#SO MANY QUESTIONS SO MANY THOUGHTS AND NONE OF THEM WILL EVER BE ANSWERED LOL | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

misc-obeyme · 9 months

Note

resending just in case the first didnt send due to my wifi cutting off right as i sent it 🙄:

how would the brothers react to an mc who comes from a family where twins, triplets, quadruplets n other sets of multiples are common ? like, their mother is a twin, their father is a triplet, most of their siblings are twins or triplets, the mc even has a twin themselves

i just wanna see how the brothers react to visiting the mcs family n seeing 9 different ppl have look the same cause theres 3 separate sets of triplets in the family

Hi there!

I did get your previous ask, but I decided to answer this one, so I will just delete the other one :)

Okay, this was certainly interesting to think about and the consensus is mostly that they're all confused lol.

Thanks for the request!

the brothers react to GN!MC having a family full of twins, triplets, etc

Warnings: none!

Lucifer

Great. There are more of you. Just how many of you are there, MC? Are these your clones? It must be some magic spell gone wrong. That's the only explanation.

Lucifer demands answers. Explain what is going on. Once you've told him about all the twins and triplets in your family, he's trying to figure out how this is even possible. He always thought such things were rare, but here you all are.

He tries to keep everybody's name straight, but he messes up sometimes. It's not from lack of trying. Actually keeps a little notebook with a list of everybody's name in an attempt to keep track of them. This doesn't really work all that well when everyone looks the same, though.

He never confuses you for one of your family members. No, he knows which one of you belongs to him.

Mammon

He is immediately flustered. How is he supposed to act around all these slightly different versions of you? They all remind him of you, but they're not quite you and he's so confused.

Since we all know he has feelings for you, being around so many people that look like you makes him nervous. He has to try even harder not to give himself away. Pretty much just constantly blushing.

Please stay by his side, MC. He doesn't want to lose track of ya. Not that he would ever mistake anyone else for you, but it's just hard for him to find you again if you go too far.

Mammon likes your family just fine, but being around them all is kiiiind of stressful. Doesn't remember anyone's name. Uses yours almost every time even though he knows he's not talking to you. It just comes out, he can't help it!

Leviathan

Oh! This is just like that one manga called Everyone In My Family is a Twin or Triplet So I Moved Far Away Where No One Would Recognize Me and Ended Up Falling in Love with a Demon Lord! That's almost your exact scenario, MC! You're living a real life manga storyline!

He's not too terrible at remembering who is who, but he's not really great at it, either. He certainly never gets you confused with anybody, but everybody else kind of blends together a bit.

If you've got any family members that have similar interests to him, Levi will get all their names correct every time. This helps him to keep everybody else straight, too.

He's fascinated by your family of look-a-likes, but he definitely thinks you're the best version. He might try to actually say that to you, too, but he's going to be blushing like crazy while he does.

Satan

He's never seen this many twins, triplets, and quadruplets before. He's going to ask a ton of questions. He wants to know how this is even possible. -Tell him you understand the science behind it, MC, because it's fascinating. If you don't know the specifics of how the genetics of such things work, he's going to read a bunch of books about it as soon as he gets home.

He gets everybody's name right. He never mixes anybody up or confuses anybody for anybody else. How he manages to do this is a mystery to everyone, even you. It likely has to do with his ability to retain details.

Since he's capable of keeping everybody straight, your family loves him. It's nice to finally have someone who doesn't get you all confused all the time. He's a little baffled because to him it's not a big deal.

Asmodeus

He has so many ideas. Please, he just has to have a fashion show or photo shoot with all your lovely family members! He's always wanted a crew of models that are just as lovely as you!

Another one who never gets anybody mixed up. Asmo is able to do this because he's a social butterfly and somehow connects everyone's appearance to their qualities and interests. He's just good at it, you know?

He wants to do everybody's hair and paint everybody's nails and any one of your family members who agree will find themselves looking fabulous in no time.

But don't worry. He will make sure to pay extra special attention to you. He's in love with your entire family, of course. How could he not be especially when they all look like you? But you'll always be his favorite, MC.

Beelzebub

Hey. You have a twin, too? Do you guys have twin telepathy like him and Belphie? He's going to have a lot of questions for your twin specifically because he knows what it's like to be one.

Of course, he doesn't look exactly like his twin and that part's a little confusing. Also, MC, do you realize that all of your family members look the same? What's going on with that?

You'll have to explain who is twins, triplets, or quadruplets with who. He'll try to keep them all straight, he really will. But his success rate is kinda low. Gets most of them mixed up with each other.

He never gets you or your twin mixed up with anyone else, though. He gets that, so it's easier for him to understand. Thinks of your twin as "MC's Belphie" forever after.

Belphegor

Okay. He obviously knows about the twin life, but this is kinda overdoing it, don't you think? He knows your family isn't like this on purpose (at least he doesn't think so), but wow. It's kinda chaotic.

Surprisingly good at keeping everybody straight. He doesn't try too hard and he still messes up, but he's better at it than some of the others.

He also wants to know if you have twin telepathy. What about the triplets and quadruplets? Do they have it, too? He imagines that having quadruplet telepathy would be pretty noisy.

In the end, he likes your family fine, but he prefers you. Content to just sit beside you while you interact with your many family members. Probably falls asleep on your shoulder as you do so. Sorry, MC, but your family kinda tires him out.

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me nightbringer #obey me headcanons #obey me fanfiction #obey me fanfic #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me brothers #request #misc writes

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strawberrymilk-sunshine · 1 year

Text

Happily ever after

What does Idia's hair feel like. Does it feel like fire? How does it not burn anything? I have many questions about Idia's hair, but none of them will ever be answered. How sad.

Not proofread sorry!!!!

Warning(s): yandere/stalker Idia, fem reader, stockholm syndrome, implied pregnancy (at the very end)

You met a guy online recently. He calls himself Gloomy Samurai, he's cool and all, but he can be very unintentionally creepy sometimes. But you assumed you were misunderstanding him. After all, it is hard to understand tone over the internet...

But you were wrong about him.

He knew a lot about you. A lot more than you thought he knew. He knew your address, your age, the colour of your hair and eyes, despite you not telling him any of that. Oh, but of course he never let you know he knew that... no, you'd think he was a creep! Your interest in him would drop to zero, he'd get the bad end!

That's why he can't let you know. He'll get your good end for sure. After all, dating is just like a game... and he is very good at games.

gloomy_samurai: where do you live btw gloomy_samurai: nothing specific obviously gloomy_samurai: just like a general area

(Y/N): That sounds like something a ☆stalker☆ would ask

gloomy_samurai: ah seven gloomy_samurai: you're right gloomy_samurai: r.i.p. me i guess gloomy_samurai: i'm not stalking you

(Y/N): Ye I know (Y/N): Just messing with u (Y/N): As for where I live (Y/N): Queendom of Roses

gloomy_samurai: really?! gloomy_samurai: no way!! i'm on a vacation there rn!

(Y/N): Woah really? (Y/N): What a coincidence

gloomy_samurai: yeah lol gloomy_samurai: i doubt we're anywhere near each other tho gloomy_samurai: but it'd be cool if we were gloomy_samurai: it'd be nice to meet you in person

(Y/N): Well, maybe we can! (Y/N): Where abouts are you at?

Idia couldn't believe what he was reading. You, wanted to meet up with him! In real life! Sure, he's seen pictures of you on your social medias, it's a completely different experience to see you irl!!

Sure, it means he'll have to, you know, go outside, but whatever! We all make sacrifices for love!

He continued making his plans with you, knowing that soon you two would take your relationship to the next level.

You walked into the coffee shop, hoping to get yourself a breakfast wrap and a doughnut.

You sat down at one of the booth seats, with your newly aquired and much-needed breakfast. It was a nice day. Your wrap tasted good. It was raining outside, but not enough to ruin everything.

But then, someone sat down across from you. He had two cups of coffee, he was wearing a hoodie, his eyes were yellow, and his lips a vibrant blue.

"Hi, (Y/N)~!" He said.

"Do I... know you...?" You asked him.

"Heehee! Of course you do, (Y/N)! But I guess I've never shown you myself... whoops." He shrugged. "Ba bababa baaaa~! It's Gloomy Samurai!" He imitated some kind of video game reveal sound.

"Wait, really?!" You asked. "Wow, you're... different than I expected. N-not a bad different, obviously!"

"It's fine, it's fine, but uh... p-people are... staring at us..." He said, nervously looking around. "Oh seven, I-I shouldn't've done that stupid reveal sound...! Why did I think a bunch of normies wouldn't think that was weird? Dammit!"

"Just act natural, things'll be fine." You assured him.

"A-a-alright, i-if you insist..."

"So what's your name?" You aksed.

"Huh-?"

"I mean, I only know your username, and that's a bit strange to say out in public... y'know, just casually referring to you as Gloomy Samurai might raise some eyebrows." You mentioned. "People might think that's a bit... weird."

"Oh, yeah, I guess... uh, my name's... I-Idia." He said, looking away from you. "And I already know your name, since you use it as your username, which you should change by the way. Anyone could find out who you are with that. Rookie mistake."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to change it..."

"So you live here, huh? Maybe you could, uh... s-show me around, or something?" Idia blushed. His hair was mostly hidden in the hoodie he was wearing, but the bits you could see, you noticed the tips turn pink.

"Oh, sure! That sounds fun! A nice walk in the rain together while I show you around my hometown..."

He didn't need you to do that. He's been keeping track of you for a while. He knows everything about your hometown. But of course... he has to pretend that isn't true.

He's always thought your name was so cute. It would go so well with his last name... (Y/N) Shroud... how fitting! How adorable! He's thought of that more than a few times... the two of you getting married, having two children, having a cute little kitten, living a perfect happily ever after... yes, he's thought about it so much.

You had no idea he thought that, however. Idia was good at hiding it.

You had no idea that when Idia's 'vacation' was over, you would be returning home with him.

Idia was delighted. His life turned out exactly as he'd predicted!

The two of you have a five-year-old daughter, and a baby on the way. You also have an adorable little kitten!

Idia entered your room, closing the door behind him.

"I, uh... I-I got you dinner, darling...!"

You were chained to the bed, tears stained your face.

But the strange thing is...

Every passing day, you feel like you're beginning to actually fall in love with Idia.

#idia shroud #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere twst #yandere twisted wonderland x reader #yandere twst x reader #yandere idia shroud #yandere idia shroud x reader #yandere idia x reader #yandere idia

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tokio-motel · 9 months

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Can you do a fanfic of tom x male reader were reader is the older brother of Britney Spears but tom or the band doesn't know that and they go to an awards show (whatever there called) and Britney keeps hugging and clinging on to us and tom gets extremely jealous because he thinks there dateing so he glares at reader and ignores them wean ever we try to talk or get close to him. And Britney comes to visit reader as a surprise for ur birthday but can find us and goes to tom and ask "have you seen my brother?" I'll give you my left kidney if you write this

TOM KAULITZ X BROTHER OF BRITNEY SPEARS

this was definitely hard to write but I really liked the plot-sorry if my writing isn't good I'm better at bullet pointing lol

"How much longer 'til we are there?"

Georg asked Tom, lazily slung on one of the couches in the tour bus. Tom took a few seconds before responding.

"Uhh I dunno...ask Bill."

Georg rolled his eyes, muttering a small "Asshole.." under his breath before turning to Bill and asking the question. Tom didn't respond to Georg calling him names though, as his mind was already preoccupied. They were going to an awards show (bb idk what it's called either LMFAO) and Tom didn't know how to react. I mean sure, he was excited and hopeful but also scared shitless. I mean, BIG stars were going to be here and he hated to admit it, but would feel small near these stars.

His leg shook up and down as he played with his lip ring, moving it in small circles as he got slightly worked up about the thought of having to go to this whole show thing.

"Tom..? You alright?" He heard Bill's voice ask faintly, but his heart rate increased as he thought about how many people will be there. What if he somehow embarrasses himself there? What if something happens to the band? What if he gets lost? What if he..

"TOM." A punch on his shoulder almost made him jump, his head whipping up so quickly he almost got whiplash. He winced at the pain in his shoulder before apologizing to his brother.

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'm cool." He replied nonchalantly, although he was everything from it. When Bill raised a pierced eyebrow he continued. "Seriously, Bill. I'm fine." he gulped lowly, his palms becoming sweaty. "You're not scared about the show, right?" Georg asked from the couch, propping himself up on his shoulders. Before Tom could answer, Bill patted him firmly on the back "You got nothin' to worry about, silly. Everything is gonna be okay, yeah?" Somehow, his tone of voice brought Tom back to reality as he let out a sigh, smiling softly at the two band members. "Mhm. I know."

Before Bill could say something else, the bus came to a screeching halt, making Tom grimace due to the loud noise. "Alright, let's get moving, hm?" Jost said, opening up the door. Gustav came groggily out of the bathroom, having just woken up not even 20 minutes ago. "God man, I just got up.."

Bil giggled lightly, following Jost out the door "C'mon, 'lesgo!"

(AT THE AWARD THINGY MA-JIG 😋)

Tom shuffled, standing next to Gustav and Bill, Georg on the right of Gustav. His eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find a hot girl. Hey, if he has to stay here in this place full of people there has to be at least one hot chick, right? But his eyes scanned over somebody so beautiful, he had to do a double take. A gorgeous man with beautiful hair stood tall and confident, chatting with a blonde on his side. Tom's attention wasn't on her though, no, but on the boy.

The boy was.. exactly his type? I mean, he had been questioning if he was into men or not but always pushed it to the side, afraid of accepting himself. But looking at this boy made his stomach curl into knots and made his face slightly hotter than it was before.

Tom's fascination was cut short though, As he got to see the girls face more Cleary and saw it was none other than Britney. Britney Spears. His heart rate increased for the second time of the day as he noticed this. Britney was a fabulous, gorgeous girl. No wonder she was talking to this dude. He nipped his lip ring anxiously as he watched, to his horror, as she hugged the boy tightly and laid her head on his shoulder, laughing as he whispered something to her.

"Tom! Tom, are you even listening?!"

A pinch on his arm made him whimper in pain as he turned to Gustav, the blonde raising his eyebrows at him. "Huh? Sorry man... was'up?" Tom mumbled, his usual cherry and cocky self turned into a quiet, almost miserable boy as he replayed the memory of Britney wrapping her hands around the boy he had just seen. How has a stranger he never talked to made him feel this way?

"I was asking if you wanted to scout out some girls with Georg and me, yeah?" He asked, Georg smirking at Tom as he pointed in the direction of some pretty girls. "Seriously, the girls here are BEAUTIFUL, man!" Georg chortled, looking at Tom expecting a yes.

"Erm..No thanks. Not tonight.." Bill looked at Tom out of the corner of his eye. "... I'll go with you guys." Bill said quietly, smiling at the G's. They were surprised by both of the twin's answers, but nodded to Bill while smiling "Alright, let's go! Hey Tom, we are gonna be over there, kay?" A voice said, Tom not being able to make out who it was. All he could do was nod as he looked over at the boy again, Britney holding his hand and ruffling his hair. Tom felt pangs of jealously coursing through him, wishing that he could take the blonde's place. He watched how the boy smiled whenever Britney said something, or how he would laugh when Britney said something funny.

Tom's never felt like this before. He wanted to make this boy from heaven laugh, smile, and touch Tom's dreads. Although they were a good 50 feet apart, he could feel himself freeze as his blood went cold when the boy locked eyes with him. He could make out a faint smile and watched as the boys hand went to wave at him. He felt frozen in place as the boy walked over to him, still keeping that warm smile on his face. Tom felt the air leave his lungs as he properly saw how damn gorgeous he was. "Hey.. Your uh, Tom right? The guitarist from Tokio Hotel!" the boy spoke with a voice full of confidence. His voice was so beautiful Tom swore he could've heard angels singing in the background.

Tom let jealously get the best of him, as he found himself slightly glaring at the boy. He nodded slowly, muttering out a soft "Yes." although his nervousness made it seem more like a question. Even with his tone, the boy kept that dammed beautiful smile on. "Ah. My names M/N. It's nice to meet you!" Tom's eyes flickered back and forth between the boys two beautiful (colored) ones, feeling himself get more nervous and barley being able to keep upright. If he stayed here he knew he would die of nervousness.

"Oh.Erm.. I have to get back to my band." he grumbled out, trying to make himself seem confident but failing to do so. Tom's heart twisted as he saw the beautiful mans smile falter for a moment, before speaking in a slightly smaller voice. "Oh.. I'm sorry for keeping you up. See you around then, Tom." Tom hummed, almost falling on his heels as he darted to the band. As soon as he got there, a pretty brunette came up to him. "Hey.. I'm Abbi." *she said, smirking at him. He cleared his throat, not wanting his reputation to get ruined. "Oh? Is that so?" He held back a grimace as she threw herself on him, leaving light kisses on his jaw and neck.

His eyes stayed on one person though, and that was the boy. He felt really bad about just leaving him, but he really didn't know what else to do. He wanted to push this girl off him, go to the boy, and talk again. These thoughts left as quickly as they appeared as he saw the boy talk to Britney again, rubbing his arm. His stomach twisted as he detached his eyes from him quickly, trying to focus on the girl. But for some reason, it wasn't feeling good. It felt like a ghost lingered on his skin as she kissed him, feeling nothing but emptiness.

The girl picked her head up as someone called her name, another girl. She smiled, apologizing as she nipped Tom's neck one last time before going over to her friend. Tom groaned in relief but couldn't help but glance again at Britney and the mystery guy. What a mistake. She clung to his waist, head rested on his chest. He wanted to throw up as his chest curled and he felt jealously surge throughout his veins. Yes, this was going to be a longggg night.

Thirty minutes later, Tom found himself around a bar, his bandmates close to him. Georg burped rather loudly as he finished another bottle. " Alright Geo, that's your last." Bill scolded, taking away the empty bottle. "What do you mean? We are at a show!" Georg hissed, eyeing another bottle of beer. Gustav chuckled, patting Georg on the back "Georg, you're not even 21 yet. Relax, man." Georg grumbled as he laid back in his seat. "Tomi, go put this away for me, please?" Bill asked, smiling at his older brother. Tom rolled his eyes but took it. Stupid bar, why can't the employees go take the shit?

As he was going to put it back, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that dammed boy again. As he put the bottle on the counter, the man came beside him, smiling once more. He opened his mouth before Tom cleared his throat and walked away, leaving the boy confused and sad.

(when they announce Tokio Hotel wins cuz I'm not writing all that)

Tom felt like he had frozen, but was cut back to reality as everybody around them screamed and applauded. Bill brought Tom into a tight hug which Tom gave back, hugging his little brother like it was his last day on earth. Tom felt as if he was on cloud nine.

They went up to the stage, Bill being the singer holding the award. He gave s beautiful speech as he thanked everybody for the opportunity to receive this. Everybody applauded once again as all the band members hugged, feeling proud of themselves.

(like 20 minutes later idfk LOL)

Tom felt happy with himself as he leaned up against the wall talking to the band, two girls plastered near the G's. He had completely forgotten about the boy and was happy that way. They all laughed, having great conversation. Georg and Gustav were slightly drunk...okay maybe very drunk but that made it feel even better to be there and hang out with them. Bill only had one drink so although feeling fuzzy he was still fine. Tom felt that way too, as long as Bill was okay he was okay. He believed that for 18 years. 18 years he spent thinking that twin emotions were shared. That was shattered as he saw Britney approach him, looking all around her as she called out someone's name, the band and music being too loud for Tom to hear. When she came closer he felt his heart drop, eyes squinting at her slightly as he still felt mad and jealous about the boy. God dammit, now he was thinking of the boy again!

The rest of the band fixed their posture, looking at her with admiration and a little bit of something else. She was drop dead gorgeous, so Tom understood wh they looked at her dumbfounded. He glared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Hello! I just wanted to say congrats on winning the ____ Award! You guys deserved it!" She smiled happily, making the G's flustered. Before anybody else could say anything, She turned back to Tom, his eyes filled with jealously. "I was just wondering if you knew where my brother, M/N, was.. It's his birthday and I wanted to do something for him." Tom felt himself freeze as his eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. "M-M/N...?" He asked weakly, not being able to process what he just heard. She smiled softly at him, nodding "Yeah! The boy you talked to earlier. The one with (colored) hair?"

I MIGHTMAKE A PART TWO LATER IT'S MIDNIGHT AND I'M TIRED AF LMAO

#tokio hotel x reader #tokio hotel x male reader #tokio hotel x you #tom kaulitz x male reader #tom kaulitz x you #tom kaulitz x y/n #tom kaulitz x reader #tom kaulitz #male reader #x male reader #x male y/n

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endlessnightlock · 2 months

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I scare easily lol, but how about Hitchhiker from the horror prompts?

Thanks for the prompt, Anon! I know horror isn't the most popular genre in the Everlark fan community, lol, so I kept it pretty mild.

A-Z Horror prompts

(if you like weird stuff, send me a prompt from the list, fam. This is the only one I got so I'm open to more!)

The guy in the interview room says he's Peeta Mellark. He's not carrying identification, and his prints aren't in the state or federal system, so he could be anybody. I don't know if he has a reason to lie. He's young. Looks like shit. My first thought was junkie, but his eyes are clear.

The kid can't keep his leg still. I say leg, singular because he only has the one. I know that detail because my report states that when Peeta Mellark was brought in, the upper right-hand portion of his blood-soaked jeans was torn away, revealing a prosthetic leg attached well above his knee. Now he's in county-issued scrubs. We were out of sweats and T-shirts. He's not under arrest. He has no wounds, no scratches or caked skin under his nails, only the beginnings of a large bruise on the side of his face. And a story that can’t be true. Can it?

"Your leg a recent injury?" I ask, leaning back in my chair.

The kid shakes his head, never breaking stride with the leg. None of that blood on him was his. I know that. I'm just trying to get him talking.

"Childhood cancer. I lost my leg maybe twelve years ago. Good thing, too. If I'd just got the new one attached, I wouldn't have got away tonight. Took a while to get used to it," he explains, patting his left leg. "Wasn't the fastest runner to begin with. My ma says I stomp around like a bear."

He's rambling, but it's understandable if there's an inch of truth to his story. "Lucky guy. Well, Peeta, let's get directly to the point. I looked over the statement you gave Officer Leeg and watched the interview. I have some concerns."

Peeta meets my eye. Despite the jackshit he told Leeg, I'd swear he's not on anything. "I know it sounds crazy---"

"Yeah, it does."

"You should've been there," he said. "Do I have to tell you everything again? I'm, ah, I'm about to pass out or something. Haven't slept much the last few days."

"No, that's alright. Just answer a few questions if you wouldn't mind."

"Do I need a lawyer?" He asks, leg finally stopping.

"It's never a bad idea. But we're not figuring you as the perpetrator at this point. I can call you a public defendant if you want."

"Nah."

"So you told Officer Leeg that at approximately seven p.m., you were out on Highway 12, looking to hitch a ride. Never a good idea, you know that, right?" I add for good measure. "All kinds of things are liable to happen, as you well know."

Peeta shrugs. "I don't have a car. Still have places I need to get to."

"Ever heard of Uber?"

"Got to have money for that or at least plastic. I'm a little short at the moment."

"Seems like your ass just dropped in from Jupiter or something."

He laughs. Starting to loosen up. "No, I'm not claiming an alien abducted me."

"No. No mention of that. Let's go over what happened again, alright? I'll read over things and just ask questions where I feel it's warranted. So you're on Highway 12 with your thumb out when a Chevy truck, mid 80's model, you think?"

Peeta nods. "Tan and white. Decent shape. Some rust."

"And inside the truck's cab were three young men about your age. They had dark hair and an olive complexion, you said."

He squints at me. "Yes, they had a similar look to yours. Do you have many relations around here?"

"A Lot of us look alike in Seamtown. There was probably lots of inbreeding in the old days."

Peeta laughs, and I wink at him.

"Kidding. We're backwoods, but all of our DNA strands don't match. So back to your statement---these fellas offer to give you a ride."

For someone who said he was too tired to relay the whole story again, Peeta dives in head first. "Yep. There was no room in the cab, but the bed was empty. Was riding with them maybe half an hour before things started getting weird. It was really dark before Gale, the driver, flipped the headlights on. Seconds before before he slammed on the brakes. I about jumped out of my skin when something bounced off the front of the truck. I figured it was a deer. Lots of deer on the move around here at night. He didn't give me time to look around, just started arguing with the other two fellas---his brothers I think---before pushing the pedal to the floor. Seemed in a big hurry to get away. Anyway, he cut the headlights off, so I didn't get a look at what he hit with the truck, but whatever it was didn't look like a deer."

Now we're getting to the first interesting part of Peeta Mellark's statement to my officer: the part where it sounds like Gale Hawthorne (it's a small place, Seamtown) and his younger brothers involved themselves in a hit-and-run on Highway 12.

"So we've gone about five or so miles down the road, I guess, when Gale swerves to the side of the road and comes to a stop. 'This is as far as I can take you,' he said. He sounded frantic. 'Hop out.'"

"He never got out of the truck. It's black as pitch by now, and I'm not excited about being left alone on the side of the road, but after what happened earlier, it doesn't take much convincing to get me out of the truck bed. Something feels off, and I'd rather part company with them before anything else goes wrong. If something bad happened, they might be looking to get rid of a witness, I figured."

"So I hop out of the back of the truck and tell Gale thanks. He mutters something, then guns it out onto the road, and soon, the only thing I can make out is his taillights. I was still figuring out what I was going to do next when I heard it. Breaks squealing and tires screaming across the pavement, trying to stop fast. Then, that crashing sound, twisting, popping, tearing metal that makes you sick to your stomach."

I know exactly what he's describing. Been witness to too many accidents to get those sounds out of my head.

"Gale, he'd hit something else, and whatever it was, it was way bigger than a deer. I take off in a dead sprint towards the truck—at least as fast as I can run, thanks to my bionic leg. They're a good two or three miles down the road, but I'm fairly close when, all of a sudden, I'm not running on the road anymore—I'm off the ground. Feet dangling ten fuckin' feet above the pavement."

"I can't remember a whole lot after that, just the explosion when the truck's fuel tank blew. Whatever had me, some kind of huge bird, maybe some guy in a glider or something? dropped me onto the road, maybe 50 yards past the truck. That's when my pants got ripped. I don't know where all that blood came from. I'm sorry. I don't remember everything that happened tonight. Might have hit my head when that thing dropped me."

Peeta's brows knit together as his relay of the events comes to an end. "Chief Abernathy, can I ask you something? That officer I talked to earlier, Leeg? She wouldn't tell me what Gale hit with his truck when I was with them. I don't...I don't think it was a deer. It's driving me crazy. He drove off so fast, I can't help wondering if he hit someone with the truck."

I fold my arms on the tabletop and sigh. No reason to lie. the kid figured it out on his own. "Between me and you, we found a young woman in the location you described to us."

The color drains from his face. "Was she okay?" he asked.

There's a note of hope in his voice I hated to dash. "Nah, kid. She's dead."

His eyes glaze over, and he slumps backward as the reality hits him. "Hers is a sad story," I admit. "Second, hell, make that the third tragedy to happen in that family. The girl's parents died in a house fire. The oldest daughter was asleep in bed at the time. Fire didn't kill her but left burns across her whole body. Lost her mind. The county sent her somewhere for mental treatment---girl claimed she was some sort of mythological bird. Like a phoenix, but that's not what she called it. Happened a dozen or so odd years ago."

"A Mockingjay," Peeta said, turning to face the two-way mirror in the room. "I read something about her somewhere," he added casually.

I snap my fingers. "Yeah, that was it. Mockingjay. The girl disappeared from the facility one day. Katniss Everdeen. The young lady who died tonight was her sister Prim. You wonder how much a person can take without breaking all that death and pain. I don't know what Katniss would do if she found out about her sister's death on top of everything else."

"Maybe she already knows," Peeta says, his leg beginning to shake again. "Uh, confession time, I guess."

He waves his hands. "Not about anything tonight. I was at the facility with her, with Katniss. We kind of had a thing, I don't know. I left right after she disappeared. I didn't go home. I guess I've sort of been wandering around the area, looking for her since."

"Really. Odd that you weren't in our system, then."

Peeta rolled his eyes. "It was a physical rehab place, not drug detox. We weren't criminals. What happened to Gale and his brothers?"

I shake my head. "Gale's in the morgue. One brother with him. One in intensive care."

"Shit," he murmurs, rubbing his eyes. "Christ. Hey, am I free to go?"

I stand. "Free as the wind. Just let us know before you head out of town. Do you have somewhere to go tonight, kid?"

Peeta nods. "Yeah, I think so."

When he stands I pat him on the shoulder. "Thanks again. I'll see if we have something else you can wear."

Within a half hour or so, we had Peeta on his way. I don't know where he planned to go, but I never saw him again after that. It was almost like he'd been plucked off the ground by whatever that thing was and put somewhere safe.

#endlessnightlock writes #this got a little weird but it's not gory #non-specific injuries #everlark fanfiction #modern a/u #horror a/u

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minniiaa · 22 days

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Hehehe, I was hoping you'd like that idea though I don't think I ever saw your puppy Law post, I'll look for it at some point lol

As for the reason behind Law's sudden shift in affection… I didn't think about it until now. I woke up with a mission and nothing more! But now that you mention it, I have formulated a few of my own theories and also have chosen to take one of yours and run, sprint even.

I really like the idea of Law, who's been surrounded by death since he was barely double digits, suddenly gets hit with the weight of mortality. He never got the time for a grieving process, his parents and little sister died while he was trying to survive exactly what killed them and I doubt a 10 year old of any academic achievements could process that by himself. Cora died as soon as he was given a chance, a reason to hope again, Law was beaten and scorned at 13, he was tired but he couldn't bring himself to disrespect Corazone's last wish by allowing himself to die. He lived for years not for himself but for a man who risked it all for him, for parents who never got to see their son become a doctor, for a sick little sister who waited in a closet for her big brother, Law grew up living for anyone but himself because if he did he would find no reason behind it. So while he sits in a secluded corner of the hospital after that day's butcher's bill surpassed yesterday's, his mind slows down to try remembering some of those faces and names he couldn't save but for some ungodly reason all that comes to mind is Lami, Cora, his parents and suddenly the familiarity of death is no longer *just death*. Now it's a crooked smile that would need braces in a few years, grey hair, and that welcomed, looming figure behind him no longer being so tall, but none of that happened and Law, for the first time in 18 years, realizes he was robbed. Maybe it's a bit silly for a doctor to feel the weight of mortality at 28 years old, it's a feeling he needed though, that feeling sending him into an upward spiral quicker than he ever thought possible.

My own first thought, however, involved a play on the interaction between Law and Sengoku at the end of Dressrosa. Law's a surgeon known for having direct correlation with one of the most cruel crime families in the country, and while he has earned the legal trust of the police, one too many of them remember Law when he was that dickhead teen, so Sengoku tries saving as much face he can with his fellow officers by catching Law alone and briefly (Sengoku is holding back a lot) tries to bestow some grandpa wisdom onto him because his boy died for the one in front of him now. Sengoku wishes he could invite Law to his empty home for rice crackers and tea, or maybe coffee, Cora preferred coffee too. Law wants to know the man who raised the one who saved his life. Did Cora get his smile from Sengoku? They could both talk each other's ears off about one man but only Law gets answer before parting ways because above all else, Sengoku wanted Law to know that his son, his Rosinante, did not save him to fulfill a mission or some savior complex, he saved Law because he saw the life in a dying boy's eyes.

Second thought features, get this, living Cora!! I actually don't care much for angst, I want angst the way I want a bandaid on my arm. I know ripping it off is more beneficial but has anyone ever considered that I'm a little bitch? I digress though. Cora is fucking estatic when Law, very begrudgingly, admitted to be seeing someone. Sure Law has been in relationships before, however Law never let him know about said relationships until well AFTER they broke up, so to hear Law talk about his current partner at all automatically has him rooting in this mystery person's corner. The long awaited question finally can be asked, “When can I meet him?”. First of all, how did he know Luffy's a guy, Law hadn't said his name yet, second, never ever in the history of ever. He can't give up though, and Cora pushes Law to introduce him, saying he'll even wait a few months into the relationship so they don't feel rushed. Luffy and Law had been dating for AT LEAST a year at that point. Cora chooses to ignore that in the moment when Law breaks that news to him. Law is, honestly, a little flabbergasted by Cora’s investment in his love life, probably tries joking about showing Cora how to use tinder before it boils down and Law has to genuinely ask Cora why he's being so “weird” about Law's romantic life. Cora… Cora kinda just deadpan stares at Law out of complete shock at the realization that Law is being serious. With a tone akinned to one you would use when explaining to a child why Fido had to go to “the farm”, Cora absolutely dumps everything Law has done that's made him worry since learning of Law's romantic life. He recognized some of the names of Law's past partners, and he recognized them for a reason. It wouldn't have taken much from Cora to make Law realize just how stupid his question is, but Cora also wants Law to know just how special this person is for them to be having this conversation now. Law has always known how special Luffy is in comparison to his past relationships, but he's never had the right words to describe such facts, thanks to Cora of course.

Overall, the idea is that someone/something happens to make Law actually process his life/mindset which in turn makes him see clearly just how much Luffy has always meant to him. I dunno if I properly expressed just how little introspection Law has had to have done for him to break at 28 but my hands hurt from typing so I pass the baton to you in this relay race.

-💫💀💫

Yes, amazing anon! This is my personal favorite of the three (probably due to the expansion of my previous idea). I love your description of Law's relationship with mortality through the deaths of his parents, Cora, and Lami. How he doesn't realize until he's so much older and instead of making him feel downtrodden and even more sad, he almost feels relieved knowing that death is no longer looming behind him. Perhaps he's realizing his own mortality and knowledge that his life can be taken from him just as quickly as theirs. Now that this has finally clicked in his head (he knows it should have years ago he's a surgeon for fucks sake he watches people die everyday) he wants to live his life and love Luffy the way they both deserve to be loved because it could be over tomorrow.

This conversation with Sengoku is something I always wanted to incorporate into one of my stories and will probably do one day when I find the right one. I wish we knew more about Cora and Sengoku's relationship, they are both such fascinating characters and perhaps Law is understanding that Sengoku helped Cora grow some of his more admirable traits, like his desire to do the right thing and his ability to love so deeply. I firmly beleive Sengoku is a good man he just is not on the side of the story that we root for in One Piece and thus we see him as a villain but that's a topic for another day. But yes, the revelation of Cora saving him simply because he wanted to see Law live and be happy is something that can allow Law to truly move on. He's always been worried about making Cora proud and doing something with his life that is of value but maybe he realizes now that all Cora wanted for him was to be happy. Now he has someone in his life who makes him happier than anything in the world and it's high time he makes sure Luffy knows it.

Living Cora is the best and I used a conversation with him in one of my fics to help Law overcome his fears and tell Luffy he loves him so I am on board with this idea fully. Cora's totally invested in Law's love life, he wants him to be happy and knows that his little guy needs more love than even he can give him. He's been quietly watching from the sideline as Law dates and doesn't even tell him. He sees Law was in clearly unfulfilling relationships and he kept his mouth shut because he knows Law needs to experience life and that some people can't find their prince unless they kiss some frogs. However, now he sees the small changes in Law since he's been in this new relationship. He's less angry, he smiles more, he just overall seems more relaxed than Cora's ever seen him even if he is still the same uptight cranky Law. So he wants to meet Luffy not just to get to know him, but to thank him for finally being the person who can make his adopted son happy. As Cora explains how different Law is from Luffy and how he can just see how much he cares for him, Law sees it too. With a little encouragement from Cora about letting himself bask in the glow of this beautiful love he gets to experience and allow it to overtake him, Law finds himself seeing his point. There's no use in trying to hold back anymore, Luffy is already his and he knows more than anything Luffy just wants Law to give him every piece of him in return. So he does. Shout out to Cora for making Law's blockhead ass stop being so stubborn.

I think Law definitely needs SOME intervening person/event he's just a man so set in his ways whose mindset rarely gets changed. He cares about Luffy more than anything but he's never allowed himself to just let go and embrace what it really means to love and be loved. Once he does, there's no going back. :)

#one piece #law #trafalgar law #luffy #lawlu #monkey d luffy #lulaw #lawlu headcanon #lawluffy

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crimetimesteadicam · 3 months

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ok @morporkian-cryptid tagged me to do this fic author interview so here we go...

if you would like to do this, i am officially tagging you, yes you, right now. tag me back so i can see your answers

1 How many works do you have on AO3?

i got 40

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,044,749

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

sorry like none of these are lupin iii. a blight on my lupin iii blog

Wabisabi (991 kudos) - Spirited Away. idk it's short and cute, read it

BONES OF BLACK MARROW (952 kudos) - Homestuck. the infamous cyoa cannibalism sex fic. scrolling through the things people say about it in the bookmarks is always so funny

Cum mortuis in lingua mortua (925 kudos) - Homestuck. no clue why it has so many kudos lol it was like the first long thing i've ever wrote (a whole decade ago??? jesus). it's a d&d/discworld joke

Vanitas vanitatum (914 kudos) - Homestuck. the same d&d/discworld joke except the LI is turbo depressed. notable for being the only fic i ever outlined and edited and that's why it whips

Supermassive Retinol Overdose! (677 kudos) - hey look, a lupin fic made it on here!

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i do when i have something meaningful to say besides "thank you!" i don't have a lot of thoughts about my own work so therefore i tend to not respond if there's not a direct question :( my head is empty. i always respond to every single comment on the last chapter of longfics though because i'm always impressed people read that far lol. genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading all that

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

idk uhhhh i wrote a series once where two of the main couples break up at the end, but it wasn't really angsty

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

they all end pretty happily

7. Do you write crossovers?

if i did it was so long ago i don't remember it

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

no but people used to send passive aggressive hate about my art in fics once in a while. hasn't happened in like 2+ years

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes. every kind. EVERY KIND

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

a bot will sometimes scrape my high kudos homestuck fics and plant them on a junk ebook site

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yeah i think like 7 of them got translated into russian and do numbers on ficbook.net

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

in the past me and my friend would sit around a laptop and scream laugh write our way through crack fics

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

right now it's jiglup and fujilup

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

i finish almost all my WIPs because i'm a freak. if i don't finish a WIP it's because some dramatic life event happened. this has only occurred two times

15. What are your writing strengths?

im a funny binch

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

i don't outline or edit or re-read any of my fanfic. i just type it and then eyeball it for typos and then post it. i COULD outline and such to really make the narrative nice and tight, but i don't find it very fun to do (for fanfic) and this is like, my relaxing wind down hobby. i just wanna have fun haha. the only reason my fics like, make sense, is because i write at least one ending scene first thing and always aim for that, and also i write out of order so i kinda know the route of the story

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

it's fine if it makes sense to do it there as a narrative device

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

h-hetalia crack fic.....

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

once i figure out how to draw zenigata it's over for you bitches. luzeni hours on da clock

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

for lupin iii fic, i like Lightkeepers the best

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star-touch-child · 1 month

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I have a theory (or three) on the Secret to the Star Arcanum

So first off, I am an utter SLUT for Startouch lore. Obviously, look at the handle. But like, I'm currently in the works of a fic for a Startouch-descended character and even creating constellations and stories for them in the TDP world. Like, I'm down bad for them as I am for Rayllum (and trust that I'm down BAD).

The thought for the star arcanum's secret was, of course, a shower thought that I think really works:

Eternity is ever-changing, and that change is the only constant in this or any world.

I think about how the stars move constantly throughout the year and how the Startouch elves are essentially immortal gods looking down on mortals from the starry night sky. I think about how our favorite characters grow and change throughout the duration of TDP as a whole and how the world of TDP changes from the beginning of Book One to the end of Book Five thus far.

Everyone and everything is constantly changing and shifting, no matter how bad we wish it wouldn't or wish to go back to how life was before. Sure, you could say this kinda ties more with the ocean arcanum with how there are depths you just don't know and things you can't control - something that comes as a byproduct of constant change - but when you think about how the stars move throughout the year as the world turns round and the immortality of the Startouch elves that are still very much a mystery to us - and I feel especially with the show progressing, seeing our favorite characters grow and change along with the world they live in - it makes a lot of sense that that could be the secret to the stars - as well as a nice poetic way to wrap up the show or something.

Edit: However, upon actually looking at the wiki (because I tend to get ahead of myself lol) and further reflection, it could very well be tied into the recurring theme of destiny.

I look at what the stars are associated with according to the fandomwiki: vision, truth, intelligence, otherworldly, reality-altering, timelessness, mystery, destiny, and wishes. And I think about the constant recurring theme in Callum's arc about destiny

So perhaps the star arcanum can answer the question on destiny? Just a thought.

ALTHOUGH, I am also entertaining one final, possible secret: that there is none. It simply just is.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, I know, but the wiki also states that many have tried and agonized over the secret of the stars and could not find the words to truly describe it. And when you look once more at the associations to the stars - vision, truth, intelligence, otherworldly, reality-altering, timelessness, mystery, destiny, and wishes - it wouldn't be totally crazy for the secret the all-knowing First Elves were born with knowing is that there simply isn't a secret. That all that exists simply exists in the time and space in which it exists.

And I'm kinda leaning towards this theory now that I read it out loud.

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teaberrii · 9 months

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Chapter 12: A Date with the Doppelgänger

You've been Cupid for as long as you can remember. You've brought countless soulmates together, yet you've never found love.

When you're assigned to bring two childhood friends back together, it should be simple until you unexpectedly catch feelings for the mysterious and cold Ph.D. student, Dan Heng, the man with a soulmate… the man with answers to your past.

Dan Heng/You

Chapter warnings: Please be advised that there's a very brief scene on nonconsensual sexual touching and mentions of minors doing drugs. It's not as scary as it sounds, I promise lol

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Young had always been fascinated with magic. But it wasn't just his interest that motivated him to learn more; he also had an ulterior motive: to impress the human girl he'd grown to love. You'd saved him that day, and despite being from two different worlds, he still remembered the words you said to him not long after he returned the favour by hiding you from those guards who had been looking for you.

“So what if we’re different?” you had asked. “I saved you. You saved me. We’re equal.”

He’d been told by many of his kind that humans and creatures like them were not equals. Humans considered themselves superior, and anyone different would be treated as inferior. Young had never met a human until you, but you defied the stereotypes in your words and actions.

“How do you know it’s poisonous?” Young, a teenager, was looking at an oddly coloured mushroom on the forest floor.

You whipped out a knife and cut it from the rest. Young stared in horror. Didn’t you just say that it was poisonous? As if reading his mind, you smiled. “It’s not going to kill you if you touch it.”

You held it to the light and gestured for him to come closer. Young moved closer to you, but before looking at the mushroom, he glanced at you. He’d seen other human girls but none had ever caught his attention. Not in the way you had. They were pretty, but not as pretty as you.

“Do you see how the spots change colour?” you asked, leaning closer to him.

Young’s heart unexpectedly raced. “Yeah."

“This means it’s not dangerous to the skin.”

When you moved away, Young exhaled softly, and he can finally think rationally again. “How do you know so much about—”

“Strangely coloured mushrooms?”

Young chuckled. “Well, just plants in general.”

It was recently that you started teaching Young all about poisonous plants during your secret rendezvous. Sometimes, you jokingly quizzed him to make sure he was listening. When he would respond with more details than normal, you started increasing the difficulty. Yet, he always got your questions right, which surprised but impressed you.

“Because there’s really nothing else to do around here,” you said. You jabbed a finger at his chest. “You’re lucky you’re a guy, you know that? You get to do all these cool things and get to go on fun adventures. All women are allowed to do are menial tasks. It’s boring and”—you made a slightly disgusted face—“not my style.”

“So, you study?”

“Yes. My brother is also a doctor. I also learn from him sometimes.”

“Well, since you taught me so much, I should return the favour.”

You gasped. “Are you finally going to let me touch your tail?”

“No.”

You pouted, and Young almost smiled. “I’ll teach you a thing or two about magic.”

As the years went by, Young’s interest and knowledge in magic grew, but researchers and scholars had warned everyone about black magic, magic that involved curses, death, and even the afterlife. It was a form of forbidden magic that was like a double-edged sword. He had told you about it and warned you about its dangers.

The last person he thought he would come across experimenting with black magic was his mother.

“Mother?”

An older woman spun around at the sound of her son’s voice. Unable to stand the stench of blood in the blood, Young had his hanfu sleeve covering half of his face.

“What are you doing here?” She walked up to him as if to prevent him from seeing whatever she was… brewing. He didn't answer her but tried to look past her, so his mother quickly said, “Why don’t you go see your father?”

But Young wasn’t having it. “What are you doing?” He crossed his arms. “Does Father know that you’re messing with black magic?”

“This isn’t your concern, Young.”

Young was baffled that his mother would say such a thing. Of course, it was his concern. She was his mother. Why would he want her messing with black magic? Why was she in the first place?

“I promise I’ll be careful.”

“That’s not helpful,” Young said, frowning. “What are you trying to do?”

“You’re still too young to understand.”

“That’s an excuse.”

His mother’s gaze hardened. “Leave, Young. Now."

Young didn’t want to, but he knew his mother wouldn’t take no for an answer. He turned around and walked toward the door, knowing well that his mother kept her eyes on him. No one messed with dark magic not even for good reasons. He knew that. His mother knew that. So, what was she hiding?

Dan Heng opens his eyes and sees the familiar white ceiling of his room. What in the world was that dream? He didn’t just dream about Young. He was Young. Dan Heng felt the same emotions Young had. How fast his heart raced when he was with you. How anxious and suspicious he felt when he was with his mother. He and Young look alike, but their similarities stop there, right?

Dan Heng was the doppelganger, but was it possible his mother was connected to Young’s mother somehow? Dan Heng’s parents had their problems, but they always came around somehow. However, when their fights escalated, they started living apart for a while. That was when Dan Heng's mother became infected with The Withering. But what about Young’s mother? Did she have marital problems? Was that why she was messing with black magic?

Was she the one who created The Withering?

He gets out of bed and heads to the washroom. After washing his face, he turns off the tap and looks in the mirror, not expecting to see someone else’s reflection. The man looked like him. A lot like him. But he had horns, and his ears resemble an elf’s.

It was Young.

Dan Heng closes his eyes and dries his face with a towel. When he looks back, his reflection is back. Is it possible he and Young aren’t doppelgangers, but they’re the same person in two different periods? No. That can't be. Young was executed. And the past is the past. Right?

As Dan Heng muses over his thoughts, he returns to his room and hears his phone buzz with a message. When he sees the name on the screen, he smiles.

Cupid: Hi. Do you want to hang out today?

He'll never forget the look on your face when he asked if he could call you his girlfriend. Stunned. Your mouth opened and closed as if trying to find the right words.

“So… You want to fake date to get out of fake dating?”

Dan Heng almost facepalmed, but he could understand your logic. He didn’t want to pretend to date Stelle, so he hoped he could say you were his girlfriend just to get his father off his back. It didn't mean you had to date. Everything was just for show.

Dan Heng could’ve said yes, but instead, he said, “No.” He took your hand and pulled you a little closer. “I want to be yours. For real.”

Your eyes had widened, but your face had turned red. “W-Wait a minute. But—”

“I know you said I have a soulmate, but she's not the one I want,” Dan Heng said. “You made yourself clear where you stand in terms of love and relationships that time we talked at the restaurant, but I don’t want to regret not saying anything.” He smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have to give me an answer right now.”

Is this a step in the right direction? Are you asking him on a date?

Back at your apartment, you’re sitting on your bed, staring at your phone for a response.

After the dream with Young, you couldn’t fall back asleep. But what surprised you was that you weren’t only thinking about Young. You also thought about Dan Heng. They were doppelgangers, but could it be possible they were the same person? You remembered how your heart raced when Dan Heng asked you to be his girlfriend despite the circumstances. Then, you remembered Young’s words from your dream.

“I should’ve told you much sooner… I should’ve asked you to be mine.”

Was fate giving you another chance? A chance… to be with Young in another time and place? The thought seemed too good to be true. You had walked to your table and picked up the locket. Opening the locket would set Young free. What did that mean?

You eventually fell back asleep, but this time… you dreamt about Dan Heng, and it left your heart warm and full the next morning. You wanted to see him which brought you to your current situation.

Dan Heng: Let’s go.

You smile as you drop your phone to get ready.

Dan Heng spent the night at his father’s place, but he still had some extra clothes in his old bedroom. He picks out a casual black turtleneck, a white jacket, grey pants, and a black belt. Of course, he doesn’t forget to accessorize with an onyx necklace and two bracelets on his left wrist. He’s fixing his shirt in the mirror when a knock comes at the door.

“Come in.”

Agnes opens the door and quietly gasps when she sees Dan Heng all dressed up. “Going somewhere, Master Dan Heng?” Dan Heng turns to her, and she says, “Oh, no titles. Right.” She looks him up and down. “Are you… going on a date, perhaps?”

“I’d like to think so.”

Agnes beams. “Is it the pretty girl from yesterday night? The one who was treating your burn?”

“Yes.”

She claps her hands together. “Where are you taking the young gal?”

There are a lot of places to pick from. It’s Xianzhou, the city that never sleeps. But he wants this to be the perfect date. It’s his one chance to impress you and change your mind about your stance on love, even though he didn’t think much about it before he met you.

“Ah, young love,” Agnes says dreamily. “Reminds me of how romantic my husband and I were back in the day!”

“Do you…” Dan Heng awkwardly looks away, “...have any advice?”

Agnes chuckles. “Oh, you’ll be fine, Mas”—she coughs—“Dan Heng! With someone as good-looking as you, you should’ve been taken years ago.” She's about to leave but quickly turns back. "Are you still going to have breakfast?”

Dan Heng nods and follows her out of his room.

Back at your place, Pom yawns and stretches as he makes his way toward the bathroom but stops when he notices you putting up outfits in front of your closet mirror. You look a little conflicted. You’re about to hold up another shirt when you notice Pom leaning against your doorframe. He’s smiling at you as if he knows what’s up.

“Whatcha doing?”

You avoid his eyes. “Cleaning."

"Cleaning?" Pom asks if he can't believe what he just heard. "I know you, Cupid. You're too lazy to clean."

"Well, excuse me, Pom."

Pom raises his hands in defence as he walks in. "Just saying the facts." You hold up another outfit to the mirror. "It must be important if you’re thinking this hard about what to wear.” He smiles slyly. “Does it happen to involve a dashing young man who may or may not be your”—he gasps—"soulmate?”

“Very funny."

“You’re going on a date.” Pom has a wide grin. “Cupid’s going on a date!”

“We’re just hanging out!”

“Without anyone else.”

You frown as you watch him pick up a few of your clothes and puts them over you as if you’re his model. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

Pom puts down the clothes and sees the locket around your neck. “Have you figured out how to open that thing yet?”

You glance down and sigh. “No, not yet… But, I had another dream yesterday.”

“About Young?”

You nod. “Dan Heng was right. Young and I… we were lovers.”

“You… don’t look too happy.”

You toss your clothes on the bed. “What I dreamt about… it was supposed to be a happy"—you blush as the feelings come rushing back—"or euphoric moment, but after I woke up, it was like… it was like I lost everything.”

“And you don’t know why.”

You look down. “Do you remember Dan Heng telling us that Lan told him Young was executed?”

Pom nods. “Wait. Don’t tell me you blame yourself, right?”

“Believe it or not… I don’t think my relationship with him had anything to do with that.”

“Was there something else?”

“I was a King’s daughter,” you begin, and Pom’s eyes widen. “Yeah, believe it or not.”

“So… does this mean I have to call you Princess Cupid from now on?”

You almost shiver. “Please don't.” Pom smiles. “Anyway, even though I was supposedly a princess, women weren’t particularly valued back then. I was supposed to get married, and—”

“To who?”

“...Jing Yuan.”

“What?”

“Just let me finish, Pom!” After telling Pom about most of your dream, you say, “Jing Yuan was using me as an accessory. We were getting married just for show. I’m just speculating, but the only reason I can think of was that he wanted to take over the North Kingdom.”

Pom puts a hand on his forehead. “This is too much for just one night."

“Yeah, you’re telling me.”

“Okay, assuming Jing Yuan was some evil douchebag who wanted to take over the world... if he found out about your relationship with Young, he could use it as an excuse to, well”—Pom pretends to slice his neck with his hand—“off him, right?” Pom stands and grabs a hanger and points it at you. “How dare you touch my wife!”

You take the hanger with a deadpan look and toss it in your pile of clothes. "He could, and he probably did. But Young was the heir to the Middle Kingdom.”

“Middle Kingdom? Do we have a South or a Bottom Kingdom now?”

“Take a guess.”

“Geez. I wasn’t expecting a history lesson.”

“There are only three Kingdoms you have to remember, Pom. North, Middle, and South.”

“South sounds better than Bottom if I’m being honest.”

“Focus.” Pom’s expression turns serious again. “Anyway, Jing Yuan was just a general, a commanding general sure, but he wasn’t a king or of loyalty. We were going to marry, but that didn’t mean he would automatically take my father’s spot as King. And… if he did execute Young, he would be starting a war.”

Pom nods in understanding. “I see.”

“Jing Yuan was the man I saw at the festival. Remember what I told you about what he said?”

“...That you started a war?”

You sigh. "It still doesn't make sense."

Pom stands and puts his hands on your shoulders. “We still have missing pieces. And, whatever we find, I’m on your side, Cupid.”

You scoff with a slight smile. “Didn't think you'd be the mushy type, Pom."

“I’d love to take a trip down memory lane about our beautiful friendship together, but I don’t want to ruin your probably one chance at finding love.”

You look at the time and almost gasp. It’s almost time for you to meet Dan Heng, and you still haven’t changed out of your PJs.

Pom tosses you a blouse and high-waisted shorts. “Just wear this!”

“This is see-through.”

Pom looks at you as if he doesn’t see your point. “Then, wear some cute lingerie.” You give him a deadpan look as you toss the blouse back at him. He catches it and puts it on the bed. “I assume you have none.” Your jaw almost drops but then Pom tosses you a casual shirt. “Chop, chop! Don’t keep the man waiting.”

You wait for Pom to leave your room and close the door before you get changed. When you come out, your hair is brushed and you’d put on some natural makeup. You’d tied a front shirt knot. Coupled with the high-waisted shorts you wore, the overall outfit emphasizes your nice figure.

Just before you head out the door with your small bag, Pom says, “Oh, wait.” You turn around, and you see Pom looking at the pendant around your neck. “Could I… take a look at that while you’re gone?”

You glance at the locket. “Young’s necklace?”

Pom nods. Truth be told, he also had a dream yesterday night. But it wasn’t of you or Young but the locket. Pom thinks about telling you, but he doesn’t want it to plague your thoughts when you’re supposed to be having fun.

You take it off your neck, but as you hand it to him, you ask, “Why?”

“Just wanna do some research.”

“Well, be careful. Don’t lose it.”

“Of course, I won’t!” Then, he waves you off. “Go have fun with Mr. Right.”

And off you went.

Dan Heng is looking at his phone, a hand in his pocket when he senses someone coming up behind him. You’re about to put your hands on his shoulders when he turns around and takes one of your hands, startling you. He lowers his hand that’s still holding yours just as he says, “A little early to be trying to sneak up on me."

"I'll get you next time."

A small, mischievous smile. “I’d like to see you try.” You almost scoff but you decide to let it slide. Then, his fingers intertwine with yours. “Let’s go.”

You and Dan Heng exit the station as you ask, “Where are we going?”

“What do you think about the aquarium?”

You smile. “Sounds good to me.” That’s when he notices the locket isn’t around your neck. He hasn’t seen you without it ever since you found out about it. You glance at your empty neck and say, “Young’s pendant is with Pom. He asked to look at it.”

As you and Dan Heng head in the direction of the aquarium, he asks, “What for?”

“He didn’t say, but he wanted to do some research. I’ll ask him when I get back.” Then, you notice the subtle change in Dan Heng's expression as if he's mulling over something. “Is something wrong?”

“I had a dream last night.”

“Was it about Young?”

“I think I was living his life.” Then, he turns to look at you. “I also saw you in my dream.” His boyish grin makes your heart race. “You were younger, and you taught him a lot. I could feel everything that he was feeling.” Your grip on Dan Heng’s hand unexpectedly tightens. “He liked you since both of you were teenagers.”

A pause.

“But I saw also saw something else…” You notice the change in tone where your heart isn’t racing because of the butterflies in your stomach but out of anxiety. “His mother was experimenting with black magic.”

“Black magic?”

Dan Heng nods. “Did you know his mother?”

“...Not that I recall.” When Dan Heng remains silent, you ask, “What are you thinking about?”

“That dream somehow reminded me of my mother,” he answers quietly.

Now that you think about it, you don’t know anything about Dan Heng’s mother.

“Were there similarities?” you ask.

“Young's mother was dabbling in black magic for unknown reasons. I think she was hiding something, which…” You give his hand a light squeeze as if to reassure him. He squeezes back. “...reminded me of how my mother kept her infection a secret.” Your heart drops to the pit of your stomach. Infected? Is it what you think it is? Dan Heng looks at you. “My mother was a victim of The Withering.”

Your face turns pale. “...I’m so sorry.” Does this mean you killed his mother if you’re the one who created the disease? The thought is even more frightening than the nightmare you experienced at the festival.

As if reading your mind, Dan Heng says, “There's a possibility that Young's mother created The Withering,” You quickly look back at him. “We still don’t know everything.”

That’s true, but…

“I’m still surprised if I’m being honest.” While it’s true you don’t know everything, there's still the suspicion that you have something to do with the disease. “How can you still treat me like—” You stop as you hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“...Because you aren’t running away.” His answer catches you off guard. “Tell me. Are you afraid?” There’s genuine curiosity in his eyes. Your breath catches in your throat as you stare into the blue eyes. “Are you afraid of what you’ll find if you keep digging?”

“Yes.” The answer leaves your lips so quickly and naturally that you aren’t aware you said it. “This wasn’t what I was expecting to find… I didn’t know what to expect, but definitely not something like this.”

“Are you going to give up?”

“No.” Again, you answer so naturally that it almost surprised you. “I came this far. Everything that I’ve done… it would be for nothing if I stop.” You sigh softly. “I can’t back out now. I have to keep going.”

“You choose to face things head-on rather than running away,” Dan Heng says as if already knowing the answer you'll give him. “It’s something I like about you.” Your eyes widen at the direct statement. “...It’s something I couldn’t do for a long time."

You and Dan Heng stop at a red light.

“...Something you couldn’t do?”

“My mother kept her infection a secret from my father and me. When I found out about it… I had a very difficult time coping.” You squeeze his hand tighter. “By then, I’d already transferred to a public school because of my family’s financial matters.”

Dan Heng had never felt so alone.

People would stare at him as if he wasn’t human. His family background had somehow leaked, making it newsworthy to the school. Some people labelled him as the rich kid who'd gone poor. Others pitied him but as Dan Heng wasn't a social person by nature, they found him offputting and thought he had an attitude problem. Then, there were those who didn't have anything against him, but his efforts at making new friends were received apathetically.

Dan Heng had never thought he’d miss his old friends so much. He had pretended everything was fine when it wasn’t. It wasn’t until his mother’s disease worsened that he made some poor decisions that would haunt him for years to come.

Dan Heng closed his locker. His eyes were lifeless and there were dark circles underneath his eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping well if not at all. His health had started to affect his academic performance which was spiralling him further into depression.

“Hi there.”

Dan Heng turned and saw a couple of his female classmates walk up to him. He recognized them as the more popular girls.

“There's a party happening this weekend," one of the girls said. "We want you to be there, Dan Heng."

“Why are you asking me?”

One of the girls gave him a flirtatious grin. “You’re cute, Dan Heng. Believe it or not, you’re quite popular.”

Wow, really? So, why did people avoid him?

“Don’t tell me you don’t know.”

“...About?”

“The guys talk shit about you because they’re just jealous. Some of the girls are too shy to talk to you.”

In reality, it was these girls who were messing with the others to leave Dan Heng alone. Of course, he didn't know that or the fact that they wanted to sleep with him.

“Please come tonight, Dan Heng. It would mean a lot to us.” She handed him a special invite to a club in the heart of Xianzhou. Then, she leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “You won’t regret it. I promise.”

You have a bad feeling about where this story is going.

By now, you and Dan Heng are walking side-by-side inside the aquarium, still holding hands.

“I wanted an escape,” Dan Heng says quietly as the two of you walk into a hallway surrounded by sharks. “So, I went to the party.”

The lively atmosphere was unlike anything Dan Heng had experienced. There were people everywhere. Dancing. Drinking. Talking. Kissing. It was a foreign place where the music was so loud that you had no time to think. Just feel.

Someone grabbed Dan Heng’s arm, and he quickly turned and saw the girl who invited him to the party smile at him. She was wearing a short dress meant to show off her slim but toned body. Her hair was done up, and her makeup stood out. It was obvious she was here to party. She pulled Dan Heng close.

“You came!”

He could smell the alcohol on her breath, but she didn’t seem drunk. Not yet, at least. Then, she quickly dragged him toward a room at the back, away from the noise, heat, and screams.

“Guess who I found?”

Dan Heng recognized a couple of his classmates, but there were others he didn’t know. After the girl introduced him, he found out they were from other schools. The girl led Dan Heng to a couch. When he sat down, she sat next to him and poured him a drink.

“You look like you’ve been having a hard time lately, Dan Heng.” She gave him the glass. “Why don’t you tell us what’s wrong?”

Dan Heng looked at the unfamiliar faces in the room. “...I’d rather not.” He took the glass.

“Oh, well, that’s okay… have a drink first! We can always talk later.”

That was his second mistake. His first mistake was coming to this party.

“I kept drinking,” Dan Heng says as you continue listening carefully. “It felt nice to just forget about everything.” There's hesitation in his voice when he regretfully admits, “But then, they coerced me into doing drugs.”

“I told you it'd feel good, right?" the girl asked.

The world around him was starting to spin. Dan Heng couldn’t see straight, but this euphoric sensation was therapeutic. He was happy, and he didn't want to let this feeling go.

The girl had a small, mischievous grin. "Want another one?"

Was this what it took to… become functional again? To feel like his world wasn’t crashing before his eyes? Dan Heng looked at the smoke between his fingers. Maybe just one more… Maybe just—

His eyes widened when he felt a sudden weight on his legs. When he turned, he saw his classmate straddling him. This made him snap out of it, but his sudden rationality was fighting with his high, which made him lost and confused.

“What... What are you doing?” Dan Heng finally asked with wide eyes. God. His head was suddenly hurting like crazy.

She leaned toward him, purposely rubbing against him, allowing him to feel all of her intimate places. He felt her smirk against his neck. “You’re asking the wrong question, Dan Heng. Y ou should be asking yourself… what aren’t you doing?” She grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly as she brought it to her breasts. “Touch me, Dan Heng…”

Dan Heng slightly opened his mouth to protest, but her lips were on his before he could say anything. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, which almost made him gag. She slowly moved her hips as she opened his hand and forced him to touch her more.

By now, everyone else had left the room.

Dan Heng was shaking as he fought the natural response of his body. He didn't want this. At all. " Stop," he said breathlessly.

"You don't want me to stop." She put a hand on his thigh and teasingly made her way to his hardening sex. "See?"

"Stop it," Dan Heng almost growled.

He was done playing nice. It took all of the energy left in him to force his hand out of her grip and rudely push her onto the couch. His heart was hammering in his chest, and as he stood, he stumbled as he started seeing double. He needed a moment to refocus, but the girl had grabbed his hand.

“Where are you going?”

His response was slightly delayed, but he managed to glare at her and pull his hand back. Without answering her, he quickly headed toward the door... only to find it locked.

He heard a soft giggle. "Oh, Dan Heng, did you really think we would be that stupid?"

Dan Heng was afraid to look back at the sultry way she asked the question. T here was a sickening feeling in his chest that she was laying in some provocative position. He quickly reached for his phone inside his pocket, but the colour drained from his face when he felt nothing.

"Looking for this?"

Dan Heng finally turned back, and he was right. She was laying on her side, exposing her laced lingerie. Her dress was barely on. But that wasn't what caught Dan Heng's attention. It was his phone in her hand. Dan Heng clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles almost turned white. He wished he could hit her, but he wanted to hit himself more than anything. How could he be so stupid? This wasn't him.

"Give it back," Dan Heng said angrily.

She got up and undid the zipper of her dress and allowed it to fall to her feet. "Stop playing the good boy, Dan Heng." She removed her lingerie. "You can't fight your natural urges."

Fine. If this was how she wanted to play. Dan Heng would fight fire with fire.

Dan Heng walked towards her, his eyes never drifting away from her face. He could see her gaze darkening with desire. She slowly stepped back while he approached, and eventually, she sat back on the couch with Dan Heng leaning over her. Yet, his hands never touched her. Instead, one of his hands was on the couch beside her head, and the other was beside her waist. He fought back a cringe when he felt her hands around his neck.

"Fuck me, Dan Heng," she whispered. "You know you want to."

It was now or never.

His hand found hers, forcing her to drop his phone onto the couch. He kept his eyes on her face as his lips came dangerously close to hers, almost as if he was teasing her. His other hand, holding her underwear, found hers and raised them up over her head.

"Then, you'll have to do as I say."

His voice was low, husky, meant to drive her senses wild. And that was exactly what he got, but she was so caught up in her emotions that by the time she wanted to grab him, she couldn't.

"What the—"

Dan Heng grabbed his phone and swiftly moved away from her with a cold look. The girl's hands were bound with her underwear that Dan Heng had tied together to a small hook above the couch.

"Untie me, you bastard!"

Dan Heng turned away with an indifferent look. “I don’t want to have sex with you, so stop forcing yourself onto me.”

“Are you gay?” she spat.

Dan Heng walked to the door. "There's something called dignity. Try learning about it." With one concentrated kick to the place just above the lock, the door opened. "Careful you don't catch a cold."

Before he left, he heard her shout, “You son of a bitch!”

You are at a loss for words. You never would've thought someone like Dan Heng would have a past like that.

"My father found out about the drugs, and... it just made things worse."

“Do you want to disappoint me further?” his father asked, the anger seeping into his hard tone.

Dan Heng stood in front of him, still unable to believe that a photo of him and his classmates doing drugs had spread around the school. While the drug itself was legal, Dan Heng and his classmates were underaged. Unlike other places, Xianzhou was strict and didn’t tolerate minors doing drugs. Despite Dan Heng’s willingness to take any punishment, his father refused to let this taint his image and Dan Heng’s future. So, he’d spent a hefty fine to erase this from his son's record.

“Get out of my sight.”

His father wasn’t even looking at him when he said it.

“For a long time, I kept thinking I should’ve handled myself better," Dan Heng says. "I should’ve done something rather than just wallow in my emotions. I should’ve been looking after my mother.”

You’re facing him as you say, “You can’t blame yourself. We feel. It’s what makes us human.” You put a hand on his cheek. “Everyone has a past. No one is perfect.”

Dan Heng takes your hand. “You’re right. It took years for me to accept my mistakes, but before then, I always wished I could forget about what happened.” He slightly smiles. “Then, there’s you, who’s doing a job you hate because you want to find out about your past. You're not shying away from what you find.” Dan Heng puts a hand behind your head and says your name. “You intrigue me.”

When you look up, your eyes meet his and then land on his lips. Your heart is pounding in your chest as you and Dan Heng slowly lean closer… and closer…. You close your eyes, and as you feel his soft lips against yours, you also hear a very much unwanted voice.

“How romantic.”

You and Dan Heng quickly pull back and turn in the direction of the male voice. Just then, a large, great white shark swims by behind you and Dan Heng.

“You shouldn't keep a pretty woman all to yourself, Dan Heng. I want in on the fun, too."

He recognizes the voice, and so do you. Dan Heng steps in front of you once the main comes into full view. You knew you’d meet him one way or another but just not here.

“Should I introduce myself?” His golden eyes meet yours.

You don’t need any introductions. You know him. You know him very well.

“Jing Yuan,” you say without realizing it.

Jing Yuan has a hand inside his pocket as he looks at you. “Well, looks like I’m more popular than I thought.”

Chapter 13

End notes:

I wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long lol

I'm curious if you guys have any thoughts on Dan Heng's flashback. The initial draft was actually quite tame, but my mind went... WHAT IF. And yeah, that happened. I'm sorry, Dan Heng T_T

Also, a reader drew a sketch of her interpretation of Cupid!

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @tanspostsblog @theprinceofkhaos @nqctre @lunavixia @akwardbiscuit @kplatzman @sunsethw4 @hiqhkey

#dan heng x y/n #dan heng x reader #dan heng x you #dan heng #dan heng honkai star rail #honkai star rail dan heng #honkai dan heng #danheng fluff #dan heng fluff #danheng x y/n #danheng x reader #danheng x you

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arthurtaylorlester · 10 months

Text

you may have seen my previous theory on wtf is going on with john doe malevolent, but i have more proof this time to show for my hypothesis!

in episode one, we first hear someone turning on a radio, presumably in a car, listening to “You call it madness (but I call it love)” by Russ Columbo (not the 1946 version by nat king cole trio we all put in playlists lol), then arthur gain consciousness

afterwards, they are in bookstore when a radio starts playing the song again, the entity doesn’t see the radio, but he does recognise the song

both arthur and the entity recognise this is odd, since atp the entity had only been in arthur’s body for 20 odd minutes

but, if you’re caught up, you’ll recognise that this is moment directly parallels a scene in part 33

this, however is not the only time something like this happens. in part 5, john uses a turn of phrase

this moment is soon after arthur’s month-long coma, so unless lily had been reading robert frost to arthur (which john would’ve most certainly mentioned when arthur brought it up), he shouldnt have any way of knowing this sentence.

the first time we hear the poem in full is in part 26

but even still, in the context of the moment, why does john know this poem? he’s had no moment since he came back to learn anything of the sort, even ignoring the time it’d take to memorise something like this.

before this, there are only two instances of 'miles to go before i sleep' appearing, once at the end of part 17 and just before arthur leaps of the edge in part 23

so now, my answer to all these questions is a bit weird.

in part 1, the entity says as follows regarding time in other worlds and the dark world as being timeless

which initially led me to reach the idea that john's forgetfulness in part 33 has to do with the time he spent away from arthur in s3, which he claims he does not remember.

i think he was actually sent back to the dark world and spent an indefinite time there, since there is none, causing him to forget finer details. but that raises leaves many questions unanswered, like why did the entity know the song before ever being with arthur?

i think it's time fuckery. the entity we see in part one could be some sort of future!john, at some point he could be sent back to the dark world indefinitely once more, than brought back via the book at a different moment in time that from which he left, the past.

this theory makes a lot of leaps, but it also gives reason to why john already knows call it madness and miles to go, i believe he might use both of these as some sort of anchor to not go mad himself in the dark world, thought he does end up losing parts of himself and of arthur. still, he isnt completely gone, which is why he's eventually capable of becoming john again

it also kind of explains the first sentence the entity ever says in the show

of course, on your first listen you assume he means what happened to arthur a few moments prior, but with the context of a timeloop, he could be referring to the whole shows events, even what we havent seen

later, when john says he doesn't remember who he is either, and arthur says

i understand that the entity knowing what he is might help them both, but it's still a weird thing to say. arthur has just woken up with a corpse and voice in his head, and acts like it's not his first time doing this? i'm not saying he'd remember, but it would make more sense if he was partially amnesiac to the future/past loops like the entity/john

also, i think it's important to distinguish the entity and john, the former being an amnesiac john who has only the potential to become john, but could just as easily become yellow.

last point is, obviously, also a massive stretch.

in part 9, after their first consequential argument (as in it nearly gets them imprisoned), arthur tells this fable to john

which yeah, could be foreshadowing john being the king in yellow in the s1 finale, but. it wouldn't make much sense since john doesn't permanently get him and arthur killed?

i think it goes like this, if it lines up with my theory.

john starts forgetting about the dark world, starts getting dicier and riskier with his and arthur's choices, whether it be about his deal with kayne or other future lies, but he pushes and he keeps pushing until both he and arthur meet their end. at some point, he gets himself sent back to the dark world and arthur killed/otherwise indefinitely unavailable, and as he does, he says "it is in my nature", so the last thing he tell arthur isnt sorry, but an excuse. perhaps they end on bad terms, after all he's promised to not let him drown.

he is left there to rot in his misery with only faint memories of his new self (significant moments, like him telling arthur the poem) and after he starts forgetting, a long time for a place with no time, he is pulled into the book in the past, eventually reaching arthur again. he might recognise arthur's voice, but he might not remember enough at this point, having turned back into the entity, no longer being john.

but hey. this is based on my relisten of s1 and little else. i love stretching the canon to make it make sense lmao

edit 05/12/23 — further proof i only now noticed in episode 30 “The Tenant”

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thesongweave · 7 months

Text

~The Ending, The Beginning~

I've had this playing around in my head for a few days now and thought I might try to write it out (Take two. The first draft got all over the place, lol)

Gale romance sacrifice, with a surprise!

Oh uh. ACT 3 SPOILERS??

and uh. TW: character...death? angst? kissy kissy at the end. Happy ending for all!

It had all gone to hell so fast.

Thea, Gale, Karlach, and Astarion had climbed the brain, along with illithid Orpheus.

Orpheus was dead, the netherstones motionless at his side. The Emperor - Balduran- was dead too.

Gale looked at the others still standing. Karlach was next to him, one arm hanging limp and useless at her side. Thea was unconscious in Gales arms - hells, he wasn't sure she was still breathing....

"Astarion!" Gale called the pale elf over. Even he was limping. With a questioning look, Gale shifted Thea to his hold.

Karlach started, staring Gale down. "No way, soldier - you're not seriously thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

Her answer was in his eyes. He didn't really need to say his next words, but he did.

"It's our last option. Orpheus is dead, none of us can control the stones." He gazed down at Thea, who started to stir slightly. "Its me, now, or the world, Karlach."

"You two, take care of her for me?" There was so much regret in his voice. So many things he had wanted to do, to live for. He'd wanted to show Alathea Waterdeep, take her home...

It didn't matter, now. What mattered was destroying the Netherbrain. Gale motioned Karlach over, who was still voicing protests.

"The last thing I can do, at least, is spirit you all to the others. To safety. It'll...it'll all be over soon." He nodded, decisively. He was reigned to his fate.

Gale laid a last kiss on Thea's lips before stepping away.

"Gale--"

"And tell her I love her." The wizard shook his hands. Blue began to glow from his hands as he uttered the words for the spell that would teleport his friends - and his lover - away.

Thea's eyes opened just as the spell began to take form. She struggled in vain against Astarion's hold, to no avail. The three disappeared, leaving Gale alone.

The Wizard of Waterdeep turned to face his destiny.

~*~

It was mere moments later that Karlach, Astarion, and Alathea materialized at the docks. Others of the rag-tag company made their way there - it had been the agreed upon rendevous spot, for when the fighting was done.

Everyone else had made it.

Thea, having regained some semblance of consciousness, glued her eyes to the Netherbrain above. She could hear Karlach and Astarion filling the others in, while Halsin, Shadowheart, and then Jaheria tried to get the bard to let them heal her.

She refused all three, tears in her eyes. Alathea wanted to scream, to run back and climb the brain stem again, and give that damn wizard such a shaking he'd never pull a stunt like this again---

The cry ripped through her, a primal scream that was felt in the elf's core as the Netherbrain exploded. Light and magic flew through the sky like shooting stars.

Then came the pain. That burning sensation as the tadpoles writhed and died. It was to much - between her wounds and the pain of the tadpole's death, then the sudden quiet in her mind, Alathea collapsed, unconscious again.

~*~

"Gale of Waterdeep." The voice echoed all around him. Said wizard blinked in confusion -- wait.

He was dead. He'd blown up the Netherbrain, the crown, the orb...

Mystra's smile was, well. An enigma, as ever. But there was something else to the way she studied him.

Gale looked down and saw his hand - his semi-translucent, almost incorporeal hand.

Before he could react, or speak, really, Mystra continued. "You have destroyed the Absolute, the Crown, and the Orb in one fell swoop, at the cost of your own life." She paused a moment, letting the fact sink in, before continuing.

"It is within me to grant a boon of you, Gale of Waterdeep. What would you ask of your goddess?" the goddess tilted her head, waiting.

Gale didn't even have to think about it.

"I want to go back."

"Go back? Is that all? It is within my power to select you as my Chosen, once again."

Gale stopped for a moment - this he pondered. Could he be her Chosen without being her lover?

Mystra smirked - or, what was the equivalent of a goddess smirking, at least. "Yes, Gale. You do not have to be my lover to be my Chosen. I know you desire to be with the one who was left behind."

"Then, yes. I will be your Chosen, again."

"Very well, if that is what you desire. You have done a great service - not only for your goddess but for magic itself. This will not be forgotten. Now go - your life is yours at last. It is time you went and lived it." Mystra waved her hand, almost like a dismissal, then vanished.

And so, Gale waited, drifting in the cosmos. He wondered, briefly, how he was supposed to get back. He did not have a body to reclaim, no --

He did not have to wait long until something tugged at him...

~*~

Chaos - literally, all hell - had broken loose as the tadpoles died with the explosion of the netherbrain. There were still mind flayers in the streets, now running rampant without an elder brain or anything to control it.

At first, the companions did not see Withers approaching - after all, who knew he was still around, much less bold enough to walk out in the daylight?

Most were tending to their wounds, the mood more somber than some would expect. After all, they had just saved Baldur's Gate.

Jaheria and Karlach finally dragged Alathea down to the nearby dock, away from the others; Thea finally relented to letting Jaheria work some healing magic on her wounds.

Astarion, sadly, had vanished, subject to the scorching sunlight without the tadpole to protect him.

Likewise, Lae'zel seemed to have slipped away with Voss and the other githyanki who now opposed Vlaakith.

Of those left, it was Shadowheart who noticed the old 'bag of bones'. "Withers? What are you doing here...?"

Withers motioned for them to gather 'round. "It hath been bidden that one shall return. A boon, granted." As ever, the skeleton / lich / being was cryptic. He motioned for the group to move - he needed room!

"I strike thy name from the ledger -- rise!!" They had seen Withers perform the resurrection spell before, in camp.

As Gale's body materializes, smiles and cheers rise from those who had witnessed his rather unexpected return.

Gale blinks, shaking his head. He himself had been lucky enough to NOT have had to go through the resurrection process, at least not like this. Slowly, sight and sound come into focus.

It was dawn. Friends surrounded him, whooping and hollering and clapping him on the shoulders. Some friends were missing, he noted, but...

There was one person in particular missing. Was he too late?

Shadowheart laughed and shook her head, then looked towards the dock. The cheering quieted, and the others stood aside for the wizard.

"Go, now, to thine companion." Withers intoned. "Mystra's bidding is done, thy life returned."

Gale took a deep breath, and started forward. Halsin, Wyll, Shadowheart, and Minsc were all just a few steps behind. It didn't take long to reach the dock.

Thea was sitting at the edge of the small dock, back to the city, and leaning against Karlach with her head on the tiefling's shoulder. Karlach's head rested atop Thea's, her arm around the small elf's shoulders. Jaheria was next to Thea, back resting against the wooden beam. Thea had, begrudgingly, let the druid heal up her wounds.

At the edge of the dock, the group stopped, and Halsin gave Gale an encouraging push forward.

The High Harper was the first to spot and acknowledge the oncoming group - and did a double take. She eyed the wizard up and down, an eyebrow arched. Hells, she wasn't one to question it - she had seen more impossible things in her time.

"Karlach, I think we are needed. Come," Jaheria called as she stood.

Karlach looked up to the Harper, not seeing Gale at first. "What the hells could we be needed---" The movement of his robes caught the tieflings eye. She also did a double take, nearly falling off the dock into the water. Her mouth worked this way and that, but no sound came out, so Karlach's jaw simply...hung there a moment before she jumped up.

"Thea! Thea, you...uhm. Gimme a moment, then turn around, kay?" Karlach finally exclaimed, detangling herself from her friend.

Thea, who had been completely zoned out to almost seeming catatonic, barely reacted. She simply waved a hand in the air to the two.

It broke Gale's heart, to see his lady love in such a state. Jaheria and Karlach scooted around the wizard to join the rest of their 'band of misfits'.

Well, Gale thought, it was now or never...

A smile crept up to his lips as he took the final few steps forward to stand just behind Alathea. Of course, he made sure there was still enough room for her to stand without falling off into the water as Karlach had almost done.

"Copper for your thoughts?" He said, voice low, but just loud enough to be heard over the water beating against the land.

Thea, still as she had been before, jerked at the voice.

No, she thought, ready to weep again, This is a cruel joke...

Part of her did not want to turn around. But she listened, instead, to the part of her that did.

So she turned. Green eyes first took in the hint of well-made boots peeking out from under the fine fabric of a familiar robe. Her gaze traveled upward, a fear gripping her heart like ice, yet hope lit a fire in her that just maybe... The bard stood carefully on wobbly, weak legs. The design of the fabric was a familiar one - and it should have been, she's the one who had the robe commissioned as a gift in the first place.

There. All to familiar hands were stretched outwards, arms open in an offered embrace. Finally, she dragged her eyes upward - the final stretch of what could make or break this illusion.

Maybe she was dead, and this was her lover welcoming her to the afterlife. Thea found herself stepping forward instinctively as green hazel eyes brimming with newfound tears met warm, loving brown.

"You -- how -- "She croaked out, throat dry and raw. It was barely above a whisper. Small, delicate fingers drifted up, stopping a bare inch or so from Gales's cheek.

He couldn't possibly be real. Thea had seen the explosion, felt in the final moments just before the tadpoles died, felt his death as he'd plunged the dagger through the orb.

"Oh, well," he shifted from one foot to the other, concern starting to make his confidence falter, "when a goddess grants a boon for causing the destruction of a few things---"

Any further commentary was cut off as the elf threw herself towards the wizard, arms wrapping around his shoulders as her lips pressed against his.

Gale WAS real and wonderfully solid. He wrapped his arms around Thea, holding her to him, relishing in the fact that she, too, was wonderfully real and solid against him.

He could hear their friends cheering not far behind him, but in this moment, all that mattered was the elf in his arms. Finally, she pulled away - not far, mind, just far enough to part to breathe.

"Hello, bard," he whispered with a smile.

Thea's answering smile was brilliant - a myriad of emotions played through her eyes, but mostly, there was relief, happiness, and love.

"Hello, wizard."

Death, it seemed (at least this time) was both an end and yet, a beginning.

Gale swore he would make the most of it.

~*~ And yea, I didn't blow up Karlach, cause :V there should've been a way to fix her engine, dammit.

#gale of waterdeep #idk but calling each other bard and wizard as terms of endearment #gale #baldurs gate 3 gale #baldurs gate gale #bg3 gale #gale bg3 #gale dekarios #gale romance #gale x tav #tav x gale #bg3 #bg3 headcanons #ending with a twist #i'm not normal about my ship okay #i'm also just not normal about this wizard #also fuck mystra #i tried to pull a bit from the Gale origin playthrough ending

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sameheart-sameblood · 8 months

Text

Turn of the Tide

pairing: wojchek x f!reader

summary: wojchek discovers you've disguised yourself as a man to work aboard the demeter and agrees to keep your secret. he begins treating you different than the other crewmates and you confront him about his unfair behavior

words: 2.8k

warnings: angst, mentions of reader's sad background, chest binding, fluff, me not knowing anything about ships and what happens on them

a/n: popping in to say i'm not dead, just depressed and busy lol. truly grateful to this character for pulling me out of my fic slump. im back to once again make a grumpy fictional man way softer than he was ever meant to be hahaha. also guess im obsessed with david dastmalchian now?? didn't have that on my 2023 bingo card tbh

read on ao3!

Sailors believe in many things. A red sunrise can send them into a panic, anticipating the swells and overbearing winds they’re so sure are to come. Red skies at night, however, can make even the most pessimistic crewmate believe there’s fair weather on the way. Captains refuse to set sail on Fridays, sailors place coins under the mast for good fortune and mariners daren’t whistle lest they summon a storm. Many vessels even have a cat aboard, the little creatures seen to bring luck (and sharp teeth to lessen the rat population).

Sailors believe in many things but above all they can agree that a woman on board is bad luck. Which seems silly to you because here you are, a woman who’s been on board The Demeter for many months now. Your presence had not brought ill fortune to the vessel. In fact, the weather had remained pleasant, despite the late summer month’s usual downpours and hurricanes.

Granted none of the crew knew you were a woman. You had disguised yourself as a man, hair cut short and chest bound tightly, but that didn’t change the fact of your sex. A life of adventure on the seas had always called to you but there was no possibility of you being granted work on a ship. The only woman allowed onboard was the carved wooden figurehead of a mermaid that decorated the bow of a vessel. There was no place for you at sea.

Not one to take no for an answer, you found your own way to get work as a sailor. You had spent time aboard trading ships, learning the ways of the trade and earning the trust of the men you crewed alongside. Your last posting had gone so well that the captain of that ship had recommended you to a friend for your next job.

That friend had turned out to be Captain Eliot of The Demeter. Captain Eliot and his First Mate, Wojchek, had asked you a few questions, all of which you answered confidently. The Captain was a kind man who remarked positively at your experience. The First Mate, however, was standoffish, challenging your every answer. Wojchek frowned slightly as the Captain offered you the posting and as they walked away you heard him mutter, “He’s too scrawny, Captain. He won’t be able to pull his weight.”

Captain Eliot had only chuckled, “I thought the same thing when I hired you. Look how wrong I was. You must learn to give people chances, Mr. Wojchek.”

While you appreciated the Captain’s confidence, you made it your mission to show this Mr. Wojchek just how mistaken he was. And for a time, your life aboard the ship was simple. You performed your duties well, befriended the men, took initiative and came to be seen as one of the more ambitious members of the crew. Even Wojchek had to admit, although never to your face, that your were one of the better sailors who had worked under him.

That good will you had earned was probably the only thing that kept the First Mate from throwing you overboard when he found out who you really were. Your secret was discovered when Wojchek had walked in on you unannounced and had discovered you securing your chest binding. After much fussing, he had threatened to toss you off at the next port.

You had pleaded with him to show some kindness and let you stay. Eventually, Wojchek reluctantly agreed to let you remain aboard but warned that he couldn’t help you if the rest of the crew found the truth about you. You had promised him that if you were discovered, you would never let on that he had been any the wiser.

The two of you came to an uneasy agreement and work continued, albeit now with a strained air between you. The men would often remark how the first mate would give you the hardest tasks. You had to agree with them. It did feel like Wojchek was taking out his frustration on you. After one particularly grueling day where he had assigned you to a back to back deck watch, you knew you had no choice but to confront him.

******

You find him in the tiny room assigned to the First Mate of the ship . It was one of the few luxuries he was given on the boat. Whereas you and the other sailors slept where they could in hammocks tied between posts and amongst the cargo, Wojchek had a tiny room all to himself. He even had a porthole, something he takes great pride in.

You hear him groan as you continuously knock on the door, disrupting his peace. Footsteps approach and the door squeaks open. Wojchek grimaces down at you.

“What is it, sailor?”

“I need to speak with you, sir.”

“I don’t have time. Neither do you. It’s nearly your watch.”

“I’m not due on deck for a good while yet.”

“We can talk later. Be on your way.”

He starts to close the door but you push against it, anger surging through you at his dismissal. You barge into his room, slamming the door behind you. Wojchek’s eyes widen for a moment, caught off guard by your boldness. But a moment later, he’s back to his usual gruff self. He glowers, backing away from you like you carry a disease he’s worried is catching.

“This isn’t appropriate.”

“Why? Because I’m a woman?”

“Keep your voice down!”

“It’s not a dirty word.”

“It is when you are disguised as a man on a ship. I’ve kept your secret and I’ll continue to do so. If any of the others were to find out, though…”

“I’ve been sailing with these men for nearly a year. They’re my friends but they’re not the most observant. I think my secret is safe. Besides, if they found out…” you lead off, shrugging your shoulders.

Wojchek’s face darkens at your blasé attitude. “You think these men are your friends? They would turn on you the second they found out the truth about you.”

“That’s not true,” you retort, “just because you hate me doesn’t mean they would.”

“When did I ever say I hate you?”

“You don’t have to. The way you treat me is proof enough. The others may not have realized I’m a woman but they have started to notice you seem to give me the worst tasks and the most watches. They know you don’t like me. Sooner or later, they’ll really try and figure out why. You might be the one that reveals my secret to them without meaning to.”

“I don’t hate you, I…”

He looks at you. Really looks at you, something he tried not to do very often once he noticed how catching sight of you made his heart skip a beat. His shoulders tense as he stares into your bright, vulnerable eyes, so out of place in a sailor.

“You have no idea what a life at sea does to you.” He anticipates the retort you have ready to throw at him and holds up a silencing hand, imploring you to let him finish. “You’ve been on The Demeter for almost a year. No small feat for anyone, man or woman. You’re a good sailor. One of my best. People like you all start out the same, hungry for adventure. They see a life sailing from place to place as an answer to all their problems. And for a time, they’re happy. But eventually, the work breaks you. It keeps you from your family, from your friends. People on land move on while you’re away for months, even years at a time. ”

Wojchek pauses, all the fight leaving him. “When you come back to port, you look for those who promised they’d always be there for you but one day they don’t come back. The ship’s arrival to land no longer brings hope and the sea can no longer mend the hurt that’s inside you. ” He lowers his gaze, perhaps remembering those whom he’s lost over the years.

“The light leaves the men’s eyes once they realize that their world has shrunk to the size of this ship. They have nowhere else they belong. It’s suffocating. They grow resentful. I don’t want that for you. I don’t want to see the light leave your eyes.”

The whiplash of it all makes your head spin. You’ve been so convinced these last few months that this man hates you. Now he’s speaking to you more than he has this whole year. Not only that, it seems the worry over your wellbeing has cost him sleep. More so than a First Mate is supposed to spend worrying about a subordinate…

The light in your eyes? Honestly, you didn’t know that was something you possessed. Maybe a glint of steely determination but you would never have called it anything akin to hope. Your life had always been hard. Being born a woman made life a constant struggle. Being born a poor one made it near impossible.

Wojchek hasn’t moved, still close enough that you can feel the heat coming off of him in the crisp autumn night air that seeps through the tiny cracks in the ship. His eyes, however, keep jumping between your face and the floor. What he’s said has finally sunk in and along with it, his shame of wearing his heart on his sleeve.

You keep your voice low as not to scare him. Seeing the usual rock of a man so skittish makes you approach your next words with the same precision as someone handling explosives. “I was born in squalor to a family that saw my existence as nothing more than a burden. I spent most of my days wondering where my next meal would come from and if I’d have somewhere to sleep. I learned to deal with my lack of means. The thing I never could get over was the fact that I had no one in my life who cared if I lived or died.”

This is nothing you haven’t thought before but something about saying it aloud takes your breath away. A pressure grows in your chest as you fight the emotion that comes with revealing your own secrets. Wojchek doesn’t make it any easier, his once darting gaze now fixed intently on you. It’s your turn to avoid his dark eyes, staring at your shoes as you continue.

“I was never truly happy until I came on The Demeter. I have food, my own bed, purpose, adventure…friends,” the last word almost doesn’t make it past your throat, now tight with emotion. “I finally feel like I have a home.”

It’s only fair that you tell him the whole of your truth seeing how he’d kept your secret for the last few months. He deserves that much. The tension in the room swirls thick but you aren’t sure if it’s because the First Mate is preparing to send you away or not. You wouldn’t blame him if he did throw you off the ship. With you gone, everything could return to the way it was. It might be better for everyone.

You become lost in your own dark thoughts. Wojchek reaches out a hand, brushing your hair, shorn short and shaggy as part of your disguise, off of your face. You close your eyes at the touch, savoring the feel of his calloused fingers skimming so gently across your skin. All too soon, he’s pulling his hand away, remembering himself.

“The Demeter is also the only home I’ve ever known,” Wojchek admits, “It’s a good ship and she’s been strong and true to me. If you’re sure this is where you want to be then you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

You nod your thanks, tears threatening to spill again at the relief of knowing you don’t have to leave. When they begin to roll down your cheeks despite your efforts to keep them hidden, Wojchek tuts softly, “Everything will be alright, kotku.”

You may not know the meaning of the word but you can understand from the tenderness in his eyes that it’s a term of endearment in his native tongue. The realization makes you bold.

“It’s not just the ship or the crew that make The Demeter my home. It’s you.” You force yourself to maintain eye contact with Wojchek, fighting the instinct to look away. The though that he may not return the strength of your feelings sends a shiver of fear through you but you need him to understand how you feel.

Wojchek searches your face for some deceit but finds only raw truth. He takes a step forward mere inches between you now. His hands twitch to reach for you again but he holds himself back. Above all else, Wojchek is a professional. Just because he thinks you want him doesn’t mean he’ll take the risk of abusing the power imbalance between you.

Instead, you take the initiative. “May I kiss you, Mr. Wojchek?” It comes out as nothing more than a whisper but he nods. You lean in, teetering on your toes, never realizing how tall he actually was until now. A particularly strong wave hits the ship and you lose your balance. Before you can lose your footing, he has you in his arms.

Wojchek hikes you up, bringing your face level to his. Years of working the ship have made him strong as an ox and he thanks the gods that he finally has good use for the muscles that hide beneath his tunic.

You press your lips to his and it takes you a few moments to remember to breathe. The kiss is trepidatious and sweet but leaves your stomach swirling with butterflies. Wojchek’s grip tightens on you, scared he’ll find that you’ve been some sprite in his dream that the morning sun will chase away. It feels good to be pressed together like this, limbs intertwined so you’re not sure where you end and he begins.

All too soon, he breaks away, gasping slightly. It seems you weren’t the only one who forgot how breathing works. The sight of the usually stern man so undone by a chaste kiss makes you chuckle. Your hand grazes his cheek, running over his stubble. It’s strange to remember that just an hour ago you were convinced Wojchek wanted nothing more than to throw you overboard. Now he’s holding you like he’ll never let you go. How quickly life can change for the better.

The tranquility is broken by the banging of Olgaren resonating through the wood of the ship. Your watch will soon begin and if you aren’t there to take your post, someone will come looking for you. The ship won’t sail itself and you sigh, realizing you can’t put off your responsibilities in favor of staying with Wojchek all night.

The First Mate groans, “Stay a little longer.”

“I’m late as it is!” You smile at his pout. It’s a new expression you’ve never seen from his before and you push him down onto his tiny bed, kissing him once again. Another bang resounds through the ship and you whine, getting back to your feet.

“I’ll make Abrams cover your watch.” Wojchek offers, staring up at you with comically pleading eyes.

“You’ll have a mutiny on your hands if you come between that man and his sleep. Besides, it’s only four hours. You can even come visit me on deck if you like. It’s single watch so there won’t be anyone around to wonder why we’re together.”

“Four hours?” he grumbles.

“You’re the one who assigned me double watch!”

Wojchek leans back, watching you button your jacket, trying your best to look presentable. He can’t help but smile at the commitment to your work ethic. “I’ll be up as soon as you relieve Olgaren.”

You nod, trying to remove the smile plastered on your face but failing miserably. Hopefully Olgaren is too tired to ask questions when he sees you. “See you soon.”

You’re about to open the door when you remember something. “What does kotku mean?”

Wojchek smiles, “Little cat.”

Once again you’re struck by the sweetness of a man so eager to have the world call him unfeeling. The nickname makes sense. You yourself believe that your presence seems to bring fair weather and good luck to the boat. The Demeter might not have a four legged feline to bring fair fortune but you’re the next best thing; positive, tenacious and willing to do anything for the good of the ship and crew.

You grin at Wojchek, who now lounges happily on his tiny bed, looking somewhat feline himself. “Are you sure you want to call me that? A ship can never be without a cat. It’s bad luck. You’ll never be rid of me.”

Wojchek smiles contentedly, blinking slowly, sleep seemingly not far off. The chances of him joining you on deck for the evening appear to be dwindling. You’d be devastated if he didn’t look so adorable. He nods, beckoning you for one last kiss goodbye. “Good. I’ll keep calling you kotku so we never have to be apart.”

******

#brb on my way to become a sailor so i can meet a grumpy first mate of my own #also it's criminal how little of wojchek was actually in the movie :/#wojchek x reader #wojchek x you #wojchek #last voyage of the demeter #allie writes

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