not mind he was busy having mind conversations with Tony anyway.

Steve never got the courage to talk to Tony that day. But Steve was determined that it was going to happen. Sometime...in the far far future.

Steve went home that day and talked none stop about Tony to his ma. So much so that his ma had the scary idea of calling Tony's ma and inviting him over. Steve freaked and stopped talking about it instantly. His ma just laughed and told him to finish his vegetables.

Steve was never more alert eating food in his entire life as he watched the phone like a hawk.

But a big part of Steve hoped his ma ignored his pleas and called Tony's ma anyway. But ma promised and she never breaks promises even when Steve really wanted her to.

------

Bucky had come to his class this time and he was surprised to see that Tony had followed along. Steve had thought that Bucky had befriended him only to watch, with sad eyes, as Tony walked past him with his perfect smile and towards another kid in class named Bruce.

“Who kick’d yow puppy?” Bucky asked before following Steve’s line of sight before snorting.

“He can be fwends with Bruce and not me?” Steve asked Bucky with a large pout.

“I t’ought you wiked Bruce,” Bucky raised an eyebrow at him.

“I do! But I...just wanna be fwends with Tony too,” Steve fell back in his chair.

His distressed must have shown since not a moment later someone tapped him on his shoulder. Steve turned his pouty face around to see Tony standing there with one hand behind his back. Steve grew nervous at being visited by the one person he wants to talk to.

“Hi Steve,” Steve spitted out causing Bucky to groan and Tony to just blink owlishly at him, “I mean, um, I'm Steve.”

“Oh I'm Tony,” Tony responded taking a small step back.

“Nice to meet you Tony,” Steve smiled politely while trying to calm his nerves.

“Sowy I just saw you loo’ing sad so I bwought you my last biswuit,” Tony help out the said biscuit in front of Steve with a shy look on his face. Steve just smiled warmly at him and took the biscuit from Tony’s slightly shaking hands.

“Thank you,” Steve said looking at the biscuit but Tony was already gone when he looked up. Bucky stole the biscuit a second later without Steve ever really noticing.

-----

His teachers started an activity this quarter calling it ‘pass on the goodness’. Steve was semi-interested until he thought about using the anonymity to talk to Tony! All he had to do was figure out a way to bypass the ‘only for your classmate’ rule. Steve thought it was a stupid rule to have so he planned on figuring out a way around it. He did not want to get in trouble and cause ma to worry and be mad at him for it. Don’t worry though! Steve’s got a plan!

“Bucky! Bucky!” Steve ran towards Bucky at full speed while Bucky just side stepped out of the way to avoid being run over by him. Bucky raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

“Yeah?” Bucky pressed as Steve tried to catch his breath. Steve placed his hands on his knees and forced himself to take the deepest breathes he could.

“Sam gave me the best idea!” Steve smiled standing up straight and grabbed Bucky’s free hand. Bucky gave him an odd look but he was kind of already used to Steve’s excited antics.

“And? You say nothing yet,” Bucky pulled away making Steve latch on harder. Bucky half-sighed, half-glared at Steve but Steve did not care because Bucky was going to listen to what he had to say. His friend was too curious in nature not to.

“Let me bweathe Bucky,” Steve glared at Bucky before finally revealing why he had run up to Bucky, “you awe in Tony’s class wight?”

“So?” Bucky started to look more disinterested and began to leave but Steve held him firmly in place. For a small kid, Steve sure had a tight grip.

“You can help me! I w’ite notes and you put them in his baggie!” Steve smiled widely looking at Bucky with those large blue irresistible eyes. Steve had a way of just convincing a person to do his bidding even when they really, really, did not want to.

Bucky groaned and rubbed his hands over his face once Steve freed them from his clutches. Steve just ran off again not really waiting for Bucky to respond knowing full well that his friend was going to do it.

Steve had spent a long time that night trying to figure out what to write. He sat on his desk in his room with a ripped paper from his notebook sitting on the wooden surface that seemed to be mocking him. This was attempt number twelve. He wanted to say something but not be too obvious for his first note.

So he simply wrote, “u r ausome!” And quickly folded the paper and stuffed it in his bag to give to Bucky later. He was scared to change or write something more. He did not want to come off as crazy and creepy. That would not do. This was going to work. It had too!

---------

Steve watched Tony’s face light up at the first note Steve had sent and it made him all the more excited to send the next few notes. Though, Steve doubted he made that much of a difference since Tony was probably popular and got a lot of notes. Maybe the note he read was not even his. Suddenly, Steve's enthusiasm dwindled but he was a stubborn boy. He was going to write to Tony every day and try to make him smile. If he had competition, Steve had to up his game.

Tomorrow he was going to add a drawing of Tony in his notes. This way he knows that Steve can be a good friend! The best way to gain a person’s friendship was to shower them in compliments. Make them feel wanted. Make them feel worth it. And to Steve, Tony was worth it. He just needed Tony to see that too!

So Steve worked hard. Trying to make the best notes and the best drawings he could make so that Tony was both impressed and happy that someone, not Steve, but someone cared a lot for him.

Every time he would watch Bucky put the notes and drawings in Tony's baggie to make sure his friend did not bail out of their agreement. Steve had later promised Bucky that he could have his share of his ma’s cookies for the entire quarter. Steve had struggled to relent his first share but every time since it got a little easier. Bargaining with Bucky was a hard business since he was stubborn second only to Steve.

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

It took the efforts of Sam AND Bucky to push Steve to invite Tony over to his apartment. Steve watched Tony read a note from Bucky's table wondering if Tony's smile was from his note. Bucky kept glaring at him and pointed at Tony when he was sure the other kid was not looking.

“Go,” Bucky ordered and Steve instinctively stepped one foot forward.

“It's onwy the second day of w’iting!” Steve tried to argue.

“So? You can w’ite and be fwends with him,” Bucky shot back pulling Steve forward. Steve stumbled a bit but luckily for him Tony wasn't looking.

“Go,” Bucky ordered again and this time Steve went. He felt nervous approaching Tony's table especially since the boy noticed him coming and watched him every step of the way.

“Hi Tony,” Steve greeted with a shy smile.

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

“I did it!” Steve ran to Sam once he left Bucky’s classroom to go back to his own. He spotted Sam standing just outside the door of their classroom.

“Did wha’?” Sam looked confused before realization dawned on his face making his friend smile widely at him.

“He is coming over with Bucky dis weekend!” Steve jumped up and down and Sam joined in with him.

Sam asked endless questions about it and Steve gladly answered all of them. Though he did over exaggerate a lot of the story because he was five and five year old Steve was a very dramatic person.

“Cool! Let me know if you need anyding,” Sam patted Steve’s arm supportively before sitting across from him on their table.

His teacher gave them blank pages to draw or write on whatever they wanted and Steve decided to get a head start on his daily notes to Tony. All he could think about with every stroke of his crayon was Tony's smile. He did not even realize that a long while had passed and it was time to go home.

His ma met him at the door. She was a nurse so he worked odd hours and sometimes Steve never got to see her until late at night when she comes home and the movements in the apartment wakes him up. It was not his ma’s fault that Steve was a light sleeper.

“Hey sweatpea,” His ma smiled down at him moving aside to let him into their apartment. Steve hoped through the doorframe and looked up at his ma with a large smile on his face.

“Hello ma!” Steve greeted, “‘uess what!”

“What?” His ma bent down over exaggerating her words making Steve giggle.

“I invite Tony over this Fwiday,” Steve informed his ma jumping up and down a bit as he put his bag in it’s place and walked into the kitchen.

“Oh really? That’s is wonderful! I can’t wait to meet him,” His ma clapped her hands in excitement and it made Steve even happier about having Tony over.

“Yeah! Awesome!” Steve ran into his room to get his favorite toys out so he could head over to Bucky’s apartment after his ma leaves. Steve always goes over when she cannot find Steve a babysitter.

“I won’t be home early enough,” his ma came into his room after him, “so take a pair of pajamas to sleep over at Bucky’s, okay?”

“Okay,” Steve answered still digging in his box for his toys. His ma just ruffled his hair before bidding him goodbye and left him to get his stuff ready. His ma trusted him to head over to Bucky’s soon and knew that his best friend would come knocking if he took too long. And true to that statement, Steve heard a loud endless knocking at his door a few minutes later.

“I'm comin’” Steve called running over to the door with his night bag ready on his shoulder.

He opened the door to see Bucky standing at the door step with wet hair, new set of PJs and Mr. Scott his favorite teddy bear that is missing an eye. “Hi! I am weady!”

“Good,” Bucky answered sleepily before turning and heading towards his apartment. Bucky lived three doors down from Steve with his three sisters and his ma. Steve knew that Bucky loved it when Steve came over even when he was not vocal about it. His best friend always seemed more happy when Steve was around. He was the only boy in the apartment and sometimes he felt alienated. Steve was okay being Bucky's escape.

“Hi Steve,” Bucky's ma came from the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron that she was wearing. Steve smiled and greeted her back before Bucky pulled him away to his small room.

“Let's pway cars,” Bucky pulled out his ever growing car collection. All Bucky did was collect cars. He loved them. And Steve never denied Bucky anything. So he went to Bucky’s collection and pulled out one of his favorite cars.

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

It was Friday and Steve was nervous. He was in constant motion. After three hours of running around the house trying to put everything together. Everything had to be perfect! Tony was rich! He needed to look rich too!

Then the doorbell rang...oh no. Steve froze in the middle of moving an item he had found astray to stare at the door in horror but when he saw the familiar disinterested face of James Buchanan Barnes.

A sudden relief flooded his person as Bucky shuffled into his apartment with his favorite set of cars. He always had at least one of them on person. Steve smiled at Bucky and decided to focus on Bucky until Tony came. His best friend always found ways to calm him down when he is being too jittery.

After half an hour of playing in his room, Steve went to check the door. He opened it up not really expecting to see Tony standing there but Steve just smiled widely at the brunette. Steve felt more excited now than nervous. Tony was finally here!

Steve moved so quick that he beat his ma to the door and say Tony standing there looking nervous and a bit fearful. Steve could not understand why Tony would be scared but Steve planned on wiping that fear away. Tony was his new friend after all!

Steve noticed Tony was holding something but he refrained from commenting. He did not want to make Tony more nervous than he already was. Steve instead watched how Tony took in his apartment and saw nothing but awe and wonder. It made Steve curious and happy that Tony seemed to like his house.

When they walked into Steve’s room, Bucky paused for a second from his playing to watch Tony and Steve walk into the room. Steve smiled at Bucky who just gave a small shrug in response.

This was going to be great! It will be...until Tony gave Bucky and him gifts. And it went downhill from there.

Steve was so shocked at what transgressed looking scandalized at Bucky before turning to Tony to see him run out his bedroom door. Steve called Tony’s name but he did not stop and ran into the bathroom to cry.

Turning around angrily, Steve glared at Bucky putting both hands on his hips looking ready to get in an all out fight. Steve could not believe Bucky would say that to Tony! Why was he being so mean?

Steve walked towards the bathroom deciding to go cheer up Tony instead of fighting Bucky. As he made his way to the bathroom he saw his ma come around the corner with a worried look on her face. A moment later Steve also felt Bucky shuffle up behind him. It seemed Bucky felt at least a little bad for what he said.

“What happened?” Steve’s ma asked them as they stood in front of the bathroom door.

Steve bit his lip nervously before explaining the situation to his ma. Steve watched as his ma prepared to lecture them and it seemed like Bucky could too since his friend froze up next to him.

“Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes! I am extremely disappointed in you both. When a person gives you a gift you should always say thank you! I have raised you better than this Steven, and you James! Your mother taught you better. What did that boy do for you to be so rude? It is never right to assume someone’s intentions. He grew up in a different world than you both. This was probably his way of relaying he want to be your friend. Now go, knock on the door and tell him your sorry,” Steve’s ma pointed at the bathroom door looking at the two of them expectantly.

Steve rushed to obey instantly standing at the door giving it a soft knock. At first, Steve was afraid that Tony was going to ignore them but he heard a shuffling from behind the door letting him know that he could open it. Steve reached for the handle and turned the knob a bit nervous about what he was going to find on the other side of that door. He hoped Tony could forgive them. He really wanted to be his friend and Steve knew that in some ways Bucky did too.

Tony was sitting near the toilet when Steve stepped into the bathroom a bit looking at them with red eyes, and tear-stained cheeks. Steve felt even more horrible and was shocked into silence until his ma probed them to speak.

Steve was just glad that he got to see the smile on Tony’s face again. He never wanted to be the cause of those tears again.

“I’m sowy too,” Steve said after Bucky and Tony hashed it out. Tony turned to look at him a bit confused but smiled at him anyways.

“Me too!” Tony replied taking a tentative step forward towards Steve allowing him to pull Tony into a hug. Tony returned it happily.

“You awe my fwend now,” Steve declared, “and I want only smiles! Okay?”

“Yeah,” Tony giggled as he pushed himself far enough to look at Bucky with a smile which Bucky returned.

They went back to Steve’s room with Steve leading them by the hands wanting to get back to playing and having a good time. He could hear the two bicker a bit as they went back but there was no more anger or hurt in their voices. For that Steve was glad.

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

Steve was talking to Sam when Tony came rushing into his classroom. He looked around frantically before spotting him in the back corner. Steve always found it nice to watch Tony move about a room because Tony always seemed to move at a different pace than everyone else. He could even hear the few ‘sowy’s that Tony gave as he bumped into people on the way over to him.

To make it a bit easier though, Steve moved to meet him in the middle. Tony looked at Steve happily before he looked down at the paper in his hands nervously. It was odd since Tony had not been this kind of nervous since they first played together. He we was about to say something when Tony spoke up first.

“Hey Steve,” Tony greated.

Steve smiled warmly back always happy to greet and talk to Tony any time he saw him, “Hey ‘ony!” It was a toothy grin and Steve could feel himself smile even wider.

“This is fow you,” Tony pushed out the piece of paper in his hands towards Steve. Tony’s hands were shaking a bit and Steve did not want that at all. So he took it gladly and unflolded the paper to see a note that was in Tony’s handwriting that said,

“Dear Secret Admirer,

Thanck u for all the kind messages you rote me. I love every one of them. You are an amasing frend!

From,

A fellow Secret Admirer.”

Steve loved it. He read it three times over and he smiled so hard it hurt his mouth. He looked up at Tony who looked half afraid, half curious which instantly turned relieved.

That was the best note he ever got. So much so that when he got home, he hung it up on the wall and it stayed there years after. Steve even took it with him to college much to Tony’s horror.

#stony #sr #ts #love at first note #my writing #stevetony #superhusbands #steve rogers #tony stark #part 2 #stony bingo 2017 #Prompt: Secret Admirer #Steve's POV #kindergarten!Steve #kindergarten!Tony #baby love #fluff #Steve wants to be friends with Tony #mild freak out

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miraculous-dnd · 7 years

Text

Insight Chapter 2

A miraculous ladybug D&D!AU Words: 3552 Rating: Teen for mild language Summary: Between sessions the group finds time to catch up outside of D&D.

Marinette slept late the next morning, it was Saturday and she didn’t have to go into work that morning. She walked into the office around 10 anyways though, one of the designs that she had been working on calling to her. The office was quiet, Sylvia apparently taking her day off seriously, so Marinette put on some music and got to work. Around 1 she was interrupted by a buzz from her phone:

Adrien: Hey

Marinette: What's up

Adrien: You free today?

Marinette's heart raced, despite herself

Marinette: Yeah, just finishing up some work, what did you have in mind?

Adrien: Well I was in the neighborhood and I was wondering if you wanted to grab a late lunch, or maybe some coffee, if you've already eaten?

Adrien: Maybe we could talk D&D?

Marinette: Yeah, that sounds great.

She sent him the address of the office,

Marinette: Meet me here @1:30?

Adrien: sounds like a plan!

Marinette dropped the phone on the drafting table and took a deep breath. She let the excitement run its course, Adrien wanted to catch up and grab coffee. This was normal, right? They were in a D&D group together, they were in the same industry (though the lowest ranking Gabriel designer could probably buy out Coccinelle without breaking a sweat and Adrien was on the damn board of directors), they had plenty in common, they could go for a normal lunch between friends.

Ok, maybe the grade school crush wasn't so past tense. She tried to shift her focus back onto the designs in front of her, but she kept being dragged back by the silky cat's purr of Adrien's Rogue voice.

That's only a little weird. Right?

Adrien walked up in front of the small shop front of Marinette's and smiled, it definitely had her touch. He opened the door and walked in, the building seemed to be quiet, but he could see a light coming from the back. He walked towards it, taking care to go a little louder than natural, so as not to frighten.

She was sitting on a stool, half-finished sketch on the drafting table in front of her. Her hands were on her chin and her eyes were a thousand miles away.

Adrien cleared his throat, "Marinette? Did you still want to get lunch?"

She startled a bit, "Oh, Adrien, I didn't hear you come in. Sorry. Yes. Lunch, that is, yes I still want to go to lunch."

"I'm glad, I had started looking forward to it."

"oh." Marinette tried, very hard, to find something slightly more articulate to say, but alas.

"There's a deli around the corner, they have good vegetarian food." he pauses for a second, "are you still a vegetarian?"

"Yeah. Well, most of the time, I'll make exceptions for special occasions. But vegetarian deli sounds good, uh, let me just pack up a bit." She hurriedly packs away her sketches and slings a small ladybug purse over her shoulder. She beams up at him, toothy grin wide.

oh.

The deli wasn't very far away, and Marinette and Adrien sat on a bench outside to enjoy their sandwiches. They sat in silence a while, sandwiches an excuse for the awkward silence coming from the fact that neither of them had really talked to the other, outside of D&D in, well, a couple of years now. Adrien broke the silence first.

"So how is work going? Your shop seems like a lot is happening."

"Ha. That's a very polite way of saying the shop looks a mess."

"No, I mean-"

"It's alright, I know the shop's a mess, It's probably a good thing anyways, it means we're busy. Which is pretty much also how work is going; designing is what I always wanted to do, and I love it, but the business side is a lot of work when it is going well, and even more work when it's going poorly, but I guess that's the price I pay for living my childhood dreams"

Adrien felt a small pang of envy, to be able to pursue a passion, to have a clear idea of what your passions were, it must be nice.

"That sounds stressful, but I'm still kind of jealous, working at Gabriel is kind of soul-sucking. Like, I'm not ungrateful for what my dad left for me, it's just- I don't know, I didn't have a lot of time as a kid to have my own dreams, I had a path laid out for me, you know?"

"I never thought about that, you were a bit, wrangled as a kid weren't you?"

"I don't think I've had an unscheduled period longer than three days since I was, well, maybe ever."

"Yikes, that sounds not great"

"Yeah, it is what it is. Marcel is- he's Marcel, but he means well." Marinette raised her eyebrows a hair.

"Marcel, as in Marcel Proust, the man who, to hear half the fashion rags tell it, is slowly sucking the soul out of the Gabriel brand?"

"He doesn't have the most sparkling personality, that's true, but he is trying, my father and him, they were friends, or as close as my father got to having friends. Marcel just wants to honor his memory."

"I'm sorry Adrien, I'm sure Marcel means well, it's just, he's been with Gabriel for how long now? 15 years? 20? In an interview last week he had no idea what Toilé was."

"Yeah, he hasn't invested much in the theory, but he has a handle on the nitty-gritty of running a corporation."

Maybe too much of a handle, Adrien thought.

They sat quietly for a while, before Marinette spoke,

"So, how about the game last night? That was quite the fight huh?"

"Yeah, I'm super pumped to get to use my new item, it seems pretty versatile."

"Yeah, I don't know about mine, i'll take a hit to AC, but it bumps up my whip's range and damage, so that's pretty sweet."

"The card says tier 1 on it though, so we've probably got to unlock the really cool pieces."

"Yeah, I wonder how high they go, like, what is the max tier do you think?"

Alya is in her favorite spot, next to the window in her regular cafe, looking down over the main part of the shop on the level below, the additional seating area quiet by comparison. The word document in front of her sits, almost done, but not quite, the blinking cursor mocking her as she struggles to wrap up the story she has been writing. The political scene has become bleaker since she became a politics reporter, when she was young she had felt like there were heroes, people making real change, people caring for people and about process. Now though, well, every hero has their dirt, and Alya had made a career finding that dirt, which made the idea of a spotless hero something that Alya reserved for fiction.

Oh well, she still has two hours until deadline. She tabs over to her email, hitting the refresh and watching as a wave of unread messages cascades down her inbox.

Junk. Junk. Deal with that later. Junk. Junk.

Her eyes scan down the list of subjects and from addresses, until she hits a subject line that she can't ignore.

RE: Hawke

Alya clicked. Her eyes widened as the message appeared before them. This was big.

Their coffee date/outing/catch-up session/whatever-you're-supposed-to-call-it over Marinette was back in her office, back in the zone, her pen putting the finishing touches on the design that she had been working on earlier when her phone buzzed again. Marinette grabbed the phone eagerly,

Alya: Hey, you got a minute?

Marinette: Yeah, just doing a bit of weekend work, what's up?

Alya: I'm looking for advice, but I gotta be a bit vague, you down?

Marinette: Its for a story, isn't it

Alya: Yeah, anyway if you found out that someone in your industry was in the pocket of a certain, politician, and you could expose them, what would you do?

Marinette: Shit. Um, give me a minute to think

Marinette: I mean, I'd call you, obvs.

Marinette: I take it calling them out isn't going to make you very popular?

Alya: I mean, they've got a couple of fans, if you catch my drift.

Alya: I'm nervous enough about it to come to you for advice, if that says anything.

Marinette: Ha. Yeah.

Marinette: Well, I don't know, is there a hard time limit on this?

Alya: Not really, there's a couple of months before it's really relevant.

Marinette: Maybe you could just make a draft then, and see how you feel?

Alya: Good plan. How's this weekend looking? are you down for another session?

Marinette: Ooh, we've got a big order going out on Friday, but Saturday or Sunday ought to work!

Alya: Good to hear! I'll get in touch with everyone else, see how they feel. <3<3

Marinette put the phone down, then picked it up again and checked the time, it was almost 8, her stomach rumbled. Looks like another night of takeout.

Adrien was not a fan of Mondays. Working for Gabriel was... stressful, in the most boring way. Marcel was a controlling CFO and Adrien still wasn't entirely comfortable in the executive role that had been created for him after his father's death. It felt like the right thing to do though, and fashion was something that Adrien knew a lot about, so he did alright with that part of it, but bringing himself to care about the gross market returns on the spring line Tokyo marking campaign was next to impossible.

He had some time before his presentation to the board, so he closed the document, in a pinch he could wing it pretty well. He pulled open another document on his browser, and scanned down what he had already written.

"The Life and Times of Pollux Blackvein"

Raised by his aunt and uncle, Pollux spent most of his time as a child avoiding responsibilities, finding places to hide. There was little he loved more than to find a rooftop or shaded alcove from which he could people watch in peace. He created rich fictions in his head. This period of happiness could not last long however and tragedy soon struck again when a illness took both his living relatives. With nothing to keep him in the small town that was all he had known, he fled into the woods only days after his 16th birthday.

In the woods he found the hut of a old hermit, who took him in and gave him a place to stay as he mourned the life that he had left behind. When he had recovered the hermit began to train him, teaching him how to survive in the wild, how to hide and how to move silently. It was the old man that taught Pollux how to fight, and Pollux took to the quarterstaff quickly, favoring knives second. When the hermit had taught him enough, Pollux left his home for a second time, returning to the village that raised him.

When he arrived he found that the village was in a desperate condition. The Magistrate Vitaa Douleur had been installed in the town since he had left and was in gross abuse of her position, levying cruel taxes and enforcing laws that had gone untouched for good reason. The abuse of power made Pollux furious, so he began to formulate a resistance. He started small, disrupting the couriers that Vitaa dispatched to other cities, stealing small shipments of coin and distributing it, subtly, to the people of the town. When this caused her to double down on the oppression of his town, Pollux began to sow the seeds of violent rebellion. The rebellion was, ultimately, successful but it was a Pyrrhic victory. At the end Pollux stood over the body of Vitaa Douleur drenched in the blood of friend and foe alike, the assault on the manse leaving only Pollux standing, after searching the manse for any clue as to who was responsible for her installment in his town he burned down the manse and fled town that night. In that part of the country, stories are still told about the rebellion of Greenthorp, and the mysterious figure that led the people against the tyrannical ruler, but they are stories that Pollux has never heard, having fled to the capitol in search of the mysterious figure that sent the scourge to his people.

Since arriving in Erathia, Pollux has fallen in love with its people, and he is already beginning to chaff at the way that the nobility (or at least some of them) take advantage of them. He has made few friends in Erathia, finding the thieves too unscrupulous and the revolutionaries too lax and inactive. He is a radical living in a city of moderates.

Adrien sat there and let the cursor flash at the end of the document, he felt like there was something missing, maybe he needed more characters? Should he maybe soften Pollux's stance on nobility, since Marinette and Chloe were both playing nobles? He should have sent this to Alya like, two months ago, so maybe he shouldn't worry about it. He really wanted Alya to like it though, so maybe he should. What he needed was another set of eyes.

Adrien: Hey, you got a minute?

Max: Not really, but I need a break, what’s up?

Adrien: Not much, I was just hoping I could get you to look over my character background before I sent it to my DM, if you're busy I'll ask someone else.

Max: This is for Alya's campaign?

Adrien: Yeah

Max: Send it here, I need something to pull me away from work anyways.

Max: Nice, it looks good, I'd say you could send it to her as is, maybe add a couple of names of people from the town?

Friday night found Alya sitting in the workspace in her apartment, DM guide and monster manual open on the table in front of her, spreadsheet open on her computer. Tomorrow night was going to be epic, they were finally going to get into the meat of the arc that she had prepared. She just needed to find the right encounter to really bring home the scale of what they were supposed to be doing. She flipped the pages of the manual, looking for inspiration.

Myconid, Nothic, Ogre, nah.

Nothing had quite the feel that Alya was looking for. Then an illustration caught her eye. She started typing:

Horrificator: AC - 8, HP - 72, Speed 15 ft.

Nino woke up to the warm sunlight coming in through the window, and to the persistent buzz of his phone. He picked it up and looked at it groggily. "Reminder: Working Bibliography Due @ Noon today."

Shit.

Nino stumbled out of bed and pulled open his laptop. 10:00, two hours, that was probably enough time to shit together some sources, he could always go back later and decide not to use any of them. That's what he'd done in undergrad, 9 times out of 10. Just as he was opening the library page his phone buzzed on the bed.

Adrien: You still planning on getting lunch today?

Nino: Yeah, I got some stuff to finish up that's due @ noon, but we could go after

Adrien: Sounds good, how're classes going?

Nino: Well, I've heard you talk about how dry your junior capitalist meetings are, and I can assure you that, without a doubt, Professor Putnam is three times dryer

Adrien: Grad school sounds like a blast

Nino: its thrilling, now bug off, I gotta finish this, I'll see you at 12:30?

Adrien: Wouldn't miss it

Nino turned off the phone and got to work.

He got a respectable amount done by noon, and sent off the file at 11:59 precisely. He turned his phone back on and a flood of notifications rolled down the screen.

Alya: UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH...

Alya: Can you believe this guy, and whats worse ca...

Alya: What really bothers me though is the way tha...

Alya: I swear, if I have to hear another relative say b...

Alya: That absolute shitstain of a man is the last thing...

Alay: Did you hear about the new thing with Hawke? he...

Apparently it had been an eventful morning.

He opened up the first text.

Alya: Did you hear about Hawke? he just announce he's running for president

Alya: That absolute shitstain of a man is the last thing this garbage pile of a country needs.

Alya: What really bothers me is the way that people are taking it seriously, like, this is the man Front National wouldn't endorse.

Alya: I swear, if I have to hear another white guy say 'ooh, he's outside the system' NO SHIT, he's outside the system because the system had the basic decency to kick him the fuck out.

Alya: Can you believe this guy, and what's worse is I'm going to have to report on this creep for like, a year!

Alya: UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Gross.

A knock at the door interrupted Nino's reply. He opened the door and Adrien stood there, leaning against the hallway of Nino's apartment building.

"So, you ready to get lunch?"

"Just gotta put on some shoes, come in."

"Nice place you got here Nino."

"Not for long, I'm gonna be apartment hunting again soon."

Nino finished tying his shoes and stood up.

"Where are we headed?"

"Why am I always the one who has to decide on where we eat" Adrien laughed and stepped back into the hallway as Nino locked up the apartment.

"It's because you're the one with the time and money to eat out with any regularity." Nino said, giving Adrien's shoulder a playful punch.

"Fair enough I guess. I was thinking the bourgeoisie pig, since it's pretty close."

"The coffee shop? Do they even have food there?"

"I think they have a couple of lunch options, are you hungry?"

"I'm starving, I haven't had anything to eat since lunch yesterday."

"Dude, you've got to eat. Fine, how's Heather's sound?"

"Bro. I am always down for Heather's, you know this."

"Right, dumb question gets dumb answer, Lets go."

Heather's was only a few metro stops away from Nino's apartment, so it didn't take them too long before they were sitting down in the distressed leather booths that fit right in with Heather's distinct 'american diner' aesthetic. The walls were decorated with old street signs, black and white photos of crowds of people, and other random paraphernalia. Nino looked over the menu, an eclectic mix of American/Korean/Chinese/Indian/French/Japanese dishes, and unlikely fusions of all of the above.

"Bro, is there any chance that the vegan ramen burger is good?" Adrien seemed skeptical, but Nino knew better.

"Heather's has yet to let me down. That is far from the weirdest sounding thing I've gotten here. You should try their vegan soy sauce ice cream, that's an experience."

"I'll take your word for it. You ready for tonight?"

"D&D? Heck yes, I've been ready all week. I hope we get to go a bit longer this week though, last week felt kind of short."

"Yeah, but at least we got a bit of action, I was itching for a fight."

"Yeah well you don't have a wizard's hit points, so I can see how you might be a bit more eager to fight."

"Please, you're fine, we all passed our tests and now we’re gonna see some real fighting, I wonder what Alya is going to throw at us tonight."

"Same, I'm itching for a chance to get to use my new item."

Evening came and Adrien and Nino walked up the steps to Alya's apartment, the October chill settling in as the sun sank below the tall parisian buildings. When they hit the buzzer for Alya's apartment there was a long pause before the intercom crackled.

"Yeah?"

"Its us, Adrien and Nino, you wanna let us in?"

The lock clicked and Nino pushed into the foyer, the old building was a bit run down, but not a bad place to live. They took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and waited as Alya undid the locks on both doors to the apartment proper.

"Hey guys, ready to play? Marinette just texted, she should be here in a couple minutes. Chloe is on her way too."

When they were all gathered at the table, Alya got down to business.

"You all leveled up last time, so did you all figure out your stuff or do you need to do that now."

With leveling up out of the way, Alya wasted no time launching into the story.

"Last time, you remember, you appeared in front of a cave and decided to explore it, finding an old gnome who told you that you had been chosen by the gods to protect Erathia, as you stepped forward to accept this responsibility four fighters appeared to test your abilities, you defeated them, and the Gnome rewarded you with magical items of great power. You then appeared back in Erathia, and that was where we left off."

#miraculous ladybug #marinette cheng #alya cesaire #adrien agreste #nino lahiffe #insight

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childrenofathoria-rp-blog · 6 years

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◆Out Of Character Information◆

Name/Age: Lash / 25 Preferred Pronouns: She/Her Timezone: EST Desired Character: Jade Nicoline

◆Character Information◆

(1) What pronouns will your character be using? Would you like to list their sexuality at this time?:

Jade is male but I felt like his nature is to be free. This being said I expect he is fine with whatever people perceive him to be. HE can appear both feminine and masculine at times so it really depends on the occasion.

As far as his sexuality, I feel that he holds a fascinating for undefined beauty. He is attracted to beautiful things, beautiful people. He judges the inner realm of beauty and given his experiences I feel like he is an excellent judge of a person’s aura.

With all this being said I plan to write him with they/them and he/him…..if this makes sense.

(2) Any changes or comments? (you might want to change their age, their faceclaim, or maybe a small piece of their history, any alias names. Please read our rules on FC changes before asking for one)

FC: JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER -- APPROVED

Since he is male, would it be possible to refer to his given name as Jaden but have him go by Jade. I know in the past that Jade was portrayed as a female but I love this idea of an androgynous male approach. -- APPROVED

(3) Why this character? (briefly tell us why you picked this character)

Nature is a beautiful environment. I love the idea of portraying a mortal being enthralled by their surroundings on such a spiritual level. There is a piece in the bio about when they moved to the city and how it was so foreign and scary. I can totally relate to that feeling of too much noise and chaos, preferring a quiet life myself. The part that really snared me in to this bio was the conflict of their magic use. Jade is selfish and by all rights deserves to be with what they have been through, however Exploring the effects on their conscious in regards to their survival. Jade sees the world in the eyes of a nature. A bear will attack anyone who threatens her cubs. Jade will do whatever it takes to protect their business. The circle of life does not only involve peace but a medley of birth life and death. If one accepts good they must accept some form of evil, therefore there is a wealth to be gained by living in the grey area. They justify it by the law of the land rather than the law of man. There is a certain amount of respect for anyone who rises from the ashes of fear and despair to create something good. It doesn’t matter the means in which it was created but the fact that the past taught them how to survive and prosper. (But seeing how this is athoria…..How long with the prosperity really last for the bee keeper?)

(4) Interpret this character: (give us 2 or 3 solid paragraphs (the more the better!) of how you would play this character. Please make sure this interpret is different from any of your interview answers below (nothing duplicated). Some examples: What are some headcanons or troupes you have for them? What type of quests would you like to take your character on in this game? Talk about their supernatural abilities. Tell us about their clan and their role in their clan. How do they fit into their surroundings? Talk about their connections in-game. What are their viewpoints on the monarchy? How do they get along with other supernaturals? Talk about past history of Athoria and how it might contribute to the plot. Etc.)

The setting: Jade’s thoughts on the Latest events

Jade keeps to themselves for the most part but as Athoria changes there is a threat brewing that is beyond their control. All sorts of mysterious occurrences find their way to Jade’s doorstep in one form or another, a warning of things to come? Jade sees the threat in an array of violent ends. The event in Leeds alone was frightening enough. The business was running on borrowed time, magic harnessed to propel them into prosperity. Jade anxiety is on high alert. What will these events mean for their Coven? Can they hide forever or will they have to involve themselves? I believe Jade slips into deep thought about such things, perhaps even experiences panic attacks triggered by the potential of losing what they have worked so hard for.

Theo: Why Jade is so Triggered?

Those memories of Brailston are ones that Jade wishes to place deep in the past. If they could sever them forever they would. Lord Theo is a reminder of that life, that city, and the helplessness that they never wish to feel again. Trapped, cornered, caged; those fears are embodied in the walls of Brailston. Jade doesn’t speak about it but the mannerisms are more than enough to clue others in on the trauma buried within. If Jade sees the man they will slip into silence as they relive the madness. The life of slaving away for the debts of their father was made more difficult at the hands of theo. Maybe not intentionally but the heavy taxes increased the amount of stress in the entire house. Each person was willing to do whatever it took to get out, to escape. Jade had to do many things they would not normally do just to survive the years there. Theo is a reminder of those unnamed deeds.

The Secret Life of Bees: Jade’s relationships

Jade tends to keep within the Coven, their family. Others that have met Jade seem to be put off at first but that is because of their past. Building a working relationship is not easy without magic to quicken deals and make them feel “at home”. Jade likes making people see the beauty around them if only in the form of sampling honey.

Jade finds it difficult to speak at first. They are awkward. Their eyes piercing into anyone straying too close. If it were not for the quality of their honey no one would dare to stray down that beaten path and approach. Once the ice shatters and deals are made there seems to be some sort of appeal that keeps them coming back.

The Bees: Jade finds the hymns of busy bees relaxing and they are the only living things to hear of their experiences in Brailston. Jade enjoys their company.

Carter Perkins: They require honey and they pay well but it is the demeanor that really inspires Jade to do business with them. Their brief dealings always leave Jade with a smile.

The Coven: Jade’s new family.

Fleeing Brailston felt like nothing they had ever experienced. One could not know true freedom until they had been shackled down. It was beautiful until the breath ran out and Jade was at the crossroads. Go home or start anew. The anxiety was not cured at the dropping of their chains. Jade suffered post-traumatic stress. Their magic was nearly uncontrollable from the years of being pinned up in that house. It was the Coven who found them lost and scared. It was the Coven who ministered to their needs and pulled them out of the pit they had fallen into.

The very same coven taught them much about themselves. Jade discovered abilities and peace. Matilda was as a mother in many ways. They knew Jade needed guidance and without hesitation they offered it. For this Jade has forsaken their old family for Matilda and her Coven.

Jade was very pleased to receive their necklace and take up arms with the Coven. When traveling with the Coven or during ritual practice they wear a mask shaped from bone and dyed to resemble a Peregrine Falcon but it is hidden out of sight when not needed. Jade’s objective is to branch out and blend with society.

Good Versus Evil: Jade’s Journal

Every being has a will and a desire. Jade has seen the darkest sides of humanity and they have seen the kindness. Jade fully believes it is not their place to judge the actions of another. Good is subjective as well as evil. It is balance that keeps everything in check.

Observation of Nature has taught Jade many lessons about humanity. In the eyes of the deer, a human is evil for taking it’s very life but in the humans eyes they are only trying to survive. All these thoughts are written in a journal Jade keeps religiously. They err on the side of philosophy, longing to understand the method behind the actions. They are concerned with the reason rather than the act.

“I fled the city without hesitation. I longed for subtle silence, a calm peace. I needed to rekindle the quietness of my youth and so I set out to surround myself with nature, to discover a reason behind my captivity that might bring closer to my continuous blight. Instead I discovered the selfishness of man through the observation of nature. The endless circle of life and death existed before me and it will exist after. I observed birth and death with childlike wonder. Nature gives death meaning, a purpose. Therein lies the most disheartening realization. “ – excerpt from Jade’s Journal

Familiar: Peregrine Falcon (Aja)

Symbolizes: success, victory, and rising above a situation. I believe this fits Jade very well

The Omen: When you see a hawk it is said to be an omen from the divine. It signals a time in life when one needs to focus on the road ahead and prepare for a leadership role.

QUESTS:

Exploring the cities: The Coven has intentions to put feelers out into the surrounding cities. (At least that is my interpretation based on reading the covens page) I also want put put Jade back in Brailston at some point. Jade is reluctant to traverse so far into the hellish memories of Brailston. The city life is not for them. It induces panic at the very least. Matilda (If we ever get her in game) has inspired Jade to face those fears. Realizing that they need to cope to accomplish their duty as a mage in their coven. I don’t think Matilda is forcing this but Jade wants to make her proud. So having Jade venture out of that familiarity is a plan I have. The more of the world they see the more opportunities for advancing the development. It will also allow for much drama stemming out of their Traumatic Experiences.

Vera: It mentions the werewolf as a childhood friend. I would love to expand on this as far as writing with NPCs

Meeting other Gifteds outside of their coven.: I want to throw Jade into a bigger world. Seclusion has only offered up one thought process. I want them to see other areas of the gifted.

◆ Interview Questions

(1) Question One: What’s the worst weather you’ve ever produced? Was it on accident or purpose?

She was truly curious of my abilities. I could sense it in the way her eyes widened. Apparently weather manipulation is quite the feat. A smile graced my features, lips parted slightly as I spoke, “define worst. In nature weather is natural, full of purpose….” I wave my hand around in emphasis but I know what she’s getting at.

“how convenient for your business.”

Her smile matched my own. I felt like a diamond in the rough.

“It works out in my favor.” I did feel guilty but my work was far less devastating than the plagues humanity had brought on themselves with tainted magic. Maybe I was dancing a fine line but there are worse things I could do with the power. “I once caused a frost to throw off a competitors worker bees. I then purchased his colony and combined them into mine. I paid more than what the bees were worth” As if that justified it. My seclusion and my control of weather had my hive flourishing.

(2) Question Two: Are there any other raw ingredients from nature you find easy to work with?

“Besides honey?” I snickered at her question. I could sell honey for anything. It was such a versatile product. It has an indefinite shelf life and could be used for a number of things, like healing.

“Comfrey reduces iflamation, Cadendula contains masses of antioxidants, and Plantain leaves help keep my skin soothingly flawless.” I grinned. Years of botanical experimentation led me to great discoveries.

“I noticed your hands when you shook mine.” She remarked in a way that had my mind spiral back to our first meeting. I looked down for a moment as the memory flooded my mind. My hands were cracked and bleeding, marred from years of hard work. Repulsive. I blinked knowing full well she had purposefully led me into confronting the memory. She believed coping would cure my irrational anxieties, make me more valuable to infiltrate the cities surrounding our secluded Oak.

“You have not accepted the past I see.”

No, I remained in silence until she gracefully stood to her feet and made her way to leave me to suffer in my own devices.

The past never dies and I was in no shape to bury it.

◆Writing Sample:◆

The feel of the string against their fingers, the smell of the fall foliage hanging in the breeze; it was everything they had striven to preserve. The sound of the bow as it obeyed the pull of the string was music to their ears. This instrument accompanied the best musicians of nature. This was their life, living free among the freest. Striving to be at peace and to forget the past but that was far easier said than done. Jade fought back the onslaught of a memory. The finest of clothes came from the hide of kills. Hides fashioned into fancy clothes and leathers for those with a heavy purse. Jade was allotted rags then, dirty cloth unfit for use. Their eyes narrowed, focused on the vital area rather than the anger within. Anger was the avenue of chaos and chaos bred imbalance. Aiming for the kill with purpose, Jade released. The arrow flew true into the vitals of the stag. It grunted, kicked its back legs and sprinted into the underbrush. Fleeing the scene; running from those who might harm them, the stag did not know that hope was lost. Jade knew then that the death would be quick but the animals always fought hard, running on borrowed time instead of lying down to die. Jade believed it to be noble to strive until the bitter end. That very philosophy had gotten them further than any other logic.

Observation was the key. In Brailston they would pass by hundreds of people with ashen faces, the faces of those who were waiting to die rather than living to face death. A vow forged itself then. It was a promise that no matter how bad it got, Jade would fight until death. The days turned to years that shook the grounds of his promise. It was hard then but it got better after they found their home, their peace. Though nights come that still leave the mage with trembling nightmares, triggered by the events left unspoken. Even then they knew for certain that the end of their sentence would come. Day after day until the debt was repaid. They planned it at first as a child believes all things are short. It would only be for a little while. That’s what their mother had said. The promise shattered over many years until the day they stepped out past the walls of Brailston. Jade never looked back and neither did the stag.

Blood droplets coated the leaves and trees. A loud crash signified the end of a life and the beginning of a purpose. Finding the kill, Jade knelt by his side. They whispered thanks and gave the blessing, a ritual. This kill would feed and clothe them. Everything would find a purpose. Jade slipped their falcon mask from their brow. It was unusually warm for fall. Perhaps their manipulation had gone too far. The animal was still clinging to life. It was beautiful in its death. Jade ministered to his labored breaths, laying a hand upon its wounded side. “Your sacrifice is great.” They whispered as they cradled its head in their lap. “It will be over soon. There cannot be new life for your sons and daughters. You have lived many years and now it is their turn.” Jade spoke soft words of comfort. Death was never easy to behold but it was still beautiful. They hoped their own death would be with so much purpose. “I will use your offering, I appreciate what you give. “ The last breath was strained yet poetic. The respect seemed mutual as it should be. The reason they preferred the company of his like-minded companions. “Live free and die well brother.”

#athoria accepted #lsrpg #supernatural rpg #fantasy rpg

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