#but this major actually makes me feel exited and looking forward to hopefully starting it

[adore-gregor]

And having a uni "identity crisis" is not helping either

#stressing about the my major is what i do 24/7 #the one right now i don't like it #too much math i can't deal with this #well i think i found one i would like but it will have an exam ugh #i mean i'm not sure if it's the final thing yet because after it i could pursue further education #for like things i also like in this area #but this major actually makes me feel exited and looking forward to hopefully starting it #and that's such a huge step from now #i never really had these feelings with my major now #it was more like this will make decent money and i liked those things at school #not the curiosity of learning abt it #and also i would have had no idea which job i would look forward after it #entrance exam i meant and like 1 out of 3 get taken at the uni i want to study at #well maybe more this year because they raised the number of spots they have by a lot #it would be for sure so much better than this one #but i will miss the people at my studies #they were all so awesome those i met 🥺🥰 #i loved these people already after seing them one time irl #it felt like friends you never met #i hope i can still see them again next uni year #especially that one guy :))

[archonoftears]

info: modern au! reader receives a package that helps her tease her boyfriend while he’s at work. 

warnings: 18+ smut, slight breeding kink (mentioned), lingerie, phone sex (kinda), pretty vanilla, no penetration, just description, a tiny bit of dom/sub (implied through dialogue)

word count: 1,626

authors note: umm head empty, thoughts only filled with laying in zhonglis bed and teasing him over the phone. i really can’t remove myself from modern au! with ceo daddy zhong. so here we are again. not gonna lie though, i found myself looking at dragon dildos yesterday and now i just wanna write dragon zhongli and sacrificial maiden. so maybe after i finish with the first chapter of my other fic i’ll get right on that. 

ps no beta, i just kinda got this out and edited it once. so sorry if any mistakes or issues.

please thirst with me if you want to!!

Glancing around your dining room table you felt defeated by the amount of packages staring back at you. You were surprised by the latest delivery of clothing you had received for PR from a few high end designers. You knew you shouldn't have been shocked, dating a CEO of a multi million dollar cooperation came with many perks. Yet you never imagined anything like this. Knowing the mess would only stay on the table if you didn’t start tackling it. You began opening up a few packages, finding bags and shoes. Even the latest spring wear from the major brand ‘Liyue Qixing’ sat in a box for you. Before setting your eyes on a more intricate looking box. Opening it to discover some of the most beautiful lingerie you had seen in a long time. Looking at the brand name ‘Scent of Spring’. You didn’t recognize it, but you were quite enamored with the pieces inside.

Forgoing opening any more packages you quickly gathered the items in the box and wandered off to the bedroom you shared with your boyfriend. Selecting a ivory and gold silk longline balconette bra, with matching thong, and harness. The gold tulle flowers that patterned the silk and lace were soft and delicate under your fingers. You couldn’t go a second longer without wearing the beautiful set. Quickly stripping off the clothes you were wearing and slipping on the lingerie. Loving the feel of the soft lace and silk against your skin. Staring at yourself in the mirror. 

‘This lingerie had to be designed by some deity who knew Zhongli’s taste.’ You thought to yourself as you admired the way the balconette bra exposed half of your breast and how the thong straps cut into the flesh of your hip in a sexy way, giving your body a more defined silhouette.

A light bulb went off in your head, walking over to grab your phone and opening the camera app, returning back to the mirror. Posing yourself quite provocative as you snapped several photos, dropping to your knees and taking a few more photos, before flipping through them. A coy smile playing on your lips as you went to call Zhongli.

Zhongli was startled by the sound of his phone ringing on his desk, glancing down to see your contact photo, a smile immediately forming on his face, he swiped to answer.

“Hello (name), is everything alright my dear?” Zhongli greeted as he turned from the documents in front of him and leaned back in his chair. You seldom ever called him when you knew he was going to be in the office all day, preferring to email him if you needed anything so he assumed this must have been important.

“Everything is fine, just calling to see what you were up to.” You greeted over the phone. Zhongli let out a small sigh, relieved that nothing was wrong.

“I’m just preparing for a meeting with Fatui Industries in a little bit.” Zhongli started, glancing at the clock to check the time. “What are you doing today my dear.” He asked, knowing you didn’t have much on your schedule today.

“Well I was going through some packages I received, you know the PR kind. It was mostly clothes from some nice designers.” You hummed, he could hear you twirling your hair in your fingers as you spoke.

“Oh really? Hopefully they sent things that are your style.” 

“That’s why I was calling actually. There was this one package, the clothes are really nice. But I think they’re more to your taste, and I wanted to get your opinion on them.” You confessed. 

“Of course, I can do that when I get home for you if you would like.” Zhongli replied, glancing at the clock noting that he had about 27 minutes until his meeting. “I should be done with work after I meet with Signora and Childe.”

“I’m actually sending you a couple photos right now, please check your email and tell me what you think.” He couldn’t put his finger on it, but you seemed awfully excited about all of this but he complied with your request.

“Of course, one moment.” Opening his email, quickly finding the one from you at the top and opening it, his eyes widening in realization as he enlarged one of several photos in the email. His voice catching in his throat as he examined it.

“Are the clothes to your liking, sir.” You cooed from the other end of the phone, knowing very well they were in fact to his liking. 

“Ms. (Name)..” Zhongli growled quietly.

“Yes sir?” You asked innocently, Zhongli aware of the game you were playing, but nevertheless here he was clicking on the next photo, feeling his pants grow tighter as he continued to view the photos. The one of you on your knees sending more blood rushing to his already aching erection.

“Are you being a good girl right now?” 

“I’m always a good girl Sir.”

“Are you? You don’t look to be acting like a good girl in these photos.”

“Then should I send you some more photos so you make sure I’m being good?” He could feel himself getting riled up just by the implications of what was being said.

“Well… I’ve already sent them so hopefully you don’t mind.”

Not needing to be told twice Zhongli refreshed his email inbox to find a new message. Opening it to discover new attachments. Slowly he clicked the first picture. Finding you not in front of the mirror in the bedroom anymore, but now on the black sateen sheets of the bed the two of you shared. Angling the camera in a way to show how you would look if he had you pinned down. You looked ravishing, from the way you let your cleavage spill out exposing your nipples, to the way you spread your legs. 

The next photo your hand was on one of your breast cupping and pinching the nipple. The next photo was taken lower, your hand was now in your panties clearly teasing yourself. And the final attachment was a video, it was no more than 15 seconds, but in those 15 seconds you show yourself pumping your fingers in and out of your pussy, before dragging your fingers out of yourself and licking the wet slick off your digits. Zhongli was taking deep breaths as he watched. His eyes following your every movement.

“Sir…” You moaned, lust lacing every syllable. “Do you think I look like a good girl in those photos?”

Zhongli couldn’t say anything for a moment. Letting the video replay itself over and over, his eyes finding new things to focus on each time it replayed. From the way your plump lips wrapped around your fingers or the way you quivered when you plunged your two digits into yourself. He just wanted to see you do more.

“When did being a good girl equate to acting like quite the little slut? Surely I’ve taught you better than that.” Zhongli replied firmly, as he adjusted the way he was sitting to accommodate his throbbing cock.

“This is what you’ve taught me…” the breathiness of your voice letting him know you were in fact still touching yourself as you replied.

“I don’t recall teaching you to send provocative photos to me while I’m at work.” He glanced at the clock again, 16 minutes until the meeting. Fuck. 

“Did they make you hard?” You asked suddenly.

He was not a liar, so he wouldn’t lie to you. “Yes they did…” 

“Did they make you want to come home and stuff your big. thick. cock inside of me.” The punctionaction of your words were breaking him down.

“Yes they did…”

“Master are you going to come home so I can show you how much of a good girl I am, when I’m milking your cock.”

“My Lily… I-” Zhongli wasn’t used to you being this forward with him.

“I need you to come home and fuck me now. Because if you don’t pump me full of your cum I might go crazy.” You whined your voice working wonders on his resolve. “Please… Please come home and breed me sir.”

One final weak glance at his clock showed he had 9 minutes before they would arrive.

You moaned again calling his name out through the phone, the thread holding his composure together snapping.

“You’re not allowed to cum until I get home do you understand.” Zhongli growled into the phone, quickly on his feet, grabbing his bag and making his way to the door of his office. “Do you understand?”

“Yes sir..!” You exclaimed.

“I hope you understand you won’t be walking for the next few days my Little Lily.” He warned before leaving the safety of his private office.

“Yes yes! Hurry please.” 

“I am.” Quickly saying goodbye and hanging the phone up  with you, while walking towards two approaching figures. 

“Mr. Zhongli goo-” Signora began, reaching her hand out to greet him, but he didn’t meet it.

“My apologies, there seems to be an emergency at home, can you meet with my assistant to reschedule.” Zhongli haphazardly explained. “Again my deepest apologies.” He finished, turning on his heel and b lining it to the exit. Letting the receptionist know that he was leaving and scrambling for the parking garage.

“What do you think his emergency was?” Signora stood bewildered where Zhongli had left her and Childe.

“Do you think everything is alright?

Childe seemed to be having the best laugh of his life as his colleague pondered the obvious.

“Trust me everything’s fine.” Childe said in between laughs. “We should probably reschedule for Monday, he’ll probably need the whole weekend off.”

“This is why I hate partnering with you, you’re too vague sometimes.”

#zhongli x reader #zhongli x fem!reader #zhongli x you #modern au! genshin impact #smut #imagine a big bed of black and gold sheets #a bed designed for a god #that's the bed i wanna be spread out on for zhongli #cakey cries #genshin impact x reader #rex lapis x reader #morax x reader #genshin x reader

[icefire149]

Tearing Apart At The Seams

(Read on Ao3 | Story warning: temporary major character death)

Overwhelmed was an understatement. Despite spending the car ride with her stare glued out the window in silence, Mary felt like an exposed nerve that had been thrashed with steel wool. If she closed her eyes she could still see things as she knew it: a house with a yard, laughter bouncing off the walls, toy cars on stair steps, hope in the mirror reflection. Her life wasn’t perfect, but it was hers.

Everything was wrong. The last thing she remembered was running into Sam’s nursery, but now, here she was standing in 2016 because God’s sister said so. Her chest felt incredibly tight. The man behind the steering wheel – no, Dean. She had to keep reminding herself – was peeking at her out of the corner of his eye every so many minutes.

She still didn’t know what to make of him. He knew the right stories. He was the right age. But….how could she swap the Dean she tucked into bed hours ago for this hardened stranger?

“It won’t be long,” Dean said, breaking the silence. “We should only be about a day behind Sam and Cas.”

Mary nodded, feeling chilled. The thought of seeing what became of her baby was horrifying. He wasn’t even a toddler yet, and now…..

Her arms ached for her baby, but she couldn’t break now. It wasn’t safe yet. Turning to look at Dean, she asked an unexpected question. “Who’s Cas?”

Dean didn’t take his eyes off the road, but his expression softened. He laughed, “He’s….Cas. He’s my best friend.”

“Oh.”

His shoulders relaxed as he leaned back more comfortably in his seat. “He lives at the bunker with me and Sammy. That’s where we’re going. It’s home.”

“The….bunker?”

“Yeah,” Dean’s tone was fond. “It’s a long story.”

“So it’s an actual bunker?”

Dean tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Yup.”

The rest of the drive went by without another word. Mary honestly didn’t know what to say. For the most part she just wanted to sleep and hopefully wake back up in 1983.

“Home sweet home,” Dean mumbled as they parked in the garage.

Mary was stunned by the collection of cars there. She actually felt a spark of excitement at the possibility of taking one of them out for a spin.

Slowly, she followed Dean inside. He nearly bounced down the steps, he was eager to get to where ever he was heading.

“Sammy!” Dean called. “Cas!”

Dean only took a few steps into the main room before whipping around on his heels. "Something's wrong," he said pulling his gun out. "Stay put."

He quickly disappeared down a hallway at the other end of the room. Mary didn't stray too far. What she could see was enough. Books and papers were scattered on the floor. There were drops of blood near the tables. The toe of her boot connected with an odd silver blade.

She picked it up, studying and turning it over in her hands. It wasn't cold like metal usually was. There was a warmth that felt like something more than what was left from whoever held it last. It was strange, but Mary wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Dean hadn't trusted her with a weapon, but fate did. Her fingers curled around the hilt; she wasn't letting go until Dean gave the all clear.

When she turned around, one of the walls had some kind of sigil drawn in blood. She shivered, already assuming the worst.

Home was supposed to be safe. This was supposed to be a home. The memory of blood twisted her gut. She lost her parents at home. She lost John....her babies..…

A voice deep down in her core screamed at her to run. She caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Spinning, she saw a man stalking towards her.

"Is he still here?" His voice boomed, and Mary couldn't stop her eyes from instinctually glancing at the door Dean went through.

She didn’t know enough about this place to form a strategic plan. How many exits, if any, were down that hallway? Was Dean on his way back? Could he hear her if she ran or screamed?

Catching herself, Mary glued her stare onto the man. His steps slowed, but his piercing blue eyes were fixed on her as well. The way he moved, she realized, he was aiming to go past her around the tables. Mary started side stepping slowly to meet him step for step until there was only a large table between them.

She could tell that his mouth was moving, but all Mary could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. The longer she looked at him, the more convinced she was that he wasn't human at all.

Swallowing, her own spit went down like a rock. The air in the room started to crackle like it was electrifying. The man-shaped thing slammed his hands on the table, and she jumped. Her eyes darted again towards the doorway.

The image of her Dean with chocolate smeared cheeks blended into the stranger who tapped his fingers on the steering wheel hours ago while he quietly sang along to the radio under his breath. Stepping backwards, the heel of her boot alarmingly slid an inch. She didn't need to look down to know it was blood. Her lungs refused to take another breath. She could practically see Sammy swaddled in his baby blanket and his chubby, pink cheeks. The tightness in her chest felt like it was moments away from popping like a balloon.

The creature's mouth was still moving. He leaned forward. Hands still on the table. His eyes glowed an unnatural blue, and all Mary could see was the moment her dad’s eyes flashed yellow. She threw the blade.

It hit, burying deep into his abdomen and knocking him staggering backwards. The creature ripped it out, blood running down his hand like ribbons tying around his fingers. His hand shook, sending the blade clattering to the floor.

Mary stepped around the table, eyeing the thing cautiously. She could see that he held a hand against his stomach, but there was also a blue-white glow emanating from the wound. A shiver crawled up her spine, making the hair on her arms stand up. There was not a single monster that she could think of that bled both blood and light.

The creature fell to a shaky knee. A sheen of sweat on his forehead was visible in the light as he tilted his head up. He made no move to pick up the blade, but his eyes bore into her challengingly.

She couldn’t understand him. Mary’s eyebrows pushed together, studying him. He was going to let her kill him. Whether it was a trick or not, she couldn’t risk wasting this opportunity. Mary snatched the blade up, and drove it deep into his chest.

The only fight he gave back was the hard push he gave her, sending her flying across the room. Mary couldn’t see him from where she landed because of the table, but the room filled with that blue-white light. It was blinding, and the air felt like it was being completely sucked out of the room.

Mary opened her eyes to see scattered papers lightly floating down to the floor. The air had settled and she gasped for a deep breath. The strange light was finally gone. She got herself up, and hesitantly crossed the room.

Her hip cracked painfully into the table the moment she realized what she was seeing burned around the body: wings. “Dean!”

The word left her lips before her brain even caught up that she just called for her son. The next thing Mary knew, she was standing in the doorway Dean left through. Her hands trembled, but her mind kept circling around the fact that she called out to her four year old for help.

“Mom?” A rough voice called out far away. On coming footsteps echoed down the hall. “Mom!”

Her heart sank. Of course it was the Dean who walked away with a gun aimed high. “There’s….there’s a body in here,” Mary’s voice shook.

Dean sprinted down the hallway with eyes wide with fear. “Where is it?” he demanded.

Mary nodded in the direction of the table, and Dean pushed past her. His gun hit the floor with a loud crack. He froze in place half way to the body.

“Dean?” Mary stepped forward to see his jaw hanging open. Dean’s bottom lip trembled, and tears started running down his cheeks. She suddenly felt painfully cold.

Dean surged forward, dropping to the ground next to the body. Carefully, he pulled the blade out and tossed it aside.

Mary came closer, but at the same time continued to keep her distance. Her hands clutched the lip of the table.

“You stupid, son of a bitch,” Dean muttered quietly. He placed a shaky hand on the creature’s chest, closing his eyes like he was still trying to feel for a heartbeat. A sob tore through him. His fingers curled in the drying blood and the fabric of the white button up shirt. “I could go with you… you dumb bastard. You didn’t even fight back, did you?”

Dean pulled the body into his lap, cradling him. Gently, he brushed some of the hair sticking to the creature’s forehead back. Dean’s hand pressed the creature’s head into the crook of his neck. Tears started pouring, and his whole expression crumbled in silent despair.

Finally, Mary could see traces of the son she rocked for hours during his earaches and colds. She could see crystal clear the day Dean’s little hand slipped from hers at the supermarket. Not once was she willing to admit it, but she never knew how much time had passed before she realized that her hand was hot and clammy only from the warm day. When she found him, he was sitting with the potted plants bawling his eyes out. That night he’d confessed that he thought he’d never see her ever again.

Here Dean was decades later, but Mary recognized the way his face was falling apart. It was no different.

“Dean, who is that?”

Like he just realized that she was there, Dean’s eyes snapped over to her. His mouth quivered. “He’s my…..” His grip on the creature tightened.

“He’s not human,” the words slipped from her lips. She was still finding it hard not to focus on the massive wings burned into the floor.

“He’s an angel,” Dean snapped forcefully. “Castiel….”

"Oh." The word punctured her chest. "He's Cas."

Her knees tried to buckle, but Mary's knuckles were white from holding onto the table so tightly. She'd only been here for a day, and she did this.

She couldn't look away. Dean rocked like he did the day he tore his knee open in the street. He clutched onto the angel for dear life like she did when she held John's lifeless body.

An icy feeling crept up her spine. The glazed look in his eyes never left her. As much as they disagreed and marched in different directions, her hand always ached for his. It throbbed now like it was seeking a lifeline that it was never going to find again. Especially now with angel blood crusting under her nails.

She needed space. Air. Something. Mary’s legs wobbled under her, but she pushed on ahead keeping a hand on the wall when she disappeared down the hall way. She needed the images cycling through her head to stop.

Mary breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the kitchen. The air felt cooler and less stifling. The hum of the refrigerator was familiar enough she could close her eyes a moment, leaning against the counter. She needed to get her head screwed on right.

There was nothing she could do for…...now, and if he wasn’t responsible for the mess and Sam’s disappearance, who was? Where did he go? Dean needed a clear head.

First things first, she needed to scrub her hands. The blood wasn’t too stained into her fingertips yet. A deep exhale left her slowly as the water ran clear down the drain. Glancing around, she spotted a pale yellow hand towel in reach. She dried her hands, stopping only to get a better look at the bee embroidered to the bottom of the towel. It was unexpected, but well made.

Tossing it aside on the counter, Mary turned the water back on. She leaned forward, ducking her head into the sink and taking a long drink. Once she felt more alert, she realized that Dean, like it or not, he was going to need some water.

Her hand shook carrying the glass while she retraced her steps. Mary wasn’t sure what she would find when she made it back. Holding her breath, she found Dean in the same spot. His eyes were squeezed shut, but his mouth was moving silently.

“Are you….praying?” Her head crooked to the side as she stopped with in reach of him. She felt antsy to be standing this close to the wings.

Dean opened his eyes. “Chuck’s put him back together before,” his voice croaked. She held the glass out, but he shook his head. “I don’t know why he’s taking so damn long to answer. I don’t know where he went with Amara.”

Mary placed the glass on the table. She heard that name before. “Amara’s the one that brought me back, right?”

“Yeah.”

Nodding, Mary crossed her arms. “How do we find Sammy?”

Dean’s mouth curled into a snarl. “I’ll find them, and they’ll pay for this.” His knees cracked and shook, but Dean stood up. He refused to let go of Cas.

Mary shot forward to help him, but the look in Dean’s eyes made her freeze. She watched him hobble out of the room. With one last look at the wings burned into the floor, she followed after him.

Gently, Dean laid the body down on a bed in what looked like an infirmary. He brushed some stray hairs presumably back into place and hesitated there, like he wasn’t ready to let go yet.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a quiet melody of music started playing.

Dean dug his hands into Cas’ jacket pockets until he found a small rectangular device. He stared at it forlornly. “No. No No….” His voice fell to a pained whisper as his eyes darted back to the body.

“What’s wrong?”

“The kid’s calling,” Dean’s voice broke. “H-how do I tell her….no.” He tapped something on the screen and pocketed the device. Rubbing his neck, he argued, “I’m not going to upset her when he’ll be back….He’ll be back.”

“He has a child?” Mary’s voice was practically non existent.

“It’s complicated.”

Silently, they walked back the way they came and Mary didn’t fail to notice the way Dean refused to look in the direction of the wings. He pulled out a chair and sat.

Every muscle in Mary’s body felt twitchy. Closing her eyes, she didn’t move from where she stood in the room. She longed for home.

Why was she even here? For what purpose? From the very moment she laid eyes on this...Dean, nothing felt right. And that made her feel worse. She loved John, and Sammy, and Dean. Looking at this man made her feel like she was about to combust.

And that’s not his fault. She knew that, but Mary also knew that she literally was plucked from 1983. This was wrong. It didn’t matter how much this Dean wanted her here. She needed to go home.

Opening her eyes, she saw Dean leaning an elbow on the table. Sternly, his eyes were coldly fixed into space. Another one of those odd rectangles, she assumed now was a phone, he had it pressed against his ear.

“Crowley,” his pain was masked well. “I-Yeah, I know. Not dead. Long story. Get Rowena and meet me at the bunker now.” He hit the screen and let the phone slide a ways on the table.

Mary eyed him carefully. Dean hid his face in his hands, leaning over the table. “So….” She felt utterly useless while Dean lowered a hand to meet her stare. “What now?”

“Just give it a-”

And suddenly, there were two new people in the room. Mary stared at them in shock while the woman smacked the man’s arm with her bag.

“There better be a bloody good reason-” The woman growled until she finally turned to see Dean at the table. “How are you alive?” She rushed forward and placed a hand on his chest. “Where’s the bomb? I did not mess that up. My work is impeccable.”

Dean slapped her hand away, and she rolled her eyes before focusing her attention on Mary. The man did too, but his mouth twisted into a sickening smile.

He turned his attention to Dean. “Now how on Earth did you manage to bring dear old mummy back?”

“Amara,” Dean answered. He pointed his thumb in the woman’s direction. “The bomb’s gone. Chuck and her worked their crap out. Then-” His eyes turned to Mary. “-she decided to leave me a gift and they left.”

The man took a few steps towards Mary. Observing her far too closely. “So…why are we here? Celebration perhaps? I’m afraid to tell you that we already dug into the booze shortly after we last saw you.”

The woman didn’t move from where she stood, but she did take in every detail of the room that she could see. Her posture stiffened. “Where’s Samuel?”

“That’s why I called-”

“We don’t know,” Mary answered, surprising herself. “We got here and….” She gestured at the room around them. “It appears that something happened. Sam’s gone.”

The man rolled his eyes. “So why are you moping around? Who else did you manage to piss off recently?” He made his way over to the shelves where he knew there would still be some bottles stashed. “You wouldn’t suppose Lucifer limped his way back from where ever Amara threw him?”

Dean shot out of his chair. His pleading gaze locked onto the woman. “Can you track Sam?”

“I suppose,” the woman started. She crossed her arms. “I don’t understand why you needed me for something that simple. I’m not an on call service, and Fergus can work a spell that elementary.”

The man didn’t even look at the bottle he plucked off the shelf, and he took a big swig. Glaring, he turned on his heels. “Mother dearest, my day to day schedule is a teensy bit busy. Remember? Being a King is a full time job!”

Mary couldn’t handle another word. Her head felt like it was spinning. “Dean, who are these people? How did they just...appear in the room with us?”

“Oh, sorry sweetie. I’m Rowena.” The woman stepped forward with a smile Mary didn’t trust for a second. “And...that’s Fergus.”

“Crowley,” he barked. “I’m the King of Hell, and that’s my rotten, bitch of a mother.” His eyes flashed red. “It’s lovely to finally make your acquaintance. Dean and I go way back. We-”

Dean’s phone clocked Crowley right in the temple. The phone clattered into the floor and Crowley looked mildly annoyed, rubbing the side of his head. “I get that your Moose is missing, but what the hell was that?”

He started crossing the room towards Dean, but the toe of his shoe stepped on something that rolled under it. He looked down, and his cool demeanor cracked. “Where’s Castiel?”

Dean turned to Rowena. “Can magic resurrect an angel?”

Several emotions – confusion, grief, fear, and curiosity – flashed across her face. “I don’t think anyone’s ever had reason to try.”

“But can you swing that kind of mojo?”

She reached forward and lightly patted Dean’s cheek. “My dear, I can swing anything, but it’d be new magic. Old magic, new technique…..something that’s never been done before. It’ll take time.”

Dean waved towards the bookshelves. “The bunker’s resources are yours.”

Rowena’s eyes lit up, and she gave Dean another pat. “I like you so much more when you and your brother aren’t trying to shackle me, or kill me.”

She bounced off towards the shelves, but stopped the moment her eye caught the wings. Rowena frowned, “He really was a pretty bird. It would have been nice to see his wings….in another circumstance.”

Ignoring that, Dean pointed at Crowley. “Spell. Now.”

After that, Mary could only hear static. It wasn’t until she saw Cas, bloody and dead, in the infirmary that she even knew that she left the room.

"It's horrible, isn't it?"

Startled, Mary flung around on her heels ready for combat, but the room was still empty. Goosebumps broke out across her skin. "Who's there?"

There was a click of a tongue behind her. "You Winchesters can't ever just let yourselves be happy?"

Mary saw a woman in the room with her now, standing next to the bed where Cas laid. Worried lines creased her forehead. Slowly, her eyes met Mary's.

"The name's Billie."

"What are you?" Mary could feel the skin on the back of her neck prickle.

"A reaper."

A small, pained laugh escaped Mary. Of course. Another monster.

Ever since she could remember, her parents prepared her for the world. Nothing was glossed over or simplified. The ways of hunting were straightforward. You save people. Mothers. Fathers. Daughters. Sons. Friends. Loved ones. They needed protection from the things that disrupted the natural order. It was a line drawn in the sand, and one she couldn't afford to touch.

And yet, she never planned on giving her boys that lesson. Any of it. She feared to ask that question burning in her gut: when did that change?

Her mind circled back to the strange mother son duo. And why were her boys involved with demons, and witches, and......angels?

The reaper's stern expression softened. Almost pitiful. "You don't belong here."

Mary crossed her arms, discretely eyeing the room for possible weapons. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to put out the fires. Someone has to try, at least."

"I don't understand."

"You," Billie answered simply. "Amara made a mistake."

Her heartbeat quickened. From fear or hope, she wasn't entirely sure. "Could you send me home to my boys?"

Billie frowned.

"I don't understand," said a different voice. And then a brunette woman materialized.

Mary took a step back. Mentally, she wasn't sure how far she could run before she could reach help.

Billie held her head up high. "Amara."

The woman looked at Billie strangely. "Why are you interfering with my gift? I wasn't expecting to over hear this when I was checking in."

"It was a poorly thought out gift." Billie pointed at Mary. "You can't steal a soul from Heaven and expect the world to continue down the same path. There are consequences."

There was all hot wave and then all bitter tang on Mary's tongue. She thinks she bit it. Billie's words were echoing in her head. Dean looked at her the way he did because........she never saw past 1983, didn't she?

"A small price to pay for a gift this sweet," Amara answered simply. "Losing her tore a hole in Dean that he has never been able to mend. He can now."

"He can't," Mary whispered. Her whole body was shaking. It took all her focus to keep hearing Billie and Amara's voices.

Amara's eyebrows pinched together. "I'm still learning to understand humans. I need more to follow."

"I'm not a mender." The words rolled off her tongue. "I was raised to hunt, and kill, and hide...." Her gaze fell to her hands. She could still feel the blood under her nails, weighing her down. "I tried to be different. To be normal, but I can't stop destroying, and losing, and failing everyone I love."

The look on Amara's face softened. She sighed, "The world is far different now I'm told. I did this for both of you. A second chance. Don't you want to know your son?"

"I know my Dean," Mary snapped. Her hands curled into fists as tears beaded in her eyes. "He's 4 years old with freckles on his arms. He likes to spin in circles while he sings. And he cries when he can't find the birds he can hear chirping outside his bedroom window."

There was a quiet pause while Mary took several deep breaths. The thump of her heart made her chest ache. She sniffled. "I know....I know across this bunker is.......he's a stranger. He's been through hell and back and I badly just want to run the other way when I see him. I want my boys. I want to go home."

"Do you understand, yet?" Billie spoke to Amara. "Humans aren't your toys. They're unpredictable. Complicated."

"I think I'm starting to understand," Amara said like she was only partially considering it. She crossed over to the bed. Her head tilted, and she frowned. "What happened to the angel? Dean's attachment to him was immeasurable. Terrifyingly powerful." Her lip twitched.

"Like I said," Billie answered. "There are consequences. It wasn't his time, and yet, he's gone." Her gaze slid over to Mary. "Her time ended decades ago, and yet, she breathes."

Amara looked at Mary carefully. "Why?"

"I didn't know what he was. I acted on instinct."

"And now your son is going to do something cosmically stupid to fix this."

Mary blinked. "He's gonna try, but it's not like he's gonna get anywhere. His plan A was prayer."

Billie's stare rolled over to Amara. "Consequences."

“Can’t either of you bring him back? Then no drastic measures would be taken,” she argued. Mary’s eyes rested on Cas. He might even know where to find Sammy.

Billie raised an eyebrow. “And that’s how we got here in the first place. Tearing holes in the natural order of things.”

“It would soothe things,” Amara said. “Get us past this snag.”

“No.” Billie’s gaze moved between the two women. “This goes far beyond poisoned gifts.”

A chill settled into Mary’s bones. “Yellow eyes. Bringing John back so I wouldn’t be alone.”

Billie smiled. “Precisely, and since then your family has torn hole after hole.”

Mary’s jaw clenched. “No.” The flash of yellow burned into her memory made her stomach revolt.

Sympathetic, Billie sighed. “You’re not the only one who made deals, and-”

“Let me be the last.”

“How so?” Amara asked, curious.

“I...I think I understand what you were trying to do,” Mary began. “But, I’ve only caused more pain being here. I can’t make him happy. I….I-” Her mouth trembled, trying to find the right words. “I’m barely holding myself together. From the moment you put me here….I…” She looked at Billie. “You’re right. I don’t belong here. I want to go home.”

Billie crossed the room, stopping directly in front of Mary. She held her eye. “There’s no home to go back to. Only memories. If you stay, this is it. This is home with the men your boys became.”

Mary’s breath got stuck in her throat. “Then my decision is made for me.” I can never go home. “Fix what I broke, please.” Her gaze moved to Amara. “Give Dean back his heart.” And then it slid back to Billie. “And I’ll go with you. Let things continue the way they were meant to.”

“And what stops your boys from tearing more holes in the future?”

Mary sighed, trying to understand the angel her son carefully laid in this room. She couldn’t imagine how they found each other, and how her son came to care about him so completely. Hopefully, he could forgive her one day. Both of them. “Tell Dean, that if him or his brother decide to play god and mess with the fabric of things again…..the price will be to kill the person they love most. The price will be blood.”

Billie arched her eyebrows. “Your boys are good at surprising me, but I think that’ll suffice.”

Frowning, Amara stepped forward. “Are you sure? Dean will be upset.”

“His feelings will pass, but my discomfort won’t if I stay. I’ll never stop wanting to claw my way back to my boys. And that’s not fair….to the men that they are now.” She hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “And he’ll never forgive me for killing….”

“I’m sorry,” Amara said, and she sounded like she meant it. “Would it be alright if I visited your Heaven one day? I’d like to understand, and...I’d like to meet your boys.”

She wasn’t exactly sure what Amara meant by ‘your Heaven’ but she nodded.

Amara smiled warmly. “Thank you.”

“Are you ready?” Billie asked resting a hand on her arm.

Exhaling, Mary nodded. Surprisingly, the reaper’s touch was grounding. This was the calmest her mind felt in years. “Let’s go,” she said, closing her eyes.

Behind her, Mary heard a baby’s cry. Turning around, she was in her kitchen. The afternoon sun warmed her hair and her son stared at her from his highchair. Her mouth curled into a smile. “Sammy, there you are.”

#spn #supernatural #mary winchester #my writing #destiel #read notes on ao3 for more info / my thoughts on this one #forgive me my loves

[youwontlikethisblog]

Betty, My Betty! Part 2.5 (Hopefully the last one)

Alrighty, I think this will be my last post for tonight? This morning? But it is still in the same vine of Armando being possessive so he is the main subject of this breakdown but I will also be discussing Mario a lot here so this in an attempt to be the final post regarding this episode will be a lengthy one.

Again I accidently bought the bootleg version of the novela so some scenes and episodes are missing as well as the chapters aren't titled.

We are in the same episode of Armando reacting to Betty having a boyfriend.

Right now Betty is exiting her office, she just hung up the phone with Nicolas who warned her that they needed to pay a loan to the bank because their 24 or 27 days were up.

Mario is leaning over Armando's desk and Armando is leaning forward as they are both discussing and whispering (that part is so short you can't really pick at what they're talking about but you can imagine what it is. I'm assuming that while Mario was telling Armando not to question or judge Betty on her personal life that Betty was in her office on the phone with Nicolas and when Mario leaned forward to talk to Armando Betty was about to end her call so they are essentially talking about how to go about finding out who Betty's boyfriend is) something I cannot hear. As Betty fully exits her office Mario moves from being up front to in the back of the room by the doors that take us to the meeting room. He looks Betty down and up as if checking her out.

This small frame(I don't know if when they were whispering it was them arguing over Mario's proposal of the plan or if Mario hadn't proposed it yet and it was just them talking about how to find out who Nicolas is because again, since this bootleg version isn't the complete one some scenes are missing so I could be wrong about this one! but the episode I saw on NBC showed the exact same scene so I'm going by the first "(red)" in the paragraph above) allows us to depict Mario coming up or starting to scheme the plan.

We know Mario Calderon will screw anything that has legs, wears skirts, and breathes and consents that is(<-hopefully). Every woman who has had a seggsual relationship with him has said so. Marcela warned Paty about it before they got involved so I'm assuming that in this scene Mario is checking out Betty to see if it's possible for someone to really love(lust) her and if not than he needs to figure out a plan and a way to convince Armando to follow through said plan.

When you're writing a novel you write down the key points you want to make but as you imagine certain scenes you really delve into detail of characterization. You make sure that whatever happens in that scene that your characters behave as themselves. So you really spend time getting to know your characters. This is a general rule of thumb for any creative writer. The plus of being a novelist or writing literature is that you can really go deep into details and write scenes in really long poetic ways. I don't know how to write scripts but I've read some from TV shows I've watched and they are written differently than a novel. Scripts have more dialogue than poetic descriptions and they are usually blunt with what the writer wants from each character in that scene.

For example: (Take this with a grain of salt I don't know how to write scripts I am going off based on how I've read them)

Ana walks into the room. The camera focuses on her face. There's lighting outside and we see the lighting flash on her face.

Julian turns to see her. He is surprised to see her. He thought she was dead. He stands up slowly. The camera focuses on his face and then Ana's.

She smiles at him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Is that re-really you?" He stutters. He then walks slowly towards her.

In a script you write where the camera goes, where the actors move, the facial expressions, the mood of the room, and so forth. Yes directors do have a say on how they choreograph scenes and actors can add their own two cents but script writers have a pretty good idea of everything that is going on the scene and why it is. If in novel writing(that's not the correct term) we focus a lot on how the reader will imagine the scene and being able to correctly and artistically discribe it as well as how they will understand it because we are not focusing on visual cues like script writers but rather focused on using words to be able to paint a inner visual picture than in scripts the writer usually focuses on tone and movement. The same rule still stands though; show don't tell.

Why do I even bring this up?

This helps us understand that what is shown here isn't just an accident. We aren't being fed what we're told, we are being fed what we see. What we see is the final vision of the writer. Fernando Gaitan was the only one to write this novel and he wrote every detail with the intention of it to mean something.

I have no doubt that the actors added their own flavor as they are excellent actors and the reason why we were able to fall in love with these character. The directing is amazing as well. The scene cuts, the frames, and the choreo are amazing(tho some stills are funny and y'all know which ones) but the writing has a lot to do with it. If anyone is a script writer or knows what that's about correct me if I'm wrong!

I say this because what we are being told and shown is that Armando had feelings for Betty and not a crush like Betty did. He actually cared about her, as a friend. I know many don't agree with that because Armando was a crappy boss. We see them always interact as boss and employee but the reason why I continue to bring up the fact that he started to blur those lines is because we were being told and shown that.

Armando is mechanical. He is emotionless to the outsiders. As he once told Betty that she probably thinks he is a man of ice and later on in the future we see Betty daydream telling Marcela that she knows Armando acts like he's got a heart of stone but deep inside of him he needs a lot of love. However Armando isn't a man of iron and he tells that to Betty himself.

We are told this but what are we shown?

We are shown an erratic, often driven by emotion, and neutronic person. Now the people he has surrounded himself with aren't the most loving and welcoming people. They are pretty judgy and stuck up. So often the emotions he shows and knows how to distinguish well are anger, frustration, and most of all being erratic with the emotions mentioned above. These emotions drive him. The people around him think that he is a man of stone and that nothing moves him. However we then meet a woman who isn't like that at all or like any of the people he has surrounded himself with.

This person is kind, loving, respectful, and sweet to everyone. She loves her job, loves her friends, loves her family and secretly loves her boss. In a very poetic way Betty is color in an otherwise black and white world. She brings warmth to Armando and because they work so closely, how is he not supposed to be affected by this? How is he not supposed to be changed and moved by this?

He is an awe of her morals, of Betty's qualities and her general presence and though we aren't bluntly told this by the characters themselves we are shown this and it's not by accident and not by mistakes of post production.

Take a break if you need it.

It isn't an accident that we see Mario so much in these scenes just standing in the background taking it all in because he truly is the mastermind behind Betty's downfall. He truly mapped out and planned the way to seduce Betty and how to manipulate Armando and didn't even care if it hurt her or his best friend. What he cared about was that his best friend remained President because titles mean everything to him. As we saw in the past when Armando and him were arguing over the deal with the Panamanian fabric seller, while Armando focused on how it not only affected him and the major shareholders but everyone, Mario reminded him that he was also a minority shareholder, but a shareholder nonetheless. Armando's inner turmoil was that he was jeopardizing the livelihood of not only the company's shareholders, and his family but the entire company's employee roster while Mario was more focused on himself, telling him that he too had a lot to lose but not understanding what really weighted down Armando's shoulders.

Think about it, Mario in a sense is a leech. He gets the crumbs of women Armando doesn't want. If I'm not mistaken in the spinoff Eco Moda Mario himself says that women only ever showed interest in him because they wanted to get close to Armando. Mario lives off of the crumbs of Armando, not only with women but socially. Armando is one of the major shareholders of Eco Moda, he's attractive, charismatic, and an important figure in society and not only among the Fashion world like Mario is. Mario Calderon wasn't going to let his best friend lose the title of being President for anything because than it would be bad for him. It would be bad for his reputation to have been his close friend and accomplice to Armando while also being a part of a disastrous presidency term in the company.

Mario is charismatic, one could even say a lot more than Armando seeing as I myself even like him even when I know all of this about his character. I find him funny, charming, and at times endearing but of course that's when you look at him on a surface level.

Mario Calderon is despicable. He is downright selfish and egocentric down to the bone. He maps out this plan so easily because he knows his two victims well. He has seen Armando's disagreements with Marcela, he has witnessed first hand Armando's change towards Betty and silently observed Betty's interactions with Armando. He himself has thrown out his conclusions on Betty's actions by a simple snip bits of conversation that he's either been in the room to hear or heard from Armando himself.

Who better to make Betty fall in love than Armando? Because Betty has those feelings there and who better to do be the one to do this than Armando? Not only because those feelings are there but because Armando can stomach the job. The man who is confused about his feelings and behaving erratically and emotionally driven than Armando?

Because Armando proposes for Calderon to do it. At first Calderon is grossed out by the idea but Armando presents everything telling him he isn't the boss, that he has no morals and he was perfect for the job. Mario agrees with all of that, even asks for a bigger percentage of shareholding and Armando agrees. This gives us the understanding that Mario would be willing to seduce Betty.

I realize this contradicts my own personal opinion that Armando agreed to do this because it meant he was saving Betty from Nicolas but lets remember that Armando was afraid to face those feelings and he wasn't even aware that they were there. Here Armando and Mario weren't talking about love, as he thinks Betty is so in love with Nicolas that he is her eternal love and that Nicolas would take advantage of that and poison her against them, they are talking about seduction, meaning seggsual. Which I've said before Armando thinks lust is love and therefore that if he ain't wanting to jump they bones in that instant that it cain't be love therefore my mans thought he had no feelings for Betty(idk why bc we do get two scenes where he checks her out briefly (I am sure of this because it's the episode where Betty tripped and was limping and when Mario brought it up Armando asked if she didn't already walk like that, if he had been noticing her walk than he would have been aware of the limp but his eyesight went from the top of Betty's head all the way down. Do with that information what you'd like :)) and where he gets jealous when Charlie Zas kissed her cheek(someone once said that they were celos de jefe and excuse me ma'am jealousy is jealousy and a normal boss would not feel that. If my boss or manager ever did that I woulda done been fired in that instant))

Take a break if you need it.

Okay return back to this scene.

While Calderon does this mila second rundown of Betty, Armando and him share a stare. Either Armando wants the room to himself or is looking at him for a confidence boost. Then Mario nods and lets him know he'll leave them be.

Armando sticks to the script by not removing his trust from Betty. Instead he encourages her and congratulates her on doing things well.

In this scene while Betty has been entirely focused on the work at hand and being professional Mario was busy assessing the situation while Armando... is hard to read here. He is keeping himself composed rather than being emotionally driven or erratic or neurotic. In truth he is showing one of his best traits so far, composure. When he is sure of what he wants to happen Armando is really good at keep composure, feelings at bay, and controlling the situation. Something he later loses as he begins to get more lost and confused in his own feelings and understanding them.

Betty here is endearing, honestly I find Betty endearing at all times lol. She's super cute and such a good sport since her character is written to capture your heart, not by sympathy but by empathy. Again just like Armando how are we not supposed to be affected by such a sweet character? Constantly putting her feelings aside for Armando's, who hasn't done that? We empathize with her because at some point or another we've been her and ironically it's the exact same reason why we sympathize and empathize with Armando because at some point or another we've all been there where we let the worse get the best of us and we've learned to live with it and deal with it same as he.

As Betty starts to leave the office Armando calls her name, stands up in a slow but steady way showing us that he is the one in control in this situation. His tone is controlled but not enough where you don't hear that resent.

"Betty you didn't hadn't told me you've got a boyfriend"

Betty looks taken aback by this behavior of his. As she stares at him a bit shocked and rocks on her feet, seeming uncomfortable with this but also worried.

Armando proceeds to say "and that that boyfriend is Nicolas Mora, your friend from university. The one you've got in Terra Moda" Notice how now there is a waiver in his voice and he no longer is being as composed or in control of his emotions. As he for split seconds allows those emotions of jealousy and possessiveness to sweep through his tone of voice.

In this scene Armando isn't so much giving us body language as he is stiff, showing nervousness and discomfort himself, often we see this whenever Marcela is interrogating him but he is giving us tonality in voice.

Again the sequence as he names the list of what and who Nicolas is shows priority. First, Nicolas is Betty's boyfriend, that guy she's talked about who she went to university with, and she's got him working in Terra Moda. His priority: Betty has a boyfriend. He knows who said boyfriend is and he knows what he does.

Betty tells him that she doesn't have a boyfriend: "Ay ay no Doctor, eso no es cierto." Betty normally has a waiver her voice whenever she's nervous or scared so it's not unlike her to have it here, she smiles and chuckles nervously. In translation what she says is lost so by interpretation this is what she said "Hmm? No sir... um that's not true."

Armando's tone is now accusing her. He seems angered by Betty's "denial" as he tells her "It's not true? I heard it-" we then get a frame of Betty's reaction. She is truly concerned over this as we later find out at the end of the day that she was worried that it could cause Don Armando to build distrust towards her. Again we are shown that Betty is keeping it all professional whilst Armando isn't.

"I heard when Bertha told you, right in front of me. [Y'all] started gossiping, didn't notice I was there. You both forgot about me, no Betty?"* He is shaking as if agitated and he sports a cocky smile because he feels like he caught her in her own lie.

[*]This could be taken in a double sense. In his eyes Betty was so excited about hearing that her "eternal love" called her that she forgot he was in the room and in a figurative way, Betty forgot him.

Betty's understanding of his behavior is rational. He's upset that she withheld vital information from him after she told him she had nothing else to hide(when he interrogated her the previous night) and this is related to a professional work related situation.

Armando now sports similar traits to that of Marcela when she is looking for reasons to act out on her anger. Armando is agitated as stated before and while Betty goes to explain herself Armando grabs his glass of whisky, not taking his eyes off Betty and drinks(cantinero, otro whisky!(Now his behavior here is very interesting because as he grabs the glass to drink from it he takes in a deep breath. At first I interpreted this for anger but after seeing it a few times I realize it's panic. While at first he was composed and sure of what he was feeling which was anger, now he is faced with uncertainty from feelings he doesn't recognize and he doesn't know where this conversation is going to head or how he'll react or feel so he enters panic mode)). She tells him that it was something the cuartel came up with because she once mentioned Nicolas and since then they haven't gotten it out of their heads that he is her boyfriend "I don't have anything with him."

Then relief starts to wash over him as Betty's final words are reassuring him that she doesn't have a boyfriend. In this frame Armando no longer has a drink in hand and he doesn't seem as tense as before.

"Definite? We're sure of that?"

Betty chuckles and nods and his tone of voice returns to being soft spoken and calm, even hopeful as he tells her "Okay, okay it was only curiosity." (What kind of curiosity tho?;))

Betty leaves his office and has a slight smile and was on the brink of a daydream when Sofia interupts her from doing that.

I have this dumb theory where Aura Maria and Freddy are in some way a parallel of Betty and Armando except that Aura Maria takes on the role of Armando while Freddy takes on the role of Betty and if y'all want I'll write a post explaining this.

Take a break if you need it.

Skip a scene we've got Armando interacting with Freddy. Usually everyone pays the burnt of Armando's anger and in this scene he looks anything but angry. He actually humors Freddy which allows us to know that after that conversation with Betty, he has one less problem(you know the one that topped all the others). He then laughs at Freddy(I find it ironic that Freddy told him that what Jenny and him have is strictly professional at which Armando laughs and repeats the same thing. The reason I find it ironic is because we as an audience know that what J & F have is not strictly professional and the conversation Armando just had with Betty wasn't strictly profession. In other words, Fernando Gaitan has a good sense of humor) and tells him to show him his lil dancy dance and leaves to go to Mario's Office.

When he enters his office he informs him he spoke to Betty about that infamous boyfriend.

"What did she say?" Mario asks.

"Well no, that she doesn't have a boyfriend." his smiles and says happily. He the catches him up on the gossip.

While Armando is now showing an array of emotion and excitement Mario is poker face, fidgeting with his pen and studying Armando.

He tells him "You know what this means? That I'm a happy man!" he chuckles and looks around the room as if really taking in the news and letting the relief settle in. "What a relief, finally some good news today, ah" he says the final part as if he were an italian chef. This lets us know that Armando is truthfully relieved to find out that Betty, his Betty is single and that he is still her special man.

In the previous post I talked about how Armando went about listening his excuses to start drinking early that day and how he basically went going from his smallest problem to the biggest one as he says that the one that topped all of his other problems was Betty having a boyfriend.

See, all his other problems were a cause of stress and anger, emotions he is very familiar with so they don't disconcert him however, jealousy or fear of losing Betty, are new territory for him that alone freaked him out but the fact Betty had a boyfriend was enough to just push the boy just close enough to the edge he needed a drink so early in the morning because it was anguish.

Mario tells him he has never seen him so relieved and happy to find out a woman doesn't have a boyfriend to which we pan out to see Armando roll his eyes and slouch against the chair, annoyed at Mario's insinuation once again.

Mario reminds him of the last time he saw that same expression on him which was when he found out some woman was separated from her husband. Armando then tells him not to diminish the good news because it meant Betty hadn't ommited any information from him.

To really bring this post to the full potential of it being analytical let us break this down.

Why was it important for him that Betty not omit information from him? Especially relating to something so personal and intimate of Betty's life outside of the office? (Again the argument that this is only about Eco Moda and Terra Moda are disproven in the previous post).

[EDIT: Sometimes as I write I've got two ideas at the same time and forget to finish writing them. It wasn't only important for the reasons mentioned below but because he does in fact want to know more about Betty as he later tells Bertha the same thing].

Armando went through the five stages of grief.

Anger, denial, anger, denial, more denial, and then moving on.

He did not accept that Betty had a boyfriend therefore when she told him she didn't he fully believed her, didn't ask more questions.

For Armando Betty's character means a lot. I don't mean the individual personification of Betty as a fictional character in this novela I mean as in her inner self and what she represent. To him Betty represent stability, comfort, unconditionality, honesty, and most of all fidelity and loyalty and the last three qualities are what he is always naming. If she withheld something from him it would mean that Betty was no longer that. She no longer would be an object of reassurance and comfort but like everyone else she'd become an unpredictable and untrustworthy individual in his life. Some one more that he needed to keep at arm's length or pretend around.

Armando has gotten a taste of being around someone who doesn't judge him when he is himself and doesn't hold it over him when he makes mistakes based on his neurotic nature or anger issues. Instead he has been around someone who understand he's like that, someone who is patient and knows how to call him out on it and how to handle his erratic behavior so he has learned to let his guard down little by little and found a niche of comfort in his assistant but if she lied to him it would take all of that away. It would be betrayal in his eyes.

That's why it was so important to him that Betty didn't keep secret from him. Especially seeing as they were forming a friendship that was based on honesty and respect towards each other. This explains why that was important to him. It's important for him to have trust in her.

However we ain't kidding anyone because his reaction was possessive over Betty because Betty has given all of these things to Armando, who has never really received them without some fine print, and he doesn't want to share her with anyone else. This is possessiveness and it is not love or romantic. It is a toxic trait because not one person belongs to someone and Armando feels that Betty belongs to him. Be it romantically, platonically, or work related, a person is a human being and they do not belong as an object or property to anyone.

Armando is a very emotionally immature individual and this shows us that.

Mario then proceeds to be his classical self, which is to sow the seed of paranoia in his best friend as he starts to point out that her friends wouldn't be saying that if Betty hadn't given them a reason. His hands clasped in front of him show a position of power. Right now he is holding the cards and he is well aware of that.

Right as he see the reaction he wanted from Armando he leaves him to ferment so to speak in the paranoia he has left in him. Armando becomes nervous all over again and susceptible to it.

He is left with himself and he says "Y quien es el.." now if you're hispanic or latino you'll find the humor in how that scene ends as he starts to sing in a sorrowful tone a very romantic and a song that I'd say most listen to when dealing with a break up "y en que lugar se enamoro de ti?"

Which translate to "And what is he like? and in what place did he fall in love with you?"

I won't read too much into that as I'm sure it was written in for humor or added in for the humor effect as we've had some pretty heavy emotionally driven scenes in this episode but I do think it's an ironic placement of humor.

Now to bring the final scene that I will be discussing regarding Armando finding out about Betty's boyfriend we come full circle with Armando asking Bertha about it.

He acts charismatic, composed and professional to get Bertha to talk to him.

"The subject is the following: I've got a long time working with Betty and It's just until now that I find out she's got boyfriend. Do you know who he is?"

"Well like really know? No, because she's so reserved"

He then with a pierced mouth nods. Again those feelings are creeping back up. I get it. He's feeling paranoia, distrust, betrayed, hurt, offended, scared, jealous, possessive and angry but this proves what I mentioned about Armando having his guard up at all times because he doesn't show any of this to Bertha, at least not enough where she picks up but because we as an audience are given so much detail regarding his character, we can.

Quickly he asks her "And you don't know how long she's been dating him?" brings us full circle again. The same tone he had with Betty when he told her that he was in the same room as her when Bertha said that she had a boyfriend, minus the smirk and actual reaction of his, once again proves that Armando knows when to show his reaction and how to be in control and composed.

Bertha proceeds to tell him the "actual" story in which she tells him "dating dating? No, but he does have her eating from the palm of his hand because she's stupidly in love with him." and we hear Armando gasp and say "No." we then get a frame of his face which shows us... the opiset of happiness, joy, relief, tranquility, peace, serenity but with someone trying to be composed.

Bertha tells him that Mariana read her the cards and said that he was Betty's dream man and that he was going to change her life and she was going to change his life. I don't care for that but for the sake of this breakdown I'll mention it.

We know that Betty's dream man is Armando, not Nicolas. However everyone else thinks it's Nicolas. Armando's facial expression shows someone once again panicking.

He not only finds out that Betty has boyfriend, now it turns out she didn't just omit something from him but lied when he asked her and to top it off she so happens to be stupidly in love with him and on top of all of that he is Betty's dream man and to finish it off, he will change her life and she will change his life in the mildest of riches, meaning with Betty becoming the sole owner of Eco Moda and Terra Moda, making her rish rish $$$.

This is when it no longer is just about his mixed up feelings for Betty but now the entire livelihood of his family and everyone that works for Eco Moda.

Eco Moda is Armando's pride and joy. He does love that company which is why he started that scheme in the first place because he didn't want to lose it, let his father down, prove Daniel right, and throw away 30 plus year of his father's work and life time(Also as we're told because of his goals). The company means a great deal to him and in ways he's not aware of yet, so does Betty.

However someone is aware of this, not to the deep knowledge that Armando has regarding whatever he thinks he is feels towards Betty but they've got some sort of idea regarding this and they innact and come up with a plan to secure the company, the presidency, and his statues and reputation.

Step one: Tell Armando that he needs to make Betty fall in love with him to secure the company. Women in love will do anything for the one they love therefore if he beats Nicolas to the goal we secure the company. It worked with Paty(he's stupid so his logic doesn't work)

Step two: Convince Armando that he is the right candidate for the job. If that doesn't work, manipulate him with paranoia and make him fear Betty. If that doesn't work, tell him you were sure that Betty was in love with him before you found out about Nicolas.

Step three: Tell Armando I will be in charge of all the corny details because he will freak out and get way over his head and ruin the plan.

Step four: make fun of him.

Step five: Go on a trip and write a letter that explains the entire plan in detail and leave it on my desk without telling my secretary to not let anyone touch it or go near it except Armando so that she can go into my office, and I know how she likes to be nosy, and she can then think it's in the wrong office and give it to her assistant who takes care of all of his stuff, literally, and she finds it, reads it and does exactly what I was afraid of and made my best friend afraid of as well and that will then bring her downfall, his downfall, therefore the entire company's downfall.

Step six: never realize how stupid I am or take full accountability for it and apologize sincerely for all the wrong and harm I have caused.

Obviously I'm not saying Armando is innocent or that he didn't do anything wrong. He did. He allowed his best friend to manipulate him when he said he wouldn't listen to him again(the panama thing), he allowed his best friend to make fun of Betty and was a coward to admit his true feelings not only to himself but to his best friend. He was a willing(felt guilty for it but nonetheless willing) participant in the plan.

By now breaking down these past episodes and scenes allows us to understand where Armando was coming from so we can sympathize just a bit for him and his confusion and how he was so easily manipulated by Mario, however this doesn't mean he isn't guilty. At the start of it he too to some degree thought no one could love Betty, (yes we later find out that he did care for her as he tells Mario that he feels endearment for Betty and he looks relieved to find that out. I will be breaking down that scene when I get to it) because of her physicality (I already talked about this but when the time is right I will go into deep detail regarding this part of Armando's character).

It is eleven AM. I have been writing this post for the past seven hours and I am beat and tired. I hope this makes sense.

Once again, 'til next time.

HAHAHA OKAY I FORGOT TO ADD SOME COMMENTARY ON THE REST OF THIS SCENE.

[Edit:

Bertha proceeds to tease Armando about him liking gossip and being Nosey. He gets annoyed at her but in order to get the information he wants he stays composed and tells her that he just wants to know about Betty.

"It's not that[I like gossip], it's just that this is about someone who is really close to me everyday-who I work really close with- and truth be told I am a little curious about Betty's life. You know, one just imagine her a little ugly and with boyfriend...? You know? Why don't you tell me the whole thing?"

At first he is a being defensive while trying to justify the fact he is being nosey. His tone then changes to endearing as he tells her "truth be told I am a little curious about Betty's life." and his face goes along with the tone as he says "you know, one just imagines her a little ugly-" he catches himself and say "and with boyfriend...?"

Overall what we have learned here is that Armando is really good at dismissing his feelings on the spot, suppressing them, and running away from them(I too do that and it's a pain in the butt). He does this as a sport.

Bertha then tells him "The thing is that Betty doesn't like it much for you to know about her private life." and this again offends Armando as he straightens his face and stares at Bertha in shock and as Bertha says "How is it, Sir..." and he quickly sits down to listen to her. "that this morning when we left your office she pulled me aside and told me that she didn't want you to know about her intimate life?" he rubs his chin, eyes still on Bertha and whispers "Really?"

Armando knows that Bertha can't tell half a gossip so instead of asking her to keeping telling him, practically begging her to tell him the whole scoop he manipulates her by saying "If this is going to cause problems then don't tell me. Let's leave it as is, Bertha, thank you." his tone is somber to tug at her strings, how could she possibly leave this man curious over this juicy gossip? and how could she not tell the whole story? Especially because it's her boss?

Bertha chuckles and tells him that she, of course is going to tell him, that she is dying to tell him. Armando then tells her "Well then if this is between us two it doesn't leave the planet, go on, tell me how did it go?"

Armando starts to bit his nail as he listen to Bertha start from the beginning.

She tells him word for word what Mariana said about Betty's dream man. She's obviously describing Armando, but to everyone else that's Nicolas, so the impression or idea that Armando now has of Nicolas is that he isn't some loser or nerd or some nobody but he is an important man who is the type of man woman lust over. They will have an intense relationship that will be strong and that the man is fundamental for her life.

This describes a man that is both important and that will be for sure in Betty's life.

Now Bertha goes on to describe the man Betty told them about. He is desired by woman,tall, handsome, strong, isn't rich but has money, has a big car, and his name is Nicolas Mora. However Betty clearifies that she has nothing going on with him, that she just likes him and she feels a strong attraction to him but that nothing has happened between them.

Then Mariana tells her that something will happen because it will change both of their lives.

Take into account that though Betty's life in a personal aspect hasn't changed much in the professional aspect it has. She's got a respectable job, a boss who values her work ethic and her enough to hand over his company which means she's could be rich. She's abandon some of her morals to collaborate with her scheming boss and is doing things that aren't morally correct.

Armando's life has changed not only professionally but personally. For one he's begun to let his guard down and given more of himself to a woman he isn't in a relationship or knowingly attracted to, his relationship with Marcela is only getting worse and Betty is usually the center of their biggest fights, he has now built a friendship with said woman built on trust and respect, something he has never done with any other woman and of course professionally he has sunken his and his family's company into debt.

I'd say Armando's life is changing a lot and that's not even the peak of it. Betty's life is also changing a lot and they haven't even started dating.

Armando is aware of how Betty's life is changing on a work related level so he obviously believes everything Bertha is telling him because he knows things she doesn't know.

Impatiently and annoyed Armando tells Bertha to explain what she means by "it's going to change their lives." which again since he "knows" things Bertha doesn't, therefore Tweedledum has sowed the seed of paranoia and Tweedledee has given it the perfect terrain for it to flourish so Armando is now listening to Mario's voice that Betty could turn against them though the important thing to note here is that Armando isn't mistrusting of Betty instead he is really mistrusting of Nicolas, because again, who could really fall in love with "ugly" betty. Except that's a joke on it's own because the idiot was already having feelings for her.

They are interrupted by Guti Guti and this is where I will end this post.

Truthfully until next time. ]

#analysis of ysblf #armando mendoza #armando ysblf #don armando #mario calderon #betty pinzón solano #betty ysblf #betty la fea #ysblf #yo soy betty la fea

[kuiinncedes]

just the keys to paradise

jatp au - prologue - part 1/15? - 1834 words

relationships: blaine & sam & tina & artie

okkkk we're doing it 🤪 idk how regularly i will update this (omg ongoing fic??? who is she) but i do have like technically a ~few~ chapters i guess done,,, and i am working on the next so . we're gonna try this lol

anyway if it wasn't clear this is an au based on the most amazing tv show ever with only 9 episodes pls watch or rewatch it on netflix the emmy-award winning julie and the phantoms !!! 🤪

that being said if you haven't watched it what are you doing jk i think you can still read this and hopefully it makes sense 😂 feel free to ask me if there's anything that doesn't make sense lol :)

also fyi in case it influences your decision to read: this will be more focused on platonic relationships for a while but will almost certainly have main endgames klaine, quinntina, and samcedes 😋

prologue title and lyrics in this part from "now or never" from the jatp soundtrack

plot and some dialogue from julie and the phantoms so like credit to all those creators and writers 🤪

warnings for this part: car accident, major character deaths (both of these are not actually in writing/"on screen" just implied at the end (especially within the context of this being a jatp au) and nothing really described -- if you want/need more details feel free to ask me)

read on ao3 or under the cut :D

--

1995

“Dudes, we fucking killed that !” Sam cheers when the smoke has cleared, going around and giving each of them something that could be called a high-five, just not to their hands. Tina laughs and cheers too as Sam excitedly taps her feet after she gets out from behind her kit, still elevated on the drum stage. Some of the workers applaud them from the audience space.

“Too bad we wasted that on the soundcheck,” Artie jokes, putting his guitar down and grabbing his water bottle. “That was the tightest we’ve ever played, yo!”

Tina grins and hops down from the drum platform. Sam slings an arm around her shoulders and she grabs his wrist. They’re both sweaty and too warm but she doesn’t mind having Sam’s heat pressed against her right side.

God, she thinks… that really was something else, even though it was just the soundcheck. She looks around at her bandmates’ faces -- shiny with sweat, red with exhilaration and exertion, bright with elation, eyes wide with excitement and --

Wow. They’re playing the Orpheum.

Blaine pats Artie on the back, jostling him enough to spill the water he’s trying to drink down the front of his shirt, but Artie just laughs -- he’s soaked with sweat anyway. They have spare clothes backstage just for this reason.

“Just wait until tonight, guys, when this place is packed with record execs,” Blaine says, looking out wonderingly into the empty (for now) audience. His grin widens almost imperceptibly, which is impressive considering how huge it already is.

“We’re gonna be legends!” the other three of them chorus, before Blaine can, and they laugh when he turns to them, affronted. “That’s my line!”

“It’s what you get for saying it ten times a day for the last month!” Tina teases. Blaine pushes her shoulder playfully, putting his hand within reach for Sam to grab. It’s a strange position considering Sam’s arm is still around Tina’s shoulders, but Tina adds her hand to their hold as Sam beckons Artie over from his side of the stage, barking out his name with joking anger.

Artie puts his water down and walks over to complete the group, placing his hand on top of Tina’s. “Tina, you were smokin’,” he says.

She rolls her eyes a little and grins back. “Pretty sure you’re just talking about the pyro. You guys were the ones on fire,” she says, pointing her drumsticks around at them.

“T, can you just own your awesomeness for once?” Blaine exclaims.

“Queen T!” Sam calls, pulling her closer into his side. She stumbles into him, laughing as the guys all start cheering it after Sam.

“Okay, okay! Thanks, guys, I got it!” she squeals, trying to get them to quiet down although -- they are in the Orpheum, where they’re playing later, it’s not like they have to be quiet -- while Sam leans his weight on her, causing them to stagger into the drum riser. Tina catches herself on it and Sam finally detaches from her and they’re still being loud and raucous and probably somewhat annoying to the staff, but she’s just laughing too hard to care.

“We’ve got an hour ‘til the show; I say we go celebrate before we become legends!” Blaine proclaims, jumping off the stage. The other three follow.

Tina starts, “Celebrate our last night of being -- ”

“Losers?” Artie interjects.

They’ve caught the attention of one of the Orpheum workers -- a woman with brown hair who’s wiping down the tables, smiling at them as Tina catches her eye. “There’s some nice restaurants around here,” she says with a wink. “You guys really killed it, by the way. But it seems like you know that.”

Blaine laughs, a little sheepishly. “Thanks. Uh, I’m Blaine,” he says. “This is -- ”

“Sam, hi!”

“Tina, how’s it going -- ”

“Artie, hey.”

Tina raises her eyebrows and stifles a laugh at Artie as he leans his sweaty arms onto the table that the woman just cleaned.

“We’re Sunset Curve!” Blaine says to complete their introduction.

“Tell your friends!” Sam calls, raising his voice and drawing the other workers’ attention to them. Tina elbows him lightly in the side.

“Nice to meet you,” the stranger says. “I’m Elle. So… what were you guys thinking for this -- what was it -- ‘celebration of your last night as losers’?”

“Well, we really can’t afford any nice places -- ” Sam starts.

“Oh, you know what? We should just go to Tip Top!” Blaine says, clapping his hands together. The others are quick to agree -- it’s the small, cheap diner where they spent the evening after their first “real” gig, and they’ve spent countless hours there since, annoying the staff and depleting their supply of plastic silverware. The employees there have learned to let them take what they legally can (and sometimes what they couldn’t), and the band is friendly with most of them. They haven’t been there in too long, having been working hard to get the Orpheum gig, and then writing and rehearsing like crazy once they got it.

Elle smiles as they excitedly and loudly recount stories of Tip Top to each other -- sentimental memories and the ridiculousness they got up to -- talking over each other and having multiple conversations at once.

“I guess you don’t need my recommendations?” she says lightly.

“Oh! Yeah, sorry, we’re good, thanks so much for offering,” Blaine answers, polite as ever.

“Have fun! Looking forward to seeing you guys perform again tonight.”

“Thank you!” the four of them exclaim as they make their way back to the exit. Tina yanks on the back of Artie’s shirt as he lingers at the table, a dumb look on his face that tells her he’s trying to flirt, or at least, his version of it.

“Tina!” Artie yelps and she laughs at the annoyed look on his face.

“You are not exempt from this last night of loser-dom celebration. You’re telling me you’d rather flirt with a girl than this?”

“Yes,” Artie grumbles. There’s no heat behind it, and Tina playfully pushes him sideways.

“Plus, we need you to drive.”

“You can drive!”

“Technically we all can drive!” Tina laughs at Artie’s horrified expression, probably at the prospect -- and memory -- of the one time Blaine drove them to a gig. “Just not your car!” she calls, jogging to catch up with Blaine and Sam, Artie running after her. “Your car is the fucking worst.”

“Don’t talk about her like that!”

“Blaine and Sam agree!”

That gets their attention and the two guys turn, Blaine asking, “What are we agreeing with?”

“I agree with Tina,” Sam says immediately. Tina nods gratefully at him.

“You don’t even know what we’re talking about!” Artie complains.

They’re at his beat-up car now and they pile in, Tina in the passenger seat laughing as Sam all but tackles Blaine into the backseat when he starts for the driver’s side, jostling her and Artie in the front. They continue shuffling around while Artie attempts to start the car, to many concerning -- but normal for his car -- noises.

“This thing is gonna go down and take us with it, Artie,” Tina mumbles teasingly, absentmindedly twirling a drumstick in her right hand. (She realizes too late that she probably should’ve left them at the Orpheum, but it’s not a big deal -- they’re not her favorite pair which are safe in their studio and she has extras backstage in case something happens to this pair while they’re out.)

The car finally starts with a rumble and Artie lets out a cheer. “We’re fine, T. Let’s go, y’all!”

“Floor it, Artie!” Sam calls from the back. The car accelerates comically slowly even as Artie presumably “floors it,” but they’re going somewhere.

After a few minutes, Tina finds herself unconsciously humming her solo in the bridge of “Now or Never,” only noticing when Sam interjects suddenly with his “Tomorrow!” leaning between the front seats and slightly startling her. She laughs and continues with the words, “‘Cause we got all we need today! ”

“Today!” Artie echoes, miming his guitar playing with one hand on the steering wheel.

“Living on a feeling that’s been running through our veins!” Blaine sings loudly, joining Sam in crowding into the front of the car.

“We’re the revolution that’s been singing in the rain!” It’s Sam’s line, but they all belt it at the top of their lungs together.

“That’s my line!” Sam exclaims at the same time that Blaine cheers, “My favorite line!” Tina continues to clap the beat for the next part of the song, Artie hitting the steering wheel in rhythm with her. Her face hurts from smiling.

“Artie, dude, where’d you go?” Blaine asks suddenly. Tina looks around at their slowly darkening surroundings that are completely unfamiliar. Slight panic rises in her stomach but she swallows it down; she’s with her boys, they’re safe, just a little lost.

Sam bursts out in uproarious laughter as Artie complains, “You guys distracted me!”

“Told you I should’ve driven!” Blaine says. He leans forward again and Sam follows. Tina stays quiet, pressing herself against the door a little to make room; her boys aren’t that much better but she’s always been completely hopeless with navigation and directions.

“You would’ve gotten even more distracted from singing and veered us right into a fucking building,” Artie grumbles, but he obeys as Blaine directs him to turn left and chooses to ignore his comment.

“Safe driving, am I right, dudes?” Sam cackles as he returns to the backseat, and Tina can’t help but laugh with him. “We’re gonna miss our gig, that’s how we’ll be legends!”

“‘Sunset Curve Skips Orpheum Showcase For No Reason’?” Tina suggests, turning around in her seat to face Sam.

He points at her. “Exactly. Or, 'Sunset Curve Skips Orpheum Showcase Because They Don't Know How To Drive.' The end of a promising career,” he jokes somberly. “No one would ever book them again.”

They fall silent and only the mutters of Blaine and Artie fill the car, along with the loud engine.

“Still haven’t figured it out yet?” Sam groans loudly, laying on his back across the backseats as Blaine is leaning awkwardly out of his seat to help Artie navigate.

“Not like you’re helping!” Artie says.

“That’s the street!” Blaine exclaims, pointing ahead. “The next intersection.”

“Give it up for Mr. Blaine Anderson, everyone,” Artie drawls, speeding up the car a little bit. “Perhaps not able to drive, but navigator extraordinaire.”

“You chose the wrong career path, dude,” Sam says, propping himself up on one elbow to clap Blaine’s shoulder. “Like, songwriting?”

Blaine looks down at him, raising an eyebrow. “Songwriting?” He gestures for Sam to continue.

Sam shrugs, sitting up finally. “Just, you know, songwriting, bro…" His gaze suddenly shifts and fixes at a point beyond Tina. "What th-- that car Artie!”

Tina snaps her gaze away from Sam just in time to see him yank Blaine down into his seat and the set of blinding headlights through the car windows in her periphery.

---

as a final note, i'm not sure if it can be seen this way but i'm not trying to erase artie's disability or anything and i believe i'm not doing that; as you might be able to guess, the car accident at the end of this is what paralyzes him, like in glee canon but just several years later (in his life not in actual time). please let me know if any aspect of this is disrespectful or anything <3

#i guess the warnings do kinda spoil it but it is the main point of the show lol #bye i'm stressed alksdhfgkajdhkkdsjf #kurt and the phantoms #i'm making a fucking tag for this yeahhh #will probably go back and tag some things where i shared lines or whatever lol bc i couldn't shut up about this 😂 #this will be following the songs on the soundtrack... all of them not just the ones that are episode titles 👀 #i'm really excited i love my ideas aksdghdfjkghlsdfjghkasdjf #so i hope i can do them well haha and i hope posting will help me keep motivated #but also i'm just really excited about it and want to share #and kinda reminding myself how i'm fine with wips being not updated for a long time or abandoned like it's not too big of a deal #so if that happens with this the person i'll be disappointing most is myself 😂 #omg now or never came on shuffle while i'm putting it on ao3 a sure sign i should post lmao #what the fuck is ao3 doing putting spaces after italicized words excuse me???? kldhgklsdjfgh #AHHHH ok shit here we go???? #dude editing this took way too long and it was just removing fucking spaces before and after italicized words after copying and pasting #from docs to ao3 and then from ao3 to tumblr???? why ?????? #so i have forgotten anything else i wanted to say lol i will also put other tags in a second #ahhhjkdgfhkjlsdfgkahd;lkjadfghsdljighaksfd #glee #glee fic #jatp #julie and the phantoms #blaine anderson #tina cohen chang #sam evans #artie abrams #glee fanfiction #my ficsssss #ALSO this is why i've been on some blamtina bullshit lately lol 🤪 we got some blamtina comingggggg #and kurt of course ahhhh :DDD

[enkelimagnus]

A Castle in the Forest

Percy x Vex’ahlia, Chapter 9, 3123 words,

A Modern AU, in which Vex is a park ranger taking over the Alabaster Sierras post, and finds much more than she bargained for

Read on AO3

---------------

“Well, hello, there. Who are you?”

The question is asked in two voices, one humanoid enough and the other dark and deep and fiendish. It resounds around her as if the room is much bigger than it actually is.

Vex can’t breathe. She’s made the biggest mistake of her life, and she’s going to die. This is the fiend, it has to be. The barbed devil from before seems ridiculously small and weak. It took seconds to bring it down, even if it was three against one. This one though? There’s no way Vex is coming out of here alive, if they start to fight.

Their arms are to their side, one of their hands resting on something on a belt around their hips. Sword hilt? She can’t think about what else it could be.

The door behind her is open, so there is somewhere for her to go. She could try to book it and run but she doubts she’ll be able to make it back out, unless there’s some sort of magical field keeping the fiend inside. She might make it to the tunnel.

Vex tries to make out what the creature’s shoes are, hoping desperately that they would make it hard for them to run after her but the smoke billowing on the ground makes it hard to see. The edges of the smoke are starting to reach Vex’s feet, too. She doesn’t want to find out what will happen if they start wrapping around her legs. She takes a step back.

“You came into my home, the least you could do is tell me your name,” they continue, taking a step forward, keeping the distance between them equal.

The unilateral blinking is unnerving. Vex has never seen something like this. She doesn’t remember learning about it in any class she’s taken either. It’s deeply wrong, but she can’t tell what’s happening, or what it is.

She doesn’t want to give them her name. Names have power, she knows that. She’s learned that. Staying silent isn’t a great option either.

“Wade,” she blurts out. She has no idea where it comes from, but it seems to work. Maybe she has a little bit of luck. Hopefully, she hasn’t burned it all on lying about her name.

“Wade…” The creature shifts a little, hand tilting to the other side, as they repeat the name she’s given them. “What brings you to me, today? You look… emotional.”

They would be emotional if they were in front of something like this fiend. A bit of rage rises inside of her. How dare they call her emotional? But she swallows it down. It’s not the fucking time. She can’t let her emotions ruin this for her too.

The clothing on them is beautiful, though old. It has seen wear without care for a while. The blue color is faded and the gold thread is scuffed, dulled. They look like a strange, faded version of a noble.

If they're noble, and standing in the basement dungeon of Castle Whitestone, there’s not a hundred different options on who they could be.

“Are you a De Rolo?” She asks bluntly.

A ripple of emotions erupts on the right side of the creature’s face, the side where the eye is blue. They seem relieved at first, then sad. Then worried. It's a rollercoaster on one side of the face. Once again, it feels wrong to Vex.

It does give her incentive to keep talking though.

“You have the clothing of a noble, but it’s old. And there haven’t been nobles in Whitestone for years,” she points out. “You have to be one of them.”

She wishes she’d researched them more, right now. If she knew their names, she could try to guess which one they were, she could try to appeal to their past to an extent. But she doesn’t know. All she knows is that this thing might be a de Rolo. Were they a fiend all along? Had they snapped and killed the entire family in one go after posing as one of them for so long?

Long enough to look like a twenty-year-old human. Vex is almost impressed. That sure was a long con. She wouldn’t have been able to handle pretending to be someone else for decades. She’d tried that for a couple of years as a teenager and it hadn’t worked.

“Are you from Whitestone, Wade?” De Rolo starts again. They don’t answer anything to Vex’s comments, but she’s seen enough. They shift and lean forward, taking a deep, loud inhale. “You don’t smell like the city. Like the dust and rot of this godsforsaken ugly little town. You…” They inhale again deeply. “You smell like woods. Like wild magic. Like Fey… it’s faded but it’s there, Wade. Why do you smell like Fey, when you’re obviously not one?”

Vex feels nauseous suddenly. She smells like fey. It has to be Saundor’s influence, still stuck in her, on her. His magic, his energy, his essence, wrapped around her and smothering hers still. It’s been seven fucking months. How long until she’s free? How many baths until she stops smelling like him?

The creature smirks. “See? It’s fun when someone reminds you of a painful past, isn’t it, little othlir?”

Vex takes another step back. She tries to reassure herself that they don’t know her, the term othlir is commonly used enough by full-blooded elves that it would make sense she’d been referred to by it once. It doesn’t have to mean they know her.

She raises her hands. “I don’t want to fight you,” she says. Her voice manages to be unwavering. “I will not tell anyone you’re here. I just want to leave.”

She wants to run home to Vax and never leave. She wants to stay alive. She wants to run from those words and the knowledge this thing seems to have. She wants to go and scrub Saundor off her once again. At least she doesn’t have to be careful of her burns anymore. They’ve healed months ago.

The creature’s mouth shifts as they smirk at her. It’s distorted and, once again, wrong. Vex’s hair rises on the back of her neck. They look predatory. And she’s the prey. She takes another step back. The creature follows, not letting her put distance between them.

She’s reaching for her bow when something changes. The black eye flickers, the darkness filling it seems to be shoved away and it turns to the same blue the other one is. The creature hisses loudly, bending on themselves. Something’s happening to them.

“RUN!” The voice is broken and desperate, but lacking the darker, deeper fiendish tone from before. It’s not both voices anymore, just one. And they seem to want her to leave.

Blue eyes meet hers as the body contorts, the smoke wrapping around it almost angrily. A struggle is happening. Vex feels so deeply out of her depths. She watches as their eyes flicker between blue with white sclera and fully black, the hissing resounding in Vex’s ears. They look in pain.

“Please,” they whisper again. When the eyes are blue, they look desperate.

Something snaps and Vex starts moving. It’s instinctive and she’s through the door before she can really realize what she’s doing.

The hissing gets louder and suddenly, there’s a beast snarling behind her, loud and angry. She jumps through the crumbled part of the wall and starts running down the tunnel. It’s dark and empty and the noises resound around her. They’re everywhere, the fiend is everywhere.

She turns with the tunnel’s path and she can see the outside light. She’s almost out. And once she’s out… Hopefully, it won’t be able to follow her past the tunnel’s exit. Once she’s out in the world, she hopefully will be okay.

She’s almost halfway there when a loud bang thunders through the tunnel. Her ears ring with the loudness of it. Barely a second later, her shoulder explodes with pain.

She screams. Tears rise in her eyes from the pain and she stumbles. Somehow, thank the Gods, she doesn’t fall. Her legs push her towards the outside. She can’t look behind herself. She can’t do anything but cry and run.

Vex bolts out of the tunnel and keeps going until she can’t stop anymore. Her clothing is dark with blood, the pain is horrible and she’s aware the only reason she’s alive right now is that it didn’t hit major blood vessels. Or at least, not too much.

Fuck. She stops for a second and reaches up. Her hands stumble through the motions of her Cure Wounds spell. She’s vaguely aware that she’s making noise, desperate noises of pain and fear. The magic wraps around her and seeps into the wound, managing to repair some of the damage but it’s not enough.

She isn’t sure how much more she can heal herself, and all her potions are at the cabin. She’s vulnerable, bleeding, leaving a trail behind herself, and the Parchwood Timberlands are notoriously dangerous. With a shoulder like this, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to draw her bow correctly. She’s virtually defenseless.

She needs Vax. She reaches down for her phone. Thankfully, it’s intact and in her pocket. Her fingers manage to find the right places to click to send him her geolocation before she switches to her contact list. She hits ‘call’ and waits, and prays. She prays to anyone that can hear that he has his phone, that he has service, and that he’s still at the cabin and not in town the way he said he would be.

The call rings in the silence, for so long. Vex is almost certain he’s not going to pick up when he does.

“Vex?”

“I’m injured,” she blurts out. “Sent you my location. I don’t know where I am or how to get home, and I don’t think I can draw my bow.” Her voice is shaking.

This isn’t the first time she calls him in despair. Tears sting her eyes again at the thought. Useless.

“I’m on my way,” he promises. “I’ll take a healing potion.”

He hangs up then, probably to get everything she needs and get to her faster, but the silence is overwhelming. Vex looks behind herself, searching for a blue coat and dark smoke.

She desperately throws herself in her awareness. The fiend shows on her radar, but it’s far away. She finds herself relaxing a bit. Pain shoots through her shoulder again. She looks down at the hole in her coat, then at the hole in her body. It’s unlike anything she’s seen before.

What in the Nine Hells did this to her? Not an arrow, unless it was heavily modified. And the loud thundering bang… She can’t identify it. She knows a lot about weapons but that noise, she’d never heard before.

Another question that lacks answers.

She’s not going to get any answer right now anyway. She’s hopefully far enough away that she won’t end up face to face with the fiend and whatever caused that wound for now. She sighs heavily. With all of this, she hasn’t hunted. Fuck. She’s useless. She can only sit there and mope at her own stupidity.

Snow starts falling again as she waits, covering her clothes and her hair with little flakes of pure white that eventually melt from her body heat. She should be aware of the beauty of it, but right now, she’s not able to enjoy this. She’s hurt and tired and her mind won’t stop yelling at her. Vax is taking so much time.

She should check where she is. She doesn’t. Vax will find her eventually, he’s not that terrible in nature. She needs to stop giving him so little credit. He’s saved her enough times to prove his skills.

Everything is silent as the snow falls on her, and she sits there, quiet. She’s breathing. She’s okay. She didn’t die. That’s already something, right? She wishes she could stop her mind from working right now. It won’t shut up.

She doesn’t know how long she waits. She refuses to check her phone if it isn’t ringing. It’s not. She only has Vax after all, who else would make it ring? She just… sits there and waits, cold and tired and quiet.

The crunching of feet on snow makes her snap her head to see what’s coming. It’s Vax, all dressed in his black clothing, like a large ink stain on the white of the snow, purposefully not stealthy. Probably so she won’t shoot him. Smart.

Vex should be happier to see him. She’s not. It’s a bitter relief.

His eyes stop on the red stain of blood around her shoulder and barely move from that.

“I’ve given myself a Cure Wounds,” she calls out. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Vax nods quietly and hands her the red healing potion. She uncorks it and swallows. It’s sour and sweet at once, warming her from the inside out, despite not being heated. She feels the warmth seep into her bones and gather around her shoulder, where the wound is.

The pain disappears. She doesn’t look to see if it’s completely healed yet. She doesn’t want to take off too many layers while in the snow.

“What happened?” Vax asks after a second, when she puts the empty glass vial in her pocket and stands up, probably looking much better than when he found her.

Vex sighs and picks up her bow. “I went after a fiend.”

Vax blinks at her, then rolls his eyes. “You, alone, against a fiend? Vex….”

“It was a mistake, I get it,” Vex snaps and starts walking. “I’m lucky I made it out alive. That’s what you wanna hear?” She hisses.

There’s a bit of bewildered silence. “Are you okay?”

“I think the potion healed the last of the damage,” Vex replies. She knows that’s not what he meant, but she doesn’t want to talk about her stupid feelings. Especially not right now, when he seems so fine about it all.

Vex keeps going forward, until she realizes she can’t hear his crunchy footsteps anymore. She turns around. He’s standing a hundred feet back, arms crossed.

“What the fuck are you doing?” She shouts.

Vax sighs heavily. “You’re going the wrong way, stubby,” he huffs.

Embarrassment burns hot on Vex’s cheeks. Useless, she can’t stop being useless. She starts moving back towards him.

“Tell me about the fiend,” Vax says once she reaches him. “I thought you’d dealt with one already a few days ago.”

Vex exhales. “I did. A Barbed Devil that had seemingly killed the ranger before me, Regae. I wasn’t alone. I found two others to help me, out-of-towners.” She explains. “I thought we were done.”

She tells him the rest of the story, at least the big lines. She doesn’t tell him she was screaming in the snow, or that she was searching for Saundor when she felt the fiend. She does tell him about Keyleth, about the path, about the fiend. The fiend that might actually be a person.

He’s silent while she talks, and she’s just done with the story of the wound and how she can’t tell what did it when they make it home.

Vax helps her out of her heavy coat and out of her blood-drenched shirt and undershirt. He draws her a bath and takes care of the stains on her clothing. Vex curls up on herself in the hot water. He takes care of her and her things efficiently and Vex wants to cry again. She should be able to do this by herself.

“Your things are gonna dry out,” Vax says, peeking out of the door of the bathroom. “I’m going out to hunt for that meat. I’m taking the crossbow that’s under the bed.”

“Be careful!” She calls after him.

He mumbles something she can’t really make out and starts walking away. The door slams and his footsteps disappear and then there’s only silence. Vex exhales. There’s a new fiend. It’s much stronger than the Barbed Devil. She’s going to need Pike and Grog on her side again. Maybe even more people. She’ll need to go back to the temples and ask for more. Fuck. She isn’t looking forward to that.

She closes her eyes. What was that thing? All that black smoke looked magical, but the body… the body was humanoid. The pale face, with those sharp features. They looked young, and humanoid. Blue eyes… Flickering between blue and black. And the two voices. The normal one, and the fiendish one.

Fuck. There’s a De Rolo in Castle Whitestone, and they might be possessed. They have a weapon that makes holes in people’s bodies, holes unlike anything she’s ever seen, unlike arrows from bows or bolts from crossbows.

The crossbow that’s under the bed.

There might be a crossbow under the bed. But there’s also Fenthras. And Vax might have seen it.

Panic overtakes Vex and she bolts out of the bath, opens the door and throws herself to the bed to pull the case out. She’s dripping water everywhere, and she’s thankful for the fire, because else she’d be freezing but that’s not what matters now. The case is there, a little dusty, except for the places where her fingers have undone the latches. She repeats her usual motions and opens the case.

It’s there. It’s there, in all of its glory. Vex feels like she’s breathing again.

Since the first day she saw it, in Saundor’s hands, she’s been in awe of it. Still now, it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. Verdant green, dark brown leather, golden bronze inlay. The craftsmanship is breathtaking. It seems to breathe and shift on its own, alive with its own strange consciousness. Vex wonders if it knows it isn’t Saundor’s anymore.

She closes the case back and puts it under the bed again. She dries herself off and puts on some clothes. She doesn’t bother with stays right now, Just a shirt and some pants. She’s not going back outside.

Trinket comes out of a hiding spot he’s found under one of the chairs to climb on her lap and snuggle into her. Maybe she’s calming down a little now. She yawns.

When Vax comes back, he finds her buried under blankets, curled up on the bed, fast asleep. Trinket naps against her and she seems deep enough in her rest that he doesn’t disturb her to ask questions about why Saundor’s bow is under her bed. That’s for another day. A day where they both feel less like they’re teetering on the edge of a cliff.

#perc'ahlia #vex'ahlia #percy de rolo #vox machina #critical role #mine #fic

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

Pinned under wreckage. Hmm, how about Intruality with Remus a construction worker where something went wrong? Preferably happy ending but any will do. (keep up the good work! You're amazing!!)

(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written)

Requests for this card are closed, thank you to anyone who sent in requests! If you don’t want to see these you can block the tag #false bthb. As always shoot me an ask if you wanna be tagged in future stories, whether it be for bad things happen bingo or any of the other series, one shots or in general!

Thanks for the request, I hope you like it!

General Taglist (ask to be added or removed!): @im-an-anxious-wreck @logans-library

Hold Onto Me

Summary: Patton had just wanted to deliver lunch to his husband when he saw the emergency vehicles at the construction site. All he can hope for is that keeping ahold of his hand will be enough. (Happy Ending)

Warnings: anxiety, major injury, blood, hospitals, emergency situation (if there are more please let me know)

Prompt: Pinned Down By Wreckage

Ships: Romantic Intruality (Patton x Remus)

WC: 4038

Disclaimer: I don't think this is how construction practices work but for the sake of the beginning that’s how it's gonna work because angst. The procedure to get him out is however fairly accurate, I did a bit of research as to how someone is rescued from that kind of situation but other than that please take the accuracy of this situation with a grain of salt.

Remus’ heavy boots thudded loudly on the thin catwalk leading over top of where the scaffolding was set in place for the floor of the third story of the new building, not that he could hear it over the general din of construction work. Everything looked good, he was only here to do a general sweep over before anyone else came up to lay the insulation and then actual flooring to make sure nothing would collapse. Being so high up he had a wonderful view of the fair bit of land whoever was moving into this house would own when it was done: a field with woods surrounding it with a long, winding road leading up to the front entrance. 

It was stupidly extravagant, some dream house Roman would have loved to live in if he was rich enough to afford but Remus had been so excited to work on it, and still was. He got to help with the design work and use his hands for hours and hours and even though he came home tired and sweaty he still loved it with every fiber of his being. Not to mention he got to go home to Patton who would smile and cup his cheek to kiss him before pushing him down the hall to shower while he started on dinner. He’d come out to help and they’d settle down at the table or couch to talk or watch a movie and then either work on their own things or cuddle up in bed depending on how tired they were. It was mundane and domestic most of the time but Remus loved that with Patton. He had him and his job and his stupid brother and he couldn’t be happier; everything in his life made him feel safe and happy and comfortable and he couldn’t imagine asking for anything better.

Of course it could all be ruined in an instant. One wrong step and he could certainly plummet to his death. The scaffolding could crack and he’d be impaled on a jagged piece of wood. He could break every bone in his body or be paralyzed for life and be a burden on everyone who knew him and- Remus shook his head impatiently, willing the thoughts away as he turned carefully and began making the rest of the way across the catwalk. Thoughts like that kept him on his toes at least but it was best not to dwell on them too much. He was always careful and he wasn’t about to jinx himself by thinking of everything that could go wrong on the job.

He almost laughed when he felt it: a shift under his feet that meant something could be loose. Of course he would manage to have the most ironic timing in the world. Carefully stepping back he looked closely to see if he could tell what the problem was but he saw nothing. Biting his lip he looked back up at the last couple of feet he had to walk. He should definitely turn around and tell someone to look and fix whatever might be wrong, but he could also save the time and try to figure out himself what it could be if he could just get a better vantage point. It was only a couple of feet, if he stepped wide enough he might be able to avoid whatever problem there was.

Mind made up he stepped forward again more gingerly than he had ever done anything in his life, faintly hearing the lunch bell ringing and the gradual silence that was left from the various machines being turned off and tools being put down. Good, he thought, that way if anything happens no one’s around to get hurt. He screwed his mouth to the side as he quickly dismissed that thought as well, mentally kicking himself for the possible jinx. It was only a couple of feet, just one step and he could hug the wall and lean over to see what the problem was. Honestly with the way the skeleton of the wall was he could probably squeeze himself between the gaps of the unfinished floor and climb down to safety to avoid even having to hop back to the catwalk and go all the way back around. Leaning forward a bit for stability he brought his arms out and quickly lunged for the one, grabbing a hold of two support beams and digging into them so hard his fingernails began to ache. Despite that his new position seemed to be fine, no more shifting under his feet as the tips of his boots found a bit of purchase on the floor's framework by the wall. Grinning through the adrenaline rush he maneuvered himself around until he was facing back towards the room and carefully surveyed the floor. They had laid the framework out in a hurry- ill advised but for the time crunch they were under it had seemed necessary. The consequence for them rushing it though thankfully just seemed to be a missing support plank, making a couple of the beams bow under the catwalk when they were walked on. An easy enough fix and thankfully one that would be relatively quick.

Remus looked down with a grimace. He could climb down...but he had already gotten in trouble once for using scaffolding as a jungle gym even if he was trying to be careful not to be caught. He’d rather not be labeled as a liability not even halfway through the project and since in reality there wasn’t that much wrong with the floor he really didn’t have an excuse not to walk back the way he’d come. Sighing in disappointment he stepped forward and began to make his way back across, the shifting under his feet only making him slightly nervous as he took a bigger step to avoid the worst of it- only to immediately regret it as the entire catwalk shifted to the right as the board he was using slid away from the framework. The catwalk was mostly just a series of shorter boards placed in a sort of grid pattern so you could walk around without there actually having to be a floor. The board he was standing on and currently trying his hardest to rebalance on had shifted under his weight making the edge fall off the board underneath it, meaning it was now hanging onto a beam less than three inches thick by a couple of inches at its end. So not only was then the floor not laid well but the catwalk hadn’t been properly secured either, and if he squinted even closer there wasn’t much of  the floor that was laid completely securely.

Swearing profusely a selfish part of him wished someone else was in this position besides him, maybe they could have figured out a way out of this mess. As it was it was just Remus alone up here, everyone else gone on lunch break and if they noticed he was missing they probably assumed he was either in the bathroom or fucking around somewhere he probably shouldn’t be...such as on the second story unsecured catwalk watching the floor settle and resettle under his weight with sweat dripping down his face. This was supposed to have been a quick job- ten minutes at most of him poking around to find something and now that he had he was risking practically the entire floor collapsing underneath him. He didn’t want to call out for help in case it actually did fall through and trap someone beneath it so it seemed as if it was simply going to be a waiting game in which either he or the floor would come out on top.

And with another shift underneath him it didn’t seem like it was his lucky day.

-----

Patton sang softly along to the song playing through the radio, tapping his fingers along with the beat on the wheel. He didn’t do this often but he really wanted to surprise Remus at work with a lunch. He had packed a little extra for dinner as well hoping he wasn’t too late to give it to him. Remus had said yesterday he’d have to stay a little later than usual to look over some things and do...whatever it was he had said he had to do to play catch up in the huge project the company had undertaken, an apology heavy on his tongue that Patton had preemptively forgiven him for with a peck on the lips and a smile. Though he wasn’t happy how over worked his husband often was, he more blamed the company and commissioners than Remus himself. He worked hard and it showed, and Patton was always proud of him. So, packed lunch and dinner it was with hopefully a quick visit before he had to leave since he was in no way authorized personnel but the people in charge often simply rolled their eyes and waved him through, vaguely threatening him with promised of forced exit if he stayed too long, which Remus never let him do anyway since an active construction zone wasn’t exactly safe.

The sound of sirens in the distance cut off his thoughts as his blood ran cold. Sirens didn’t have to mean anything of course, there were many reasons you’d hear them- but this was practically out in the middle of nowhere, near a construction zone which was again out in the middle of nowhere. Cursing he sped up just a little bit, desperate to get to the site and hopefully disprove what he already knew he’d see. He nearly started crying right then when he turned into the long drive only to see the house surrounded by emergency vehicles and people in uniform bustling from point to point to do whatever it was they had to do. He could see the part of the collapsed house beyond that, what looked like a cave in from the second story that had taken the supporting wall with it, though how something like that had happened Patton couldn’t fathom.

He hadn’t even clicked the engine all the way off when he was out of the car and running to who he knew was in charge, dodging out of the way and trying not to make a nuisance of himself so they didn’t have a reason to kick him off the property. There was no sign of Remus as far as he was looking, not even the sound of his rather loud voice cutting through the worried din of everyone else’s voices which only served to drop his stomach further as he swallowed hard around the nausea. Please God no, he thought. Please please please-

“Where’s Remus?” Patton didn’t think there was a need to bother with formalities in this kind of situation. He just needed to figure out where his husband was, go to him and make sure he was safe. It was a simple plan, the simplest set of goals he’d ever set in his life, but his heart sank as the supervisor turned to him with a grave look on his face that told Patton everything he needed to know before the other even began shaking his head.

“There was an accident. The floor- the floor must have been loose and nobody thought- I didn’t think to check on him after he went up there. We all know how he is.” He gestured helplessly to where several people were gathered around a section of rubble, the weight of a whole building bearing down on whatever they were puttering around. “We know where he is; it’s just getting him out.”

Patton didn’t need to hear anymore, noticing some of the people leaving the group and leaving a bit of space he could see the mess through. Most of it was just wood beams sticking out in every direction like a crudely placed beaver damn, some insulation from the ground floor poking up at the bottom. If he squinted though he could just barely make out a small space that had been cleared, a small hole that he could only assume was what they could safely clear away to see if Remus was still-

Pushing forward before he could finish the thought he hurried over to where the space had been made and knelt down next to it, laying a shaking hand next t o the rubble and iting his lip tp keep from crying.

“Sir you can’t be here-”

“That’s my husband in there.” Patton cut the woman off sharply, only feeling slightly guilty for his tone.

The woman softened. “I understand but-”

“I’ll leave when I’m in the way but right now no one’s doing anything so I’m staying right here so I can be with him. I’m not going to touch or disrupt anything but I’m not moving.” Patton looked up, defiantly daring her to continue, but after a moment she just nodded and backed away. He turned back to the space as a slight moan alerted him, gasping as long fingers emerged from the cramped darkness and reached out. A high pitched whine left Patton’s mouth at the sight of how bloody it was but he nevertheless reached forward desperately and grasped the fingers in a gentle hold. Faintly he heard a warning not to pull him as assistance was yelled for but he only shook his head as tears streamed down his face. Everything in him was screaming to lift the beams himself and drag Remus to safety but he knew it couldn’t work like that. This was a delicate situation that needed to be handled with care but the frustration only built as the seconds ticked by and nothing seemed to be getting done.

“Remus honey, I’m here okay? I’m right here and so are people that are going to get you out of there. You just hold onto me baby everything  will be okay.” He nearly choked on his own uncertainty but he couldn’t afford to let emus think he was anything other than certain he’d make it out of this. His fingers squeezed weakly and Patton’s breath hitched in relief, continuing to rattle out reassurances that he’d be out soon and they were doing what they could he just had to hold on a little bit longer. His head snapped up as a hand landed on his shoulder, one of the paramedics motioning people forward with equipment.

“Keep holding his hand and talking to him, you’re probably helping keep him awake.” Patton decided he didn’t want to think too hard on what  that might mean, instead simply scooching over slightly to make room for whatever it was they were doing and running his thumb gently over Remus’ knuckles as he took a steadying breath.

“They’re going to get you out Remus. They have equipment they’re setting up to get you out and then everything will be fine.” His fingers were squeezed again gently and the medic must have noticed since they paused and leaned down.

“We’re going to put two sturdy boards on either side of you to help stabilize what’s laying on top of you and then put airbags on the other side of them to lift everything up. That should give us enough room to remove you safely. If at any point your space gets too cramped or you feel things settle down on you more, squeeze your husband’s hand and he’ll let us know okay? We’re working as quickly as we can to get you out.” Remus squeezed his hand again and the medic nodded, signaling for things to begin. “This is called cribbing. It’s just putting a basic framework underneath everything to hopefully stop it from settling down more. And then those long tubes will be put in and inflated to lift it up, at which point you'll have to move out of the way so we can get him out.”

Remus squeezed his hand again and both the action and explanation Patton felt his anxiety ebb the tiniest amount. He nodded to the kind woman and moved to hold Remus with both hands as if doing so would make the process go any faster. As the emergency crew bustled around him and got everything into place he simply sat with cramping legs and blurring vision, reassuring the trapped man through soft touches and softer words as they moved thick, wedged shaped beams in front of the pile of debris. Holding his breath Patton tightened his grip slightly as they began inching the beams underneath, focusing his attention solely on the bloodied hand in his grip, poised to react at even the slightest twitch of discomfort. The boards were halfway in when his hand was squeezed weakly, jolting him out of his tense state to yell out a loud “Stop” to the team. They froze and looked to the woman still holding Patton’s shoulder, who leaned forward to be heard.

“Squeeze once if the pile is shifting, twice if we’re hitting you with the boards.” Two quick squeezes were felt and she nodded slightly. “Is there any way you can move without endangering yourself so we can get them in a bit more?” 

He felt a slight squeeze on his hand before shuffling was heard accompanied by a quiet  whimper that tore straight through Patton’s heart as he fought to simply hold the hand in support and not yank him out himself. He nodded as his hand was squeezed again and kept up his quiet reassurances, speaking just loud enough for Remus to hear him over the directions the medics were constantly throwing back and forth. After what seemed like an eternity the wedges were in place and Remus gave the go ahead to squeeze in the air bags. No one dared breathe as they were squeezed into place, no response from Remus unless they asked for confirmation that everything was still okay. 

Everything was going fine- the bags were filling up and Patton could see the rubble being lifted slowly but surely up and off his husband. They were so close to having him out and okay that it almost didn’t register when Remus’ hand went limp in his own. Patton felt the muscles slacken and the hand become sudden deadweight in between his own. Eyes widening he squeezed his hand gently, then perhaps a bit too hard as panic gripped him.

“Remus honey? Are you okay?” The slick hand remained still, fingers not even twitching to indicate he had been heard. “Remus? Remus!”

He thrashed as he was pulled away, screaming louder than he ever had in his life as Remus’ hand slipped away from him and he was hauled to his feet and backward. The medics crowded to fill the space and he lost sight of his hand completely, screaming louder and scratching madly at the arms around his middle.

“Let me go! Let me go, he needs me!” The logic that Patton more needed him than Remus needed Patton over the medics at the moment was flung out of the window as he bucked backwards attempting to throw off whoever it was but the person just held him tighter as they walked him away, heedless of his ear splitting screams. Vaguely he was aware they were talking to him but Patton couldn’t care less as the phantom sensation of Remus’ hand going slack in his own tore his mind apart.

“P…….Pat…...Patton please!” Virgil’s yell finally cut through the panicked fog and provided the window he needed to haul Patton the rest of the way over bside the parked ambulance and sit him down on the ground. “They’re going to get him, Patton, it's okay. I promise you He’ll be okay. And we’ll ride in the ambulance and go into the hospital with him and they’ll make sure he’ll be back to making idiotic decisions in no time.” 

The words meant to reassure him didn’t make Patton feel any better but all the fight left him, adrenaline running its course as he buried his face in his friend’s chest and wept. 

-----

Remus had Patton and Virgil as his first two people to call in an emergency and since Patton had already gotten there and hadn’t checked his phone someone must have then called Virgil when he hadn’t picked up. As bad as he felt he was grateful the other was there as he all but collapsed while they finally got Remus’ still, limp body out from under the wreckage and onto a stretcher, stabilizing him as much as they could before ushering him into the ambulance and driving away after denying them riding along since they needed the extra room. Patton all but dragged Virgil to his car, the other swiping away his keys and insisting he drive as Patton was in no state to and Patton really just agreed if only to get them going faster.

They didn’t get to go in Remus’ room for hours after that, apparently suffering a broken legs and ribs, a sprained risk and a minor concussion that had taken the rest of the day to fix, nearly sending Patton into hysterics when they were informed with the final comment being that he had gotten off lucky. Thankfully Roman and Logan had arrived at that point and they were able to sit with Patton through the night and morning before Logan suggested he take Virgil to get a change of clothes and other necessities so they’d be able to stay longer, Roman volunteering to come along to get Patton and Remus’ things as well.

The hospital room was quiet save for the soft beeping of the machines lining the bed and the gentle huffing breaths of Remus as he slept, thankfully peacefully, in the hospital bed that Patton had his chair pulled all the way up to to hold his now bandaged hand between his. He yawned loudly  and laid his head on his arm, eyes fighting to stay open as he promised himself he was merely resting his eyes but drifting off rather quickly considering the stress of the past couple of days. Confident he would wake if anything happened and trusting the others to come back soon he allowed himself to drift off.

-----

Patton awoke slowly to the feeling up fingers running through his messy hair, taking the time to gently brush out all the tangles of the previous day. He hummed happily and snuggled further into the tough, only to grunt in pain as his neck protested the action with a rather loud crack. Reality hit him all at once and he picked his head up to see Remus smiling tiredly down at him, Head wrapped neatly and already crooked nose set after what must have been the third or  fourth break he had already suffered. Patton’s eyes filled with tears as he  sat up and slowly reached for his husband, hands coming to rest on each cheek to make sure he was really there and alright. Smile tugging wider Remus brought his own hands up to rest on Patton’s, thumbs slowly running over the knuckles like he had done when Remus had been trapped.

“If I wouldn’t hurt you more and get hauled out by security I would slap you so hard for what you did.” In his tired state Patton honestly couldn’t think of anything better to say, but Remus only chuckled weakly and nodded.

“I love you too.”

Laughing softly with him Patton leaned forward to rest his forehead against Remus’ before pressing a featherlight kiss to the tip of his nose and softly whispered “I’m so glad you’re safe.” 

“I always am with you.”

Later a nurse would come in and smile at the two: Patton tucked under Remus’ chin and clutching onto his hands like a lifeline as they both slept. Quietly, he would turn out the light and shut the door, reassuring the people camping on the chairs outside that they were alright and they would sigh and shake their heads with amusement. The scolding could wait, they decided. For they would leave them to hold onto each other for as long as they needed.

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#false writes #false bthb #sanders sides fic #bad things happen bingo #bthb #prompt: pinned under wreckage #angst #remus sanders #patton sander #roman sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #romantic intrulogical #intrulogical #tw blood #tw injury #tw emergency #emergency situation #tw major injury #tw hospital #hospitalization #tw anxiety

[sparrowshrike]

Godzilla: Crossroads AU

it’s bright sunny day in the Alaskan wilderness, it’s warm, the ice is melting and the ground is cracking. It wouldn’t seem like it, but today is the day that fates are sealed and lives are changed.

Simon “Jet” Jaeger had been in the Army for about 6 years, and for 4 of those he wasn’t on active duty. He never liked the military, but he was a military brat, it was practically inevitable. Simon tolerated it because it allowed him to fly, he was one of the best, he was even allowed to fly solo when numbers were important. His callsign, “Jet Jaguar” was given to him at boot camp, when he mispronounced his own last name in front of everyone. At first he disliked it, a reminder of his lack of fine motor control, but then he began to like it. He liked it so much, he made a logo for his helmet, of a Jaguar with jet’s on it’s hips. this was his fifth mission where a Titan or Kaiju was involved. but on his way to the deck, he was stopped by an African American man, somewhere in his twenties, wearing a blue jacket, and talking in what Simon believed to be a Hispanic accent.

“Hey Man, why you doin this?” The man asked 

“Because it’s my job?” Simon didn’t know how to answer the question, now that he thought about it, he really didn’t know what was going on.

“So it’s your job to hunt innocent giant lizards?!” The Man kept asking

“Innocent? I heard it attacked a cruise ship. also, who are you?”

“Randy, And the Lizard didn’t attack the ship, a turtle did!” Randy proclaimed, Simon was only told of a Lizard, a giant Komodo-Dragon-looking kaiju.

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out for your turtle, but the Lizard is my mission.” Simon said plopping on his helmet and getting in his helicopter.

Sure enough, when Simon reached the hot zone, there was a Giant turtle(Later named Snapshell) fighting the Infamous Zilla Jr. and the Giant Lizard(dubbed by HEAT as Komodithrax). Randy was right, which meant something was up, Simon switched his comm to his commanders frequency to ask what the hell, but what he heard enraged him.

“-thrax is innocent, it’s the turtle you’re after!” A man that Simon hadn’t heard before said

“The Turtle? We don’t care about the cruise ship, we here for a weapon” His Lieutenant said, Simon became more confused, he didn’t see a weapon, and he wouldn’t be told to open fire if nukes were here, something smells, and it ain’t his boots.

“What weapon? there are no weapons!” The other man said

“That’s where you’re wrong Dr. Tatopoulos! That egg is the greatest potential weapon, once we modify it’s contents.” The Lieutenant said, locking onto the HEAT Copter, which Dr. Tatopoulos and his team was in. The Lieutenant fired, but Simon fired too, on a direct course with the Lt’s missiles. The Missiles collided, saving the HEAT team, but damaging the rotor’s of the heat copter. HEAT retreated, as the Lt spotted Komodithrax.

“I won’t let you do that Lieutenant!” Simon said flying in front of the other copter.

“If you don’t move I will shot you and then the mother, either way, I reestablish American superiority” The Lt shouted “Now move Sergeant!”

“You want me to Move? Fine! I’ll move!” Simon spun his copter around, hitting the Lt’s copter with his rotor, knock the Lt off course and grounding Simon.

The Kaiju’s battle had caused a crack in the ground to grow to the size of a canyon. Simon was able to land on side not full of gnashing maws and slashing claws. But he was still trapped in his cockpit, and a fire had started behind him. Simon had to think fast, he looked around frantically, eject was locked, and emergency hatch was crushed. Suddenly he noticed one of the brace pipes was broken on one side and torn on the other, with some prying he tore it off and smashed the windows and climbed out. Only to see Komodithrax and Snapshell take a dive off the cliff, with the egg on a minute behind, Simon ran to the midsection of the copter and unlocked the winch holding the ropes soldiers use to get to ground and ran. while running he hooked the clip at the end of the rope into his harness. The egg tumbled of the cliff and Simon jumped after it, he could hear the rope run against the sand and rock. He grabbed onto the egg and held it close, bracing it and himself for the sudden jerk to come.

Simon hung there for twenty minutes, and under him in the darkness, he could barley make out something moving. Simon tried wrap his legs around the egg so he could grab his flashlight. He accidently grabbed a flare and then dropped it. The glowing red light illuminated the bottom, he could see Komodithrax writhing in pain on top of a (Hopefully) dead Snapshell. She stopped writhing and looked at him, before growling and falling asleep. Simon would like to think that was a Thank You, but he wasn’t sure. Then he felt his rope tug and then rise, Someone was pulling him out! When he reached the top, he was met by Randy, a rotund man with a beard and ponytail, as well as a yellow robot that was actually pulling him up. Randy extended his hand, until he saw the egg in which, he and a woman in a jacket, picked it up instead. Simon was helped up by a man in a red jacket.

“That was some fancy flying” The man said

“Thanks. Dr. Tatopoulos, I presume?” Simon said extending his hand “Simon Jaeger, but you can call me Jet”

“Alright Jet. You’ve met Randy” Dr. Tatopoulos said, as Randy waved. “This is Mendel Craven” The rotund man nodded “Elsie Chapman” a redheaded woman with a green long sleeve shirt smiled “and Monique Dupre”

“Bonjour.” Monique said, “Nice to meet another honorable member of the armed forces” Monique extended her hand.

“Likewise” Simon said clasping it and nodding, this was nothing romantic just a sign of respect between warriors.

Another army helicopter landed nearby and The Lt and a older man wearing a flight suit exited.

Simon immediately stood at attention and saluted “Major Hicks.”

“At ease soldier.” Major Hicks said and then frowned “Technical Sergeant Simon Jaeger.”

“Yes Sir?” Simon was worried. During the last hour, he had just fired on military aircraft, disobey direct orders, and fired on a superior officer.

“Son, do you know what you have done today” Major Hicks asked, and Simon braced for a chewing out. “You have trusted your gut and shut down an unsanctioned mission, that would have cost hundreds of lives down the line.” Simon Beamed “However, you also destroyed hundreds of dollars worth of military aircraft”

“Not to mention fired on superior officer and disobeyed my orders!” the Lt chimed in.

“Shut it!” Major whirled towards the Lt “You are in deeper s#!+ than he is.” Major Hicks realigned himself “Ahem, as I was saying. you are to be honorably discharged at 800 hours, you will be allowed to keep your rank and your collage bills paid off. However you may never serve in the armed forces again, is this understood, Tech Sargent Jaeger?”

“Yes sir” Simon Saluted. “Then this is goodbye?”

Nick Tatopoulos walked forward. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, you flying and gut feeling could be of use to us, what to you say?”

“I have a feeling I’ll be more useful than you think.” Simon took Nick’s hand. “When can I start?”

“As soon as your out. Welcome to the Humanitarian Environmental Analysis Team, kid” 

Simon Jaeger:

#Godzilla #godzilla the series #godzilla sp #godzilla oc #jet jaguar #randy hernandez #monique dupre #elsie chapman #mendel craven #nico tatopoulos #nick tatopoulos #H.E.A.T. #humanitarian environmental analysis team #zilla #komodithrax #zillaxkomodithrax #major hicks #monsterverse

[lovinglysavage]

My Best Friend

Member : NCT's Jisung

Pairing : College student Jisung × College student Fem reader 

Genre : Childhood friends to lover ( a very very tiny bit of angst )

Warnings : Major fluff 

Word Count : 3.1k + 

This is my first Tumblr story , so hopefully you will like it and Jisung is such a big UwU , he's one of my ults , so yeah ......

Jisung was always the shy one among your group , not meaning that you were literally an extrovert but he was the quietest one in your group of friends . But did you mention that he's the cutest one among you all ? Guess nope , but that's you being you , not a big deal .

Your group consisted of you , Jisung , Jaemin , Jeno , Renjun , Haechan , Chenle , Karina , Ningning , Giselle and Winter . 

You were the youngest one and you even had your 2 elder brothers in your group - Jaemin and Jeno . Jisung was your childhood friend, someone you had known since diapers . Someone who knew you better than all your friends and someone to whom you could share everything .

But when did all those laughter - filled times spent with him change , to you dreaming about him ? Probably somewhere along , you might have developed feelings for this cute mochi . And honestly , who wouldn't when he was literally a whole package ?

And that was what you were doing ( dreaming about Jisung ) when a loud yell interrupted your beautiful dream , " Y/N , YOU DO REALIZE THAT COLLEGE'S OPENING TOMORROW , RIGHT ? " , your mom said , you mean yelled . You signed internally . Your brothers weren't preparing , so why you ?

Soon enough , Jeno came inside and first thing that he did was , to ruffle your silky , straight hair into a bird's nest . You weren't the one to back down , so you slapped his hand away before sticking your tongue out at him , just to annoy him.

The white faced Samoyed did get a bit annoyed but not enough for him to chase you around the house . The day passed by pretty quickly and soon the next day , you found yourself standing infront of the mirror , dressing up for college . You went out together with your brothers after having a simple breakfast . 

As soon as you reached college , you met your besties - Giselle , Karina , Winter and Ningning . You all group - hugged . Soon enough , the bell rang indicating that classes were about to begin . Bidding goodbye to your brothers , you held Ning’s hand before running to class . As soon as you both reached class , you broke down in laughter Ningning joining you a bit later because you looked like you both had run a marathon , completely messed up . Calming yourselves , you both entered the classroom .

Your eyes scanned the room looking for a specific person . You saw him sitting at the last row’s side-most bench , near the window with his airpods plugged in each of his ears . Rushing to sit next to him , you almost stumbled and fell but because you were good at body-balancing ( which I suck at ) you somehow managed to stand straight again and reach him . He probably might’ve seen you stumbling because there was a small ( helpless ) smile on his face . 

You literally snatched his airpod away from his ear so that he could hear you . “ JISUNGIE !!! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH “ , you could feel the others in the class staring at you and you swore mentally that this was going to be one of the most embarrassing moments of your college life . Apologizing with a soft voice which was complete in contrast to the voice you used to greet Jisung , you bowed and sat down , watching Ningning approaching you with a smirk on her face ( I actually meant beautiful face ) anyways ......

Shoot , you forgot that you left her there . “ Care to explain what the excitement was all about ? “ , she asked while nudging you with her elbow . You just smiled at her , knowing that she knew the answer the answer to her question . She shook her head while letting out an audible sigh . She knew of your tiny crush , well not so tiny because you were pretty sure your feelings for him had grown , reaching a stage where you could call it Your First Love .

The day went pretty nice except for the embarrassing moment of the morning . Reaching home , you replayed all the events of the day in your head , smiling like a lovesick girl ( stan BP for clear skin ) to yourself when you remembered that you and Jisung held hands while coming back from school . 

( I skipped like for 7 - 8 months , nearly till the time when people have their year end party / prom . Though I know that the skip is a bit too long , please bear with me )

The year went by pretty quickly and you had made some new friends - the closest to you among your new friends was Jake ( Enyphen ) . He was from Australia and you both had become close pretty quick without any of you noticing . You introduced him to your friend’s circle and everyone welcomed him warmly , except for ......

Jisung .

But that was understandable , given how uncomfortable he was with people he didn’t knew but the thing that was totally unexpected to you was that he never spoke to him , despite him trying to make efforts to initiate a conversation . 

Today , was your first college prom and your dad promised to drop you three off to school . Your mom was pretty excited about the prom and dolled you up to perfection . Wearing a white - off shoulder dress , paired with white heels , you looked pretty nice , or that’s what you thought but your brothers couldn’t be in peace until they pissed you off and they did just that by calling you a porcelain doll and said that you looked like a zombie in the mornings . 

Though you were pissed off because you believed that you did not look like some zombie or alien , you calmed yourself because today you had decided that you’ll confess to Jisung and no one other than Ningning knew of your plan . She had obviously agreed to help you given that she was the second closest to you . But the thing you had no idea of was that there were two people who had decided to confess to you tonight . By the time you had reached the school grounds , the prom had already begun . You took your time to reach the entrance of the building where the prom was held .

Decorated in soft , dim , fairy lights , the whole place looked magical . You walked in slowly , looking at every person , you passed by . Everyone was dressed from head - to - toe glamorously . Your brothers went forward to where your friends were standing and you followed them . The boys were dressed in suits and the girls in dresses . As soon as you all got together , everyone’s eyes were on you . Your group had been come to be known as the college’s visual and heartthrob group .

Your eyes scanned the entire area , looking for a very special person whom you had decided to tell your feelings to . There he was , in a corner , sipping Fanta from his glass . He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt tucked inside and a red rose on his left breast pocket . You eyes were fixed on him until Karina diverted your attention from him and pulled you to the dance floor .

The prom continued smoothly . It was 9 pm when Ningning nudged you signaling that you should probably go out to carry out your plan . You nodded and together , you both exited the prom room . Suddenly Jake appeared out of nowhere . “ Hey Y/N , I actually wanted to say something to you , can you please let us have a private moment ? ” , he said , directing the last sentence to Ningning . She nodded awkwardly before going back into the room . By then you had started to feel a tad bit uncomfortable . 

“ So , what did you want to say ? ” , you spoke , hoping to get done with whatever thing you were dealing with now . “ I - I ac - actually like you Y/N ” , he said or rather stammered . You did not know how to react to it . To say that you were shocked was an understatement . Letting out a small sigh , you wanted to speak but he pushed you against the wall , a small yelp escaping your lips . He leaned down , next to your ear . “ And I will not accept a NO , L/N Y/N ” he whispered which sent a shiver down your spine . 

He went back to where he was standing but his hands were still on either side of your face . You didn’t know what to do , your legs were already giving up due to nervousness . He turned his face for a bit mumbling something you weren’t sure of but when his face began to zoom in , you figured out what his intentions were . You wanted to push him away but were too scared to do so . Your hands were balled against the delicate material of your dress . Closing your eyes and keeping your breath held , you weren’t sure what was happening . 

Just a few minutes ago , everything was fine and going according to your plan but now ? Why did everything turn around like this ? You didn’t have an answer .

Just when you thought that you were about to punch him and knock his teeth out , you heard someone’s voice you least wanted to hear at this position . “ JAKE !!!! You --- ” , Jisung’s deep voice , laced with fury boomed throughout the hallway . He stormed towards you , rashly pulling him away from you , creating a distance between you two . And before he could do anything else , Jeno had already lifted Jake by his collar . You did not want to stay there anymore and before anyone could say anything , you stormed out from the hallway .

After calming yourself down a bit , you started walking to your favorite place in the whole of the school - The Rooftop . Since the whole school was decorated with lights , the rooftop was also lighted by the fairy lights . Sitting on one of the benches , you couldn’t help but play the the evening’s drama in your head . Thinking about it , you teared up again .

Just then , a warm coat covered your shoulder . You turned back to see Jisung looking at you with an expressional face . “ Th - Thank You ” , you spoke , sniffing in the process . Jisung wanted to hug you and whisper sweet , comforting words in your ears given how adorable you looked but was too afraid to do so . 

He inhaled deeply . “ I , have something to tell ” and with that he walked off , you tailing behind him , walking as fast as you could with your heels . He might had sensed your difficulty because he slowed down a bit but was still ahead of you by a good four feets . He finally stopped when you both had reached the garden . 

Though it was decorated with lights , the garden was still dark . You walked very carefully as if there were laser lights on the ground because of your massive fear of crawlies and bugs . Suddenly there was a a buzzing sound coming from somewhere near and you strided as quickly as you could to catch up with him . Jisung actually didn’t move much since he was well aware of your severe  Entomophobia . 

You didn’t know that and blindly walked , bumping into a rock - hard chest and just as you were about to fall , a warm hand pulled you back , making you dash against the hard chest , again . 

You let out an Ouch . Then it dawned on you that your face was pressed against someone’s chest and that someone had their arms around your waist . “ It’s me , so don’t freak out . ” So , it is Jisung after all . Wait... , it is for God’s sake Jisung ??? , your thoughts went from calm to a storm , real quick . You coughed a little before moving away from him . You didn’t dare look into his eyes but a soft whistle caught your attention . Though you weren’t sure if whether you had heard it right , you still turned back to confirm your thoughts .

Seeing complete darkness back , you softly asked , “ Are we there yet ? ” Your answer seemed to have woken him from his thoughts as he just nodded . “ Yes ” , his words were a bit too distant for your liking . Just as you were about to ask him if something’s wrong , the whole garden started lighting up .

It looked beautiful . You didn’t realize when he had come to stand behind you . “ Like it ? ” You might’ve nodded your head bit too quickly because a crack came . He chuckled at your embarrassed face .

Thinking that he might have had done this to make you feel better , you started tearing up . Noticing this , his face turned dejected . “ I thought you might like it but I messed things up even more . I always mess things up ” , he said in a low whisper .

He wanted to say that he liked you , liked you a lot but being such a scaredy-cat , he could not do anything but watch others sending letters , chocolates and gifts , some even gave you very expensive items that if he wanted , he could give those to you with just a flick of his fingers but he didn’t want to do it that way . He wanted to make his confession special .

So when he revealed to his ( and your ) friend’s group that he wanted to confess , they all suggested to try doing it with lights because of your love for lights and that is how he came up with this idea . He thought he could confess amidst the light of fireflies in the garden and maybe , just somehow you might reciprocate his feelings and make him the happiest boy alive . 

But looking at you now , he was almost sure that there was no way his dream was going to be a living reality . He opened his mouth to say Let’s go , when you turned around and hugged him so very tight that the audience of the night , watching the confession drama , swore that Jisung was suffocating while engulfed in your bear hug . 

But you cared less than their opinion . Looking up at him with glossy eyes , you said ( read : finally ) the words you wanted to say to him for the whole night , “  This is why I love you so much . You always cheer me up . Tell me , where can I find another you ? You know it’s so unfair that you always make my heartbeat faster but me , I’m nothing more than a friend to you , right ? Don’t worry , nothing will change after my confession , we’ll still be the best of friends but just know that I love you , really - really love you ” , your eyes never once losing their shine though your voice did become softer .

His pupils quivering when he freed himself from you , anxious beads of sweat rolling down the sides of his temples , wetting his fringe , just a teeny - tiny bit . His scoff made you turn towards him . Lips parting to express your confusion , you were about to ask him when his lips shut yours with a soft peck .

“ You speak too much ” , he said with a warm smile on his face . “ I have something for you ” and as soon as he said that , all of your friends , including your brothers stood up from behind the bushes , organizing themselves to form something and when they did , you were on the brink of tears . 

I LOVE YOU 

Written in neon lights on the biggest bush with each of them holding a heart shaped balloon and fireflies hovering above your heads , you couldn’t tell if this was just a dream or really happening . Either ways you were so very happy that tears gushed out from your eyes . 

“ I have wanted to tell this to you for a long time but did not---- ” , you didn’t let him continue , pulling him into a long and loving kiss .

His eyes went wide but secretly deep - down , he loved it , the fact that you were brave enough to take the initiative delighted him . Screaming could be heard from behind , the single ones were cringing , holding onto each other while the taken ones were looking everywhere except looking at you both . 

You broke the kiss , hiding your beet-red face in his chest . He smiled , looking at you as if you were the most important treasure in his life .  You could hear cheering and whistling in the background , now that you’ve broken your long kiss.

“ There’s just another thing left to do ” , Jisung whispered “ Will you be my Girlfriend ? ” . You were almost on the verge of scoffing at his words , “ NO , because you are so dumb ” . He pouted , tilting his head to one side . After trying your best to not fall for his cuteness , you eventually gave in muttering a small yes that could be heard only by you both . He scrunched his nose before giving you the cutest smile you’ve seen till date .

“ THANK YOU (for loving me) ” ( the unspoken words were understood by you both so there was no need for you to speak that out ) , you both muttered at the same time before you turned back to face your brothers who were wearing large smiles , finally looking up at the sky to see the fireworks that ended your dramatic yet loving , sweet and dream-like night . 

                                             Hope , y’all like it

                                                       ☺☺

                                   Have a great day / night ahead 

#NCT #nct dream #nct u #nct 127 #nct 2020 #nct scenarios #nct oneshot #park jisung #maknae on top #na jaemin #lee jeno #zhong chenle #huang renjun #lee haechan #aespa #ning ning #winter #karina #giselle #enyhpen #enyphen jake #idol x reader #kpop imagines #kpop idol #kpop oneshots #kpop scenarios #fluff #nct fluff #uri maknae #maknaes in love

[countessmorgasson]

Home

Fluffy Asra x MC fic! An exhausted MC is relieved to see Asra return from another journey~

Gender Neutral MC

(Disclaimer: Based on Asra’s upright ending, major spoilers)

You were so excited since the moment you woke. In fact, you don’t think you’ve gotten over an hour of sleep last night. Maybe even the night before that...

But it didn’t matter. Asra was supposed to come home today.

After all you’ve been through, there were still times when Asra would venture off on his own- and you were more than happy to have a well-deserved vacation. The horror of the masquerade, and the Devil... made the days at the shop feel like a getaway. 

It feels like just yesterday you and Asra put a stop to the Devil’s wicked plans.  You’re actually not quite sure how long it’s been. 

The first few nights after it all were riddled with nightmares- how wrong things could have gone, the feeling of being pulled out of your body... flashes of the lazaret. 

It wasn’t all peace and sunshine, unfortunately. You enjoy your time alone more than ever, no longer being anxious out in public, or in crowds.  You could finally enjoy independence. But lately... without Asra around, your dreams have shaken you a bit too deeply. You found it easier to stay awake, sometimes with the help of magic. 

Now that you think about it, you don’t remember the last night you had a full night’s sleep.

How ironic that you had better rest with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

The shop door begins to unlock, and you feel your heart begin to pound, as if your entire body became flush with a fresh energy. You know that feeling- it’s Asra.

He’s home.

He’s barely made it through the door before you’ve wrapped your arms around him, clutching onto his back. 

“My love.” He gratefully returns the hug, and soon you even feel Faust join in, wrapping herself around your waist.

“Home.”

“That’s right,” you soothe. “You’re home.”

Asra kisses your forehead before breathing in the smell of the shop.

“Mmm. What have you been working on down here?”

“Some sleep remedies.” You yawn just at the thought.  Just because you didn’t like to sleep doesn’t mean you’re not exhausted.

Oh, but how can you be exhausted? Asra’s home!

He eyes you with a mischievous smile.

“M/c. I know I literally just got back, but... I’ve missed you so much. I didn’t expect to get back so early today. What do you say we go out to the forest? Or even...” he raises his eyebrows. “Something a little more magical?”

Is he suggesting the realms?

Before you can even open your mouth, he’s ahead of you.

“We never quite got around to exploring the oasis together.”

Your body starts to ache from fatigue, but it’s too tempting. You can nearly see your reflection in Asra’s wide eyes- and despite how you feel, you look ecstatic.

Maybe you’ll find a peaceful sleep in the other world. 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

-

You emerge from water, calmly pulling yourself onto the warm sand. Asra and Faust trail behind you as you breathe in the salty air.  For a split second, the exhaustion is gone. Your physical boundaries aren’t as taxing. You can hold off your need for sleep a little longer. 

Asra takes your hand, and you feel your heart spill out of your chest at his touch. Your fingertips seem to pulse with the shared energy. Is he lending you magic?

Or has it just been that long since you’ve felt his touch?

“It’s... there’s something different about this place now. I can’t put my finger on it.” Asra’s voice sounds deep in thought.

“Good different, or..?”

“...I don’t know.”

Despite that slightly worrying comment, you both venture forward until you settle at one of the various ponds around. 

This one stood out to you the most, with it’s glassy lilac tint. Asra seats next to you, the two of you sitting comfortably in the warm sand. It gives way under your weight, letting you sink in just a touch- as if it were catering to your exhausted nature. 

Why are we here?

You’re tempted to ask, but in the back of your mind it doesn’t really matter. You’re alone with Asra and Faust. What’s the point of questioning it?

The sun is beating down on the two of you, and the world around seems to work in your favor, leaving you so comfy you could sink...

Wait...

You are sinking.

Panic.

Asra’s voice calls out to you, but he’s so distant now- you can’t even see him. The sound of your name echoes throughout the darkness you’re engulfed in.

-

You’re back in the shop- but not your shop. This isn’t it... You’re still in the realms! Why would this happen? 

You take in your surroundings- the countertop is how you left it, but... there’s something off- you just can’t tell what it is yet. You keep an eye out, hopefully for an exit, or better yet, Asra. 

Scouting carefully, you decide to head upstairs.

But you don’t find anything you’re looking for. Not Asra, Faust or even your own bedroom.

It’s one of the last places you’d ever want to see again.

The Tower.

The staircase goes on, but in a heart-shattering moment, you realize you’ve found yourself in the middle of the hell you’ve been trying to avoid.  Is this the work of your own magic? Was your trauma forcing you to face it head on? 

You know you can’t stay here.  Deep breath. You’ve done this before. You’ll just have to do it again.

Without... anyone else. No guides. No Arcana. No Asra.

Part of you just wants to get it over with. There’s no real threat of danger, right? You’re mostly worried about Asra. What if he’s stuck here somewhere? How are you supposed to find him in this mess?

The sound of thunder and lightning begin to shake the entire world around you- forcing you to lean against the tower wall.  You know what you’ve got to do. 

You brace yourself and level with the open window... And jump.

-

You wash up on a shore, spitting up salt water.  Your eyes are still shut when you realize where you are. You don’t have to see it.  You can feel it- in your pounding heart.

You’re among ash and ruins. The sky’s gone black, occasionally producing a red bolt of lightning.  The Lazaret.

Oh no. Please no.

Being here alone, is...

Every fiber of your being is telling you to run- even if you have to swim every mile away. 

“M/c?”

You whip your head around to the sound of your name. 

“Asra! Where are you?”

Oh, please... don’t let this be a trick.

Following his voice sent you to the docks. You instinctively bend to look for a reflection in the water. Your senses didn’t fail you. 

You see Asra’s worried face reflect in the murky water in front of you. His shoulders slump with relief at your sight. 

“Come on.”

He extends his hand, and you grip it tightly, almost as if you’d think he’d let go...

-

You sit upright in bed, gasping to fill your lungs with as much air you possibly can. Your limbs are weighed down with exhaustion- spread from head to toe. It takes all you’ve got to even keep your head up.

Next to you is a very relieved Asra, holding you to his chest. You’re in the shop? 

“What...?”

What was that?!

Breathing heavily, you nestle yourself further into Asra’s embrace. He only strokes your hair as you shudder.

“M/c... what happened?”

“I don’t know! I- I ended up in the tower- like when... and then, oh Asra...”

You don’t think he can handle the thought of you alone in the Lazaret again... But he had to have seen the island behind you when he brought you back. 

It doesn’t matter. You stay quiet and let him soothe you until your breathing isn’t as quick.

“How could that happen?” You tear yourself away to look at Asra.

“We both know how the realms adjust to the magician’s subconscious. You fell asleep in the sand- and it brought me back here. You kicked me out of my own realm, m/c.” He tries to chuckle, but you only look in horror.

“I can do that?”

“You’ve always been very powerful... but I sense that there’s something else behind it. Have you been feeling alright?”

“...I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“What? For how long?”

You don’t want to say. He already knows. Since he left.

“Oh...” The pain in his voice is the worst of all. You pull him back into a cuddle, shushing him. This isn’t supposed to be a sad time. 

“I just sleep better with you around. Everything that happened, the masquerade, Lucio, the Devil... I think my mind’s caught up to it. The nightmares make it really, really hard to sleep- and frankly, I’ve only had a few hours this week. I didn’t know being so deprived would affect my magic like that...” 

You’re speaking faster than you can think, but Asra listens intently, his eyes wandering all over your face.

“That’s understandable,” he nods. “But m/c... you have to sleep.”

As if on cue, the bed softens under your weight, inviting you to lay down.

“Why don’t we lay down together? I’ll be right here.”

Asra pulls the blankets over the two of you, and it’s like an instant change. You cling onto him, savoring the warmth of his body heat. You even feel Faust curl up in between the pillows. 

Your eyelids grow heavy, and your bones softly ache when you allow yourself to relax. 

“Just remember,” Asra’s voice seems to fade away as you settle into unconsciousness. “Whenever you wake, I’ll be the first thing you see.”

You mumble in response, but you don’t even know what you’re trying to say. 

The last thing you feel is the soft pressure of Asra’s arms wrapped around you.

Zzz...

#the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana asra #asra #asra alnazar #my writing #mine #fluffy #the arcana fic #asra x mc

[onyourzeus]

• stress-free | kwp

ykcyj ➝ arskyh

title: stress-free pairing: kim wonpil (of day6) & you (she/her pronouns) genre: FLUFF, college!au words: 3.4k

author’s note: @pirimiritiddy​ requested a fic about wonpil, and here it is. it went on for longer than i previously planned, buuuuut. i hope it’s still okay aaaa 

(this is the 1st time i’ve written something for wonpil so if i get his personality wrong, i do apologize. i am also a baby myday huhu)

this dot fic (bullet style) is part of the falling asleep on the bus scenario that i intend to write for each day6 member. check out the others: dowoon (currently only 2/5 completed)

any requests? check my pinned post if i’m accepting any at the moment, thanks!

wonpil hates his schedule for this winter term 

who assigns a class that is only available at seven in the evening??

3 times a week

during THE WINTER

did he mention it’s a major lecture he’s required to take?? 

psychology of stress, more like

this class is giving him the kind of stress it is specifically warning its students about 

anyway, what can he say. he chose this major, there’s only 1 more term after this one and then finally: graduation

it’ll be fine, he’ll live

thank the heavens they didn’t need to attend the first two meetings, but some reading material was provided 

and was expected by the professor to have been read and reflected upon 

the class is really living up to its name because when wonpil opened the pdf 

it was 30 pages of tiny font sized sentences (for ants!) about the definition of stress and how it affects every part of the body yada yada yada

wonpil tried. he really tried 

that is to say he fell asleep on his desk while going over the same 20th page of the document 

if it weren’t for jae shaking him awake, he’d miss his first night class 

it would’ve been nice… if only the professor didn’t take attendance (something about being generous enough to make the first 2 classes “free,” so everyone has an obligation to come in for the remainder of the semester)

great, he’s stuck freezing his ass off just walking to the bus stop alone 

hopefully they turn the heater all the way up in the auditorium or else

the thousands spent in tuition would have literally been for nothing

overdramatic wonpil, can you blame him 

he thinks about reading the remaining 10 pages on the bus, even if he knows nothing of value will be absorbed

he wants to tries anyway, he does feel a little bit refreshed from that impromptu nap 

the bus has arrived, and it’s packed as usual; a lot of the students riding the shuttle are just yet to take off in the following stops

wonpil squeezes his way inside, 30 pages of stress psychology research gripped in both hands 

“excuse me, sorry,” wonpil mumbles, eyeing for a spot to sit to make him comfortable 

because once all the people standing up leave, it’s usually a race for the exit 

he’ll never understand college students

finally, he sees an empty seat way in the back. there was a girl on one end and two other students who seem to be ready to get off on the right side

wonpil doesn’t mind sitting next to someone, but once those 2 are gone he’ll just scoot over to give the girl on the left some privacy 

she seems very much in deep sleep anyway, wonpil wonders if her stop is coming or she’s riding to go to campus? 

wonpil doesn’t have time to think about other people, it causes him unnecessary stress

once sat down, his eyes focus on the last page he left off of 

the words register as gibberish in his brain, and with the bus moving so much it makes it even more difficult to follow along the paragraphs

wonpil takes in a deep breath, holds it in, and sighs very heavily 

his patience is usually the best out of his friends, but this class is turning more and more into the psychology of how to get you stressed tf out instead 

the bus nears its next stop, and the two people on his side stand up to leave, yes he can breathe normal air

however

hold on

his shoulder feels heavy 

turning his head slightly, for some reason once the bus had stopped its engine the girl’s head had flipped over to lean against wonpil’s shoulder instead 

oh no oh no oh no 

his shoulders suddenly freeze, as if blasted with a ray gun filled with ice 

it’s heavy and he can’t move, it’s numb and this girl’s hair is splayed all over his his sweater 

and she

she smells of coffee, and wonpil inhales it in

it’s not foul or anything, but it’s definitely exuding notes of espresso bean and freshly roasted coffee 

it makes wonpil feel a little more awake 

but he still can’t move his shoulders, and suddenly he’s panicking because the bus started moving again and even though capacity has lessened by 80%

someone decided to sit on the other end of the row he’s at

so if he even attempts to move, he’ll still be seated next to someone 

wonpil grumbles, lower lip jutting forward

something shifts

and he realizes he shook his shoulders a little bit with his frustration

“ah…” he exclaims inaudibly, panicking at the possibility that he had woken her up from her nap

wonpil tenses up, shoulders stiff and eyes peering at his side to see what she’s up to

she lifts her head just a few inches off of wonpil’s shoulder, and for a moment he’s relieved that maybe she realizes what’s going on

but wonpil only hears a soft yawn coming from her, and she returns to using his very rigid shoulder as her pillow during this bus ride

let’s just say that the next thirteen minutes was more stress-inducing than wonpil wanted it to be

right when the bus reaches the final stop (main campus), wonpil exerts any and all efforts he has to shake his shoulder, up and down, enough to elicit an awake response from this stranger 

the moment he feels her let up, wonpil dashes through that bus door like there’s no tomorrow

he is greeted with the coldest wind hitting his face, and his shoulder feeling numb from all the.. pillow roleplaying it did, if you will 

wonpil feels bad, borderline guilty for leaving her like that— what if she’s asleep until now?? he can almost hear soft snores from her end for a minute there, too, and it took so much of wonpil to resist chuckling at it while in panic mode simultaneously

suffice to say, he was not able to read the rest of the document

in wonpil’s defense, he had encountered it first hand — how stress overcomes one’s body and mind 

he forces himself to focus on what’s ahead, as boring as it sounds

he enters the lecture hall with a few minutes so spare, deciding to sit in the back

the projector screens are big and wonpil is not about to take his chances of getting called on today

luckily enough, he finds a row with visibly no other student sitting around the area 

shoulder feeling more alive, he comes back to his senses as well 

he takes off his outer sweater as it had become toastier inside. he still had a couple layers beneath his clothes

as the professor starts talking, wonpil finds himself yawning a few times

he doesn’t know if the video playing on screen is boring him or the girl in the bus affected his sleepiness

suddenly he remembers the smell of coffee, and how that’d sound real good right about now 

he slaps both of his cheeks lightly, trying to take him back in the zone of at least writing down important notes 

he’s on the fifth bullet point of his note-taking when the door behind him opens abruptly

it wasn’t loud or disrupting to the whole class, virtually no one even batted an eye

but thats because they’re far from the door

and wonpil is literally ten feet away, so when he feels the cold suddenly hit his back he had to know the source of the sudden hit in temperature

the class hadn’t been going on for less than an hour, and there have been students coming in on the other end of the auditorium

so wonpil isn’t that surprised that another student has just arrived 

he caught a glimpse of her hair, but that’s about it as wonpil goes back to his tedious notes 

until the very same person scoots herself in wonpil’s row

he huffs under his breath, the illusion of some privacy now shattered 

with a polite (semi-forced) smile, wonpil turns to the side to greet his classmate

again, wonpil becomes frozen in spot 

kind of like when you feel a magnetic pull somewhere, you follow it

and then suddenly you see it from afar, not believing your eyes if it’s actually real; if it’s actually there

in wonpil’s case, he’s one seat away from her

recognizing the flow of her hair, but more importantly

that distinct scent of coffee beans from her clothes 

this time, wonpil has a clear look on her face and he’s… speechless 

his polite smile has turned into a look of awe, eyes glued towards her 

she senses his gaze, turns to him and quickly bows down as a polite greeting 

“sorry, but has the class been going on for a while?” 

she speaks 

“oh, um, what— what?” 

“oh,” she looks confused, but rephrases her question, “what time did the class start? i had a hard time finding this lecture hall.” 

she’s talking to him, not just leaning her head on his shoulder

“seven” 

was all wonpil could say 

“it started at 7? cool, i’m not that late then!” she cheers, grinning shyly. wonpil watches the way she puts a strand of hair tucked beneath her ear. she’s pulling out her laptop from her bag when she notices a pair of wide eyes still on her person

“is… is this seat taken?” she asks, and wonpil hasn’t even taken in the fact that this is the same person from the bus 

“yes” 

tongue-tied wonpil strikes again, blinking back his own obliviousness to her question

“i mean— no, now it is, by you. you’re sitting there, um, i— feel free to sit wherever you want”

he’s scrambling for his words, flustered cheeks heating up amidst the warmth of the room

she just nods her head in understanding, and wonpil finally realizes he’s been staring at her direction for longer than he should have

“STRESS” 

the professor verbalized into her mic which causes wonpil to look to the front all of a sudden 

right, right. he’s at a lecture. what’s gotten him so fidgety and embarrassed and now all that he’s pretending to type on his google doc is

sdfjfjdfhshllsghgjghsh

just so he looks busy next to the girl who fell asleep on him on the bus

was there any point in preoccupying his mind with thoughts of her, and her head resting on him? no it’s stupid, wonpil knows this. 

people do it all the time, by accident, due to exhaustion, they don’t mean a thing by it

but wonpil is curious, and this is going to kill him. for sure

so he peeks at her again, and like a normal, decent student that she is (compared to wonpil at this point let’s be real) her hands are busy hand writing whatever the professor was saying

meanwhile, wonpil continues to sdfjskgnglddfjs his way to a passing B in this class

even in this large, spacious lecture hall he can still take in her scent

maybe it’s a new perfume that’s up and coming, that’s why it smells so strongly on her

oh! he can ask that? hey, do you mind sharing what line of perfume you’re using? it smells really good

it sounds like a common question, right? i mean if you wear strong fragrances you’re bound to be asked a question about it

he’s about to ask, he really was so ready to ask, what was he gonna lose? his dignity? 

over a simple, inquisitive question? 

“and now before we go on a twenty minute break, it’s time to introduce yourself to the person sitting close to you”

...

why do college professors have to do this? 

wonpil bites his lip, at this point in time he’s a senior who’s fed up with ice breakers like this. if it were any other person sitting next to him, in front of him, behind him— he would just go with his usual introduction

“hi i’m kim wonpil, studying psychology and i graduate in the spring. i’m taking this class for a major requirement” 

then go about his merry way.

but with her? she and him have history

sort of, and it’s the kind of history that is recent and wonpil is unsure if she is even aware of the weird string of fate-like connection they have 

or, wonpil, hear your consciousness out

it’s not a big deal, and in the scenario she doesn’t remember she fell asleep on the bus on another person

then you can just say hi like usual, and cut the string of fate there and then

(but does wonpil really want that?)

“hi”

oh crap she’s started it 

wonpil braces himself for whatever outcome this interaction comes out to. he’ll let her speak, and tailor his response from there

“i’m sorry, this might be really weird but that’s your sweater, right?” 

so she didn’t give her name, her major, anything substantial about herself but instead shoots wonpil a question

pointing at the sweater that’s draped on the seat in front of wonpil

wonpil doesn’t even check to look. he gulps, nods his head and squeaks, “yeah… why?” 

something in her eyes flash by, almost like a glint of recognition

she puts a hand on her mouth, and wonpil can make out the faintest shade of pink blushing its way to her ears

it’s kinda cute

“did someone happen to… fall asleep on you on the bus coming to campus today?” 

“... yes?” 

“that was me” she buries her face even further into her hands, almost lowering down to the chair 

wonpil thought she was gonna fall for some reason so he had to remedy the situation somewhat

“i.. i, um, did you have a good nap?” 

great comeback 

wonpil was so ready to leave the auditorium and never come back after the break

but he hears her giggle, and slowly come out of her shyness

and it’s a sweet sight, to finally see the way her cheeks look full of embarrassed laughter

as she twirls around a length of hair nervously

and taps the pen on the surface of her desk repeatedly 

it was endearing, and wonpil forgets about why he was panicking in the first place 

she then explains that she had work the whole day, and only had an hour to rest up before going to this 7pm class

wonpil listens intently, watching her mannerisms and the lilt in her voice when she continues to apologize for falling asleep on him without realizing it

“i’m not usually a deep sleeper, but work was exceptionally tiring today and i just needed at least a bit of shut eye” wonpil nods understandingly, almost worried about her health

“where do you work if you don’t mind me asking?” 

“at the coffee shop a few blocks away from campus,” she answers, head tilting to the side “i’m still wearing my uniform for it… is it too obvious?”

wonpil didn’t even realize her black long sleeves was a cafe uniform

but it did explain her strong coffee smell 

“something like that,” wonpil decided to say, curling his lips upward, feeling content and relieved at the turnout of events 

for the 20 minute break, wonpil thought they’d reconcile over what transpired between them and mind their own business soon enough— even if he thinks it’s hard to do that now knowing something about her

which intrigues wonpil 

and, quite frankly, he’d like to talk to her more

just so he has an excuse to watch her emotions paint her face beautifully

but there was a pause right after their short conversation 

and in real Awkward Wonpil Fashion, he shows her the 30 page reading material, in all of its flimsy glory and starts asking questions about it

“so uh did you read the whole thing? i thought it was interesting up until the part that i dozed off” 

and wonpil got his wish; he sees her eyes shine in surprise at his sudden attempt of an intellectual discussion

but she doesn’t deter him away

and actually, she’s read the whole damn thing. and wonpil was beyond amazed at the level of detail she explains to him about the parts he didn’t understand

he actually starts typing real notes while she was talking

this made her laugh in between her explanations, and wonpil didn’t understand what was so funny about

the fight or flight response

“it’s just. the way you’re typing this down so seriously, i’m sure the prof can explain it better”

wonpil shakes his head no, shakes it so much it hurt his temples

she laughs again, and he likes hearing that sound

“do you want to see what i’ve typed the past hour and a half of this class?’

“bet :p”

“actually nevermind” flashbacks of dsfkjsdjffdslkg ring true in wonpil’s mind as he quickly backspaces the nonsense in his notes

and the conversation continues from more psychology talks, to figuring out they’re in the same major but she’s a recent transfer student from last year 

and had been juggling work and school since the start of her senior year

wonpil wonders why he hasn’t seen her in the coffee shop yet

he would have done a double take the first time meeting her there for sure

“oh you’re too kind,” she suddenly replies??? 

wonpil had said his thoughts out loud 

without further embarrassing him, she says that she had only started working there since it’s more convenient for her; wonpil feels grateful she doesn’t dwell on the compliment any longer

alas, the break finishes and the droll of the professor’s voice reverberates throughout the room

this time, though, wonpil definitely feels more alert (awake enthusiastic) as the two of them exchange little comments about the class material

and before you know it, class is over and wonpil is an excited bunny. since they’re by the door they got to leave before everyone else

wonpil thinks it’s time to part ways… but this time they’re not fully strangers at all. they’re taking the same class, same major, they even know each other’s name. 

surely this isn’t the last time, right?

“hey, wonpil…” he didn’t even realize that they have started walking towards the bus stop together

“hm?”

“i think i owe you one,” she starts, stopping her tracks to face him. eyebrows up in hesitation, wonpil waits for her to finish

“you know, for taking over your personal space for my own comfort”

“oh that? haha that’s nothing :)” honestly if wonpil can do it again he’d volunteer in a heartbeat

“no, really. let me make it up to you. coffee? on me? i make a mean cappuccino” she winks 

it strikes through wonpil’s heart 

no need for resuscitation.. yet

“or a matcha latte? whatever you’d like it’ll be on me”

“anything!” wonpil exclaims, suddenly realizing the offer being given to him, the excitement bubbling up inside him again. “i mean, anything you’d like to have me try. surprise me,” he corrects himself

that manages to have her grin widely, eyes twinkling in excitement similar to wonpil’s and he thinks

they can get along

they can get to know each other better this way 

“would you be up to go for one now?” 

“oh— oh! now?” 

“yeah, that way none of us takes the risk of falling asleep back on the bus hehe” 

well, he really wouldn’t mind that happening a second time

“really now, wonpil?”

andddd he exposed himself again

it’s fine, she tugs his hand slightly to lead him to the bus that has arrived and wonpil follows in a daze

it’s a little full, so they have no other choice but to stand and hold onto the railings above

“guess no falling asleep here…” she teases, and now wonpil can’t use his hands to hide his blushing face

but the feeling of her just close by 

and the scent of coffee lingering in the air

in between them

just inches away from each other

it’ll do for now

#day6 imagines #day6 scenarios #day6 au #kim wonpil scenarios #kim wonpil imagines #kim wonpil x reader #day6 fic #dot series #by:jiae

[charlthotte]

Breaking Through the Iron Wall - Aone Takanobu x Reader

Chapter 5

The night before, I had checked multiple times that my alarm would ring at a rather early time - not wanting to repeat the situation of the latter day. After doing all my morning rituals at a normal pace that time, but not bothering with niceties, seeing as though everyone saw my normal face yesterday. Though my hair was a bit more out of place, probably due to all of the running I did yesterday, however, no one would notice except me. Curly hair was just curly hair to them.

Heading downstairs, a rather strange sight was bestowed upon me - my parents sat at the table together and engaging in conversation for once. My father wasn't very happy about the move - his tailoring business gained a lot more profit and customers back home, and here, customers were a rare sight to see. Usually now, breakfast was just take what you want and go, today an actual meal lay across the table. Soon, my parents took notice of me and beckoned for me to sit down with them. After taking my seat they soon engaged me in conversation. "Morning (Y/N), how was yesterday?" My mother inquired, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea.

"Pretty normal" I responded, "Besides the fact that there was a little mishap with the train."

"I heard about that, did you get to school on time?" My mother leered over the edge of her glasses - punctuality was a big thing for her.

"Just about, if only by a moment. It didn't cause any trouble though."

"Good." My mother curtly replied. I didn't want to know how she'd react if trouble had ensued.

"Enough of that, have you met any new people?" My dad sparked up, trying to liven up the atmosphere.

"Yeah... I guess I've met about 5 people."

"Elaborate." My mother said, peering over her glasses again.

"Well I met two girls called Hiroko and Rea in physical education. I met someone in social studies called... Futakuchi." I paused before saying his name - talking about him wasn't a very pleasant feeling. "I also met the volleyball captain and then someone on the train called Aone."

"It's nice to know you're getting along with people!" My dad cheerily smiled at me, the exact opposite to my mother's expression.

"You know (Y/N), you shouldn't be calling your acquaintances by their first names - they may think you to be immature and disrespectful."

My head sank, of course she'd think to say something like that. "I'm sorry, it's just that they told me to call them by their given names."

"Don't do that with anyone else." She scowled, always having to poke the fun out of every conversation. I immediately tucked into my breakfast - not wanting to talk to her anymore. After all, she'd only ever say negative things to me.

I checked my bag, making sure everything was packed, and so I stepped out of my house, not waving my parents goodbye. Sometimes I wondered how my dad put up with her. The walk down to the station was peaceful, in great contrast to the sprint of yesterday - finally getting the time to admire the scenery of the street surrounding me. A beautiful scent wafted towards me from the bakery - making my stomach churn for its deliciousness, even though I had just eaten. But I couldn't dare veer away from my path in pure fear of being late again. My feet carried me closer and closer to the train, until the point where I was already inside it. Finally giving me a rush of relief. 

Once again, Aone was sat by himself in the exact same seat as yesterday, almost as if he owned it - like some sort of territory. Upon seeing his face - I smiled and cheerily waved my hand. In return, the left side of his lip curled up in his subtle smile. Almost skipping, I made my way over to him. That whole time - his little smile never left his face, it was so tiny, hardly noticeable and that's why I found it kind of adorable. It was as if he was not letting anyone see his smile besides me - truly endearing. As soon as I took my place beside him, I dug through my bag for my book. This time opening to the page detailing the lavender flower. 

This flower was given as a sign of distrust, contrasting its beautiful being. Lavender was a common scent in every aromatic product, as it was known to relax and put people to sleep easier. Perhaps that was why its meaning was so contradictory, if the recipient did not know the meaning behind the flower - they would have no clue that the giver did not harbour any trust for them. Truly deceiving, therefore making it the flower of maltrust.

Just like yesterday, I made sure to turn the page slowly, so that Aone could read alongside me. It was strange that a man I had only met 24 hours ago was now reading alongside me, just like friends who knew each other inside out. Aone and myself were not like that at all, he had spoken only two words to me - his name. Yet, we sat next to each other in silence, as if there was nothing left in the world for us to talk about. The truth was far from that - we had yet to talk about everything, even the littlest of trivial things. I wondered if we'd always stay like that - side by side in silence.

We stayed reading for the remainder of the train ride. After it had arrived at its destination, I once again hesitated to move until everyone else had began to exit the carriage, I then hurled my bag over my shoulder and stepped outside once more. I felt I needed to tell someone about my big decision. "Hey Aone." His head sharply turned towards me, "I've made a decision about being your manager... And I'm going to do it.”

The left side of his lip began to curl up more than it had before.

"I know I may not know anything about the sport, but I'll try. And if you don't like me being there you can always tell me and I'll stop." I rambled, starting to become flustered about the situation again. Aone shook his head and placed his hand delicately upon my shoulder.

"It's okay." He spoke in a deep and comforting tone, trying to calm me down, assuring me that the decision I had made was the correct one. It worked, the simple gesture he made stabilised my mind.

"Thank you." My eyes shifted towards his, gratitude shining from them. The simple words he spoke had just brightened my day. In return, he nodded his head. The rest of the journey to school was silent, but it was a pleasant silence - just enjoying each other's company. 

Silence stayed present until we reached the volleyball gym, even though it was before school started, the majority of the team was gathered there, and of course - so was Futakuchi. His snarky smile arose as he saw me standing at the entrance. "Has their highness made their decision yet?"

"Yes." I bluntly replied, it was too early for his antics.

"And what would that decision be?" While saying that, he put his face rather close to mine - perhaps trying his hopeless intimidation tactics again.

"I'm going to be the manager, if you'd let me."

Futakuchi then started jumping around, acting like and elated child hearing exciting news. "Isn't that just great! I am so looking forward for their highness joining us. The news is music to my ears." He flailed his arms around randomly.

"Can it, Futakuchi." Moniwa shouted from across the gym, coming towards him - hopefully to clip him around the back of the head. "Oh hey, (L/N). You decided anything yet?"

"Yes..." I paused for a second, taking in a deep breath, "I would like to be your manager."

"Oh, that's great. I think it's time for you to meet everyone then." He then whistled, signalling the rest of the team to gather. Once they did, he began introductions. "Everyone this is our new manager, (L/N) (Y/N). She is starting as of today." The rest of the team bowed at me - quite the reception. The captain spoke again, "Number one is our vice captain and middle blocker - Kamasaki Yasushi. Number two is myself. Number three is our wing spiker - Sasaya Takehito. Number six is another wing spiker - Futakuchi Kenji. You've already met Aone, the crucial centre of our iron wall. Number twelve and thirteen are a wing spiker and libero respectively - Obara Yutaka and Sakunami Kosuke. There are other people here who are not officially on the team yet." He gestured over to a group of what looked like first years.

"Nice to meet you all." I bowed at them, feeling seriously overpowered by their presences. I was pretty sure that, that feeling would stay sewn into me for a while.

#aone takanobu #aone #aone x reader #aone takanobu x reader #haikyuu #haikyu #haikyuu!! #haikyuu x gender neutral reader #haikyuu x reader

[harry-sussex]

You're lovely, and I enjoy seeing your blog on my dashboard. I'm sorry this has been such a difficult thing to process. It's always really difficult to rework an image of someone you once thought you knew. However I'd like to just put it out there - sometimes (I think the large majority of the time) news is presented in the most sensationalist way, such that nowadays I make a point of de-sensationalizing any news I read in my head. In the case of the whole Harry's memoir thing- I can sympathize with Harry as a person possibly just wanting to take back some control of the narrative for himself. Not just in the most recent events with family (that I tend to think are less horrifying than the fandom/Twitter sussex squad discusses it anyway), but in all aspects of his life. I do not at all think he's going to put his family on blast. I can easily imagine Meghan reigning that dialogue in; she has the tendency to think before she speaks that he seems to lack. And he loves his family. Similar to The Interview promos, I imagine the publishing house knew to increase the interest by implying it to be a tell all memoir. I think he's just done a lot of growing up that he didn't know he had to do over a short period of time, esp re: implicit bias/racism in the setting of media's blatant attack on someone he loves, and is disappointed by the institution's and his family's response to it. I think he's emerged a more introspective and aware human, albeit a disillusioned one. Yes it breaks my heart to think that Meghan won't get a break from the tabloids any time soon. If I were him I'd counsel him to write it & sit on it for a few yrs. But I don't want to give the media the power to destroy Meghan in my mind, and I pray she & Harry won't either. I think she'll be okay. She's a strong one, and I think he's able to draw that same link for himself and be thoughtful about what he does. No one likes being misunderstood/misinterpreted, and I wouldn't be surprised if Harry's especially triggered by that given his history with the press. Maybe this idea emerged from therapy, idk. I can empathize with that, even if I wouldn't do it myself. I hope and pray Meghan gets the support she needs from him and her loved ones in the meantime. I'm honestly not going to read it. I think the less attention I give the BRF the better off they are, unless they're doing something immoral/illegal (see: Woking pizza alibi). And I think at the end of the day, people will unfairly judge other people, especially public figures that have tragic pasts and are publically fighting with the media. A lot of it is going to be noise and I'm not going to give my energy into figuring it out. I like to think I've got a good sense of who they are as people - flawed but ultimately well meaning and earnest. I'm a huge admirer of Meghan and think Harry got really lucky with this one and I'm proud of him for choosing her in more ways than one. I believe Harry and Meghan are lovely people, and I 100% believe their interview. I believe that there are people in the palace with a lot of unchecked power who deliberately uncovered her and Archie from BRF protection for reasons of believed superiority over Meg & Arch. And they're figuring out how to deal with that as a couple and a family. And it's none of my business past that imo. I pray for them and hope it'll eventually end in peace for them all. Just wanted to add another perspective, and hopefully some levity. xx M

Hi, dear. First thing’s first, I really appreciate that this is off anon lol. I love it when people own their opinions, and it says a lot that you did. So thank you for that.

Second of all, I really appreciate the nuance and perspective that is in this message. I agree that the news is sensationalist, and my initial reaction was based off of that. I did watch the promotional clips of the interview and I believe it did sour my expectations going into it when I watched it nearly a week after it aired. I did my best to stay away from Tumblr because I didn’t want that to hinder my view, but it was impossible to separate the promotions that presented the information one way from what it actually was, and thank you for bringing that up with respect to the memoir because I hadn’t considered it. I will say that my knee jerk reaction is pretty on par with the way I still feel about it 24 hours later, especially since I got the news directly, not from Tumblr or Twitter or anywhere else, but you’re right that it could have soured my view from the very start.

I appreciate that he wants to take back some of the narrative but I think that ship has sailed, tbh. He did that with the interview and now I just think it feels like information overload. At some point, people are going to get tired of hearing the wealthy, privileged, powerful Prince complain about his life while more than 4 million people have died due to a global pandemic in less than 2 years. Not to say that he doesn’t struggle - in the words of Roxane Gay, there is no oppression Olympics (and that can be extended to struggle Olympics) - but people view it that way and will get tired of it, if they haven’t already.

I also agree that Harry’s past with the press has tarnished the way he has handled the media and the public post-exit, when he’s finally in a position to strike back without being somewhat obliged to them as part of the circumstances of his birth. I understand and sympathize with him but I just don’t think the public does, and the public matters much, much more than the perspective of one single American fan, to whom he’s never been obliged, and I simply do not think the public will afford him that same understanding, sympathy, and leniency. The public and the media are critical to his humanitarian work - his mother never realized that towards the end of her life, and I truly don’t think she would have been the martyr/saint she is perceived to be now if she had lived, because she did not know how to meet the media in the middle and eventually that started to piss people off. He’s starting to piss people off now and if it doesn’t bother him personally (which it definitely does), I don’t want it to affect his causes. The Invictus Games, Sentebale, Walking with the Wounded, WellChild, Mayhew, Smartworks, Archewell, etc. deserve better than to suffer the wrath of the media and an apathetic public because their patrons simply will not shut up lol.

I guess my point is that they will be unfairly judged (regardless, but especially due to the way they’re handling things), and I think it would suit them better in the long run if they adopted a different strategy. I really sympathize with the fact that he feels frustrated with the narrative that has been manufactured but I really, really think the narrative will only get worse and worse as he continues to go on and on about how badly his life sucks, basically. Again, I don’t deny that he struggles - we all do, some more than others, especially when there are mental health issues - but the public, to me, simply does not care. My own therapist has told me to simply stop caring about the things that I discuss with him. Not to say that they’re not relevant, important, or worthy of discussion - they absolutely are - but his point is that you cannot change people and you are wasting your energy and struggling yourself because you want to change them so, so, so badly that you’re neglecting your own self care in the process. I hate that I do it to myself and I also hate that he appears to be doing it to himself. I’m sure a lot of this conversation has been brought up in his own therapy, and I’m no professional, but I’m doing my best to heed the advice of my own therapist - which is the opposite of what Harry is doing - and it’s done wonders for me, when I actually can do it.

If there’s anything I know from this whole thing, it’s that Harry is absolutely punching above his weight, love him as I may, and that he adores, adores, adores his wife. He has chosen her from the very second she came into his life and I couldn’t want anything more for him or from her. I’m not going to lie, I would have been in this thing for any wife that Harry chose, because I was here long before Meghan specifically came into his life. However, I am glad every day that he chose her, that he loves her, that he wants to protect her, that she loves him back, that he lives the life with her that he’s wanted as long as I (and I’m sure he) can remember. I love her because he loves her, and I would have no matter what, because at the end of the day, it’s his happiness and comfort that matters to me, that has mattered to me since I discovered him and how wonderful he can be more than 7 years ago. What more could I ask of Meghan? What more, as his fan to the end (annoy me as he may), could I want for him? Who could say anything about her in that regard? If there’s anything that has come of this mess, to me, it’s that Harry loves, loves, loves his wife. I will always be happy for him and I will always be proud of him for choosing her, even if I don’t always agree with the way he goes about it.

I’m looking forward to peace, too. I cannot wait for things to just die out, for them to work things out as a couple and as a family, and for everyone to move on. The family will still do their thing and the Sussexes can do theirs, but I cannot deal with this back and forth, tit for tat, petty nonsense anymore. They’re wonderful and flawed, like the rest of them (except Andrew), and I just hope that they can all come to some kind of agreement or terms that lets this die down. It’s exhausting for everyone - themselves included. If I’m this tired, I can only imagine how tired they all are.

Thanks for stopping by, and sorry for the essay (essays, these past 24 hours lol). I really appreciate your kindness in this message, your presence in my notifications (I do see them!), your nuanced perspective and like I said before, I really, really appreciate that you own it!

#Ask #possibilitiesofsainthood #Prince harry #duke of sussex #meghan markle #duchess of sussex #phmemoir

[bluebellhairpin]

Fight or Flight, Rider [2]

Poe Dameron X Pilot!Reader

A/N: Come one, come all! Meet Her Droid! Find out why she’s called Rider! All in one Chapter! - Nemo

Summary: Poe and (y/n) are challenged to a fly-off - and thus the time comes to find out which one is really the better pilot. But are they better at flying, getting distracted, or telling bad jokes? 

Series Masterlist

Masterlist  

The time you and Poe spent talking went by fast. Very fast. 

The fact you were multitasking by talking and tinkering with your X-Wing sure didn’t help time go slower. His droid, BB-8, even came to join you, beeping very cutely as you smiled down at him. 

You wondered where your droid went, but didn’t have to for long since he came around not even a couple minutes later - beeping a little less friendly-like at Poe. 

“That’s Z2-4.” you said. “Just ignore him, he’s always grumpy.” Poe laughed.

“Like a grandpa-droid?” 

“Yes, exactly like a grandpa-droid, only with the body of a two-year-old.”

By the time the call came into the hanger that dinner was ready it felt like only a few minutes had passed, not a couple hours. 

During that time you’d shared more than a handful of stories - he about missions, fighting against the First Order and the people who’d done so alongside them. You about tricks you’d learnt, and what you wanted to do to help the Resistance. 

It was pretty obvious you and Poe meshed well together.

-----------

“So, we were talking,” Rey said, gesturing at the group of people at the table, most of them familiar faces to you, “And we had an idea to set up a course and get you both up in your ships, then -”

“- Then we can see who’s really the better pilot!” Finn finished, smiling brightly and hopefully at both you and Poe. 

“Really?” Poe said, raising an eyebrow at the two. “I don’t see why that’s necessary.” 

“Consider it some good old-fashioned entertainment then,” Snaps suggested, “Everyone here needs something nice to watch for once, you two could provide it.” 

You and Poe shared a look, you couldn’t stop the smile that started creeping onto your face, while he couldn’t stop shaking his head.

“No. No, no, no.” He said, “The only reason I’m getting into an X-Wing is if it’s for a mission, or training - not for anything like this!” 

-----------

“Don’t feel bad or anything Commander, but a number of others do have bet’s going on about which of us will win.” 

“I hate this.”

“It’s just like training Poe!”

“I still hate it.” You snickered at his stubbornness, flipping some switches in your cockpit as Z2 beeped behind you. At this point you were thinking Poe would do better flying with your droid rather than his own - they were both harbouring roughly the same amount of grumpiness - and BB was so nice, you’d never say no to having that droid backing you up.

“I’m rather enjoying myself.”

 “I can tell - you have a smug-grin on your face already, don’t you?” Poe said, and you laughed, shaking your head as the hum of your ship's engines started to reach your ears.

By the day after Rey and Finn proposed their challenge to you, some smart-ass had managed to get word all around the base - Major (l/n) and Commander Dameron were to face off in a flight-off. Poe reluctantly decided to agree, while you walked around with a skip in your step until you got to sit still in your ship. 

There was a crowd around, filtering between where the ships were kept and the command centre, trying to figure out among themselves which spot would be better to watch. You loved how excited everyone was, after everything they’d been through they all needed something nice - you were very willing to provide. 

So there you were, at dusk in your X-Wing with Poe in his at your side. 

Rey and Chewie were already in the planet’s atmosphere, keeping track of everything by sight, while Finn would look after everything else on the ground in the control room.

“You two ready?” Finn asked, patching through to your comms.

“Sure.” Poe said, moving his ship up, off the ground and into the sky above. You followed, lifting to the sky.  

“Let’s go already!” 

“So eager (y/n), do you even know the course?” Poe asked, looking at you from the gap between your ships.

“Hey, the course isn’t stone-set,” you smiled, “And I rather enjoy playing dirty.” With a wink, you shot forwards, starting the race with one fast move. Through your ear, you heard Poe suck in a breath, then let out a string on incoherent curses, before kicking his X-Wing into gear behind you. 

“You little minx, you think you can lose me that easy?” Poe called, his ship swinging around the underside of yours, before looping over to return to its original position beside yours. “‘m afraid I’m not that easily lost.” 

You smiled to yourself, shaking your head at his cocky nature - mostly because it reminded you of yourself. 

“I’ve heard that one before Dameron!” You said, then jolted your ship up, higher into the sky than before - and away from anything that could come in your way like cliffs and trees. 

Were you sick of trees. 

Up here, where the sky meets the stars - that’s where you live, where you thrive, and where you fly best. It’s higher, you can fly further, and you can fly faster. 

It’s high, yes, and a definite no to anyone that’s lighthearted, but even in the stuffy cockpit with Z2’s less-than-happy beeps, and Finn and Poe sputtering at your moves through your headset, it’s still a place that feels more like home than anywhere else.  

That’s a place and feeling you can never get tired of - it’s unbeatable. 

“Woah, (y/n), kind of unconventional of you, but I think I’m liking it.” Poe said, popping you out of your daydream. He was back to flying beside you through the place between the world below and the stars above met, having caught up just like he did before. 

“You think? Used to do this after we were grounded on Nephimm for the night - that was very unconventional!” 

Poe caught your eye from beside you, his laugh ringing in your ears.

“Quite the rebel - you do fit in here, don’t you?” 

“Enough flirting! Get back to the race!” Finn said, sounding both excited and annoyed that you were spending more time talking at that moment compared to flying. 

With a shake of your head to rid yourself of your heated cheeks, you let out a sigh and swung your X-Wing around. Sending a salute to Poe, you took off again, back around towards the base. This time you weren’t going to fly so high if Poe was so insistent on following you. 

“Let’s see how well Poe does trying to follow me through the trees.” you said, and Z2 beeped at you - it was just about the happiest you’d heard the droid all day. 

You lowered into the trees, flying between them like it was nothing. All the practice does pay off. 

The downside to flying in areas that had a lot of hazards is that you couldn’t pay as much attention to where Poe was - all you could do was make sure he wasn’t in front of you. Casting a glance out your side window you could see poe wasn’t too far away, and despite everything you were having fun. You’re sure Poe would be too, and even though you were as cocky and hot headed as he was, you figured it’d be good for morale to have him win - even if you did let him.

But no one had to know that. 

----------

“(y/n), that was amazing!” Finn said, greeting you as you exited your X-Wing, “You were ahead of Poe for so long, but then you lost it!” he said, claping you on your shoulder.

“Hey Finn, the best skill you can have is humility and experience. Poe has a larger amount of the latter compared to me.” you said, looking over at him, a light smile on your face. 

“You’re making me sound arrogant and old.” Poe said, coming up behind you to grab you around your shoulders in some sort of a hug. “I’m not that old!” 

“I can’t believe it! Guys, you won’t believe it!” Rey came running at you, having landed the Falcon a fair few minutes after you - acting like a godsave in case you needed to actually talk to Poe while his arms were around you. “You three won’t believe what Chewie and I saw!” 

“Oh wow,” you said, laughing as you looked at Finn and Poe - the latter of which now had an arm slung around your shoulders, “I wonder if we might not believe what she’s gonna tell us.” 

“Don’t tease (y/n).” she whined, then went back to her ‘unbelievable’ story, “There were lights with you - they were unmissable!” 

You were pretty sure all three of you looked very confused. Thankfully Rey elaborated. 

“You really didn’t see them? You went so high up into the sky that lights started appearing near you! There were purple ones, and green ones, and pink ones. I’ve never seen them before. It looked - it was so - words just can’t describe it.” She said, her hands flopping to her side as she tilted her head at the three of you. “I cannot describe it, you’d have to have seen it.” 

Chewie made a noise behind her, and then she nodded. 

“Yes, that's exactly it.” She rested her hands on her hips. “You were riding the lights.�� 

“Ohhh, a light Rider,” Poe said, squeezing your shoulder before letting it go and leaning on the table next to him. You’d hate to admit you missed him - even if he only moved away from you a foot. “Good thing you’re on the side with the Jedi.” he hummed, smiling smugly at Rey before sending you a wink.

“Oh jeez Poe, find some better jokes, will you?” 

“Finn they’re - Finn come back here! - They’re not that bad!” Poe said, chasing after Finn though the ships and crates and mechanics. 

Those two where the personification of ‘Boys will be Boys’. 

It was fantastic.

“I rode the lights?” you said, sliding up to Rey’s side. “Did it really look that cool?” 

“Why yes it did.” she said, messing your hair in a way only she could get away with. “You slow-flying, validation-craving, light Rider.” 

“Slow-flying?” you said, your mouth wide open, “How dare you say something so untrue!”

“Oh, trust me (y/n), you’re slower than Poe.” she said, leaning over to whisper to you with a knowing smile, “Even though, really, that is untrue. I could feel it, you know, you slowed down so Poe would win.” 

“You tell anyone that and you’ll need more than the force and a lightsaber to save you.” She laughed, wrapping her arms around you as you both made you way off to find where the boys went.

“I don’t plan on telling anyone ever. I would never tattle on my best friend like that.” 

“Rey,” you said, dramatically mocking a sob, the back of one of your hands resting on your forehead while the other covered your heart, “You think I’m your best friend?” 

“Wow,” she said slowly, “At least now I know you’re a bad actress.”

---------

Series Taglist: @writefightandflightclub​ @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol​ @robindoesntloveme​ @kiaralein​ @daniellajocelyn​ 

Series Taglist is Open! 

#fight or flight rider #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagine #poe dameron oneshot #star wars x reader #star wars imagine #star wars oneshot

[tinycrow]

I don’t believe in miracles

Chapter 2: Discovery

:: Unknown Location ::

It had officially been half a decade since Mission City. The autonomous robotic organism and caretaker named Ray was no longer finding ‘babies’ that were sparked by the entity known as the All-Spark. She hoped that this was because she had collected them all, rather than the babies dying off or being otherwise ‘acquired’ by another agency. With no real reason to risk being seen, she spent most of her time raising the sparklings at her home base. This was fine, she thought. She enjoyed seeing her sparklings grow to become upstanding workers in what was now a bustling, little city.

There were massive infrastructure changes that had been going on since the events in Egypt. There were 5 major underground tunnels that stretched across their territory. 3 of five tunnels led to an underground bunker that would hopefully protect any humans/non-humans that needed to wait out an attack on their fair city. It wouldn’t survive a direct hit from a nuclear explosion, but it was placed in such a way that it would hopefully not be targeted. It would keep warm and safe any occupants for a couple years. Other than the bunker, the tunnels provided a warmer route between buildings in the city, especially for humans. Still, it wasn’t uncommon for non-human residents to take up the role as “taxi” for other, smaller friends aboveground.

Because of this shift in foot traffic, non-humans were able to speed through the streets, rarely having to stop. Street racing was becoming a problem in recent years, to Max and Ray’s chagrin. There had been ongoing talk of incorporating bigger ‘bots into Max’s team in order to better police the streets, but ‘bots reaching near Ray’s size tended to be rare, considering how young all the other ‘bots in the city actually were.

There were also more places in the city to just hang out as well as enjoy food and drink. The greenhouse now sported a nice café as well as a plethora of flowers and other plant life.

“Okay. We’re going for a drive.”

“It’s... cold out,” Ray lamely refused, shoulders hunching slightly as she sat at a desk to read reports on her large data pad.

“It’s always cold out. We live in the freaking An-“

“I’m busy.”

“I know for a fact that you’ve already read through the security and finance reports. The rest can wait.”

“My babies-“

“-Are being taken care of by a team of now fully-trained humans and ‘bots. Besides, you don’t usually attend them at this hour anyway. We won’t be gone that long.”

Ray was silent and contemplative as she stared downward at Linda Davies, her long-time friend. Back when she was still roaming America, the red-headed woman had been one of her only companions, worried only about helping them both survive the next day. Linda was the one to suggest the novel idea of creating a place to call their own in a place outside the jurisdiction of any opposing government. It was a crazy idea from a possibly crazy friend, but then again, Ray’s life on Earth wasn’t sane from the very start.

Linda glared back in defiance. “You need a break. Enjoy some sunshine. Talk with friends.”

The ‘bot contemplated arguing with Linda more. They both knew, however, that Ray would be going with Linda. With a sigh, Ray put away the data pad and stood.

“Inside the city, or...?”

“I’ve got my eyes on someplace warmer.”

==

:: California, America ::

It was a much different experience, driving at a sedate/normal pace along with the rest of human-driven traffic. Ray didn’t mind it, but Linda seemed peeved as she shifted irritably in the front passenger seat. Perhaps she was too hot? Ray checked the temperature of the cabin and found it to be at a comfortable level with her cooling unit already on. Maybe she wanted some music? She pulled a playlist from the internet that seemed pretty popular.

Linda’s mood barely improved.

“What’s wrong, Linda?”

“I hate traffic.” She grumped, “How about... we stop for coffee and then drive farther from the center of town?”

The holoform in the driver’s seat frowned in thought.

“I guess... Though I feel less safe the farther from the ground bridge we are.”

“We won’t be long.”

==

An hour passes, and the two friends were driving along into the California countryside with the windows down and a coffee in Linda’s hand. Music was blaring from Ray, pulled from various sources as well as internal storage. They didn’t speak much, just enjoyed the feeling of being on the road again.

“Ah, I missed this,” the not-so-young woman said nostalgically, “I love our home, but I wish we had this kind of scenery, you know?” Linda griped with a smile.

“I agree. California’s nice. Actually... Earth is very nice.”

Linda smacked the dashboard lightly, causing the holoform to flicker out for a millisecond. The black-haired and green-eyed holoform grimaced with a small admonishment.

“Sorry. But you talk like you weren’t born here.”

Ray seemed to pause at that. “I suppose it is weird.” She hummed, and explained, “Sometimes it feels that way, you know? Being so different from the literal billions of humans that populate this planet.”

“And your time... before you changed?”

“Well...” The holoform exhaled harshly, “I lived a pretty lonely life. Other than the times I would help out local charities, nothing really made me happy. I’m pretty satisfied with where we are now, and I want to continue working in making life at home better for all of us. For all our kind.”

It was Linda’s turn to be thoughtful. She slowly formed the words, “You really want to open our home to the aliens.”

“Yes.” The answer came subdued but serious.

A familiar car turned onto their road.

The radio turned off.

“Linda, don’t be alarmed.”

Said woman’s back straightened. “Okay, we’ve gotta talk about ways to deliver bad news. What’s wrong?”

“That car behind us...  is one of the aliens we were discussing.”

Linda looked into the rear-view mirror and saw the silver sports car quickly gaining ground on them.

“Fuck no, he don’t.” Linda looked at the holoform of her friend, very displeased expressions on both their faces, “Can’t you go faster?”

“That depends. Are you going to throw that coffee away?”

“Is this really the time to worry about— “

“THROW IT.”

“OKAY!”

The coffee cup went sailing out the window and into the dry, yellow grass. The moment it hit the ground, Ray’s engine revved and her speed started steadily but quickly climbing. Because the road was fairly straight most of the way, she wasn’t worried about having to suddenly turn 90 degrees.

~ Ray and Linda to Shawn and Max. Linda and I are being followed. I need an emergency ground bridge. Are either of you at the console? ~

~ Shawn, here. I’m not, but I can be. Where are you, Sunshine? ~

~ Ray. We are in the California countryside. I don’t want to lead them back to the warehouses. Max, are you— ~

There was a huff of exhaustion as Max chimed in. ~ Max. I’m at the console. Send your coordinates. ~

Ray sent her coordinates as well as those of the car behind her. She told them how fast she was going.

Max swore. ~ There’s no way you can slow down, but if I send a ground bridge, you’re going to be a pancake on the building wall. I’ll look up exits. ~

Linda, hearing the conversation in her earpiece, gained a look of grim revelation.

~ Linda, here. I know none of us want to consider it, but we may need to fight. ~

Max was dismissive of the idea. ~ There are many reasons that won’t work. For one, they’re much more skilled at fighting than we are. There’s also the fact that they may be getting backup, while we don’t have anyone to backup Ray, unless we use the children— ~

Ray’s hackles rose at the thought, and she interrupted, ~ You are not sending my children after me. ~

Max sighed, sounding like he’d heard this, many, many times before.

~ I wasn’t going to. Look, there’s a gentle turn coming up, if you can pull a miracle and lose him, I can send a bridge to Point A. ~ Max sends Ray coordinates to a nearby farm.

~ Or to Point B. ~ He adds a new pointer further away.

~ Keep me apprised. ~ Max said, finally.

Ray affirmed the decision and planned. Knowing Linda would not approve, she kept it mostly to herself. She turned off the holoform, wanting to reserve processing power. It caught Linda’s attention.

“Ray?”

“Do you trust me?”

Linda narrowed her eyes at the dashboard, hearing her voice echo throughout the cabin.

“Do you trust me?”

==

~ Prime, that strange, unknown Cybertronian appeared again. They appear to have a human with them. I’m following them. ~

~ The human must be returned unharmed. Send your coordinates and we will block their escape routes. You are not to attack while they have the human. ~

~ Understood. ~

==

Ray took the gentle, right turn with slightly less speed but fully screeching tires. She would not let her friend come to harm. If this was to end in a confrontation, she would see her friend home, safe and sound with her people.

The dilapidated barn designated as Point A was coming up fast, and she swerved violently as she skidded to a halt, kicking up a massive storm of dust and dirt. She popped the door open. Linda jumped out, expecting a fight to happen. Just as expected, Ray transformed into her bipedal form, stance loose but looking vaguely like she was ready to fight.

~ Lin’, run to the barn and get that bridge open. ~

~ On it! ~

As the dust cleared, Linda had disappeared into the barn. Ray stepped cautiously forward, wanting to put distance between Linda and the other ‘bot. The silver car drifted in, transformed, and pulled out their blade all in one well practiced movement.

“Release the human, Decepticon, and I will let you live.”

Ray attempted to stall for time. “Not even a hello? A name? I’m afraid you got me at a disadvantage, sir.”

He stepped forward predatorily. She took a hesitant step back.

“Don’t play games with me, ‘con.”

~ It’s open! Hey, Max, wha—hey! Let me go! Ray! ~

Ray cut the transmission with some guilt, and opened a silent communication with Max.

~ Thanks, Max. ~

~ You realize the consequences of what you’re about to do, right? ~

~ I do. I leave my fate in your and our council’s hands. ~

“Well?”

Ray raised her hands slowly in surrender. With determination and serenity, she watched as a semi raced up to his comrade and transformed into bipedal form beside him. She blinked her optics at the new weapon pointed at her.

“I am no Decepticon.”

Sideswipe sneered, “Likely story. What were you doing with that human, then?”

“We were enjoying coffee and a drive through the California countryside,” she said calmly, and at the looks of disbelief, she clarified unnecessarily, “Oh, she was drinking coffee. I find no nutritional value in it.”

“Where is the human?” Optimus asked, getting back to the crux of the matter.

“Oh, back home I’m assuming. Max came by to pick her up.”

“Who is Max?”

“He’s chief of security for a rather large community of people. Are you going to arrest me, officers?”

Optimus gave a look to Sideswipe. Sideswipe resisted grumbling and cautiously approached the possibly deranged Ray, who had yet to draw a weapon.

“You are to follow us to an extraction point. If you deviate from the course, we will be forced to subdue you.”

“Alright, if you insist. Don’t stare at my bumper, I’m quite shy.”

The two mechs stared at her, and then glanced at each other.

‘Taking them off guard would be more fun if I wasn’t so terrified for what the future holds,’ she thought, and she thought of the children she probably wouldn’t be seeing in a very long time. She thought of the danger they could be in if things didn’t go well.

She focused on the details of the two mechs in front of her, hoping to ground herself, and pushed her fears down. She followed one mech and was in turn followed by the other.

==

A pacific Ray sat, essentially blinded in most senses, in what seemed to be a place for general storage. They had temporarily cut off her sight and other various sensors, leaving her with hearing and what was the robotic equivalent to touch. She had guessed that her captors did not have a designated holding area for non-human prisoners (a brig), and to keep their own secrets safe, deemed it necessary to take these precautions. She tried to be mad about it, but a large part of her understood; the Autobots and the humans associated with them were looking for Decepticons, and most Decepticons would rather die than be taken prisoner. Shuddering in fear, she admitted being blinded and constantly guarded wasn’t the worst that could’ve happened to her.

She sang a slow, crooning melody to pass the time and ease any anxiety.

Watching nearby were a pair of cold, blue optics that shuttered briefly at the sound. Memories from long, long ago of similar songs sung to them as a youth slipped into their awareness. The owner of these blue optics resisted the feelings of compassion and sympathy that threatened to take them off guard.

==

In a room far from the femme’s prison, the Autobots (barring one) were in a serious discussion.

“The femme certainly doesn’t act like any Decepticon I’ve seen,” Ironhide admitted.

“And of course, there’s no insignia showing which faction,” Sideswipe said, “Though she did run when she saw us. That’s enough cause for me.”

Optimus rumbled in thought, “Ray associates with humans. For most Decepticons, that would be beneath them.”

A human soldier also piped up, “What about her eye colour? Don’t they usually have red eyes?”

“The colour of one’s optics do not necessarily mean anything. Many Decepticons you have seen may have had red, but there have been those on our side with red as well. Hers are green, which are rarer, but it does not hold any specific meaning,” Optimus explained for the humans’ benefit. “Ratchet, what are your thoughts?”

“The femme has been compliant in every procedure taken to secure her as our prisoner. She has no internal weapons system, however she willingly offered information about her subspace storage containing a rifle, which I have disabled access to as well.”

No internal weapons? Not even a blaster? What kind of warrior disables themselves by not acquiring a proper weapon, especially in a war? The room erupted in chatter.

“Quiet.” The Autobot leader ordered, and then urged Ratchet to continue.

“I have been analyzing the unique radiation that she emits and can come to no conclusions yet. I will note however, that there’s something familiar about it.”

“Familiar, how?” Optimus inquired curiously.

“I cannot say for certain,” Ratchet demurred.

“Keep me updated,” their leader acquiesced, to which the chief medical officer just nodded.

In a quick private comm with Ratchet, Optimus asked, ~ Might I assume you do not want to broadcast whatever it is that is ‘familiar’? ~

~ You are correct. The radiation emitting from the Femme seems to react uniquely with the materials immediately surrounding her. On a molecular level, they are... moving unnaturally. ~

This news surprised Optimus, as this ability was something entirely new. ~ Could it be a new weapon? ~

~ It is hard to say. However, it’s familiar to one of the abilities of an entity we all know of and have lost. ~

~ ... We will talk about this later. ~

~ Indeed. ~

“For now, we will keep her under constant guard. Ratchet, you will continue studying her. All of you are to report any suspicious behaviour. If that is all, you are dismissed.”

==

One week after capture...

She heard a particular set of footsteps approaching and looked up with a genuine curve of her dermas (lips). She recognized those footsteps that had been visiting her almost every day since her capture. She greeted him sweetly.

“Ratchet.”

Ratchet didn’t bother hiding his pleased expression, knowing she couldn’t see.

“You can leave,” he told the guarding Autobot.

Arcee’s optics shuttered and opened again slowly in shock. “Ratchet?”

“Don’t worry, Arcee, she’s not going anywhere. But I technically count as her guard while I am here,” he explained, “so let me work in peace.”

Arcee, aware of Ratchet’s legendary temper, took the out as she saw it gracefully. “Alright. I’ll check in with you in one earth hour.”

“See you later, Arcee!” Ray smiled at the air, not quite sure where Arcee was as the femme was light-footed or on wheels? It was hard to tell.

When Arcee left, Ray turned to where she thought Ratchet was. A puzzled look and an inquiry were sent up to his left shoulder plate, “Is there a reason you sent her away?”

Ratchet settled himself in for a long conversation. There was the squeak of metal compacting slightly as he assumingly sat down on a crate. Ray was already sitting on the concrete with her legs tucked to the side. Her back strut straightened in attention as this event was different to the quiet study and offhand questioning he usually does. Though Ratchet had been nothing but gentle—if grumpy at times—with her, she wondered if that was about to change. Her spark quickened in a small niggling of anxiety.

It must’ve shown in her expression, because he quickly said, “You’re not going to come under any harm in my care, I assure you.”

Ray relaxed slightly, but still had her doubts as she asked, “Is something the matter?”

“I’ve been talking with Optimus and we both agree that it’s time to consider long term plans for your stay here. You have proven yourself to be non-hostile as well as open to our prodding at you and your radiation field. Such good behaviour does not warrant what could be considered torture by sensory deprivation.”

She simply stared blindly at him for a second before slowly admitting, “It would be nice... to see whom I am talking to.”

It only took around 15 minutes to re-enable the appropriate sensors, and he was being intentionally slow and careful. The first thing she saw was thick, yellow-plated servos. When they pulled away, her green optics were wide and bright as they took in the much taller mech. He was sitting, but by her estimates he would probably be at least 5 feet taller than she was. She vocalised a high whistle and winked.

“Cheeky brat. I bet you and Bumblebee would get along just fine.”

Ray took a moment to look at one of her kind captors. She knew the aliens were well armoured and gunned; she had seen it on the day of her capture. However, even the kind medic that had been in her company for days now seemed alarmingly well built. Subconsciously, she pulled her legs up to her chest, in the foetal position. She never liked conflict, but she understood why good people fought. Once upon a time, she was a fighter too, before The Change. But those were weaker foes compared to the aliens she faced now.

“There’s something else we’ve been meaning to talk to you about. You constantly assure us that you are not a Decepticon, but none of us recognize you, nor do we see any mark of affiliation with us.”

She was silent for a while. Ratchet seemed to wait patiently as she seemed to deliberate, optics tracing a path on the ground. The black-armoured femme seemed to come to a conclusion and faced him with a brave speech.

“That is because I am neither a Decepticon nor an Autobot.”

Ratchet didn’t seem surprised by her answer. Truthfully, Optimus and he had been speculating on this ever since she came into their custody. It was hard to believe, but it was the only explanation that fit. The Neutrals had been exterminated early on in the war. This faction was mostly made up of ones who could not or would not fight for one reason or another. They usually had a hard time making a living, and Decepticon raids would eventually become the reason that no Neutral was thought to be alive to this day.

If Ray was a Neutral, it would explain her behaviour towards humans and conflict with either of the opposing factions.

It didn’t quite explain away the radiation that caused nearby molecules to dance almost excitably in her vicinity, or the way she could put you at ease in her presence—a feeling of protection and unconditional love. There was just something missing from this explanation that Ratchet needed to figure out. He had asked specific questions before, but hopefully this time she would willingly answer.

“What colony are you from?”

His question was met with silence. Ratchet withheld a sigh of disappointment, but something in his demeanour must have changed. She saw his disappointment and immediately felt guilty.

She wanted so badly to tell the truth, but it couldn’t be helped. Her people had rights to their privacy and security. She hadn’t gotten communication from the council indicating it was okay to share that information—Ratchet didn’t know but she had easily repaired the severed wires in her antennae. Anyway, it was doubtful that the council would ever agree to open their city to the Autobots, because she knew the humans were afraid. She wished that the time they spent in her and her babies’ presence would ease some of that fear, but it was still not an easy decision to make. She could only hope her feelings reached the people she loved and trusted.

Ratchet tried a different angle, “When did you arrive on earth?”

Ray’s optics, formerly gazing guiltily away, snapped up to Ratchet. This she could technically answer. Her voice was soft but sure as she answered.

“Sometime in the 80’s. But I didn’t start travelling until the late 90’s and didn’t find a place to settle until... the Mission City disaster.”

He thought on this for a bit. It was a bit telling when the femme would be forthcoming with all topics except for where she came from and where she was staying. It made him wonder if there were more Neutrals hiding somewhere.

“Who was that travelling with you when we found you?”

With a pang of anxiety, Ray cautiously revealed, “Linda. She’s a good friend of mine. She... gave me a home.” It was as close to truth as possible. Linda didn’t just give her a home but had helped build it.

“Is there a way we can contact Linda?” He asked, and seeing her wariness, he continued, “If you were happy with her before, I’m sure Prime would let you return as her guardian.”

Ray visibly struggled with herself. There was distress at wanting to be open about her home—she was so proud of what she had helped build—but wanting to respect her people’s wishes. Something in her rattled, and her dentas clenched reflexively.

“I want to... but I can’t... I can’t... It’s not safe... We do not trust...” Her processor stuttered through the many things she wanted or needed to say but was scared of divulging. It created a loop she could not break herself out of.

Ratchet’s servo braced itself on her shoulder, and her continued stuttering petered out. His voice was consoling as he assured her that the Autobots did not mean her or any friend of hers harm, that they had promised to protect humans from the Decepticon threat. The rattling of her mechanical parts somewhere in her quieted, and she took in and vented out air harshly in a very human gesture of recovery.

“There you go. Easy now. You’re safe.”

He tried to pick up the conversation afterward, but her continued silence was worrying. Did she not feel safe here? Granted they took precautions to protect the base’s secrets, but she had not shown any negative effects of the treatment until now. He would speak with Optimus about improving the conditions of her stay here.

==

Three weeks after capture...

It had taken a lot of arguing, but she was finally allowed to—under strict supervision and great limitation—to ‘step’ out of the storage room. Though, to protect the secrets of the existence of Cybertronians, she was only allowed to be in vehicle mode, and it would be in the evening when most of the day’s work was done. Perhaps they were afraid of spy satellites seeing their bipedal forms. With her sight restored, she took the time away from the constant interrogation to simply enjoy the sunshine and the sound of waves nearby. She drove circles or figure 8’s around her guard as well as objects to exercise her precision driving. She even asked her guards about stunts like wheelies, which the amused Autobots agreed to teach her in the limited time she had outside.

Inside the storage room, she would turn into bipedal mode to work her joints, cables, and pistons. She would contort herself in all the ways she knew possible before she grew bored. Sometime during the middle of the day, Ratchet would come along to poke, prod, or ask her things. Very rarely did she ever see Optimus Prime, the Autobots’ leader. When she asked once, she was told he was very busy dealing with the human government and their liaisons. It wasn’t explicitly said, but it was obvious to her that the human government wasn’t happy with the Autobots’ continued stay on Earth.

Though Ray did her best to keep the secret of her little city, she could see that the Autobots were beginning to piece together little things she had been saying (or hadn’t remembered saying). They brought up what she said when Sideswipe and Optimus first cornered her at the abandoned farm, about Max and Linda, about the mysterious warehouse that was obviously just a warehouse and nothing to be suspicious about—

She wasn’t very good at this secret keeping business. Ray supposed it was inevitable that a race so much more experienced than she would start to figure it out, and she only hoped that her people would forgive her.

==

1 month after capture...

Not much changed over the next week, except she obviously gained some level of trust with the Autobots and was involved in less discrete conversations more. Perhaps they had figured out her secret already. They avoided telling her what they thought, so she wasn’t sure.

It was a little over a month when she got a communication from Max, who obviously spoke for the council in this matter. The break in the comm silence ever since her capture took her so off guard, that she froze in the middle of an interrogation. When asked what was wrong, she was too shocked to formulate the words she needed to say, and instead asked to be given some time alone with her guard.

It took her two hours to gather her courage, but she asked to meet with Optimus and Ratchet, stressing that she wanted them alone or she wouldn’t reveal anything. After the agreement was secure, she tried to secure the area against listening devices or humans, using her powers discretely to do so.

It was time.

#my fanfiction #I don't believe in miracles #transformers #greyscales

[blvirz]

Living Life Through a Lens: Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15: Phase II

Word Count: 5.3K

Warnings: none

A/N: Hello! I need to explain a few things. For the next two chapters? At least from what I have written already, there’s going to be a lot of time jumping. It could be a jump that’s a couple of days or sometimes weeks. As I was writing, I found it redundant to write what happened over and over again, when really Y/N’s days are the same. Just work, work and more work. Although I find it necessary to talk about Y/N’s job as a filmmaker, I tried to add things that weren’t work related and hopefully interesting. Things will slow down when the tour and documentary are over. But also, as a side note, one of the reasons why this chapter took so long was the fact that I went searching for actual answers that the members of Blackpink have said in past interviews. Their answers of course aren’t copied word for word, but I tried my best to stay true to what they said when asked these questions. If you're interested about the interviews I pulled from, let me know and I can link them! Thanks for reading(:

[9:00 AM KST]

           After getting off the plane, you, the girls, and your security made your way through the airport. Automatically, you were separated into two groups. Because you and Lisa were not South Korean citizens, you had to make your way through the immigration and customs line, whereas the rest of the girls only had to walk through the security checkpoints.

Making your way to the airport officer’s desk you handed them your passport and work visa. The officer took a few minutes to look through your documents, and after, she gestured for you to look at a camera that was mounted to her desk. When it was done scanning and taking photos indicated to you by a loud beep, she handed back your documents and in English she said, “welcome to South Korea.”

Going through things like this, whether it was airport security or passing the border, made you feel nervous. In reality, you had nothing to worry about but still, the thoughts never failed to cross your mind. What if I accidentally packed a bomb? Or a gun? Maybe the size of my perfume was too large? What if they take it away?

When you were through all the checkpoints, you eventually met up with the rest of the group. But when you got closer you noticed that apart from your own personal security, there were officers and other men in suits surrounding Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé. Before you could question the hassle, the doors opened up to large crowds that formed behind a series of gates, which went all the way to form a pathway to the outside. It looked like a scene out of a movie; never in your life had you seen so many people gathered at an airport like this. In the crowd of course were fans, reporters and photographers. As much as you and the girls wanted to stop and say hello, it was made very clear that you were not permitted and had to get in the van as fast as you could.

Once settled in the van, you heard three consecutive knocks on the door and instantly the vehicle lurched forward. Due to the rush to get inside, you sat beside Lisa instead of Jennie. On your way to the van she held onto your arm tightly, and even after settling in the van her arm was still linked with yours. “Is it always like that when you return?” you asked.

Looking at Lisa, her face was neutral but when you really looked, you could see a little bit of nervousness peep through. “Yeah it gets pretty hectic, but as long as everyone follows security’s instructions and the pathway, it all goes smoothly.”

…

When the van pulled into the lot of the girl’s apartment building and the doors were opened,

each of the girls exited the van one by one. However you and Lex stayed behind. When they realized you weren’t following, they gave you a questioning look. “Are you guys not coming in?” asked Rosé.

“I would like to, but I have a couple things back at home that I have to get to. Plus I need to unpack.” As you said it, the girls understood but also looked disappointed. So to make up for it, you asked if they wanted to meet up for dinner, to which they happily agreed to. Before security could shut the doors, Jennie hopped back inside and sat in the seat beside you.

She put her hands on your arm and with a pleading look on her face, she said, “I want to come with you.”

Everything happened so quickly that all you could do was smile and nod. From the looks of it, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa weren't surprised, and they continued walking toward the entrance of their building. The driver of the van looked back as if to question if it was okay to go, and when you nodded you could hear the engine start up again.

During the drive you always stared out the window, trying to soak in as much of South Korea as you could. But on the drive, in the corner of your eye you could see Jennie’s head bobbing up and down. When you looked over she was trying so hard to stay awake but was desperately failing. So, to avoid any pain that might arise in her neck later on, you took her head and placed it steadily on your shoulder.

By the time you reached your apartment, you were stuck in a phase and didn't notice when the van had stopped right in front. When Lex tapped you on your head and pointed out the window, you took notice. Before you could get up, you nudged Jennie slightly. Comically, she shot right up and a few seconds later started rubbing the back of her neck. You could only laugh at her and say, “let’s go.”

With your luggage in hand and both Jennie and Lex on either side of you, you made your way up. Reaching the door that led into your apartment, you were met with a number of boxes stacked up along the door and the walls surrounding it. Among them were PR, but the vast majority of them was the camera and editing equipment you had ordered.

To get to the door handle, you had to move some of the packages aside.  Looking over you saw that one of the big boxes leaning against the wall had New Zealand to South Korea written in bold red lettering, and was wrapped in tape that had the word FRAGILE repeating over and over. Based on its size you thought about what it could be. When it clicked, instantly you panicked and dropped one of the boxes you were holding. It had to be the painting you bought for Jennie. Luckily, you had enough room to open the door and swiftly you pulled Jennie inside, leaving Lex, your luggage and the pile of boxes behind.

“But your luggage and boxe–” Jennie said while still looking behind.

“–it’s okay, Lex has it. That’s what I pay her for. Now come on, I wanted to show you something.”

When Jennie took off her shoes and made her way further inside, you quickly jutted back. Pointing to the painting and in a loud whisper you said, “Jennie’s painting.” She understood you right away and quickly motioned for you to go back inside. Before you left her with all the boxes, you also whispered, “thank you.”

“Y/N?” you heard Jennie call out.

Running in her direction you met her in the kitchen. Out of breath you asked her, “yes?”

She smiled at you and asked, “what did you want to show me?”

Desperately you looked around for something. “Right– I uhm. Have I given you a tour yet?”

“Y/N, I’ve already been here… Don't you remember? You look a little pale, are you okay?”

Already in a panicked state, she was asking too many questions for you to focus, so when you replied the words fumbled out of your mouth. “I’m all good! Oh right, you have been here before and uh I wanted to ask you something.” Having looked around at your empty apartment, you felt like one thing was missing, and during that thought, one question came to mind.

“Ask away my love,” she said.

“I don’t want to rush anything, but because we slept together in my room back at the lake house, I was wondering how our sleeping arrangements might work here? Between the two of us, I have this apartment, you have yours and the dorm…”

She laughed and looked around, “sleeping arrangements? How do you manage to make it sound so business-y? It doesn't matter to me where we sleep.”

You perked up at the way she said ‘we.’ In your head, you expected her to say that you would sleep in your respective homes, but it made you both happy and relieved that she thought about where you might sleep together. Ultimately, it was decided that you would split the time evenly between your apartment and hers, and if need be, then at the dorm as well.

Having sorted that all out, you took her to your room and into your walk-in closet. Coincidentally, half of it was already filled with your shoes and clothes and the other half empty. Looking at the empty racks and shelves you said, “this side is yours to fill if you want.”

Then you took her to your washroom where all of your things were gathered around one sink and the other sink completely bare. When you opened up one of the cabinets that was hidden behind a mirror, you told her the same thing. That this was her space to fill.

When you turned around to face Jennie, she was no longer in sight, but looking down you noticed she was on her knees. Kneeling down beside her, you tilted your neck in order to look at her face. You wanted to see her reaction as you were excited, but you saw that she had tears in her eyes. The tears right away caught you off guard and made you panic all over again. “Or not! Jennie you don’t have to move in. Please don’t cry. Why are you crying?”

Looking up at you she wiped them away and reached out to hug you, causing you to fall back on your hands. Still not letting go, she said against your neck, “no I want to. They’re happy tears. I’m happy, Y/N. There’s just one problem…”

You tensed up and pushed her off of you, but still held onto her legs so she wouldn't fall. “What problem?” you asked in desperation.

She shyly covered her mouth and laughed. “Back at my apartment… I have too many things. It’s going to take awhile for me to clear things out for you.”

Hearing her reasoning, you let out a deep sigh and held your head on your knees. You let go of her legs and she fell backward against the tub. “God Jennie...I thought it was something serious.”

…

Lisa’s laughter could be heard throughout the whole restaurant, which in turn caused you to laugh as well. It was dinner time now and before this, you and Jennie spent the whole day unpacking your camera equipment. By the time you made sure everything was labelled and in working order, you received a call from Lisa asking where you guys should meet up for dinner. After hearing Rosé and Lisa argue back and forth over the phone, they both settled on hotpot.

Rosé was just about to add more vegetables to the broth when suddenly Lisa grabbed her arm holding the tongs. Both of their arms hung over the steaming pot, “yah! There’s already too many vegetables in there!” Lisa yelled.

Just as soon as Lisa grabbed Rosé’s arm, she opened up her hand causing the vegetables to fall into the pot, smirking to herself as she watched them fall. Lisa could only sigh and sit back in her chair, while you, Jisoo and Jennie just laughed.

To keep them from further petty arguments, you said, “I hate to talk about work, but since we officially start filming tomorrow I wanted to get a few things out of the way.”

Trying your best to sound as friendly as possible, there still was a bit of seriousness in your voice, causing the girls to sit up straighter in their seats. Trying to break the tension you laughed, “relax guys. Nothing has to change, I just wanted to know a couple things before we start.”

You wanted to know where each of the girls wanted to film their interviews. Whether it was at YG, their dorm, personal apartments, or even places like the recording and dance studios, you told them to pick a place where they felt most at ease. After much discussion, it was decided that Rosé wanted to be filmed in the recording studio, Lisa in the dance studio, and Jisoo and Jennie in a professional setting somewhere in the YG building.

…

Unsure if it was the three espressos you had on the plane or the entertaining dinner you came back from, you sat in your bed awake. Jennie was knocked out in the bed beside you, while you sat up writing a few ideas you had for the documentary. During dinner you discussed where you would film and which member you would start with. Lisa volunteered to go first, then Rosé and then followed by Jisoo. Jennie had work in Japan and would be leaving so she would go last. In your notes so far, you had a couple of facts that were given to you by YG, and a couple of questions that you wanted to ask each member in front of the camera.

While writing your last question, you felt Jennie turn over next to you. When you looked over, she opened her eyes and right away she squinted because of the bright light that was currently coming from the light that sat on your nightstand. She threw her arm over your lap and very groggily she said, “how are you still up? Let’s go to sleep.”

Willingly, you gave in and put your notepad and pen on the table. When you shuffled and laid down in the bed, you reached over and shut off the light. When all was said and done, you felt Jennie rest her head against your shoulder. With the darkness, the warmth and feeling Jennie next to you combined, you easily drifted off to sleep.

[7:30 AM KST]

When you woke up and turned over to where Jennie was last night, she was no longer in the bed next to you. Instead it was just a note. Picking it up it read:

Y/N,

As much as I don’t want to leave this morning, I still have a job to do. As I’m writing this, you could not look any cuter than you look right now. You don't know how badly I wanted to wake up with you. I hope all goes well with your filming today. I’ll miss you while I’m in Japan!

                                                                                                                - J

As you read it, you could feel your heart flutter in your chest. You smiled and placed the note on your nightstand. Already starting the day off with a good start, you sat up and got ready for the day of filming you had with Lisa. When you were all ready, you walked back over to your nightstand, picked up your notes from last night and quickly shoved them in your purse.

…

Walking into the dance studio with your film crew and the countless luggage of equipment, you saw that Lisa was already there. When she saw you in the reflection of the mirror she ran over to greet you and help you with what you were carrying. Placing the last luggage in the corner of the room, you told her that it would take awhile to set up some of the lights, bounce boards and mics. And that if she wanted to learn a few things she could help you with the set up.

With the help of your crew and Lisa’s, it didn't take as long as you anticipated and soon you and Lisa were sitting on stools across from one another. Looking at the monitor on your right as well as the notes in your hand, you quickly reviewed everything to make sure it was all set up properly. Crossing everything off on your mental checklist, you were ready to begin with the questions. With a reassuring smile and a thumbs up you told Lisa, “okay, everything looks good to me. Remember that the point of today is just to roll through as many questions as we can, and that’s it. Don’t stress and just be yourself. Are you ready?”

Checking the monitor once again, you saw Lisa smile widely and nod in your direction.

Y/N: Can you explain to me who Lisa is on stage? And how she differs from Lisa off stage?

L: On stage I like to be as charismatic as I can be, but also because I want the fans to enjoy the performance, I tend to smile a lot. Concerts should be a place where people have a good time, so I try my best to give them (fans) all my good energy and happiness. Off stage I like to think I’m the same, always happy and making people laugh. You can describe me as a jokester, prankster and an all-around joyful person. I’m very happy when I’m around the people I’ve built relationships with.

Y/N: Life as a trainee is known to be hard. Can I ask what got you through it?

L: My mom and dad’s support helped me get through a lot. I talked to my mom every day and she pushed me to keep going. Also, at the time, with the help of the other trainees, I felt even more motivated. To go through those hard times together and have the same dreams of debuting definitely helped too.–

You had tons of other questions for Lisa, and by the end of them you felt exhausted and called it a day. There was a wide variety of questions you asked her. Ranging from the simple things such as her daily routine or her relationship with her members, to her life as an idol, her feelings and what she planned to do after being out of the spotlight. When you covered all the aspects of her life, you turned off the lights, signalling that it was all over.

When Lisa got off of her stool, she stood up straight and stretched in an odd way. Laughing at the way she stretched, you asked, “did you want to go for dinner?”

Like a dog with a bone, right away she perked up and agreed.

…

After swallowing the food she had in her mouth, Lisa looked up at you and said, “You were so serious! But as we got through more and more questions I felt more relaxed and it felt like we were having a normal conversation. Thank you for making the whole thing comfortable for me. I wish all my interviews could be like that.”

Shifting in your seat across from Lisa, you smiled at her as she said that. You had hoped that the first phase would have worked and that by now you were comfortable enough to ask questions and have the tough conversations. Filming with Lisa felt natural; her answers were clear and concise, and the others were longer when they needed to be. Today couldn't have gone better in your opinion. “Thank you for being open with me. Every time I film, I realize just how hard it is to open up to people. You did all the work, I just filmed,” you said while giving her a comforting smile.

On schedule for the rest of the week, you would be following Lisa around on her daily schedule. She told you that apart from her home and YG, she spent time working out at a gym and sometimes went out to eat.

You could feel vibrations emanating from someone's phone on the table, unsure if it was yours or Lisa’s both of you picked up your phones in unison. Flipping yours over, you didn't see anything but your lockscreen which was a selfie that Jennie took just for you.

You thought back to when you first saw it on your phone. Initially you picked it up from the pile of phones thinking it belonged to you, but when it wasn't your original background you insisted that it wasn't yours. After looking through all the phones, you picked it up again and oddly your finger unlocked the phone. Jennie caught you staring at it oddly, and said, “I changed it so that you wouldn't miss me so much. You're welcome.” At that, you took her phone, took a photo of yourself and did the same. When Lex caught you guys laughing at your phones together, vividly you remembered her rolling her eyes and saying, “god I hate you both.”

Snapping back to reality, you looked up at Lisa and it looked like she was replying to a message. She quickly apologized and looked up at you, “sorry. Jisoo-unnie said she wanted to watch a movie and asked if you wanted to join us. Come join us!”

It was getting late and you had to be up early tomorrow, but the cheerfulness in her expression kept you from saying no. One movie won’t hurt. Plus there’s always coffee. Except that it wasn’t just one movie, and by the time you got home, it was already the next morning.

[7:00 AM KST]

Your alarm was blaring on the bedside table, and with one of your hands you reached over and smashed your fingers against the screen in hopes of it turning off. With your luck, it didn’t. So you picked it up angrily and tapped the button to make it stop. Even after it was done ringing, you could still hear it in your ears.

Swinging your legs over the side of the bed, when your feet met the cold ground you could feel the beginnings of a migraine forming behind both of your eyes. You knew this would happen if you didn't get enough sleep, but you didn't regret it because you had a good time watching movies with the girls. You got up and headed for the shower and hoped the steam might help it go away. Unfortunately, the shower didn't help, and like you always did in the past, you resorted to a coffee and an Advil. As soon as you swallowed, you headed out the door.

Arriving at the dorm, you waited in the car for Lisa to come down. Due to all the curtains covering the windows, the inside of the van was dark and so when the door opened and the light came flooding inside you expected the pain of your migraine to get worse, but it didn't. You sighed in relief when the pain was gone and saw Lisa standing there. Looking at her you noticed she was in her workout clothes. She looked wide awake and bright as always.

Once she settled and put her seatbelt on, you asked her, “how are you so wide-awake right now?”

She laughed and rubbed your arm, “because I love that this is my job. Besides, today is an easy day. Don’t worry. There isn’t much in my daily routine.”

…

The first place you went to film Lisa was at the gym she liked to learn how to box. The second place was, well not really a part of the schedule, but was a place to eat since she got hungry after her workout. Then the third and final place was YG’s headquarters. No matter how many times you walked inside the building, it still felt intimidating. You walked passed the receptionist desk and made your way to the elevators.

Once in the dance studio, you brought out your camera once again, and you set up to film Lisa dance. You watched carefully through the screen and made sure that all the shots turned out the way you wanted. The choreography you watched Lisa perform was for Blackpink’s upcoming tour. The day you had met them, they had just finished learning the bulk of it all, and so at this point she and her choreographer were simply fine tuning the dances.

Once you thought you had all the shots, you sat back on the chairs that were in the corner of the room and just watched. It was getting late and you could tell her choreographer was getting tired, but Lisa as a result of her perfectionism and her relentless work ethic still kept going. Each time she would mess up she would shout, ‘one more time!’ and start from the top.

You told yourself, okay let’s just take a quick ten minute nap, and closed your eyes. When you woke up, everything looked the same as when you had just closed your eyes. But to your surprise when you looked at the clock, not only did ten minutes fly by but two hours. Panicking you stood up from the chair in which you sat, and before you could turn around to find Lisa you felt someone grab your arm. Turning to see who it was, you saw that it was Lisa. She was sweaty and out of breath but asked if you were ready to go. Out of relief and tiredness you placed your head on her shoulder and said, “yes please,” earning a laugh from her at the same time.

On the drive to the dorm, it was quiet and all of a sudden Lisa said, “Y/N I have some things that I wanted to ask you…” As she asked, you could feel the gravity of her words and sat up straight from your slouched position to look at her. Awaiting her question, you sat there nervously.

“What do you plan on doing after the movie? Will you go back home? I uhm. I just–” she started stuttering and that was when you could tell the hard questions were coming. You gulped and waited for her to finish.

“–I respect you, and I consider you a friend, but still as I watch you and Jennie get more and more serious. I can’t help but want to look out for her. I guess what I’m trying to ask is… Do your future plans have Jennie in them?”

In truth, you expected this conversation to happen with somebody, but you didn't think it would be Lisa. Maybe Jisoo? Or Lex? Taking in what she had asked, you understood and didn’t blame her for asking. If you were in her place, you would ask too. Pausing for a brief moment and then looking at her to make sure she knew you were being honest, you said, “besides anyone on my team as well as Jennie, I haven't told anyone this. But, before I took this job I planned on taking a break for myself, and then my heart got broken and I took the job to get away from that pain. And ever since the start of our project I’ve thought about it endlessly; about what’s going to make me happy and the things I still want… Even today, when I think about those things, Jennie is in all of them. She is in every thought I have before I do anything. Now well I’m not solid on many of my plans for the future, I at least do know that she is in them. Whatever that may be. She is– you guys all are very important to me. Realistically speaking I could work from here, but as of yet I haven't thought that far. I hope that answers your question.”

With your answer you could see the satisfaction across her face. She sighed as if in relief and said “thank you Y/N. I know I say it all the time but really. Thank you for everything.”

…

Before you could realize it, your week with Lisa had flown by and in that time you followed her around on her daily routine. It was the same things over and over again, the only thing that changed were the places you would stop by to eat. You also got to know more about her and even met her parents, over facetime of course. In conversation you brought up that they should come out for the movie premiere and they gladly accepted, but even sooner they mentioned they would see you at the concert in Thailand. It was just a simple conversation over the phone, but through it you could see where Lisa got her kindness and always-happy attitude from.

It was your day off and the last day before you would start filming with Rosé. So to take it easy you planned a spa day with Lex, and planned to meet up with the girls for lunch later in the day. Jennie was still in Japan so you wouldn't see her there, but you two planned on calling each other later when you had free time.

Before you and Lex left the apartment, you made sure to bring the gift you bought for Lisa that you intentionally placed on the counter near your keys so you wouldn't forget. After you had bought the painting for Jennie back in New Zealand, you thought about what gifts you could buy for the other members. At first, you struggled to find things you thought they might like, but as time went on and you got to know them better, picking things out became much easier.

What you had planned to gift Lisa was the very first film camera you taught her on along with the developed footage she shot on it. Back at the lake house, you saw how much she enjoyed shooting on it. So with that, you were on a hunt to try to find the same camera but in better condition. When you found one on eBay, you stayed up bidding all night. That is, until you got frustrated and made sure to put in an offer that far outbid the person on the other side. The day you and Jennie spent opening boxes was when you noticed it came. Jennie had unknowingly opened it and placed it near the rest of your camera equipment.

Opening the box quickly to make sure it was still in there, you saw the sealed camera, the footage, along with a handwritten note you wrote for Lisa. With the box in hand, you blissfully walked out the door.

The note read:

Lisa,

Surprise! I loved seeing you have so much fun with this camera, so I bought you your very own. I’ve taught you so little and your shots are already better than mine! In time, I hope this camera will serve to remind you of happy times and that we become even closer as friends.

All my love,

Y/N

P.S. Thank you for making this process so easy. Let’s work hard in Phase II!

Chapter 16 - HERE

#blackpink imagines #jennie kim #jisoo #blackpink rosé #lalisa manoban #blackpink scenarios