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book-of-charlie · 4 years

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Zukka Goes to a Ball

Hi, this was supposed to be a fluffy oneshot, but then i wrote out the bullet points, and if I write it later I will add a link to it here but for now it’s gonna be a bullet point fic lads, enjoy

(also I wrote this at like 2 am so I’m sorry for the inevitable spelling mistakes and slight rambling)

AU where Iroh took the throne after Lu Ten died, Ozai was cast out for disrespecting Azulon, Zuko and Azula and Ursa had the option to stay and so they did and Zuko and Azula (especially) are better for it, and so Iroh did all the good shit, opening up trade routes and rebuilding the nations and removing the laws that outlawed homosexuality

Aang is still found when Katara and Sokka are out fishing, but the village is being rebuilt, the men are home, and with the Northern Water Tribe’s help, the two tribes have pooled their resources and customs together to preserve the customs they have/had, but also listened to people like Yue, Sokka, and Katara to see what should be done/changed to help make the future better

The customs mean that Sokka and Katara now have the labels of Prince and Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, just like Yue

But the customs of arranged marriage and waterbending teachings are looser, so Katara is taught by Pakku, who marries their grandmother and they grow up with him as a grandfather

Kya is still dead, the last raid happened right before Iroh took the throne

Aang and Katara spent some time together, fell in love, have been together ever since

Yue and Sokka were engaged (and in love), until the moon thing happened; it happened bc Zhao was a follower of Ozai, and Ozai has gained a group of supporters who prefer Sozin’s, Azulon’s, and Ozai’s ways to that of Iroh’s - and Zhao snuck into the Northern Water Tribe and killed the fish, and Yue gave her life to save it

Sokka is devastated, and the Water Tribes are ready for war, but still hope for peace after so much devastation

Iroh, Hakoda, and Arnook meet to try and solve these things without war, and Iroh explains what happened in the past with Azulon and Ozai, and why the Northern Water Tribe was attacked

The three leaders decide that an all nations ball should be held, and that a union between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes would be the best way to smooth things over, and to show solidarity

So its decided that either Katara or Sokka must marry Zuko or Azula

Katara is in love with Aang, and so Sokka knows he must be the one to marry into the Fire Nation Royal Family

He talks about this to katara, who thanks him like hell for not separating her and Aang (not that she expected him to, but it’s a relief)

Aang finds out and thanks him too, and tells him that as the Avatar and as the only representative for the Air Nation, hes been invited and that bc sokka is his family too he will smite Azula or Zuko if they hurt him

He knows Aang wouldn't hurt a fly (seriously, how is he a vegetarian in the freaking South Pole), but he appreciates that Aang and Katara will be there to watch his back

he’s not too upset about being the one to marry bc he knows his sister will be happy, but honestly hates that this is happening at all bc Yue is dead

katara and aang distract him from these thoughts by asking him wether he think’s he’ll be drawn to the prince or the princess (bc sokka is bi and both have known that for ages)

he’s not sure, say’s he’ll see

In the fire nation, Iroh talks to Ursa, and they both talk to Zuko and Azula

They dont know about Aang and Katara, so Zuko and Azula talk about both Katara and Sokka

Azula is still a bit manipulative, but is working on it, and Zuko trusts her enough to tell her that he hopes that he doesn’t have to marry the Southern Princess

Azula asks why, and Zuko admits he likes boys

Azula is silent for a bit, and then says that she hopes she wont have to marry either one of them because she, Ty Lee, and Mai are dating

Zuko swears that she won’t have to stop dating them, that he will be the one to marry

azula and ty lee and mai are v grateful and vow to back him up and kick water tribe ass if whichever one he marries hurts him

in other news, Suki is at the ball as Earth King Kuei’s plus one/bodyguard, and she and azula hit it off so Suki ends up eventually dating Mai and ty Lee and azula as well

back to our regularly scheduled program

Before the ball, Sokka is getting ready with Chief Arnook (Hakoda is getting ready with Bato bc they dating bc I said so)

Sokka says “i loved her, you know. And I will do this for our tribes, and even if I do learn to love whichever of them I’m to marry, I’m not sure I can ever stop loving her, and I want you to know that I did.”

And hes awkward about it, but Arnook hugs him, and says “She loved you so much, Sokka. And she would want you to be happy, as I’m sure you know.” Then he pulls back.

“I know we are technically two separate tribes, but I want you to know, I still consider you a son.” Sokka cries a little, and nods, happy that he has the blessing of the man who was supposed to be his father in law. Sokkas just happy that he can still have that, and smiles at Yue as she rises to look over the ball

Shes smiling cause she knows whats about to happen, and does indeed wish sokka to be happy as he can and will be

Hakoda and Bato come to wish Sokka good luck, bc Sokka and Katara and Aang already talked to them about how Katara and Aang intend to stay together,

Hakoda mentions how proud he is and sokka has to wipe a few tears from his eyes

Iroh and Ursa know the same thing about Zuko and Azula and Mai and Ty Lee, and both wish Zuko luck as well

Iroh makes sure to say how proud he is, and that Zuko is an honorable man

zuko def isnt crying, nope, but he wipes his tears away and carries on

So Azula and Katara are both planning on pushing Zuko and Sokka towards each other, but honestly there doesnt need to be any pushing

The ball attendees, excluding the royals of each Nation (and the Avatar), get to the ballroom, and the doors open for the royals (who are all announced by name), and of course everyone knows what the ball is for (security is quadrupled, from all the nations)

First comes Fire Lord Iroh, followed by Lady Ursa

Next comes in King Kuei

Next is Chief Arnook

Then Hakoda and Bato

Then Zuko and Azula

Then Aang

And lastly, Sokka and Katara

Zuko and Azula are standing by Iroh’s throne, and as the water tribe royals walk in, Sokka and Zuko make eye contact

And both are so smitten with each other

And at some point, it is asked that at least one of the young fire nation and water tribe royals dance together

And Zuko and Sokka look at each other and grasp each others hands and dance

its a slow waltz

And they just look so right together, the two princes

And they go out on the balcony and talk

Zuko says he wants to get to know sokka better, and sokka agrees

But is hesitant still, and asks zuko if he knows why the ball was happening

Zuko kinda shrugs, and says “there was an attack on the NWT, by firebenders loyal to my father, whos a huge asshole and im glad hes not on the throne. Uncle wanted to prove that hes not his brother, which leads to me having to marry, well, you.”

Sokka nods. “So they didn't tell you.”

“Tell me what?” Zuko asked, confused

“The attack on the NWT. The mission was to kill the moon spirit.” Zuko gasped, quickly checking that the full moon was in the sky, which it was. He knew what it meant, what would have happened to the waterbenders.

“They didn’t succeed, though, clearly.” He says, trying for comforting. Sokka laughed, harshly, without humor.

“They did, actually. Zhao - former Commander, now Admiral of Ozai’s followers - he killed it. My fiance, Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe, had a little bit of life from the moon spirit in her. To save us all, she decided to, according to her father, give it back.”

Sokka looks over to Zuko, who’s horrified

“So they’re expecting you to marry me? That’s kinda fucked up, especially if you loved her as much as it sounds like you do.”

Sokka nods. “Look, Zuko, I like you. I can tell already, I do. But,” and here he looks up at the moon, at Yue, “I will never stop loving her.” Looks back to Zuko “She will always have a part of me, and I need you to understand that if we’re supposed to marry each other.”

Zuko nods, understanding entirely. “It wasnt fair, and I would never ask you to stop loving her. I also can tell that I like you too, Sokka, and I’m willing to follow your lead on this. You clearly did love her, and I completely understand that you will continue to. I’m not…” Zuko takes a deep breath.

“I’m not going to ask you to betray your customs, your family, or any past love. I don’t want you to stop loving her, especially not when you clearly love her so much. And I’m willing to wait as long as you need and/or want to.”

Zuko’s nearly out of breath and hes being so honest it hurts, and Sokka’s crying a little so Zuko freaks out and thinks he said the wrong thing but Sokka is quick to reassure him that he said and did everything right

And they go back inside, together, and everyone looks at them, clearly expecting some kind of announcement here

And Sokka steps up, no longer teary eyed (mostly) and says: “I, Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, with blessings from both Water Tribes, ask for permission from the Fire Lord to court Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.”

Hakoda, Bato, Arnook, Ursa, and Iroh are all by Iroh’s throne, and all of them step up. The guests had already parted the way. Katara and Azula are standing slightly to the side, but still nearby.

“I, Fire Lord Iroh, give permission to Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe to court Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, but only if Prince Zuko agrees to it.”

Both sokka and Zuko sigh in relief, smile, and nod at each other in agreement. Its Zuko’s turn to step up.

“I, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, agree to be courted by Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, with blessings from Fire Lord Iroh. I ask for permission from the Chiefs of both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes to court Prince Sokka.”

Hakoda and Arnook step up. Arnook speaks first. “I give my permission for Prince Sokka to be courted by Prince Zuko.” Hakoda is next. “I also give my permission for Prince Sokka to be courted by Prince Zuko, as long as Prince Sokka agrees to it.”

Sokka smiles at Zuko, and they hold hands to show solidarity between nations. And maybe bc they wanted to

Their sisters and (partners of said sisters) come up to them, smiling

Katara and Aang hug sokka, saying theyre proud of him, but also still thanking him

Azula punches sokka and says to be good to her big brother or else

Sokka says yes ma’am

Katara threatens Zuko, who also responds with a yes ma’am

Azula and Katara shake hands, which scares the ever living fuck out of everyone except Toph who laughs

Shes here bc shes a fuckin beifong

Aang trained with Pakku already (and katara of course) but has been looking for an earthbending teacher, and so convinces Toph to teach him bc bumi gave him the same advice here as in the show

Her parents aren’t entirely convinced, but Iroh offers to have the Beifongs stay (for business reasons, of course, winking at Aang and Toph), and that Toph will be safe here and can make new friends and future alliances between nations, which convinces them enough to agree to stay for a while

Sokka and Katara had to stay anyway of course, and Aang stays with Katara (and hey, wouldnt it be good if he could learn earth and firebending while at the palace), but everyone else went home

Shenanigans ensue

Zuko and sokka get closer as friends

And still really, really, really like each other

And of course theyre courting each other but soon they start like, dating dating

And fall in love

And live happily

Maybe Ozai tries to ruin their happiness but Toph punches him in his stupid face so its all good

#zukka #zukka fics #zuko #sokka

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justknitstuff · 4 years

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Interview Of A Lifetime

Alya salt, Lila salt. “Innocent” Ladybug starting shit. Some redemption.Beware.

^^^

Today had been a pretty good day, according to Alya. Her test grades were good, she’d had a fun lunchtime with Nino, and they’d been given a new project that was right up her alley. Interviewing someone! True it had to be someone important to you. And when Lila had said she’d interview her best friend Ladybug, Alya had vocalized her wish that she too could interview the superhero. But she couldn’t just ask her as a favor for being Rena Rouge, right?

A tapping at her window brought Alya out of her thoughts. Turning away from her computer and towards the window she saw a familiar spotted figure dangling from her window. Quickly Alya jumped up out of her chair and threw open her window. Ladybug smiled as she perched more comfortably on the sill.

“Ladybug! I didn’t hear any warnings, is there an akuma? Do you need Rena Rouge?”

Ladybug shook her head, still smiling gently. “No it’s actually quiet tonight. I came here to see you. May I come in?”

Pure joy flooded through Alya as she stepped back, allowing the superhero to enter. “Of course!” She gestured to the chair she had just abandoned. Ladybug sat in the chair while Alya took the the edge of her bed, practically vibrating with energy. “So not that this isn’t totally cool, but what are you doing here?”

“A friend told me that you had a project for your class, you have to interview someone important to you. They said you wished you could interview me. So, here I am!” Ladybug smiled again.

“Wait, Lila was actually able to tell you that?” Alya asked, shock in her voice because while she really cared about Lila, the Italian girl rarely was able to come through with hey promises to introduce her various celebrity friends. All of them had such busy schedules it was a wonder they had time to hang out with her.

Ladybug’s smile dampened as confusion set in. “Lila?” She questioned. “I think I remember her… Wasn’t she akumatized into Volpina and Chameleon?”

A feeling of doubt began to form in the pit of Alya’s stomach. Ladybug was just messing with her, right? “No, Lila… Your best friend? You hang out with her and save her all the time?”

“What?’ Ladybug asked, more confusion lacing though her voice. “No, I was talking about your friend, Marinette? Her family owns that amazing bakery.”

Momentarily forgetting about Lila, Alya jumped on that fact. “Wait you know their bakery?”

“Oh of course! Everyone knows about it!” Ladybug looked around the room briefly before lowering beer voice while leaning towards Alya. “Don’t tell anyone this please, but I go there often as a civilian. They have the best pastries ever! I overhead Marinette talking to her father about their projects, and she happened to mention your wish while I was there.”

Alya’s eyes widened as a little feeling niggled in the back of her brain. It wouldn’t leave her alone though, so being the blunt reporter she was, voiced it. “But what about Lila? She’s your friend! She told us all, so it must be true, right?”

Ladybug’s face fell, her blue eyes dimming behind the mask. Quietly but with resolution, she answered in a way that set Alya’s mind reeling. “No, Alya. She’s not my friend. I don’t know her outside of her akumatizations.”

“But…” Alya began, but the superhero put up a hand to stop her.

“Look Alya. I like you. And as a civilian I would be honored to have you as a friend.” A mixture of pride and dread swirled in Alya’s stomach. “But I can’t have any friends as Ladybug. It’s too dangerous. Hawkmoth could use you as bait. It’s already dangerous whenever I bring you Trixx. I would never forgive myself if my friendship to anyone put them in danger. I would never announce if I had any friends, and I would hope that if I did, those friends would be smart enough not to go bragging about it for their own safety.”

“But Lila… She doesn’t lie.. She would never lie to me! I’m her friend!”

Ladybug sighed as she watched Alya’s face fall even further. She leaned forward, and scooted the chair closer to Alya. she placed her gloved hands over the other girls shaking ones.

“Alya. I trust you. I trust you with a Miraculous and with my life, and the lives of everyone in Paris. Do you trust me?’

Alya’s eyes widened in shock again, turning her hands over and clasping Ladybug’s in a tight grip. She smiled a wobbly smile, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Of course I do girl! I know you would never lie to anyone. But, why would Lila lie about that?”

Ladybug shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure Alya. Has she said anything else?”

Alya sat back, letting go of Ladybug’s hands and began cataloging the things Lila had told them. “She’s traveled all over the world. She’s on various charity boards. She said Jagged Stone wrote her a song even!”

“Wait…a thirty year old man wrote a song about a fourteen year old girl?”

“Okay, when you put it that way, it sounds creepy.” Alya conceded. If that got around, that could potentially end Jagged’s career. Now that she thought about from Ladybug’s view point, it did sound suspicious. Everyone knew Jagged Stone was eccentric, but would even he go that far? “Um.. She also works closely with Prince Ali…”

Ladybug’s face scrunched up, looking like she was trying to place the name. With how many people she’s saved though, it’s a wonder she could even remember her own! “Wasn’t he the one I saved from your friend Rose when she was akumatized?”

Alya started dumbfounded at Ladybug. ’That’s right! Rose knows him!‘ “Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” Alya cried, fisting her hair.“I should have asked Rose!”

“You didn’t fact check anything she was claiming?” Ladybug asked. “Alya, you’re a reporter. And most importantly, you're my favorite reporter. I trust you to fact check everything you put on the Ladyblog. Why wouldn’t you do that with everything?”

But Alya wasn’t really listening anymore. She was beginning to panic. If Lila lied about it all, then that meant that Marinette was right. Alya was ruining heyy friendship because she wanted to believe in Lila’s stories. They were amazing! Just listening to all the things she did made Alya feel a little more special, because she was friends with this amazing person. This person who was making her alienate the first amazing person Alya had ever met. Their everyday Ladybug. Alya looked up at the real Ladybug, her eyes swimming with the tears that were gathering fast.

“Ladybug, what have I done?” She whispered, horror dawning on her face. Before Ladybug could respond though Alya leapt off her bed and pulled up the Ladyblog. “I put up an interview with Lila about you and her. Please tell me you read it and everything’s correct?” In a last ditch effort to right her now topsy turvy world, she pulled up the interview and grabbed the rolling chair Ladybug was sitting on. She wheeled the superhero over and placed her in front of the computer.

“Whaa!” Ladybug squealed, flinging out her arms in order to balance herself as she was spun and pushed. “Alya you did what?” She asked, turning to the computer to begin reading.

Cold dread washed over Alya as the minutes ticked on, with each time Ladybug pointed out every lie. What had she done? Why did Lila lie? What had she done to Marinette?

At the end, Ladybug turned to Alya and stood up from the chair. “I’m so sorry Alya, but everything she said was untrue.”

“Why though?” Alya whispered, brokenhearted.

“I don’t know. I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. For now though, I can say you should take that down. Look…” Ladybug averted her eyes. “This isn’t how I was planning this night to go. I still want to help you with your project, but you seem very shocked. We’re can pick this up another night.”

Alya merely nodded, now focused on deleting any trace of Lila from the Ladyblog. The feelings of dread now morphed into anger.

“Are you going to be okay tonight? Or do you want me to stick around? I don’t want to see you akumatized because of me… If never forgive myself.” Ladybug finished quietly. That snapped Alya out of her rage induced focus. Sometimes it was so easy to forget and lose yourself in your feelings. Alya took a deep breath and calmed her racing heart.

“No, Ladybug, I’ll be fine. I’m not gonna let her be the reason you have to fight me. I won’t let Hawkmoth use this against me.” She turned and grabbed up the superhero in a fierce hug. Ladybug eep'ed in surprise, but returned the hug. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t try to ask you first about what she was saying. I blindly believed her.”

Ladybug patted her back in a comforting manner. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

’Marinette.’ Alya thought.

“Your readers are going to wonder why you took that down. I think they deserve an explanation and apology.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll get on that tonight.” Alya sighed deeply and let go of Ladybug. “If your offer still stands, can we pick this up tomorrow night? I have someone else more important to apologize to right now.”

Ladybug smiled brightly. “Of course! I’ll come by about the same time, as long as there’s no attacks.”

Alya nodded and told her goodnight, turning to pick up her phone and text her hopefully still best friend.

She missed the triumphant smile that stretched across Ladybug’s face as she tossed her yoyo out the window.

^^^^

A little rushed. I’m sorry for any typos or grammer errors. I also feel like the transition into “oh shit what did I do” could’ve been smoother…but it’s Migraine o’clock, sooooo…

#miraculous ladybug #alya cesaire #alya salt #lila salt #knit writes

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daddystevee · 4 years

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Worlds Collide - part 1

(steve harrington x fem!reader)

A/N: Okay, i think this is gonna be good, but at the same time im not sure. Its a good concept but im just not good at putting my thoughts onto paper. So please forgive me if this part sucks. I wanted to try writing another multi part fic, but this one might be shorter, but who knows anyways.. Enjoyyyy <3

Warnings: none yet

Summary: Modern day au where Steve and reader meet on a dating website, but things don’t exactly go according to plan.

Word count: 1.2k

part 1/?

masterlist

You tried to convince yourself that this would be good for you. Everyone needed someone, no one could take on a world as crazy as ours alone. So when your best friend and roommate told you that you should try to get out there and to sign up for this online dating website, you didn’t fight her on it.

“Alright, that should be fine.” your roommate Cami said to you, adding the finishing touches to your makeup.

“I feel like this is.. just too much.” you say getting up from the chair moving over to the vanity in her room, getting a good look at your ‘new’ face. You don’t think you had ever worn this much makeup in your life, not even for school dances.

After staring at your face for a little bit longer, you feel two hands being placed onto your shoulders, “Y/N, you look amazing.” she says turning you around to face her. “Okay, now we have to go out on the balcony to take some bomb ass selfies.”

On the other side of town, you would find Steve Harrington surrounded by 6 teens. All huddled around a small computer, each person shouting out different things.

“You should put on there that you LOVE kids. Girls love that.”

“No, I would for sure put something about puppies.”

“Oh, yeah. Puppies.”

“No, no, no. Steve don’t listen to them, add some cheesy pickup lines. Those always work.”

And so on and so on. After so long, he could only take so much,

“Alright! That’s enough.” he says a little louder than anticipated, “I’ll put down what I think would sound good.” With that, the kids go silent but continue to watch over the older boys shoulders.

Once Steve has everything he thinks would attract girls, along with a few of the things the kids mentioned, he reluctantly agrees to let the girls help pick out some of the pictures from his phone to put on his profile. Not even 5 minutes later they have several photos uploaded to his computer and onto his page.

Some of him and the kids on Halloween in their matching costumes, showing off that he does in fact love his kids. A few of him out at bars, to prove that he is a social and outgoing person. And even one with him holding a puppy from the time the kids convinced him to go look at dogs at a kennel, because puppies are cute.

After a few days of swiping through the app, you seem to be having shit luck. The guys who have super liked you, aren’t exactly your type, and they guys you’ve had even the slightest interest in never seem to swipe on you.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore Cam, it’s honestly so boring and I’m not getting any matches-” you start to say before she rips your phone out of your hand before plopping down next to you on the couch.

“That’s because you’re not doing it right. Just because you and someone match, doesn’t mean you have to reach back out to them.” she then proceeds to start swiping on almost every single guy. As she’s doing so, you do seem to be getting more and more matches, then right as she’s about to swipe left on someone you stop her.

“Wait, he’s really cute.” you say, emphasis on the ‘really’, while peering over your friends shoulder, “Steve Harrington huh? Has kind of a ring to it don’t ya think?”

She hands the phone over to you and allows you to do the honors. Upon swiping right, it’s an immediate match. You gasp and turn to Cami, with a look of complete shock on your face. You hear a ding, then a little notification comes up on the screen saying,

what are ya waiting for? make your move!

“What do I say?” you ask still in shock that someone, you thought was cute matched with you. “Oh wait, I got it.”

"Be honest. Is that dog really yours or just for props?"

You giggled to yourself at your question thinking it was hilarious, hoping he would find it funny too. But when the ‘sent’ changed to ‘read’ your laughter stopped, it was no longer funny. What if he didn’t think it was funny, what if he matched on accident? What if he unmatched because of your stupid opener.

All of your worries went away when you saw that he was typing…

“alright, you caught me. not my dog, but you're cuter than any dog i’ve ever seen.”

“Dustin!” Steve yelled, snatching his phone out of his smaller friends hand, “Dude you don’t just blurt that kinda shit out.”

“i’m sorry, that’s not something i would actually say.”

“Alright, try again lmao.”

“it’s my friends, they set me up on this app. i’ve never really done anything like this before, so they’re trying to help me out, but aren’t doing a very good job.” read

“okay, okay. how about, you let me take you out on a date and we can talk, and get to know each other. no distractions” read

A few minutes pass with no response, “Shit! Shit, shit, shit.. this is awkward, she thinks I'm an idiot.”

Steve feels a hand on his shoulder, he turns around to see Will looking over his shoulder.

“Just give her some time, maybe she’s busy. Or trying to come up with a response?” As soon as the words come out of his mouth, a ding comes from Steve’s phone. He snaps his head towards his hands and his face lights up with a smile.

“Sure, sounds good to me. Gives me a chance to do this on my own, my roommate’s been up my ass this whole time. You got a snapchat? You know so I can get in contact with you outside the app.”

“Guys! I did it! She wants my snapchat!” Steve says looking to the teens who are sitting around a laptop, watching Netflix, paying no attention to him.

“yeah, totally. it’s stevethehair”

“Okay, hold on I'll add you.”

You go and add him on snapchat, the two of you hit it off instantly, and start to plan out your date. He’s planning on taking you to this diner named ‘Benny’s’ for dinner later in the week, due to busy work schedules throughout the week.

As the days go by, and you spend your time on your bed watching Cami go through the clothing in your closet. Walking from room to room pulling pieces of clothing together to make a full outfit.

“You don’t wanna over dress, but you also don’t want to under dress. You feel me?”

You nod your head when your phone vibrates on your leg. Picking up the phone, the smile that was once on your face slowly turns into a frown.

Cami turns around with a pair of jeans and a cute crop top to go with it, but notices your face and drops all of the clothes.

“Wait, what just happened you were so happy like 2 seconds ago.”

“It’s Steve. He just canceled.”

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fic #kait writes #Worlds Collide #worlds collide au #au #fic #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things fic #stranger things au #steve harrington au #modern day stranger things #modern day fic

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vln-vibes · 4 years

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The Raven and the Robin: (2)Legacy Day

Thanks for reading this dudes, I didn’t think it’d get alot of traction. Onto the story,

Summary: It’s Legacy Day but Raven knows her heart isn’t set on signing her book, perhaps Maddie knows what to do.

@justafanwarrior @insomniac-nerd-posts-things

Mara Queen walked the halls of her castle, well her and her husband’s, trying to find the little prince and princess.

“Where are my little birds?” Mara called out, keeping an ear out for any giggles.

“Hehehe”

Underneath the dining room table then.

“Oh where could my birds be? Surely they have not flown out the window!” Mara dramatically wept out, her platinum blonde, practically white, hair with varying shades of purple streaks, swaying as she quickly ducked underneath the large mahogany table. Her violet eyes twinkled in mirth as she heard the two children yelled in surprise.

“Mommy you found us!” her youngest, Robin, giggled as Raven pushed her way out from behind the chairs before helping Robin along. The Tornado Twins, she heard some of the castle staff call them fondly with how quickly they would appear and leave disaster behind. It made things better and worse that they had magical powers.

Robin had her white hair while Raven had James’s ebony locks, both had wavy hair. Both her children were faired skin though that was no surprise. While Raven had cerulean eyes, Robin’s were seagreen, a bit darker than her own before she signed away her destiny.

They were little troublemakers but they were hers.

“Look at you two, you look like a mess” Mara sighed, the grass stains and dust on their faces and clothes not looking like they’d be easy to clean up by hand. Luckily she had just the spell.

“From rags to riches, dull to shine, Clean these twin royals of mine”

“Aww but mommy we want to play here” Robin whined as his little golden crown tilted on his head, Raven following behind her with little prompting.

“Well you could stay here” Mara teased “Or you could accompany me for lunch with the Badwolfs and Hunters”

“Are our friends going to be there mom?” Raven shyly asked, taking a hold of Robin’s hand.

“We’ll find out when we get there”

And with that the three King-Queens headed out for a play date, one of the last they’d go to as a family.

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

Raven found herself in a state of unease as she walked down the halls of Ever After High on the morning of Legacy Day.

Ever since she was outed as the daughter of the Good King, therefore also the daughter of the Evil Queen, she’d been outcast by most of her classmates; suddenly she was an unpredictable evil witch instead of the quiet but sassy girl most assumed would be a royal. Apple and Headmaster Grimm had even tried to remove her things from Maddie’s room and Raven did not regret the hex she placed on them then or when they tried messing with her schedule a month into the school year.

She hated Legacy Day.

“Maddie, you have to help me.” Raven sighed as she grabbed onto her BFFA,“ I don't feel like I can sign the Storybook of Legends, but I don't wanna let everyone down either.”

“And do not forget the whole, ‘If you don't sign, your story disappears—poof!—and you may vanish into oblivion!’” Maddie emphasized with a large gesture of her hands before taking a large gulp of air “That's a thing you know, and it's gotta hurt.”

“But we don't know if that's true.”

“But what if it is?”

“But what if it's not?”

“But what if it is?”

“You're not helping.” Raven sighed once more, beginning to think that refusing to sign was a hopeless endeavor.

“Wait a tick! I think I know who can help.” with a snap of her fingers Maddie began to bounce excitedly and began to gesture to the library wing of the school. Not a moment too soon as Raven could see Apple White begin to wave her hand at her and make her way towards the duo.

“Ooh! Raven! There you are. We have to talk.”

As they hid behind one of the library shelves Maddie began to knock on the door behind them, a mist surrounding the hidden duo before taking them into another room.

“If anyone knows the truth about the Storybook of Legends, it's Giles Grimm!” Maddie laughed, gesturing across the curtain to reveal a lanky graying man, she could see some similarities with the Headmaster though their way of presenting themselves was like night and day; Giles was casual if a little more hobo looking while Milton always made sure he looked as crisp and pristine as possible.

“Feathers and friends! Together, alone.” Giles Grimm bowed to the young princess.

“He's speaking Riddlish! He was cursed with the babble spell. Makes him sound, you know...cu-roo-coocoo!” Maddie explained as she waved her fingers around her head, “ He says it's nice to have us here.”

“Ask him about the book! If I don't sign, am I really gonna... uh, disappear?” Raven requested, feeling her nerves build up.

“Mmhmm! Can the musical chair change its tone when the tablet of granite is inscribed with a bone?” Maddie translated for her friend.

“Hmm...the constellation lays incomplete in the sky tonight, does this mean the night will not arrive?”

“Oh” Maddie’s demeanor seemed to droop for a second as she turned to Raven “He knows that your story doesn’t have all its active roles but he doesn’t know how the storybook will take it if it finds out”

“Bu-But what about signing? Even if the story doesn’t have all its roles do I still need to sign or will something happen?” Raven could feel as her throat began to constrict, an invisible bile going up her throat as she recalled the missing piece of the story.

“The king who sings with pages of sky fears too much the dawn that rises with lies.” Giles gave a sympathetic look to Raven before talking to Maddie.

“He says there's something wrong with the book, and that if you don't sign, your story will…”

“What? WHAT?” Raven opened her eyes to see Maddie already having set up a tea party and serving a cup to Giles.

“Oh, sorry! If you don't sign, your story will continue.”

“Ah, really? Oh that's great.”

“...I think.”

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

Raven had to stop herself from glaring at Apple as the girl only stared her down; everyone was surprised when she arrived in her “Good King” outfit.

It was a bit of an old style for Raven’s style but a little bit of magic helped adjust to her taste, just a bit. Raven proudly wore the same white suit all the Good Kings had worn, her father included, a 19th century styled German army suit that the original Good King wore, with golden accents on the shoulders, buttons and embroidery, the original loose white pants with golden embroidery on the side of the leg becoming more form fitting, shiny black leather boots, with some added heel, and white gloves tying it together before adding the finishing touches. Raven had made sure to correctly adjust the clasps on her carmine velvet cape with white fur on its trims and that the crown, a golden trimmed crown with different colored jewels carefully placed on it and a velvet cap underneath it.

“Shouldn’t you be wearing the same thing all Evil Queens wore before?” Apple asked in a forced polite voice, after all her Evil Queen couldn’t be wearing the suit her grandfather wore for Legacy Day… even if her mother never liked talking about him.

“Shouldn’t you be wearing the same clothes the Snow Whites have before?” Raven stared at Apple’s dress, clearly tailored for today even though it was not the way Legacy Day worked; they were supposed to be wearing the suits the Originals wore in their stories. For someone all about tradition, Raven couldn’t help but think that Apple was just full of it.

At that Apple just went back to the unofficial “Royal” side of the courtyard. Raven made her way with the Rebels.

“Fables and Gentletales! It is my honor to welcome you to the newest generation of Legacy Day”

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

This was so unfairest.

Raven had been clapping politely as her friend’s turn was coming up only to be thrown a curveball.

They were not going in order of Author or even Fairy Tale title; they were just going in random order.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was up first, as it had been during rehearsals.

“I, Alistair Liddell-Wonderland, son of Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, promise to fulfill my destiny as the next Alice and resolve every riddle that stands in my way!” The crowd cheered as Alistair finished his speech, silver key appearing over his hand before placing it in the book. Raven winced from her seat, recalling the fact that Alistair and the other Wonderlandians couldn’t go back because of the Evil Queen’s spell. Well Alistair already completed his story; all Alice’s did before Legacy Day even happened. Every Alice would fall in a rabbit hole and into Wonderland after being spied on by that White Rabbit by the age of seven. It was an Alice thing according to Maddie.

Bunny Blanc was the only “Role” that was unavailable during the ceremony. She didn’t escape with the others and was still stuck in Wonderland.

Kitty Cheshire, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Hearts and Maddie each signed the Storybook of Legends after Alistair was done.

Then Headmaster Grimm just had to meddle; Snow White was going up next.

“I am Hunter Huntsman, son of the Huntsman from Snow White and Red Riding Hood, and I am here to pledge… my destiny” Hunter forced a smile on his face, it's not as though he was ever ashamed of his destiny but well𑁋 As a vegetarian he couldn’t help but dislike certain aspects of his role, namely the slaughter of animals. He faced the crowd as the bronze key appeared before him and inserted it into the Storybook of Legends. The flipping of pages giving a small breeze to his forest green hood as he watched the scenes before him.

He was strolling through the woods, animals on the look for him. The animals rushed to him and gestured to a familiar looking cottage; he had to pull Ramona and Cerise away from a fight, neither looking too happy at old Ruby Hood, the Red Riding Hood before their mom. He just walked away from the cottage with the girls before he received a message on his mirror phone from an unidentified number that “requested his services”. It showed him at the steps of a castle… wait what? The pictures after that were all blurred, as though water had spilled on top of them.

Hunter was snapped out of his stupor as the feather appeared before him; Hunter Huntsman was officially the next Huntsman for the two stories.

“Raven Queen” Headmaster Grimm called out, much to Raven’s annoyance as she walked up the staircase.

“I am Raven King-Queen, daughter of the Good King and the Evil Queen, and I pledge um…”

Raven took the golden key before her, a small crown with a ruby crystal on top, inserting it in the Storybook. With a sigh she twisted the key in the lock as the pages began to fly.

Raven couldn’t control the whirlwind of emotions she felt as the story unfolded before her. She hadn’t realized the magic she unleashed, all the mega mirrors now showing what she looked at.

Raven, at ten years old, stood side by side with a boy with white hair, the duo walking through the halls of the King-Queen “Good” castle. Eleven year old Raven watched as the white haired boy, both now having streaks of royal blue and regal purple in their hair, seemed to be bossing around a younger Hunter Huntsman. Raven was now thirteen years old, watching from her room as a crystal object was being carried away by castle staff. Seventeen year old Raven (this year?) watched as an armored figure leaned forward, a crystal coffin people realized, and gave a kiss to the unseen person inside of it.

Raven had enough. She knew what she had to do.

“I am Raven King-Queen, daughter of the Good King and Evil Queen, here to announce that it is my destiny to become the next Good King” Raven ignored the shocked looks or cheers coming from the Royal side as the Rebels just continued to stare.

Raven shut the book.

“But I will not be signing the Storybook of Legends; I’ll find my own Happily Ever After”

“Oh my…”

“Yaayyy!”

“Raven did it!”

All the mirrors shattered once the book was closed. Raven looked around she realized that nothing had happened after that. She was still alive, everyone was still alive.

“You lied! I didn’t disappear” Raven’s fury was directed at Milton Grimm, cerulean eyes lit up

“Are you here to make a fool of me young lady!” Milton barked, his skin gaining a red tint to it, similarly to Apple as she glared at Raven.

“I told you I wasn’t the Evil Queen” she huffed back

“Ho-How could you be so selfish! If you’re not the Evil Queen to my story then who is!” Apple demanded.

Raven stopped herself from losing grip of her emotions again, she turned back and gave Apple a solemn look “That’s another story ever after”

Raven King-Queen stepped down the staircase, towards her awaiting friends, and never looked back.

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

After the ceremony was postponed until further notice, Milton Grimm stormed up into the hidden entrance of the tower where the Magic Mirror was kept.

She would be talking to him whether she was willing or not.

“What is the meaning of this! Where is the new Evil Queen! What have you𑁋”

Milton Grimm was shocked at the sight within the mirror. No longer did she wear the bird skull crown or have black, purple and magenta hair, or even the same dress she had when destroying the other stories.

It was as though the Evil Queen many had come to fear was gone.

Crying within the mirror was the same Mara Queen he had recognized from her own days at Ever After, amethyst eyes she only gained after Legacy Day looked at him in distress and horror.

“What have I done?”

AO3 KO-FI

#Ever After High #EAH #Ever after high au #The Raven and the Robin #EAH au #salt #EAH Fanfic #Raven Queen #Raven King AU #Raven centric #Eve-Valution

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brutal-kittenxx · 3 years

Text

I decided to post my English Essay from a while back here, cause why not

It was a typical ordinary day in The Cult Of The Neighborhood with the ordinary sacrifices and rituals, but this day was different and only came once or twice a month depending on how many sacrifices were made, it was time to decide who will be choosing the next sacrifices. This is a special event for some because you can get rid of those you hate, and the first sacrifice you make will be the most exciting for there are no limits to who your first sacrifice is. This time the privilege was to fall onto Mister Rogers. Mister Rogers was surprised as he never got the honor to choose the sacrifice, and it was perfect timing too as his good friend no more was to be the sacrifice that of which he chose.The man in question to be sacrificed is David Tarantino, a known rebellion to the cult. What he had done was perform a ritual not allowed by the cult, he succeeded in performing it and even escaped, however his two partners were caught and the room was not cleaned and left a mess. The two partners' names were Billy Mays, who had to clean the room, and Phil Swift, whose job was to dismember the bodies. They admitted that the mastermind behind the ritual was David Tarantino, and Phil Swift added in that he was the one who wrote on the walls with blood “That’s a lotta damage, now we’re gonna fix it with flex seal!”. After hearing this they decided to wait for punishment until Tarantino had been captured, so that all may be killed at once. Rogers didn’t want to wait because he was rebellious but too useful to abandon, so he decided to figure out what the ritual was himself and who he sacrificed. He eventually unsolved it, but was too horrified by who it was that he didn’t tell anyone what he had figured out. Rogers knew where and how to find Tarantino but couldn’t bring himself to do it to avenge the ones he had taken away that night, but when he was chosen to be able to choose the sacrifice, he had suddenly gotten the courage to find Tarantino and sacrifice him. Upon hearing that Rogers decided to choose Tarantino as a sacrifice, the leaders were reluctant at first but eventually decided that they might as well get it over with and the sacrifice will be their punishment. There was one problem though, no matter how much other cult members wanted to help, there was a rule for sacrifices that none were to help unless they personally knew him and even if they did, they aren’t allowed to help too much as most of the ritual must be performed by the mastermind of the operation. Mister Rogers knew this and had only one friend remaining since Tarantino, this was a man who he was good friends with even before either of them joined the cult. This friend was Dr. Emmet Brown, he was crazy but knew how to get all the supplies they need and clear out an area for the ritual. Rogers decided to tell Emmet Brown his plan and the only thing that Brown could respond with was “GREAT SCOTT, That’s a Great Idea, and I know just how and where to get the materials for it!”. The Doc then left after that to get the supplies and clear out the location so that no one other than the cult knows what happened. All that was left now was to get Tarantino to agree to meetup together. Mister Rogers left to go find Tarantino, and he knew a couple possible locations. First possible location was a bar, he wasn’t there. Second possible location was a pizza shop owned by mobsters whose slogan was “We Outpizza’d The Hut”. Now, the third and final possible location was a private gun store with a shooting range called Ammu-Nation. Luckily for Mister Rogers, he had access to Ammu-Nation but he had a problem, he hadn’t been there in years. To be inconspicuous, Rogers walked in and started browsing the small firearms that he can buy without making too much contact or interaction with the others in there. While blending in he managed to notice an order for more ammo for someone named “Kobe Bryant”. Rogers knew that meant Tarantino, it was their nickname they gave each other, Rogers’ was “David Blaine”. The time that it was scheduled for was 5 hours before the deadline of the sacrifice, Rogers was going to have to be the smoothest of talkers to get him to the location before it ends. He ordered a weapon and was to pick it up 10 minutes before the order of ammo for Tarantino. Later, he arrived to pick up his weapon and decided to test it in the shooting range while waiting for Tarantino to arrive. Soon after, Tarantino arrived in an armored truck ready to have the ammo loaded in the back, and with a couple of hired guns for protection. Rogers waited for Tarantino to have little people around them, then he approached him.

“David, is that you?” “Rogers, what are you doing back here?” “I decided to check on how the place has changed and also to get a new weapon, here look at this” “How did you get something this fancy?” “The looks aren’t all, check the chamber” “Why? This is a FMJ bullet, and it is also a .375 caliber. This isn’t your style. You go for weak and common rounds found in any store with an extended mag. Preferably the glock.” “Well, I thought I'd get something stronger for special occasions.” “What type of occasions?” “Don’t know yet, but when the time comes you will be the first to know that I used it and who I use it on.” This went on for a while of them discussing the guns they use, and what they have been doing since they last talked. “Oh, Rogers, you know I have been telling you that I was planning on creating my own gang to rule this city. Those hired guns over there protecting the truck are actually some gang members. Our gang may be small and not well known but it will be better than others soon, that’s why we’re stocking up on ammo.” Rogers’ suspicion was right, the ritual performed years ago was a ritual required in the city to become a gang leader. You must sacrifice someone really close to your best friend. Either family, their girlfriend/boyfriend, or pet. The more sacrificed makes you have more respect and strength when creating your gang. Tarantino sacrificed some of the most people while in the cult, so he is well respected, but no one really joins his gang because they know just how many people he sacrificed and how crazy he was. “David, how about we hang out a little. It’s been a long time since we hung out, and I think it would be better to hang out than just have a quick conversation.” “Right you are Rogers, it is better, but I need to deliver these supplies back to the gang.” “Don’t worry about that, here just put your gangs sign on the side and make it noticeable so no one will dare mess with you.” “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. JOSEPH, you know where to take the supplies, so take them there! Now, where do you want to go hang out.” “I cleared out an arcade all for ourselves, you know the one with the games, bowling, and laser tag, or if you want it has a mini restaurant. It’s The Peak.” “Bro, I haven’t been there in a while. I’ll totally go. I’ll just get the delorean and we’ll go there.” After that he went around the corner and drove back in his delorean, no not the one from back to the future, the one from 1982. They left and arrived at The Peak with the new cult members that Tarantino doesn’t know about in the staff uniform, and no other customers there. It was going according to plan. Rogers took him around to play the games and go bowling, trying to avoid the laser tag, saying it was “the spectacular end to this day.”. They played for a couple hours and then went to the gift shop and bought a bunch of big pixy stix. Rogers got a message from “Anonymous 174” saying that the laser tag is ready, he knew that this was Emmet Brown because he is the one who he gets messages from most and messages most. He waited for Tarantino to come out of the giftshop before saying “It is time for the end, let’s go shoot some lasers”. When they went in the room to suit up, there was a box there with a note saying “the other vests and guns were either low on battery or broken, use these until we get more available.”. “David, you should be the red team. I mean, it IS your favorite color.” “Are you sure? What about you? Don’t you like it more than me?” “Yes, but this is a special occasion, you should wear it.” “Oh, alright, but you better not complain you can’t fight because you aren’t used to wearing blue.”. They then picked up their weapons and Rogers found a hidden, almost impossible note to notice in the Doc’s handwriting that said “You will need to hold down the trigger for the blast to really work, otherwise it is a normal laser gun”. This worked perfect for Rogers getting Tarantino to believe this is all real, he can shoot a couple shots first then charge one and get a hit on him. Only one problem, Tarantino likes to hide behind barricade and never come out and move until he thinks it’s been compromised. The game went on for about 30 minutes until Rogers finally snuck up on Tarantino and charged a blast on him when a lot of electricity shot out, and Tarantino’s suit was destroyed while he was knocked unconscious to the point you’d think it was a coma. When Tarantino woke up an hour later, he was tied to his buddies Phil Swift and Billy Mays with a giant pentagram beneath them. “What is the meaning of this Rogers!” “You killed my family many years ago, and I still can’t sleep because of it.” “You know I had to do it to become a gang leader!” “I trusted you, but becoming a leader of your own gang was more important to you” “Couldn’t you have killed my family” “You wouldn’t care about your family, never have, but being betrayed by me will be similar since you betrayed my whole family. Now get ready, you will feel their pain from that night.” Rogers then took off a blanket and revealed knives, swords, and tasers. He then proceeded to chop them up starting with Billy Mays, then Phil Swift, and ending with Tarantino. Before Rogers chopped up Tarantino and begun the ritual, he asked “Did you feel anything during the murder” “No, I was blinded by the possibility of becoming a gang leader” “Good, cause I definitely won’t feel anything” Then he chopped him up and begun the ritual when out of the literal darkness of the room, cult members appeared and begun the chant. IT IS DONE.

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brandtmax · 4 years

Text

welcome back to gallagher academy, soo-yun ‘maxine’ brandt ! according to their records, they’re a first year, specializing in research & development; and they did not go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of ( sugar-free mints, a messy low bun, wisps of hair alongside her face, the end of a pen between her teeth, the patek philippe calatrava 4897r-010 in rose gold, off-white pants in every fabric ). when it’s the ( virgo ) ’s birthday on 08/23/1997, they always request their japchae from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation.

henlo it me again i hope u guys aren’t sick of me yet bc i have a new bby named max! i’ve written a lot™️ so brace urself but it’s worth it ( i think ) + trigger warnings: death and alcohol dependency under the cut xxx

the basics

full name: soo-yun ‘ maxine ’ brandt

nicknames: max — just max

age: twenty-two years old

birthday: august 23rd, 1997

gender: cis female

preferred pronouns: she / her

sexuality: bisexual

major: research & development ( formerly a b.a. political science degree from yale university )

known languages: english ( native ) / german ( native ) / korean ( native )

background

nationality: american

birthplace: new haven, connecticut, new hampshire

current location: gallagher academy, roseville, virginia

financial status: upper class

religion: non-theistic

appearance

eye color: brown

hair color: black

height: 5′8.5″

notable features: curly hair on lazy days, rosy cheeks

usual mood and expression: calm, furrowed eyebrows whenever her eyes are on work; lethargic and irritable when she’s overworked ( or without alcohol )

family

birth order: second born

parents: soon-bok ‘ vivian ’ jang and stephen brandt ( d. 2018 )

siblings: min-jun ‘ parker ’ brandt ( b. 1995 ) & georgia ‘ gigi ’ brandt ( b. 2001 )

significant others: chris harmon ( 2013-2015 ) / ava carrillo ( 2015-2016 )

her story so far (this is so long n serious lol)

soo-yun 'maxine' brandt was born and raised in new haven, connecticut, to jang soon-bok ( vivian ), a surgeon, and stephen brandt, a ( n allegedly shady ) criminal justice lawyer.

the brandt siblings were raised like any other blue-blooded, very strict but loving household ( strict = mom / loving = dad )

brandt house rules: get straight a’s, follow the 12 am curfew and don't bring anyone home that you know you’d get disowned for. follow those three rules, and you can do whatever you want.

there was pressure for the brandt siblings to be academically accomplished, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. they were well-tutored, semi-popular, attractive teenagers, which were common in new haven, and everyone knew they were destined for ivy league.

in high school, she dated chris harmon, and it was the kind of relationship that could only be described as the personification of a kinder egg. sweet on the outside, a waste of time and money on the inside.

which is fine; it took max about 2 months to get over it when they broke up halfway through senior year, because neither of them thought of their relationship going far. the joy of getting into yale ( already expected ) trumped the feeling of losing a boyfriend. she even bet parker $5,000 she'd get early admission. she won.

during college, she had an on-off relationship with ava carrillo for a year, which inevitably became a permanent off. it turned out that it wasn't a good idea to throw herself into a committed relationship the minute she stepped foot into yale. max never had the time, and ava didn't have the patience. at least she tried it tho !

things seemed to be on the up and up for their family, and the worst thing max has ever been through is being awake for 24 straight hours to prepare for a final presentation. but ! you know what they say about the calm before the storm.

( tw: death ) on december 18, 2018, their father unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack during a layover flight in new york. the brandt family was at home when they heard the news. needless to say, they had a quiet christmas and new year.

the family tried to move on as best they could, but the siblings knew their dad's death irreversibly changed their mom. they have a rocky relationship to begin with, the siblings always feeling like vivian never wanted to become a parent and only did so for their father. they have absolutely no mother-children bond, and it got worse when stephen died. being the older brother, parker took it upon himself to take care of vivian, balancing that with running the home stretch with his undergrad degree.

on the other hand, maxine still had a few years left at yale. no amount of therapy helped her cope with the loss of her father, the way her mother seemed to become a shell of herself, how parker had to break the momentum of his career to be there for their mom, and the constant pressure to do good academically.

( tw: alcohol dependency ) it started with buying bottled moscow mules because she didn't like how beer tasted, and she wasn't dumb enough to go straight to hard liquor. just one to take the edge off whenever stacks of coursework became too much, or when her mother would send her an email talking about her day, and she didn't have the courage to read it. then it went from a one, two, three-time thing to a whenever-i'm-upset thing, which slid into a whenever-i-feel-like-it thing. after a while, it became a daylight thing where she would add a splash of soju ( or whatever ) to her lunchtime drinks, and she genuinely thought it was just a funny idea at first. max wasn't the only day drinker in her social group, anyway. she found it acceptable, no different than how other people would pound red bull every 6 hours like it's their life force. it was manageable for her since she was able to schedule when she'd be indisposed, and she still can.

parker had ( and still has ) no clue. despite the two being close, max spared him the burden of having another thing to worry about. as long as she can control it ( or she thinks she can ) then nobody had anything to worry about.

eventually, both maxine and parker were offered the opportunity to join gallagher academy, with parker in line to graduate with honors in global affairs and maxine, not far behind with her own impressive academic portfolio in political science.

though really, her acceptance into gallagher has less to do with her published papers ( still impressive, tho ) and more to do with her covertly helping her father win cases by doing some expert sleuthing, strategizing, witness dispatching + discrediting, sexc breaking and entering, and good, old-fashioned manipulation !

it was something they both wanted; to be a part of the bigger picture in the world, but they knew they couldn't leave their mother alone. parker, who chose to make the sacrifice, let maxine go and stayed behind to take care of vivian.

( but if we’re honest, maxine would’ve left for gallagher regardless if parker was coming with her, but she’ll never tell him that )

despite the guilt and telling parker she wasn't going anywhere ( cough ), he insisted on her taking the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a part of something they never knew existed. he knew they were going to end up resenting each other if they both stayed. at least one person in the family should be doing something that made them happy.

and so max dropped out of yale and left for roseville, even though she hadn't thoroughly planned out her career trajectory.

she’s eager not just because of the school, obviously. she can't handle going back to their childhood home and seeing how hollow everything is. plus, the immense anger and denial she feels over her dad’s untimely death has no place in new haven anymore.

she promised parker she'd make it up to him, though. somehow, someday.

who is this b*nch

max is relatively easy to get along with, tbh !

she’s a mood matcher; meaning if you’re nice to her, then she’s nice to you ( and if you’re gonna be a punk bitch, then she’ll be a punk bitch right back )

she’s a lil spoiled, lil sheltered, and lil ignorant but her general friendliness makes up for it, she’s the type to be friends with ( almost ) everyone

internally: perfectionist to the point of being ruthless, first place is the only acceptable place, meticulous, neurotic, workaholic, overachiever, if you’re not useful then what’s your purpose?, slightly egotistical, etc etc

externally: caring, protective, and supportive mom friend who just wants people to get their shit together because inadequacy is unacceptable, fixer, likes to dip into different social circles, consciously makes the effort to be more patient with people

she’s incredibly ambitious ? morally ambiguous ? slightly self-serving and self-involved ? her father’s a criminal “justice” lawyer whose clientele doesn’t exactly consist of the beacons of society so... she learned a lot of lessons about how you can win any case in the courtroom if you’re smart enough to a ) make a good story, b ) get the fitting evidence by any means necessary, c ) discredit and discard the necessary people, and d ) be charming and persuasive enough to rock the jury

she’s actively trying to be more open-minded and assimilate to a diverse group of people because back in yale she was definitely in a wasp bubble, and admittedly there are times where she will come off as super snobby without meaning to and tbh sorry about it

she’s still an extremely sociable person because yale also taught her how to network like a motherfucker, and how it’s important to know / be friends with everyone

honestly, intense people turn her off ( both positive and negative ) a little because she can't handle concentrated personalities in one sitting

even though she’s a little intense herself sometimes but it’s fine, we love hypocrites in this house !

neat freak ? but honestly who doesn’t like a friend who squeegees the shower every day and has a tiny can of lysol in their bag and an aroma diffuser with three ( 3 ) oil blends

she’s like... weirdly aggressive sometimes and most definitely has anger issues ( still in denial over her father unexpectedly passing away and getting stuck with a mom who doesn’t like her own children very much )

but also, she’s just agro in general and has a number of physical hobbies. she’s an ice skater, equestrian, a soulcyclist, and a kickboxer. she can fite.

she’s not the type to make fun of herself because she's not at a point where she sees qualities in her that are okay to laugh at ( unless you’re tight )

keeps her negative juju to herself because she’s a very private person

will prioritize work over play because she'd hardwired like that, but that doesn't mean she's anti-fun ( clearly )

definitely needs to loosen up a little that doesn't involve alcohol... jenga perhaps ? or actually try therapy again ?

very effectively sneaky about her growing alcohol dependency ( sugar-free breath mints, brushes her teeth + uses mouthwash after every meal )

dry sense of humor

at all times: wears a 1-carat, emerald cut, pavé diamond ring ( family heirloom ) + carries her trusty black hydro flask with her ( 24 oz. ) and no one is allowed to drink from it !

her signature scent is le labo bergamote 22 🤍

hmu on my discord @ tin#0697 for plottage !

#gallagher:intro #death tw #alcoholism tw #alcohol dependency tw #ps when u see a typo #just close ur eyes

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txst-psf · 4 years

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Druidry and Irish Polytheism 101

Hi all!

I know this time of isolation and global crisis is wildly boring and stressful, so hopefully a few informative posts will help to keep you busy and distracted! Remember to practice tons of self care, and keep a regular cleaning schedule to stay healthy. I love you all!

- Wren

See below the read more break for Druidry 101!

DISCLAIMER: this is my own personal understanding and experience with Druidry (based on research, but still filtered through my perspective), so, like with all research you do, take this with a grain of salt! I consider myself an Irish Polytheist Reconstructionist as well, so this article will be based on Irish Druidry in particular.

First off, let’s explore what “reconstructionism” is. Reconstructionism is looking to history and finding (to the best of our ability) the practices ancient practitioners used and recreating the tradition as if it had evolved naturally with time. Not all Pagans/Druids/witches are reconstructionists, and that’s perfectly valid! If you know me or have heard any of my workshops before, you know how much I love research, and that’s partly because of the reconstructionist approach I take to my practice. I like to know why I do the things I do in the way that I do them, as well as the most “authentic” way to practice and honor my deities (for lack of a better word! Other approaches to Paganism and witchcraft are valid as well, it all depends on the practitioner. No two paths are the same, and that’s part of the beauty of Paganism and magic!).

That being said, the history of Druidry is complicated and muddy, due to the stark lack of primary sources. A lot of the information we have is filtered through a prejudiced Roman or Christian perspective, so we have to sift through the resources we do have very carefully to try to piece together the true history of Druidry and ancient Celtic practices. It’s also enough content to warrant several other posts... So let me know if you’d like to hear more about it and how Druids fit into ancient society (and if you just can’t wait, a good start is researching the four cycles of Irish mythology)!

For now, I’ll focus on what my favorite author (Morgan Daimler) considers to be “commonly held beliefs” in Irish Reconstructionist Polytheism, “...polytheism, animism, belief in honoring spirits and ancestors, immortality of the soul, and shared cosmology.”

Polytheism and Animism

Polytheism is the belief in more than one deity, or a pantheon of deities, and animism is the belief that everything has a soul/spirit. Irish Reconstructionist Pagans believe in and/or worship Irish deities, otherworldly spirits, land spirits, and ancestral spirits, often through offerings, stories, prayers, and song. There are several landmarks in Ireland (wells, rivers, trees, boulders, mounds, etc.) that ancient Irish folks held to be sacred spaces with their own spirit and personalities.

Belief in Honoring Spirits and Ancestors

There’s a loose hierarchy of spirits, depending on who you ask. First, there are land spirits, the physical, topographical features I was describing earlier. They’re thought to be fairly sedentary and tied to their respective feature, rarely traveling far away from it. They have their own personalities, which can be malicious, especially if associated with a place that’s perceived to be dangerous, and usually have myths about their danger.

Next, there are sovereign spirits. These are like land spirits, but with a larger area associated with them, from a field to cities to sometimes entire counties in Ireland. They’re perceived as guardians of the land spirits in their area, and can travel a bit farther from their spot, but rarely do. They’re said to occasionally take the form of a person or animal to communicate with folks that can see them, and can also communicate through visions or dreams.

Higher up the hierarchy are the Fae, or faeries, Good Neighbors, Fair Folk, Other Crowd, daoine sidhe, aos sidhe... etc. According to another of my favorite authors, O hOgain: “In Irish lore the Fair Folk live in the land, on the sea, and in the air, being associated with the mounds, stone circles, watery locations including the sea and bogs, caverns, and strange swirls of wind, as well as specific trees, especially lone hawthorn trees.” Working with the Good Neighbors is generally an important aspect of Druidry. Honoring them can be incredibly rewarding if you can get on their good side and strike up a safe deal with them. They’ll teach you magic and healing, enhance artistic performance, and bring good luck and blessing. It’s important to note that a relationship with the Good Neighbors should be based on respect and friendship, not what you want from them. I could write several posts about the Good Neighbors, but for now, I’ll leave it at this: be very careful, and very respectful when dealing with the Fae. Like with any practice, be sure to do your research before jumping into it.

Fourth, we have ancestors! Since this tradition generally believes in the immortality of the soul, it’s only natural that we’d honor our ancestors. They’re probably one of the easiest spirits to commune with, since they’re closer to us and have an established interest in us and our well-being. A lot of folks have ancestor shrines and celebrate holidays with their ancestors when they come back to visit. It’s also important to note that our ancestors don’t have to be blood relatives! Some folks prefer to count family friends or chosen family members who have passed on as their ancestors, or even mythic heroes.

Immortality of the Soul

Some myths mention reincarnation into animals, like Lebor na hUidre and Tochmarc Etain. This is debated, but some believe that the mortal dead can join the Good Neighbors. Other than that, I truly have no idea where souls go between lives. It’s fairly debated, and from my understanding, not well known. There are several possibilities: Tech Duinn (the house of Donn), Tír Tairngire (Land of Promise), Tír fo Thuinn (Land under the Wave), Mag Mell (Plane of Delight), and Tír na nÓg (Land of Youth), to name a few. Basically, we have no clue where we’re gonna end up, but we do know that we’ll keep on goin’!

Shared Cosmology

First off, what is cosmology? Basically, it’s the understanding of the universe, how and why it works, and how it'll end. We have something close to an end of the world story, which is the Morrigan’s second prophecy in the Cath Maige Tuired, but we don’t have much of a creation story, as far as I know. We do have hints that some folks have tried to fill in the holes for, like Lebor Gabala Erenn, where the world is divided into 5 (five being the number that implied a sacred whole) sections, each representing important qualities to the ancient Celts.

According to druidry.org, North was for battle and conflict, represented by fire, the sword, and the eagle. East was for prosperity, represented by earth, riches and bees, and the salmon. South was for creativity and intuition, represented by water, music and poetry, and the sow. West was for intellect and remembrance, represented by air, learning and teaching, and the stag. The center was thought to complete the ritual space, and was for “mastery and rulership.” It was usually represented by a stone and the Mare of Sovereignty.

The ancient Irish invented the wheel of the year, and believed in two seasons, the light half of the year (Summer) and the dark half of the year (Winter). Summer began with Bealtaine/Beltane (pronounced kind of like bee-YELL-ten-uh in Irish), and Winter began with Samhain (pronounced s-OW-ehn).

They also believed in a threefold world, represented by the triskele/triskelion, three spirals connected at the center. The three spirals represented the three realms (the sea, the land, and the sky), and the middle, where they all meet, represents the center or the sacred fire.

The sea, and some bodies of water, were believed to be connected/portals to the Otherworld, as the various otherworlds were generally thought of as islands across the sea. The land was the physical world, inhabited by our Kindreds - other people. The sky was the realm of the Gods, or Shining Ones, from which they watch over the world. Offerings were often made in sacred fires, as the belief was that the smoke would carry the offering to the Gods.

The three realms are also represented as energy centers in the body. We call them the cauldron of the mind, of the heart, and of the belly. The cauldron of the mind holds our wisdom, and is upside down at birth. It’s turned upwards through learning and spirituality. The cauldron of the heart holds our emotions and artistry, and is sideways at birth. It’s turned upwards through artistic mastery and emotional maturity. The cauldron of the belly holds our health, and is upright in a healthy person, sideways in a sick person, and turned upside down at death.

I’d like to reiterate that this is by no means a complete guide to Druidry! I’m not an authority on the subject either, just a gal who reads a lot. Regardless, I hope this helps someone in their path!

- Wren

Resources:

Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism by Morgan Daimler

https://druidry.org/druid-way/other-paths/druidry-dharma/two-seasons-three-worlds-four-treasures-five-directions-pillars

https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/worlds-kindreds.html

Chris Godwin, Senior Druid for Hearthstone Grove, ADF

#druidry 101 #druid #pagan #paganism #witchcraft #witch #wren #resource

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mxliv-oftheendless · 4 years

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The Shocking Case of O.J. Simpson (Part 1)

Yep, we’re back with this insanity! In honor of me getting through the first week of winter semester, here is the next installment in KISS Unsolved! However, unlike last time, where we saw Paul, Gene, and Vinnie going on a hunt for the supernatural, here we see them covering a true crime case, because Buzzfeed Unsolved also covers unsolved true crime cases. It actually took me quite a while to decide which episode to adapt for this, but ultimately I decided on this one, partly because this case really fascinates me. I also decided that since there’s three co-hosts in this AU, Vinnie’s going to be the one covering the true crime cases (I thought it fitting, since he’s a bit of an unsolved mystery himself). Here is the original episode if you want to watch that before reading this story.

A quick note about this one: I learned from last time to split up the episodes so I don’t go over the post length limit and Tumblr starts acting like a jerk. I know it’s awkward, but that’s how it’s gonna have to be.

IMPORTANT NOTE: this case is very controversial. I realize that. It also contains some effed-up details that some people may not be comfortable with reading. If at any point you are feeling uncomfortable, please do not hesitate to stop reading. You are not a lesser person for it.

And now, without further ado, enjoy!

Tag list: @cosmicrealmofkissteria @ashestoashesvvi @kategwidt

Commentary text:

Paul

Gene

Vinnie

Something said in unison

[screen cuts from title card to Vinnie, Gene, and Paul sitting behind a desk cluttered with papers, pens, a desk lamp, and other objects. Behind them are bulletin boards full of things from various unsolved cases and conspiracies. In order from left to right: Paul, Gene, Vinnie]

VINNIE: This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we discuss the brutal murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, or as you may know it: the case of O. J. Simpson, who was Nicole’s ex-husband, a Hall of Fame running back in the NFL, and the case’s top suspect.

PAUL: Fun fact: we’re all old enough to remember this case.

GENE: Yep. I remember there was a lot of Yiddish thrown around my house after the verdict.

VINNIE: A lot of people our age and older than us will remember quite a bit about this case. I remember watching it on television.

PAUL: Yeah, I actually never knew O. J. was a football player. I always knew him as the guy who murdered someone.

GENE: Me too.

VINNIE: Yeah. There’s a lot of unpack here, so… let’s get into it. [opens folder]

[screen cuts away from the three to a black screen. Pictures and text appear on screen as Vinnie narrates]

VINNIE [voiceover]: In the early morning of June 13th, 1994, at 12:10 AM, the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman were found outside Nicole’s Brentwood townhouse, stabbed to death.

[screen cuts to the three of them in a car driving through a neighborhood, Brentwood. Vinnie is driving, Paul is in the passenger seat, aiming a camera at Vinnie, and Gene is in the backseat]

VINNIE: So right now, we are on our way to Nicole Brown Simpson’s former residence. [time skip: the car parks on the side of the street]

PAUL: [looks at the house across the street] Is that it, right over there?

VINNIE: Yep. That’s the place.

GENE: I feel… I don’t really feel all that right going into this place.

VINNIE: Oh, we’re not going onto the property.

GENE: We’re not? I thought we were going to go see where the bodies were found.

VINNIE: Oh hell no, we’re not doing that.

PAUL: That is kind of disrespectful.

GENE: Okay, good.

[all three of them sit still for a couple beats. Then Vinnie sighs and unbuckles his seatbelt, and opens the door to get out. Gene and Paul follow suit. Screen cuts back to the slideshow]

VINNIE [voiceover]: At the time, Nicole and O. J. Simpson were divorced and living in separate residences, both in Brentwood. The bodies were discovered by two neighbors who were literally led to the crime scene by Nicole’s dog. Multiple neighbors would say the dog was incessantly barking at the time of the murder. [audio of a barking dog plays with the narration]

[cuts back to the sidewalk in front of Nicole Brown Simpson’s house. Paul has the camera on Vinnie, who is taking steps while Gene watches off to the side]

VINNIE: So the dog led the neighbors down the street, to the entrance, and they saw the blood coming down from the entrance to the sidewalk.

[cuts to the three once again sitting in the car; it is now darker out]

PAUL: What occurs to me, though, is how close together all these apartments are. And how…

VINNIE: How no one heard…

PAUL: Yeah. From the way I always heard it, I assumed the houses were really spread out and the street was bigger. But no, they’re all pretty stacked on top of each other. I think… I feel like someone would have had to have heard something.

VINNIE: … That’s a good point, I never thought about that. [runs his hand over his face] Jesus…

GENE: This case just got so much heavier.

[screen cuts back to the slideshow]

VINNIE [voiceover]: Let’s go over the established, highly-detailed timeline. On June 12th, 1994 at 6:30 PM, Nicole, her children, and others arrive at a restaurant called Mezzaluna. At 9:15 PM, Nicole’s sister calls Mezzaluna and says her mother left her glasses there. Ronald Goldman goes to pick up the glasses. At 9:00 – 9:30 PM, Brian “Kato” Kaelin and O. J. Simpson go to McDonald’s for dinner.

Can’t imagine McDonald’s was excited to hear that…

Yeah…

…as part of the testimony.

Was that part of the testimony?

I mean it had to have been, since it’s on the official timeline.

… Well.

*snickering*

I mean… it got a lot of coverage at the time so… free advertising, I guess?

Yeah, I suppose.

VINNIE [voiceover]: At 9:45 PM, Kato and O. J. return home from McDonald’s. Kato was staying in O. J.’s guest house at the time. At 9:48 to 9:50 PM, Goldman leaves Mezzaluna with an envelope containing Nicole’s mother’s glasses. At 10:15 PM, Nicole Simpson’s neighbor hears a dog bark and cry while he is watching TV. The prosecution would later cite these barks as Nicole’s dog, who was crying out over the murder of its owner, Nicole.

They went by dog bark?

Well all dog barks are a bit different. The neighbor could’ve recognized it as Nicole’s dog from the bark.

Yeah, that’s probably what happened.

Honestly, I feel like the dog is the real hero of this story.

*laughs* I don’t think there are many heroes in this story, Gene.

No, let’s say that. We need at least one good thing to come out of this story.

Fine, okay. This dog’s a regular Lassie.

VINNIE [voiceover]: At 10:25 PM, a limo driver named Allan Park arrives at O. J.’s home, O. J. having been scheduled for a red eye flight from L. A. to Chicago at 11:45 PM. At 10:40 PM, O. J.’s guest, Kato, hears three loud thumps on the outside wall of the guest house he is staying in. From 10:40 to 10:55 PM, Park buzzes O. J.’s intercom several times, but there is no answer. Just before 11:00 PM, Park sees a shadowy figure—six feet tall, two hundred pounds—walking across the driveway towards the house. At 11:00 PM, Park tries buzzing the intercom again; this time, O. J. answers. O. J. tells Park that he had overslept and had just gotten out of the shower.

Suspicious.

Yeah, quite suspicious.

This is a very detailed description of a “shadowy figure.”

*laughs* Yeah, “He was six feet, weighed two hundred pounds—and was enshrouded in shadow.”

*laughter*

VINNIE [voiceover]: At 11:45 PM, O. J. departs on an American Airlines flight to Chicago. And taking us back to the start, at 12:10 AM, the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman are discovered outside her townhouse stabbed to death. Evidence found at the crime scene includes a bloodstained glove left behind by the killer, a knitted hat, and a bloody footprint. At 5:00 PM, detectives arrive at O. J.’s house and discover some key pieces of evidence… but we’ll get to that later. Meanwhile, O. J.’s flight lands in Chicago. According to lead prosecutor Marcia Clark, Detective Ron Philips called O. J. to inform him his ex-wife was dead. O. J.’s first response: “Who killed her?”

Not good.

Yes, very not good.

Not, “How did she die?”

Nope.

“What happened?”

Nope.

“Who killed her”… that’s what he said.

*quiet laughter*

That’s not the go-to question there.

*laughter* Heheh, no, it is not.

Not the best decision ya could’ve made, O. J.

VINNIE [voiceover]: O. J. was questioned for three hours by the LAPD, but released. On June 17th, 1994, O. J. was charged with the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman. But he famously did not surrender to the police, and was declared a fugitive. The ensuing low-speed police chase of O. J. on the freeways of southern California in his white Ford Bronco is a lasting memory for anybody familiar with the case.

Do either of you remember this?

Oh yeah, I definitely remember this.

My memories of this are actually a little vague. I do remember people talking about this after it happened, though.

I think my sister actually yelled at the screen for O. J. to go faster.

*laughter*

VINNIE [voiceover]: O. J. was in the passenger seat, while the car was driven by his friend, Al Cowlings. Cowlings explained he did not stop because O. J. had a gun to his own head in the car, and because O. J. was suicidal. A suicide note written by O. J. was in fact found, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

[screen cuts to the three back in the car. It is daytime, and they are now on the freeway]

VINNIE: So right now, we are going about the speed O. J. was going, and we’re in rush-hour traffic.

PAUL: I gotta say, I’m actually a little bored.

GENE: This doesn’t exactly feel like Fast and Furious.

VINNIE: Well, the stuff in Fast and Furious probably doesn’t happen in real life, Genie.

VINNIE [voiceover]: During the chase, they recorded a phone call between O. J. and homicide detective Tom Lange. Here’s some audio from that:

LANGE: Nobody’s going to get hurt.

SIMPSON: I’m the only one that deserves…

LANGE: No, you don’t deserve that.

SIMPSON: I’m gonna get hurt…

LANGE: You do not deserve to get hurt.

SIMPSON: [groans]

LANGE: You do not deserve to get hurt. Don’t do this.

SIMPSON: All I did was love Nicole. All I did was love her.

VINNIE [voiceover]: The chase would end at O. J.’s home in Brentwood. Inside the car, they found, in what I imagine was unintentional humor, makeup adhesive, a fake mustache and goatee, O. J.’s passport, and a gun.

Pfft, hahahahah—!

*laughing* What the hell?

*laughing* I know, that’s—just try to imagine one of the most famous people at this time, trying to sneak through airport security with a glued-on mustache…

That’s hilarious!

… and thinking it’s gonna work.

This guy didn’t even change his passport, that’s… was he even trying at all?

VINNIE [voiceover]: O. J. surrendered to the police at 8:51 PM. Now, let’s go over the suicide note. Apart from thanking those who meant a lot to him in his life, O. J. professed his innocence. Quote, “First, everyone understand. I have nothing to do with Nicole’s murder. I loved her; always have and always will. If we had a problem, it’s because I loved her so much.”

Well, that’s… kinda sweet, I guess…

Seems kinda over the top to me.

I had the same impression. Overall, though, when you put it in with everything else… I don’t know.

What’s our consensus here, do we all agree that he did it?

I have actually been told that we should refrain from explicitly saying who we think did it.

Oh, really?

Why?

Well, because this is a very controversial case. We all remember how controversial it was. We don’t wanna step on any toes.

... I guess that’s fair.

Yeah, that’s fair.

To be continued in Part 2!

#kiss unsolved #kiss unsolved true crime #so just to clarify on their roles for episodes #gene does the supernatural episodes while vinnie does the true crime #and paul is the voice of reason and skeptic (and of course the troll lol)#as I said in the beginning: this is a pretty controversial case #but it was a fascinating one for me since it happened less than a decade before I was born #so that's why I went with this one #hey at least it's not jonbenet ramsey #I agree with shane; that case bums me out man #anyway hope you guys enjoyed!#kiss au writing #my writing #thanks for reading!

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soundofseventeen · 6 years

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Lost Woods (Vernon Chwe)

Hi lovelies! Here’s a little Vernon post for the day! (I’m sorry about the Legend of Zelda title, but I couldn’t not do it) I am also a little over half way done with another series, so that’ll probably start being posted after Halloween! Enjoy! -Erin

“Vernon… Where are we?” You asked, looking at the trees surrounding you. You were on a group camping trip with a bunch of your friends, having this been something you looked forward to for a long time. You all hadn’t been together as one big group in such a long time. You slowly bonded with all your old friends, and soon it felt like it was the old days.

People were starting to take naps and go swimming when you said something about wanting to go on a hike. Everyone kind of groaned and you were bummed, until Vernon said he would go with you. You were a little shocked, mostly because Vernon was the one you spent the least amount of time this weekend. You felt like he was almost avoiding you, so the fact that he agreed to go on the hike with you surpirsed you.

Back when you all hung out more, you admit you had a mild crush on Vernon. He always joked around with you and had a far too attractive face. But he never showed any actual interest in you, so you just tried to let it go. Once you all stopped hanging out, it ended a lot easier than you had imagined. Not seeing him everyday made it really easy to not think about him.

“Uhh…” Vernon said, looking at the map on his phone. “We are definitely in the woods.” He added, and you gave him a look of panic.

“Vernon, you know where we are, right?”

“Yeah, totally.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “We gotta go this way.” He pointed, and you looked at him.

“That’s leaving the path though… Shouldn’t we stay on this?”

“According to this, this is the quickest way to the lake. Look, you can even see a small trail. We’ll be there in no time.”

“Okay…” You said, following him. Why you decided to suddenly trust him with this, you have no idea.

“So…” He started, stepping over a giant log, then offering you a hand to help you over. “It’s been a while since we have been alone together, huh?” He chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess.” You shrugged, continuing to walk with him.

“Mingyu talks about you a lot. I feel like I’ve been pretty updated on your life.” He smiled, and you rolled your eyes. Of course Mingyu would talk about you to Vernon. He was the only one you told about your original crush. He’s convinced you still have it, even though you and Vernon hadn’t spent time together in forever.

“Yeah… He talks about you quite a bit too. I guess you guys rap now?” You eyed him, and he kicked a rock.

“Maybe a little.” He grinned.

“Gyu said something about a showcase coming up?”

“Oh yeah! We’ve been practicing for it like crazy. Mingyu and I almost didn’t come this weekend for it, but we figured he kind of needed a break. Plus Seungcheol and Wonwoo could probably get a lot more done without us there for a couple days.” He ran his fingers through his hair, a habit he seemed to not let go of.

“Well, I told Gyu I don’t know my schedule yet, but I’m going to try to come see you guys. Maybe make a t-shirt or something.” You shrugged, and Vernon flat out laughed.

“Oh my gosh. Our first fan. I’m honored.” He placed a hand over his heart and made a proud look, causing you to laugh. It felt just like old times, and you felt a warm buzz in your heart. As you continued to walk and talk, you noticed that you passed a weird shaped rock before. A couple of times.

“Wait Vernon…” You said, stopping. He stopped and looked at you.

“Yes?”

“Are we lost?”

“No?” He said, looking around.

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“We passed that rock like four times. See the weird moss pattern, it’s definitely one I’ve seen before…” Vernon looked at it, then his face went pale. He started looking around the trees, eyes wide.

“Okay… We may be lost…” You smacked his arm.

“VERNON!” He jumped at your sudden shouting. “I thought you said you knew where we were going?!” He scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah… About that…”

“What?”

“I may have lied…”

“VERNON!”

“I’m sorry! I swear I thought this would be a good path! But the map couldn’t really find our location, so I might have guessed…” You groaned and sat down on the rock. “Okay, we came from that way… Maybe if we backtrack…”

“How are we going to find the campsite?” You asked, starting to panic. It was still a while until sunset, but you’re mind was already racing. “What if we’re stuck out here? How will the others find us?”

“Woah, woah, woah! Calm down…” Vernon was now crouched in front of you. He had taken both your hands in his own. “We’re gonna be okay. It’s not that big of a forest. We’ll find our way back. Even if we don’t, someone will come look for us soon. We’re gonna be okay. Deep breaths.” He said, demonstrating the breathing until you started to follow. After a couple minutes, your breathing started to calm down, and Vernon smiled at you. “There we go.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to panic.” You said, and he patted your shoulder.

“It’s alright. At least I still remember how to calm you down.” He said, pulling you up. “Now come on, we should try going this way.” You nodded and followed him, now walking in silence.

“Hey…” You said, causing Vernon to glance at you. “How did you remember how to calm me down?” Vernon shrugged.

“It’s like second nature. I used to help you with it all the time, remember?” He nudged your shoulder. “Besides, I always kind of liked you, so if it would stop you from freaking out over something, I was glad to help.”

“Well, thanks.” You smiled. “Wait, you liked me?” You asked before you thought it through. Clearly he was talking about a general liking, not the liking you felt towards him before. You squished your eyes shut after you asked him, completely missed how red his face got.

“Yeah… I used to have a pretty big crush on you actually.” He admitted, and you opened your eyes.

“Wait, seriously?”

“Oh God yeah! You were so sweet and adorable and always told me really dumb jokes. What more could a guy look for?”

“Oh my God…” You said, trying to think back to before. Did he really?

“To be honest, I always kind of thought you might have had a crush on me at one point.” He mumbled, kicking another rock.

“I… Kind of did.” You admitted, and he looked at you.

“Wait you did?”

“Yeah, for a little while…”

“Wait, so I had a crush on you and didn’t say anything, and then you had a crush on me and didn’t say anything?” He asked, and you kind of shrugged. “Wow, we were good at this huh?”

“I guess…”

“Huh.” He said, and then continued walking. You stood confused for a second, then realized he was walking away so you quickly ran up to him.

“You know… I was wondering if-”

“Wait, is that the path?” You interrupted, running ahead. And sure enough you came across the path you originally left. You let out a cheer and when Vernon caught up to you, you wrapped your arms around him in excitement. He stumbled back, but managed to catch you okay. You let go of him and jumped around, Vernon just giggling at you.

“Okay weirdo, let’s go.” He laughed, waving you along back down the path. You hopped along after him, Vernon shaking his head at you. “You have hardly changed at all, Y/N.”

“Yeah, same with you Hansol.” You smirked, and he eyed you. No one really called him by his actual name anymore.

“Okay, I have to confess something.” Vernon said, and you looked at him. “I hate hiking. I really… am not a hiker. I just don’t get it.” You raised an eyebrow at him, looking at the woods and then back at him.

“So why did you say you would come with me? You didn’t have to.” You said, and he starting watching his foot kick into the ground.

“I guess I wanted to see if something was still true and it was kind of hard to talk to you with everyone else around.” He said, and you tilted your head at him. You opened your mouth to say something when he looked at you. “You know, we should probably get back to the campsite. Otherwise they might send out a search party anyway.” He chuckled, nodding you along. Neither of you really spoke to each other until you got closer to the campsite. Vernon wouldn’t really look at you, and all of a sudden it clicked what he was getting at.

He still liked you.

You pulled his hand out of his pocket and linked it with yours, causing Vernon to blush and look down at your hands with wide eyes.

“Wait… Really?” He asked, and you nodded.

“Some things stick around, I guess.” You shrugged, pulling him along towards the campsite. All of your friends couldn’t help but notice the fact that you were both much more smiley after your hike.

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jaggedwolf · 5 years

Note

For the meme! The tscosi hogwarts au ficlet. I think the entirety is around 500 words.

You are probably correct, haha. The ficlet is here

“Looks like your admirer’s here for the show again,” said Brian. The only indication of a direction was a quick dart of his eyes in the direction of the broom shed at the opposite side of the field. Then he went back to his Ancient Runes reading like he hadn’t said anything at all. He was only a fourth-year and he studied like it was him who had O.W.L.S to take this year. Well, only if it was Ancient Runes.

In which I forgive myself for the recurring awkward sentence structures/flows that happen with ficlets, because the whole point is that I write them with little thought and for fun. Also, will find a way to translate Brian being a linguist into any universe.

Sana rolled her eyes. She ran her wand over her broom, finishing up the last layer of the new enchantment. “Not an admirer. Honestly, she’s probably been showing up to see Krejjh make another attempt at the Wronksi Feint.“

See: adapting Sana tinkering with her flying device. And my fervent desire to see Sana and Krejjh be adrenaline junkies together, because it’d be so good.

“I’m telling you Captain Tripathi, this time’s the charm.” Krejjh grinned, already floating in the air on their own broom. “And then we’re gonna crush you Hufflepuffs this year.”

Sana raised her eyebrows. “As long as our Seeker doesn’t literally get crushed. Though, honestly, he should know better by now than to follow you into a dive like that.”

Krejjh and Sana would be friendly opponent captains and you can’t convince me otherwise - they are good sports! I think Krejjh in this AU only addresses Sana as “Captain” when it’s fun trash talking time.

The Gryffindor team had Krejjh, sure, but no other stand-out players. And as great a Seeker they were, Sana had a feeling that Krejjh mostly thought the responsibilities that came with the Captain title were 1. Be really good at Quidditch 2. Schedule practices. So, Sana wasn’t too worried about Gryffindor this year. She swung a leg over her own broom, ready to take off.

I imagine having Krejjh as your sportsball team captain is very fun and inspiring and exhilarating! But not particularly consistent! (In Krejjh’s defense - I also picture this being their first year as captain. Sana, while also a fifth-year, has already had a year under her belt, because she’s just Like That and the ‘puffs recognize a good thing when they see it.)

Sana is very ready to win this year :)

“Also, she hasn’t been watching Krejjh at any of these practices. Mostly you.” Brian said out of nowhere.Krejjh’s grin grew wider. “Jeeter. Were you concerned I had an admirer?”“Wha-no,” Brian sputtered. “Sometimes I finish the work I bring with me before you guys are done, so I started trying to figure out why a third-year would skip Hogsmeade weekends to watch you two.”

Are these two already dating in this ficlet??? They don’t know either, pal. I just like the idea of Brian doing his homework in the stands while Sana and Krejjh practice (in addition to their regular house practices, mind you). Brian’s also bad at letting inconsistencies lie.

“That is a good point about the weekends.” asked Sana, glancing over at the broom shed. It stood far enough away that sound didn’t carry, but close enough that Sana could spy the corner of a red-edged robe peeking out from behind one of its walls. “Krejjh. She is in your house. Any ideas?”

As may be very obvious, I went with everyone’s primary houses from my sorting post.

“Sorry, fellas, I’ve only really passed by her at meals and the common room.” Krejjh shrugged, now slowly looping around Brian and Sana on their broom.

Krejjh in any universe: mmm jock brain flying good (stole this phrasing from @shrimpeggroll). They’re not really paying attention to random tiny third-years. (Sana, however, you may note, already knows Arkady’s name.)

“Maybe she wants to talk to a prefect? I haven’t heard great things about the Gryffindor ones this year,” Brian ventured.

Sana frowned at him, and then sighed knowingly. “Violet?”“Yeah,” he said uneasily. “I think she’s okay now, though? Even if the prefects weren’t much use.”She hadn’t seen Brian’s new third-year shadow recently, so that was good news. An implied subplot of lonely Muggle-born Violet possibly getting hassled by some Gryffs while the Gryff prefects didn’t do much. It’s resolved, so she isn’t constantly trailing Brian anymore. Also, c’mon, isn’t the image of fourth-year Brian taking third-year Violet under his wing the cutest - bet those nerds spend a lot of time the library.

“It’s going to get dark soon.” Krejjh had transitioned from horizontal loops to vertical ones, their expression looking like that of the world’s most impatient child.

“Sorry, let’s get going.” Sana shot up into the air without a beat. The wind rushing past her face, the feel of the new charms she added, the familiar quick gain in altitude were all the only things on her mind. Nothing about the team or O.W.L.S. She’d missed this. She leveled out at the top of the hooped goal posts, waiting for Krejjh to catch up so they could do their usual race. Sana took in the view. Brian was watching Krejjh’s ascent into the sky with rapt attention, as always. More and more of the red-edged robes behind the broom shed creeped out till Arkady herself was leaning on the front of the shed. Couldn’t make out much of an expression from this angle and altitude.

These two just like flying :D

Sana was midway through going over her knowledge on the Patel family when her broom jerked. And then jerked again, and again. Sana gripped tightly with one hand as she went anything that could have gone wrong with how the new enchantment interacted with the broom’s magic, simultaneously reaching for the wand within her sleeve. Always good to have a quick way to undo things.The wand slid into her hand and then just as quickly out of it, latching itself to the broom of it’s own accord. What? The broom stopped a jerking for a brief moment and Sana tried to scrape the wand off of it as well as guide the broom down. Neither attempt seemed to do anything.The broom dove.

I fully confess action/description is the weakest aspect of my writing, haha. And yeah, Sana’s aware of the risks of her messing with the magic a broom already has, but she’s gonna do that anyway.

She held calm even as the bright green of the field rapidly came closer, going over everything she knew about the field’s cushioning charms and crash landings.Then the broom stopped so suddenly she lost her grip, flying head over heels off of it. She was still really high off the ground. Not good. Wind rushed past her as she fell, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Krejjh changing course to fly towards her, but Sana had a feeling even Krejjh couldn’t close this gap.

Sana: realistic and not prone to panic even as she’s about to crash into the ground.

“Arresto Momentum!” yelled a voice she didn’t recognize, and suddenly instead of plummeting she was floating downwards instead. Sana swallowed a gulp.

Way to save the day, kid. (Who again, you might note, Sana has never heard, thought she knows of her family.)

Arkady wasn’t by the broom shed anymore, instead she was right on the field, arm outstretched and wand pointed right at Sana. Arkady was breathing heavily, and also…scowling? At Krejjh? Who had finally reached Sana and flew next to her as she slowly came to a stop on the ground.Sana turned to Arkady. “Oka-”“I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be all ‘honorable’ and ‘chivalrous’, what’s so honorable about hexing someone’s broom to hurt them?” interrupted Arkady, shifting her wand from Sana to Krejjh, her oversized robes swinging a little as she did.

Arkady hates a hypocrite, even more so as a kid. (Has perhaps witnessed some of the Gryffs-behaving-badly nonsense that Violet dealt with? Will latch on to suspicion at the clearest potential suspect?) Also has hand-me-down robes bc the idea of the Patels as a scrappier version of the Weasleys in this AU makes me cackle with glee.

“What? Sana tries out new enchantments all the time, and sometimes they go a bit wonky. I don’t even know how you hex a broom,” said Krejjh, looking confused.“Krejjh wouldn’t hex my broom,” Sana leveled a look at Arkady, wondering what on earth she had to do with anything, and also what level of house baggage they were dealing with. “But something did grab my wand away from me, which is making me thinking that a side-effect of my enchantment isn’t the right answer here.”Brian ran up to them, panting. “Is…everyone…okay?”

Sana’s firm but honest about her assessment of the situation. Poor Brian, he just had a gazillion different heart attacks at witnessing all of that happen in the sky, realizing too late to do anything himself.

Arkady paid no notice to him, still pointing her wand at Krejjh. “I’m not saying you did it. That’d be stupid. Having the Captain do it, even if you have regular access to her broom since you hang out. I’m saying you got your teammates to.”A rare flash of anger crossed Krejjh’s face. “I wouldn’t-”“I heard them talking about sabotaging the Hufflepuff captain, I followed them, and I saw them break into the broom shed.” Arkady’s scowl deepened.

What a tiny distrustful spy! Weirdly effective! (Krejjh does not appreciate the suggestion that they would hurt Sana. Also, they play fair, how else can glorious victory be an accurate assessment of one’s skill and talent?)

“Dude,” said Brian, “that’s not really proof Krejjh told them to do anything.”Arkady deflated a little. “You saw all that, and decided stalking Sana and Krejjh’s practices was the best plan?” continued Brian.Arkady dropped her wand arm, muttering something indecipherable.

Brian’s here to point out Arkady’s ridiculousness. Arkady talked over her plan with absolutely no one. Just went full speed “Make sure unsuspecting Hufflepuff captain doesn’t get hurt”.

“What?” asked Sana.“I didn’t have any proof,” grumbled Arkady, crossing her arms. “I didn’t know how to figure out what they did or undo it, and I figured it’d make sense for them to activate the charm in one of these sessions instead of the Hufflepuff team practice because there’d be higher chance of you getting injured with only one other flier.”Brian’s jaw dropped. “Okay, I know she saved your life, but I’m a little scared of this third-year now.”

I don’t know that I’m a fan of this Brian line anymore - I just wanted to communicate how truly thrown by this level of quidditch conspiracy and paranoia he was.

Arkady glared at him. Sana shook her head, and smiled at Arkady. “So, this is a mess. For the record, Arkady, you could have told me.”Arkady squinted. “Why would you have believed me?” “Why wouldn’t I have?”Arkady kept squinting at her, saying nothing.

Sana is pretty impressed. Arkady has no words for Sana-patented honesty and openness XD.

“Pals, I don’t know about you, but I am starving!” said Krejjh. “What do you say we grab some food from the kitchens, and then our new friend and I can discuss who exactly I need to have a little Captain-y chat with?”“Sounds good to me,” said Sana.“I’m in,” said Brian.They turned to Arkady, whose arms were still crossed and expression was still suspicious. “I am kind of hungry.”

Yay friendship and conspiracy-cracking and food! And uh, Hufflepuff Prefect and Captain Sana Tripathi may have gained a new tiny shadow. It’s fun to think about an AU where Arkady being the last to join the gang.

Also fun to think about - Krejjh looking at Brian-Violet and Sana-Arkady, and going: when do I get a underclassmen trailing me when is it my turn. (Somewhere, in the Slytherin dungeon, second-year RJ sneezes.)

Finally, I like the idea of Sana’s prefect partner being Park. What a pair, y’know? Golden girl Sana alongside Park who is…Very Tired.

#commentary meme #tscosi #this just turned into more hogwarts au opinions hahaha #asks #anonymous #Anonymous

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theprodigypenguin · 6 years

Text

That’s the Tea

Pairings: Jeith/Jaith (James Griffin and Keith Kogane)

Day three of @jamesandkeith week: Earth/Sky/Space

Notes: When Jeith week gives you an Earth prompt, you write about a fluffy day out date on Earth! This was fun to write and I like how it came out a LOT better than the last one I wrote. Not to mention I feel as if the title is very much warranted~ Enjoy!

Day One / Day Two / Day Three / Day Four / Day Five / Day Six / Day Seven / Day Eight

Ratings/Warnings: fluff, soft jeith, date, first love, cute~

Read it on Ao3 as well!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His hair had been tediously pushed back with water acting as gel, but it didn't look right. James reached over to the hand towel and dried off the drops, brushing it straight. Nope, that didn't look right either. Pushed behind his ears, absolutely not. He took a few menial minutes to braid the side, and muffled a scream into the folded up hand towel before tearing it out of the knot and ruffling both hands through it.

This was happening, it was scheduled and planned and it was actually happening. James went through his check list obsessively in the days leading up to his first task, shoving the paper into Kinkade's hands and asking him to review it thoroughly like he was a professor grading a thesis.

Ryan had taken one look at the paper before his face sagged in disbelief, handing it back with a tiny shake of his head, "This is why no one sat with you in chemistry class."

Firstly, that was rude, James liked being organized, that was nothing to be bagged on about! Second, now he had no one to turn to for confirmation that his list was an accurate representation of how a first date was supposed to play out.

So he had to just run with it and hope for the best.

He found a cart florist on one of his peace missions through the newly rebuilt Plaht City and purchased a bouquet of white Gardenias, because according to Ina, they signified a secret love, and James didn't want to be too overbearing in his courting. He then picked up a small box of chocolates, because everyone liked chocolates, and set about finding the object of his affections.

Even after he found him though, James got cold feet all of three times. It wasn't his fault, he just couldn't seem to find the right moment. The honored Black Paladin was just... never alone long enough to propose an outing, and God knew if James were to ask Keith out when his team was around, they'd somehow weasel their way into it, and they'd never be able to enjoy one on one time.

James knew this because his team was the same God damn way.

The first time he found Keith, he was standing in the hall with Shiro and the Galra named Krolia (James heard rushing water in his ears when he remembered Keith introducing her as his mother), who was holding out a tablet. They seemed to be discussing something important, considering three leaders of three important factions had come together to converse.

James, being leader if the MFE's (though they always teased him "yea you're not the leader" in good fun, they were still his squadron), figured he had a right to pop himself into the conversation, that he would be welcomed as another leader, but the idea of trying to court Keith with A) Commander Shirogane watching and worse B) his fucking alien mother probably judging him, made him feel woozy.

So he backed away and decided to wait for another opportunity.

His second chance was when he found Keith eating alone in the mess hall. He was pleased to see he was actually eating, as he hadn't seen him eat much at all since he woke up from his coma, and also smug that the hall was entirely empty aside from the paladin. It was the perfect chance, but when James tried to walk forward, Lance showed up from the door across the room, and James jerked behind the wall with a soft curse.

Of course HE just had to show up, face brightening as he sauntered over to Keith and sat himself down across from him. As if he had a right to get that close to Keith. Okay, maybe James was thinking irrationally from jealousy, and misplaced jealousy at that, but he couldn't help being annoyed that this idiot had foiled his plans.

He shuffled away dejected, not noticing when Keith cast a glance over his shoulder back towards the door, a frown on his lips.

"Are you listening, man?"

"... yea..."

Third times a charm, but it was a bad luck charm, so James should've known. He shuffled his feet down the hall, looked up to see Keith standing with Matt Holt, and just huffed through his nose before continuing on his way, looking for a trashcan to dump his stupid to-do list in.

He passed them, but they didn't stop talking or show they'd heard him approach at all, which was the perfect unspoken insult to add salt into his wounds, but he had turned the corner by the time he actually heard their voices.

"Just remember you're not alone, Keith, and there are people who would miss you, people who would mourn you, if you were to do something like you did on Naxzela."

"It took you a while to bring it up again, I actually figured you'd forgotten."

"I'm not gonna forget when a team member tries to sacrifice himself."

"I get it, you don't have to worry so much about me. That was a long time ago, I'm different now."

"Yea, well, color me suspicious, but I'm still gonna worry. Just look... things are different now. It's not just Shiro who's there for you anymore. You have me, my parents and Pidge, the other Paladins, your mom and the rest of the blades. That's more than you've ever had before, and all of them care about you."

"More than I ever thought I'd get, that's for sure..."

James felt dizzy as he continued down the hall, wondering what the hell Naxzela was, what Matt meant by that "sacrifice" thing, which didn't sound too great. The tone of their voices had him reaching into his pocket and clinging to the list he'd folded up and stowed away, locking his jaw.

Having friends, having family, was more than Keith ever thought he would get. It was basic necessity to at least have friends, and Keith never allowed himself to even wash in the fantasy of having such things.

James wasn't giving up. Keith deserved more, so much more, and James was going to provide all of it.

It was past midnight, the Gardenias were starting to wilt and James was pretty sure the box of chocolates had melted. He should've been in bed, but he was searching the halls for one last chance. One he found in the abandoned training area.

Keith was sitting on a bench in sweats and a sleeveless shirt, hunched over with his hair tied back and watching as he wrapped bandages around his own knuckles. It was late to be training or working out, but James had no right to scold him when he did the same things.

Especially if he couldn't sleep.

"Hey," he called out to Keith, who paused in his wrapping but didn't raise his head, "You're up... early."

Keith hummed and continued his work, having assessed who was in the room, not like he thought it would be anyone else.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Yea, no problem. I mean yea, problem, but I mean, I do this too when I can't sleep."

"That why you're here?" Keith asked, taking one end of the towel around his neck and patting away the sweat on his face.

James cleared his throat to choke down the knot that had formed there and looked down at the sorry excuse for a bouquet. Now that he was there, alone with Keith, suddenly he could feel his palms start to sweat.

What was he even doing? What were the odds of this going in his favor? Keith, he'd always been an enigma, someone James was incapable of predicting. He was like the sun, if you looked at him too long you'd get blinded, either from his sheer talent and capability, or from the spit fire decking you in the face. The latter was most likely to happen, and had happened before. James had seen it happen to other people, and it had happened to him.

He could almost feel the phantom ache in his jaw still.

This affection, James realized, had been building in his chest for years now. Ever since high school when Keith dominated at the Garrison's flight simulation, to test the abilities of possible recruits. Keith had always been nothing much, a shadow at the back of the room, someone who talked so little that people started rumors he was brain dead.

Then he burst from that emo shell and showed something he was talented at, showed their whole class that he could succeed at something. James would be lying if he said he hadn't been impressed, that someone who'd never shown promise before had suddenly revealed himself to be a prodigy.

Unfortunately, stealing a car right after showed that he still had a long, long way to go. Even if James thought stealing a car was pretty cool, it was still against the rules; and kind of illegal, which was really bad.

Yet even with that bit of red marker on Keith's ledger, James still found himself falling hard. Or, maybe that wasn't the right way to describe it, because he didn't even realize his affections until later in the Garrison.

He didn't realize it until Keith was gone, which was ironic and cruel in every way possible. That he came to the conclusion he was in love only after he'd lost his chance.

Or so he thought, but here Keith was again, safe after the strain of war, returned fresh from the crushing nothingness of space and an intergalactic war he had no responsibility to fight in; and he was like a daydream coming true.

Keith was different. Still quiet, still as unapproachable as ever, yet there was a maturity to him that he didn't used to have. He'd mellowed out, he was a seasoned pilot, a warrior. He was calm and defined and, God, he was even better, and James wanted him even more.

"Hello?" Keith called, waving a hand to get James' attention, as he'd been silently staring at Keith for a few solid minutes.

His face burned and he swallowed thickly, clearing his throat and hesitated, pulling out the Gardenias from behind his back and presenting them. A few white petals shook loose of the bouquet, drifting through the air and settling on the floor, a few catching on Keith's sweatpants, more in his hair, and the speckles of white stuck in his black hair like snowfall or stars.

Keith appeared fully taken aback, lifting his hands up as if trying to catch the petals, gaping at the few that settled in his palms before lifting his surprised eyes to James, who was glaring at him. It wasn't the best expression, it wasn't soft or adoring, but it was so entirely James.

Keith was someone to respect, to strive to be like in skill and prowess. Asking him out was a challenge that James was walking into head on. This was a stand down between two of the best pilots in the Garrison, and James had no intentions of backing down. It was a test of wills.

For a long time Keith just stared directly at the flowers, before his brow curved and he lifted his gaze to James, "What?"

"They're for you. As a gift," James said simply, and Keith lifted his hands higher, hesitated visibly, and finally reached out to take the bouquet.

His fingers brushed the back of James' hand, clammy and warm from his workout, and James had to hold his breath to keep from making a strange noise.

"What are... what's it for?" Keith asked, holding the flowers carefully, "Oh. You're thanking me or something?"

"Huh?" James uttered, cradling the back of his hand, and Keith looked at him again.

"You're not the first person to give me flowers in thanks for aiding in the war," then looked away just in time to not see James' face crunch up in annoyance, "All of us have gotten gifts and flowers, gift baskets. I, uh... don't really keep any of them, but... I guess I could hunt down a vase or something."

James still didn't know how this conversation had taken such a left turn, so he ended up just murmuring, "Huh?" again.

Keith shrugged, lifting a hand to delicately touch one of the soft flower petals, "I don't really have any use for it all, so I give it to the other paladins or my mom. It's not like I pilot the Black Lion for glory, that kind of thing makes me... uncomfortable. So... but I mean, thank you. You're the last person I expected to thank me, so I'll try to take care of them."

"Wha- no!" James stepped closer, "That's not what this is, moron! I'm not thanking you! I mean I am, thank you, but that's not what the flowers are for!"

Keith blinked before his face drew in and he scowled, "Well what the hell are they for, then?"

"Well if you were smarter you'd realize I'm trying to ask you out!" James snapped out the response, and Keith's face contorted into an expression of stunned disbelief.

It took James a minute to comprehend he'd blurted that, while his original plan was to softly offer a day out. It was done now, though, so he huffed through his nose and yanked the small box of chocolates from his pocket, handing it to Keith, who reached out cautiously to take it.

"Are you free Wednesday? Go out with me."

Keith opened his mouth, nothing came out, so he closed it and looked down at the flowers. It seemed he was having an internal struggle with himself, clearing his throat a few times and touching the petals a second time.

"Uh, I don't...," he stopped, and his eyes became faraway, before his cheeks became softly flushed, "This Wednesday?"

The way he'd started to speak, the hesitance in his voice, made James think he was going to say no, and he was preparing for the rejection. The rejection that didn't come. Keith definitely looked nervous or out of his comfort zone, but instead of saying no, he asked for a specification.

"Yea, this Wednesday."

Then there was another moment of silence, until Keith's body relaxed substantially, and he shrugged loosely, "Yea, sure."

"Really?" James asked, "Wait, really?"

"Yea."

"You'll go out with me?"

Keith shrugged again, "Yea."

"Okay," James held his hands out, "I just want to be clear, you do know that this is a date, right? Like we're going out, on a date."

"That's sort of what I figured."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Why not?" Keith glanced over at James before looking down again, "It's not like I hate you."

That might've been the best thing he could have said, that he didn't hate James, and it was those words that had him so excited the following Wednesday as he fixed his hair in the bathroom mirror.

Dressed as casually as he could without seeming like he was trying too hard, in a simple white tshirt with a maroon over shirt buttoned up, the collar folded down. Blue jeans held with a brown belt and his boots. He figured he looked pretty good, and gave himself a thumb up in the mirror.

"I'll be back late," he said when he went back into his dorm room, picking up his coat and wallet, "Don't wait up for me."

"I won't," was Kinkade's easy reply, and James cast him a narrow eyed look at where he was sitting with a book.

No time to call him out on it, though, since it was almost time to meet Keith out in the garage. James had his Garrison dune car keys in his hand, expecting to drive them like the gentleman he was.

He was throwing his keys up and catching them, his other hand in his pocket and his coat hanging over his arm. When he caught sight of Keith waiting, though, he fumbled for his keys, which seemed to fall through his hand and hit the ground with a clang.

James figured he'd been the only one worrying over his appearance, but it legitimately appeared as if Keith had put thought into his outfit. He'd never seen the paladin in casual dress, only ever his cadet uniform and paladin armor.

Now, he was wearing a black short sleeved shirt, skinny black jeans, boots that reached his knees and were accented with red colors, his hair tied back and goggles hanging around his neck. A black leather jacket was draped over the handlebars of the hoverbike he was leaning against, holding an orange phone up, but he lifted his eyes when he heard James drop his keys.

They stared at each other for a long time, long enough for James to see Keith's ears turn pink and drop his eyes, turning.

"Ready?"

"Uh, oh, yea," James ducked down and grabbed his keys, freezing when he stood straighter to watch Keith grab the jacket and pull it on, throwing one leg over the hoverbike, "Wha-what are you doing? I was going to drive us."

"Yea, but...," Keith shrugged, "It's been a while since I drove one of these. Is it okay?"

"Yea, no worries," James said, his voice cracking, feeling his heart jump in his chest when Keith held out a second pair of goggles.

"Here, and hold on."

James had sat himself down behind Keith and pulled the goggles on before he felt himself almost ask "to what", but stopped himself, hands hovering over Keith's waist.

He didn't grab him at first, just listened to the sound of the engine turning, jerking back as it started forward. That's when he grabbed Keith, out of necessity so he wouldn't fall off (that would've been very attractive), not that he didn't think about holding him around the waist almost all the time.

It was nice, really nice. Keith was warm, his waist was slim, but James could feel muscle beneath his hands, exercising incredible self control by not stroking his fingers along those muscles. He really wanted to, but that was moving too fast.

This was their first date, and it might not even go well. It was likely that Keith would get mad at him halfway through the day and ditch him in Plaht, forcing James to walk all the way back to the Garrison, thus ending any possible relationship that could be between them.

So because he wanted this, whatever it was, to last, he just held on as loosely as he could, keeping just enough grip on Keith so he didn't roll backwards off the back of the bike. Again, an absolutely wonderful start to their date.

Plaht City was bustling when they drove into it, as it normally was these days. Alien refugees and human citizens who'd survived the war had built up a coexisting community, the first alien settlement on earth to symbolize their alliance with other planets.

There were booths of food, earth food that James was familiar with, and alien foods that he wrinkled his nose at, though Keith seemed familiar enough with it all, even pointing at a few remarkably strange looking items and naming them for James.

"That tastes like a pomegranate, but a little spicy. That one tastes like chicken. Hunk really likes that, and Lance likes that because he says it tastes like garlic knots. Aren't garlic knots just garlic bread? I asked him and he got offended. Yelled at me in Spanish and huffed off."

James nodded his head furiously at everything, even though he only understood a fraction of what Keith was saying, while the other half of the time he was just dumbstruck that Keith was talking at all. He still held himself around James somewhat cautiously, like he was treading on thin ice, or figured any side tossed statement could put them on tense terms, but he was talking.

And he seemed to be enjoying himself, which had been one of James' initial concerns. That Keith would be bored, lose interest, or that he'd assume James was trying to get something out of him when all he wanted was a connection, to see Keith loosen up around him.

The day went well, neither started an argument, James didn't even feel like he was being put on the spot or challenged. The only time he felt a spark of their former rivalry was when they had lunch. They argued for a bit about who would buy food, but after a bit, Keith seemed to calm down and relent, arms folding stubbornly across his chest and looking James dead in the eye.

"If you buy, I get to pick what to eat."

James agreed, but didn't have any idea of how big a mistake he'd made until they sat down and Keith revealed his chosen cuisine, which appeared to be some unnatural alien meat with a side of... fruit, maybe.

"What is this?" James asked, sitting across from Keith, who was already using a toothpick to stab into cubes of space meat, dipping them in some kind of unnamed and clearly not earth born sauce that was green and way too thick, like mashed up caterpillar or something.

"It's meat," was his clear answer, holding out the cube he'd been just about ready to eat, "Here, try. It's good."

"Right, and what animal did it come from?"

Keith looked at the cube of meat, lips in a pout, "Well, who cares?" it sounded like a question and that was certainly suspicious, "While we were travelling, we learned to just not question it. So long as it tastes edible and nutritious, we ate it. Plus, Hunk can cook really well and make anything taste good," he held the cube closer to James' face, right against his lips, "Just taste it."

James grit his teeth and stared down at the cube of meat, slowly taking it from Keith and sniffing it. It smelt the barest bit like teriyaki chicken, so he took a tiny bite. His suspicions were confirmed, it absolutely tasted like a blend of pastrami and chicken doused in honey and teriyaki sauce. Honestly it was amazing, so James stuck the whole thing into his mouth and shrugged with his hands.

Keith grinned, and James felt entirely too pleased with himself for bringing that expression, but at the same time, the smile looked smug. It wasn't until they were finished that Keith actually revealed what they'd eaten was meat from some kind of giant space bug found on Olkarion. James nearly threw up, until he reminded himself how honestly delicious it had been. So he ate a bug, so what? No one could say he was a coward now at least.

"My turn," James decided, because although he was okay with eating a bug, he still felt the need to one up Keith, if only for fun.

He was holding out two chilled to-go cups with straws stuck through the tops, and Keith squinted at them suspiciously as he took one, "What's this?"

"Tea," James answered, one hand propped against his hip and looking far too satisfied in himself, "Milk tea to be specific. It's good. Never had it?" Keith shook his head, and James smiled his own smug smile, "Good, this should be fun then."

Keith just hummed, staring at his tea. He was quiet for a long time as James enjoyed his own drink without hesitation, turning his head back and forth slowly. They had taken a seat on a bench just off to the side of the pathway, so they could both see the aliens and humans walking by, shopping or just enjoying their day. James was enjoying it, that was for sure. It had been simple and predictable, but even following his list had been a good idea.

First he and Keith walked the full length of the booth street. No cars or vehicles drove on the street, because it was lined with booths and stands of food and useless junk, knickknacks from both earth and alien planets. It was remarkable to watch, how Keith could easily converse with the alien refugees, but at the same time had issues communicating with the other people from earth. As if he felt more at home talking to races he wasn't part of.

It was sad that he felt so out of place there, on the planet where he was born, and more at home with aliens who had purple skin, or eyebrows that grew out above their temples and twitched like antennae. James hoped that, maybe with his influence, and the influence of acceptance at the Garrison, that Keith could start to feel more open and at home there.

"Hey," the silence was broken by Keith, who was mixing the tea he had yet to taste with his straw, "Can I... maybe ask you something?"

James shrugged, "Sure."

"... why'd you ask me out?" Keith held the cup in both his hands, propping it against his knees and staring down, "Are you trying to make up for something? Or did someone set you up?"

"What? No, jeeze, what kind of asshole do you think I am?" James questioned with a huff, tensing and looking away, "I asked you out because I wanted to."

"What for?" Keith questioned again, and James sighed heavily, leaning back.

"Jeeze, do I need a reason?"

Keith's shoulders seemed to sag, "Guess I was hoping you did. I mean, I haven't really been out of the Garrison much aside from before when we went on missions, and the medics haven't even cleared me for active duty, so I figured getting out and walking around would be the best I can get until I'm allowed to fly again," he set the cup down on the bench beside him, "Sorry, I guess maybe I took advantage of you, but if this didn't mean anything I shouldn't feel as bad," James opened his mouth as if to speak, but Keith beat him to it, shoulders hunching, "Weird, though, because I do still feel bad. So... sorry."

"I asked you out because I like you, Keith," James said stiffly, "We just won a three year war that killed a third of the population, a war that almost fucking killed you, and me, and a lot of other people, so fuck it. You know what, I asked you out because I like you and I've liked you since high school, okay? I've liked you for years, even when you punched me, and I figured this was my last chance to tell you. I thought I lost my chance when you left the Garrison and disappeared into space, then again when you and your lion fell and... I thought you were dead for a while until Shirogane told us everyone was okay. So I figured this was my last chance. I didn't ask you out from pity, or because you're some hot shot and I was trying to weasel my way into your life for status, or whatever else you may assume. I liked you when you were an obnoxious punk ass brat who couldn't follow rules for shit, and now that you're back, even though you've actually changed a lot, I still like you. Okay? There, I said it."

He folded his arms, a slight scowl on his lips. It was remarkable, honestly, how easy it was to actually get the words out once he'd started. It was like another challenge against Keith, who could confess first. Not that Keith felt any similar feelings, clearly he only agreed to go out with James because he wasn't medically allowed to do much else. Still, that just made James worry more.

"Are you feeling okay?" he tested, and Keith hesitated, "I mean, are you hurting at all? We've been walking around a lot, and I... guess I got so excited I forgot you were only recently let out of the hospital."

"I feel fine," Keith said, lifting a hand to rub at his head, "I, um... I never knew you felt that way."

"Well, I never told you," James mumbled, arms still folded, head bowed and knee bouncing, "Honestly, back then, what would you even have said?"

"Good point," Keith said softly, "I would've just gotten mad at you, more likely than not. I would've thought you were lying or making fun of me or something."

"Yea... and what about now?"

Keith pulled at the edges of his gloves, "I still sort of think you're lying or at least crazy, but... you've changed too. I don't think you'd make light of this kind of thing, especially after a war. Which means... you're probably being truthful in saying you like me, but it's still kind of hard to grasp."

"You don't think you're likable?"

"Not really," Keith sighed out, reaching over to pick up his tea again, stabbing the straw against the bottom of it with hollow thudding sounds, "I mean, no one really seemed to like me before. Then again I never did try to impress anyone back then... and you still liked me anyway, huh?"

"Yea, I guess I did, and still do," James leaned back, head tilting to look up at the sky, "Quite the mess of a crush, I certainly know how to pick 'em."

Keith snorted, holding the cup higher, keeping his head bowed, clinging to the sides of the to-go cup so tightly that drops of condensation dripped down the backs of his fingers. He was silent for a long time, just sitting there, lost in thought before finding the words and opening his mouth.

"I never thought about... having a relationship before. I was sort of busy surviving on my own, but... this was really fun, today. Getting out of the Garrison, talking to familiar faces, seeing your reaction when you ate that food," one corner of his lips curled up, "I guess it was kind of cute. So..."

"So...," James' voice cracked subtly, and he lifted a fist and coughed into it, "I wasn't cute."

"So maybe this would be nice to try," Keith finished, sitting straighter, and James could almost feel the way his mood changed from shy and cautious to tight and determined, that aura he used to echo when he was younger and ready for a fight, "This with us, whatever it is, I want to try it."

"So... that means you like me back or..."

Keith tensed again, lips pressing into a tight line, "I... don't know. I don't know what it's supposed to feel like to... like someone... but I'm having fun, and I don't really feel pressured, and it's easy to be myself around you, so... if I don't like you, why do I feel so comfortable?"

"Pain meds?" James offered, and Keith swayed to the side with a roll of his eyes.

"Just take the fucking compliment, ass."

"Drink your fucking tea already."

James didn't know why he felt so happy. He didn't expect Keith to flat out confess to him, or accept his feelings right away, but the fact he actually wanted to try and maintain this relationship said a lot. He liked James enough to try, and that was so much more than James had ever expected. It made him happy.

"So... um...," James looked over at Keith again to see him hunched over, one hand clinging to his cup, his other arm wrapped around his chest to cling to his upper arm, "I guess... step one of this is being honest about stuff?"

"Sure, I guess. Why?"

"I, uh... kind of lied?" Keith's voice choked a little, and he cleared his throat, "I actually don't feel that great right now. Walking around all day, my head kind of hurts. I'm okay, just sore."

"Oh," James breathed, "I'm sorry, I should've noticed something was up. We should head back to the Garrison so you can rest."

"We still have a few hours of sunlight left, don't we?" Keith asked, sitting straighter again, "I can handle a tiny headache, so I want to spend some more time just with you."

James felt his cheeks burn, but he just smiled crookedly, "Sure... but let's sit here until you're feeling a bit better. Seriously, drink," he waved at the cup, "It's good, and it's healthy. Try it."

Keith huffed through his nose and nodded, lifting the cup, "So I guess this means we're officially dating, right?"

James choked on his own tea, but nodded furiously like it was the best idea he'd ever heard, "Yea, yea! We can come back to Plaht on our days off whenever you're feeling okay, and if you're feeling kind of sick, we can just stay at the Garrison. I'll fill you in on the years you missed."

"Yea, I'd like to hear it," Keith agreed, taking a sip of tea as James continued to talk.

"Cool then, I'll tell you about the MFE's, and how I completely obliterated all your sim scores, and-," he paused when Keith jerked forward, pulling the cup away and slapping a hand over his mouth, eyes wide.

James immediately reached over to grab his shoulder and steady him, "Hey, easy. What happened, did you drink too fast? Are you choking?"

Keith just turned to face James, gaping at him with wide eyes, slowly pulling his hand away and opening his mouth to let small black pearl shaped spheres fall out. Then he looked at the cup of tea, and James snorted, leaning back with a gut busting laugh.

"What the fuck...?"

"Keith oh my god!"

"What the fuck was that? Why is there a solid in my fucking liquid?"

"I-it's bubble tea!" James reached over to settle his hands over Keith's, "Those are tapioca pearls! They're good!"

"The fuck kind of tea did you just give me?!"

"Isn't it good, though?!"

"I don't know!"

The rest of the day was slow and peaceful, relaxing in the best way. They walked from bench to bench, buying drinks and snacks. James kept a close eye on Keith as they walked, making a note of his body language and the way he walked. Whenever it seemed like he was slowing or staggering his pace, James suggested they sit down, picking up food and water, at one point picking up something that the alien called a healing herb which he boiled in water and offered to James. When he mentioned it was for Keith, the alien excitedly shoved the cup into his hands.

"It's free! Anything to help the paladin's of Voltron!"

James took that as a good thing, and forced Keith to drink every drop, despite the cringe on his face, "This tastes like shit. I prefer the bubble tea."

"Shut up and drink, it's supposed to help."

Keith mumbled and clung to the cup with both hands, hiding the red tint to his cheeks by burying his face in the rising steam. He wasn't used to being cared for like this by anyone aside from Krolia, so it was somewhat overwhelming, and embarrassing. It definitely showed how much he cared, though. He certainly hadn't been lying about his crush, if his actions meant anything.

"Why are you making me drink gross medicine anyway?"

"I just don't want you to be uncomfortable or in pain."

Yea, Keith figured he'd say that, but he wanted to hear it for himself either way. It made it easier to stomach the bitter flavor. He didn't want to worry James any more than he already had, after all.

They decided to head back home when the sun finally started to settle in the distance. Keith was wobbling on his feet but trying to hide it, so James shed his own coat and draped it around the paladin's shoulders on their way back to the hoverbike.

"I'll drive us back," he decided, not leaving any room for argument as he held his hand out for the keys, which Keith sleepily offered to him, "Hold onto me, okay? Try not to fall asleep or fall off."

Unlike James, who'd been uneasy about clinging to Keith while riding, Keith wound his arms unabashedly around James' waist, hiding his face between his shoulder blades and mumbling a thank you before the engine started. James concentrated as well as he could on the road despite having Keith's arms around him, and when they got home, he had to help Keith off the bike, seeing as he was falling asleep where he sat.

"Geeze you're losing energy pretty fast."

"I'm fine," Keith rubbed at his eyes, but James stayed close to him.

"Need help getting back to your dorm?"

"Hm... I should say yes, shouldn't I?"

"Unless you wanna fall asleep on the way there? Probably."

"Mm, fine."

"Come on," James stepped in front of Keith and crouched down, waiting for Keith to fall against him before standing up, hooking his arms under Keith's knees to keep him steady, "Hold onto me, don't fall off."

"Right," Keith agreed, arms wrapping around James' neck, silent as they walked towards the Garrison.

It was dark out, everyone was either sleeping or tucked into their dorms, so there was no one in the hallways as James carried Keith towards his dorm room. They were both relatively silent, until Keith tugged on his sleeve.

"James."

"Huh?"

"Thanks," James tensed and paused in his steps, so Keith continued quickly, "I mean... I never thought I'd miss earth before, and I didn't miss earth, I really didn't. I didn't even plan on ever coming back, I had nothing here to come back to. I found my mom in space, I found another home with the blades, and the paladins didn't need me for a long time, until...," he stopped, hesitating, squeezing James around the shoulders, "This was a really fun day, though. Having an earth date with you... was fun. I'd like to go on another with you sometime. I want more reasons to stay on earth."

James chewed the inside of his cheek, nodding and continuing to walk, "Sounds fun, but before that, take care of yourself. Sleep, recover. It's like you're suffering from hypersomnia, with how tired you keep getting and how quickly. Promise you'll take a day off, yea? Just to sleep."

Keith seemed to consider it before nodding against James' neck, "Okay. Only if you buy me more of that tea."

James snorted, "Is that all you want?"

"Yea. I liked it. It's weird, but not bad."

"Okay then," James chuckled, "I'll get you more tea. All the tea you want," Keith's breathing had evened out, signalling he'd fallen asleep, and James smiled softly to himself, "I'll take care of you however I can. If buying tea is what helps, I'll do it. Sleep well."

#jamesandkeithweek #james and keith week #jeith #jaith #james/keith #james griffin #keith kogane #day three #earth #oneshot #fanfiction #flash fic #voltron legendary defender #jeith fluff #bubble tea #boba tea #i love fluffy jeith more than life #i'd like to die with this ship carved into my headstone

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3laxx · 5 years

Text

Wind update 11

Yeah finally moving on from the DJWifi

I been getting complaints so I deleted a bit and ended the former chapter the way it's now. Well, last chapter I got on reserve, let's see. It might be possible that I'll miss the next few upload dates on my schedule. Not like anyone would care a lot but thought I'd say it just in case. Enjoy~

Ao3 / FF.net

“So, Carapace.”, Ladybug grinned. He could tell she had thought about him a lot before even doing so much as smiling, “What’s your superpower?”

Chat propped himself up on Ladybug’s shoulder, leaning around her and let his eyes wander up and down the other boy’s body, smirking.

“I’d say it’s got something to do with a shield. Maybe protecting. Or time? I mean, Turtles are super slow, maybe you can slow down time.”

Carapace laughed, shaking his head as he turned away from the sunset, leaning back a little more.

“Turtles can actually be pretty fast and no, my power has nothing to do with time, sorry to disappoint you. But it’s a shield, yeah.”, he pulled the shield from his back and got to his feet, positioning himself next to the other two, turning away so he could show them safely. Behind him, he heard Ladybug getting to her feet and peering around him to see what he was doing. He smiled and slid his arm into the given holders, grabbing the steady handle that was installed on the inside.

“So, according to Master Fu, my superpower works a little like Chat’s cataclysm or Lucky Charm.”

Chat stood as well, accompanying Ladybug behind the new superhero.

“But I thought you could do a shield?”, he questioned and Carapace chuckled.

“Yep. It just morphs into what I need at that moment. For example, the shield could expand to a ball around me to keep me safe or it could create kinda like force shields, shielding someone or something that I want to protect. I can make it as big as I want, I think, and it’s gonna last as long as I want or until I detransform.”

Chat already laughed.

“Sooooo, it could just turn into a ball and you’d have to stay in there until you detransform?”, he cackled as Carapace half turned to him, shooting him a deadpanning look.

“Sure, because that’s how protection works. No, I can still kind of decide what to do with it. Like, you can choose to destroy something by turning it into ash but you can also choose to just stop making it function, like a short circuit for an electronic device.”

Ladybug gave Chat a light smack on the back of his head, then she turned to Carapace again. “Could you show us?”

He nodded, smirking at Chat who rubbed his head with a pout, then he widened his stance.

“Shellter!”, he exclaimed and the pattern of his shield began to glow. A wall of light emerged from the shield and expanded, faster and faster, until it touched down all around the three heroes on the roof, creating a dome in which a soft humming noise could be heard. Carapace allowed himself to relax and looked up at the swirling lightly cyan shield, grinning.

“Cool…”, he breathed, then lowered his gaze again to knock against the surface. His hand went right through.

Ladybug stepped next to him, tilting her head at his hand that was outside now.

“And now?”

He laughed, bending his hand to knock against the shield from the outside. It sounded like glass this time, echoing through the dome.

“I think the shield is letting those from the inside through. Or maybe us as the superheroes? I dunno yet, but it’s worth trying out.”

“Could also be that the Miraculous is letting people with a Miraculous through. Or maybe it’s the same with Chat’s cataclysm, you can choose who gets to pass and who doesn’t.”

Carapace shrugged, pulling his hand back in without a hindrance.

“I dunno, maybe.”

Ladybug smirked as she looked over to Chat who stared at the shield with wide eyes, already giggling to herself.

“Well, we could find out. Cara, try to concentrate on not letting anybody in or out!”

He smirked as well and concentrated on hardening the shield in his mind, then Ladybug pounced on Chat and pushed him out. Their partner stumbled right out of the shield, looking at them indignantly.

“What? Oh come on guys! You could’ve hurt me with that, bugaboo!”, he whined and his voice sounded muffled due to the shield and Ladybug giggled louder.

“Poor kitty. Now come in again – if you can.”

Carapace stepped next to her, snorting as Chat stepped into the dome again.

“So, I can apparently not influence a shield that’s already been created. Maybe if I create a new one and concentrate on it.”

“Or my theory with the Miraculous was right, that the shield lets through Miraculous wielders but not civilians.”, she theorized, soothing Chat by going up on her tiptoes and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. His face immediately softened and he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Carapace bit his lip and looked away as he whispered something in her ear, feeling jealousy bubbling up in his chest.

He knew he wasn’t allowed to tell Alya, even if he wanted to. Master Fu had said that he needed to gain their trust first. And it was never good to have civilians know their identity, that had been proven time and time again while he had still been one but had known Marinette’s and Adrien’s secret.

It made them way too close to the action, way too easy to target. Even if they could be helpful. But Hawkmoth knew who Ladybug was and they had been there fighting with him when they had restored the Ladybug Miraculous.

Over the summer the Akumas had always found a way of involving Nino and Alya and it was honestly getting dangerous. Nino was just glad to have a Miraculous himself now.

Like this he could keep himself and, more importantly, Alya safe.

A small smile snuck on his lips as he watched the swirling cyan in front of him. He’d be able to keep her safe. But really this time, by not letting her take the cat Miraculous again, by not letting her run right into the action anymore and by being able to take a hit for her. He lifted his hand and watched his fingers going through the shield, the lightly cyan wall of light caressing his features but not letting him feel anything. He hummed to himself, pulling his hand back again as a beeping sounded from his wrist. He watched one part of the shell becoming dark green like the bracelet underneath the symbol, one part of five.

“Looks like you need to recharge, hm?”, Chat’s voice broke through to him and Carapace lifted his head, smiling at the other hero.

“Yeah, looks like it. Well, I still got a few minutes.”, he replied, then he cast his gaze down again and the small smile reappeared on his lips.

“Ooh, I know that look.”, Ladybug teased, coming closer, “You got someone special, Cara?”

The boy met her gaze and grinned, nodding proudly.

“The prettiest girl in the whole world. I just-… I guess I gotta readjust with her and-… And this…”, he gestured up and down his suit, shrugging. Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him with a wink.

“It’s gonna be okay, trust me.”

Carapace snorted, gesturing between Chat and her.

“Well, you guys got it lucky, you’re both superheroes. Even if that has its downsides, too, I guess… But still. I don’t know how to juggle real life and this here yet and I haven’t even fought against an Akuma.”, he hung his head and added in his mind that he had at least not fought an Akuma in the suit yet. It would’ve probably been a dead giveaway to tell his friends, though.

“Yeah… I get you… Well, we’ve kept our identities a secret for years, too, and we got through it. Of course, it’s not easy at first but believe me, Carapace. You’re gonna be able to get through it, just as we were.”

Ladybug leant her head back and watched as the shield disintegrated to air as he pushed a button on the inside of the shield, then he smiled and nodded, placing the shield on his back again to have both his hands free.

“I guess so, yes… So, guys, I have four minutes left. I’ll go home now. Uhm-… See you tomorrow for patrol?”

Suddenly, Chat smirked very smugly and leant on Ladybug’s shoulder again, wiggling with his eyebrows.

“Oh no, Cara. We’ve – or better, I – got something else to do for you. We actually talked to Master Fu and he said you have to train to be the guardian of the Miraculous. We know you’re already taking lessons with Master Fu-”

“And we also know when so we won’t come barging in while you’re not in suit.”, Ladybug briefly interrupted, earning a short nod from Chat before he resumed.

“But we thought we’d give it a shot as well and train you to be more in sync with us as well. After all we’re a team now! So, Carapace, you interested in a few hours training with me tomorrow? Bug here can’t come, she’s busy with a project of hers.”

Ladybug elbowed him in the side and even if it was meant loving, Chat faltered a little, wheezing slightly. Carapace chuckled at his best friend.

“Yeah, sure. I’d love to train with you guys, it can only help. So, uh, tomorrow afternoon? Around five, maybe?”

Chat nodded and gave him a thumb up, his tail swishing behind him excitedly.

“Absolutely! Don’t you worry, Cara, I will properly prepare you to die in honor.”

Carapace stilled and stared at Chat who still grinned at him, then he slowly squinted his eyes.

“Aaaaaaalright. I think you watch too much Anime, bro. Anyway, I’m out, I need to be home soon anyway. See you tomorrow, then, Chat! Bye, Ladybug!”

He just merely saw Ladybug turning to her boyfriend as he already took off, ripping the shield underneath his feet to glide over to the next building and start running from there. It wasn’t far to his home but he still wanted to be careful so he took the longer way, just to be sure that nobody saw him.

But just as he was about to turn back, though, to get to his own house, he realized where he was. Across the street he saw a very familiar illuminated room, behind a big glass front and a balcony in the highest level of the house, under the roof. He hesitated, crouching down as his girlfriend stepped into her room, not looking out of the window but just strolling over to her laptop, sitting down on her desk and clicking a few times before beginning to type. She probably just came from tucking the twins in bed. The second beeping sound lightly startled him and he flinched, the movement in the semi shade from the street lights below attracting Alya’s attention. Her head turned and he froze, their eyes locking together. For a moment, nothing happened.

He didn’t even see her reaching for her phone, either to film him because he could be an Akuma or because she wanted to meet the new team member. They just looked at each other and he could’ve lost himself in her eyes but the third beep ripped him out of the trance.

Alya tilted her head as he stood up, now her fingers searching for her phone that she had thoughtlessly tossed next to her keyboard. He grinned and gave her a little greeting with two fingers to his forehead, then he winked and scrambled off.

Her surprised expression when the boy vanished into the dark, only faintly showing his silhouette over the dimly lit sky from the city lights was priceless and Nino chuckled to himself before sighing.

He wouldn’t be able to tell her. He couldn’t.

Well, he could, but-… Fu had been right to say that Nino wanted his team to trust him before revealing his identity. Plus-… It was probably better to keep his family out of this for as long as possible.

He had seen how alert Marinette had always been during an Akuma attack, exactly knowing that Hawkmoth could attack them at any time. And just like Alya and Nino, the Akumas had sometimes decided to take hostages to get where they wanted.

Marinette blamed herself for this. Even at her friend’s and parents’ begging to listen, to understand that she wasn’t at fault, Nino saw how it crushed her. How it weighed down on her.

And everytime one of her parents or friends had been captured, he saw it in her eyes how scared she was. How dangerous it was for her to fall back into the past, to break under what she had to go through once more when she saw in how much danger she had brought her loved ones.

They were just lucky Hawkmoth hadn’t done anything in his civilian form yet.

As bad as it was that he was so intelligent, this was to their advantage. He wasn’t stupid enough to try and harm Marinette or her family and friends as a civilian.

At least.

After a short run he finally reached his own home, his heart still racing from meeting his girlfriend in the suit. Well, he hadn’t met her, really. But she had finally seen him fully. He asked himself if she would be quick enough to figure him out, too, as she had figured out Adrien and Marinette as well.

And even if his heart longed for her to know, he hoped it would take her a long time. Maybe even not at all, until he revealed his identity to his friends.

He crouched down on the roof of his house, carefully glancing over the edge to see that the street was empty. He praised his parents under his breath for choosing such a quiet street to have their home, then he carefully dropped down from the roof, using his shield beneath him as a puffer. Safely and quietly he set foot on his windowsill and checked his room. The air was clear so he opened his unlocked window and slid inside, clipping his shield to his back again.

“Wayzz, shields down.”, he whispered as the fourth beep sounded, leaving him with one more part of the shell right before he detransformed.

The little Kwami flew out of his bracelet and Nino scrambled to catch him, securely cupping both his hands around the green god.

“Hey there, buddy.”, Nino grinned as Wayzz blinked at him, then he let his little friend down on the pillow on his desk and pulled the bowl of sunflower seeds closer, handing the little Kwami one.

“Thank you, Master Nino.”, Wayzz smiled at him, leaning back against the pillow as Nino snorted.

“Dude, you know you don’t have to call me master.”

His Kwami merely shrugged it off, lazily waving a paw at him.

“Sure, sure.”, he replied and Nino rolled his eyes, pushing his desk chair closer to start up his computer. On the screen a picture of the Squad lit up, a picture that they had taken over the summer.

Marinette looked way better already. She had gained a bit of weight after this torture and she had already found back to trusting them a little more. Her eyes still weren’t really there in the picture, she was just a little too thoughtful and drawn back, but she had tried so hard to get back to her former self after they had restored her Miraculous. Tikki and Adrien had massively helped by getting her back on track and Alya and Nino had been there for her the whole way. By now, it almost seemed like the old Marinette was back, even if she sometimes had backlashes.

But whenever something like this happened she knew she could trust her parents and her friends to be there for her. She knew she wasn’t alone anymore and that was probably why Nino loved this picture so much.

He smiled and typed in his code, then got to the desktop.

A picture of Alya and himself showed, one Marinette had taken without them noticing. They had sat on Alya’s bed, both with crossed legs and their knees touching. It had been a sleepover, as Nino recalled, because they had both been in their pajamas.

Their foreheads had leant against each other and they had listened to a new track Nino had mixed, Alya looking down at his phone with a relaxed expression, Nino looking at her, cupping her hands that held his phone on which the earphones were plucked in, scrolling through the pictures in his gallery.

He remembered that she had found something embarrassing just moments after this photo had been snapped, some drunk selfie he had taken at some point after turning sixteen, between all the photos of his family, vacations and his DJing stuff.

She had giggled so adorably as he had scrambled to get the phone from her, falling back and coaxing him to fall with her. He had blushed when he had found himself on top of her and she had laughed, kissing him softly before Adrien had groaned, telling them to get a room.

Nino smirked at the memory, his lips still tingling as he thought back to it.

“What are you smiling about, young master?”, Wayzz asked softly, shifting on his pillow to be able to look at his wielder. The boy chuckled and leant back, still looking at his screen.

“Oh, just-… Realizing how lucky I am to have a girl like Alya.”

“Widen your stance, Carapace.”, Chat instructed while walking around him, nodding slightly as Carapace followed his advice, “With a good stance you can’t be brought out of balance so easily. Like this you’ll be able to have a better defense.”

He did his best not to look at his teammate, knowing exactly that Adrien normally should’ve been at home practicing the piano instead of standing in the stadium with him, training him in martial arts. Oh, what his father would say to that if he knew.

Chat came to the front again, grinning brightly as he mimicked Carapace’s stance, bringing his hands up in a position to fight.

“And now, I will attack you and you try to stay standing, alright?”

The boy gulped and nodded, softly clenching and unclenching his fists nervously. He knew what Chat was able to do. He had seen him fighting before.

“A-Alright.”, he stuttered, his eyes trained on his best friend’s every move as the black clad superhero surged forward, hooking his leg around Carapace’s and trying to push against his chest to get him to fall. Carapace pulled his leg away and turned, still facing Chat but quickly bringing both feet firmly to the ground not to leave a weak spot.

His sparring partner grinned, nodding as he went back in the starting position.

“Very good. But what if I tried something else?”, Chat smirked and before Carapace could react, Chat had already grabbed his arm and thrown him over his shoulder. His partner laughed at the surprised expression that the boy couldn’t hide as he found himself lying on the floor, having trouble breathing.

“Don’t worry, Cara. You’ll get used to reacting faster.”

He stretched out his hand and Chat took it, pulling him up to his feet again.

“And again, let’s go!”, Chat enthusiastically exclaimed while Carapace merely groaned.

#miraculous ladybug #fanfic #wind #Breeze #nino lahiffe #carapace #adrien agreste #chat noir #marinette dupain-cheng #ladybug #ladynoir #freckles writes

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seungkwanslowqualityenglish · 6 years

Text

Heaven

Summary: Taking the elevator to class seemed like a good idea, until it malfunctioned with the campus nerd and you in it. Seemingly transported back in time, you cannot think of anything to do except try to find your way back home, but the universe is not always that easy to decipher.

Who: Rowoon [ SF9 ] x Female Reader

Word Count: 4.2 K

Genre: AU / Angst / Fluff

Day 7 of the Sensuous Writing Collab

I’ve been watching Grease a lot, and planned to include 1950′s slang, but it seemed a bit awkward so I just removed it all. This is also honestly a hot mess, since I didn’t save it when I was writing this the first time, I lost pretty much half of it and had to rewrite it.

Rarely were you late to class. Mostly due to having a teacher that locked the door exactly at ten fifteen when class started. You could not afford to be late. Especially with the old man yelling about how missing one class means a drop in your letter grade. That is why you always hated scheduling meetings for before class. But when that was your advisers only open appointment for the next three months, you took it. This is how you ended up in the elevator. It was a bit faster to use to get to class, rather than walking up twelve flights of stairs to class. The old rickety elevator could barely hold one person, let alone two. You were pretty sure the elevator was older than your parents were. Possibly even as old as your grandparents are. Due to this the doors did not close fast enough. Allowing someone to someone squeeze into the elevator with you.. It was slow going up, seemingly taking much longer than it should. Floor one passed and then floor two, yet it started to malfunction as you reached floor eight. The elevator stopping between floor eight and nine, it refusing to go up any further. A moment of panic set in between the other person and you. They trying to pry the doors open, as you repeated hit the call button on the elevator, to no avail. After a moment, the elevator started to shake, and finally began to move once more, but not in the way anyone would want. In that moment, you could just tell this was not a good sign.

Everything was black and there was a sharp pain in your head, as you found yourself coming to. All you could hear was yelling, someone yelling something about not hitting a lady. Trying to pull yourself up, just to sit up on your elbows, you saw a flash of pink and a blur of black. Three girls in pink jackets rushing you, a flurry of questions coming from their lips. These words you are unable to understand. Then the black blur is seen once more, but this time you can tell it is a jacket, a leather jacket.

“Aye, calm down, you’re gonna make them faint again. Let’em come to before you start with the questions, kay ladies.” A voice you find yourself unable to recognize says. Seemingly trying to quell the three that were questioning you. “Are you okay? You took quite a hit. And also quite a fall.” The voice asked, as you started to realize it was male, but that was all you knew.

Opening your eyes fully, you found your face just a few inches away from another’s face. As you started to completely come to, you recognize the face of the person in front of you. But, there was something that did not make sense to you at all, what were you all wearing? He was in a leather jacket and white shirt and the girls were wearing hot pink jackets. Looking down, you realize that you yourself are in a poodle skirt. It was confusing. How were you suddenly in a poodle skirt, you did not own one, nor did you know anyone that did.

Staring at him, you started to recognize him, Seokwoo. He had been in the elevator with you, and he was here now. How was he here? How did he change so quick? Where were you? And what had happened? Your thoughts were overloading your mind. You found yourself starting to slip off your elbows, falling to ground again. Falling, you did not find yourself hitting the ground, instead hitting a hand. The hand ended up scooping you up, beginning to carry you somewhere, in your half conscious state.

As he walked carrying you, shrill yelling could be heard. Some poor boy was being berated by three girls. They all took it upon themselves to defend the honor of their best friend. But that yelling soon was inaudible, as you found yourself being carried into a building.

Nurse beds were never comfortable, and anyone who says they are is lying. Finally awaking, you found yourself in a stark white room, but you did not see a single person around. You were confused as to where you were, was this heaven, was this a hospital room, was this a hallucination. There was one person in the room you had yet to realize, it was him, Seokwoo. He was staring out the window, and scaring off anyone that might come near the office. A short laugh resounded through the office, as you sat up and started looking around.

It was odd to see him like this. From your few interactions before he was never this threatening or intimidating. He never wore leather jackets either. There were so many things he was doing and wearing that were so foreign. The way people seemed scared of him without him even doing anything, it was odd. Especially since usually he was somewhat of a nerd. “What happened?” You found yourself asking to him. Your voice was scratchy, as though it had not been used in a while, which you assumed was probably due to you fainting. Or the fact you presumably fainted.

This finally got his attention, and you found a set of warm brown eyes on you. It only took him a few seconds to stand up, closing the door, and making his way over to you. “Are you okay? You took a football to the head.” He said, his hands finding their way to your face. He caressed your chin, as he turned your head so he could see the spot where you were apparently hit. A bruise oddly not forming. The hit was hard enough to knock you out, then cause you to faint again later, it should have at least left a mark. But there was nothing.

“No, what happened? Why are you dressed like that? Why am I dressed like this? Where are we?” You started a jumbled mess of questions falling from your lips at a rapid speed. He was unable to understand even half of what you had asked, you honestly were not even sure about what you had asked. You just wanted answers, and wanted them now. Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, which brought you closer to him, you had finally calmed down. “Where are we?” Was the question you had settled on asking, hoping for him to at least be able to answer that.

You heard a sigh leave his lips, seemingly one of relief. “You don’t know? I don’t know either?” He started. “All I remember was being in the elevator. Then I was here, watching you get hit by a football and falling to the ground. People were calling me Rowoon and moving away from me as I neared you. It was weird, they acted like they were afraid of me. And I honestly have no idea what happened or what is going on, I was hoping that you might know.” He finished. He seemed just as confused as you. The both of you were in an elevator only moments prior, on your way too class. Yet here you both were now, wearing odd clothing and in an odd location.

After a moment of silence, you found your voice. “This doesn’t make sense. We were in the elevator, it was malfunctioning, and now we are here. Like maybe this is just some grand hallucination and we’ll wake up in a few minutes and be back on our way to class.” It was easier to brush off the idea of what might have happened. Chalk it up to a shared delusion, and that you would be on your way to class in a moment.

“But what if this isn’t. I mean what if this isn’t a delusion, what if it is real?” He did not want to believe it either. But he found himself unable to entertain any other idea of what could have happened.

It was an idea you did not want to admit or accept, it could not be real, it just could not. Earlier it had been two thousand eighteen, but now according to the wall calendar in the office it was nineteen fifty-eight. That just had to be wrong, how could you just go like sixty years back in time so easily, it is impossible, it had to be. Despite the fact everything had a familiar feel to it, you knew it was wrong. It could not have been as familiar as you were thinking.

The room was silent, as the two of you seemed to be collecting your thoughts. “We need to get home, one way or another. This just isn’t right, this isn’t where we should be.” You said, as you stood up, starting to move towards the door. “This isn’t our home, we need to somehow get out of this shared delusion. Since there is no possible reason we should be here and dressed like this most of all.” You told him, gesturing to puff of a skirt you were wearing and the leather jacket he was wearing.

“Honestly your dress reminds me Sandy from Grease.” Seokwoo said with a short laugh, before he grabbed your arm as you tried to pass him. “You need to sit down, we don’t need you to faint again.” Was all he said, before he escorted you back over to the bed, helping you sit down once more.

Deciding to listen to him, you sat back down, trying to gather your thoughts. “We need to find a way home, this isn’t making any sense.” You said, before looking up at him once more. “And I swear if you start singing any songs from Grease,I’ll be going back home and leaving you here.”

This caused the two of you to laugh. It was odd, finding humor in a situation you had no idea what was happening, why it happened, and all. “You just don’t want to hear me sing Greased Lightning. Since you know it’ll be better than John Travolta’s version, and you’ll never be able to listen to the original again.” Seokwoo jokingly said, before starting to laugh once more.

“Yeah, you just think that.” You said, through your laughing fit. The conversation however, ended promptly, as the nurse returned to the office. She kicked Seokwoo out of the room, before clearing you to go back to class.

Time passed for the both of you without much of a thought. You were both dragged into your respective friend groups. Friends that mirrored the ones you recalled from reality. But they were also so much different. Joy never had been the leader of your friend group, and she definitely was not as cynical in reality as she was here. Sally was always so studious, but here she had dreams of dropping out and becoming a hairstylist. Mina was never as energetic and bubbly as she was here. Lastly was Lisa, she was always stunning in reality, but here she became even more so.

Seokwoo had never been in a large group of friends. It was odd that he was somewhat easily accepted as the leader of a group of five. Chris, Mark, Johnny, and Kevin easily becoming his friends. He seemed to be adapting to everything much better than you were. His friend group grew, he became less feared and intimidating. But that mostly just to the people that realized he was not all he was chalked up to be.

You kept trying to return home, you did so many things, never being able to get home. Through your attempts, you also found yourself unable to get hurt. No bruise would form from a spot you were hit. No place would bleed if your skin was cut. No pain would be felt from any sort of injury. It was odd, but Seokwoo and you kept trying, well trying for as long as you could. Soon, it became hard to try to return home with him. He would show up late and mess whatever ritual you thought could work up. He would come up with a reason not to come. He doing anything he could to deter you, to get you to not try at all, like he wanted to stay here.

The two of you quickly began to grow apart. You would only see each other at school and then it was brief. Long conversations you had grown accustomed to, turned into longing stares. Stares at one another, when the other was not paying attention. You found yourself missing him. You missed how he would hold your hand as he lead you to class, or just walked with you anywhere. You missed how he would always brighten your day. You just missed him in general.

Seokwoo, unknown to you, was feeling the same way. He missed the polite laughing at his jokes, even though he even knew they were bad. He missed the stunning smile that would grace your face when he spoke to you. How you would always dedicate all your attention to him when he spoke. He missed holding your hand, how you would always let him do so without questioning it. He missed so many things, but unlike you, he saw no reason in wanting to return home. He would never tell you, but he was more than fine staying here forever, as long as you were with him. But you were still trying to get home, which is why he started to spend less and less time with you. Something in his mind made him think it might help you realize that there was no reason to return home. Since to him here was fine.

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and after this, it was something you started to believe. You never realized how much you loved being around him, until you were no longer around him. It was not until you rarely saw him, that you finally realized how much you needed him. The thought that talking to your friends about it might help it did nothing. Only allowing them to tell Seokwoo’s friends, which confirmed that he was the same way.

This is what caused them to decide to do something. They saw all the longing looks. They heard the talk of missing one another, and saw the lack of doing anything about it. A plan started to form in their heads. They finally taking it into their own hands to help you both out. Since they seemed to know that trusting you two to fix everything yourselves was not going to work. When starting to plan, they thought of the perfect event for it to take place, the school carnival that was to happen next week.

The carnival had only just started when you felt a hand intertwining with yours, as you started to be dragged away from your friends. It was odd to see Johnny being the one dragging you away, but then you saw Sally doing the same to Seokwoo. You followed him, being confused as to what was happening. It was not until you found yourself and Seokwoo standing near each other by the edge of the carnival.

“You two need to settle this, we don’t care what is going on, just fix it.” Sally quickly said to you, before she intertwined her hand with Johnny’s and the two left. As they left, Seokwoo exchanged an odd look with you, since it seems he also had never realized the two were dating.

Moving behind a large standee, as you were finally hidden from the view of most, Seokwoo decided to speak. “How did your little satanic ritual go?” He started, like he honestly had no idea of where to take the conversation. “Since I heard from Mark that Mina told him you were doing something satanic. What they said sounded like something that would have been in the Blair Witch Project.”

“Have you even ever seen the Blair Witch Project, since your comment is telling me you haven’t. Which one no what I was doing wasn’t satanic. And two both you and Mark should really not trust Mina to judge what is satanic and what is not. And even if I was, what else do you want me to do, I’ve tried everything. I’m trying to get us home, at least I’m trying instead of just sitting around waiting for something to happen.” You retorted back, part of you was getting tired of his attitude, but the other part knew he was right.

“What if this isn’t what you thought? What if this isn’t some grand hallucination? What if this isn’t some heat stroke dream or anything like that?” He said at your denial of the situation. “What if there is no one to return to? What if our families aren’t worrying, since there is no need to worry about us?” He added, never giving you a change to reply. “Did you ever think about that? Why else wouldn’t they be trying to find us or something. Since if we were in the hospital from it malfunctioning, wouldn’t we be able to hear voices or something. You need to realize, that maybe there is no going home, since we are home.”

Everything he said was possible, but also something in you that refused to admit it. “No, there has to be a way, we can’t just stay here. I have my parents, you have your parents and older sister. Don’t you wanna get back to them? Don’t you want everything to go back to normal?” You said, trying not to scream at him, you were not exactly angered, just exasperated. He seemed as though he did not want to return to them, like he would prefer here to going back there.

You had tried everything at that point. Every cliche thing you had seen in movies and read in books, nothing worked. Losing hope was harder than someone might think. Maybe you just had not done something right, or maybe your timing off was. Deep in your heart you knew it was worthless, but you could not find it in yourself to stop. Weird rituals and all helped none. At this point there was pretty much nothing else you could think of that would possibly fixed it all.

Well, you could not think of anything, until you saw Chris and Joy kiss. It might sound stupid, but it worked in some movies, like Sleeping Beauty. Yet, this also was not an animated movie and you were not waiting for your prince charming. “What would you do if I kissed you?” You questioned him, completely changing the topic of your current conversation. As you did so, you realized his face was much closer to yours than you previously thought. “Would you want me to kiss you?” You added murmuring it, some part of you hoping he might have not heard it.

“I don’t know. Why?” Seokwoo asked you back, as he started to wonder if this was another one of your ideas. An idea that would suddenly transport the two of you back into your time. He remained as skeptical as ever, but did not question you any further.

At one time you saw Seokwoo as nothing more than the studious business major, who did not socialize or even actively participate in the social scene. Yet, here he seemed different. He was confident and sarcastic and somewhat alluring. He was a person you had found yourself falling for. But you were still unsure of whether it was truly that or just due to the fact he was the only person who understood how you felt. “So is that a no?” You muttered, part of you took his words as a mild rejection, and the other part of you felt stupid for even thinking this might work. He would tell you this is not a fairy tale. You are not Cinderella and he is not Prince Charming. No kiss will make either of you magically awaken into the world you were accustomed to.

The crestfallen look on your face hurt him, he was unsure of what to say. Yes might scare you but a no might anger you, to him there was no safe option. “What would you do if I kissed you?” He asked back, finally deciding that it might be one of the few safe options on what to do.

You were at a loss for words, did he just ask you what you had asked him. Resisting the urge to scoff, you shrugged before giving him the answer he gave you. “I don’t know.” It gave you a small triumphant feeling to say to him, exactly what he said to you. Part of you wanted to disorient him by saying something bolder, but you were unable to. You instead just relying what he had said to you back to him.

“Do you want to kiss me?” Seokwoo then asked. He had heard your murmuring, and that for some reason mildly terrified you.

This would be an easy question to answer for some, yet you found yourself unable to. Maybe it was having to admit the fact that you had fallen for the diligent business major. Maybe it was the fact that he alluded something he did not before, confidence. The both of you had changed being here. Despite thinking it was not a positive change to start, you began to realize that it was a positive change. He was more carefree and confident. You were even more carefree and you found yourself unable to stress the little things. Maybe this is where your flood of confidence came from, if even only for that moment. “What would you do if I said yes?” You retorted, moving even closer to where Seokwoo was standing.

As the small distance between the two of you was easily closed. You found yourself practically pushed against his chest. Had he not been so tall, you would have been face to face with him. “I would do this.” He muttered, before you felt his lips pressing against yours. The kiss was chaste and ended far too soon for your liking. “What would you do then?”

Maybe the kiss gave you another random shot of confidence. You moved to wrap an arm around Seokwoo’s neck, to keep him from moving back up. “I would do something like this.” You said before connecting your lips to his once more. This kiss lasted much longer, as his hands found their way to your back, and your other arm did as your first did. “What would you do then?” You ask him back, once you pulled away from the kiss.

Had the two of you been paying attention, you would have been able to see your friends somewhat rejoicing. They celebrating their plan working. The two of you however, were too engaged with each other to be paying any attention to them. This being the first time you were together in what felt like weeks.

As his lips met yours again, you began to think to yourself, that maybe this was not so bad. The original thoughts you had of here being a horrible place to be. It was second best to your home, well those thoughts for some reason faded when you were kissing him. Replaced by thoughts of how great this place was, of how it was different, but a good different. It made you think of him, made you think of being carefree, and it made you think of happiness. And here that is what you would get, happiness.

In some part of your mind you knew it was stupid of you. Stupid of you to think that you were somewhat some time traveling Sleeping Beauty that went back in time. Thinking that the kiss of a Prince Charming would help you return. Yet, then again, many of your little plans and ideas to get back home were stupid. Seeing how no matter what you did, nothing ever changed. Things only ever stayed the same. But maybe the same was not as bad as you thought. The predictability of here, and the comfort of him made it feel different.

Minutes passed before the two of you finally parted. Pulling away you had to stop yourself from laughing. Seeing as your lipstick had managed to move from your lips onto his face. The moment the two of you had, just starting into each other’s eyes, as you realized maybe this was home, was ruined. Your friends were still yelling for the two of you to join them playing carnival games. His friends were paying out the profits from the bets they had made. You had friends here, you had happiness here, and most of all you had him. This was your reality, or maybe it would be better to say your heaven, since reality is really only for the living.

#sensuouscollab #sfnet #thekpopnetwork #kreativewritersnet #jae #rowoon #genre: angst #genre: fluff #genre: au #kim seokwoo #sf9 #sensational fantasy nine #sf9 rowoon #rowoon sf9 #this is late bc tumblr was being a little bitch #grease-ish au #i just really love grease #and like this is a hot mess tho like tbh

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artemisegeria · 6 years

Text

Interlude

Title: Interlude

Bonus Gift For: @mrhiddles and @andhewonherheart

Rating: G

Word count: 2,241

Summary: Vision surprises Wanda with a visit during their two years of stolen moments.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16044377

Message for Recipients: Hello, I hope you enjoy this piece of unashamed fluff where Vision and Wanda get to be happy like they deserve.

Made for the Scarlet Vision Exchange 2018!

A/N-- Written for the prompt: “I would like any gift of them being happy.” Also inspired by this concept art. Many thanks to @anonthenullifier for beta’ing.

I apologize if there are any errors in my description of the Hanukkah celebration. All of my knowledge of the holiday comes from brief mentions of friends and internet research.

Wanda felt something unmistakable. She spoke briefly into her comm. “I thought I saw something around the corner. I’m just gonna check it out.”

She hurried into the alley with her heart hammering. “Vizh!” She found him leaning casually against the wall. “What are you doing here?” The familiar red skin and subdued vibranium greeted her as she stepped into the deeper shadows, leaning toward him. The sight never failed to warm her, despite his unexpected appearance and the possibility of discovery.

“Tony sent me on a last-minute errand, and I knew that you would be here, according to your last text message. So, I took the liberty of making a stop.” Vision looked at her so hopefully that her heart caught in her chest. She hadn’t expected to see him for a month or more, and it thrilled her that he was right in front of her.

But there was a problem. “The others are just across the street.” She looked both directions over her shoulder before she turned back to him. “I can’t stay long.”

His smile collapsed into a frown. “Will you be able to get away again? Tony does not expect me until the beginning of next week.”

“Probably not until tomorrow afternoon.”

“I will look forward to our meeting tomorrow then.” Vision leaned forward and swept a strand of hair behind her ear. “I will send you directions to where I am staying.” He looked like he was about to say something else, but she could hear the voices of her teammates in her ear.

Wanda felt her lips tilt into a slight, wry smile. “We never have enough time,” she said ruefully. “I have to go before they come looking for me.” He nodded before leaning down to press a brief kiss to her lips. Pulling away, she murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He raised a hand in farewell and phased away.

She returned to her teammates, trying to school her face into a serious expression suitable to a mission.

Wanda knocked softly on the door that Vision had identified in his email. He opened the door just a crack. “Wanda, come in, but please close your eyes.” She raised an eyebrow but complied. He took her hand to lead her inside. He brought her to the bed and encouraged her to sit. “I apologize; my tasks took longer than anticipated, and I am behind schedule. Wait here a few minutes, please.”

She sighed as she sank gratefully into the soft mattress and fluffy bedspread. “It’s okay, Vizh. It feels good to just sit. I was training with the others all morning.”

Vision asked, “Where did you tell them you would be?” His voice came from farther away. She wished she could watch him work, but she respected his wishes and kept her eyes firmly closed.

“We actually decided to go our separate ways early. I’m not expected anywhere for a few weeks.” Wanda felt a broad smile spread across her face at the thought that she was free to enjoy Vision’s presence for at least two full days. She could hear the clink of dishes as he worked in what was presumably the kitchen and wondered what he was making.

He finally returned to her. His fingers wrapped around hers. He pulled her up and wrapped an arm around her waist as he drew her toward the table. Wanda couldn’t help but bounce on her toes out of growing impatience. She shivered when Vision whispered in her ear, “Alright. Thank you for indulging me. You can open your eyes now.”

She did not speak for several moments, and time seemed to stretch out around them. When she turned her face up to him, she braced her hands against his chest and kissed his cheek. Her smile only grew wider. She felt the tension drain out of Vision, to be replaced by joy that he could make her look like that. “This is wonderful, Vizh, but you didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

Wanda gestured to the Happy Birthday banner that was carefully hung on the wall with non-stick hooks and perfectly level. Her eyes traveled from the balloons to the red, white, and blue confetti to the small, tabletop Christmas tree.

“I wanted to. Our time together is unreliable and unpredictable. I thought it would be beneficial to simply celebrate a number of holidays for this year at once.” The words left him in a rush, as if he were nervous about her reaction. Wanda smiled at him again.

She was still a little flabbergasted at everything he’d done. “Did you have a plan in mind about how we would celebrate?”

“I had thought that we would celebrate in chronological order if that is amenable to you.”

“Absolutely,” Wanda assured him. Vision leaned down and kissed her cheek. He pulled out a chair for her and sat across from her at the small kitchen table. “Paprikash…” When she looked at her bowl, she felt her smile take on the fixed quality that it had when he had asked a particularly outlandish question shortly after his creation. “Thanks, Vizh.”

He smirked at her. “Don’t worry. It should be much better than the last time I attempted to make it. I have been practicing. And I triple checked that I was using paprika.” Wanda took a tentative bite, and her smile became real. He beamed as she took several more bites with evident enjoyment.

“How much have you been practicing?” Wanda teased. “I’d never believe you made this.”

“I will choose to take that as a compliment.”

She looked up, flushing slightly, but she relaxed when she saw that his expression had not shifted. “You should. This is excellent.” She finished the rest of her paprikash. “What’s next?”

“I prepared an Easter egg hunt similar to the one that Tony planned two years ago.” She felt a pang as she remembered the day when Clint’s family showed up at the compound, and they were all running and laughing and happy. “There are twenty eggs hidden throughout the room.” Vision handed her a basket. She began walking around the rented apartment. She searched in the kitchen cupboards, behind some picture frames that were standing on an end table, and even in the outer pocket of his duffel bag.

She pouted at him. “Are there really eggs hidden?” She could easily find out where Vision had hidden them, but that would take all the fun out of it. Besides her pride was at stake.

“I assure you that there are.” Wanda relished the amusement in his eyes. “You simply have not looked in the correct places yet.”

She redoubled her efforts. Despite her slight frustration, a carefree joy was growing in her as she found the first egg behind the cushions of the small couch in the corner of the room. She moved on to pull out the drawers from the nightstands.

Eventually Wanda found the eggs that Vision had hidden around the bed. Then the ones in the bathroom, on the windowsill behind the curtains, and those she had missed in the kitchen. She grinned in triumph when she found the final egg hidden in a large potted plant.

Vision smiled at her. “Well done. Are you ready to move on to the next holiday?” She nodded, and he handed her a box that he had set aside on the kitchen counter. “Here are sparklers in honor of the Fourth of July, or Captain Rogers’s birthday, whichever occasion you prefer.” She appreciated his accommodation. She was still not enthusiastic about celebrating the country that had turned on her or the large-scale fireworks that accompanied it, but she did greatly enjoy the festivities the team had for the holiday the year she was with them. Even while on the run the previous year, they had tried to copy the party for Steve’s birthday.

They walked out onto the patio that adjoined the studio. Vision brought out a lighter while she carried the sparklers. He placed the flame against her sparkler, which she waved with abandon. He lit his own, and Wanda smiled at his fascination with the paths of light that his sparkler created.

They burned through several more sparklers. Twirling around each other. Creating patterns in the air. Enjoying their freedom. This was true liberty and independence. Being alone with the man she loved and free to be completely herself, not worrying about the next hideout or mission. She started laughing out of sheer joy, and Vision’s rich chuckle mingled with hers.

The only slight pall over her joy was the fact that Vision had to remain disguised to maintain their anonymity, but it was necessary for the moment. She still dreamed of the day that such hiding would be optional.

After a few more minutes, Wanda let him lead her back inside. He settled her in an armchair and carried over a box that he had hidden in his bag. “Please open this next.” She pulled off the blue and white paper. She smiled as she removed the small silver menorah inlaid with blue and white stones that the team had given her the year she joined the Avengers. Vision gestured back to the box. “There are several more items in the bottom of the box.” She drew out the gold foil wrapped chocolate gelt and the dreidel she’d received with the menorah.

Wanda asked, “Are we going to play the game I showed everyone a couple years ago?” He nodded. It had been one of the first moments that she had truly embraced becoming part of the team in more than just Avenging, only a precious few months after her brother’s death. She divided the gelt between them, placing the dreidel in the middle of the coffee table. She spun the dreidel first. It landed so that she was forced to place half of her chocolate into the central pot.

When it was Vision’s turn, his spin granted him the entire pot. However, in the next few rounds, Wanda won so many pieces that Vision only had two pieces left. It took only a few more turns for Wanda to win the rest.

“Congratulations,” he conceded. He returned to his bag and took out the candles he had stored there. He handed some to Wanda, and they placed them in the menorah. The light from the candles matched the warm glow that was building in her chest.

She led him through the prayers that went along with the candle lighting. She recognized that her observance of the holiday was far from perfect, but it was nice to have a piece of her heritage back. They took a few moments to simply appreciate each other’s company and enjoy the silence.

As the candles burned lower, she looked up at Vision expectantly. “Now that we have completed the candle lighting, Christmas is next and last.” He led her back to the kitchen table to sit in front of the miniature tree. “Open your eggs please.”

Wanda opened the first egg, delighting in what she found inside. “Ooh, this is so pretty, Vizh!” She held up a tiny ornament in the shape of a snowflake. Vision’s smile, which had not left his face since they took out the sparklers, only grew wider as she pushed half of her eggs toward him.

Once they finished decorating the tree, Vision removed two boxes from his jacket pocket and handed them to her. “More?” Wanda felt a blush climbing up her cheeks.

“The celebration of Christmas could not be complete without gifts.”

She opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper to reveal a necklace with a silver chain and a black circular pendant, etched with a curlicue design. “I saw this at a market in Delhi, and I thought you would like it.”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.” He handed her the other box. The necklace inside was a black cord that bore a single gray pearl flanked by two smaller beads. “Where did you find this one?”

“I made it myself.” No one had ever done something like that for her. “I bought the pearl in French Polynesia when I was following a lead as to your whereabouts. It was lovely there.”

“I’ll try to convince the rest of the team that there are arms dealers to foil there some time.” Wanda stepped toward him. “And next time we meet, I’ll have some Christmas presents for you.” She could practically hear Vision’s protests as he opened his mouth to speak, but she put a finger to his lips. “I think there’s one more holiday we need to celebrate.”

She recognized the whir in his thoughts from something not going to plan. “Which one is that?”

“New Year’s Eve,” Wanda said. “Let’s pretend it’s 11:59 pm.” Vision looked confused for a moment, but she saw his realization as he remembered the New Year’s Eve party from the year they had both joined the Avengers. He placed his hands on her hips as she smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed against each other, counting down. “Ten, nine, eight…” She leaned her head against him. “Seven, six, five, four…” She raised up on her toes. “Three, two, one. Happy New Year, Vizh,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him soundly.

Imaginary or not, this was an excellent way to start the year.

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