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leia505 · 3 years

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The Sunrise and Your Sins | Tetsurou Kuroo x Reader (street racing AU)

This fic takes place in the same universe as “deciphered” by @hoeneymilktea! Here is the link to the car visuals and spotify playlist, as well as AO3 where the fic is also posted if you prefer to read on there.

Huge shoutout to @aikk00 for creating the fan art that inspired both this story and “deciphered”.

And another shoutout to @hoeneymilktea for pushing me to write this fic, if you’re here from deciphered I hope you enjoy this addition to the deciphered universe!

Pairing: Tetsurou Kuroo x Reader

Rating: Explicit, NSFW(later chapters)

Word Count: 10k

Tags: Street Racing, Alternate Universe - Car Racing, Inspired by Fanart, References to Drugs, Aged-Up Character(s), Original Character(s), Inspired by The Fast and the Furious, Inspired by Tokyo Drift, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Mystery, Drama & Romance, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: Being a mob boss’s daughter had always been a dangerous life, but Tetsurou Kuroo—street racer and mob henchman—made it all seem easy. Although the mutual attraction between you two was undeniable, the darkness that encompassed your family took precedence over your love. Surrounded by lies and deception, you and Kuroo must work together to uncover the truth of your brother’s death and your father’s shady business.

“Hey there kitten.”

“Is that really how you want to talk to a yakuza boss’ daughter?”

“It’s not like your old man’s here to listen.” Kuroo says, pulling up a chair to sit close to you. You turned your head to stare him in the eyes as he smirked at you.

“You think a man like my father doesn’t have his own office wired?” You ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

Kuroo chuckles nervously, looking around your dad’s office. Just some harmless flirting boss. Nothing to worry about here.” He says loudly, turning to you with a wink. You can’t help but smile, you’ve always enjoyed the times Kuroo came to see your father. You weren’t going to try to deny the fact you found him attractive, but there’s no way your father would allow it. A mafia princess and a drug smuggler? What a cliché.

Your father’s sudden entrance startles you both, and Kuroo instinctively stands up to bow. You remain seated, knowing that the power he held over this city applied to everyone but you.

“Hello father.” You greet your dad as he sits in his office chair at the front of the room. He definitely has a demanding presence, which is to be expected from the man who has the Tokyo underground in his pocket. Kuroo had power, and definitely had some authority, but he was a guppy compared to your father.

“Sit, Tetsurou.” Your father says, motioning for Kuroo to take a seat. He quickly sits down in his chair, attentively looking at the mafia boss for further instructions.

“So, as you could probably guess, I have another job for you.” He says, pulling a file out from the locked cabinet of his desk. He laid the file open in front of him and turned to Kuroo. “There will be a shipping container coming in this Friday from Cuba. I’m going to need a team of your best racers to get it from point A, the ports, to point B, headquarters.” He explains, motioning for Kuroo to stand next to him to look over the details.

“Seems easy enough, standard job.” Kuroo says, studying the papers in front of him. At this moment, you can’t help but wonder to yourself why exactly you’re there.

“Exactly. Nothing new, just the same old.” Your dad agrees. “However, this is a bigger job. And we do have some eyes watching us nowadays. So what I need from you is to take the lead and choose your team. Approved by me, of course.” He says, motioning for Kuroo to take his seat again.

“How many people are we talking?” Kuroo asks.

“You, maybe two others. And your colleague, Snake Eyes, taking the lead on logistics.” Your father explains, leaning back in his chair. “Snake Eyes will be essential to this one, we need eyes and ears on the route. The less run-ins with the authorities, the better.”

‘Snake Eyes.’ You thought to yourself. ‘Isn’t that Kenma? The nerdy looking mechanic?’

“I’ll let Kozume know.” Kuroo says, nodding. “I think Oikawa and Shinsuke would be a good fit for this one. Fast, experienced, trustworthy.”

“Oikawa…he’s the one that calls himself Cypher correct?” You father questions.

“Yes sir, head of Seijoh Brawlers. Shinsuke goes by Sly Fox, head of Inarizaki Bois.”

Your dad let out a hearty chuckle, startling both of you. “You kids and your code names. You would think you’re playing spy.” Kuroo nervously chuckled in agreement.

“No playing here sir, we’re all in.” Kuroo says, giving him a confident grin.

“That’s what I like to hear, Tetsurou. With that attitude, you’ll fit right in at the grown-up table.” Your father says, getting up from his chair. You roll your eyes, bored of the conversation between the two criminals.

“Why am I here?” You ask, causing both of them to turn to you as if they just realized you were there. You rarely sat in on your father’s meetings, so you were confused from the start as to what your purpose was.

“Oh sweetheart! I almost forgot, Kuroo has a present for you.” Your father says brightly, waving his arms at you, motioning for you to follow Kuroo out the door.

You peered your eyes at Kuroo suspiciously as he smirked at you. You continued to follow him out the door of your family’s Tokyo home, with your father following behind you.

As the three of you exit the house, your eyes fall on a bright pink car, with a giant white ribbon tied around the hood.

“Is that-“You begin saying, quickening your pace to get closer to this absolute beauty.

“A Honda S2000? Yes, yes, it is.” Kuroo says, leaning against his car, a cherry red Nissan Veilside 350Z. He holds up a pair of car keys, which he tosses to you.

“It’s mine?!” You exclaim. You turn to your dad, who smiles warmly at you.

“A gift, from the Nekoma crew to our family. Me and your mother have enough cars, so I figured you could claim this one.” He explains, chuckling.

“Thank you!” You wrap your arms around him, embracing your father in a hug. He tightly hugs you back, the same way he always has. You turn towards Kuroo. “And thank you, you and the whole Nekoma crew. How’d you know I wanted pink?”

Kuroo shrugs. “I just guessed. Seemed like your color.” He says, winking at you. He slyly opens his car door, climbing in. “Thursday night, I’ll bring the team?” He asks, turning towards your dad.

“Yes, and make sure they bring their cars as well. I need to see for myself what type of speed we’re working with.” Your dad says, switching into business mode seamlessly.

Kuroo lets out a laugh, closing his car door and rolling his window down. “I can promise you sir, the one thing we will surely not be lacking is speed.” He says, revving his engine, speeding out of the driveway and down the dark street. The roar of his engine could be heard long after he disappeared from our sight, breaking the silence of the upper-class neighborhood he sped through.

“Sweetheart, Tetsurou and his boys are here if you’d like to sit in on the meeting.” Your father says, peeking his head into your room.

“I’ll be right down dad.” You reply, getting up from your bed. You heard their cars coming from miles away, so you were already prepared to meet them downstairs. You were curious as to why your father suddenly invited you to sit in on his business meetings, he never really allowed you to take part in your family’s activities. Nevertheless, you were glad you finally had something to keep you entertained while locked away in your home.

As you walked down the stairs, you heard Kuroo’s voice speaking to his friends, and you were caught off guard by how mature he sounded. He must have known you and your father were coming down the stairs, so he put his big boy voice on to impress your father.

“Hi.” you say shortly, causing all of them to turn their heads to you. You finally got a good look at all of them, and they were all exactly what you’d expect street racers to look like. Piercings, tattoos, just a bunch of tough looking guys with skeptical faces as they looked up at you.

“Is this the one you keep bringing up?” a guy with shoulder length bleached blonde hair asks, turning to Kuroo. His voice was soft, almost a whisper. It was a drastic change from Kuroo’s deep, commanding voice.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kuroo says, awkwardly clearing his throat, tugging at his collar as he avoided your gaze.

“Hola mami.” The brunette one says to you, shooting you a devilish smirk as you descend further down the stairs.

“The fuck is wrong with this one?” You ask Kuroo, opting to stand next to him. You tilt your head towards the brunette guy, who was still staring at you like a luxury car.

“He lived in Argentina for a few years and now he’s just...like that.” Kuroo says. “You kind of get used to it. He also doesn’t care that no one but him knows Spanish.”

“Tetsurou! Glad you all made it here in one piece. Shall we move this to my office?” Your father says, waving his arm down the hall to the large double doors that lead to his office, the space where all meetings, illegal or otherwise, were held.

The five of you made room for your father to lead and followed him down the hall. You were keenly aware of the fact Kuroo stood almost directly behind you, mainly because the smell of his cologne was too strong to ignore. Kuroo was just like that, a presence you couldn’t seem to get out of your head.

Upon entering the office, you choose to take your usual spot on the comfortable sofa chair you put in your dad’s office over a decade ago. When you were younger, more naive to the truth to your father’s business and your family’s wealth, you frequently accompanied your father in his office on long work nights, falling asleep in the chair that was kept out of the way to keep others from taking your special spot. That’s always how your dad was, making sure to accommodate you. Anything for the princess.

“So!” Your father announces, clapping his hands together, causing you and the blonde one to jump slightly. “Don’t be shy, introduce yourselves.” You roll your eyes at him, thinking that he sounded more like a grade school teacher than a yakuza boss with hundreds of skeletons in the closet.

The 4 men stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not knowing how to start. Everyone except the silver haired guy wore a bomber jacket, with names printed on the back. The brunette wearing a white bomber jacket spoke first. You noticed the teal lettering on his jacket that read ‘CYPHER’.

“Tooru Oikawa, sir. Cypher.” He says, bowing at your dad.

“Uh, Kenma Kozume. People call me Snake Eyes sometimes.” the bleach blonde spoke next, his voice quiet and skeptical.

“Kita Shinsuke, aka Sly Fox.” The silver haired guy in the plain black hoodie says, giving your father a slight head nod.

“And obviously you know me.” Kuroo says. He turns to face you, flashing his signature grin. “Your turn.”

“(y/n).” you introduce yourself, giving them a small wave. “If you haven’t figured out who I am then you’re pretty slow.”

“My daughter, everyone. Excuse the attitude.” your father remarks, shaking his head at you. “So, I assume you filled them in on the details?”

“Yes sir, they’ve all been filled in on the job. Kenma running point on logistics, the control tower of the team. The three of us running the cargo from the ports to the warehouse. Basic rules, don’t be dumb, and don’t get caught.” Kuroo says. The other men looked at him, nodding slightly in agreement.

“Excellent, I knew I could count on you to take the lead here. Keep this up and you may find some more jobs like this in your future.” Your father gets up from his chair, pulling more files from his cabinet. He hands each of the men their own file, which they all take and begin looking over. “You’ll find all the smaller details in there, as well as numbers to contact in case you run into trouble. You’ll also find a receipt, with your pay for this job highlighted. I hope you find it accommodating to your work.” He says, studying each of them as they flip through the files.

“Definitely accommodating.” Kita comments, nodding his head as he peers down at the file. You begin to wonder when you’ll be able to see the fine tuned details, to truly see everything your father does in a day. So much of who he is still remained a mystery to you, and perhaps you found some comfort in your own ignorance.

“Thank you sir, our teams greatly appreciate your contributions.” Kuroo says, bowing once again to your father.

“It’s really no problem, after all, who doesn’t like a good street race.” Your father says with a smile. “And, in a way, I feel as though keeping your teams afloat helps me remember my son.”

“You have a son?” Oikawa asks, looking up.

“Had a son, yes.” Your father replied sadly. You winced, not expecting to have to relive these memories. “He passed in a racing accident. It was a few years ago. I think it was before your kids’ time.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was his name? Or, what team was he on?” Kenma asks.

“Keishin. He used the last name Ukai when he raced, to get away from our family name. I believe he raced for Karasuno?” Your dad says, bringing up more and more painful memories.

“Karasuno Killers? They’re getting back on the scene nowadays. I remember someone talking about how they stopped coming to races a while back, but they just recently started racing again because they have a whole new team.” Kuroo says.

“Really? Well, I might just have to come watch a race one of these days. For old times sake.”

‘Old times sake my ass.’ you thought to yourself, knowing the truth about your father and your deceased brother’s relationship. Your father hated racing, and resented your brother for choosing Karasuno over the Sakanoshita name. At the time of your brother’s death, you couldn’t help but wonder if your father was truly upset, or if he was putting on another facade, the same way he was now.

“Well, speaking of races, you wanted to see our cars, right?” Oikawa says, clearly trying to redirect this depressing conversation.

“Oh yes, of course! I want to see for myself what you’re all going to be working with tomorrow.” Your father says, walking out of his office towards the front of the home.

Outside, there were 3 cars parked in the driveway. You recognized the models, and you could guess which cars were Oikawa and Kita’s just from the colorways, white and black, just like their outfits.

“Mi amor.” Oikawa says, looking at his car. “Mazda RX-7 Veilside Fortune. ‘97.”

“He would marry his car if he could.” Kuroo comments, tilting his head towards you. You laugh, looking up at him.

“Nissan Silvia. 2002.” Kita says, walking up to his car and opening the door. The smell of smoke was strong, and he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the middle console. “Mind if I smoke?” Your father nods, and Kita proceeds to light one and take a puff.

“Kenma, no car?” Your father asks, turning towards him. Kenma seems caught off guard by the sound of his own name.

“Uh, no sir, not tonight. I have cars, but I don’t drive all that often. I don’t see the point in risking my investments.” He says, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah, he’d rather be in the passenger seat with me driving and risking my car.” Kuroo says, playfully shoving Kenma’s shoulder.

“That reminds me, I have a proposal for you Kuroo.” Your father says, getting everyone's attention. “Would you be willing to let (y/n) ride with you on this job?”

“Excuse me?” You say, interrupting the conversation. “Why am I going? You never let me go anywhere, but suddenly I’m running drugs for you?” You raise an eyebrow at him and cross your arms across your chest.

“Well, sweetheart, I figured it was time.” Your father says, taking a step closer to stand in front of you. “I was around your age when your grandfather started allowing me to learn the ropes of our family’s business. You are the only one who can continue the Sakanoshita name. I think this is a good first job for you.”

“For the record, it's no problem. She can ride with me. I promise she’ll be safe.” Kuroo says, inserting himself into the conversation between you and your father.

“So, does this mean I finally have something to do? I can start leaving the house again?” You ask, hopeful that this decision from your father will mean more freedom. Things haven’t been the same since Keishin died, and your father kept you under a microscope, claiming it was for your safety.

“We can talk about new safety rules after this job. Deal?” He asks, holding his hand out for you to shake.

“Deal.” You say, taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

“Looks like the princess is growing up.” Kuroo comments, smirking at you.

“Hope we don’t scare her too much.” Kita says jokingly.

You scoffed at him, excitement growing inside of you as you realized this will be the start of you growing into a leadership position in the Sakanoshita family, becoming the face of this giant organization that ruled the Tokyo underground. “Nothing scares me.”

You stared at yourself in the mirror, trying to get your head together before the job. ‘What does a person bring to a drug smuggling? What does someone wear? Fucking jeans?’

‘No.’ you thought to yourself, grabbing a pair of leggings. What if you needed to run? Well then you need sneakers too. And a warm jacket, just in case. Do you bring a phone charger? Would it be weird to ask Kuroo to plug your phone in while you’re smuggling drugs together?

“What the fuck am I doing.” You say out loud to yourself, beginning to question your own sanity. You let out a deep sigh, trying to clear your head.

You eventually decide on leggings, sneakers, and a cross body fanny pack to hold your phone and smaller things. Before exiting your room, you hesitate.

You make your way to your bedside table, opening the drawer and reaching to the back, pulling out a small handgun. You take it out, along with a note that was tucked underneath it.

‘Stay safe. -Keishin’

This was a gift from your brother, before he passed. You kept it close by, both as protection and a heavy reminder. Your family name carried a lot of weight, which the both of you felt smothered by. You both understood the dark side of the luxury you lived with, saw the blood that stained your family’s money. But now, with him gone, it all fell on you. Everything depended on you.

You make the decision to take it along with you, holstering it to your thigh. ‘Better safe than sorry’, you thought to yourself. A regular night could turn deadly in an instant, something that you were very familiar with given the way your brother passed.

You exit your room and descend down the stairs, walking out the front door to where everyone was waiting with their cars. Oikawa was busy on his phone, and Kita was further away smoking a cigarette. Your father stood with Kuroo, most likely discussing the job.

“Where’s Kenma?” You question, walking up to stand with Kuroo and your dad.

“He’s back at the garage. Don’t worry, he has eyes and ears at us at all times.” Kuroo says, pointing at the earpiece he wore. “Here, one for you as well.” He hands you an ear piece, which you put in, immediately hearing the sounds of a video game, most likely from Kenma.

“Are you ready?” Your father asks, turning towards you. You nod in response, and he looks over you, stopping and furrowing his eyebrows when he sees your gun. “Is a gun really necessary?”

“Keishin would have wanted me to bring it. Better safe than sorry, like he used to say.” You say, knowing that bringing up your brother was the easiest way to get your father to comply with whatever it was that you were doing.

He nods, giving you a sad smile. “You’re right. He was always the cautious one.”

“The smart one too.” You say, smiling nostalgically. “Are we all ready to go?” You ask, turning to Kuroo.

“Yup, all set.” He replies, swinging the passenger car door open for you. “I’ll have Snake Eyes let you know when we reach the ports, and again at the warehouse.” He says, turning to your father.

“Perfect.” Your father says. He turns to look at you once more, then back at Kuroo. “Bring her back in one piece.” He says, holding out his hand.

“You can count on me, sir.” He says, giving your father a firm handshake. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, the business your family was involved in was always so masculine, so formal. It was something you would have to adjust to when you begin taking part in it.

Kuroo closed your car door and nodded to the other two racers, who immediately got into their cars, turning their engines one. He climbs into the driver’s seat of his car, turning the key in the ignition, the loud roar of the engine startling you. He chuckles, realizing he made you jump.

“Mic check. Roll call.” You hear Kenma say in your ear.

“Tap once to speak, twice to mute.” Kuroo says, pointing to the earpiece. He taps once, and speaks. “DK here, with Princess in the passenger seat.” He says, grinning at you.

“Ew, keep it PG-13 dude.” Kenma says, making you laugh.

“Cypher, ready to roll.” You hear Oikawa say.

“Sly fox.” Kita says shortly.

“And Snake Eyes. Ready when you guys are. All clear on the short route to the ports, I’ll let you know if that changes. Stay safe everyone.” Kenma says, muting himself.

“Alright, we all know the route, I’ll take the lead, Sly Fox you take rear. You already know the rules, don’t be stupid, and don’t get caught. I’ll check back in when we’re 5 away from the ports.” Kuroo says, taking the parking brake off and switching gears, the car beginning to move.

Everyone mutes themselves and begins driving off, away from your wealthy neighborhood and towards the city’s industrial district. The Tokyo skyline was in your rear view mirror, and your heart beat faster and faster as you went further away from your home, the place that you’ve been stuck in for years now.

“You don’t get out much do you?” Kuroo asks, breaking the silence.

“Not really, no. My father doesn’t allow me to go many places now, ever since my brother died. He says it’s too risky, which I think is bullshit.” You say, shrugging your shoulders.

Kuroo laughs. “I knew you weren’t just some obedient princess. Look at you, all rebellious.”

“I’d be more rebellious if I were able to do anything. This...is my first time out of the house in 6 months. The last time was just for the dentist.” You say, awkwardly laughing at yourself.

“Well, then we better make the most of it, right?” Kuroo says, switching gears, now going 105 km/h on the expressway.

“Kuroo what if we get pulled over?” You ask nervously, knowing the risks he was taking just to show off.

“Relax, (y/n), I know what I’m doing.” Kuroo says, flashing his signature grin at you. Everything about him drew you in, made you want to keep looking, to reach out and know him as more than just your father’s employee.

“Kuroo, stop showing off. Just because there’s a pretty girl in the car doesn’t mean that you get to be cocky.” Kenma says in your ear, catching you both off guard.

“Alright alright, take it easy Snake Eyes.” Kuroo says, tapping his ear piece once, then double tapping again to mute. He begins slowing the car down to 80 km/h.

You let out a small giggle, looking over at him. “You think I’m pretty?” You say in a mocking tone, leaning in closer to him.

“I think you’re beautiful.” He says in a serious tone, catching you completely off guard. You begin to slowly back away from him, retreating back into your seat.

“What?” You ask, not sure if you heard him right.

“You’re beautiful. I’ve always thought so. As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for my extremely deep fear of your father, I’d want to take you out on a date.” He says, laughing.

You laugh as well, suddenly a little sad about what he said. “Yeah, that’s too bad. I would’ve said yes.” You say, turning your face to give him a sad smile.

He smirks at you, but his eyes drooped, giving them a sad, tired look. “Would’ve been a great first date.”

After that exchange, you both remained quiet, lost in thought of what could have been. Thinking of the undeniable chemistry that drew the two of you together, but also the forces at play that kept you from colliding. What could have been, if circumstances were different, if the two of you were different. Normal.

“Can I ask you something?” You ask him, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two of you.

“Of course.”

“What would you be, if you weren’t racing and working for my dad? Who would you be?” You were genuinely curious, because all you ever knew about Kuroo was that he was dealing before getting pulled into the Sakanoshita business, and that he raced with Nekoma.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He says, a smile growing on his face.

“Try me.”

“Well, I would be a student. Right before I got recruited by your family, I was in college. Chemistry major.” He says, peering over at you.

“Chemistry?!” You ask, surprised by his answer. “You’re a science nerd?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say a nerd.” He says, laughing at your reaction. “In my senior year, I ran out of money. So, I started dealing. It wasn’t anything serious, but I guess I was pretty good at it. I ended up on your dad’s radar, and he took me in as a transporter and dealer. And so, here I am. No degree, but hey, I have a nice car.”

“I’m sorry.” You say, almost out of instinct. It felt like the only right thing to say, even if it wasn’t something that was expected.

“Sorry for what? Your dad giving me a job?”

“You never got to graduate.” After saying this, it seems as though Kuroo realizes it as well, that he never got to finish school. “You were so close, but you got stuck with my family. I’m sorry you didn’t get to finish your schooling.” You say, meaning every word. You were sorry, and you couldn’t help the guilt you felt. After all, it was your family that pulled him into this world.

Kuroo stays silent for a few more moments, thinking over what you just said. He appears to snap out of it, switching back to his usual easy going, casual self. “Nothing to be sorry for, princess. Without your dad recruiting me, I would just be a broke bum with a lame car and no money to my name. Besides, I can go back and finish things up someday. But for right now, I’m exactly where I want to be.” He looks over at you and winks, making you laugh. “What about you? Where would the yakuza princess be if she wasn’t a mob boss in training?”

You paused, not knowing how to answer. “I actually don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it, because there really isn’t a future for me outside of the family business.” You say, unable to hide the disappointment in your voice.

Kuroo frowned, thinking of a response. “Well, hypothetically, what would you be doing? Let’s say, in an alternate universe, where we’re just normal people, living normal, legal lives. What would (y/n) be?”

“A teacher.” You say proudly, without hesitation. “Or a professor. Definitely education.”

“A teacher?!” Kuroo asks, laughing. “How do you go from yakuza boss to teacher?”

You laugh, realizing just how ridiculous it sounds. “What, you said normal! If I had a choice to be normal, I’d want to be a teacher, in a small town. I think I’d be a good teacher!” You say, defending your choice.

“Okay, okay. I guess I can see you as a teacher.” Kuroo says, still grinning from ear to ear. “But, the hot teacher. With a gang tattoo.” He says, referencing the giant koi fish tattoo you have on your shoulder.

“No!” you exclaimed, laughing loudly with him. “I want to be the generic teacher, with cardigans and sensible shoes and house cats to come home to. I’d grade papers and mentor kids, and just be free to be as boring as I want to be.”

“Y’know, maybe I can see it.” Kuroo says, smiling at you. You couldn’t ignore the butterflies in your stomach every time he gave you that smile, the kind of smile that made your day so much better by simply existing. “Maybe someday we can be boring together.”

The profound silence that followed that sentence spoke volumes to the both of you, almost as a silent prayer to the universe, begging for a chance to be boring together. However, that silence was broken by Kenma in your ear, bringing you both back to the reality you both began to dread.

“5 minutes out, turn your headlights off.”

“Going dark. Thanks Snake Eyes.” You hear Kita say. Kuroo flicks his lights off, leaving only the street lamps to light the way.

“What container should we be looking for?” Oikawa asks.

Kuroo replies, reading out a series of letters and numbers. “The boss gave me an idea of where to go, I think we’ll have to get out to look around though. Snake Eyes, you got eyes on the port? Any trouble?”

“Nope, all clear. Limited street lamps though, you may need a car for some light.”

“Got it. I’ll let you know when we find the container. Let us know if anything suspicious catches your eye.” Kuroo says, muting himself once again. As you enter the industrial port, Kuroo begins taking a series of turns, leading you deep into the maze of containers. The further you got, the number of street lamps began rapidly decreasing, and you became very familiar with the reason why it’s called shady business.

Kuroo flicked his lights on, and you kept an eye out for the shipping container, or at least one that was close to the number you were looking for.

“I think I got something.” You hear Kita say, flashing his lights behind you, to signal for everyone to stop. Kuroo turns around, putting his car in park and leaving the lights on, pointing at a shipping container with the exact identification numbers you were looking for.

“Nice work Sly Fox.” Kuroo says, patting him on the back. You stood close by the car as the three men approached the container, Kuroo pulling a key out of his pocket and unlocking the giant lock that secured the container.

As he swung open the door to the container, the scent was strong, but familiar. It smelled like…

“Tobacco?” You ask, walking closer to the container.

“Cuban cigars.” Kita says, laughing as he walked further into the container.

“Hey Snake Eyes, let the boss know we’re in the container. 30 bricks right?” Kuroo asks into his ear piece.

“I’ll let him know. And yes, 30 exactly. He left a note in the file that said you may have to look around a bit for the cargo. Also, Sly Fox, don’t take any cigars.” Kenma says, right as Kita was stuffing a handful of cigars into his pocket. Kita reluctantly returns them to the pile they were taken from.

“Got it, 30 pieces of cargo. We’ll make contact again once they’ve been located.” Kuroo says, tapping his ear piece twice. “Okay, 30 bricks. Let’s start from the back and make our way out, whenever you find one, take it straight out to my car. Princess, you’re the look out.”

“Why do I have to be the look out?” You protest.

“You can’t reach the top of the containers, chica.” Oikawa points out, putting his hand on one of the shipping boxes that towered over you. Kuroo snickered, walking up to you.

“Just stay outside, kitten. Let us know if there’s any big bad guys coming?” Kuroo says, putting his arm around you and walking you outside.

You rolled your eyes and shrugged his arm off. “Whatever, just hurry up, it’s freezing out here.”

You stand outside, staring out to the distant city lights, listening to the quiet waves that lapped against the side of the port. Kuroo came and went, bringing cigar boxes filled with cocaine out to his car.

After the 12th box, he noticed you were crouched down with your arms tucked into your jacket, the arms of your jacket swinging in the breeze. He laughs, walking up to you.

“Cold?” He asks, looking down at you.

“Maybe.” You answered through chattering teeth. You stand up, looking up at him. He towered over you, meaning you had to crane your neck in order to meet his gaze.

“Here.” He says, taking the red bomber jacket off his body and wrapping it around you, using it as an opportunity to pull you closer to him. “Your dad might slice my head off if you catch a cold.” He whispers into your ear, making you laugh.

“How’re we doing guys?” Kenma asks through the ear piece.

“A little under halfway done. Anything we should be worried about?” Kuroo says.

“Nope, still all clear. Just let me know when you’re done and heading out.” Kenma says, muting himself.

“Back to work.” Kuroo says, pulling you in tighter for a moment before letting you go. You stood there, warm under his jacket, wrapped up in the lingering scent of his cologne that remained. You wanted to freeze time, to live in this moment of calm, feeling protected just by the residual presence of Kuroo.

They continued on, carrying cigar boxes out of the container and into Kuroo’s trunk. Every once in a while you’d hear hushed conversations from inside the container, too quiet for you to hear.

“This is the last of it.” Oikawa says, walking out of the container with Kuroo. They each had 4 boxes in their hands, which they placed in the back of Kuroo’s car.

“Ready to go?” Kita says, popping up next to you out of nowhere, causing you to jump.

“Jesus, where did you even come from?” You ask, startled by his sudden appearance.

Kita smirks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “They don’t call me sly fox for nothing.” He says, walking back to his car. Kuroo was busy closing up the container, securing it and making it appear as if we were never there. Oikawa was leaning over the trunk of Kuroo’s car, arranging the boxes of drugs underneath a spare blanket.

“Snake Eyes, you there?” Kuroo asks, walking back to the car.

“Yup, all ready to go?” Kenma responds.

“Ready when you are.” Kuroo says, walking over to your car door and holding it open for you. You climb in, ready to get out of the cold. Kuroo closes the door, and continues to talk to Kenma through his ear piece. You figured out that Kenma had made it so their communications wouldn’t be heard through your ear piece. You couldn’t make out exactly what they’re saying, but you assumed it’s some info about the drive to the warehouse.

You watch as Kuroo leans in to tell Oikawa something, which he nods in agreeance to before walking back to his car and getting in. Kuroo then walks around to his side of the car, turning it on and beginning to pull out of the dark alleyway of the port.

“Ready to roll, princess?” He asks, turning to flash you a grin.

“The faster the better.” You say jokingly. He laughs, revving his engine loudly.

“Careful what you wish for.” He says, speeding up as the three cars leave the port and enter the expressway.

“DK, stop showing off.” You hear Oikawa say through the ear piece.

Kuroo rolls his eyes, taking his foot off the gas to slow down. “Buzzkill.” He mutters under his breath.

You rode in silence together, heading towards the warehouse your father owns. The warehouse was a front, being used as storage for the goods your father exported in his legal business. For the illegal business, it was used as a storage and distribution center for the underground dealings.

“DK, we have a problem.” Kenma says.

“Talk to me Snake Eyes.”

“We’ve got some cops heading your way. The boss texted saying someone may have tipped them off to tonight’s job. Apparently the king of Tokyo has some enemies.”

“That’s one way to put it.” You mutter to yourself. Your father had more enemies than allies, meaning that there was a constant target on the backs of every member of the family. It’s no surprise that something went wrong tonight.

“Which way are they coming from?” Kuroo asks.

“West. I think they’re gonna intercept you soon. At least 2 cars, and I’m pretty sure they’re looking for you.”

“Shit.” Kuroo whispers to himself. “Cypher, Sly Fox, you there?”

“Heard it all, DK. What’s the next move?” Cypher asks.

“Sly Fox, take the lead. Take the back route, go straight to the warehouse, fast as you can. Cypher, take the rear behind Sly Fox, if you run into any trouble you’re the diversion. Got it?” Kuroo says, his voice taking on a new tone of authority.

“Roger that. When should we check in with you?” Sly Fox asks.

“I’ll make contact when we’re free. Just get in touch with Snake Eyes when the delivery is made.”

“And (y/n)?” Kita asks. Kuroo turned toward you with an expression of deep thought on his face.

“She’ll stay with me. We’ll be fine.” Kuroo says firmly, turning his eyes back to the road. You weren’t sure why, but you trusted him. Given the circumstances, you probably shouldn’t, but some part of you just impulsively put all your faith in him, trusting that being in his car was the best place for you to be.

You hear Oikawa chuckle. “Have fun princesa. I hope DK doesn’t scare you away.”

“Shut your mouth, amigo.” Kuroo says mockingly. “I’ll see you both later. Be safe.” He says, muting himself.

You look behind you to see Kita’s car already in front of Oikawa’s, and you see them both exit off of the expressway, their engines revving as they sped off, out of sight.

“Maybe I’m pointing out the obvious, but aren’t you the one with the delivery to make?” You say, growing worried by Kuroo’s plan.

“Don’t worry about it princess. Just trust me.” Kuroo says, revving his engine loudly, rapidly increasing speed.

“You have 20 bricks of cocaine in your trunk and you’re telling me not to worry?!” You exclaim, turning your body to face him.

“Or do I?” He asks, glancing over and smirking at you. This question caught you off guard, making you wonder if this guy was crazy or stupid, or both.

“On your left!” You hear Kenma say, moments before two police cars appeared behind you two, struggling to keep up with Kuroo’s speed.

You slumped back in your seat, trying to find it in yourself to trust Kuroo. The police sirens grew louder and the red and blue flashing lights started to draw closer, but somehow, Kuroo remained calm, not even bothering to increase speed.

Your heart raced as the police cars began getting closer and closer, nearly pulling up right beside you.

“Hey princess, ever wondered what DK stood for?” Kuroo asks calmly.

“Fucking Donkey Kong?!” You yell at him, having no patience for his games.

He laughed at your stressed demeanor, throwing his head back and shaking his head. “Nope. Not even close.” He switches gears, causing the car to slow down quickly and making the cops draw far ahead of you. He veers off to the side, seemingly to take the ramp that curved to exit the freeway. Suddenly, he speeds up yet again, turning his wheel suddenly as the car begins drifting on it’s side.

“Drift King.” He says with a smirk. The car drifted down the ramp, screeching as Kuroo pulled the emergency brake up and maneuvered the steering wheel to keep it steady. You were familiar with drifting, due to the fact your brother was involved in street racing before his death. You knew that it was something that only experienced drivers could do, and it took a certain level of skill and a lot of practice to perfect. You realized that this meant Kuroo was a skilled driver, far more skilled than you realized. No wonder they called him Drift King.

By the time the two of you reached the end of the ramp and began racing down the industrial district street, the cops just began heading down the ramp, trying their hardest to keep up.

The chase continued on for several blocks, Kuroo barely breaking a sweat. It seemed as though this wasn’t his first chase. After some time, Kenma’s voice comes through on the ear piece.

“Hey DK, you may want to end this chase. They’re calling for backup soon.”

“Got it, I’ll pull over now. Thanks Snake Eyes.” Kuroo replies, beginning to slow down.

“Pull over?!” You ask him.

“Just trust me! You think I’d put you in danger?” He asks you, grinning. The car comes to a stop, and the two police cars quickly pull over as well.

“Give me your ear piece.” Kuroo says quickly, the two police officers quickly approaching the car. You quickly hand it to him, which he shoves in the inside pocket of his jacket.

“Sir, please exit the car. You as well, ma’am.” The officer says, shining his light in Kuroo’s car. The two of you exit the car, standing in front of the headlights.

“Now, what in god’s name were you doing?” He asks, as the other officer begins searching the car.

“He was just being a show off.” You say, lying on the spot. Kuroo looks surprised by your sudden statement, but plays it off, acting natural.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Just trying to impress a pretty girl.” He says, putting his arm around you and kissing the side of your forehead. Although it was just an act, your stomach still did somersaults just with that one simple action.

“I see.” The officer says, shining the light at your gun. “You have a license to carry that ma’am?”

“Yes sir. Just a personal protection piece.” You say, pulling your driver’s license as well as gun registration out. You hand it to the officer, who looks it over.

“Sakanoshita?” He asks with fake surprise, looking up at you.

“Yes, my father. I’m sure you know him.” You say, knowing that the name Sakanoshita held a lot of clout in the city.

“We're familiar with him.” He says shortly, handing the papers back to you. “Anything?” He asks, turning towards the other officer who was peering into the car.

“Nothing. Mind popping the trunk?” He asks Kuroo. Your heart begins to race, knowing what they would find. Kuroo however, remained cool as a cucumber, sauntering over to the car to open the trunk. He walks back to you with a grin, standing behind you and draping his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to his body. You grab his hands, bracing yourself for the big reveal.

“Now what do we have here?” The officer says, ripping the blanket off of the boxes. You close your eyes, preparing yourself for the worst. The officers pause, opening one of the boxes.

“Cigars?” They ask. You open your eyes, looking up at Kuroo as he continues to grin at you.

“Yes sir, we were on our way back to her place, to deliver them to her dad. You know, the infamous Mr. Sakanoshita.” Kuroo lies with ease.

“They’re gifts, for some associates of his.” You say, joining in on the lie. “He’s hosting a little get together tomorrow. I believe your boss, the police chief, will be there. It’d be a shame if he heard you pulled over a Sakanoshita.” You knew exactly what you were doing, using your name for your own benefit.

“I see.” He says, closing the box of cigars and putting it back down. “Just some Cuban cigars I suppose.” He closes the trunk, walking to where you and Kuroo stood.

“And I suppose the speeding was because the old man is waiting on these cigars, huh?” The other officer says, standing next to his partner.

“Exactly.” Kuroo says. “Not exactly the best idea to get on the bad side of your girlfriend’s father, right?” He jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

Surprisingly, the cops laugh. “You got your work cut out for you kid. Sakanoshita is not an easy man to win over.”

“Yeah, his daughter isn’t any easier.” Kuroo says, pulling you closer. You laugh along, wishing for this interaction to end already.

“I’ll tell you what.” The officer says, taking a few steps closer to the two of you. The headlights from the car streaked behind him, casting a dark shadow over you and Kuroo. “You two can go ahead home, just make sure not to mention this to your dad. Or our boss. Sound good?”

“Perfect. Have a good night you two.” You say, hurriedly pulling Kuroo back to the car.

“Sorry for the trouble!” Kuroo calls out as the two men walk back to their patrol cars.

Once the two of you are back in the car, you breathe deeply, staring into space.

“You alright princess?” Kuroo asks, turning towards you.

You snap out of it, punching him in the arm. He jumps back in pain, looking shocked at your outburst.

“Cigars?!” You question him, unable to form a full sentence. He laughs, throwing his head back.

“Yes, cigars. I told you I didn’t have any drugs back there, didn’t I?” he says, grinning slyly at you.

“Then who the hell has the coke?” You ask sternly, adrenaline still pumping from that run in with the cops.

“Think about it.” Kuroo says, turning his whole body to face you. “Where do you think the drugs are?”

You thought about it, the entire night, all the interactions that occurred. Only one person stood out to you, which was-

“Sly Fox.” You say, realizing the stunt that they had just pulled off. “Kita. I never would have seen him take anything to his car, he’s too sneaky. I had my back turned to his car because it was up against a container, no one could have come from over there. That’s why you had him go straight to the warehouse. It’s all in Kita’s car.”

“Well look who figured it out. Good job princess.” Kuroo says, leaning back in his seat.

“But why take the cigars? And why not tell me the plan?” You question him, not satisfied with the answer you had come up with.

“In case of a situation exactly like this. Insurance, in case everything went wrong. An alibi.” He says peering over at you. “And, well, I wanted to test you. See if you could take the heat.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanted to see how you’d handle yourself, with your back to the wall. I wanted to see if you trust me.” He says, with a small smile on his face.

“Didn’t really give me much of a choice but whatever.” You grumble quietly.

Kuroo laughs, looking over at you. “You did great, princess. You’ll be a mob boss in no time. I hope you’ll let me keep my job, though.”

You let out a tired scoff, exhausted by the adrenaline rush that had come and gone. “Just- please keep me in the loop about things like this. If you can do that then maybe you can keep working for me.”

“DK, everything good?” You hear Kenma say through the ear pieces that were still in Kuroo’s pocket. He dug them out, handing you one which you placed in your ear.

“Yup, crisis averted. Have you heard from Sly Fox and Cypher?” Kuroo asks.

“We’re right here boss. Delivery has been made, just waiting on your order.” You hear Kita say.

“Meet us back at the boss’s house, me and the princess have one last loose end to tie up and then we’ll head over.” Kuroo says, starting the car.

Kuroo heads back in the direction of the ports, and you assume it’s so that the 20 cigars could be returned to the container. Once again, the two of you ride in comfortable silence, your mind wandering as you gazed at the distant city lights.

“What’s on your mind, princess?” Kuroo asks, bringing you back to reality.

“My brother.” You answer without hesitation. “If things were different, it’d probably be him doing this job with you. Maybe not in the passenger seat, but still. The family legacy would be his.” You felt a pit grow in your stomach, your eyes suddenly tearing up. You always had these lingering feelings of doubt, but you never realized it was because of Keishin, having to be in his shadow. No one ever bet on you, or thought you were going to be the one inheriting the empire. Regardless, you were there, because your brother wasn’t.

“Well, no offense to the great Black Lung but I for one am glad you’re here. No one else I’d rather have in my passenger seat.” He says, giving you a sincere smile, one that you haven’t seen before. It was different from his flirtatious smirk, or his arrogant grin. It was just a simple, kind smile.

Black Lung?” You questioned.

“Your brother’s racing name. Y’know, like DK, Cypher, Sly Fox. He used to smoke like 6 packs a day, even more than Kita. He was kind of a big deal in the racing scene. After he passed, Karasuno didn’t race for a long time because there was no one that could replace him. They’re slowly getting back on the road, but your brother is definitely still a driver people remember.” Kuroo explains, pulling into the port once again.

“He smoked?” You asked, trying to remember a time you saw him with a cigarette. You assumed it was because he only smoked when he was away from the house, because it was something that your father would have never approved of. You were pretty sure Keishin would’ve been disowned if he smoked or drank in front of your father.

“Yeah, all the time. That was his whole thing. Did he not smoke around you?” Kuroo asks, eyebrows furrowed.

“No, I guess he never smoked around our family. I don’t think my dad knew either if he only smoked when he raced.” You pause for a moment. “Do you know anything about it? The accident?” You ask, growing more and more curious about what Kuroo knew. Your brother’s death was always explained to you by members of your family, and you wondered if there was something that they didn’t know that the racers did.

Kuroo paused, an expression of deep thought in his face. He looked as though he was trying to figure out the exact sentences he would say next. “All I’ve heard is that…there was an explosion. I think his girlfriend was near it at the time, and she got injured. That’s all I know though, no one really talks about it much because of how bad it hurt everyone. A lot of people cared about him.”

“He had a girlfriend?” You ask, turning towards Kuroo as he puts the car in park.

He looks at you, eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, some chick named Saeko. I think she has a younger brother that races nowadays. I’m pretty sure she’s still a mechanic for the team.” Kuroo pauses, looking out towards the port. “Look, I don’t know too much about the accident. And I assume your dad doesn’t want you looking into it too hard. But if you do want to know more, just let me know. I’ll talk to some guys from Karasuno. Sounds good?” He asks you.

You nod in agreeance, knowing that there had to be a reason why Keishin was so secretive, and why your father is still keeping secrets about his death to this day. “Okay. If you end up talking to Saeko, could I come along? I just...I feel like I’m getting to know my brother all over again. I want to know the side of him that he hid from our family.”

“Of course. Now c’mon, let's get these cigars back where they came from.” Kuroo says, getting out of the car and popping the trunk. You follow him, getting out and standing next to him.

The two of you silently put the cigars back, working quickly to get the job completely finished. By the time Kuroo was closing the container door, Oikawa came through in the ear piece.

“Hey love birds, are you heading back to the house soon?” he asks. Kuroo rolls his eyes and unmutes himself.

“We’re heading back now from the port. Snake Eyes, you told the boss the delivery was made already, right?”

“Yup, I let him know. He’s waiting for you guys at the house.” Kenma replies.

“Sounds good, we’ll be there soon. Cypher, Sly Fox, go ahead and start heading over now.”

“Will do. See you soon DK.” Sly Fox says.

“C’mon princess, let’s go home.” Kuroo says, throwing his arm over you as the two of you walk back to the car. You take the hand he had on your shoulder into your own, squeezing tightly. It was strange how natural it felt, being with Kuroo. It was almost as if it was where you belonged, with him, wrapped up in his arms.

You climb back into the car, watching Kuroo as he starts the car and begins driving off once again. Your head was spinning trying to make sense of everything that had occurred that night, as well as processing all the new information Kuroo had told you about your brother. You knew this day had to come, when you would have to jump in head first into the world your family operated within, when you would have to fully take on the Sakanoshita name and all the responsibilities that come with it.

As Kuroo rolls up to the driveway of your home, you see Oikawa and Kita standing outside with your father, smoke billowing from where the three of them were conversing.

“Tetsurou! (y/n)! I was beginning to wonder when you’d be back!” Your father says, cutting another cigar and handing it to Kuroo, motioning for him to join the group.

“Cubans? What’s the occasion?” You ask your father, standing next to Kuroo.

“Your first job, sweetheart. And with no casualties, no arrests, a clean job deserves a little reward.” Your father says, grinning at you, holding out a cigar for you to take.

“Dad, I don’t smoke.” You say, laughing.

“Oh c’mon, the most powerful man in Tokyo offers you a cigar, you take the cigar.” Oikawa says, smirking and letting out another cloud of smoke.

You roll your eyes, taking the cigar and allowing your father to light it. You thought more about the cigar as you drew the smoke in, about what it meant for you to be invited to smoke with your father. It meant that you were finally owning your family name, you were finally a true Sakanoshita.

You stood there silently, listening as Kuroo explained to your father the decision he made to use Kita as the real transport and to make himself the emergency decoy. Your father listened as well, nodding along with an expression of deep thought on his face.

“Great thinking Tetsurou. That is exactly why I keep you on my payroll.” Your father laughs, smacking his hand against Kuroo’s back. Kuroo laughs as well, putting on his usual submissive attitude that he uses with your father to gain his good graces.

“Let’s just hope your daughter keeps me on when she takes over.” Kuroo jokes, nudging you with his elbow.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve earned your place with the whole family.” Your father says, smiling at you. “Say, isn’t that Tetsurou’s jacket?”

“Oh, yeah.” You say, realizing you still had it on. “It got cold at the ports.”

“It’s funny. You’re starting to look more and more like him.” Your father says, eyes squinting as he smiles sadly.

“Like who? DK?” Kita asks with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.

“Keishin. The racing jacket, the gun. Even the smoking.” The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, remembering the conversation you had with Kuroo about your brother. Your suspicions about your father kept growing, and it became harder and harder to believe his mourning father act, the smoke and mirrors he used to deceive everyone.

“Well, you know how much I adored him.” You say, taking another puff from your cigar. You and your father both pause, staring one another down. There was noticeable tension, but with no clear reason. Nothing more than a gut feeling.

The staredown was cut off by Kuroo clearing his throat, getting both yours and your father’s attention. “It’s getting pretty late, we don’t want to keep the two of you from a good night’s rest.” He says, finding a way for the three racers to leave.

“Yes, it is getting rather late. Oh! Better not forget these. Tetsurou, I put your friend’s pay for tonight with yours.” Your father says, moving away from the staircase leading up to the front door to reveal three paper bags with names on them, which you assume was full of money.

“Thank you sir. I’ll make sure to get it to Snake Eyes.” Kuroo says, bowing to your father. Kita and Oikawa follow suit, bowing before grabbing their bags.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Kita says, walking back to his car.

“See you next time boss. You too, princesa.” Oikawa says, waving to the both of you before getting into his car.

“So, you’ll let me know when there’s another job?” Kuroo asks as Oikawa and Kita begin pulling out of the driveway.

“Absolutely.” He nods, turning to face both of you. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I better get inside before your mother comes out here and drags me back in. Have a good night, Tetsurou.” He says, going back inside. It was once again just you and Kuroo.

“Oh! I almost forgot.” You say, beginning to take off Kuroo’s red bomber jacket.

“Keep it.” He says, taking a step closer to you. He places the jacket back onto your shoulders. “I’ll be back for it eventually.”

The two of you pause, staring into each other’s eyes. It felt like a moment that you could live in forever, relishing the comfort that Kuroo gave you.

“Thanks for having my back tonight. You sure know how to think on your feet.” Kuroo says.

“Not like I had much of a choice.” You say, remembering the moment earlier in the night. A part of you wished it wasn’t a lie, that you and Kuroo were just two lovers out for a drive. Nothing illegal, nothing scary, just a guy with a car and the girl in the passenger seat.

“Come here, princess.” Kuroo says, pulling you into a tight hug. Your heart skips a beat, startled by the sudden act of affection. You wrap your arms around him, feeling perfectly at home in his arms, being squeezed tightly against his body.

“Please be careful. I don’t trust your father.” Kuroo whispers into your ear. You realize the real reason why he hugged you, so that he could tell you this message in secret. “I’ll talk to some people from Karasuno Killers and see if you can meet Keishin’s girl. He’s hiding something, (y/n).”

“How do you know? What are you talking about?” You ask, holding him tighter.

“(y/n), how would your father know that Keishin smoked? If he lied about that, then we don’t know what else he’s hiding.” Kuroo responds. Your breath catches in your throat, remembering what your father had said, about your sudden resemblance to Keishin.

Racing jacket, gun, smoke.

#haikyuu #kuroo #kuroo testuro #kuroo tetsuro x reader #deciphered #hq #fanfic #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo x reader #haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu fanfiction

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nothing-but-dreamy · 3 years

Text

CRASH

Pairing: FFXV! NYX ULRIC x GENDER NEUTRAL!READER

Words: 2.050

Warnings: none;

Summary: One morning on your way to work, you crash into a cute guy not expecting seeing him again in the evening.

You were running late. Again. There was no way your boss would buy another lame excuse if you wouldn't hurry. Maybe, if one of the six would be with you, you still could make it on time. If you were fast. Well, faster than fast. Maybe fast like a chocobo…

You were so deep in your thoughts with your eyes glued at your phone that you barely noticed anything around you. You knew the way. Blindly. Flying down the different streets in the heart of the city for two years. You knew every single light signal, every street sign and every building by heart.

What you didn't know was that big rocks could suddenly emerge from the ground because as you ran into something it felt as if you were slamming straight into a massive wall made of stone. You bumped into it, bouncing back from the rock before you fell.

But there was no impact on the ground…

"Hey, it's okay. I got you. You can open your eyes.", a soft male voice spoke close to your ear.

Only then, you felt two strong arms embracing your waist. As you raised your gaze, you got greeted by ocean blue eyes filled with concern, "The… the rock can speak.", you breathed startled, '...And is handsome as hell.', you thought further.

"Excuse me, what did you say?", the man asked confusedly and checked on you. He had noticed that the impact had been hard, you were straight crashing into him with some kind of speed, but it shouldn't cause any real trouble for your health.

You shook your head quickly to get your mind under control again, "I- I'm sorry.", you breathed, showing the man, who steadied your stand, a huge smile, "Thanks for catching me so quickly."

"It was my pleasure- hey, where are you going?", the man asked surprised.

You were already back on your way, "I'm sorry. I have to go. But it was nice crashing into you.", you called out before you hurried down the street.

Nyx stepped forward, following you but stopped again as his feet kicked at something. A small smartphone slid over the stones of the pavement. Nyx caught it before it could fall on the street and would get hit by a car.

Without a second thought, Nyx ran after you, trying to catch up but as he turned the corner of a coffee shop, you were already out of sight.

***

"Hey, what is that? Fancy new phone?", Libertus asked as he sat next to his friend.

Once again, Nyx nudged the display to turn it on. A picture of you with a cat showed up. Your eyes were sparkling and your smile breathtakingly beautiful. Only the little box with the PIN request threw a shadow of the image, "Actually, I… I found it this morning. It's theirs.", he said and pointed at the picture that glowed up again.

Libertus turned the phone over, "Looks cute. Seems to have money if they can afford such an expensive thing."

"Yeah…", Nyx breathed and frowned. It was indeed the newest model and didn't even have one scratch. And even if he had been distracted by your eyes and smile, he had noticed your expensive looking clothes, your styled hair and even the fancy shoes.

"But… Why do you have their phone?", Libertus asked.

Nyx got brought back from the daydreaming about you, "They crashed into me this morning. I guess they were on their way to work because they left pretty fast. I found the phone on the ground and ran after them but they were already out of sight.", he explained.

"Have you tried to find a number?", Libertus asked.

Nyx chuckled dryly, turning on the display once again, pointing at it, "What do you think this is, huh?"

"A cat.", Libertus answered, not getting the reason behind the question.

Nyx leant back in his chair while running a hand over his face, "I meant the PIN. I need a PIN to unlock the phone or otherwise, I don't have access."

"Oh... Well, but maybe Pelna can help-"

"Glaives! Into the briefing room!", Captain Drautos called out and within seconds your phone disappeared back into the pocket of Nyx' uniform jacket.

Unfortunately, it stayed there for the rest of the day…

***

Nyx was bushed. Because everything was pretty calm at the moment with no new attacks on Insomnia by Niflheim, Nyx and the other Glaives should train to stay focused. At the end of the day, Nyx scuffed into the locker room completely exhausted. He sat down on a bench and raked his fingers through his hair to relax a little bit.

"Hey, Nyx! Libertus! Wanna stop at Yamachang's?", Luche asked.

Nyx nodded without looking up. To get something to eat and to drink would be nice after a full day of training.

"Haven't you forgotten something?", Libertus asked and nudged Nyx' shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"The fancy phone you found? Or do you wanna keep it after all?", Libertus asked with a grin, knowingly exactly that Nyx wouldn't do something like this.

Nyx' head shot up as he remembered, "Fuck… I totally forgot the phone!", he whispered and jumped up.

"Where are you going?", Luche called out, looking confused after his friend.

"I have to find Pelna!"

***

Thirty minutes later, Nyx had the address of your place. Once again, Pelna had worked his magic when it came to technology and information. Very quickly, Pelna found out your name and that you lived in the heart of the city not far away from the point where you had crashed into Nyx.

So, Nyx was on his way to get to your place. He was sure you would be grateful to get your phone back. He cursed himself that he had forgotten about it the whole day and hoped you wouldn't be too mad.

Accompanied by many pedestrians which were going home or into bars, Nyx made his way through the streets and was taken aback as he found himself in front of one of these high, luxurious looking apartment buildings.

Maybe Libertus was right and you had indeed a lot of money. Nyx swallowed nervously as he stepped through the entrance. The lobby was decorated with a bunch of plants and framed paintings. Even a leather couch stood at one wall. His boots made soft noises on the marble floor.

A couple was staring at him suspiciously. People like Nyx weren't liked to be seen in such places. For everyone, it was okay that he and the others risked their lives to fight for safety but at the end of the day, the refugees should stay where they belonged: in the underground.

Nyx hurried over to a board with names and searched for yours. He found it quickly. You lived on the eight floor and moments later, Nyx stood in one of the elevators with mirrored walls and a golden handrail.

Nerve-wracking slowly, the elevator brought Nyx to the floor he wanted. There was something strange when he walked through buildings and streets like these. It wasn't just that he was an outsider for all of them. It was rather just not his world. Even back in Galahd, such luxury wasn't common and so, he felt misplaced.

Nyx walked down the hallway while taking out your phone. He looked at the shining material. This was your world. You lived like this and maybe you didn't even know something other than having money.

As he reached your door with the golden apartment number, Nyx just needed to knock. He could knock and you would open the door. Maybe accusing him of stealing your phone. Maybe yelling at him that he needed the whole day to bring you the phone back. Or, you would call him stalker because he had tracked you down.

One last time, Nyx turned on the display and looked at the cute picture of you with the cat in your arms. Both of you looked so happy. You looked so nice and sweet. And even this morning, you had been nice to Nyx. At least, you hadn't been unfriendly.

As the display went off again, Nyx saw his mirrored expression on the surface. He saw his tattoos and braids and knew that this was not his world. So, he did the only thing that came to his mind: placing the phone in front of your door and to leave.

"Minka, what is- you!", you said surprised as you opened the door, seeing the cute guy from the morning in front of you. The whole day, he had occupied your thoughts and now, he was there.

Nyx looked up and greeted you with a shy smile. You stood in your doorframe, holding the door in your hand before you opened it even a bit more, "Hey, uhm… I- I found your phone this morning. You know...after our crash.", he stammered and presented the smartphone in his hands to you.

You stared at him and then at his hand for several moments before you jumped against the unknown man, snaking your arms around his neck to squeeze him tightly, "Oh, god bless! I had no idea where I'd lost it! You're heaven-sent!", you said over excitedly. Suddenly, you remembered what you were doing and so, slightly sheepishly, you stepped back again, "I- I'm sorry. I know, boundaries. It was just... I'm so lost without my phone. The day was a living hell.", you said softly.

"I'm sorry that it took me so long to bring it back. The day was a bit … busy.", Nyx said, scratching the back of his neck. He still felt bad for forgetting the phone at all.

You waved his apology aside. You knew what it meant to have a rough day. Only then, you noticed what the man in front of you was wearing, "You… you're a Kingsglaive.", you whispered in awe.

Nyx saw your astonished and excited expression and took the opportunity, "Yes, I am. Nyx Ulric at your service.", he said with a smile as you were still gaping at him.

As you noticed that you were still staring, you swallowed, "I’m sorry… It’s just that.. I'm such a big fan of you all. I mean, what you do for this city … we all owe you so much.", you said honestly.

Nyx was taken aback, "A fan? Never met one before to be honest."

"I know. You guys don't get appreciated enough. At least, not as much as you all deserve it. But- wait! I have an idea. Come in. Have dinner with me. Please.", you asked as you saw Nyx' refusing expression.

"Thank you. But it's not necessary.", he said politely even if he wanted to say something else. He would love to spend more time with you and your light attitude that made his heart jump a little.

"Please. You rescued me and my phone. You even brought it back. Plus the things you do as a Glaive. Inviting you in is the least I can do to thank you.", you tried to convince Nyx with your winning smile.

"I… I don't know. It wouldn’t be right…", Nyx said and just meant it half-heartedly.

"Please.", you begged, "If you leave, I just have Minka for company."

Nyx chuckled and even if he already sensed the answer, he asked anyway, "Who's Minka?"

"My cat.", you answered, looking down at the stripy, little troublemaker sitting next to your feet.

Nyx followed your glance and chuckled, "But she looks sweet.", he said amused as the cat tilted its head.

"Oh, she's sweet. Most the time. As long as you have food. No food, no sweetness. Trust me, she will turn into a vicious monster if she wants to.", you whispered conspiratorially.

Nyx was hooked. He liked your eyes, your smile and you were funny. The whole package was simply perfect. In fact, he didn't want to leave so quickly, "Did you say vicious monster? If that's so, I guess, I should accept your invitation. I mean, someone has to protect you."

"And who would be better for this job as an honorable Glaive.", you said with a huge grin, stepping aside to let Nyx into your apartment, into your life and into your world.

#nyx ulric x female reader #nyx #nyx ulric x gender neutral reader #nyx ulric x male reader #final fantasy nyx ulric #kingsglaive nyx #ff15 nyx ulric #nyx ulric x reader #nyx ulric #final fantasy xv #final fantasy kingsglaive #male reader #female reader #gender neutral fanfic #gender neutral reader

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aimasup · 4 years

Text

So I saw a bunch of Human AU Sanders Sides and thought I could make my own version

Backstories under the cut for anyone who’s interested

(Tw warnings such as mentions of abuse, homophobia and car accidents but it’s angst with a happy ending don’t worry)

-Long post-

-Patton:

Toddler to child: Parents love me and I love them! Lots of friends in kindergarten! Met Logan one day! He’s so smart!

Grade school: More friends! Logan’s opening up! Everything’s perfect!

Highschool: My parents are arguing more and I’m tired Meeting Roman and Remus! Roman’s so cool! Meeting Virgil! Virgil needs a hug! I feel sad and stressed sometimes and I don’t think I want to worry anyone with it.- Virgil’s with us now yay!

College: My best buds are here! I got into an accident halfway through my studies Virgil please don’t feel responsible. It’s not your fault. I’m so sorry Logan I should have understood your situation better. Roman please get mad I deserve your anger and I feel awful and empty but I shouldn’t show it because some people have it worse than I do I know it why do I feel this way? I’m fine honestly this is fine everything’s fine I’m just the problem -

Adulthood: So. I’m not the problem. I just need to work on my attitude and my flaws. I love my friends and family so much because they let me know that expressing my feelings is ok! My parents are fine now! I’m getting professional help! I work in an animal care center with Virgil! Roman is successful and pursuing his dreams! Met this guy named Dean and he works with Logan in the bookstore next to our center! He’s fun but he might need to stop lying so much, but other than that I’m happy with where I am now!

-Virgil:

Toddler to child: Parents love me and I love them. Bullies can go suck it. I feel bad that my parents always spend their time comforting me but they’re my whole world and I feel safe with them.

Grade school: Bullies are getting worse. Dad’s dead. Mom is stressed and busy so I don’t want to trouble her further. She still spends time with me for some reason. I don’t think I deserve friends. MCR is great. I met Dean and Remus. They’re. Interesting. I hate Roman.

High school: Oh my god everything is stressful and oppressive and everyone is scared of me. That’s good. Maybe. Met Patton, Logan and Roman. They’re only somewhat scared? Hm. Dean and Remus are getting into even more trouble than usual and pulling me into them. Maybe they aren’t good for me with how they’ve been acting lately. I’ll go be with Patton. - Maybe they don’t really accept me they’re just waiting to kick me out like everyone else why would they even like me-

College: Mom I love you so much I swear I’ll get a good job and make this college money worth it you’ll see. And things are surprisingly less stressful? I really like my friends? Patton why the hell did you save me from that car. Logan you have some explaining to do. Roman you shut the fuck up. - Everything is my fault I should have never said anything why am I always like this everyone was right about me-

Adulthood: Mom!! You can now retire!! Roommates with Patton, Logan and Roman now and I love being with them so much. And. Dean and Remus are still around. Well then. Whatever. I work a nice job at an animal care center with Patton and I have my friends and I’m learning to be more open and things are going well for now. Not bad for a life.

-Logan:

Toddler to child: Parents go to work most of the time and I see them every other weekend. Who cares about everyone else in kindergarten I have my books and Crofters. Oh hello Patton.

Grade school: I’m smarter than everyone else and I know it. Patton is a wonderful companion. I’m doing well for my age.

High school: Virgil and Roman are interesting. Remus needs to chill. Virgil no let me lay some facts down for you because you are valid you hear me. Oh! Oh my gosh! I met this amazing student and he makes me feel special and happy! I think I love him! - It hurts but that’s fine-

College: I’m coming for those degrees! Patton needs to stop asking me to leave my boyfriend. He doesn’t understand how important this man is to me! I can stand a little pain! Wait what happened to Patton. Virgil? Roman? Ok. Wait. Shit. I’m an idiot. I can’t believe it took me this long to figure out - I’m such an idiot it doesn’t matter how knowledgeable I am I’m still a gullible moron when it comes to relationships and everything my ex has ever done and said to me is all my fault because I fell for his manipulations-

Adulthood: Ok. I trust my therapist and my friends when they say it’s not my fault and that it’s alright. What I felt with my ex wasn’t love and I’m not a moron for falling for him. I can always start over. Like with the bookstore I now own with my receptionist Dean. Apparently he knows Virgil huh. They frequently bicker whenever Dean goes to their animal care center to buy snake feed so that’s interesting. My parents have retired and are now trying to make up for lost time with me? I appreciate it I suppose. Now I live with my companions and contact my family and things are alright.

-Roman:

Toddler to child: Parents love me and I love them! They buy me anything I want! They support my dreams! But Remus keeps bullying me and I’m not sure how to feel about him. He’s still my brother

Grade school: I have so many friends! Extra-curricular activities because I’m really talented! Remus has new friends to cause trouble with oh boy. More people to bully me the better for him ugh. Virgil especially creeps me out. I’m getting a little concerned as to how my parents are treating Remus but I’m sure he’s fine

High school: Ok. So. Apparently telling my parents that I like guys is a bad idea. - That’s going to scar on my back for sure- They treat me completely differently from when I was a kid? And I met Patton and Logan and I think I might be a tad spoiled by my family. Also Virgil’s here but he’s getting more and more ok. I’ll hang out with him now. - I’m ungrateful and a disgrace and I’m not as creative as I ever thought I was-

College: Welp. I’m moving out. I wish Remus the best of luck because I think he’s coming too. My parents officially suck as much as Logan’s current boyfriend. He needs to dump him. Wait I’m a YouTuber now! Yay! - I’m getting more and more stressed and overwhelmed from debt and I fear rejection from my fans and friends the moment I say something out of line and the moment I run out of good ideas for them- Oh shit Patton what happened!! Logan what did you do!! Virgil you shut the fuck up!! Remus you’re not helping!! - I could have prevented this why didn’t I realize this earlier am I that self absorbed-

Adulthood: Yes I’m a full time YouTuber and actor and singer now!! Patton, Logan and Virgil live with me now and they even work close together! Remus is now a comic book artist and novel author, hope he doesn’t traumatize people too much. Logan’s receptionist Dean sure is a character. I still fear rejection- but I know things will be good for now!

-Deceit:

Toddler to child: Where are my parents. Why is the orphanage so small and why do people look at me weird when I talk. I’m never getting adopted.

Grade school: Well, I’m adopted now I guess. No way in hell am I telling them everything that happens daily in my life. Why do my new parents think my bedroom door needs to be removed. They took my little garden snake because it wasn’t a ‘normal’ pet? Hm. Why hello there Virgil and Remus. Hello Roman.

High school: That’s it. I’m getting piercings, I’m getting a huge tattoo, I’m kissing snakes. Screw my parents. I don’t need to let anyone know anything about me. My opinion doesn’t matter anyways and everything about me is going to be bad no matter what so why bother So they fear us, Virgil? Good. Wait. Where are you going?

College: I’m moving out officially. Remus is in a different college. -Don’t miss him at all. I shall play along to society’s whims for now and get a degree and never use it. Got rid of the tracker under my car. I don’t think I’ll ever contact my parents again.

Adulthood: I think I’m doing rather well as a citizen. Remus is my new apartment mate oh god. But he is now a comic book artist and novel author so at least he has a job. Perks of working in a bookstore with Logan. That nerd’s one of Virgil’s new friends? And emo boy now works in the animal care center next to us? Whatever. I’ll leave them be unless I need some new snake feed. Things are peaceful now for me at least.

-Remus:

Toddler to child: I want my parents to look me in the eye and tell them they care more than just throwing fancy stuff into my arms dangit. Whatever I’ll just take it out on Roman and the kids in the playground.

Grade school: -If you can’t say anything nice don’t open your ugly mouth ever at all- So I’m disturbed? So my thoughts aren’t normal? Fine! Not like I can control what comes into my head! Let me bully Roman some more with my new buds Virgil and Dean! - freaking star child has everything I hate him so much what will it take for my parents to have their attention on me I’ve caused so much trouble in school why won’t they care-

High school: Roman what the hell happened?? I was planning your murder but now I’m not sure how to feel?? Damn you?? Uh?? We’ll move out?? And where the hell is Virgil going again?? Dean?? He’s leaving us? Alright. That’s it. That’s it - my grades and reputation are shit and my parents always assume the worst of me anyways so I’ll just sleep around with a bunch of guys every other week for quick cash and drag my family’s name through the mud and have fun because I don’t hate myself completely but my ideas are bad and I’m bad and-

College: Fuck you mom and dad! Roman and I are moving out!! I’m gonna become a comic artist and write terrifying stories that’ll make Satan cry!! - Ugh Dean’s in another college dammit I miss him- Roman what is it this time someone get run over or something? What happened with that nerd Logan? Is Virgil alright- What the fuck happened? - the star child is crying why are you crying why am I crying why do I feel like this I don’t care I shouldn’t care I hate you I hate me-

Adulthood: My ideas are selling! I’m a comic book artist and a novel author! Dean is my new apartment buddy! My brother is still some fancy theater geek but who cares! And the store Dean works at sells my books! And Virgil’s in the animal care center next door! I met his new friends officially and they’re boring lol. I really like where my life’s heading!

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lonelyghosts-stuff · 3 years

Text

Marvel’s What If Episode 7 Reaction

No no this is the opposite of what I wanted. More Loki! Not less!

If they don’t have Thor being an absolute idiot without Loki being his voice of reason I’m gonna be upset

Wait what the hell I saw Seth Green in the opening credits lmao??? Now I’m just thinking about Chris Griffin

DARCY

Wow they got Jane back too

Soooo how do they know about aliens?

“HOLY MOLY” lmao

Hey thor my life isn’t that dull… okay fine that’s a lie

Sooo Thor is a frat boy?

YOOOO I NEED A SCREENSHOT OF THAT ART WITH THOR AND LOKI

ALL OF IT

Soooo in this world, Odin was a good dude and didn’t kidnap Loki and gave him back to Laufey? (Didnt Laufey abandon him tho since he was too small? I guess in this universe they simply… lost their prince? Lmao?)

Thor didn’t have Loki as his voice of reason I called it.

Night night Odin

Lmao Chad Frigga dipping Odin as soon as he’s asleep

I wonder if they got Idris Elba back for Heimdall?

“We are going to the most backward, backwater planet that not even Heimdall pays attention to.” D,: Thor why you gotta do me dirty like that???

Chris Hemsworth is definitely a better voice actor than some others

Oh yo it be Skurge

Darcy into probing huh?

(Romantic Music Playing) lmao

Man I love Darcy

Poor Howard the Duck lmao (oh yea that’s Seth green)

Skrulls huh

Honestly surprised Thor knows all of these planets. Including the grandmaster??? In the sacred timeline he didn’t even know Sakaar existed.

Wait so, are the Asgardians on good terms with Jotunheim then? If so, I wanna see party loki. Or maybe he’s too reserved for that. I wonder how Laufey raised him? IF WE DONT SEE JOTUN LOKI IM GONNA RIOT

Thor destroyed a star. That sounds about right

“Now that was an excellent party. You know, we lost Fandral for three days. Found him in a barn, curled up next to a baby goat. It was classic. Isn’t that right, Fandral?” “I NAMED HIM GARY!” “Yeah, you did.” “YEA GOATS!” Okay. Screw everyone else in the MCU. I love Fandral now. He’s the GOAT, pun intended

Oh not a star, he killed a whole planet.

I thought Asgardians were supposed to be more advanced than earth but making a tablet is so complicated?

Howard and Darcy was not a pair I thought expected

Yo it’s nebula and korg? So where’s Thanos? How is nebula allowed to go partying with Thanos looking for the infinity stones?

Drax too? Isn’t he in prison? And then Valkyrie? Seems like a lot more than just Thor being an only child is different in this universe. Most of these dudes should hypothetically be in prison or on super serious missions. And I just thought, isn’t Howard the duck imprisoned by the Collector? What’s the timeline for this?

DARCY MARRIES HOWARD THE DUCK? GIRL YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN HIM AND HIS CORKSCREW WANG!

Aaaaaand Jane and Thor got magic and science tattoos. Mighty fast character progression.

Oh? Hookups? That took a turn.

Awwwww Fandral snuggling with a bunch of Chinchilla looking animals <3

Unknown caller?

Dammit Rumlow

Rocket???

Acting director??? What happened to Nick???

KORG NO

Damn everyone crashed at Jane’s

I mean, didn’t seem like too much of a threat

PHIL!!!

Lmao the world isn’t gonna be destroyed by parties?

Oh Carol Danvers?

Okay so…. Lemme get this straight..

Loki and an army of aliens attacking the world? Shield: “nah not a threat.” Robot with robot army threatening to destroy the whole planet “nah Carol has better things to do.” A partying dude from space with no ill intent but just doesn’t seem to understand consequences? “CALL CAPTAIN MARVEL WE NEED HER!!!” Yea okay Shield

Thor loves waffles

LOKI

JOTUN LOKI

HES HERE

LOKI!!!

HOLY CRAP HES HUGE

HE HAS ICE HORNS

See everything would be better without Odin’s interference.

(That’s what she said)

YAY THEYRE FRIENDS

“You’re my brother form another mother man.” YOOOOOO

Loki just sang “Brothers foreveeeeerrrrr!” I can’t—

Aaaaaand fart jokes… “did you boom?” “I never boom. I only boom in private.” Dammit marvel I hoped you were better than this.

LOKI MAKE A WISH

White snake? Lmao where did she get that name lol.

What’s wrong with a party tho? Is this really top priority? Yea they destroyed another planet, but you never explained how

Why doesn’t she sound like Brie Larson? She’s still acting for Marvel Studios so it’s interesting they couldn’t get her for it… unless it is her and I just can’t remember how her voice sounds

Was that punch really necessary? Dude wasn’t posing a threat to anyone.

“You know, there’s a Midgardian word for women like you.” THOR NO—

“PARTY POOPER!” Oh thank God

“This ones for fury” but it wasn’t even Thor that hit him? It was korg and on accident! Cmon carol, I had hoped you’d be smarter than this and more reasonable. Not resorting to violence when nothing has even escalated…

Haha hammer to the face

And the back of the head lmao

BAHAHAHAHA HE JUST SMACKED HER INTO ANOTHER COUNTRY

THOR DONT BOOP STONEHENGE

Dammit Thor

Lmao I love that the countries have their names on them.

Okay just stay and fight here away from civilian population

Marvel really giving us what we want with the most powerful characters fighting

Mary Sue Captain Marvel

Her lipstick has stayed perfect somehow

Fighting in a storm eh? Can’t see how this could go wrong

Haha hammer timeout

Lmao I wanna see Frigga put Thor in a timeout

They’re chanting pooper at her. Is this elementary school again?

Bruh I just realized, Thor is supposed to be acting king while Odin is in Odin sleep lmao. I bet Asgard is going to either be in the best peace ever without Thor or utterly destroyed.

Leave south and north Dakota alone lol

Lmao I love Darcy

YAY GARY THE GOAT WAS SAFE

Wow Jane used the L word fast

Kicking Jane out of the helicarrier? Yea smart move kicking off the person who actually knows anything about this albeit she is a little blinded by love

Giant Loki holding a tiny phone

BAHAHAAHAHA “hey earth girl, you haven’t got a friend, have you!” YES LOKI ITS ME. MARRY ME

Stop throwing phones lmao

BRUH HOW IS SURTUR NOT EVIL EITHER? AND STOP FLIRTING WITH THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.

NO HE DESTROYED HER ARM LMAO

There goes the power grid

NOT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Lmao there he goes

WHY DID KORG HAVE A PACIFIER IN HIS MOUTH

Bout time Heimdall popped in

Aaaaaand Jane got abducted by heimdall

Seeing as Heimdall hasn’t said anything, I’m assuming they didn’t get Idris back lol.

How is shield so chill on murdering Thor? Yes he’s destructive but they’re resorting to killing him so fast instead of talking to him! No one has even told him he’s putting the planet at risk! Dudes too dumb to know on his own!

JANE STOP DRINKING

Damn Maria Hill I had higher hopes for you

Lying Thor

Okay so shield trusts Frigga to help, but still irks me that shield was so trigger/nuke happy… seems the opposite of what we’ve seen of them (ugh just gotta ignore it and chock it up to this being an alternate reality)

Ew Drax

Loki calling the other jotuns “ice bros” lmao

It’s also mantis and Yondu!!

wait how did grandmaster just teleport away like the bifrost?

Nice going thor. You big hunky dummy

“MY MOTHER IS COMING.” Good lord is this high school now lmao???

How do they all know Frigga and why are they all afraid?

Damn the bifrost takes a lot longer than I would have expected

No no Thor the tower of pisa is meant to be tilted—oh whatever

Wait, but I don’t see loki helping, is he gonna be up to something last minute to ruin Thor’s cover up lmao?

I don’t believe Frigga would be tricked this easily lmao

Thor you are such a bad liar

Lmao here comes carol

Hahaha how did mjolnir get so trashed

Wow thor is so much taller than Jane

Wow this Jane and Thor seem to have more chemistry than the sacred timeline version ever did

Wait I want resolve for Loki!!

Uh oh

WHAT

ULTRON VISION WITH THE INFINITY STONES?? HOW

No resolution for that??? Well then. Rip this universe too lmao

Damn I wanted more Loki

There better be a Loki centric episode sometime. If they didn’t it’d a huge missed opportunity from marvel

Okay yea looking at the credits, Carol Danvers wasn’t played by Brie Larson but a lady named Alexandra Daniels. Odd they didn’t get Brie Larson.

Probably my favorite episode so far even with how absurd it was. A lot more upbeat than the past few ones with a better resolve to the story imo.

Also, if anyone can provide me of screenshots of Loki from this episode I would be very grateful

#marvel #marvel studios #marvel cinematic universe #marvel what if…?#marvel what if #what if #what if…?#Thor #thor odinson #Frigga #Loki #loki laufeyson #marvel Thor #marvel Loki #captain marvel #carol danvers

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quickspinner · 4 years

Text

Something Just Like This 15 - Satisfied

Part 1 | Part 14 | Part 16

He’d forgotten what it was like to wake up with a hangover and a mouthful of someone else’s hair. Luka groaned softly and rolled onto his back, clawing Marinette’s hair away from his face, and then grinned at the ceiling despite his pounding head. His arm was wedged under Marinette, so he made no further attempt to move, just lay there enjoying the dark and quiet.

There was a vrrrrmmm, vrrrmmm sound and he glanced over to see Marinette’s phone vibrating. He sighed and rolled toward her again, stroking her face lightly with the back of his hand. “Marinette,” he called softly, and then squeezed her shoulder and shook it lightly.

Marinette made a noise somewhere between a growl and a groan.

“I know,” Luka said, dropping a kiss on her shoulder. “But your phone’s ringing.”

“Stupid phone,” she grumbled, reaching for it. As she answered Luka gently extracted his arm from underneath her, flexing it to get the feeling back.

“I’m still at Luka’s,” he heard Marinette say, and then she winced. “Not so loud, Alya, my head’s killing me. No, it wasn’t like that, nothing happened. We both just had a little too much to drink and I was too tired to go home so I crashed here.” She rolled her eyes, and then squeezed them shut. “Yes, on Luka. He’s very comfy.” She opened one eye to grin at him. Luka blushed, ruffling his hair, and then got out of bed, figuring he shouldn’t be listening.

He used the bathroom, washed his face with cold water to clear some of the bleariness out of his eyes, and brushed his teeth to get rid of the stale taste in his mouth. Then he went to his small kitchen, mentally taking stock as he moved. As hangovers go, this one wasn’t awful. The room had a tendency to spin every now and then but the headache was the worst part. He got some painkillers and two glasses of water. He brought one set back to Marinette, who was still on the phone. She took the pills and swallowed them quickly and drained the water glass, still arguing with Alya over something. Luka sat down on the bed beside her and just looked at her for a moment, looked at her smudged makeup and bed head and his wrinkled shirt hanging off her shoulders. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. She sighed and laid her head down on his shoulder. “Alyyyyaaa,” she whined, bringing her free hand up to rub her temple.

Luka wrapped his hand around her phone, and Marinette let him slide it from her fingers. He brought it up to his own ear. “Alya,” he said, aware his voice was still husky and deep from sleep, and a little rough from performing. Alya stopped talking, presumably in surprise. “Marinette has to go now. She’ll call you back later.”

“Damn, Couffaine,” Alya muttered.

“Bye Alya,” Luka smirked, and hung up. He set Marinette’s phone back on his nightstand as she giggled.

“You just got me in so much trouble,” Marinette laughed. “Did you have to use your sex voice?”

“You don’t know what my sex voice sounds like,” he chuckled, lifting her hand to place a lingering kiss on the inside of her wrist.

“If it’s hotter than your hangover voice, I’m in trouble,” Marinette muttered, and Luka felt a thrill that he didn’t dare dwell on too much as he slid his lips a little lower to lay another kiss. “Alya’s going to grill me for details now.”

“Well,” he said slowly, enjoying the way she shivered at the sound of his voice. “You could always tell her how you tried to lick my tonsils two days ago.”

“Luka!” Marinette shrieked, making both of them wince as she jerked her hand away.

“No?” Luka chuckled, despite the pain in his head. “I’d better give you something else to talk about then.” He moved to kiss her but she turned her face away.

“Luka, I’m gross, at least let me go brush my teeth,” she complained.

“I don’t care,” he said, dropping his mouth to her neck to plant several soft open kisses on sensitive places. Marinette hummed and squirmed but still pushed against him, so he let her slide out of his arms with a sigh.

“I’ll be right back,” she promised, kissing his cheek.

“There should be some extra toothbrushes and whatever in the drawer under the sink, take whatever you need,” he told her, and then shifted to lay back on the bed so he wouldn’t watch her walk away. He flopped onto his stomach and closed his eyes, noting that his headache was receding, though he still felt a little light-headed.

He must have dozed off, because he started awake at the slide of Marinette’s hand up his back. Luka realized his shirt had ridden up and she was pushing it higher. He chuckled. “Found it, huh?”

“I want to see,” Marinette poked him in the ribs and he flinched.

“All right, all right,” he mumbled, and pushed himself up to a sitting position, pulling the shirt up and over his head to give her a clear view of his back. He glanced back at her over his shoulder, which proved to be a mistake as the expression on her face was sure to haunt his dreams for weeks. “See something you like?” he teased, though his face heated.

“Several things,” she agreed, and then her cool fingers touched below the middle of his back, where the black and grey coils of the cobra began. She traced lightly up his spine where the snake’s body rose up to the hood spread between his shoulder blades. “He looks like he’s laughing,” she giggled. “Usually snakes in tattoos look so mean.”

“I think the artist thought I was crazy when I said I wanted something different,” Luka admitted, “But he did a good job.” The snake’s mouth was slightly parted, just enough to show the forked tongue and the hint of fangs, and the artist had managed to capture the expression of indulgent amusement Luka had described. It was exactly the expression Sass used to give him, though the image on his back had an aura of power that the Sass was a bit too cute to pull off...unless you knew him as Luka did. The little kwami might look like a child’s toy but he was also an ancient being in command of immense power. All in all, Luka had been satisfied with the tribute to his old friend.

“It’s not really finished,” Luka said when Marinette didn’t speak. “I want to add to it sometime when I can afford to.”

“I can see that,” Marinette replied thoughtfully, tracing an arc on one side of his back. “Something to frame it in.”

Like flowers, Luka thought before he could stop himself, but then he turned around and laid back on his back on the bed, beckoning Marinette with one hand. She came and stretched out beside him, cuddled up to his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He slipped his arm under and around her and she adjusted to move even closer.

“Sorry for drinking so much last night,” Marinette sighed. “I didn’t mean to stay here.”

“It’s fine. We were just having fun and we went a little overboard. I’d rather have you here and know you’re safe.” He squeezed her lightly. “The snuggles are a nice bonus.”

“Mm,” she agreed, nuzzling into his neck.

“Do you have anywhere you have to be today?” Luka asked.

“Eventually. Not anytime soon.”

“I was thinking we could go grab breakfast once we’re ready to get up. If you want to.”

“Sure, once I can move without feeling like my head’s going to split open.”

Luka took a deep breath and sighed it out slowly, considering what he wanted to say next.

Marinette day up to look in his face. “What?”

“Nothing, I just—hang on, I think I’d rather have this conversation sitting up.” Luka levered himself up and shifted so that he was facing Marinette, a little distance between them. She sat up as well, moving slowly and frowning slightly.

“I think—I hate to ruin the moment, I just, I need some clarity,” he sighed. “Yesterday was—“ Luka shook his head. “It was wonderful. It was fun and easy and—I had a really good time. I know neither of us planned on you staying here, but waking up with you was nice too. I’d really like to go out with you again. I’d like a lot more than that, to be honest, but for now—I just need to know if we’re still on the same page here.”

Marinette hesitated, and Luka’s heart sank into his stomach. He reached over to pick up his glass from the nightstand and took a sip of his water so he could swallow the sudden lump in his throat.

“Luka, it’s…it’s not that I don’t want to, but...” She sighed. “I want to be honest with you about this. I know we talked a little bit about my work schedule but I want you to really understand—it’s a really bad time for me to be starting a new relationship. I’ve got a huge transition ahead of me and it includes a travel schedule that’s frankly insane, and that’s hard enough on an established relationship, let alone a new one.”

“Of course,” Luka said, preparing his brave face. “I get that.”

“I mean there’s FaceTime and of course I’d call as much as I could, and you’d be top on my priority list whenever I had free time, but it still wouldn’t be much—“ Luka nodded, wishing she would just get it over with.

“Could you…” Marinette hesitated. “Could you be satisfied with a relationship like that, Luka? If...if I wanted to try? Because...because you’re right, about everything, and I had so much fun yesterday and it was so easy and—I really want to see where this goes. But I don’t...I know I promised not to rush you, but honestly I don’t want to mess around dating a whole bunch of people. I’m not going to have time for that anyway. I’d rather put what little I have to give into this. Can you be okay with that? With just me, even if I can’t give as much of me as I’d like to?”

That caught his full attention. “Yes,” he breathed, setting the glass down quickly and taking her hands. “Yes, Marinette, If you’re willing to try, I am too. I—“ he bit his lip, and looked away, and back to her. “Marinette, if there’s even the slightest chance that you could feel for me what I feel for you, then I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me what you want and I’m there. I don’t need anybody else, I just want you.”

Marinette’s eyes grew round, and her lower lip trembled. “F-feel?” she whispered. “N-not...not felt? Or…”

Luka pressed her hands to his chest and covered them with one of his, and slipped the other hand behind her neck, thumb caressing her cheek. “Feel. Absolutely. I don’t know what it is about you Marinette—I don’t really even believe in soulmates or destiny or whatever, but something about you just—I don’t know, I’m sorry, I’m so bad at this, at knowing how much to say and what’s too much, but I felt it when we first met and I felt it again when you opened that door for the first time the other day, like some piece of me that doesn’t answer to logic just knows that I will never meet anyone else like you.” He hesitated, searching her eyes. “Too much? Am I scaring you off?”

“No,” Marinette breathed, voice shaky and more air than sound, eyes fixed on him. “Keep going.”

Luka took a deep breath and did, though his hand shook even as he continued to caress her. “Marinette, I’ve always known you were special, and every moment I spend with you just proves it more and more. I don’t care if it’s hard, I don’t mind if we can’t see each other as much as we’d like to at first. I’m a patient guy, I’ll be happy with whatever time you can give me. I can wait for you to chase your dreams and I can be here for you when you need a place to rest, as long as I know you’ll come back. Can that—can I be enough for you?”

Marinette’s eyes overflowed and he caught a tear on his thumb. “You’re more than enough. You’re too good, Luka,” Marinette sniffled. “I don’t know if I can ever deserve you after everything I put you through, but I promise I’ll do my best to make this work.”

This. There’s a this. They’re an us. The last time he felt this disconnected from reality, he was high as hell on heavy-duty painkillers after having his appendix out.

He needed her to say it, Luka realized, like the words were some magic spell that would put his soul back into his body. He needed her to make it real.

“So we’re going to do this?” he asked roughly. “We’re going to try being together?”

“Well, you said you would and I said I would so I’d say that means we are together,” Marinette whispered, blushing with a teary smile.

“We’re together,” he repeated, a broad grin breaking out over his face. He leaned forward and Marinette lunged to meet him.

Their first kiss as an official couple tasted like salt and kept getting interrupted because neither of them could stop smiling.

#quickspins #something just like this #lukanette #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #i am lukanette trash i admit it #miraculousladybug #miraculous ladybug #mlfics

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #293

“your head upon a stick would look really sick, but they would call me crazy for the way i spoke to it”

Hey bitch, what's your fucking name? What a start, jc lmao. Brittany. What color are your nails? They're not painted. Last time you got some ass? Well this survey's gonna be a journey. Many years ago. Do your parents like your style/music choices? Yeah, at least most of it. Some music my mom really doesn't like or just hates, while I can't even imagine Dad's reaction to some bands I enjoy. Ever seen your parents make out? tbh would rather slam my ankle on a Razor scooter. What's your dream height and weight? Forget about my height, if I could just be at least 120 again... Do you put your hair up a lot or down? It's too short to put up. Most of the time do you straighten or curl your hair? Neither. What do you do when your house loses power? Light a bunch of candles and carry flashlights. What piercing do you hate? I'm not a fan of cheek piercings. Were you raised in a religious house? Yes. I grew up going to Sunday school and church, even though I hated both. Do your parents get mad when you're on the computer for hours? Gah... it was a very, very big source of argumentative fuel between Mom and me all the way up to my late teenage years when she just gave up; now, it's to be expected and is completely "normal." I always wanted to be on the computer once I was introduced to it; she tried to limit my time on it, and it was without fail what she would take away whenever I was grounded. I'd even sneak onto it when I wasn't allowed to if she wasn't home and Dad was in their room. My mom really did try to keep me from being hooked on technology, she really did, it just didn't work, but dear god I wish it did. I just about turn into a caveman without some form of it, and it's pretty pathetic. Dad meanwhile has never really cared much, but he'd make a comment here and there that would make me self-conscious about it. Have you ever been asked for a nude picture? No, and guess who would be ignored for the rest of their lives if they did. It's so fucking disrespectful and objectifying to me. If someone wants to send a partner something like that by their own volition, that's cool, but asking, that just seems incredibly rude to me and turns the person into an object of lust. Ever been so scared you pissed? Caaan't say I have. Can you watch scary movies at night and not be scared? Yeah, they've never really fazed me. Last reason you got your cell taken away? I actually don't know if that's ever happened, given the aforementioned computer thing. I was never hooked on my phone. Could you handle working on a farm? Nooooo, that is way too much physical exertion. Have you ever been attacked by an animal? No. Have you ever had to put an animal to sleep? ugh Do you have a favorite type of firework? Well, visually I really just like the big colorful ones, but I don't endorse the use of fireworks anymore. Some animals literally die from fear, they can be seriously upsetting to veterans with PTSD (you could have one in your neighborhood and never know you indirectly gave them a panic attack), and they're a large source of litter. Where would/did you get your first tattoo? My right wrist. What's your favorite kind of pet? Snakes. Favorite dinosaur? Spinosaurus is obviously the coolest. It's always been my fave. How many pets do you have? Sigh, just two. Our landlord doesn't want us to get anymore pets than what we came in with. What were two of your favorite Disney movies as child? The Lion King and Finding Nemo. They're still my favorite Disney movies. When carving pumpkins, how do you decide what you're going to do? I haven't carved a pumpkin in years... so idk. Do you own any art supplies? Some, yeah. Do you believe you have a higher IQ than most? Definitely not. What is the name of the doctor that delivered you? I have no clue. Mom knows him for sure because she's mentioned him from my childhood, but I don't. Have you ever seen a Lamborghini in person? Hunny, I live in rural North Carolina. You don't see that level of bougie here lmao. Shane Dawson: funny or annoying? I honestly think he's fucking hilarious. I just have such conflicting feelings about him after "the drama," hearing so many people's opinions (particularly from those who know him so well, like his fiance and Ryland's sister), fact checking, audio cutting and mixing, the whole "people change" philosophy... I don't know. When you have a container of Neapolitan ice cream, what flavor do you leave for last? I ain't touchin' strawberry. Gross. If you could choose to have any superpower ever, what would you pick? I'd wanna be a shapeshifter/druid. What would you be more embarrassed to buy: sex toys or adult diapers? Yikes, sex toys. Given my age, I'd say if I bought adult diapers, people would assume they weren't for me. I'm awkward enough with all things relating to sex to begin with, so. What’s the biggest animal you’ve ever killed? Yo wtf I never have and never will (intentionally) kill an animal. Well, correction: I've killed bugs before, the biggest probably being some spider or something, but I really try to avoid this now. Could you win the Hunger Games? lol hell to the fuck no, have you seen me??? For you, would getting amnesia be a good thing? ... Maybe? Not saying I wanna find out, though. Have you ever been punched in the face? No, plan on keeping it that way. Is morality universal or relative? I question this myself. Who is your favorite late night talk show host? I don't have one. Where do you put your keys when you get home? They stay in my purse. Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee? Neither. The sheer variety of questions relating to coffee and tea in surveys boggles my mind, always feel left out that I can't answer 'em lmao. What’s your phone background picture? My lock screen is this pretty, soft aesthetic screen that has "i am strong, i am loved, i am enough" written in the center. I've really needed it for my mental health lately. My home screen is some meerkats. I know, can you believe neither are currently Mark? Have you ever seen a snake in the wild? Plenty. How do you cope with anxiety? Deep breathing, mindfulness and grounding exercises, confiding in my mom, listening to music (usually my favorite calm, instrumental soundtracks, like from the Silent Hill franchise - particularly the second game! - or Shadow of the Colossus), try to nap, play a game as a distraction, watch my favorite YouTubers (typically something funny)... I'm lucky to have learned a lot. Now, if only I could cope with social anxiety... What was the last takeout food you ate? Oh Jesus, how embarrassing is this timing, seeing as it was one of my unhealthiest fast food orders: Son of the Baconator and Baconator fries from Wendy's. It was so fuckin good tho. Who makes you laugh the most? My friend Girt. What does a successful relationship look like to you? One with great communication and total honesty, and when you are able to build each other up and bring out the best in your partner. It's also imperative for you to feel safe being your authetic safe for me to consider it "successful." What do you like to put on your baked potato? "Salt, pepper, butter, cheese, bacon bits." <<<< That's how we do it, lads. What was the most memorable birthday you’ve had? My 16th, but not for good reasons. Would you rather go to the beach or the mountains? That's easy as hell, mountains. I don't like the beach. Do you look in the mirror before you leave the house? Yeah. Not gonna like what I see no matter what, but I'd like to make sure I don't look worse whan what's normal. Have you ever seen someone quit their job in a dramatic way? No. What do you like to dip your fries in? It varies between ketchup and honey mustard. What’s your favorite kind of museum? Science. Do you believe in alternate universes? Nah, I don't think so. Whose house did you last visit? My older sister's. What games do you play on your smart phone? Mostly just Pokemon GO nowadays. I haven't touched Dragons of Atlantis in a long time... Do you know anyone who is colorblind? Jason's older brother is red/green colorblind, I think? Are you the youngest, middle or eldest child in your family? Middle. What’s something you’ve been meaning to do but keep putting off? Ugh, I need to finish decorating my damn room... Got most of the stuff on the walls now, but it's still pretty skeletal in self expression. My motivation is abysmal. Have you ever flown a kite? Oh yeah, I loved to fly a kite with Dad as a little kid when the tobacco field just across the road was barren. Who was the last person you talked about sex/relationships with? My doctor. How many brothers does your father have? I'm almost certain he doesn't have one, just one sister. Do you think you act older or younger than your actual age? It depends on the situation. When it comes to "adulting," I don't have a fuckin clue what I'm doing. I doubt anyone would believe I'm a month shy of 25. In terms of general maturity, I think I act my age, if not older. When was the last time you swam in a pool? It's been years. What are your parents' views on your relationships? Mom is always very supportive so long as they treat me right; she's taken to all my previous partners very well and treated them like family, too. My dad is also supportive as long as I'm treated properly and happy. Is your best friend dating anyone? No. Have you ever babysat before? Twice, but not really willingly. Way too stressful. Do you delete pictures of you and your exes off of Facebook? It took a very, very long time, but all pictures with Jason are forever deleted. Ever had a huge crush on someone who still doesn’t know? Not a huge crush, no. Ever watched porn? No. You do you, but I don't see the appeal of watching some random people fuck. Ever performed in a talent show? No. Would you audition for a reality talent competition? Nope. How many celebrity crushes have you had? I'd say Jesse McCartney, Link Neal, and Mark Fischbach are my only BIG celeb crushes I've had. How many non-celebrity crushes have you had? I dunno, don't feel like reaching back and counting. Ever been compared to a celebrity? Not visually, but with my adoration of animals. Have any embarrassing pictures on Facebook? Oh, I'm sure. None that are horribly embarrassing though, or else I would have deleted them. Ever seen a therapist? I've regularly seen a therapist since the 6th grade. Ever purposely ignored a text? Yep. A Facebook message? Sure have, when I was beyond done arguing with a former friend. A friend request? No, I just decline or accept it. My page is private, so you can't see my activity, and it's not like they get notified if it's declined, Would you say you read into things too much? I am the fucking sovereign of this. If you turned out exactly like your mom would you be pleased? I love my mom to death, but no. I'd be disappointed. Ever had a credit card denied? I've never had one in the first place. Ever had the lead in a play? No. I do remember though in elementary school, I was real bummed that I wasn't Snow White for one we did for Music class. What about a solo in a concert? Never been in a concert. Would it bother you if you found out that your mother was pregnant? Well. One, she's long past menopause. Two, because of ovarian cancer, she had all those organs removed. So, that would be impossible. Have you ever had a threesome? No; I'm personally strictly monogamous and would feel it to be disloyal, even if my parnter was okay with it. What's the last game you used dice for? Not a clue. Are you interested in surfing at all? Have you ever been? No. What brand of bottled water do you prefer? Essentia. What is your favorite type of bird? Barn owls. What is your favorite chocolate candy? motherfuckin REESE'S Have you ever been called a racial slur? No, considering I'm Caucasian. Why did you last stand in line? I was at the doctor's office, I think? What is your favorite pirate movie? /shrug What is your favorite character from Orange Is the New Black? I've never watched it. What was the most unsettling film you’ve seen? Watching the ending to Paranormal Entity was VERY uncomfortable. It was a decently scary movie, but the ending was seriously intense. When was the last time you were snooping, and found something you wish you hadn’t? I don't recall. Which celebrity or band has the worst fan base? I don't know. What are you interested in that most people aren’t? The sheer degree of my love for meerkats would definitely be missed by probably most people. What smartphone feature would you actually be excited for a company to implement? I dunno. Anything I could think of, the most current products probably already have and I'm just uninformed of them. Like, I use a Tracfone lmao. What’s something people don’t worry about but really should? Their plastic usage and disposal. I'm certainly no saint when it comes to plastic either, but I try to do all I can. What movie quotes do you use on a regular basis? Hm, ARE there any? Do you think that children born today will have better or worse lives than their parents? This depends on what you consider "better" and "worse." Environmentally, I honestly don't think mankind can maintain itself for that many more generations at the rate we're currently at, so that's probably just gonna keep getting worse. On the other hand, advances in medicine and things like that will certainly continue to improve quality of life in that sense. Human rights are getting better and better. I do fear that we're becoming too comfortable with laziness and convenience, but I hope that's a decline we don't continue to venture down. What’s the funniest actual name you’ve heard of someone having? I had a college classmate named Apple. Which charity or charitable cause is most deserving of money? Oh, come on now. It's not a competition. What game have you spent the most hours playing? So. When you type /played in World of Warcraft, it will show you your total playtime, and mine is YIKES. Like, around a year's worth of time of pure playing since 2014, I think. What’s the most comfortable bed or chair you’ve ever been in? I don't recall. What’s the hardest you’ve ever worked? When I did WiiFit religiously and lost around 40 pounds in HS. I was in the best shape of my life. What movie, picture, or video always makes you laugh no matter how often you watch it? Oh, there's certainly something. Probably some Unus Annus clip. That channel was a fucking blessing and a curse all the same. If you could have an all-expenses paid trip to see any famous world monument, which monument would you choose? Oh boy, I'd have to think, but probably somewhere in Rome or Greece. What’s the coldest you’ve ever been? I'm unsure. Probably jumping in the pool as a kid. My sisters and I would nag Dad to put the pool up on like the very first day of spring, so of course it was cold, but as a kid, I didn't mind that. What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought? Hm. What’s the most depressing meal you’ve eaten? Ha ha yiiiikes, struggle foods... I don't know, but I've had some. What outdoor activity haven’t you tried, but would like to? Herping, though I change my mind on-and-off about it. I'm not very into the idea of disturbing wildlife just because they're cool and you wanna check them out. I'd totally go exploring with a camera, though, and not actually pick anything up. If you were given five million dollars to open a small museum, what kind of museum would you create? Hm... I actually think something like an art museum for the mentally ill would be pretty interesting and educational? Even something that could build empathy. Maybe mix some psychology in there to understand conditions.

#survey #surveys #questions #questionnaire #lyrics: ''apex predator'' by otep

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n0-eyedtaissa · 5 years

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The New Normal (Sweet Pea x Fem!Reader)

A/N: This is my first real attempt at a reader-insert fic so I’m crazy-nervous to post this, but I’m pretty proud of it so I hope you enjoy it!!

Description: An ill-timed party brings two sides together and an unfortunate interaction sparks an unlikely friendship.

Warnings: Underage smoking and drinking

Word Count: 3k+

You met him at a party.

It was a misplaced exhibition of grandeur, planned with juvenile good intentions and the thought that most problems could be solved with Pabst Blue Ribbon or a few shots of New Amsterdam. It was ironic, really. The Southside of town goes up in the flames of gentrification and everyone’s first thought was “Who’s throwing the kegger?” .

It was for the hope of normalcy, to stand with false confidence in the backyard at Reggie Mantle’s house and drink piss-water beer out of a plastic cup as too much bass reverberated though the sea of underaged bodies surrounding you.

You’d done it a dozen times.

But now, boys from both sides of the tracks were getting shot, or preyed upon by the music teacher. Miss Grundy. With her kind eyes and her misplaced authority, she fulfilled desires of tasting the unripened fruit. It was three weeks after she ‘mysteriously’ left school when she was found dead, strangled with her own cello bow. Throat slit. Three blocks away from your front door a self-righteous killer planned out how he sought sinners to claim repentance.

You sat in a discarded lawn chair, away from the masses, thoughts awash with the green eyes of the Black Hood, the crucified figure of Midge Klump onstage for the whole town to see. It almost made you want to laugh, Midge finally getting the attention she always wanted.

The goosebumps start to raise on your bare arms as you recline against the cold back of the chair and it makes you start to sip faster on your vodka cran, relishing in the warmth that pooled in your stomach, and wondering if home would ever be “normal” again.

Or was it ever normal to begin with ?

Over the beer pong table you watched a group of jocks tense up, Bulldogs with their feathers ruffled like yardbirds that were scared of a stealthy outdoor cat. You stood up in search of a spectacle, as well as a refill, and made your way through the sliding glass door and into the expensive dining room. Reggie’s house was huge: all high ceilings and grand entryways, furniture that looked pristine and untouched. Lively, sweaty bodies were packed into the house and causing the walls to sweat with smoke-riddled condensation.

You waded through the masses, getting elbows jabbed into your ribs and beer spilled onto your suede boots, but finally you made your way to the kitchen.

Perched atop the polished granite counter was Veronica Lodge, with Archie Andrews tucked in between her bare thighs where her plaid skirt had ridden up. You watched them as they whispered sweet nothings into each others ears, with loyalty and love in their bleary eyes.

She leaned down to kiss him, her inkjet-black hair spilling over his forehead, obscuring his own mop of red waves; the balance between dark and light.

Past the kitchen was the entryway. A gaggle of broad-shouldered boys stood face to face, their expressions hard and their voices laced with malice:

“You Snakes got a lot of nerve coming onto Bulldog territory” Moose Mason said through gritted teeth.

“We’ve got as much right to be here as you do, Moose” One of the Serpents, Jughead Jones responded arrogantly, shoulders relaxed and head held high. The expression on his face said something like make a move, I dare you.

The Serpents vs Bulldog feud was age-old, and mostly everyone was tired of the incessant turf war between the two groups. Northsiders like the Bulldogs had it easy because their families had money and they could live comfortably, if not lavishly. They were a bunch of student athletes with roid-rage who decided that it would be entertaining to pick a fight with the kids who grew up below the poverty line.

Residents of the Southside of Riverdale were at a disadvantage: their side of town was run-down and covered in graffiti tags, with the chain-link fences falling down and the weeds overgrown. It was the little things like that which differentiated the two sides of the same coin. The North side was well maintained, with workers paid to upkeep the lawns and hedges throughout town, or to scrape the gum from the sidewalks. The town’s budget for education was split unevenly, which left the students of Southside high without computers, instead relying on aged textbooks and aged information. On the news you often heard about the kids that took Jingle Jangle in the hallways, or got in knife-fights in the parking lot, or how when Mayor McCoy had the police raid the place, they found a meth lab in the basement. It was a bad school, to say the least.

Not by choice. Everything about this town was a product of circumstance.

There was no question that the more affluent people in town found the Southsiders to be burdensome: The Northsiders were more than open about their disdain for them. They were worried that their school systems were getting muddied up, that test scores would start going down due to the delinquency of the unconcerned students who transferred to Riverdale High after Southside High was forcefully shut down. They locked their car doors every time a motorcycle pulled up next to them, women held their purses a little closer to themselves any time somebody donning a Serpent jacket was in their vicinity.

And though tensions ran high, nothing could bring two sides together like a party could. Right?

Funny.

There was a bitter irony in the situation. The Serpents lose what little they had, Sunnyside Trailer Park going up in flames and the Whyte Wyrm being bought out by the Lodge family, and yet the Bulldogs still thought that a turf war was appropriate.

In a fight, your money would be on the Serpents any day, though. They were scrappy — well-versed in the art of street fighting, with or without brass knuckles and a switchblade. They were a real gang: with an intense initiation process and laws to be abided by. It was about loyalty and respect. The Serpents did whatever they needed to do in order to ensure that all of the Southside residents were taken care of and for this you couldn’t help but admire them.

Plus, they had cooler jackets.

You mind your business though, not wanting to be in the middle of the fight that would inevitably break out. You’re in the middle of refilling your beverage in the kitchen (probably making it a little more heavy handed than you anticipated) when Archie breaks away from Veronica, running to be the mediator yet again.

Veronica smiles curtly at you, the only other person in the kitchen, and for a second it looked like she felt guilty. Maybe.

You send an uneasy smirk in her direction and start slinking your way into the backyard once more, crossing your fingers that no one had stolen your seat. Quickly turning the corner, you plow into the chest of an unsuspecting party-goer.

“God DAMN it!” they grumble angrily, looking down at their shirt, which was now soaked with your vodka cranberry.

“Watch where you’re going next time…” you mutter, shaking sticky drops of cranberry juice from your hand, finally looking up at whoever you had just accidentally accosted.

That’s when you saw him.

Sweet Pea. It was misnomer if you’ve ever heard one: equal parts loyalty and anger, he was chaos. Something like black leather and bruised knuckles, the sound of a motorcycle engine turning over. Or the feeling of being on the wrong end of a strong right hook. He was everything you weren’t, and everything you were told to be afraid of.

He was a cool, tall drink of water; six-foot-something and he towered over you just enough to make it so you had to crane your neck in order to look him in his cold brown eyes. With his face etched with frown and worry lines, you could tell that his hard expression was a trained one. It was almost like he practiced it in the mirror, like if he looked menacing enough no one would be able to mess with him. If he built up his walls high enough, no one could ever break them down.

Plus, he was a Serpent: a gang member with a motorcycle and a penchant for fighting. Despite all of this you couldn’t see a reason not to like him. Just because he was from the Southside didn’t mean you should treat him different. You hoped that no one would treat you differently based on where you lived and how you were brought up, but you knew that your situation was vastly different from Sweet Pea’s.

“Watch where I’m going?” He questions “Sweetheart I was standing completely still, you ran into me” he pointed out, a flirtatious smirk playing on the corner of his pretty lips.

You looked him up and down, noticing the snake tattoo that adorned his neck, and the way that you could see the outline of his muscles through the pink-tinged wet mark on his white t-shirt. Knowing that it was your fault, you relented, not wanting to face the wrath he was so infamous for.

“You’re right, I’m sorry” you sigh, looking up at him innocently through your curled lashes. “I think I have a way to make it up to you, though” You add, feeling an onslaught of alcohol-related confidence.

His eyes widened, clearly taken aback by your bold statement.

“And what exactly did you have in mind?” Sweet Pea asked, studying you carefully.

You reach into the small black purse that was resting at your hip and retrieve a sizable joint, rolled tightly with white paper. You hold you hold it out to him with an eyebrow raised in question.

“Now what’s a pretty little girl like you doing with stuff like this, hmm?” The aura of cockiness was thick around him, it was as if any little interaction with him was a challenge. He started undermining you the first moment he laid eyes on you.

You couldn’t have that, now could you?

“Pretty girls like me could do a lot worse,” You promised, crossing your arms over your chest. You weren’t doing it protectively, though. Unlike most people, you didn’t fear Sweet Pea.

And you could tell that it pissed him off.

“You coming, Southside?” You prompt, throwing the question over your shoulder as you push off from your spot against the wall in order to make your way to the backyard.

“Yeah, uh” Sweet Pea coughed awkwardly, “Right behind you”. He took a long stride in order to open the sliding glass door for you.

How gentlemanly of him

The two of you walked through the masses of students playing King’s Cup and quarters, past a gaggle of girls you would consider to be your friends on Monday through Fridays, from 8am to 3pm. You rarely hung out with them after school, even rarer on weekends. But they gave you a place to sit during lunch and a friendly face to talk to during passing periods, and that was enough for you.

“Hey (Y/N)!” Your ‘friend’ Carrie called out to you, attempting to wave you over to join the group. She was a polite blonde, a nice girl, with a big house and a big yard where her big dog would run around as her rich parents took conference call after conference call over happy-hour margaritas under the veranda.

You waved politely, face unwavering as you pulled a lighter out of your jacket pocket. Carrie pushed herself out of the tight-knit group and sauntered up to you, looking oddly over at Sweet Pea. It was apparent that she was refraining from making a snide comment about the Serpent standing next to you, but was too polite to vocalize it.

“What’re you doing?” Carrie asked, very pointedly you might add, raising her sculpted brow at you.

You shrug, scuffing your boot over a discarded cigarette butt. “About to smoke a joint with my new friend here,” You can tell that both Carrie and Sweet Pea were taken aback by your loose usage of the term ‘friend’.

“Come hang out with us,” She tried to coax you grabbing your hand as weak attempt to pull you away from the boy she so obviously found unsettling.

“I’m okay, I’ll see you around” You ripped your hand away, stepping closer to Sweet Pea and pulling the joint out again from your purse.

Carrie wrinkled her nose, sighing before walking back to the group. You can feel the multiple pairs of eyes on you as she whispered about how you were hanging out with a Serpent, out of all people.

“You should go with your friends.” Sweet Pea states. It was dismissive and cold, as if situations like this were something he was used to.

You put the joint between your lips and spark it, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke before answering; “They’re not my friends…” You divulge, walking through the gravel side-yard to sit down on a lonely garden bench. “Plus, I told you I’d make it up to you for spilling on you”

Sweet Pea chuckles lowly, a gravelly sound that came deep from his chest, filled with resentment. “What, Northsiders don’t all stick together?” The way he was looking at you made your cheeks flush, though you blamed it on the alcohol that was coursing through your veins.

You shake your head at him, handing the joint over. He hesitates for a moment, as if it was unsure of why you were being so welcoming to him. There were a certain number of predetermined assumptions attributed to him: the Serpent, the Southsider, the poor kid, the gang member.

But there were assumptions you knew he was making about you to: Northside, rich girl, artificial.

“There’s more to people than where they live, you realize that, right?” You look up at him from your seat on the bench. He took a deep inhale, clenching his jaw as he blew smoke upwards.

“Seems like you’re the only one around here who seems to believe that, (Y/N)”

That was the first time he said your name.

You weren't sure if he knew your name beforehand, or if he learned it that evening. The minute the word leaves his lips your breath catches in your throat and your blood runs hotter than usual. You wished he would say it again and again.

“Is that so wrong of me? To think that?” You ask meekly, in earnest, unsure if your optimism was a product of the privilege you had.

Sweet Pea’s eyebrows furrow together as he pondered the question. He sat down on the bench next to you, the cold leather of his jacket hitting your bare shoulders and making you intake a sharp breath through your front teeth.

“Not wrong, no…hopeful. A little hope could do us all some good, I guess.” He laughed, passing the joint back to you.

It got quiet after that. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, at least not to you. This had been your only real interaction with Sweet Pea; spilling your drink on him, exchanging bitter words about sides, talking about hope. He didn’t seem as bad as his reputation made him out to be. He was jaded as all hell, it was true, but the more you spoke to him the more it made sense. You decided to break the silence:

“So what’s your story?” You ask suddenly, as if you were stunned by the sheer volume of your voice. The weed made you lightheaded and giggly, made your motions feel languid and you couldn’t help but kick your toes at the pieces of loose gravel.

Sweet Pea looks over at you, rubbing a large hang over his bloodshot eyes and smiling so that his eyes crinkled up at the corners. “My story?” He laughs, looking at you as if it was crazy to be asking about his home life, or his interests.

“Well if there’s more to people then where they live, we gotta start asking more questions, ya know?” You look over to him and he giggles again. “I just wanna know” You shrug off the comment, stomping out the joint and tossing it aside in a terra cotta pot that housed a long-dead plant.

“There’s not much to me,” Sweet Pea says quietly, his voice carried away on a bitter breeze that raised goosebumps on your bare arms. You rubbed your cold hands over your cold arms, hoping that he would offer up his jacket but knowing that the likelihood of that was small.

You weren't in just yet, and you didn't expect to be. Sweet Pea had little reason to tell you anything about him; you guys weren’t actually friends — you spilled a drink on him and offered some weed as an apology. Idle conversation didn't warrant personal questions, but there was something about him that made you want to keep trying.

“I think there’s a lot more to you than you’re giving yourself credit for,” You look at Sweet Pea from the corner or your eye, bumping him playfully with your shoulder and making him crack a smile. “You don’t have to tell me, though. It’s fine”

It was fine, too. The look on his face made it seem like he was surprised that you didn’t keep pushing your questions on him. Maybe he wanted you to keep pushing.

Maybe he was thankful that you didn’t.

The comfortable-maybe-uncomfortable silence sets in again and the two of you are watching the beer pong game from afar. Reggie Mantle was on a team with Archie Andrews and the two were in a heated debate with Chuck Clayton and Moose Mason about getting their cups re-racked. It looked like it was getting a little bit heated, and you couldn't help but laugh after Sweet Pea makes an offhand comment about how the Andrew’s kid’s face was almost as red as his hair.

You both watched a group of Vixens holding each other’s hair back as they vomited up orange-tinged jungle juice. The sight of it makes you childishly cover your eyes with your hands, prompting Sweet Pea to laugh maniacally. He nudges your knee with his and you peek out at him from between your fingers.

“Some party, huh?” He asked with an awkward cough-laugh.

You look around again, noting all of your classmates having a good time, despite the obvious tone of unrest in town. “It’s bullshit” you reveal, and judging by the expression on Sweet Pea’s face, you know that he’s taken aback — this wasn't the answer he anticipated from you.

He didn’t say anything in return, but you just knew that he agreed.

“People fucking died, your friend was shot. People lost their homes, so why are we all trying to get drunk and act like everything is normal? Just because we start ignoring all of this shit, doesn’t mean it’s not there, you know?”

“I know, trust me…” His voice was hard and suddenly you think that you’ve done something wrong.

Just as you’re about to open your mouth to start back-tracking, a girl’s voice rings out from across Reggie’s backyard:

“Hey Sweet Pea! Get your ass over here, we’re up for BP! Gotta knock these Bulldogs down a peg”

Toni Topaz. She was five-foot almost nothing, but she had attitude to boot. One of the Serpent girls. You assumed that Sweet Pea would get up and go to her in an instant, leaving you alone and cold over in Reggie’s discarded side yard.

But he didn’t.

He turned to you nervously, hands twitching idly at his sides as he stood up from the bench. “You comin’ Northside?” He offers his large hand out to you and you take it, with something like excitement pooling deep in your stomach.

You couldn’t help but get nervous as you were led closer to the group of Serpents, pulled through the crowd by Sweet Pea who was a few paces ahead of you. They were all gathered by the big table, clad in their jackets and their tattoos worn proudly as their eyes shifted from face to face just in case.

These snakes really did travel in packs.

“Who’s this?” Toni asks explicitly, gesturing to you with a flick of her chin as she tucked a strand of dyed-pink hair behind her ear.

“Oh, uh…” Sweet Pea cleared his throat awkwardly as he looked at the faces of his expectant chosen family. “This is (Y/N). My…friend”

Toni nodded slowly, as if she was trying to come to terms with the concept. But sh smiled at you, extended her hand to shake politely.

After the death (not death) of one of their finest members, the Fogarty kid, it was obvious that everyone was on edge. It was obvious that just like you — just like everyone else— the Serpents were trying to feel normal again. Was it possible to bounce back after losing almost everything they had?

That was the million-dollar question.

Things were different in town now. Tensions were at an all-time high, prejudices more obvious now than they were before.

But you were here. At Reggie Mantle’s house, drinking piss-water beer out of your plastic cup as too much bass reverberated from the shitty speakers. And you were here with Sweet Pea. And the Serpents. Maybe things would be different on Monday but for that moment, you were friends.

And that was the best thing you could ask for.

#sweet pea riverdale #sweet pea x reader #reader insert fic #sweet pea x you #sweet pea x y/n #southside serpents #reggie mantle #archie andrews #toni topaz #fangs fogarty #I'm tagging so much shit bc i want this to get notes #riverdale fandom #riverdale fanfiction #riverdale reader insert

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msmoonlighter · 5 years

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All About Freya Merrynight-Gunnulf

Name: Freya Merrynight-Gunnulf of the Seelie Queen’s Court Undercover Identity: Sage Wisteria Thorn of Seelie Ethnicity/Nationality: If she were human? White? I mean she was born to a viking dad so. But she’s mostly non-human. She’s a gentry faerie, meaning she looks almost totally human, save for a few little details such as pointed ears, unnaturally vibrant dark green and gold eyes, unnaturally bright red hair, ethereal beauty. She is however, 25% human and her father was a Norwegian Viking who was half fae. It’s a whole thing. Age: 27 in fae years, roughly 1000 n’ something in human years, but time works differently in Faerie Species: ¾ Faerie. Shows no signs of being any percent human because faerie blood is dominant when it hits the 3/4 mark. Half fae have a fifty fifty chance of coming out human or fae, but they still carry fae genes. Gender: Female Height/ Body type: 5’9, curvy hips, hourglass, kinda a va va va voom body type, y’know? I can’t draw her right. She looks regal, and queenly, and tall. She’s supposed to give off elegant and sensual vibes. Appearance: Long red hair in loose waves, vibrant and rich forrest green eyes. Has a powerful sort of air. Like a feminine, flirty, but powerful air. Like she knows she could absolutely demolish everyone around here in her highest heels and come out on top. A tattoo-like image of vines sprawling around her shoulder down her torso and to her leg. She hides it with a glamour when she’s in public. The glamour can be dismantled if she’s severely injured or if for some reason her magic is drained or she’s severely weakened.

Family:

Father: Artair Gunnulf (His name meaning “As strong as a bear”, the strongest warrior of his tribe. The son of a human Berserker and a faerie woman.)

Mother: Aoife Merrynight (Powerful fae sorceress, left Sage for dead in the middle of the forest and then wanted her back when her powers sparked to life. Manipulative and abusive. Very Mother Gothel-like. Sold her daughter’s very existence to Titania Queen of the Faeries. We do not stan.)

Job: Works as a third grade school teacher in Middleverse. She’s been in Middleverse for a little more than a year, and for most of that time she was unemployed, focusing mostly on tracking down whoever Titania wanted her to. During the summer her best friend Storm convinced her to work as a lifeguard. Later on her link to Titania and the faerie realm, an elf named Opal informed her that she had landed her a job teaching third grade at a local elementary school. Freya schooled the children of Titania’s court so she was kind of qualified but there was still a lot of fake it till you make it bullshit at the beginning. She loves her kids though, and would literally take a bullet for each and every one of them. Her real job, however, is serving as Titania the Seelie Queen’s personal spy and assassin, tasked with keeping tabs on on the residents of Middleverse for signs of people working to overthrow Titania. She’s supposed to capture the people orchestrating the assassination/overthrowal attempt and bring them to Titania dead or alive, and get rid of anyone who stands in her way by any means. This job takes a toll on her as you can imagine, and her conscience is never quite comfortable with that tall order. She’s grown up a warrior, she’s grown accustomed to violence, but Titania is corrupt and wicked, and some of the people she’s been tasked with killing were entirely innocent by all logic. She wants out, but since she’s magically tethered to Titania, she can’t betray her. Hobbies: Gardening, exploring the forest, swordplay, wood carving, archery, writing bits of novels she never publishes, writing poetry, reading, calligraphy, playing the violin, experimenting with nature magic, she enjoys surfing, puzzles and word games Personality: She gives me the Badass Female Spy Who Pulls Out A Tube of Lipstick and It Turns Out To Be A Knife/Taser/Lock pick/Laser and Can Run After a Bitch At Top Speed In Heels Vibe. If she were a super villain she’d be Poison Ivy hands down. She’s extremely intelligent, quick-witted, and clever, and even for a fae she’s especially good at twisting words. She can lie, being part human, and that combined with her fae magic makes her a dangerous opponent, especially since no one can guess she’s part human and assume she can’t lie. While lying comes easy for her, she feels guilty when lying to people she cares for. Often she does it to hide her double life from them. She’s most certainly the mom friend, or at least the Vodka Aunt friend, but is probably the only sober person coming back from group outings. She doesn’t drink much, and when she does, it’s faerie wine or nothing. She loves nature with a passion and is going to start a greenhouse in the woods behind her house with the help of her coworker and friend Zoe. She tends to be reckless, and has a bit of a temper. She’s awfully flirtatious, and often it means nothing to her. However when she really is interested in someone, you can tell. Mostly because she’s rarely ever actually becomes interested in someone for more than just a fun time, and when she does the flirting kind of dies down and she starts to feel uneasy. She doesn’t like the idea of caring about too many people when her life is so dangerous. Freya has a rebellious streak and it often arises in the form of her going directly against Titania’s orders, knowing she’ll be punished for it, but needing to feel free for once. She never tries to escape, but she’ll disobey in little ways. Ways that piss the queen off. She hates feeling as if she’s not in control of her own life, and that’s kind of ironic because she literally isn’t. Titania could order her to stick a knife in her own stomach and she’d have to. Freya craves adventure and adrenaline, and is always up for a challenge. Before she became a teacher she was in this apathetic state of depression, and really just didn’t give a shit about anyone or anything especially not herself anymore. But her friends and the school kids changed her for the better because I’m all for wholesome character arcs where the jaded main character unintentionally adopts a bunch of kids and becomes a better person. It’s cliche. Sue me.

Backstory: She was born a little over a thousand years ago from the strange one night stand between a Viking Berserker named Artair Gunnulf and a faerie sorceress named Aoife Merrynight. Artair was the strongest warrior of his clan, and his name literally meant “As strong as a bear”. He himself was half fae on his mother’s side, but he never knew since his father never knew. His mother left them when he was around ten because Titania found out about the union and commanded she return. Aoife was a full gentry fae woman. Gentry look almost completely human save for a few features such as unnatural colored hair, eyes, skin, pointed ears, and strange markings. They’re similar to elves, but have a more powerful and dramatic sort of reputation. While elves are often tied to nature, gentry are tied to nothing but magic itself. Aoife was a sorceress, known in Titania’s court for being a huge kiss ass to the queen, and all in all a really low-down, selfish person. She was Titania’s most trusted advisor, and as such was allowed to do as she wished. So she went to the human world in search of some fun.

She thought Artair was a ruggedly handsome redhead piece of ass, and she was bored, and so she seduced him real quick and then left town. When she had their child she was disgusted. She didn’t want a half human baby. To her anyone who wasn’t fae was weak and useless to her. So she dumped the tiny baby in the middle of the human forest. Real lovely chick, I’m telling you. Now, as fate may have it, Artair was hunting in the forest that very same day, and a few hours into his hunt he heard a baby crying. He found this newborn baby in the middle of the forest and was like “Yo what the fuck who left their kid here? That’s messed up.” He instantly felt a fatherly connection to this baby, so he wrapped her up in his cloak and carried her home. Time works differently in faerie. A week in the human world could be a mere hour or a year in the faerie realm. Years had passed down on Earth, and Artair had married a woman named Gala, who he loved and adored. They adopted the baby and named her Freya after their favored goddess. Freya grew up happily in the human world. She was nicknamed Bear Cub because she often paraded around in her father’s bearskin cloak. She learned all about the gods of her people, she learned how to fight, how to use a sword and knives and became a great archer. She made friends and loved her father and mother. She might’ve been happy if her powers hadn’t surfaced when she turned fifteen. She started showing signs of possessing magic around thirteen, but one day shortly after her fifteenth birthday, her faerie side really burst forth. She was training with the other village youth when a boy she particularly disliked accidentally cut her thigh. She had been distracted by a flash of light from the woods, likely from a faerie performing some sort of ritual, and stumbled instead of blocking his swing. His sword was made with iron, and iron is poisonous to faeries so the gash hurt more than usual. The boy was elated that he’d managed to get a strike in, and kept coming at her. She tried to block him, but the pain in her leg was so harsh that she could barely focus. She staggered back until she fell to the ground. When she felt the intense pain of being cut, she cried out and some primal part of her raged to life. Her eyes lit up with a green light and the forest behind them began to rumble. Out of the trees came an abundance of animals. Wildcats, wolves, birds, snakes. With them came tree roots, and vines. They advanced to defend her, but there was no need. The others ran screaming back home. After the pain receded, the animals left and the flora slithered back into the forest. That’s how she earned the nickname Forest Shaker. That night as she was telling her parents what had happened, Aoife showed up. She told them that she was the girl’s mother and that she wanted to take her back to Faerie where she belonged. Of course Artair, Gala and Freya refused. Freya told Aoife that she was perfectly fine where she was. Artair told her she wasn’t going to take her anywhere and Gala informed her that she lost the right to be with Freya when she abandoned her in the forest. When Aoife threatened violence, Artair beat her to the punch, and came at her with his golden sword. So of course Aoife killed them. And then she dragged Freya kicking and screaming into the forest before finally knocking her out and taking her to Faerie. Freya was raised as her mother’s prisoner almost. She was allowed to visit the human world only when Aoife needed things from there, and often could only stay for one or two human years. She was considered a dirty halfbreed by the other gentry faeries. While she felt more at home with the humans, they aged so quickly, and often she’d leave them and come back from Faerie only a year later to find things had completely changed. To make things worse, after her schooling was finished, and she started to become more and more rebellious, Aoife realized that Freya might try to escape one day. So she took Freya to Queen Titania of Seelie. She offered her own daughter as a servant to the queen, suggesting that because she was so skilled in battle, that she could be a valuable soldier. Titania accepted and Freya became a soldier for Seelie. Slowly she proved herself to be valuable, and as more unease in the kingdom arose, and enemies of the crown began to sprout, Titania appointed Freya as her personal assassin. Freya hated this so passionately that she tried to run away for good. She was caught, and dragged back to her mother and the queen. Aoife, fearing her daughter might actually end up managing to escape one day, suggested to the queen that she bind Freya to the throne with magic, so that she wouldn’t be able to leave without permission or betray her. Titania agreed and bound the curse physically by creating a swirling vine pattern on Freya’s skin. It burned like hellfire, but Freya could do nothing to stop it. Ever since she’s been forced to obey the queen’s commands, unable to break free. If she tried, the vines on her skin would burn agonizingly, stopping her from being able to think, much less act. She’s halfway between hope and giving up. But one day, she swears she’ll break the curse and do everything in her power to avenge her parents and take Titania down.

#freya #freya gunnulf #freya merrynight gunnulf #middleverse #middleverse oc #faerie #my ocs

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heroroki · 6 years

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BNHA OC: Lucien Alkar

Here’s my first BHNA OC, Lucien! Hope you all like him, if you have any questions about him or want to interact with him feel free to send in an ask!

General Info

Name: Lucien Alkar

Nicknames: Some jokingly call him Dracula because he drinks blood, but he mostly goes by Lucien. He’d let his s/o call him Luci but if anyone else calls him Luci they’re a dead man

Gender: Male

Age: 23

Sexuality: Bisexual though he tends to lean more towards guys

Birthdate: Halloween (Oct. 31st)

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Affiliation: Villain? Hero? Anti-hero? He just does what he wants to but won’t necessarily call himself a hero. A chaotic good, if you will. He's encountered the League of Villains before (they wanted to recruit him) but he's not a fan of the bunch and refuses to bind himself by rules other than his own.

Appearance

Hair color: Silky black

Hair style: Wavy sideswept hair that falls over his left eye and goes to a bit above his chin. He’s also got an undercut. (An example of this I guess would be Julian Devorak from The Arcana but with an undercut and wavier hair)

Eye color: Gold (but turns red in the presence of blood)

Eye shape: More on the narrow side

Height: 6’0 (roughly 183 cm)

Build: Tall and lean tall boi

Complexion: Olive

Blood type: O

Handedness: Right

Distinguishing features: He has a dragon tattoo that snakes up his arm with the tail starting mid forearm and continuing upwards wrapping around his arm and then neck before finishing off with the head on his shoulder. He’s got fangs and smirks a lot because he likes showing them off. Also has a scar through his right eyebrow.

Voice: smooth deep voice, but with a playful tone to it. Has a slight accent. Basically what I’m getting at here is that he’s very attractive and he knows it

Clothes: Black shirts and V-necks for days (he’s got the tiddies out look and likes to show off his dragon tattoo) Is also a fan of coats if its cold.

Personality

Huge flirt and an even bigger tease, though he knows his boundaries and wont push too far if he finds the person he's flirting with is uncomfortable. He smirks a lot and his grins are wide and show off his teeth. He loves to flirt with people to see their reactions and will sometimes use it as a distraction tactic to get closer to people to get to their blood if needed. He’s also a lil shit, as in he does what he wants and doesn’t care what others think. Lucien is an absolute drama queen and lives for cheesy vampire jokes/puns. He knows he's not one, but not everyone else does. Will absolutely go on about how awful a life he's living without garlic bread then be seen eating it an hour later. He’s very free spirited and playful, and he lives by his own rules. In truth, he’d probably have been a hero if they allowed him to do whatever he wanted. He’s not often mean, as he is more laid back, but he can be incredibly serious if needed. It’s not often he shows his serious side though- he mostly just likes to have fun. As much as he flirts and teases, there’s a part of him that’d love to one day find a lover to settle down with, however, with his quirk and how he currently is, he has many doubts he’ll find someone. If he did, he would be kind and gentle despite his outward personality. He has a soft emotional side that’s hard to uncover, but once someone makes it into his heart, he’d become the most devoted gentleman. He would absolutely pamper his s/o and make sure they feel loved.

Quirk- King Crimson Drake

Explanation of Quirk: His dragon tattoo can animate into a red crystal dragon, the “crystal” actually being blood based using his own blood. To strengthen the dragon, he can consume the blood of another quirk user to give the dragon an affinity from that quirk (for example if he bit Bakugou, the dragon could breathe fire or if he bit Midoriya the dragon would be a whole lot stronger. Todoroki would be his favorite because the dragon becomes a two headed hydra with one head controlling ice and the other fire). The dragon can shoot daggers and attack on his command, however, ranged attacks are limited since they consume some of his blood. If he drinks someone else’s blood, that blood is used instead and his own is saved. He cant use too much of his own blood or else he passes out. Since ranged attacks use up blood the most, the dragon can be used defensively, hovering around him and attacking at close range.

More info below if you’re interested!

Characteristics

Strengths: He’s confident and will flaunt what he has. He can fire back at insults so fast and roast people who try to bring him down, he doesn’t let himself be put down that easy. He’s also very observant of his surroundings and sometimes notices things others would overlook.

Weaknesses: As smooth as he is if someone he’s crushing on flirts back he’s dead and gone. Lucian.exe has stopped working. He has no idea how to approach his crush he just becomes an emotional mess

Likes: Italian food, vampire/gothic aesthetic, red black and gold

Dislikes: Really bright lights, mornings

Fears: Spiders (yes the man who controls a huge blood dragon is scared of spiders)

Hobbies: He likes to sing, though as flamboyant as he can be that’s the one thing he won’t show off to just anyone

Quirks: Besides the whole ‘smirk-to-show-off-teeth’ thing he also occasionally swipes his tongue over his fangs if he notices someone staring. He’s not above sending winks towards people whose eyes tend to wander. He lives for Italian food and will absolutely joke about the garlic. He's also the most likely to walk around with a cup of something red and pretend its blood he’s drinking

Health

Physical Health: With all the blood he drinks it's a wonder he doesn’t contract a billion diseases but his body has an immunity to contracting things through blood. Otherwise, he’s pretty healthy.

Mental health: He’s fine, but when left alone to really get lost in thought he often thinks himself lonely

Sleep habits: Night owl. He’s not an actual vampire but he stays up late and sleeps in

Misc.

Though he flaunts his looks a lot, he becomes uncomfortable if the situation becomes too sexual. Yes he will absolutely flirt, but if someone gets too close and starts feeling him up he doesn't like it. He doesn't do that to people, his teasing is all words and he respects people's boundaries. He simply asks that others do the same

In the same sense, he's also the first to stand up and get in between two people if he sees one of them is pushing too far and the other is uncomfortable. He's not afraid to defend people anywhere and everywhere he can

#bnha oc #oc #bnha #mha #mha oc #lucian alkar #original character #there he is there's my boi #my oc #lucien alkar

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stealther-gurl · 6 years

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Lifeguard AU (Aqualad x Reader)

Word Count: 1500+

@actualaqualadtrashcan (and others) wanted an Aqualad lifeguard AU! Sorry I couldn't think of a better title for this one ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Though it was summer, New England hardly ever got above seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit. But for (Y/N), that was boiling hot. Every day they were sitting on the big white chair marked with a red cross. The lifeguard seat was meant for two, but the Happy Harbor beach was never crowded enough to warrant more lifeguards.

Until today.

"Jake, I don't need a partner!" (Y/N) told their boss. "I've been doing this for three years, and everyone on the beach knows me well enough not to cross me."

"(Y/N)-"

"And if you're worried that I'm getting soft because things are getting too calm, I swam out to save a six-year-old and a gross old guy who went past the sandbar yesterday."

"(Y/N)," Jake said sternly. "It's not that I don't have confidence in your ability to enforce safety and to save those poor saps, but it's national park regulations. Lots of people have been moving to the Harbor in the past year, and by law, we are required to hire at least one more lifeguard, whom I've already found. Plus, this way you'll be able to sit back and relax."

(Y/N) huffed and marched towards the office door. "I hate sitting in that chair."

"Don't forget to be here early tomorrow! I want you to show our new recruit the ropes!"

(Y/N) slammed the door behind herself.

In all their years on the job, (Y/N) had never been late to work. Today, however, they waited in their car for ten minutes after they parked just to tick of Jake.

Jake ignored their attitude, all smiles to keep things flowing smoothly for their newest lifeguard.

"(Y/N), this is our new fish, Kaldur." Jake pointed with his thumb at a dark-skinned, tattooed guy who had to be at least six feet tall, and that blond hair had to be dyed.

"Kaldur, this is going to be your mentor, (Y/N). They’re the only other guard we've got, but they’re the best we've ever had, and the most dedicated." Jake was so buttering them up right now, but it was not going to work.

"It is a pleasure to be working with you," Kaldur stuck out his hand.

(Y/N) eyed him, grabbing their life board as they pushed past him. "Charmed." They huffed.

They could hear his footprints as he followed them across the sand. So he was going to be one of those insufferable puppy-dog types, wasn't he?

"Mister Jake said you were to teach me about being a lifeguard here." He said. One hand was around the second board provided by Jake, the other was shoved deep in his khaki shorts pocket.

"Not much to teach," (Y/N) snapped, propping their board up on the seat and pushing their hair back. "You make sure people follow the rules, and save their bacon if they get stupid and start to drown." They boosted themself up onto the seat.

Kaldur nodded, deep in thought.

"Hey! No glass bottles! We've got bare feet here!" (Y/N) gave a short burst on their whistle. The man carrying the bottles of root beer glared at them, but nevertheless, he headed back to the parking lot to put his bottles in the car.

(Y/N) nodded promptly and put on their sun visor, already scanning for any more potentially dangerous situations.

They didn't spot any, but what they did see was Kaldur running after the man, calmly inviting him to perhaps buy a commemorative pitcher from the beach's gift shop to put his root beer in instead. The man wasn't too happy about "wasting his money," but he didn't seem as bitter as when (Y/N) yelled at him, and he even shook Kaldur's hand before joining his family on their towels.

A group of elementary-age kids that (Y/N) typically considered "troublemakers" came up to Kaldur and asked to get a better look at his tattoos. (Y/N) wanted to yell at Kaldur to get back to work, but he was being incredibly patient with the kids.

(Y/N) didn't want to admit that they became very interested too when he took off his shirt to show them where the tattoos snaked up his arms and connected on his back.

Kaldur was the first to notice when a boy was wading right for a jellyfish. He helped the kid avoid the stingers, and even helped the fish swim to safety. He also noticed a pod of dolphins farther out to sea and pointed them out to a little girl with dolphins on her swimsuit. He even gave a brief swim lesson to one of (Y/N)'s classmates who seemed afraid of the water

Meanwhile, (Y/N) hadn't even left their stupid chair.

"Who's the new guy?" (Y/N)'s friend asked them a few hours later, leaning against the guard chair.

"New guard." (Y/N) said, squinting at the water. Was that kid drowning?

"He's cute," Zoe said, licking her frozen yogurt cone. She eyed Kaldur, who was helping a couple kids place a flag on top of their sandcastle.

"You're gonna wait thirty minutes after you finish that before you go swimming, right?"

Zoe sighed and saluted. "Yes, Sergeant."

"Help!" Several kids screamed, pointing out to the water. (Y/N) squinted, and out beyond the sandbar they could see the telltale struggle in the water of someone drowning. They jumped down from their seat and sprinted across the sand, diving into the waves. Their strokes cut through the water, and they made good time out to the kid, even with the waves.

"It's okay, I got you," they told them, recognizing the thrashing person as the girl Kaldur had taught earlier.

"Got too cocky, didn't you?" (Y/N) muttered to themself. Their rescue-ee was too busy coughing up water to hear. (Y/N) grabbed the teen under her arms, kicking as hard as they could to keep them both afloat. Then a huge wave came crashing down, forcing both of them under the water.

The wave smacked (Y/N) down against the rocks at the bottom, and another wave tossed them upside down. They gasped for air and felt something grab their arm.

"(Y/N), are you alright?"

Of course Kaldur had to come out and save them. He set (Y/N) down on the sand, and Zoe handed them a towel

"You saved me!" The other drowning victim cried, throwing her arms around Kaldur. The poor boy blushed as she kissed his cheek and everyone began to cheer for him.

(Y/N) turned on their heels and marched up to the guard chair again.

Zoe ran after them. "(Y/N), are you-"

"No, no I'm not okay!" (Y/N) snapped. "The new guy just showed me up, of course I'm not okay!"

They slammed the door to the gift shop and Jake poked his head out of the office.

"So, how's the new fish doing?" He grinned.

(Y/N) slammed a king-size Hershey's bar on the countertop.

"That bad, huh?" Jake winced as he rang up (Y/N)'s order.

"Try good," (Y/N) mumbled. Jake raised a brow in their direction, so they elaborated.

"He's a better lifeguard than I've ever been, and I think I have a freaking crush on him but there's no way he'd like me back after I've been rude to him all day and he has a bunch of way cuter girls falling at his feet."

"Are you sure that he thinks they're cute?" Jake asked, "Because he's staring through that window at you like some lovestruck idiot."

(Y/N) couldn't keep themself from not turning around to look out the window.

Both they and Kaldur looked away pink-cheeked.

Jake patted (Y/N)'s shoulder. "I had a whole bunch of applications from people who wanted to be lifeguards, and I told myself I'd only hire one more for now, to keep your ego intact until you could learn a little humility from this one. There were probably a dozen other people more qualified to be a guard here, but something made me chose him.

"Maybe it was meant to be."

(Y/N) sighed, thinking over what Jake had said as they walked out of the gift shop.

Kaldur was waiting right outside the door.

"Hey."

(Y/N) looked at their feet and broke the candy bar in half. "Chocolate?"

"Thank you," Kaldur nodded and accepted the treat.

"Look, I'm sorry, I've been a huge jerk to you when you've been nothing but nice to me and you saved my life, so...can we just...you know..."

"Start over?" Kaldur asked.

(Y/N) nodded. "Yeah."

Kaldur stuck out his hand. "I would like that."

(Y/N) shook his hand. They laughed, both realizing too late that their hands were covered in melted chocolate.

"HELP!" Someone hollered, and they both looked up abruptly.

"Do you want to get it, or should I?" (Y/N) asked.

Kaldur smiled at her. "How about we both do it? Together?"

(Y/N) tossed him a life board, and the two ran towards the waves.

#young justice #lizart writes #aqualad #young justice fanfiction #young justice x reader #kaldur'ahm #young justice one shot #aqualad x reader #young justice drabble

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tbpandtswiftfan · 6 years

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I never thought I'd get a chance to write one of these, but this is my story of meeting @taylorswift It was definitely worth the 12 year wait. Thank you for everything Taylor and I'm already working on setting up a tattoo appointment for the tattoo you wrote out for me!! Okay so basically we get there and there's these huge like luxury coach buses with leather seats and everything. We had to have our IDs checked and then they had a bag check where everyone had to check in their phone. Then we got into the bus and once it finally left we went all the way across Chicago to this warehouse/gallery type place and they pulled into the alley and as soon as we walking in they were filming us for Taylor Swift Now. We walk in and I waa freaking blown away. There were these huge screens with all things Taylor, Taylor themed arcade games; including claw games where you could win Taylor Nerch, a lounge with an open bar, all these different little sets like a big Snake, Reputation spelled out, Etc. An interactive dance floor and everything. Plus you got tickets for taking pics and playing games to trade in for prizes. Plus they had really fancy appetizers and stuff. So we all played games and stuff and then we were in line to get prizes, they were out of all the vest ones by the time we got there but oh well, then all of a sudden we heard a weird noise and ppl rushing thrn a bunch of the workers came in the prize room and were like "What was that?! Why don't you go check it out?!" Syd and Marika literally each had my hands and dragged me that way and a secret wall in the lounge had opened up and there was a huuuge stage!! I started crying and was like "Is she really here?! Is Taylor really here??" Then the lights went out and she appeared, bear in mind there were only like three rows of people in front of us and I lost it. She played 5 songs accoustically including ALL TOO WELL. Then she said she was playing 1 last one and someone says "No!, Play 3 more!" And she laughed and said "I could.. or I could take pictures with all of you!" And I actually nearly fell over.So evertone had different colored wristbands attached to our main wristbands and they were going in order of colors but we realized Syd's Was a different color. At first they said she'd have to go with that group and take her pic with 3 strangers but we ended up finding someone else who said she could come with us. So we finally get in line and I'm shaking the whole time, but we had fun on the dance floor when we had to wait on there because whenever you stepped hearts appeared do we kept stomping and doing jigs lol. Then we finally got upstairs and then they send us in the hall and freaking Mama Swift was there!! I started crying of course and when we were next she came over to us and Marika asked if I could get a hug and told her I'd been waiting 12yrs to meet Taylor. Mama Swift opener her arms and said "I'd be mad if you didn't get a hug!" Then she said she was so impressed with how amazing all of us are and I told her about how Taylor gave me the courage to get hearing aids and how the 1st thing I listened to with them was her and her eyes got wide and she said that was do amazing and that her and Taylor were so lucky to have me and she loved my shirt and the one I let my Dad wear because they're both over 10yrs old lol then it was our turn to go in the room where Tay was. So we get in there right as the group before us is leaving and I started crying a little bit but Taylor was smiling and said "Hey guys!" And she hugged me right away and Marika told her a out how I had been waiting 12urs to meet her and that she means everything to me and Taylor hugged me again and said "Aww thank you so much!" And then she saw my Dad's shirt and said "OMG that shirt is at least 10yrs old!!" And I said "Oh yeah I let him borrow it!" And she said "That makes more sense" and we all laughed and I told her she saved my life and that she gave me courage to get hearing aids and that the first thing I listened to with them was her and her eyes gotsk wide and she high fives me and said "That's so amazing oh my gosh! I'm so proud of you and I'm so glad you can hear!" Then I told her I wrote her a letter and she said "Aww thank you so much! That's so sweet! I can't wait to read it!" Then I asked if she could write out my tattoo and she's like "Of course! What are we doing!" So I told her I wanted Fearless and a heart like the one on her foot in the debut album cover and she looked so nervous and said "Is this okay?? It's so much pressure!" And she made a scared face and it was just so cute! Then I asked if I could hug her in the pic and she opened her arms wide and I hugged her tight. Idk what Syd, Marika and Dad did in the pic because I was too busy processing I had my arms around Taylor and she had her arms around me and my main thought besides "Oh My God I'm hugging Tay Tay." So she hugged me again and Marika told her about how there's videos of my reactions hearing her with my hearing aids for the first time and she got so excited and said "Oh my gosh I want to watch them so bad! You put your social medias in the letter right?!" And ahh then she said she was so happy to finally meet me and I actually can't. Is this real?!

#taylor swift #taylurking #swifties #taylornation

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closetofanxiety · 6 years

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New Jersey Death (match) Trip

I’m sorry this is long. If you’re reading on a mobile device, I know Tumblr makes you scroll through the whole thing instead of respecting their own html cut.

Let’s just get this out of the way: I’m not reviewing the matches from Game Changer Wrestling’s Tournament of Survival 3. I haven’t watched enough death matches to qualify even as a mildly informed observer, and you know what? They kind of run together. It’s hard to distinguish one from the other, when you’re seeing one after the other.

When the first light tube spot happened on Saturday night, with a loud POP that could be heard everywhere in the building, the crowd erupted. By the time the hundredth light tube spot happened (not an exaggeration!), late into the show, no one in the crowd reacted at all. At some point, you just become numb.

I will say that, for sheer “Oh my God” spectacle, it’s hard to beat this kind of wrestling. I posted a bunch of short clips to my Instagram story, and friends who care not a whit about wrestling were messaging me all night about them. “What is that?” “Where are you?” “That looks insane,” etc. And when you’re standing a few feet away, the brutality is mesmerizing and almost artistic, like Artaud’s idea of the theater of cruelty, but for real.

On the other hand, all the criticisms I’ve heard of death match wrestling were on display: the comparison to the numbing effect of pornography seemed apt, as did the common complaint about guys who are theoretically trying to kill each other calmly waiting while their opponent sets up the next ridiculous spot. During one match (Ciclope vs. Alex Colon? I don’t know. They genuinely run together, especially in a tournament), one guy was setting up panes of glass on two chairs, but they kept slipping off, so THE REF started helping him out, while his opponent just waited on the turnbuckle for the suplex. Tell me that’s somehow less of an “exposing the business” scenario than an intergender match.

So, the matches were fine if you like death matches. Ciclope won, and good for him. What follows are my disjointed recollections of my first - and presumably last - experience at a death match tournament, lazily organized by chronology.

Saturday, June 2, 5:15 p.m.

I arrive at “the historic Starland Ballroom,” which turns out to be a grim loading dock of a building in an industrial park. The parking lot is practically full, and I am arriving 15 minutes after the scheduled bell time, thanks to traffic jams in Meriden, Fairfield County, and New York City. Let me say this: if I never drive across the George Washington Bridge again, it will be too soon.

Luckily, I have not missed anything. Doors were supposed to open at 4 p.m., but there is still a line of people snaking around the side of the building. We’re not just on Indie Time, we’re on Death Match Indie Time.

The crowd is about what you’d expect, with a uniform of black T-shirts and baggy shorts and a general commitment to ill health, although there are more women here than at most wrestling shows I’ve been to. I may be the only person here who has a favorite book. I see three different TSOL t-shirts, which somehow makes sense. I am surprised at the number of WWE shirts I see. I briefly thought about wearing a Kevin Owens shirt, but feared I’d be mocked and derided; within minutes of arriving, I see a huge guy with sleeve tattoos wearing the same shirt. There are more WWE shirts here than CZW shirts, in fact, which I guess is not surprising, given the enmity that exists between the established New Jersey promotion and the GCW upstarts. There are, in fact, more T-shirts here that say “CZW is Pussy” [sic] than CZW shirts.

There are people tailgating in the parking lot, and fragrant drafts of marijuana smoke drift by. A burly guy in an orange T-shirt that says SECURITY waddles up to me and tells me I can’t bring my shoulder bag inside the venue.

“I understand, safety first at the death match tournament,” I say. He nods, either not getting the joke or deciding whether I need to be restrained in a chokehold.

5:35 p.m.

I’m through the doors. There are metal detectors and bored-looking bouncers in orange shirts, because this is a crummy rock club. A guy in front of me with neck tattoos is told he has to take his bottle of prescription medication back to his car. A woman is arguing about a bag search.

There’s a small table set up just behind the metal detectors. It’s hard to know who might be part of the GCW staff. A guy in a black T-shirt and baseball cap is yelling at a woman, possibly about people getting in with bogus tickets.

“I know every name on every ticket sold,” he tells her. Then, to me, he says, “What’s your name?” as I hold out my crumpled printout.

I tell him, and he says “You’re good.” I don’t feel good, but I go in anyway.

The venue is absolutely packed. There’s a ring set up in the middle, and a VIP seating section on what must be the stage for all the shitty bands that play here. There are rows of chairs on all four sides of the ring, and all of them are occupied. Behind the chairs, in standing room areas, crowds of people jostle for position.

My ticket theoretically entitles me to a seat in the third row. Pathetically, I hold my ticket up to a person working at the GCW t-shirt table and inquire about getting a seat.

“Sorry, bro, first come, first served,” I am told. I could have saved $15 and bought a general admission pass, I ruefully reflect.

It’s standing in the back, near the t-shirts and the barbecue vendor, that I notice the long bar is empty. This is a shame, as I am extremely thirsty and would pay at least $10 for a bottle of water. It turns out the venue decided not to serve alcohol tonight, which is the first good decision anyone has made all day.

I wander around, noticing merch tables and the Nick Gage-mocked treats for sale. No one has any water. The treat woman, God bless her, points me to a small bar in the back of the room where the venue is selling pizza, Red Bull, and bottles of water. I buy two and want to sob in gratitude.

“Yo, we’re starting soon!” a voice announces over the PA. It is now 40 minutes after the announced bell time.

5:45 p.m.

A man in black shorts and a baseball cap bounds into the ring. The crowd erupts in cheers. It is the same guy who knew every ticket buyer’s name. This must be a GCW owner.

“Yo, look at all these mothafuckin’ shot callers in this place!” he yells, and the crowd roars its approval. Are GCW fans shot callers? Am I now, by extension, a shot caller? I feel briefly stirred, until I reflect that a genuine shot caller would be allowed to bring his shoulder bag into the venue.

The guy tells us that regular ring announcer is sick tonight. “He’s in the bathroom, shitting and puking,” the guy says, and the crowd cheers, as if excited by any bodily function. Instead, there’s another ring announcer, who is dressed like a frat guy at a golf course and sounds like the world’s most convincing Joel Gertner impersonator. I mean, he really, really sounds like Gertner. It was uncanny, and throughout the night, it was weird to hear that voice and see it coming out of a guy who incels would characterize as a “Chad,” instead of a tubby, hairy Long Islander with a leopard-print neck brace.

We’re ready to go. The music starts. It’s Nick Gage’s music. The crowd goes insane. I am watching from the small bar at the back of the room. I have two bottles of water and a cupcake. I wanted the “MDK” variety (red velvet with cream cheese frosting), but the woman told me they all melted, so I get the “Ultraviolent,” which is just a vanilla cupcake with buttercream frosting. It’s a little soggier than I’d like, but it hits the spot. I am eating a cupcake and watching men rake pizza cutters across each other’s faces. This is Roman decadence. Our society is doomed.

The matches come and go. Shlak is here; people on Woke Wrestling Twitter hate Shlak and regard him as a Nazi, but I don’t know exactly what the source of that grievance is. He was recently shot in the leg, as he posted on Twitter, along with the motto, “I welcome death.” He gets a big welcome here. In his match, Markus Crane - who is introduced by Not Joel Gertner as “The Devil’s Big Red Dick” - repeatedly does horrible things to the leg where Shlak was recently shot. Eventually the referee stops the match and awards the win to Crane, which results in bloodthirsty disapproval from the crowd.

As this is going on, I notice a man watching the show at the bar, with his 8 or 9 year old son. I briefly think about calling the police, but instead I pay $3 for a slice of pizza that I saw delivered in a box and have another water. Between matches, members of the ring crew use huge industrial brooms to sweep all the broken glass out of the ring, because, safety first at the death match tournament.

7:30 p.m.

It’s intermission now. I don’t know who’s winning. I go over to Takayuki Ueki, the Big Japan wrestler who lost to Nick Gage in the first round. He seems nice. I buy a Big Japan yearbook from him and get him to sign it. Some other guys are selling loads of wrestling magazines from Japan. I buy one with a Minoru Suzuki cover and one with a Naito cover. I am a gormless tourist. “Got any joshi magazines?” I ask. The guy looks at me like I just asked him to make me a casserole. He does not have any joshi magazines.

I buy a Tournament of Survival shirt with all the participants, because I want to remember one of my most questionable decisions as an adult. Now I have a shirt with someone who may or may not be a Nazi. I will not wear this on first dates.

The show starts up again. I’m standing closer to the ring now. During one of the matches, I get hit with broken glass from one of the light tubes, a spot happening about 15 feet away. I decide to go back to my spot in the bar at the back of the room. I have another water.

Nick Gage comes out to wrestle Ciclope. A guy tries to start a “U-S-A!” chant and is immediately drowned in a sea of booing. I’m oddly relieved that the death match crowd in 2018 has no time for jingoism. After 10 minutes of brutalizing each other with glass, pizza cutters, light tubes, a fishing pole (don’t ask), and whatever else, Ciclope beats Gage with a schoolboy, which is hilarious. To me, anyway. The crowd is infuriated. Nick Gage was infuriated, and suplexed the ref through a pane of glass. Well, Nicholas, perhaps you shouldn’t lose matches to routine roll-up pins, hmm?

Joey Janela comes out. He’s wrestling the resurgent PCO in a non-tournament match. This is my first glimpse of the new look PCO, who I have vague memories of from childhood, during his goofy Not-the-Mounties stint in the WWF as one of the Quebecers. Pierre Carl Ouellet, Indie Darling, is one of the weirder and better wrestling stories of 2018. It would be like the Ding Dongs coming out of retirement to win the PWG tag team championships with a dizzying routine of high spots.

Janela and PCO start with a lockup and go into chain wrestling, and it’s like listening to jazz after hours of black metal. It’s so different and refreshing. Eventually they start breaking out the Home Depot supplies, of course, and since part of Indie PCO’s gimmick is that he has a gross, welt-covered chest, there are lots of chop spots involving that. But this is a good match overall. A solid 3.5/5 and my favorite of the night.

9:00 p.m.

It’s time for the main event: Ciclope vs. Miedo Extremo. It’s a death match. Ciclope wins. I scoot out early so I can exit the crammed parking lot and get on the road to my hotel, which is in Neptune. I have a full day ahead of me tomorrow at Asbury Park, where I plan to visit some weird places for a newspaper column I write. It’s also, unbeknownst to me, the day of the Asbury Park Pride parade, so the town is quite full, which explains why I paid $250 for two nights at a Red Roof Inn. I may be the only person in the state who, in about 12 hours, was a death match spectator, Catholic Mass attender, and inadvertent Pride parade viewer. What a day. What a weekend.

#GCW #Tournament of Survival #makin' towns #making towns #show reviews

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kneesheee · 6 years

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The Teenage Kingpin

|one|

It happened near the end of the summer. Jason Blossom's death still fresh on everyone's mind and then the shocking news that Riverdale High would be closed for the semester.

Many people summarize a gas leak and honestly, it was quite the truth. There was only one school left in the town for their children to go to and most parents considered letting their children sit out for the semester. But then the mayor signed her daughter up, then the sheriff, and eventually other parents fell in line.

If only they knew that Southside High was poisonous and the happy go-lucky picture that the Northside of Riverdale tried to paint would unravel quicker than any one season of their favorite television show. -- The first thing the Riverdale students would come to lean is that Southside High is thoroughly and evenly divided into two groups (read: gangs). The second thing is that they were now referred to as Northies.

Their first day there and they already had come to create their own gang. As they were shown around the school by "a neutral party in this 1960s inspired gang war," their tour guide Candace let them know of the school dynamics.

1. Never go anywhere alone

2. The football team belongs to the Serpents

3. The basketball team belongs to the Ghoulies

4. There are two cheerleading teams. Serpent cheerleaders for football. Ghoulie cheerleaders for basketball.

At that point they had made it to the cafeteria, but Candace raised a hand for them to wait as a group of students appeared.

Candace took a step away from the other group and said just loud enough for them to hear yet quiet enough that the approaching group couldn't.

"That's the Teenage Kingpin of the Serpents," she muttered and all of them stared at them.

The tallest of the bunch had curly black hair combed to the side which made the display of the double head snake tattoo on his neck even more visible. He had his arm around a short dark-brown haired girl who's sense of fashion rivaled Cheryl and Veronica's despite being from the Southside. Her short leather high waisted leather skirt made her own snake tattoo that was wrapped around her thigh visible. She smirked up at him before turning to look at the other students behind them.

The other girl was a light brown hair beauty with pink highlights and undertones. She shared a smile with the first girl. Another boy shorter than the first yet clearly buffer muttered something that had their whole group laughing. An even smaller boy with his hair pushed back wearing a small smirk jokingly punched him in the arm.

"Oh my gosh, that's a limited-edition Hermès Epsom Leather satchel," Veronica Lodge muttered as she took notice of the purse the first girl was carrying. But her best friend Betty didn't hear her. Her eyes were drawn to the last figure wearing the beanie who stepped forward and wrapped his arm around the pink-haired girl. The two of them shared a smirk before their group moved on into the cafeteria.

"I feel like I just stepped into one of my dad's old biker gang movies," Kevin muttered from beside Betty and Veronica. Candace took a deep breath before turning back towards their group.

"Come on," she said cheerfully with a forced smile. "You need to claim a sitting area." -- When they walked into the cafeteria, all eyes turned towards them. Well not all eyes. No one in the sitting area in the back behind the gated area spared them a glance. The group with the teenage kingpin. They didn't know whether to be relieved or offended.

Candace pointed at three different spots that'd be good enough for them to claim their own, but rich girls Veronica and Cheryl didn't want any of them.

"We want that area," Cheryl stated gesturing in the direction of the Serpents with Veronica nodding alongside her. Candace paled before quickly shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, but that's the Southside Serpents section. You can't have it. Like at all," she muttered before another girl appeared right beside her. She was absolutely beautiful with long curl dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing a red and black cheerleading uniform with a leather jacket over it. On her thigh was a gorgeous tattooed snake and everyone immediately knew exactly what she represented, and they didn't need to see the back of her jacket to confirm it.

"Candace, darling," she purred, and her emerald painted lips caught all their attention. "You weren't in lab today and I was forced to do work with Jazz Towers."

She hissed the girl's name so strongly that she sounded almost exactly like that reptile on her thigh. Candace flinched a little.

"I'm sorry, Emerald. I was assigned to do the touring for the Northsiders," the girl replied shakingly waving a hand in their direction. Emerald didn't even spare them a glance as she rolled her eyes and giving a pointed look to Candace.

"It's alright," she stated patting the girl shoulder. "I have your notes. Just don't miss theatre. I refuse to pair up with Ariel Tremaine."

Candace nodded her head so strongly and fast that for a second Betty was worried it was going to fall off before Emerald flashed her a smile that was all teeth and she walked away. Everyone tensed a little at the sight of the serpent symbol on the back of her jacket as their eyes all followed her to the back of the cafeteria.

"Who is that," Reggie and Chuck mumbled appreciatively. Their eyes traced her body and watched how she slid into the seat at the table with the members of the Teenage Kingpin. A spark of fear shot through them that quickly disappeared as they fell into the abyss filled with her beauty.

"That's Emerald Wayne. Head Fearleader of the Serpents and A Member of Southside Gems. Don't cross her," Candace warned as her eyes also flickered to the Serpent section. "She's also the last member of the Kingpin as far as I know. I've only been here since last semester, so I don't know if there is anyone else."

Cheryl and Veronica hummed, "What's a fearleader?"

Candace scrunched her nose up before she blinked with realization, "Oh, it's a cheerleader, but since everyone around here fears the serpents and ghoulies; the cheerleaders are called fearleaders."

Candace led them over to one of the unoccupied spaces of the cafeteria and right as they sat down, a small boy rushed over with spray paint and a huge bulldog stencil.

There area had been claimed and at that exact moment was when the Serpents finally glanced at them. A whole half of the cafeteria eyes pinning them all in place before a blink and the moment was gone.

Veronica leaned forward in her seat a little as she looked over at the Serpents. "So, who's who in the 'kingpin'?"

Candace paused a little from handing out their schedules. She turned a little in her seat to glance at the occupants at the well-known Serpents table.

"Well first, you have the Serpent Princesses also known as Southside's Gems. Emerald Wayne, head of the cheerleading squad with a voice sweet as sugar that you wouldn't notice she was manipulating you until it was too late. Beside her, the girl with the pink highlights? That's Toni Topaz, head photographer of the school's newspaper. That camera of hers has every single detail of blackmail material to last a lifetime and she keeps memory sticks on her at all times. And lastly, Sapphire Stone, the Sapphire Stone. Descendant of one of the founding families of Riverdale and heiress to Stone Enterprises. I heard she's the trainee for the newbie serpents and they're all like really loyal to her. The boys standing guard around the table and the entrance? That's Sapphire's Den. She also has a thing for throwing people into tables so don't tick her off..."

"And the boys," Cheryl purred as she leaned over the table. Candace glanced at her before she looked back at the kingpin.

"They're the Serpent Princes. You have Jughead Jones; he's the one with beanie. His dad is the actual leader of the serpent's' gang. He's the head journalist and editor of the Red and Black. He and Toni are together and just like his girlfriend he always has blackmail material on someone. The boy with the tattoo on his neck. His name is Sweet Pea and please do not let the name fool you. There is nothing sweet about him. He's an insufferable jerk and huge flirt. Well he's cut down the flirting since he started dating Sapphire, but fair warning, do not flirt with her. He has a pair of brass knuckles on him and switchblade and no matter how many times they get confiscated he always has another pair the next class period. He's sitting by Sapphire's adopted brother Joaquin DeSantos. Out of all of them, he's the resident bad boy with his whole mysterious vibe. I've literally never seen him in a fight but, so many people are afraid of him only the ghoulies ever try to pick fights with him and its not even many of them that try to. And lastly, you have Fangs Forgarty. He's the captain of the wresting squad who speaks with fists more than his brain. There is some major sexual tension between him and Emerald, but no one ever speaks about it because you'll never get a straight answer..."

Candace took a deep breath before finished handing out the schedules, "And if that isn't bad enough, they all are basically the smartest kids in our graduating class. Hell, probably the school." -- Emerald listened to her friends joke around at the table as she ate some of the food that one of Sapphire's den members placed in front of her. Her eyes were glued to her phone studying the online notes her calculus teacher posted. She had a test next period and she needed to be prepared.

Except her phone was no longer in her hand but instead in Fangs' who was like the rest of her friends were looking at her in amusement.

"Pup, give me back my phone," she whined as she reached across the table for it, but he just held it further out of reach laughing with their rest of their group. "I need to study!"

Sapphire rolled her eyes and snorted, "Isn't this the same test you've been studying the past two weeks for? Something's wrong if you fail with your photographic memory and everything."

Emerald pouted a little, "But what if I missed something? What if I overlooked it and I end up failing and having to get a job working as hooker?"

All of them stared at her before Jughead scoffed, "First off, this one test wouldn't affect you that much. Secondly, we wouldn't let you fail. Third, my dad wouldn't let you fail let alone become a hooker."

Sapphire nodded her head stealing fries off Sweet Pea's plate, "And even if you end up failing, I'll just hire you as my personal assistant, so you wouldn't end up as a hooker."

"I thought I was going to be your personal assistant," Toni teased, and Sapphire smirked at her. "No, you're going to be that one pap I like and give interviews to."

Emerald stuck her nose in the air, "That's nice and all, but Pup if you don't give me back my phone; I swear you'll have to find your own snacks to eat in psych."

Fangs' jaw dropped before he handed her phone back over, but before she could grab it, Joaquin snatched it out of his hand and started taking selfies. Emerald glared at the boy, but he paid her no mind as he ran a hand through his hair.

Sapphire snorted, "You'd think because I have more hair that I'd take longer in the bathroom. Nope, it's my bro."

"You're just jealous because your hair can't look this good," Joaquin stated before turning to look at the female regular students standing outside of the section's gate. He threw them a wink and smiled smugly at their swoons.

"Manwhore," Toni and Saph muttered before snickering at each other. Sweet Pea only laughed and snatched the phone from Joaquin and handed it over to Emerald. He moved to turn his head towards the group of girls, but Sapphire casually stated, "Throw them a wink and watch me throw you out."

The boy looked at his girl before tightening his arm around her and kissing her temple. "No need to be jealous, babe."

She scoffed, "You wish I was jealous." She passed a sheet of paper over to Jughead and then again to Fangs. Both boys wrote something down before the paper was placed in front of Emerald.

"If y = xx + 1, then y' =" was written in Jughead's chicken scratch and " If f(x) = x5 + 5 x4 - 40 x2 - 80 x - 48, which is true about the graph of f?" was written in Fangs' small print.

"Answer whatever those questions are," Sapphire stated waving a fry in the papers direction.

Emerald looked at the paper again and mentally worked out Jughead's question before writing, "xx (x ln(x) + x + 1)" onto the paper and then moved onto Fangs' question. She looked over it and thought back to her notes before writing down, "it has 1 point of inflection" onto the paper also.

She hadn't noticed when the rest of her friends stood up. Joaquin snatched the paper up looked over it and nodded. "They're right," he stated slipping his hands into his jacket pockets and he passed the paper to Sapphire who passed it to Sweet Pea without bothering to look. He looked at the paper and nodded his head in agreement with Joaquin.

"Come on, Wayne," Sweet Pea started. "You got this. Calm down."

Emerald sighed as she also stood up from her seat with help from Fangs. She tightened her ponytail grabbing her backpack that Fangs had brought for her. "Yeah, you guys are right. You all know how I get about tests."

Toni laughed slightly, "Oh, we know. Honestly, the small tests are the ones you freak out about, yet the major tests are the ones where you binge watch shows while we freak out."

Emerald smirked because it was true. She went crazy and hysterical about small test yet the major test she couldn't even bother with the energy. She's always so sure that she'd pass the major test and she does.

"I have a question though," Fangs piped in. Sapphire shot him a look, "I swear if this is you asking if fangstastic will ever work then I'm telling you right now no and to stop."

Fangs shot her a glare, "It will. You're just jealous, Saph No Phire."

The rest of them snorted, "You're a dork, dude," Sweet Pea stated as Sapphire stuck her tongue out at Fangs.

"But no really, my real question was what are we going to do about the Northies?"

All of them froze near the entrance of their section before flickering their gazes over to where the Northies sat. Sapphire snarled when she saw the way some of the girls were staring at Sweet Pea. He chuckled tightening his hold on her before placing another kiss on her temple and mumbled something in her ear.

Toni rose her brow at the blonde that was staring at Jughead and the redhead girl that was staring at her. Interesting. She casually lifted her camera and took a picture of them staring at her and her friends before shoving Joaquin and breaking his staring contest with the dark-haired boy sitting beside the blonde. Joaquin shot her glare before nodding knowingly. Only the Serpents knew his sexuality and absolutely no one wanted Sapphire to lose her shit if anyone found out and gave Joaquin a hard time about it. Hell, no one wanted Joaquin to kick anyone's ass if they tried to give him a hard time.

Jughead barely spared them a glance but he did nod in one of the boy's direction. Emerald noticed it was the boy that was in some of Jughead's childhood pictures all grown up. He was kind of cute for a Northsider.

"Fuck me, those Northerners are hot," Emerald stated without thinking. She heard Fangs' chuckle on her right before he stated, "Tell me about it. Just look at those girls."

Emerald felt a scowl drop onto her face, "They aren't that cute." She's lying. Those girls are totally beautiful and she's so not jealous.

"Stop it, Em. Your green face is showing," Toni and Sapphire recited as the boys chuckled. Emerald rolled her eyes blushing a little.

"We'll figure something out," Jughead said as they kept moving out of their section and soon out of the cafeteria drawing eyes as they walked out.

Fangs' dropped an arm around her shoulder before he leaned in to whisper, "It doesn't matter how cute they are. You're the only girl for me, Emmy."

Emerald will deny the fact that her heart fluttered.

|two| |three|

#fangs Forgarty x emerald #fangs forgarty #teenagekingpin #fangs fogarty

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1dreality · 7 years

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It must have been well over a year ago now, when Liam Payne realised he had absolutely nothing interesting to say. The singer, known to most as ‘Liam from One Direction’ until the group’s indefinite hiatus in January 2016, had returned to the studio, settled into the idea of being a solo artist for the rest of his days, and promptly drawn a blank. He was, he says, just too darned happy to think of anything.

Everything in his life had fallen into place. He’d found love, moving in with Cheryl (formerly Cole), a fellow junior royal of the Top 40. Their first child, a son named Bear, was well on the way. He had signed a huge record deal with Capitol. He felt fitter and healthier than he had in years. And, yes, there’s no denying it: he was pretty pleased that he no longer had to be in the biggest boyband in the world.

‘I had a bit of a problem formulating what was going on in my brain into the music at first,’ he says, ‘because I was so content with everything in my personal life. It’s easy to spill your guts out on a ballad. But I was thinking, “Oh God, I’m really happy – what am I going to write about?!”’

More than 12 months on, the answer to that question still isn’t entirely clear. Payne’s debut album, as yet untitled, won’t be released until early 2018. There have been two singles, though, with a third, the unsubtly titled Bedroom Floor, arriving next month.

Of those we’ve heard, the first, Strip That Down, a R&B-inflected club hit released in May and co-written with Ed Sheeran, marked a departure from One Direction’s stadium pop-rock. It was also chock-full of hoary by-the-way-I’m-an-adult-now signposts: there are references to nightclubs, drinking rum and coke, driving Ferraris and having girls ‘grind’ on him. And mixed in with all that were lyrics that caused a minor stir among his acolytes: ‘You know I used to be in 1D, now I’m out, free / people want me for one thing, that’s not me’. Payne, it seems, is keen to reintroduce himself.

‘When I left the band, I felt a bit stranded,’ he says, when we meet in an enormous boardroom at his management’s offices. ‘It took time, but I know as an artist I am starting fresh now.’ He slaps the table with melodrama. ‘This is Moment One. It’s the start line.’

Liam Payne is 24 years old. He is athletically built, as anyone who has seen his shirtless Instagram posts will know, and kind of everyday handsome, in a Love Island, former-youth-footballer way. Both his arms and hands are almost entirely upholstered in tattoos, highlights of which include some thick black arrows on one forearm that look like road markings; the number ‘4’, in reference to One Direction’s 2014 album of the same name, on his ring finger; and, on his left arm, a scale depiction of Cheryl’s eye, that appears to follow you around the room as he gesticulates. ‘It’s so my missus can always keep an eye on me,’ he likes to say about that one.

He is impossibly nice. Before we meet, he plods through the office, saying hello to everybody in the building individually, and in most cases remembering something about them: that they beat him at Fifa last time he dropped by, so they must have a rematch before he leaves (‘I’ll whoop ya with West Brom!’), or they’ve surely had a haircut, haven’t they? (‘It looks really great anyway, man!’). It is the manner of somebody both impeccably raised and intensely keen for people to like him, and it appears genuine and successful.

To an extent, Payne says, the five members of One Direction – or four, after Zayn Malik left the band in 2015 – ended up playing characters over the six years they were together. Whereas the Beatles (arguably the only other group with a comparable scale and speed of world domination), grew increasingly cantankerous towards the end of the 1960s, One Direction stuck resolutely to the caricatures that fans and management assigned them right to the end.

Malik was brooding and mercurial, Harry Styles was a cool, flamboyant ladies’ man, Niall Horan was charming and laid-back, and Louis Tomlinson, who has since admitted to feeling a little redundant, was fun and energetic. And Payne? Well, Payne was The Responsible One.

‘I’ve always been a bit of an older soul,’ he says, mulling over his place. ‘It’s funny: there’s a thing on the net where the fans put what they think are our mental ages. All the boys were around their real ones, but then they put me at about 37.’

Payne admits to feeling a little daunted in 2010, when Simon Cowell thrust the band together on X Factor after they’d auditioned as solo artists. Keeping up with the other personalities in the gang was exhausting, so his coping mechanism was to attempt to rein them in as best he could, and work with management in doing so. Like the popular schoolboy teachers identify as mature enough to be a trusted emissary for his recalcitrant friends, Payne carved himself a valuable niche.

‘I was put with a group of rowdy teenagers, and when I was a teenager, I had mates, but I was always with my dad. I’d go out to the pub and chat with him. So when I was stuck with these boys I was thinking, “F— me, I don’t know how to do it.”

‘When something was going wrong, I’d get a phone call. If there was an apology needed, it was me. I was the spokesperson for the band, as it were, with the press and the label.’

Along with Tomlinson, Payne shares comfortably the most writing credits of the band on One Direction songs. Over their five albums, dozens of songwriting collaborators contributed to the group’s success, but it seems nobody worked harder than the two least-heralded members. Neither was the showiest or best singer; but they kept things ticking over.

One Direction’s hordes of fans around the world noticed the assumed roles, and nicknamed Payne ‘Daddy Directioner’. He lived up to it with them, too. In 2013, on tour in Australia, Payne tweeted a message to warn girls waiting outside the band’s hotel of snakes living in the surrounding fields. ‘It’s just not worth it someone’s gunna get hurt [sic],’ he pleaded.

Two years later, he gave an interview lamenting the fact he and the other boys were being sent sexually explicit pictures of themselves drawn by underage admirers. While the rest of the band seemed to find that funny, Payne called it ‘the sad and sorry side of what we’ve done.’ Yeah, all right, Dad.

Becoming a real-life father has at least given the nickname some purchase. Rumours swirled at the end of 2015 that he had started dating Cheryl – formerly Fernandez-Versini and Cole, née Tweedy – after her second marriage ended in divorce. By the next summer, she was pregnant with the second One Direction baby (Tomlinson, the eldest of the bunch, had one first).

The couple live in a mansion near Woking, Surrey, and aren’t married, but he considers them ‘basically at that stage’. Bear, with whom Payne is besotted, was born in March, and named for the growling noises he was making during his first sleeps. So far, no photographs have been released, but he instantly shows me one on his phone. And here, I can exclusively reveal that the heir Bear is – as you’d expect of a baby with that name, born of two professionally good-looking parents – very cute.

‘We’ve only shown him in glimpses,’ Payne says, explaining their decision to shield him. ‘We don’t want him to have the pressure that me and Cheryl have, as household names. We want him to enjoy himself first and then figure it out.’

Born and raised in Wolverhampton, Payne has an unexpectedly thick Midlands accent that gets thicker the longer he talks – which is a lot. His preferred conversational feature is the anecdote, resulting in a version of the phrase, ‘I remember, there was this one time…’ prefixing the majority of his utterances, which are in turn regularly punctuated with singular handclaps of self-incredulity. It can be mildly alarming, like interviewing a young, heavily-tattooed Ronnie Corbett, but I suppose it speaks to the amount of life experience he has already accrued.

Growing up, Payne’s father, Geoff, worked as a fitter, while his mother, Karen, was a nursery nurse. Money was tight and the house small, but he remembers it as a happy one.

‘My place was on the floor with the dog, there was no space on the sofa. It was great, though we didn’t have much. Dad was in debt, but they did the best they could. It makes you dream a bit, you know?’

As a child, he had two routes to possible stardom, both of which Geoff pushed hard for. One was singing, the other was long-distance running. For a time in his teens, Payne was one of the fastest 1500m runners in the country, getting up to train before school and seconds from qualifying for the London 2012 squad. It was before that, as a 14-year-old in 2008, that he first applied for X Factor.

Auditioning with Fly Me To The Moon, since it was one of the few songs he could manage while his voice was breaking, that year he got as far as the ‘judge’s houses’, before Simon Cowell told him to come back in two years and try again. He became a mini-celebrity back home in that between-period, and carried on performing around town. The adulation was short-lived, though.

Once, performing a Justin Timberlake cover at an under-18s gig in Oceana Wolverhampton, somebody lobbed a coin at his face and managed to draw blood. He laughs about it now. These days – admittedly a largely cashless society – it’s only bras and knickers they fling.

‘I had become less and less famous. One time, I was in McDonald’s with a girlfriend and someone shouted ‘X Factor reject!’ at me. The whole restaurant turned. It was like coming out of fame. So I knew what it was like at 15, and it helped me.’

Following Cowell’s advice, he returned to X Factor in 2010 and found himself shoved into One Direction with the four other boys, eventually finishing the competition in third place, but with easily the brightest future. Within weeks, he had moved out of his Wolverhampton bedroom and into a penthouse apartment in Canary Wharf.

And six years later, One Direction had sold more than 20 million records, become the first band in history to have their first four albums go to number one in the US, touring the world numerous times, and earned a preposterous amount of money in the process. Payne is now estimated to be worth £40 million. He hasn’t been back to Wolverhampton in a long time, but he paid off his father’s debts years ago, and bought his parents a new house in addition to funding the renovation of their family home. He refers to his time spent in One Direction as ‘like uni’.

When they were in the thick of things, all the boys used to obey Cowell’s omertà – relentless enthusiasm at all times, please – and never discussed any negative aspects of their experience. Now safely out the other side, Payne is frank on matters of burnout and claustrophobia.

‘Cabin fever. It sent me a bit AWOL at one point, if I’m honest. I can remember when there were 10,000 people outside our hotel. We couldn’t go anywhere. It was just gig to hotel, gig to hotel. And you couldn’t sleep, because they’d still be outside,’ he says, before telling several stories of how he and Tomlinson would sneak out of hotels just to feel freedom, only to find themselves bored once they got out.

‘People were speaking to me about mental health in music the other day, and that’s a big issue. Sometimes you just need some sun, or a walk.’

Every stop on tour became the same. Earlier this year, Payne was asked which was his favourite city of those he visited with One Direction. ‘One in Italy with a big white cathedral,’ he responded.(The band performed in Milan at least five times.)

‘One of the problems was that we never stopped to celebrate what we’d done. I remember us winning loads of American Music Awards and then having to get on a plane straight away. It got to the point where success was so fluid. I don’t even know what happened to our songs, we just sang them, then sang some more. It was like a proper, hard job. Non-stop. I can concentrate a lot more now.’

The paparazzi and fan attention sounds just as draining. It must feel weird having a Twitter following larger than the population of Australia, as he does, but especially odd to have fans so obsessed that they’ve set up multiple fake profiles pretending to be your mother, for some reason.

Moreover, footage of One Direction out and about makes A Hard Day’s Night look tame: thousands of screaming fans all over them, police escorts everywhere they went, an unending run of selfie requests... It came to a head in New York in 2012, when Payne was walking to a restaurant with his parents and a paparazzo accidentally pushed his mother over. He was incensed.

‘I was like, “Oh, f— this. F— this s—t.” There was a swarm of them and I just wanted a burger with my parents,’ he says, unsmiling for a moment. ‘I cried my eyes out. I thought, “I can’t do this”, and really hated my life.’

He soldiered on, but it wasn’t a healthy lifestyle; none of them seems to miss it now the ‘break’ is on.

‘It’s great that people can see what we’re really like away from each other,’ Payne says. ‘It got to a point in the band where we were just playing characters, and I was tired of my character. Apart from the daddy thing, I was really loud and bubbly. There were a lot of personalities in the band to keep up with, so I had to be all, ‘Ey!’, the rowdy lad, and I don’t have to now.’

There were times when the band would celebrate hard, and in that, Payne had catching up to do: as a child, he was diagnosed with a scarred kidney, meaning he didn’t taste alcohol until he was given the all-clear at 19. Tell a teenage millionaire they can now safely drink, and they’ll go for it. He admits ‘the floodgates opened’ that year.

‘I wasn’t happy. I went through a real drinking stage, and sometimes you take things too far. Everyone’s been that guy at the party where you’re the only one having fun, and there were points when that was me. I got to 13 stone, just eating crap. I got fat jibes, and it affects your head. I have nothing to hide about it…

‘As I say, it was like a musical university. We were pretty reckless, but I got it out of my system. I had my fun.’

The hiatus seems to have come at just the right time. But before he could take a breath, Payne lurched on in life, becoming involved with Cheryl almost at once.

Nobody asks how they met; their introduction is on YouTube for all to see. Ten years his senior, she was an X Factor judge in 2008 when the 14-year-old Payne shuffled in, all mop-hair and waistcoat, to perform his Sinatra number. He winked at her, she called him ‘cute’, they bumped into one another over the years, ended up working on a remix of one of her songs in 2014, and the rest is recent pop history.

Not everybody was happy when the relationship was initially confirmed. That Cheryl was in a quasi-pastoral role when they met raised eyebrows in the usual eyebrow-raising camps, as did the couple’s decade-wide age gap. Liam doesn’t care. In fact, he can still barely get over the fact she’s his girlfriend.

‘It’s a ridiculous place to be in,’ he says. ‘She’s even more amazing than I thought. I was watching her do Fight For This Love [her debut solo single, from 2009] when I was a kid, and now we’re together with a kid. I feel like I’m X Factor’s biggest winner.’

It helps having Cheryl around to ask about business matters. Like Payne, she was scouted on a TV pop contest (2002’s Popstars: The Rivals), had massive success in a group (Girls Aloud), and then went solo with a more urban sound. She is also the unlikely possessor of the record for number-one singles by a British woman.

‘We think about the same things. She understands what my life is like. She knows what it’s like to sit on the Graham Norton couch [or] we can talk about her L’Oréal work. It’s not that we’re “a brand” as a family, but we can help each other.’

In Who We Are, one of One Direction’s seven books, published in 2014, Payne writes in his chapter that he’s ‘worried about the idea of failing outside of this band’ and declared he’d become a low-key songwriter, because ‘there would be less attention on my life’.

The opposite of that is what’s happening, I inform him.

‘Yeah, that was a point when I was scared of our success, and we didn’t want to take a step back from it,’ he says. ‘I just wanted to be a songwriter and not be famous, but happy. Then Simon and Cheryl told me this is where I am supposed to be, and I’d miss the stage. The pressure of what was coming next was scary, but they talked me down.’

The solo product he’s come up with is the sort of music he’d always wanted to make: radio-friendly R&B in the style of his heroes, Justin Timberlake, Usher and Pharrell Williams, and more informed by the rap music he listens to than the pop he’s famous for. Who knows if he can shake the ‘embarrassing dad’ brand to pull it off, but the signs point to success. Strip That Down has been streamed more than 300 million times on Spotify alone.

‘I wanted this to be for people my age. The themes are a bit older, but you have to grow up with your fans. I can’t make bubblegum pop any more,’ he says.

One Direction fans needn’t despair. They might have dispersed and almost all signed elsewhere, but Payne is excited about the idea of a comeback gig in years to come. As, I’m sure, are the band’s accountants.

But that won’t be for a little while, if Payne has it his way, because – as he keeps on telling me – he is just far too happy with his lot at the moment to take a step backwards. When it reaches our time to wrap up, he’s still at it.

‘I feel great about what’s going on in my life,’ he says, giving it one last handclap and springing to his feet. ‘I’m extremely lucky. I feel like I’m in a comatose dream. I’m like, “when did I last bump my head?” because I can’t believe this…’

Liam Payne’s next single, Bedroom Floor, is out on 20 October

#liam payne #liam's solo project #liam's promo #liam for the telegraph #liam & cheryl #dad liam #baby payno #1d hiatus or split?#liam about 1d #liam about simon #liam's album #Wow Liam could have been an Olympian... That's pretty impressive #That was a great interview where he finally let go and was honest. The guy must have had so much pressure while in the band #reading this once again reaffirms that what Zayn said first and was hated for has been corroborated by other members now that they are solo #I hope that fans realize now that people see what you write about them or hear about it.. Poor guy he must have felt like shit when people #were making fun of his weight.. Or every single time fans tweeted at him in outrage for something problematic. Like these boys are human #Also him kind of letting you know listen what you saw onstage while there was a bit of us in there it was mostly characters that we had to #keep on playing....Also him talking about the lack of recognition even though him and Louis had the most songwriting credits #Him confirming that the 4 his for their album FOUR which I guess holds a special place in his heart #And he reiterates that he is in a period of his life where he is blissfully happy. He has a child with a partner that understands & support #him and it looks like he has found what he wants to do career wise and is getting his footing as a soloist #Interestingly enough in this interview he is letting you know that the reunion if it overcomes it's not going to be anytime soon

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