#first chapter's these three being young idiot teens

[theresthesnitch]

Hi Snitch, how have you been? ❤️

I've loved every chapter of OLT(NE) so far, and it's fun to see everyone's reaction to James being a total idiot.

So, just for the sake of it - and because it's a fun way to explore stories and characters - I'll play devil's advocate.

It's true. James' actions are cruel, his words are hurtful. He is in the wrong, without a doubt. All of these things are true... But they also make sense.

As you said, he doesn't think clearly (or at all) around Lily, he's waited and fought for her, and he feels betrayed, but I think there's more to it.

Let's take it one step at a time.

James joined the Order right after graduating from Hogwarts, at 18. He went from living a relatively sheltered life to being a soldier in a matter of months. He knew how cruel the world could be, all his loved ones had suffered because of it. And James has been, in many ways, a safe harbour for these people, someone to look up to, because he had the means, the skills and the willingness to lead and fight. And that is a huge honour, but also a big responsibility and sometimes a burden for someone so young.

And then the war turned very ugly, very quickly... But it was still worth it, because James had Lily and his friends, a reason to fight harder, a reason to survive and to live.

At his age, you're supposed to figure out who you are, to make mistakes. And let me tell you, your late teens and early twenties can be awful! I've met very few people who've enjoyed who they were. You constantly doubt yourself, your identity and it's chaotic and stressful and you lose your mind a bit. You start feeling a bit more settled in your late twenties.

So we have James, who's going through all of this during a war. This is a kid who's overly confident, probably very idealistic and optimistic. He learns very quickly that protecting his friends withing the walls Hogwarts and protecting them in the war are two entirely different things. He's not used to lose: he grows frustrated and impatient, and he starts doubting his entire outlook on life. I feel like the war was a bigger shock for James than for anybody else.

When he and Lily broke up, he had reached his limit. They had both seen terrible things, lived such horrors that there was no room for happiness. They had no control over their lives, and decided to end things because they wouldn't have forgiven themselves if they had been responsible for the other's death. Making this decision must have been impossibly difficult. Was breaking up the coward's way out? If they weren't strong enough to bear the thought of losing each other, how could they be strong enough for a war? Their enemies didn't have this weakness.

James stopped living after that. He fought to survive, not to live. Barely two years into the war, and he had already been destroyed by it.

He was a broken man... A broken boy, nineteen years old, forced to learn but also accept the complexities of the world, but without the right tools. So after a while, he found a (wrong and unhealthy) way to deal with all of this. He became numb. Reckless. Joined the hunt for the Horcruxes. Left Remus and Peter behind, too. And then the real horror began.

I think the hunt for the Horcruxes was nothing he'd even seen, nothing any of them (including Dumbledore) had seen. I think a part of him was forever changed during this time. Even after the war is over, he's profoundly affected by this. If we want to give it a name, it could be PTSD.

I think Peter's betrayal was the final nail in the coffin, and arguably the most painful part of the war, maybe even more painful than his break-up.

You see, we often think of James in the context of his relationship with Lily, but his bond with the Marauders is a fundamental part of who he is. He met them at eleven years old, before he knew about love and sex and heartbreaks. Those three people became his brothers. They were his first love, in a way. How could he wrap his head around Peter's betrayal? Had he been rotten from the beginning? And if not, why didn't they notice he had changed? Maybe they did, and they did ignored the signs, which would be even worse. I don't know if James got the answers to these questions. I don't know which is worse: to know or not know the reasons behind Peter's actions. I can only imagine what it feels like to lose someone you love like this. He would never expect his friend to be actually working for the enemy, helping him kill his other friends and gain power. It's the kind of thing you can't even imagine.

There was also a huge deal of guilt involved, because nothing could have erased the years they had spent together, their adventures, their secrets. I think James took it worse than Sirius and Remus, and not just because he was alone and they had each other, but because I think James knew Peter had looked up to him ever since he met him. He knew the influence that he had had on him. I think James blamed himself because of this. He knew the kind of person Peter was: he probably wasn't an autonomous individual in the same way James' other two friends were. Also, Sirius had experienced the betrayal of his own brother, and Remus feared deep down that this little group, this family was too good to be true, so he was prepared for their friendship to end one day. James had none of that. He had never known this feeling. He was completely unprepared and powerless.

The knowledge that James could have done something about it, that he could have fixed him, too is something that will forever haunt him. James grieves the person he thought Peter was. It's the kind of grief that will eat you inside, that will cement itself in your brain.

Truth is, I don't think James is the same person he was before. His actions and words are influenced by all these things. I'm not saying that the war made him rude and disrespectful but it makes sense that he's more blunt now: you don't have the time nor the energy to be your best self when you're trying to survive. These experiences turn you into the worst version of yourself. And, according to the story, the war has just ended and James is probably still in that mindset, and he needs a lot of time to readjust to his old life. A life he probably doesn't recognise anymore.

I'm not an expert, but many veterans have had trouble going back to their old lives. Their brain is still in fight-or-flight mode, and they sometimes experience feelings of depersonalisation and derealisation. I'm not saying that this is James' case, but it's important to contextualise his actions.

This is probably the longest ask I've ever sent you (and that's saying something) so I apologise for the length and the typos I'm sure to find if I read it again, which I won't lol

Also, this is more of a reflection about your version of James rather than an analysis. I'm sure you have a very specific idea of who he is, and if I'm completely on the wrong track I don't mind at all, quite the opposite: I'll be very happy to get to know your James better ❤️

I think that telling each other stories is what we're all ultimately here for, it's our highest purpose. It's all about about sharing, at the end of the day, so thank you for giving us this wonderful story. It makes my brain go brrr and my heart go ouch but also aw. I love it when a story pushes me to think critically, it's incredibly satisfying and it reminds me of why I love reading so much.

💜

I don't think there's a better way to show appreciation for one of my fics than a lengthy love letter to it in my ask box. This is....everything. I love this.

Also, as far as James goes? You hit the nail on the head there. A few additional details that I think play an important part below the cut here.

***

Absolutely, 100% yes with the war hitting James harder than he expected. I think you also have to consider the Lily aspect of it all. James started the war fighting for and because of Lily, but then she was gone, and I think that had a two-fold effect on him.

First, we see him being more reckless in the past snippets in chapter 1. James volunteers for the "special taskforce" without thinking twice about it because "it should be someone like him with nothing to lose." It's also the first time that he sees his friends split, and the war causes that. This ultimately has consequences that shake James to the core. Like you mentioned, he lost Peter somewhere along the way, to the point that Peter betrayed them. Was Peter always bad, or was it some failing in James that made him go bad? (Because James would have always thought he could save his friends, and he failed.) However, he also watched fellow members of the taskforce die. From chapter 1:

When Peter and Remus left, the latter sending a longing look back over his shoulder, James and Sirius were left with Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dorcas Meadows, and Caradoc Dearborn. They sat in a circle, with Dumbledore at the head looking fondly around at them, as they waited to hear what this dangerous task would be. 

It's not a mistake that the other members of the task force were almost unanimously characters that died in the first war in canon. James, Sirius, and Kingsley are the only surviving members of this task force. James worked closely with them, for years, trying to bring about the end of Voldemort, and he watched them die while he did it. I think James holds a lot of guilt for that too. From chapter 2:

He would tell her, if she wanted to know, what he had been doing for the last five years. He would tell her of the hunt for Horcruxes and the danger and the way he missed her every day. 

He thinks about telling her, and in his head, it is inexplicably tied with her. All of these horrors he went through, and she was part of it.

The second effect this time had on him ties in well here. James always held out hope that Lily would come back to him again, and that the war could be over, and they'd make it work this time. James spent 5 years imagining what reuniting with Lily would be like without the pressure of keeping each other alive, and....none of that had a kid in it. He fought for her, and nearly died for her, and he always imagined that in the time after, they'd have this life together that was shattered when he came back and thought she found someone else.

That moment, as unreasonable as we all know it to be, made James fracture. James is nothing if not a man who loves Lily, but he never thought about losing her like that. He still wants her (as much as she wants him) but to him, it feels like a betrayal to him and to all the people who fought a war and died in that war while standing next to him.

Perhaps it's made him a bit cruel, but he doesn't mean to be. He loves so much that he doesn't know how to handle the heartbreak he's feeling. He hurts so much, but he doesn't know how to let her go. He's caught in this terrible spiral where he can't win either way--except we know what he's giving up. James doesn't, however.

I know I've mentioned this in asks before, but I actually had far more flashbacks planned out for the years between, enough to the point that I legitimately considered making a second fic to cover that time period. I think we would have seen a lot more development for James if I'd stuck to the plan that included them, but it didn't ultimately add to the story I'd set out to tell. However, if I had, that would have included:

Watching Wolfstar fall in love which only made him long for Lily more. (I have a few of these drafted if anyone wants to see it)

James got seriously injured about 3.5-4 years into the time apart. Like, Sirius pacing the halls of St. Mungos and discharing accidental magic like crazy because he thinks his brother is dying (which should inform Sirius's behavior a bit too)

Regulus showing up when he hears that James is hurt, and showing Sirius his locket-horcrux.

Regulus recognizing the curse that's killing James, and saving him.

Regulus helping them find more horcruxes, and ultimately developing a relationship with James and Sirius too (Brotherly; no Jegulus in my Jily fic!)

Dramatically watching the Prewets, Meadows, and Dearborn die.

Regulus still being killed, despite everything.

Finding out that Peter caused James's injuries and got Regulus killed

Nearly losing the war before Voldemort was finally defeated.

And two weeks later, Lily is back in town. And she has a kid that James doesn't know. And it breaks him.

He's broken. He's torn to pieces. And yet, our James is made of love and hope, and everything that is good. He just has to find that again. Perhaps in a green-eyed, messy-haired boy?

#snitch answers asks #one last time (never enough) #OLTNE spoilers #well I didn't expect to write an essay on OLTNE James #but here we are #hope that makes some sense for James

[artemiseamoon]

Wisteria & Moonlight

Chapter 1: Following the Tracks

Werewolf! Will Miller x Ofc

Words: 2,488 || fic info || next

Summary: Ajani’s journey to locate her missing brother leads her into a wolfs den. (Story originally written 2012, revised for my Miller trio)

For @clydesducktape Moon in May challenge (week 1)

An: A moodboard at the end offers a visual of more characters

Prompts used this week: new moon, alpha

⚠️ warnings: GENERAL werewolf stuff, biting, some violence and aggression, excessive partying/ drinking, rowdy behavior, a missing person, mentions of adoption, sexual energy/vibes cause werewolves! || THIS CHAPTER: missing person

Everything about this place sets her alarms blaring. Ajani was way outside of the city now: deep forests to her left, the road back to civilization to her right, and before her an abandoned railroad crossing with the bar a few feet away.

At first glance, it looks as expected, some old building still standing, one that was always some kind of bar or late-night joint. One with stories seeped into its foundation. Above the door hangs a sign, the letters carved and painted in red: The Last Exit.

Fitting, Ajani thinks to herself. With the rickety old tracks between her and the bar, she builds up her strength. She can feel the knot in her stomach tightening.

Not many things frightened her, but this did. Still, she couldn’t let fear get in the way, not when Adrian was still missing.

Due to both their 'troubled teen pasts', everyone assumed he was off somewhere and would wander back, eventually. But Ajani knows this isn’t true, something was wrong.

Going into this, Ajani knew this place would be crawling with wolves, specifically the Delta pack. This wasn’t her first time dealing with weres, they’ve have been part of her life on and off since she was young.

The Wolf gene was hereditary, Adrian got it, she didn’t. Ajani did get magic, a gift passed down to her from some unknown ancestor. Due to being adopted and unable to find their birth parents, any further hints of their origin story remains a mystery.

Ajani sets the thought aside, that’s a can of worms she can’t open right now. Glancing down, she fiddles with the enchanted jewelry she’s wearing. She was no idiot, a human walking into a local werewolf bar was foolish. But she had to do this, any layer of protection helps.

By now, in her early thirties, she had some of experience perfecting these tools. Ajani was a wolf magnet, for better or worse, and much to the distain of her brother who tried to keep her away from wolves.

No matter how much he tried, she always found her way back, they were a bit of a bad habit for her. Like an addiction she couldn't shake. Sometimes it made Ajani wonder if she was more than human. But there was no proof, she never turned, she never went through what Adrian did.

According to the location spells, this was one of the last places he visited, and someone in that bar knew something. After hitting dead ends in three states, Ajani was looking for a win.

Mustering up the courage, Ajani glances up at the sky. She didn't know who her ancestors were, but she hoped, prayed, they were with her tonight. The sky is moonless with a scattering of stars, the new moon invisible to the human eye. Ajani takes a deep clearing breath and crosses the tracks.

Standing outside of the door, she can hear Motörhead blaring from the speakers. Her senses are immediately overtaken by the smell of werewolves, whiskey, leather, body heat, and more.

Focusing on the task ahead, she grabs the handle. Ajani knows they can smell her; she can even feel their eyes through the door. But this was nothing, once she walked in, that would be the worst of it. After chewing the inside of her cheek for a moment, she opens the door.

The rowdiness comes to an instant halt. There are at least two dozen werewolves in here, and every set of eyes is fixed on her. Her muscles tense up, her throat goes dry. Maybe she bit off more than she can chew with this one.

In her efforts to find Adrain, all her dealings with wolves thus far have been on a smaller scale, a group of three max, but this, this was fucking crazy.

Two of them, rather large men, move closer, circling like hawks, and though she doesn't make verbal acknowledgment of it, she can hear the sea of comments being made.

Adrian. I have to do this for Adrian.

The next song from the jukebox kicks up, Victory or Die. Great, like that's an omen I need. On her own, she’s blasted this in her car plenty of times, but right now, with a bunch of werewolves watching her like a piece of meat, it wasn't so enjoyable.

Ajani hopes the jewelry and her anointing oil are working, or at least minimizing her scent of fear. Creating stuff with Werewolves in mind was always tricky as hell. They could smell everything and had the best senses of all the supernatural creatures.

Usually, by now she’s going about her business or has something witty to say but to her horror, she literally can't move or talk. Well fuck, this is bad.

“You must be lost sugar.” The bearded one comes up behind her, he's wearing one of the sleaziest grins she’s ever seen. Before she can respond, a soft hand falls on her other shoulder.

“Give it a break Gene, she’s with me.”

Gene’s eyebrows draw together, Ajani turns her head, finding a baby-faced woman with caramel skin, long brown hair, and hazel eyes.

Gene doesn't walk away, but he backs up a little, everyone is still watching. “She’s not one of us.”

The woman rolls her eyes and wraps an arm around Ajani. “I have friends outside of this bar asshole."

Trusting the woman out of necessity, Ajani goes willingly as she leads her through the bar of prying eyes and raised noses. They go through the back door, which opens up to a large outdoor space.

…  

As they take a seat, the woman keeps up the act, Ajani remains aware of her surroundings.

“I didn’t think you would come.” The woman puts the beer she was holding down on the table.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Ajani replies.

The backyard is not as crowded as inside, but they still have a small yet very attentive audience. A few from inside spill out, making the crowd larger.

As Ajani's eyes travel about, the woman pulls her into a hug and whispers, “This was the only way to get the focus off of you for a bit. Keep following my lead."

“Thank you.”

“what’s your name?" She asks.

“Ajani .”

“I’m Quinn,” Quinn breaks away from the hug, but stays close. Ajani notices the way she has them sitting is strategic. Whoever this girl is, she's smart and crafty. Ajani is impressed.

Quinn makes conversation while dropping clues to their ‘story’, Ajani catches on quickly.

“By the way, your timing is shit sweetheart." Quinn says, it makes Ajani snicker. Not because she didn’t believe her, but no 20-something has ever called her sweetheart before.

Quinn glances back at the crowd, “want a picture? It'll last longer?”

She’s sassy. Ajani likes her. There’s a series of huffs, curses, and scoffs, but the crowd turns to each other, still looking over occasionally.

“I take it humans never come in here.”

“Depends. The groupies come with the guys, then there's the occasional dumb ass who wants to see if bars like this are real. Speaking of, the longer you stay, I won't be enough protection.”

Ajani raises a brow.

Quinn only says one word, “claiming."

"Ah fuck," Ajani's eyes drift to the outdoor lights stringed across the patio. She’d keep an eye on that, it was definitely a thing. “You ever have a non-wolf friend meet you here before?"

“Once..." Quinn trails off, she watches for any warning signs before continuing, "you need to get out of here by 11."

Ajani glances at her watch, it's 10:17. That knot in her stomach grows double in size. Whatever was going down at 11 she did not need to be here for, like anyone else, the wolves had special rituals and celebrations. Any humans here past 11 were either sex partners or, something less fun.

The next man to come through the doors is greeted by the crowd. Even from this distance, Ajani can feel the expansive power of his energy. There’s something wise about him, commanding. Based off her observations, and the way the others engage with him, Ajani guesses he must be the Alpha.

He's in great shape, sports some Viking-era tattoos and his long dark blonde hair is shaved at the sides. The most striking thing about him is his eyes, they're electric blue.  

When he reaches the table, he looks even more supernatural up close. His eyes settle on Ajani, and a wicked grin forms on his lips. Being the focus of this mans attention makes her nervous, yet, he is undoubtedly magnetic.  

“New friend?” His accent is strange, Ajani can place it.

“This is Ajani."

His eyes are full of curious wonder, he rests an arm across Quinn's shoulders, “where are your brothers?”

“On the way.”

Ah, Ajani thinks. If the Alpha is her dad, no one would overstep despite being wary and suspicious of her ‘new friend’.

When the doors open again, one of the most handsome men she's ever seen walks through. He's tall and muscular with beautiful blue eyes and a heartbreaking smile. Ajani's seen many attractive men, but none like this one.

Quinn's father gives her shoulder a little squeeze, "one down. One to go." He stands as the blonde joins them and pulls him into a big hug.

“That's Will, Bens m.i.a.” Quinn says casually, her eyes on her phone.

Ajani doesn't mind that her host is distracted; she is too. Will calls to her, beckons her. His gaze penetrates her, reaching the deepest parts of her body and soul. Ajani feels vulnerable, naked under those blue eyes.

Quinn notices and leans into her with her elbow, “I see you're not immune to the Golden Boy.”

“What?” She turns to Quinn

Quinn laughs, not repeating her words.

Will takes a seat directly opposite them, he’s big, and broad, Ajani likes everything she sees, even his facial hair. She feels heat building in her body, her cheeks become warm.

“So, you’re Quinn's friend? The one stirring up the energy in here tonight. I know her friends, I don’t know you.”

Ajani thinks of a response, but is thankful with Quinn cuts in, “I don't air all my business William, you guys are noisy enough.” She puts her phone down. Will, in a very older brother fashion, messes up the hair on her head, she pushes him off.

“I think it's odd, never heard your name before, Ajani.” Will sits back, folding his arms across his chest, his biceps and tattoos on full display. “Interesting.”

“Come on, Will-”

Will cuts her off, his words directed at his sister, his focus still on Ajani, “this is a hell of a place to have her meet you. Don’t you think?”

“Sure. But no one's going to touch her and she's not staying long. William.”

Will raises his hands in the air and chuckles, “whoa, full name twice. Alright, whatever baby sis says, we wouldn't want to upset her.” He leans over the table and plants a kiss on the side of her head.

“Ew. Stop.” Quinn swats him away.

As an observer, the exchange is sweet but sad, it makes Ajani miss her brother.

“Hey, you alright?” Will asks. His voice is soothing, calming. "Look, sorry if we frightened you. We’re not fond of strangers walking into our bar unannounced. Especially out of town strangers. That takes some balls, coming in here by yourself.”

Ajani flashes a half smile, Will's eyes remain fixed on hers. They dip to her lips, linger, then jump back to her eyes. The prolonged gaze last too long for Quinn, she clears her throat to capture their attention.

Will turns to his sister, “I’d get her out of here,” he rises from the seat. Will looks as good standing as he did sitting. He trades a glance with Quinn, then connects with Ajani, " not everyone is as nice as me.”

His smile reaches his eyes as he backs away. It feels like an invisible string is between their bodies, tugging at her, beckoning her to follow him. The charming blonde winks and turns around, he goes over to the group at the other table. They remained suspicious, but after seeing the Alpha and his son engage with her too, they seemed to calm down a little.

“God, you’re not immune at all.” Quinn chuckles.  

“ I have no idea what you're talking about.” Ajani shrugs, playing it cool.

“Story of my life, the effect of the Miller brothers." She shoves her phone in her jacket pocket and slips out of the seat. "Come on, Will’s right. Not many are stupid enough to mess with me, especially with my dad and brother here, but you are fresh meat. Some asshole is bound to test his luck."

As the two make their way through the bar, it’s like moving through quicksand. The energy is thick, heavy, tense. It was hard to not feel overstimulated around all these wolves and having Will look at her the way he did, wasn't helping matters any. One of the first things Ajani was going to do back at the hotel was take a cold shower.

When they reach the door and open it, a hauntingly striking woman stands on the other side. Her silver hair matches her eyes, they stand out even more against her brown skin.

“Leaving already?” The woman asks Quinn.

Quinn embraces her. “I’ll be back, had a friend meet me. Getting her out of here before things heat up.”

“Gotta ya.” The woman studies Ajani, her nose crinkles as she sniffs the air and raises a brow. “See you when you get back.”

The woman holds the door open, watching as they walk out. The two don't talk again until they reach Ajani's car on the other side of the tracks.

“Who was that woman?"

“My mom,” Quinn admires the car, “nice ride…my dad has a garage. I grew up fixing stuff with my brothers.” she glances back at Ajani, “my moms Will and Bens stepmom. Their birth mom lives somewhere else now. Remarried.”

“Got it.” Ajani takes her keys out.

Quinn walks over to her and leans against the car, her expression turns more serious, “we can't talk tonight, too many eyes. But you need to tell me why you're really here.”

“I’m just as curious why you saved my ass.”

“Looks like we have a lot to talk about,” Quinn stops leaning on the car and takes out her cell phone, she hands it to Ajani, “give me your number. I’ll call you tomorrow and come to you. But after 2…or 3. It’s gonna be a long night.”

Ajani raises a curious brow, then puts her number in. Now she really wanted to know what was going down at 11pm. Ajani returns the phone, “short version, I’m looking for someone.”

Quinn nods, then glances back in the direction of the bar, “we have an audience. Go, get out of here before you end up someone’s wife or human plaything.”

“I’m a fighter. I wouldn’t make it easy,” they both smile at her comment, “Thank you, Quinn.”

Appreciative of the girl's help, Ajani gets in the car and drives off. Quinn stands outside, waiting until Ajani is out of sight before returning to the bar.

Next

Other characters mentioned…(Izara is Quinn’s mom, Adrian is Ajani’s brother)

#the moon in may writing challenge #werewolf au #the moon in May #TheMoonInMay #fic: wisteria & moonlight #werewolf story

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Caught

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/BuxJPW4 by HyacinthLee4221 What if the world finds out that three of gothams hero’s are in a polyamorous relationship In which Daphne Wayne Tim Drake and Jason Todd get exposed for being in a relationship no one knew about Words: 6558, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Categories: Other Characters: Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Members of the Team (Young Justice), Teen Titans (DCU), Jonathan "Jon" Kent (Superman & Lois TV 2021), Superboy (DCU), Justice League (DCU) Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Idiots in Love, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Vaginal Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Underage Sex, Masturbation, Sex Pollen, Jason Todd Has PTSD, First Dates, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Boners, Whipping, Crime Fighting, Female Damian Wayne read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/BuxJPW4

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the caped crusader #the dark knight #dcu #ao3 #ao3feed

[catman-draws]

FIRST EVER SHORT WORK LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Have some Hakoda, Bato, and Kya bonding because I love these three and there’s virtually no content for them

#atla #Avatar The Last Airbender #atla hakoda #atla bato #atla kya #atla fanfic #atla fic #hakoda #bato #kya #catman writes #welcome everyone to my first work that isn't 60+ chapters and counting #first chapter's these three being young idiot teens #I'm very proud of myself

[missymurphy1985]

Reminiscing

Warnings - tooth rotting fluff... And smut. Obvs. Bit of a Daddy Kink thrown in cuz why the hell not?

Taglist (message me to be added!)

@queenshelby @peakyscillian @ntmynouis @margoo0 @janelongxox @being-worthy

You sat in the large armchair, in the big bay window of your Dublin home, blanket over your legs, as you immersed yourself in the latest John Grisham novel. Your husband was out, dropping his sons off back at their mum's after spending the weekend with you. You couldn't help but pinch yourself on a regular basis. Gorgeous husband, amazing young stepsons, even Cillians ex-wife, Lisa, was someone you considered a close friend - the split had been amicable, and she'd encouraged her sons with Cillian to welcome you with open arms. You even met her for lunch a few times a month, much to Cillian's surprise. He was more concerned the two of you were comparing notes than anything else!

Hearing the front door open and close, he smiled as he re-entered the room. Leaning over to kiss your lips, he sank down onto the sofa and picked his own book up from the coffee table.

"How was Lisa?" You asked, taking a sip of your coffee.

"Good - she said she'd call you later, something about a girls night out next week."

"Sounds fun - I'm up for that." You nestled down snug in the chair and continued your chapter. You could feel his eyes looking your way, and smiled internally. You loved the way he just watched you when he thought you couldn't see.

The way your legs hung over the chair, blanket covering your lower half. He smiled, remembering the day you met at the aftershow party for his latest play in Dublin. He was hesitate to go, but the director had convinced him. You were the director, Enda Walsh's niece, and you'd gone along to support your uncle's latest stage production. You knew who Cillian was of course, not that it bothered you. Working as a stagehand part time at the theatre in your teens, you'd met plenty of famous people over the years and frankly most of them were arrogant idiots with egos the size of Jupiter. Cillian was different though. Down to earth, sweet, kind, normal. Neither of you particularly looking for love, but sometimes it happens in the most unlikely of places.

Flashback

"Cillian, this my niece y/n. Y/n, this is Cillian, the star of the show!" Enda introduced the two of you and Cillian smiled, leaning forward to embrace you softly and kiss your cheek.

"I've heard so much about you y/n, nice to put a face to the name." You couldn't help but feel butterflies looking into those blue eyes, and without you realising at the time, Cillian felt exactly the same about yours. You'd spent most of the evening from that point talking about the theatre and what you each loved about it - from the lighting and production side to the audience reactions during the live show itself. You'd seen Cillian in the show three times, you'd been mesmerised by his performance, but this was the first time you'd met him.

The music changed as the night was drawing to a close. A slower number, and the other cast members and production team all took their respective partners to the dance floor. You were both now sat pretty much alone - clearly the only single people in the room!

"Would you like to dance?" Cillian asked, sheepishly. It suddenly felt a little awkward. You looked at him surprised, but found yourself nodding as he offered you his hand and led you to the dance floor. You could feel your uncle's stare as Cillian placed one hand on your waist and took your hand with his other, both of you gently swaying to the music. He was a smooth dancer, never missing a step. No toes clashing together, and the awkwardness melted away as you looked into each others eyes. The rest of the room suddenly becoming an afterthought.

"I've really enjoyed talking to you tonight y/n."

"Me too, you're not like the other actors. You're... Normal!" You giggled lightly.

"I'm boring, you mean?" He laughed in response, you could feel his fingers caressing your waist softly as you continued to sway.

"How'd you feel about dinner one night? We can talk more about how boring we both are?" That smile again.

"You're on. He pulled you a little closer, your cheeks inches apart. He desperately wanted to kiss you there and then but with your uncle a mere few feet away he didn't dare. He knew you were 28 to his 40, and he wasn't sure how his friend would react to it.

"You two seemed to be getting on well?" Enda approached you after the party, and he couldn't help but notice the glow around you after your dance with Cillian. He'd gone to the bathroom.

"He's a nice guy Uncle E, we have a lot in common."

"You know he's 40, and has two kids, right?"

"Uncle -"

"Cillian! So you're taking my niece out for dinner are you?" He returned from the men's room and froze.

"Um.. I..."

"I'm kidding... God you're too easy to wind up!! Have fun!!" Both of you audibly sighed in relief.

"He's an ass..." You smiled as Cillian offered you his arm to link into.

"I have a car outside, I'll drop you home?" You nodded, taking his arm.

You both sat in the back, the driver being given your home address as Cillian pushed the visor up between the driver and you. Privacy. He took your hand, leaning back and kissed the back of it gently. You smiled - your first kiss, but not where you wanted it.

"He can't see us, right?" You asked. He nodded and pulled you closer to him. "So..." Leaning toward you slowly, he gently ran a thumb over your cheek and pressed his lips to yours. You returned the kiss. His mouth opening slightly to gain access to yours, your tongues soon met. It quickly became heated before Cillian pulled away.

"You wanna go home?"

"You want me to go home?"

"Nope."

"Then I'm not going home." Cillian pulled the visor down and told him you were both going back to his house instead before pulling you back against his lips.

****************************************

The memories of that first night were as clear as if it had happened only yesterday, not two years ago. It was so good that you both often got yourselves off to the thought of it when Cillian was away working. Two years on and your lives were simply idyllic.

He made his way over to you in the chair and kneeled down next to you, running a hand under your summer dress and squeezing your thigh.

"You know, I've been thinking..." He leaned closer to your ear, making you squirm. He knew the effect his voice had on you and he played on it daily.

"Dangerous..." You smirked, and he responded by tracing kisses up your back, his hand still teasing under your dress, over your now damp underwear.

"All this house.. and just the two of us.. seems a waste, don't you think?" His fingers gently moving your panties aside and slipping between your folds. Instinctively you opened your legs, granting him access.

"Hmmm....." Your hips rising slightly to meet his fingers. "Are you saying you want a dog, Cillian.."

"Funny, y/n... No.." his fingers were torturing you, caressing everywhere except where you needed him to be.

"Wanna fill me with your baby do you daddy?"

"Hmm.. call me that again..." He smiled, his erection now painfully pushing against his jeans as he dipped a finger inside you.

"Do we have a Daddy Kink, Cillian? Does making me full of your baby turn you on?" You tried to retain composure as a second finger entered you, his hand now pushing them in and out slowly.

"Fuck... Stand up." He ordered and he immediately pulled the dress over your head and your underwear down. Swiftly followed by his own clothing, before he lay you down on the sofa.

"Guess we won't be needing a condom for this then... Fuck me daddy - give me a baby..."

"Coming right up..." He kneeled back down next to you and parted your perfect legs, before sinking two fingers back inside, rubbing your clit with his thumb. It wasn't long before you were writhing under his touch, calling his name as you came hard against his hand. He moved over you, quickly turning you over so your pert behind was up in the air and you were gripping the arm of the sofa in hot anticipation. He pushed inside, feeling you for the first time without a barrier - no other contraception had suited you, so you'd stuck with condoms - and he groaned as he filled you completely.

"Jesus... God yes.. right there Daddy...." He picked up the pace at your words, thrusting into you like a man possessed.

"Fuck this is tight baby... I'm not gonna last long like this..."

"Fill me up Daddy.. make me pregnant.. give me your baby..." He couldn't hold back after that, and came hard, filling you and sending you into your second orgasm. Breathing heavy, he stayed in until he was completely spent - not daring to waste a drop.

"Lay on your back y/n... Legs in the air.." you did as he asked, confused. "Helps the whole process apparently."

"So you meant it then?" You smiled as he knelt beside you again, swirling a hand over your belly.

"What, that I want to see the love of my life's body swell with my baby inside? Damn right I meant it y/n.. nothing would make me happier than a baby with you." You were grinning now, as he leaned in to kiss you.

"Love you Cill."

"Love you more mama." The sound of him calling you that made your heart swell. You couldn't wait to hear your baby call it you too.

#cillian murphy #cillian smut #cillian murphy x reader #cillian x smut #cillian x fem!reader #cillian x daddy kink

[goliath-de-senfina-sango]

Fathering a Phantom ch2

I just wanna Talk, I swear

Here we have the chapter 2 for that fic from earlier! Once again, here ya go @five-rivers @floralflowerpower and @uwuplasmiusuwu

“Cole I’m going to murder someone,” was the first thing that Toby said to his husband upon arriving once more in their temporary sanctuary. Cole paused mid throw of his javelin, electric sparks crackling up the polearm, and turned to look at his husband. Toby’s wings were ablaze, his nails sharpened into claws, and his eyes a colorful storm, as though he couldn’t decide what to turn into for maximum lethality. Cole set down his javelin and wrapped around Toby in a hug.

“Who are you planning to murder, sunshine? And should I join in? I haven’t gotten into a good fight since we got here, which is a shame.” Cole coalesced from a mass of clouds into something a bit closer to his original body when Toby relaxed in his embrace, running his fingers through shimmering feathers made of embers. “You really do look like a star like this, by the way.”

“There was, I think, a war forged around here who fired a bunch of rockets at a child! You know that liminal kid I told you about?”

“Oh right, we’re rare in this realm, huh?” Cole’s face scrunched up in confusion and he arched a brow. “I thought the liminal around here beat up the tyrant ruling the place when he woke up?”

“I didn’t exactly ask about what must’ve sucked when I half blew up the metalhead.” Toby flew over to the couch and flopped face first into it. “Now I gotta track him down.”

“Why only half? Sounds like someone you’d take out in one go if you had the drop on em.”

“Well, do you wanna traumatize a kid of unknown cultural origins? He’s so small, and his friends were clearly still living humans. I dunno if he’s seen someone die before, let alone a ghost getting Ended. If I recall, committing murder is a bad way to start a friendship with a child.”

Cole snorted and gave Toby a pat on the shoulder. “Alright, fair, Sildar didn’t like me much after that rescue. But hey, now you can put that on your to do list! Murder, the answer to most problems.” Toby laughed, phasing through the couch when Cole sat on him. “There he is, my giggly celestial chandelier.”

“Do you even remember what a chandelier is? I know you broke like three of them over someone’s head, but I forget whose head.” Toby put out the flames in his feathers and stretched, satisfied when his spine popped a few times. “It’s nice to still be able to do that.”

“I’ll be honest, being a cloud has made the sound of your joints popping kinda gross to me. It sounds like you’ve still got a flesh and blood body.” Cole sat up, scratching his head. “Do you still have a humanoid body? With like, meat and bones and stuff?”

“Probably, yeah. We’ll see, cause if so that’ll come in handy with helping out this liminal kid. Said his name is Danny Phantom.” Toby paused, the feeling of his feather being torn an odd and upsetting one. “Speaking of whom, I should go meet up with them. Think you can find this ‘Skulker’ guy while I educate some kids?”

Cole kissed Toby on the cheek and gave him a thumbs up. “Will do! I can’t promise there’ll be much left of him afterward though, I’m not a fan of idiots who attack kids.” Toby smiled and in a flash of light and beat of wings, he was gone. Cole nodded to himself and grabbed his maul, crackling with electric arcs, and opened up the door to their temporary Sanctuary. “Now then, who the fuck is Skulker?”

After having a small debate about where they couldn’t go and why, team Phantom finally ended up at the indoor roller rink that was partially destroyed by a giant ghost crab a while ago, and sat down at a table that Danny cleared of debris with an ectoblast or three. “Ok guys, I think this is a good enough place to call him up.”

“Are we sure it’s a good idea to call him at all?” Sam held up the feather she’d kept in her pocket, turning it about to watch the golden flame dance. “He took down Skulker pretty fast and it usually takes you a good half hour to do that, Danny.”

“Skulker specializes in attacking Danny is all, Sam. We’ve got the weapons to handle pretty much any ghost we normally deal with, and Danny took down the king of ghosts. I’m pretty sure he can handle anyone else.”

“Plus, Toby wrecked Skulker pretty bad. If he wanted to fight, I’m pretty sure he would’ve started a fight.” Danny condensed his ectoblasts into one ball of ectoplasma and stretched it out into a pole. “Imagine all the cool stuff he could show us!”

“Alright, if you say so.” Sam snapped the feather in half, surprised by how easy it was to do, and grabbed her ecto-pistol. For a moment, there was silence. Then the sound of wingbeats filled the room and Toby appeared above the rink as though landing from a long flight.

“That’s a spell I’m not used to casting frequently in a day. Heyo kids!” Toby waved, tucking his wings by his sides while walking closer. “Sorry for the delay, I was talking to my husband. So, names again just to be sure: Sam, Tucker, and Danny, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. What do you mean spell, exactly? Do ghosts have magic ontop of the other ghost powers now?” Tucker spun the lipstick laser around in his fingers, remembering Desiree’s magic and Freakshow’s staff.

“Anyone who can do magic keeps the ability in death, usually. I’m not dead though, I’m Deathless.” He spread his wings and spun around, thumbs pointing to his chest. “I was born awesome like this, and so was Cole. But, based on your faces you weren’t born like this?”

“No,” Sam said, gesturing at Danny. “This is a recent thing, it’s been since about…” Sam paused, her gaze landing on the wall behind Toby. “March of last year, so 14 months.”

“Yeah, god, we’ve been doing this for over a year now, haven’t we?” Tucker, who had held up a camera to record everything Toby was saying, slumped a bit in his seat and sighed. “Feels like it’s been like this forever and like it happened yesterday.”

Toby stared at them all like they’d each grown extra limbs in odd places – Danny even checked to make sure he hadn’t done that while feeling both old and young at the same time due to how little time had actually passed – before zipping over to Danny and holding his hands just over the teen’s face. “Oh my gods, you’re a baby.”

“I am a teenager, thank you.” Danny gently pulled Toby’s hands away from his face, a brow raised. “What, is 14 infantile to angels, feather man?”

“You’re only 14 months dead, Danny, that makes you a baby ghost.” Sam snorted and Tucker covered his mouth to try and hide his laughter. A snap of Toby’s fingers and flowers began growing in Tucker’s hat, and seeds appeared above Sam, growing into flowers as they fell all over her. “If you’ve had regular interactions with that metal head, no wonder your aura’s all aggro.”

“Skulker’s not exactly the worst of the ghosts we’ve had to fight over the months,” Danny said.

“Oh yeah, that’d have to be either Walker, Spectra, or Vlad. It’s really a toss up between Spectra and Vlad, if you ask me.”

“Vlad wants to kill Danny’s dad because he sees his mom as a trophy that was stolen from him, while Spectra tried to kill Jazz just to depress an entire school so she could feed on the misery to look young.” Sam brushed away the flowers and weighed two in her hands. “Yeah, those around the same level of grossly evil.”

Toby’s wings ignited at some point while Sam was talking, and the sunlight streaming in from the hole in the roof grew somewhat brighter. He reached into a bag he had strapped to his waist and pulled out a book and a pen, his smile all teeth. “Tell me, please, a list of all the adult ghosts who have attacked you children? I’d like to have a discussion with each of them.”

“If we give you their names,” Danny said before Tucker could answer, “do you promise not to go slaughtering them all? I don’t need to know ghostly body language at all to know that flaming wings come from a place of anger and imminent violence.”

“When did you read a thesaurus, Danny?”

“Sam, I’m insulted: I know tri-syllabic words. I can even say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

“I promise not to slaughter all of the ghosts you inform me hurt you in the past few months, yes. Names?” When Tucker listed off names, Toby wrote them down with an inhuman speed, and Danny exchanged a look with Sam, worried about how exactly that deal might be loopholed around. “Right,” Toby chirped while slamming his book shut, “I’m here to answer some questions of yours, not just ramble about myself and assemble a… list of people to talk to. Got any?”

“So many that I don’t even know where to start.”

#Danny Phantom #Danny Fenton #Tucker Foley #Sam Manson #Tobias Lumano #Cole Lumano #OCs #Fanfction #fanfiction #fanfic #phanfic #phanfiction #phanphic #fanphic #fanphiction #Rexy Writes

[mochegato]

Capturing a Dream

Chapter 1 - Meeting the Team

This was it.  She was excited.  No excited wasn’t the word.  Terrified? Yeah, that was closer.  Marinette was about to step into the Young Justice base for the first time and meet her new teammates.  What if they don’t like her?  What if they don’t let her join the team?  What if they let her join the team but they exclude her?  What if they get mad at her because she won’t expose her identity and they think she doesn’t trust them?  What if she messes up and she ends up getting someone killed?  What if she gets one of her teammates killed? What if she gets someone else killed? What if… No!  

She wasn’t going to do that.  She wasn’t the same 14 year old girl who spiraled into anxiety-induced, worst-case-scenario, death spirals.  She was 17 now.  She was in her final year of school before college, nearly an adult, legally, she was an adult.  She was the Guardian.  She was a hero.  She was already in a prestigious internship with one of the biggest names in fashion.  She was working with the Justice League, well Young Justice, but that was better because there wasn’t as much of a time commitment, which was really good because she didn’t have much to spare… where was she going with this? Right!  She was smart.  She was competent.  She was confident(ish).  She was… standing outside the zeta tube opening staring at it like an idiot, and she was going to be late.  

She took a deep breath and ran her free hand over the costume she wasn’t quite used to yet, trying to find comfort in the feeling and focus her mind.  She could do this.  She may no longer be able to be Ladybug for secrecy reasons, but Ladybug wasn’t her only option.  She was Chimera now and Chimera was not linked back to the miraculous.  So this new and completely un-miraculous affiliated hero definitely wasn’t unifying the fox and horse miraculous.  Chimera was a separate and unmiraculous hero.  She was a new heroic entity; a powerful amalgamation of divergent parts; an illusion, who uses illusions; a dream that can never be captured.   Chimera was just another magical hero working in the background.

Gone was the flashy, bright suit of a central hero.  She was a shadow now and her suit reflected her new role.  The base of the suit was a brown so dark, it almost looked black.  Her knee-high boots and gloves that reached to midway up her bicep were both black, meeting with the brown core of the suit with a strip of deep orange.  Her mask was the same dark brown color with deep orange at the corners.    She no longer had her yoyo, but in its place was a rope that responded to her like her yoyo did.  Her flute across her back completed her weaponry.

She was still a hero, just not a miraculous one, as far as anyone else knew. She was still protecting people for now, she just wasn’t on the front lines anymore.  She was still protecting the miraculous and would for the rest of her life.  And she was still… standing outside the Zeta tube opening, staring.

She closed her eyes, and walked through the portal.  Before she let out her breath, she could feel a difference in the air around her.  She heard a digital voice say “Recognize Chimera B12.”  She opened one eye tentatively and jumped back with a quiet squeak when she saw Batman standing on the other side giving her an amused smile next to Black Canary and a red figure.  

Black Canary stepped forward, “Welcome to Mount Justice, Chimera.  You’ve already met Batman.  This is Red Tornado.  He supervises the cave here.” Chimera nodded to him but before she could say anything Black Canary continued speaking.  “We are very excited to have you here.  While you are training and on missions, this will be your home.  I know you have an apartment near your internship, but if you ever want to get away, you are always welcome to stay here whenever and however long you want to.” Her voice was warm and welcoming.  She leaned over and lowered her voice, “lead lined walls and no bugs or cameras allowed in the personal rooms in case you want to drop your transformation while you are here.”  She gave her a nod and started walking, motioning to Chimera to follow her.

“As discussed before, your team knows nothing about you.  What you choose to disclose is your decision.  Only Batman and I know anything more.  The team is used to people hiding their identities so there is no pressure to give your personal identity.  I mean, there might be teasing, but you are under absolutely no obligation to divulge and they will respect that.  Especially since Robin is under the same requirement.”  

They entered into a small sitting area that appeared to be their common room. The first thing she noticed was a kitchen that was almost as nice as her parents’ kitchen in the bakery and significantly bigger.  She let out a quiet “Wow” without even noticing she had done it.  She would have to try that out as soon as she was able to get back to it.

“Pretty nice, huh?” She heard from behind her.  She whirled around and finally noticed the other half of the room were a few couches and chairs were clustered in front of a television.  More significantly, there was a red headed boy talking to her, standing in front of four other teens.  They were looking at her with uncertainty and a slight bit of curiosity except the red headed boy who looked excited to meet her, and the larger black haired boy who looked a bit hostile.

“Uh, yeah.  It’s… um, a really nice kitchen.  It looks… really professional.”  She stammered, trying to keep the nerves out of her voice.

The red head smiled brightly at her.  “Only the best for the Justice League.”

“Alright team, it’s nice to see your smiling faces.” Black Canary started with more than a hint of sarcasm.  “I would like to introduce you to your new team member.  This is Chimera.”  Chimera gave an awkward wave to the Young Justice members.  “She was recruited by the Justice League.  Her identity is secret and will stay that way, am I clear?” She stared at each of the team members one at a time.  “Good. She is here under an outside deal so she may not always be available for missions, but she will be here whenever she can be.”

The red head raised his hand. “Wally, you don’t have to raise your hand.” Batman said tiredly.

“What is the outside deal?  What does that even mean?”

“It means something else brought her to our vicinity and she is only available to us because of that.  The details of the deal are not important.  Only that she is a hero on your team and every bit as dedicated to the team as the rest of you.”

“How is she as dedicated if she can’t commit to being here?” Artemis snarked quietly to Superboy.

“We all have outside lives that demand our attention.  There are times I can’t go out with the Justice League.  One of the others cover for me.  Are you suggesting I am not committed to the Justice League?” Batman stared harshly at her.

“No, sir.” Artemis shrunk back.

“I’m sorry, I have school and… other obligations, but I promise I will give you as much time and attention as I can spare without going insane.  Learned that the hard way.” She looked down as she muttered the last part under her breath.  She quickly looked back up hoping nobody heard her.  Everyone seemed to have the same expressions on their faces except Superboy who was giving her a quizzical look.  “I am committed to the team.  I want to be here, I promise.  Um… here, I brought macarons!”  She said with forced cheeriness, attempting to placate their suspicions and hostility. She opened the lid to the box of macarons she had brought with her.

Chimera’s hair blew back as Wally rushed forward.  He had already grabbed three macarons before she even saw him move. “These are delicious!  Where did you get them?”

“Thank you.  I made them. I like to bake.”  She smiled broadly at him.

Wally stared at her with his jaw open, the macaron close to falling out of his mouth. “Marry me.” He said dreamily.

Chimera giggled at him.  “How about I use the only-the-best kitchen to make something else for you a bit later instead?”

Wally gave her a bright grin.  “That will work.”  He looked at the rest of the macarons longingly then back at his teammates.  “Uh…. These are absolutely terrible and you shouldn’t have to be subjected to them.  I’ll just finish these off so you don’t have to.”  He reached back toward the box but Chimera closed the lid and raised an amused brow at him.

“Move over,” Robin pushed Wally to the side.  “Thank you Chimera.  That was sweet of you.”  He took a bite and looked back up at her with a smile.  “Hey, Wally was right.  These are delicious.  Artemis, Kaldur, Superboy, get over here and try these.”

Kaldur and Artemis came over, Artemis shoving Wally again for no apparent reason. Superboy stayed where he had been and continued to eye her suspiciously.  Wally looked at them with a pout.  “Hey!  Leave some for me.”

“You’ve already had a bunch.  The rest of us get some too.” Artemis rolled her eyes.

“Hey, I have a fast metabolism.  I need to eat.” Wally whined.

“Thank you… I’m sorry, I didn’t get any of your names.” Chimera said apologetically.

“Tall, blonde, and hostile is Artemis.  Tall, blonde, and aloof is Kaldur.  Tall, dark, and broody back there is Superboy.  You already met Wally, aka Kid Flash.  And I’m Robin.”  Robin gave her a charming smile and shook her hand.

She gave them all a brilliant smile.  “It is nice to meet you all.  I’m really excited to work with you.”  Wally smiled broadly at her and gave a lovesick sigh.  Artemis groaned and turned away.

Kaldur moved forward and extended his hand to her, “Welcome to the team.”

She shook his hand and gave him a warm smile.  “Thank you.”

“Okay, now that everyone has introduced themselves, let’s get to the training area.  I’m interested to see how Chimera’s powers work with the rest of yours.”  Black Canary announced.

“The training area is just this way,” Robin said with a suave smile, sweeping his arm out toward the direction they were supposed to move.

“Thanks,” Chimera smiled anxiously at him.

Wally came up on the other side of her and bumped his shoulder gently into hers.  “Don’t worry, we’ll take it easy on you.” He said with a wink.

Chimera looked at him blank faced for a few seconds before throwing him a sassy grin.  “It’s not me I’m worried about, speedy.”

“Oh no, Speedy was someone else.” Artemis threw in, moving past the group.

“You’re kidding.” Chimera stared at her.

“Nope.” Artemis responded popping the p.  “A whole different hero.  Not even fast either.  Makes no sense.”

“Good to know.” Chimera nodded absentmindedly.

“Oh, she can never meet Speedy.” Wally looked at the other heroes with wide eyes.

“Is he that bad?” Chimera asked, concern seeping into her eyes.

Artemis turned back to her and grinned wickedly, “No, he’s afraid you’ll start dating him.”

“Ahh.  I don’t date teammates so, don’t worry.”  Chimera reassured Wally with a clap on his back.  Artemis barely contained the chuckles that were fighting to spill out.

Wally gave her a distressed look, “But, teammates are great.  They are supportive and understand you… They’re… They’re the ideal dating material.”

“You make some interesting points.” She nodded as though contemplating his words.  “Luckily, you have very pretty and interesting teammates, four at least from what I can see.  So you have a wealth of dating material at your disposal.”  Chimera gave him a wink and walked ahead of him.  Artemis cackled loudly and threw her arm over Chimera’s shoulders, walking along with her.  “I think I’m going to like having you here.”

Chimera smiled at her.  “Good.  I hope so.”

Black Canary gave them a serious look and stood in the middle of the sparring area as the team lined up around the edges.  “Let’s get started.  This is an exhibition sparring match.  We want to see what you can do and what your teammates can do and see how you can mesh.”

“You don’t know what she can do?” Kaldur asked.

“I know. It’s you I’m concerned about.  You’re going to be working with her and leading her. You need to know what she can do. So, Chimera?  Go full force.  We want to know what to plan for in the field.”  Black Canary commanded.

Chimera looked at her unsure.  “Full force?  Are you sure? I don’t want to… That can be really dangerous.”

Black Canary nodded in understanding.  “I get that, but I assure you it will be fine.  We just need to see where you are in your skills, so we need you to give it your all.”

Chimera eyes got even bigger, “I’m not going to kill someone to prove a point.  I can do a demonstration instead.”

The rest of the team looked at her insulted.  Robin finally spoke up to scoff at her.  “We can take it.  We’ve dealt with worse.  Don’t worry.”

Ladybug looked back at him with wide eyes.  “It isn’t… I don’t think I’m a better fighter than you.  I’m positive you all have better training than I do, especially since I don’t have any, it’s just… I’ve brought down the Eiffel Tower with one hit before.  Thank god for miraculous ladybugs.  But you all look a bit more…” she struggled for an appropriate word to finish her thought, “…vulnerable.  I really don’t want to hurt any of you.”  She shot him a pleading look.

Superboy stepped forward with a determined look on his face. “Then try me.  I’m less…” he paused as if thinking, “what was that word you used… Vulnerable.”

She looked at him uncertain then looked over to Black Canary, taking note of her stern expression.  She nodded and stepped onto the mat.  “I’ll make it work.” Chimera offered uncertainly.

They faced each other for a few moments before settling into a fighting stance.  When she was ready, Chimera nodded to Superboy.  He rushed at her and extended his arm at the last second to deliver a haymaker punch.  Chimera bent backwards and twirled in a semi-circle so she was standing behind him and kicked him in the butt, sending him sprawling on the floor.  He got up and glared at her.  He rushed her again, this time aiming for her waist so she couldn’t duck under him.  She stared at him coming at her like a deer in headlights.  Superboy got a smug glint in his eye as he closed in on her.  At the last second, Chimera jumped up and rolled down his back, landing on her feet behind him, the wide eyed expression long gone.

“We need you to try, Chimera.  We need you to actually fight, not just dodge.”  Batman stated sternly.

Chimera looked over to him to nod at the instruction. The momentary distraction was enough for Superboy to land a hard hit to her stomach.  The force of the impact sent her flying across the mat.  The team winced and groaned in sympathy as she hit a wall with a hard thump.  Superboy moved over to her to check on her but stopped half way to her.   Chimera stood up and cocked her head to the side, examining Superboy.  She raised her brow and asked calmly, “So… super strength.  Invulnerability?”

He nodded at her.  “Okay then.”  She smirked at him, walking back to the central area of the room.  “Let’s do this.”  He smiled slightly and nodded.  She immediately launched herself at him, catching him by surprise.  She punched him hard enough to send him across the room in the opposite direction.  He slid toward the wall but was able to regain enough control to use the wall as a springboard to launch himself back at her.  She saw him coming and twisted at the last second, using his momentum against him to push him off balance.  He recovered quicker than she expected and swept her legs out from under her. She used her momentum to turn the fall into a flip, leading to a series of flips and twists taking her away from him, giving her some space to think.

They circled around each other trying to plan their next move.  Suddenly Chimera stopped and looked like she just realized something.  “Oh I forgot.  I’m supposed to be showing my skills…” she started innocently.  Superboy took advantage of her apparent distraction to jump at her again but that was the moment she had been waiting for.  “Voyage” she whispered and created a portal behind her. She stepped out of the way at the last possible second, sending Superboy through the portal at full speed.  The portal ended close to the rock wall on the other side of the room.  Superboy almost slammed into the wall with his full force but she had left him enough room to bounce back off the wall and launch himself back through the portal and back in front of her, throwing a punch toward her sternum that she was just barely able to twist away from, rolling along his arm until she was in the perfect position to elbow him in the back of his head.  He grunted and turned back toward her, circling around her again.

“Full force, Chimera,” Black Canary chastised her.

“Not going to make him bleed on purpose for a game, Ms. Canary.” Chimera responded, still focused on Superboy.  “Besides, we’re not done yet.”  She turned to Superboy, “Right?”  He nodded at her, an amused glint in his eyes.  “I haven’t even showed off all my skills yet.”

“Well, let’s see those skills you keep talking about.” Superboy taunted her.

“If you say so Superboy.” She smirked at him then frowned.  “I don’t appreciate that your actual name is the name I would have called you to taunt you.  You’re making my job harder.”

He frowned at her, the amused look that had been in his eyes dropping.  “So sorry my name is an inconvenience.  You can call me The Weapon like my makers did if you prefer.”

Chimera stood up straight, fidgeting and frowning at him.  “That’s… really?” She looked around to the other heroes.  They all nodded solemnly.

She looked back at him with softer eyes.  “What do you want to be called?” She asked in a kind tone.

“I… Superboy.”  He said stiffly, not exactly sure how to respond to the shift in atmosphere.

Chimera nodded and gave him a warm smile.  “Superboy it is.  No nicknames unless you approve of them.”

“As heartwarming as this is, you are supposed to be sparring.” Black Canary reminded them.

“Right,” Chimera said shook her head to refocus herself. “Sorry.”  She whispered “Mirage,” bringing her flute up to her lips.  As soon as the notes were heard, a dozen replicas of her appeared and began running around the circle.  Superboy tried to scan them but they all looked identical even with his infrared vision.  He stilled to listen for a heartbeat or breathing, but he couldn’t detect it in any of them.  He looked around wildly.  It was a sea of dark brown and bright orange.  He nodded to himself calculating the possibilities.  Most likely she managed to split herself.  So either they are all fully sentient or there is a central figure controlling them.  He’d have to hope for the latter.

His eyes flicked to one of the figures running at him.  The figure jumped into a flying kick.  He dodged out of the way and rolled to his feet, looking around again for the next attack. He didn’t wait long.  Another figure ducked low to sweep his feet.  He jumped over her but felt a sharp pain in his side as one of the replicas body checked him with enough force to knock him into the far wall.  

Superboy shook his head to clear it.  When he took more than a few seconds to recover, the replicas looked at him concerned.  One of them finally moved forward and asked “Are you okay to continue?”  

He stared at the replica for a few moments before nodding.  “We’re not done yet.”  All the replicas smiled at him and moved into new positions, waiting for him to indicate he was ready.  As soon as he nodded two replicas moved to attack him, one went high, one went for his legs.  He lunged for the one going high, jumping over the one going for his legs.  As soon as he reached her, she disappeared.  Not meeting the resistance he had expected, the force of the lunge caused him to lay out flat on the floor.  He grunted and jumped up before any of the replicas could attack again.  

As soon as he was up he looked around with a grin. “Mirage,” he repeated.  They were all an illusion.  He just had to find the real one.  Two attacked him again.  He hit one causing it to disappear but the other one hit him with her flute, knocking him to the side.  He shook his head again and turned back to them and backed away, giving himself space. He just had to find the one. There had to be an indication of which one was the real one.  He couldn’t use his infrared vision or hearing.  Maybe there was something about them.  He stared at them as they circled around each other.  There!  There was one with a different shade of orange, the shade Chimera had before the match. All the replicas had bright orange but the real Chimera had deep orange accents.  

He kept his eyes moving so she wouldn’t know he’d made her.  He moved forward toward one of the replicas moving to punch her.  Chimera attacked from the side again, coming at him before he could touch the replica and make it disappear.  He grinned to himself.  At the last second, he changed his trajectory and sent another haymaker toward her.  He jerked back in pain as the replica he had been moving toward originally made contact, knocking the air out of his lungs. He grunted in anger and confusion as a rope was tied around him, pinning down his arms.  His legs were swept out from under him causing him to land hard. He trashed with all his strength as he felt her tying his legs too.  He kept thrashing against the rope, but no matter how hard he pushed and pulled, the rope showed no indication of weakening.  

After a few moments of him pointlessly struggling, Black Canary walked over and declared Chimera the winner.  She smiled excitedly at Chimera.  “Now we know what we’re working with and we can plan how to incorporate your skills into missions and approaches to your training.”

Chimera nodded in understanding and looked over to the team who were still watching her in various degrees of surprise.  Kaldur nodded in approval.  Wally and Artemis stared at her in shock.  Robin was pointing and laughing at Superboy.  Chimera glowered at him and turned back to Superboy, releasing the rope so he could get up.  

As soon as he was freed, Superboy jumped up and rubbed his arms, glaring at the floor.  Chimera smiled nervously in his direction, but he refused to look at her and had turned his body away from her.  She sighed and looked down too, shifting nervously.  After a few moments, she started gathering up the rope to tie it back around her waist.  She furrowed her brows at the sound of Robin still laughing, which seemed to upset Superboy even more.  She narrowed her eyes at him and whipped the rope out in his direction.  It snapped a few inches away from his face with a crack so loud it reverberated throughout the cave.  Robin jumped away awkwardly and fell backwards, landing on his butt.

Superboy looked from Robin to her.  He let out a small laugh and gave her a smile. Chimera took it as a good sign and smiled back at him.  “That was a lot of fun.  You are really good at picking up on details, otherwise that color trick wouldn’t have worked.” Her voice was soft, like she was addressing a scared child.

He nodded at her and quietly said, “Thanks. It was fun.”

“Does that mean we can do it again sometime?  I need practice sparring and I’m usually afraid I’ll hurt someone when I’m in the suit and when I’m not, it isn’t as effective. I mean, helpful still, but not as effective.”  He stared at her for a few seconds but finally nodded at her.

“That was a pretty good introduction but it’s getting late now.  I think it’s time to call it a night.  Red Tornado, can you take Chimera to the room she will be using so she can recharge?” Black Canary asked.

When Chimera returned a few minutes later, the group smiled at her and gave their goodbyes.  They made plans for everyone to return the next day for more training.  One by one, they all left through the Zeta tubes except for Superboy.  Chimera looked at him confused.  “Are you not leaving too?”

“No.” He stated coldly.

“Why not?  I mean… if you don’t mind me asking.” She stammered out.

“Because I live here.” He grumbled back at her.

“Alone?” She gasped.

“With Red Tornado.” He corrected defiantly.

“But no other… people? In this big, empty, cold place?” She looked out over the cave, the empty, cold, inhospitable place he was going to call home.

“I like being alone.”  He stated in an annoyed voice.

Something that looked like anger flashed across her face transforming into a determined look before she smoothed it out and gave him a cheeky grin.  “That’s a shame.”  

He narrowed his eyes looking at her suspiciously, “Why is that?”

“I’m moving in.”  Her smile grew bigger.

He furrowed his brow and frowned, “What?”

“I’m moving in.  I have school and, uh… stuff during the day, but I’ll be here in the mornings and at night, most weekends.” She nodded at him.  “It will be like a sleepover every night… except we’ll be sleeping in separate rooms.”

He stared at her for a few seconds, unsure how to react. “Whatever,” he grunted walking back toward the residence area.  “Dinner is usually in like 30 minutes.” He called over his shoulder.  She smiled in his direction.  It wasn’t a warm welcome but it was better than nothing.  

“Are you sure about this?  It isn’t required for you to live here.  Most of the members don’t.” Black Canary reassured her.

“That’s why I’m doing it.  I’ve already had one teammate who had to live essentially alone and isolated in a big, empty space.  He hated it.  It messes with your self-worth and your ability to interact with other people, no matter how badly you want to.  It scrapes away at your humanity.  I couldn’t really do anything for his living situation, but I can do something for Superboy.”

“It will make keeping your identity more difficult.” Batman warned her softly.

“I know, but he’s my teammate.  I won’t abandon him.  And I need a friend here too.  I’ll be all alone otherwise, so… it will be mutually beneficial… I hope.”  She added tentatively.

Batman and Black Canary shared an approving look with each other and turned back to her.  “Okay.  Let us or Red Tornado know if you need anything.  We really think you are going to fit in amazingly with this team.”

Chimera smiled at them and shifted slightly to look out over the rest of the cave.  “I think so, too.”

Chapter 2

#connette #connerette #konmari #maribat #Marinette x Conner #marikon #capturing a dream #conner x marinette

[pencil-down-a-paragraph]

keeping up with the constatines

I’m writing an absolutely ridiculous John Constantine fic that involves him becoming the temporary guardian of two teen superheroes (which is the worst idea ever who decided to let him near children)

here’s the gist;

because Trigon is the worst, Raven is in hiding and is tossed around the Justice League before Giovanni Zatara is made her guardian

after only a few weeks living with the Zatara’s, Giovanni is killed, leaving not only Raven without a place to stay, but also Zatanna

this is obviously a problem

the Justice League have no idea what to do

the only other person they’d deem strong enough (magic wise) to protect them is Doctor Fate, and he straight up refuses

Flash, the absolute idiot, suggests Constantine because ‘he’s really powerful, right?’

its a terrible idea

he makes deals all the time

he’s sold his soul more times than should even be possible

he’s a terrible influence

but they’re desperate and he’s powerful and it just might actually be their only choice

so

they call him

at first he refuses, asks why they can’t get anyone else, if there’s anyone else, why they’re even considering him of all people

eventually he relents on the premise that its temporary until they can find someone better suited for the job

he owed Zatara anyway

the League sets everything up

they stick him and the teens in a three bedroom apartment in Bludhaven

John has absolutely no idea what he’s doing

Raven and Zatanna don’t know either, they’re really just trying to vibe through their grief

things could definitely be better

four weeks in, the Teen Titans are formed

Raven joins and Zatanna declines the offer

she’s still grieving :,)))

John is v uncomfy bc he doesn’t know what to do with a depressed teenage girl

he usually just falls into a pit of self loathing and drinks away his problems but he’s a responsible enough adult to know not to suggest that to a minor

he tells the League

she starts going to therapy with Black Canary

another month in and school is about to start

the League agrees they should attend bc they really do need the education and some since of normalcy might help improve their moods

this may or may not prove to be an issue

bc, ya know

the girls are kinda being hunted and Raven has no real surname

they got that covered tho

John protests, the girls agree

school starts and Rachel and Zorina Constantine are introduced as the new kids in class

John asks when the kids will be placed elsewhere and is told, very firmly, by Dinah that a sudden change might put Zatanna back in a bad mental state

John relents

life goes on

UNTIL

Zatanna walks into the apartment with a dirty street child

John’s not one to ask questions, he didn’t say anything when Raven came home one night with an emotionally wrecked Robin and declared that he was staying the night

any other time, he would have let it be

but not tonight

he definitely said something this time

bc he turned around, choked on his totally not spiked coffee, and exasperatedly yelled something about how ‘we’re supposed to be keeping a low profile, bringing the host of Shazam here is not low profile!’

Billy would be more shocked if he weren’t about to pass out from malnourishment and exhaustion

which he promptly does

Zatanna screams

John sighs

he hates his life

which is fair tbh

for some reason i’m still working on, Billy sticks around and accidentally integrates himself into the already weird, little, broken home

life goes on again

until John uncovers a vampire nest, informs the League, and him the kids get relocated to Central City

two weeks later Zatanna meets Superboy (the 90s punk one bc i love him)

the Young Justice is formed a week later

another week and they reach out

Zatanna accepts this time

then life really does go on

there’s really just so many shenanigans going on

they adopt a hellhound puppy

Billy names him Quincy

Zatanna learns to love herself and how to be herself with the help of Raven and through clothes and music and basically what i’m trying to say here is that we stan punk Zatanna in this house

Deadman and Swamp Thing tend to show up, usually unannounced, to visit and terrorize John bc that’s what friends are for

it should be noted that Billy’s twelve and best friends with Cassie Sandsmark (also twelve) in this

also that when i first thought of this i accidentally started shipping Zatanna and punk Superboy

so i’m currently the only person who’s making content for that specific ship

yay

bbrae will also be in this but other than that there probably won’t be any other ships

unless you count a brief mention of John and King Shark’s past relationship lol

it should also be known that i have an entire incorrect quotes file for this fic

i’ll probably start writing chapters soon (unless one of my other equally terrible fic ideas captures my attention [which will probably happen]) but i’m definitely working on character designs and drawings so you’ll get story content regardless!

my eventual beta reader and story idea consultant @sailor-saturns-tea-kettle she’s made character moodboards for the story (found under the keeping up with the constantines tag) and came up with the title

#i'm so excited to write this #get ready it will be terrible #the story not my writing #my writing is EXCEPTIONAL #dc #dc comics #dcu #dc universe #john constantine #zatanna #zatanna zatara #raven #rachel roth #dc raven #justice league #justice league dark #swamp thing #dead man #deadman #hellblazer #superboy #kon el #90s young justice #young justice #teen titans #billy batson #shazam #captain marvel #robin #black canary

[misscorn]

Day 5: Roleswap/Formal

This @takaritsuweek prompt inspired me to do something I've been putting off for years: a rewrite of my fic Stalker-Senpai. So, please enjoy the first chapter :D its pretty much the same except third person now lol, we'll see how much I change in the future!

***

It was such a stupid reason to fall in love with someone. 

Onodera Ritsu had been struggling to reach a high up book on a shelf, wobbling slightly on his tiptoes for a few brief moments before Saga Masamune decided to intervene, mostly just because something about watching the underclassman struggle was both sad and annoying. The older teen grabbed the book for Ritsu, handing it over with a blank expression.

Ritsu returned the simple, polite gesture with such a wide and sincere smile that Masamune's heart reached incredible speeds that he didn't know were possible. Why is he looking at me like that? Masamune wondered, shifting from one foot to the other, feeling warm from Ritsu's gaze.

Masamune swallowed hard as Ritsu took the book out of his hands and said an enthusiastic thank you, one that was way too cheerful considering all Masamune had done was reach up and grab something. The older boy couldn't help but to notice Ritsu's cheeks were a little red from what he assumed was embarrassment and Masamune suddenly wished to see that adorable expression every day. 

God, what am I thinking? Adorable? He's a guy, Masamune hoped none of his thoughts were showing on his face. Apparently they weren't since Ritsu gave a quick and polite nod before scampering off. Masamune found his eyes following the underclassman and his feet almost followed as well. Almost. But Masamune somehow managed to hold on to a string of self control. 

All he did was smile and say thank you, why am I acting like such an idiot? I don't even know his name, Masamune silently scolded himself. It was too late, though. Masamune was already on his way to become a hopeless, lovelorn fool.

It didn't take long for Masamune to notice that Ritsu was in the library as often as he was after their minuscule interaction. It was like Ritsu had suddenly appeared and was now here everyday. Not that Masamune was complaining; he found the underclassman's constant presence very comforting. 

He reads a new book almost every day. Either he has a short attention span or a lot of time on his hands, Masamune noted. It was quite difficult to keep up with Ritsu's appetite for literature, though Masamune did his best. I want to read all the books that he reads, Masamune thought as he grabbed a novel Ritsu had recently finished. The older teen was hoping that he could use this as a way to get to know Ritsu better. Masamune was particularly ecstatic to learn from his book-stalking that his Kouhai's name was Onodera Ritsu. 

The two of them always sat at different tables, but Masamune made sure to keep Ritsu in his sights. Masamune loved seeing the brunette's reactions to what he was reading. At times Masamune would hear a small chuckle leave Ritsu or see Ritsu purse his lips in thought or even see Ritsu rub at his eyes insistently to hide the fact that he was tearing up. I want to know what he's reading, Masamune would think desperately before he was able to get his hands on the book, I want to know what makes him smile and laugh, I want to be the one who makes him smile and laugh. Masamune felt positively pathetic with this train of thought, but he couldn't help himself. 

Yes, it was official: Saga Masamune was in love at fifteen years old. He didn't understand how it happened so fast nor did he fully understand why, but he had enough self awareness to realize he was totally whipped for an underclassman who he hadn't even said a single word to. 

That was precisely Masamune's problem; talking with people wasn't exactly his forte and he feared that he would somehow scare Ritsu off if he approached him. Not to mention, this feeling of want, this inexplicable desire to hold someone through the night and into the day, this need of seeing someone's face just to feel at ease, all of it was new to Masamune. It was scary to be so enraptured in someone. It was terrifying to know that someone else had so much power over him, power that Ritsu didn't even know he had. If Masamune confessed his feelings, he'd be freely handing that power over and Masamune didn't know if he was even capable of being vulnerable and trusting like that. 

It didn't help that watching Ritsu from afar suddenly wasn't entertaining enough for the cruel deity laughing at Masamune's hopelessness. What other possible explanation was there for their paths crossing once again? He had peacefully watched Ritsu and stalked his library cards for three years, but now those days were seemingly over.

Masamune was reaching toward a book when a smaller, more delicate hand came into contact with his. Masamune looked over, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of Ritsu. Ritsu was quick to rip his hand away and met Masamune's eyes with an anxious gaze. Ritsu opened his mouth, looking like he was about to apologize for nothing.

"You can take the book, Onodera." Masamune said quickly before he could speak, not enjoying the sight of Ritsu appearing so guilty and worried. He wanted to alleviate the anxieties clear on Ritsu's face, but he seemed to only make it worse.

"How do you know my name?" Came the quiet, nervous response. The book was quickly forgotten by them both. Masamune felt like he was short-circuiting as he wracked his brain for any possible excuse or lie, but his mouth started moving without his permission.

"I love you."

What?

What?

What the hell did I just say?!

There was a pause between the two of them, the air around Masamune feeling as if it were crushing his bones.

"...eh? Eh?!" Ritsu's face flushed a beautiful shade of red, but Masamune didn't have the time to admire it because he was desperately trying to think of a way to prevent Ritsu from sprinting away.

"What I meant to say was-well-would you want to go out with me sometime?" Masamune asked, watching Ritsu's surprised, flustered expression closely. The brunette shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, as he opened and closed his mouth, grasping at straws for a response.

"Y-Y-You know I-I'm a guy r-right?" Ritsu finally settled on after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Masamune almost wanted to laugh. Out of all the things Ritsu could've said, that was what he decided on? Masamune's lips quirked up ever so slightly in amusement as he started to find it a little easier to breathe.

"Yeah, I'm aware." Masamune replied dryly. "Does it bother you that I'm a guy?" That had been one of the reasons Masamune had been so hesitant to approach. It was possible that Ritsu wasn't even into guys and now maybe the two of them didn't even have a chance of being friends.

"I-no! Not really? I don't-" Ritsu inched closer and closer to retreating, which simply wouldn't do.

"It's alright, Just take a breath, okay? You don't have to say yes." Masamune quickly assured him, though I really, really want him to say yes, Masamune hoped it didn't show. 

"I-I don't even k-know your name..." Ritsu started, seeming to try to find some sort of excuse, perhaps wanting to spare Masamune's feelings instead of outright rejecting him. However, Masamune's heart was stubborn and dead set on Ritsu. He wouldn't be dissuaded easily and not knowing his name was an easy fix. 

"It's Saga. Saga Masamune."

Ritsu nodded slowly, visibly swallowing as he wrung his hands, seeming to be carefully considering his next few words.

"O-O-Okay...I-I'll go out with you...Saga Senpai..."

-

When an upperclassman grabbed a book for Ritsu and handed it over he was grateful for a few seconds, but forgot about the interaction quickly. It had been nothing particularly special after all. If there was anything he did remember from the brief conversation-if one could even call it that-it was that he felt terribly embarrassed for being too short to reach a book. And then a certain name started to pop up everywhere...

Ritsu scanned the shelves for a new read, not looking for anything in particular, just something unfamiliar and fresh. He started to reach for one when a larger hand met his and he instinctively recoiled away from the touch as if it had burned him. He looked over to see an older student that was often slinking around the library, somehow always seeming to have a certain aura of sadness around him.

"You can take the book, Onodera." He told Ritsu quickly, his expression blank and unreadable.

"How do you know my name?" Ritsu asked hesitantly, though he already knew the answer. This is my stalker. Saga Masamune, Ritsu felt nervous now that he was face to face with him. Ritsu had been ignoring the behavior for the longest time, three years in fact, but now his stalker was right in front of him.

Ritsu often liked to reread books that he particularly connected with and it didn't take long for him to realize a certain name kept appearing and reappearing underneath his own.

Saga Masamune.

Ritsu didn't know anything about this 'Saga' person. He was far too shy to ever venture out to try to talk to many people, especially an upperclassman. He was still young and fresh enough to high school to think that upperclassmen were untouchable Gods. Though, after noticing the name he also noticed that a certain upperclassman was constantly in the library: the one that had helped Ritsu grab a book. Ritsu decided he was as good as a suspect as anyone to be his stalker. It wasn't like many other students spent hours upon hours in the school's library. To confirm his suspicion, Ritsu once quietly walked up to his table when he had fallen asleep sitting up and took the opportunity to look in the back of his book. There was his name: Saga Masamune. The upperclassman shifted and Ritsu took that as his que to quickly put the book back down and retreat.

Ritsu tried to ignore it, not understanding Masamune's motives or actions and wondering if perhaps he was looking a little too much into it. That was, until the two had bumped into each other again. 

"I love you." Masamune said.

Ritsu's heart punched the inside of his rib cage before beating erratically in all directions. A confession had been about the last thing he was expecting. 

"...eh? Eh?!" Is all Ritsu could choke out in response with his legs feeling weak yet also prepared to sprint a mile if necessary.

"What I meant to say was-well-would you want to go out with me sometime?" Masamune asked, but Ritsu's confusion didn't cease. 

"Y-Y-You know I-I'm a guy r-right?" That question sounded much dumber out loud than it did in my head, Ritsu thought as he refrained from facepalming. Masamune smirked a bit at his question and Ritsu tried not to frown, feeling like he was being made fun of and this confession had perhaps been a joke of some sort to mess with him.

"Yeah, I'm aware. Does it bother you that I'm a guy?"

Ritsu struggled to swallow as he started to shake his head. "I-no! Not really? I don't-" He wanted to hide behind the bookshelves at this point and forget this entire conversation.

"It's alright, Just take a breath, okay? You don't have to say yes."

"I-I don't even k-know your name..." Ritsu lied, wanting to somehow escape this situation.

"It's Saga. Saga Masamune." He replied smoothly. The upperclassman obviously didn't see their lack of knowledge of one another as an issue and suddenly Ritsu was out of excuses. 

I should say I don't like guys, or that not interested, or that I have a girlfriend, Ritsu thought, but instead he just gulped nervously and nodded slowly.

"O-O-Okay...I-I'll go out with you...Saga Senpai..."

Why did I say that, why did I agree to this, what am I going to do now, oh God, I bet this really is just a joke and he's going to start laughing at me now, if my parents find out about this I'm completely done for-, Ritsu's panicked thoughts continued to race, but stopped once a gentle hand reached up to ruffle his hair. 

And that was how the wonderful, complicated mess of their relationship started. 

#onodera ritsu #saga masamune #sekaiichi hatsukoi #takaritsuweek #fanfiction

[yuzukult]

effortlessly pt. 9 || jungkook & reader

title: effortlessly pairing: jungkook x reader words: 5.0k genre: fluff, romance, school!au, smut some chapters notes: this is more of a self-realization chapter, less of the romance :) oc development & one more chapter left before an epilogue!!!! thank you all for your support and patience, i know i took a while with this one, mostly because i really wanted to take a break and write something else. :)

series: part one || part two || part three || part four || part five || part six || part seven || part eight || part nine || part ten || epilogue 

Yura’s cheeks are stuffed with the pastries from the bakery that was recommended by one of Jungkook’s teammates, something you’ve been meaning to take her to lately but with your mind flooded with thoughts on your future, there hasn’t been much time to dedicate to her. 

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” She’s eyeing you quizzically, uncomfortable with your distraught gaze. “You seem like you have something to say, so spit it.”

“I’m sorry,” You blurt with an agonizing frown. “I’ve been a terrible friend.”

“Why do you say that?”

Pushing the plate of baked goods away from you, your body slouches in the seat. The aroma of the flakey croissant beside the in-house made strawberry jam wasn’t appealing anymore and your previous conceptions stole away your appetite. “You didn’t tell me you wanted to be a cook.”

She rolls her eyes with a soft smile, shoving the plate back toward you. “Eat, loser.”

“Oh, come on. Stop acting like you’re not mad at me. I had no idea you were even going through anything—”

“Idiot, I’m not going through anything. I’m also not trying to be a cook. I’m trying to be a chef.” She corrects you, tearing off a piece of the croissant and bringing it to your lips. “Now take a bite of this, it’s crazy good.”

Abiding by her instruction, you open your mouth for her to feed you, chewing the soft pastry as it melts effortlessly on your tongue. “Good, right?” You nod in agreement. “I can’t help but think that I could’ve been there for you when you needed me the most. You were going through something, you were just as lost as I am.”

“Well, don’t feel bad. I kind of knew for a while, but I wasn’t sure. Sometimes we have to go through things alone to learn more about ourselves. Then Jungkook asked if I could help him with your little date, so I offered to do a picnic basket. It was for practice, and he seemed to be okay with it. How was the omelette?”

“Amazing. Which is why I was upset that I wasn’t a good enough friend to know that you cook so well.”

“Oh, please. Stop exaggerating... but really though. Was it that good?” Her eyes lit up at the compliment, emitting a chuckle from you. “It was, Yura. I’m seriously so proud of you. I wish I knew about your talents sooner.” 

Yura’s kind and patient, the qualities in a friend that everyone searches for. She has developed into a person who you found yourself depending on, someone who you wanted to stay around to share both good and bad times. Knowing that you weren’t there when she potentially needed you only made you disappointed in yourself. It was your turn to return the actions she provided for you; it was your turn to be a good friend.

She’s rolling her eyes again, a smile appearing upon her lips. “I told you, this is nothing. I’m still learning things about myself, so don’t worry, you didn’t miss out on anything.” You don’t believe her, but you take her words nonetheless, because you promise yourself and to her that from this day on, you’d try harder to be a better friend to her.

Walking out the café, a backpack slung over your shoulder, you glance at Yura who zips up her hoodie, snuggling in closer to the fabric to regain warmth as the night approaches along with the cool wind that blows in your direction. “Are you going to take the apprenticeship?” 

“How’d you even hear about that?” You’re surprised she knows this; there hadn’t been much exchange between the two of you since the last time you hung out. Yura scoffs, shaking her head as she fixes the straps of her backpack, strolling down the street beside you. “I’m your best friend, of course I know about it.”

“Jungkook? Hoseok? Which one was it that spilled?”

“Jungkook,” She confirms, a playfully innocent grin glued to her face. “But that’s besides the point. You got an offer of a lifetime, what does that mean for you?”  There's not much of a reaction from you, other than a slight shrug that you give her. It seemed great— getting an apprenticeship for a position that isn't for just anyone, but for you specifically. This was an endeavor that you never imagined yourself encountering. Goals and aspirations were a list to some people, especially Jungkook, but for you, that list hadn't been anything more than a title. So what did it mean to you, this opportunity that presented itself? "I don't know," You respond honestly, uncertain of what next steps to take. "I kind of am going through a dilemma." Yura raises a brow questioningly at you. "What is it?" You chew your bottom lip for a moment, trying to gather all your thoughts in a place before taking a deep breath of courage before exposing yourself to your friend. "Is it weird that I've been with Jungkook all my life, and now my so-called aspiration is on the same route of his?"

"Nobody is calling it that." "But if he's on the path of being a professional— what does it mean for me? Am I just a follower? Oh, Jungkook wants to be a professional swimmer, and now his girlfriend wants to do the same thing. How stupid does that sound?"

She shakes her head in disagreement, walking side by side with you along on the sidewalk, the sun slowly beginning to set whilst the wind makes its appearance again, sending chills down your spine. “Why does everything have to be about Jungkook? Why can’t it be about you for once? When you think of swimming, you think of Jungkook immediately, but why can’t you consider it being something you’re interested in?”

“Because Yura, I don’t know!” You exclaim, stopping in your tracks. It was hard, dreadfully hard making a decision that you weren’t sure of. You’re only in your teens, you think to yourself, at such a young age with the responsibility of making choices that may determine where your route is headed for the rest of your life. In all honesty, you want to cry; force yourself to shed all the tears even if you have to because the amount of pressure sitting on top of your shoulders was wearing you down.

You’re immensely grateful for the opportunity that just happened to land at your feet, but with a chance to do something big, you can’t help but feel that guilt eating you inside, wondering if this was truly what you wanted to do, and what if it wasn’t? Did it mean you took away the possibility of an experience from someone who yearned for it more than you did?

Yura ceases her steps, eyes meeting yours that were pools of pity. “It’s okay to not know. But you’re running out of time and have to pick what you want to do soon.”

“But Jungkook really wants me to do it.”

“Why do you care about what Jungkook thinks?”

Because Jungkook is the only person in my life whose opinions that I actually care about, is what you want to say to her, but it goes against all of the rules you’ve given yourself. You want to be independent, you want to be selfish in these moments that allowed you to, but at the end of the day, pleasing other people was a flaw you had never been able to grow out of.

“I don’t,” You lie, fiddling with the straps of your bag in between your nimble fingers. “I don’t care about what he thinks.”

She’s flabbergasted. “You absolutely do care. You care about what he thinks, and you’re afraid of disappointing him.” Yura says your name lovingly, in a tone that brings chills down your spine because she’s serious this time, a rarity in its form. “Please stop caring about what others think of you and make this decision on your own. There’s a chance that Jungkook won’t be with you at the end of this road, and you have to be prepared for it.”

“But it’s so freaking hard, Yura,” You finally admit, bending down to sit at the curb on the street. “I spent almost my entire life with Jungkook. My parents never approved of anything and weren’t ever happy with anything I did; he’s the one person who has supported anything I did and all I worry about is if he’s going to turn away like they did.”

“Did you just forget my existence again?” Yura interjects, sitting down beside you, giving you a slight nudge. “Listen, whether or not Jungkook decides to be by your side for this entire thing, I’m still here, right? It’s true, I can’t swoon you nor can I give you kisses because well, no offense, you’re not exactly my type—“ you snort, “—but I can be the friend portion here. You got me, you don’t need some boy you love, you have a friend.”

How crazy is it that you’re living in a fanfic trope? Your best friend from childhood is your neighbor, your first kiss, first time, first kiss... the list goes on.

So when you’re walking in the direction of where he stands in the parking lot of your high school, Jungkook’s car parked alongside his other teammates, while he leans against the hood of his car with the guys crowding around him. He looks like every other main character of a romantic film; hair slicked back, changed out of his uniform and swim clothes, now in a t-shirt that’s tight around his frame paired with light washed denim pants with tears and rips that hugs his thighs so deliciously. The laugh that escapes his lips is melodic, melting your heart seeing how happy he looks just by being with his friends.

You’re going to miss the hell out of this if he’s disappointed in your decision.

Approaching the group, the guys holler at the sight of you. “Hey! You’re finally here! Jungkook refuses to leave without you, so we’ve been waiting around until you came.”

“Were you?” You ask, eyes meeting your boyfriend. “Are you waiting for something in particular?”

Jungkook glances at the guys before back at you nervously, palms getting sweaty. “Uh... how do you feel about coming with us tonight?”

“Where to?”

Hoseok snorts from behind, almost bursting into laughter at how anxious Jungkook is around you. It’s cute, really, because despite officially together, he still acts as though he’s pining over his crush on you. “Oh, come on, it’s not hard to ask, just ask her!” Jimin adds into the push by actually pushing him.

Jungkook stumbles closer to you, slightly breathless. “So... there’s this party tonight...”

You giggle— mostly because he seems as smitten with you as you are with him. “Jeon, are you trying to ask me to be your date to a party or something? Why are you jittery?”

He is. And he can’t help but feel like his heart quickens whenever he sees you in a skirt and your hair down, first few buttons of your uniform unfastened and blazer hanging off your arm. Even in makeup that’s been on for 8 hours straight, he thinks you’re pretty. “Yeah,” his response is airy, “I’m hoping we could set aside a sleepover and head over to Hoseok’s place tonight to blow off some steam. How’s that sound?” Chuckling at his lack of confidence in the question, you nod in agreement. “Okay, that sounds great. When are we heading out?”

Getting ready for the party proves to be one of the most nerve-wreaking things you’ve done in a while, including that apprenticeship offer. 

“Why why why are these jeans so tight?”

“This dress shows my belly rolls.”

You’re patting the fabric that’s wrinkled around your stomach region as you sigh when you see the sideview of your body in the mirror. “I should workout. Does Jungkook find this attractive?”

“And this skirt is too short. It shows my freaking underwear.” Bending over in the mirror to see yourself from behind, you grumble at the sight.

“Wait— turn over here, I want to see.”

“Holy—“ Flinching in the direction of the voice, you place a hand on your chest to ease your breathing; Jungkook sitting at his window sill, hair let loose, fresh from a wash, still dressed in his sweats. “You look cute in that. Twirl for me. Oh, and bend over too.”

You roll your eyes. “I’m not going to bend over for you, Jeon.” He frowns. “Why not? I want to see what color your panties are.” Just when you’re ready to drop the blinds on him, he has his hand out. “Wait wait wait, don’t close it. Wear those jeans you wore the other day. And that black t-shirt. I think you look pretty even in casual clothes.”

While searching in your closet for said outfit, he stays seated by the window, resting his chin on his arm. “So... can we talk about break?”

“Uh, sure,” You respond, only half paying attention as you’re shuffling through the tremendous amount of clothes you have, the space between your brows crinkling in focus. “What about it?”

“So... the team and I had these plans to go on a lake trip...”

“Okay...?”

“And it’s an all guys trip.” He finishes, finally getting to the point. “I know we talked about the possibility of spending break together—“

“You should go, Bub.” You interrupt, eyes soon lighting up when you find the shirt, then meeting with his gaze. “I think it’ll be good for you. We’re not going to be in high school forever and you guys might separate when you get to college.” 

Jungkook thinks he hit the jackpot with you. From your understanding nature, to your independence, support... all the qualities you had were stacked up on the pros pile for him. “You’ll be okay? Without me?”

He asks this question and it stings a bit. You know he doesn’t mean it in that way but you can’t help but think about it in that direction. There had been a lot of dependency on Jungkook throughout your friendship; hardship, accomplishments, direction of your dreams— he’d be there for all, guiding you and lifting you up. But did he think that you wouldn’t be able to be without him? 

“I’ll be fine,” You reply, attempting to hide the disappointment in your voice. Head peeking out the window, you grin mischievously. “Well, I’m going to get ready now... so...” Quickly backing away, you shut the blinds immediately, and Jungkook groans. “I wanted to see a show!”

Arriving at the party with Jungkook by your side is more than an accessory— he’s the main point of an outfit. You learn that he wanted you to wear that t-shirt just because he wanted to match with you, knowing that you’d oppose it but would be too lazy to even change afterwards.

“You guys came!” Hoseok cries, weaving his way through the crowd of people while having to raise his voice for you to hear. He has a solo cup in hand, liquid sloshing around as people push and shove around him. “Go to the kitchen! Grab a drink!”

To two of you do, eventually Jungkook being pulled away by friends, chatting up a storm with his face slowly growing crimson from his asian flush. Deciding that it was a night to enjoy yourself, you play around with the ingredients from his fridge, cooking yourself up a mojito.

“Are you making a mojito? Can I join and make myself one too?”

“Sure,” You grin, looking up at the stranger. “Help yourself.”

This girl is absolutely gorgeous. Hair jet black and straight, stretching to her lower back with skin milky smooth and makeup done effortlessly naturally, with a body so slim and appealing in her body-con dress, a sight for sore eyes, you’re suddenly boiling inside because you’re wishing it was you. You learn her name is Somin, a University student who attended your high school last year, friends with the swim team but you never met her before.

“So, what brings you here?” She asks, searching through the drawers for a knife. “You don’t seem like the type to go to parties.”

Rinsing a couple limes under the faucet beside her, you nod. “Yeah, I’m not. Got dragged here so I guess I’m left with no choice. What about you? Trying to get away tonight?”

She laughs, so feminine and light. “Actually, trying to get closer. There’s a guy I’ve had my eyes on for the longest time. His mom and mine used to be friends so I saw me occasionally. I mentioned that I was in love with him and he freaked and left. But! I heard from Hoseok that he was coming tonight, so I’m hoping I get to see him.”

“Ah,” You respond, mouth open while taking the knife from her hands, slicing the lime into pieces. “Well, I wish you luck. I know how that feels.”

“Wait!” She exclaims, nudging you as you wince, startled and almost cutting yourself by her sudden action. “He’s coming!” Looking from the cutting board laying on the island counter, your eyes trail up to see the familiar figure walking toward the two of you as Somin waves eagerly. “Jungkook!”

She’s in love with Jungkook? When the hell did she know him?

“Oh, Somin!” He greets, smile so wide from the amount of alcohol in him. “I didn’t know you were here. I see you’ve met my girlfriend.” Well, how awkward. Somin turns to look at you, mouth agape, shunned. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah!” He’s almost yelling in your ear now, rounding the counter to pull you close with a hand on your waist. “The love of my life. Isn’t she so cute?” Your lips tug into a painful smile, apologetic toward Somin. How is it that every female you encounter just so happens to be so in love with Jeon Jungkook?

You can’t even blame them, in all honestly. He’s handsome, generous, has a car and can drive, a freaking athlete, and he can sing. This guy was the entire package and he hasn’t even graduated high school yet. Forget high school girls chasing after him, Jungkook already had college girls swooning and it’s left you wondering what it’d be like once the two of you head to University.

That night home, you drive. Deciding to spend the night taking care of him since he seemed totally wasted, you’re on route to his house while pondering deeply about the events of the night.

“What’s going on in your head, bubba?” Despite the amount of slurs that slip from his mouth that night, he’s oddly stable.

“Bubba?” You laugh at the new nickname. “Uh, just some stuff.”

“Be honest?” He asks, looking over at you with glassy eyes as his head is laid back against the seat. “I wanna hear what you’re thinking about. I like hearing you talk.”

Licking your lips, you’re having an inner debate on whether or not to let Jungkook in on your thoughts. Succumbing to his request, you sigh because communication is important in a relationship. On the bright side, he might forget about this conversation tomorrow anyways.

“The girl earlier tonight? Somin? She told me she was in love with you.”

“Huh?” He seems just as surprised at this new information. “That’s crazy. We used to hang out during Sundays when my mom would force me to go to church. Then I got old enough to decide if I wanted to go or not.”

You hum, stopping the car at the red light. “Well, it had me thinking. We’re going off to college soon. What does that mean for us? You’d have girls dropping at your feet, completely smitten with you. What if I end up at another college?”

“We’ll figure it out then. But I know how much I’m in love with you, whatever you do and wherever you go. I’ll be sad if I can’t follow you or you follow me to college, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you.” Although he’s slow when he speaks, he finishes off what’s on his own mind before drifting off into slumber before you could even chime in a response.

A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts.

It takes a lot of soul searching.

You’ve spent a week away from everyone— Yura, your family, everyone, even Jungkook. He thinks he did something wrong but you assure him that he hasn’t, rather that you needed some time for yourself. Coincidentally enough, that week was break; Jungkook and his teammates had a vacation planned and Yura picked up a part-time job at a bakery anyway.

Maybe it’s the breeze from the salty sea, the humidity sticking to your skin or the taste of the strawberry ice cream that hits your tongue, but the air feels lighter here. Inhaling in the fresh aroma the beach brings, it brings you back to when you came here last time with Jungkook and he professes his love. It brings a smile that tugs on the edges of your lips, a memory that you would never forget, your first love reciprocating his feelings for you. 

“Oh, did you drop this?” 

Quickly turning, you realize that what was in the hands of the person in front of you is your wallet—how irresponsible do you have to be that you dropped your wallet and didn’t even notice? “Oh my gosh, fuck, it’s my wallet!” You call out, grabbing it from their grasp before meeting eyes with them. “Thank you, I wouldn’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t find it!”

The person waves you off, a grin drawn across the face of a male, cheeks so supple and milky smooth. “Think nothing of it. Be careful though, there’s a lot of pickpocketers around here.”

You nod in agreement, lips pressed in a straight line, slightly disappointed in yourself. It’s like he reads your mind because he then says, “It’s okay though. It happens to the best of us.”

“Can I at least get you something for not robbing me? And my fate being that you so happen to not be a pickpocketer?”

The guy laughs; something about the warmness he radiates makes you trust him, fraternizing with this stranger with qualities of a sweet friend. Something about Junmyeon makes you fearless, trusting him enough to propose the idea of treating him out to anything for being a good samaritan. 

You learn that his name was Junmyeon, and he’s way older than you in comparison, but he has a lot of words of wisdom to share. After a lot of convincing, Junmyeon takes your offer for a cup of coffee—iced please, he begs, and in exchange, he in addition, tells you about his life like a middle-aged man.

He’s only 29.

“You’ve got a couple years ahead of me,” You begin, and it only sparks Junmyeon to raise a brow at you questioningly. “I’m stuck in a dilemma. How did you know what you wanted to do in life?”

Junmyeon chortles, mostly because he finds it interesting that you seem to think he has his shit together. The both of you had decided to take your cool drinks out on one of the benches on the boardwalk that faces the water. “You realize that I’m just twenty-nine right, not ninety-two?” You blink in confusion at his light-hearted joke, watching the sunset behind him. He continues on, “It means that I’m not that old, kiddo. I’m a bit older than you. And despite what you think, I don’t have my shit together.”

“Well, what did you do?”

“Well,” He starts, imitating your own words against you, “for one, I graduated college at the age of twenty-three. With a degree I didn’t end up using, by the way, and decided that the best thing for me at the time was to follow this girl that I was head over heels with. That being said, it didn’t end very well. Fast forward to today, I’m back in school trying to get my PhD... in a completely different field than what you’d expect.” Reminiscing back to his past mistakes, he shakes his head in disbelief. “There are just things you should be selfish about, and it took me a while to finally get that.”

“How did you decide on those things? And how do I decide what I want to do?”

“Well, for one, if you’re really hesitant about it, you probably don’t want it.”

And that’s when it hits. 

A day at the beach alone, meeting a stranger who finds your wallet and gifts you words of advice was more of a helpful trip than expected.

“You... got really tan?”

“You can be honest. I know I’m more red than tan.” You stifle a laugh, watching from his bed as Jungkook enters his room with his bags, waddling around to unpack his belongings from his trip. He’s in so much pain, and not to mention crimson red like he’s Santa’s suit, mostly from forgetting to put on sunscreen despite the many exchanged texts reminding him to remember to put on SPF. Turns out the entire team was burnt as well.

Browsing through a magazine that you found on his bedside table, you smile at the sight of your boyfriend wincing while sitting on the carpeted floor, attempting to unzip his duffle bag. “I didn’t know you were still shy seeing me. You’re all red and blushy.” You joke, leaning over to tap his nose, only for him to groan in agony. “Baby, I love seeing you, but I’m resenting asking you to come over.”

You gasp in feign surprise with a hand on your chest in exaggeration. “Jeon Jungkook, you couldn’t possibly mean that, could you?”

He throws a dirty t-shirt at you in hopes it lands on your face, and lucky for him, it shoots his target.. “Bullseye,” He says, content with his shot. “I worked out in that, just so you know.” Grimacing and tossing it back at him, he lets out a chuckle at your disgust. “That was horrible. It reeks.”

“Speaking of horrible, I couldn’t believe we didn’t spend the break together. I know it sucked without me. How was your week away?”

You roll your eyes, opening a drawer to drop the magazine back into it. “You’re the one who made plans, lover boy, with your group of other boys. But it was great, I think I learned a lot of things about myself.”

“That’s a step in the right direction. What’d you do in that time?”

Where to even start? Do you tell him about Junmyeon? What about the weather down the shore—humid and sticky, just how Jungkook likes it— or maybe that funnel cake you got to try that was so sweet and melted on the tip of your tongue? Or would that defeat the purpose and he’d be sad he missed out on that?

“I met someone,” is the words you manage to formulate out of your mouth, and the expression on his face is distorted in shock. “Oh— wait, not like that, I just met someone at the beach and they became a friend.”

“Scare a guy to the point of breaking his heart, why don’t you?” He’s stopped to listen to you in the midst of packing, attention fully yours. “So, what about this friend?”

Leaning against the bed frame, you take a moment to let your mind sink into your thoughts. There’s a lot to unpack, more than what’s in Jungkook’s duffle bag that’s similar to a clown car, but you want to do this right. “He gave me some life advice. He’s a bit older and gave me some guidance that could help me on what next steps I should be taking.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to make a decision?”

You chew on your bottom lip. In the end, you know that whatever you choose is solely based on your happiness but you can’t help but worry about what Jungkook thinks. “I think I am. What do you think I should do?” Maybe you should test the waters first.

He wrinkles his brows in perplexity. “What do you mean?”

You shrug at this question. “What do you think I should choose?”

Jungkook stops pulling things from his bag, eyes locking with yours and you feel your chest tighten at the serious shift in the atmosphere. “You’re not really asking me this, are you?” Now you’re the confused one. “What?”

“I don’t care what you choose. I mean, I care, but I don’t care as in I won’t be upset if you rather do one thing over the other. Is this what’s bothering you? Do you feel guilty about all of this? I told you, I’m always here for you, even when I’m trying to drill that into your head it seems like you don’t get it.”

“So...”

“So if you said that you didn’t want the apprenticeship, I wouldn’t be opposed to you going another route. Vice versa, same result. We’ve been together our entire lives, it would take a lot for me to actually upset with you. I just need you to be honest.”

Your heart swells. If anything, that’s all you really wanted— his support.

Sitting in the seat that you presumed that Jungkook had sat in when he’d gotten his offer, you feel slightly uneasy finding yourself in this situation. The room is filled with cases of books, most that you’ve never heard or seen before; the unfamiliarity churning a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach. There’s even a fireplace in this office, a portrait of what seems to be one of the founders of the university that hangs over it, and a fuzzy... bear rug that lays in front of it. 

The recruiter closes the door behind her, striding to her desk before settling down in her large swivel chair that only seems to make her look even more powerful than she was already. 

“So,” She begins, straightening the pile of papers on her desk. “You’re here to talk about the offer?”

#jungkook #jungkook smut #bts smut #bts #bangtan #jungkook x reader #gyukultfics #highschool!au #bts high school au #f2l #jeon jungkook

[dancingthesambaa]

The Smell of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 4

Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black-furred monkey put out a hand towards him.

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter 4: Ramen Noodles for the Soul

There was a battle commencing as two shadows faced off against each other, one being a ghastly figure that had the body of a tiger, but nine human heads with elongated necks and the other was a petite woman and all she had with her was a fan. The dark area surrounding them was riddled with buildings ripped apart and the still bodies of people then the beast lunged at her with a silent roar.

“The Kaiming Shou ran first as they viciously tried to strike the Geisha down,” the voice said as the creature was about to tackle her down, “but she was too quick for him,” the woman elegantly dodged as she leaped into the air.

“The woman was through with the beast wanton destruction so with her aim true she cut off the first head,” the woman fan opened and it had cut off one of the creature heads. “And then the second,” the next head soon plopped to the floor as she continued that action until she was left with only a headless body, “until finally none remained and with a flick of her fan,” The Geisha’s eyes seemed to narrow minutely as she gently waved her fan to the beast and it erupted in a gulf of blackened flames. “they had burned into the nothingness.”

The scene then transformed into one of peace, the bodies and destruction vanished and in its place, a field of flowers had grown next to a rustling town.

“No one knows exactly where the Geisha had gone nor who she was, but that had no purpose in the townspeople's eyes as they were grateful for saving them in their time of need,” the voice continued as the villagers all bowed to the field of flowers. “So they tell this story, not in hopes of finding who she was, but rather to tell all that if you ever happen to meet the valiant woman that saved them from ruins, to kindly welcome her with open arms.” The scene faded to black and a few seconds later a round of applause erupted with cheers quickly pursuing.

The voice took off his hood and gave a mock bow to the audience as made his way off the stage to let the next person go.

“Mac, why are you such a hard act to follow,” one of the performers sighed as he walked towards the stage, “you know everything after yours is gonna be less than mediocre.”

“Then get good,” he smirked.

“Maybe you're just too good,” he playfully punched the monkey's shoulder as he went to the stage to set up.

“That was awesome!” A young boy bolted from his seat as he collided into Macaque, “super cool!”

“Thanks kiddo,” he said as he lifted him off the ground and tucked him under his arm, “now let’s find your sister before she rips off your head.”

“Pfft, Yan Yan won’t be too-,”

“BAO!” A voice sternly called out and he could feel the boy shrink.

“Shit,” he muttered as he soon saw his sister followed by his brothers and sisters and a certain Jellyfish demon, “double shit.”

“Thank you for finding him Mackey, your plays are marvelous as always,” the bluenette woman gave a quick smile to her former teacher and her eyes pivoted on her idiot brother as it tightened, “as for you.”

“I love you very much,” Bao said with puppy dog eyes and a pout as soon as he was let down.

“Really,” Bohai deadpanned as one of the children began to play with his tendrils.

“Cute, but that stopped working a long time ago,” she instead began to lecture him on the dangers of leaving without telling anyone as they all left, some even complimenting him on his play as they walked by.

“Yan is really protective when it comes to them,” Mei hummed out as she dragged MK by the sleeve of his purple jacket, who was morning.

“You should see when they go out in the street, that’s a right nightmare,” he said as he tied his fluffy mane of fur back up in a ponytail. “Swear the only reason she is friends with Bohai is that he can help wrangle all those kids.”

“Soooo, I didn’t know you were such a theater nerd,” she mischievously grinned. She was excited to find out that the tough, grumpy monkey actually had a love for the theatrics and voluntarily went out from time to time to play at the theater. She teased him endlessly for this the second she found out about it.

“Dad likes his dramatics,” MK unhelpfully replied as he crossed his arms.

“What’s got you so moody,” the father asked and all he got was a groan in response.

“Someone dropped all of his snacks and he won’t stop whining about it,” she teased him.

“My caramel popcorn was in there!” He dramatically cried out and fell to his knees. “All that delicious goodness! Gone!”

“How about ol doc over here can take us to this amazing noodle shop I know,” Mei patted his shoulder.

“Really?” He looked up at her with hope.

“I am?” Mac quirked one of his eyebrows.

“Yes, because you don’t want two poor children to go hungry,” the fourteen year old put her hands on her head in a faint.

“I am soo hungry,” MK flopped on the ground to emphasize both of their points.

“I guess if I have to,” he begrudgingly agreed in a mocking tone as the two teenagers cheered.

“I’m telling you, this place's noodles are simply to die for,” Mei said as they approached a restaurant called Pigsy Noodles.

“I’ll take your word for it,” the monkey demon shrugged as Mei opened the doors wide open and they heard a friendly voice greet them.

“Welcome to Pigsy Noodles!” They saw a short pig in an apron turn around to face the group, “How can I help-,” he paused for a moment as he stared not at the kids, but rather at the monkey that was accompanying them. He didn’t know why, he never met the chimp before, but something felt a bit...off about that simian.

He wasn’t the only one as Macaque felt almost a tinge of tension, now he met all types of Pig demons, but he has never felt one so similar to Zhu Baije before.

It was a tense stand-off before Mei butted in, “We are here for your finest noodles! I promised MK here that yours is simply the best!”

This snapped the pig out in an instant as he smiled at the two, “well of course it is, come and sit. I’ll have the menu out in a jiffy,” he gave a nod and turned to grab the items.

The three sat down and the monkey gave a quick once over on Pigsy, both physically and spiritually, and relaxed once he realized that, no this was not the original Zhu Baije, it was just someone that had an eerie likeness to him. But he still kept a careful eye out to him and he knew that Pigsy was doing the same as he kept glancing over to him from time to time as he prepared another customer's food.

“Mmmm, this is good!” MK said as he slurped some of the noodles.

“What’d I tell you,” Mei said with her mouth full of Yao mein.

Macaque mentally agreed as he sat in between the both of them and silently ate his food.

“Many thanks from such esteemed customers,” the pig demon jokingly said.

“It’s quite good,” another voice added, though this time Pigsy's smile quickly turned to irritation at that voice.

“It's better to be the best damn thing you have eaten with the number of times you don’t pay freeloader,” he said.

“Ah, but isn’t the knowledge of my experience of my worldly knowledge of the unknowns, myths, and truth that surround our world. Whether it comes from the depths below to the heavens high in the sky, truly that is the greatest substance of all ” the man mysteriously says as his glasses almost glinted.

“Is it money,” Pigsy deadpanned.

“No,” the aura of mystery that surrounded him suddenly dissipated as he sheepishly grins.

“Then I don’t care!”

“What kind of unknown?” MK perked up as he turned to look at the stranger. “Is it cool? Are they adventures?”

“How about fights? Are there lots of action packed ones filled with danger and mysteries?!” Mei joined in as she got interested as well.

“All of that and more,” the stranger hopped into the chance to tell some of the stories that he had uncovered. “You have all heard the tale of the Legendary Monkey King, correct?”

“Yeah!” They both excitedly cheered but paused as they glanced back to Macaque who was still eating.

“As long as you don't up and leave the restaurant, you can listen,” he waved them off very much knowing why they looked to him in the first place. “Get me another bowl please,” Mac said to Pigsy as he handed him some money.

The pig just nodded as he turned his back to start up another bowl.

The two smiled at him and rushed off to hear the stories on the other end of the counter and that left both Pigsy and Macaque alone together, who both silently decided that it would be best to passively listen to the story than talk to each other.

“-and legends say, that only one with vast knowledge and strength are the only ones they can create the mystical pills of immortality,” Tang mysteriously said as the mythical book was laid out between them.

“So only people with amazing powers can do that!” MK’s eyes widened. “So cool!”

“Or they can just steal it, like the Monkey King,” Mei grinned.

“Or that too,” Tang nodded to her, “but even that was a feat in itself that he had managed to successfully procure such valuable items in that time frame.”

“Man it must be tough to find them all,” MK said.

“It is, some are deep under the seas where only the legendary dragons dwell, another is high up on the mountain tops where you have to pluck it just right or else you have to wait for eons before trying but want to know a secret,” Tang leaned in.

“Yeah,” they whispered and followed suit.

“There is said to be a plant in the Plum Blossom forest that is an ingredient to make the Pills, but no one has yet to find it,” the man happily stated as he began to talk, not knowing of the two nervous glances as they forced themselves not to turn around to a certain monkey.

Macaque only grinned into his cup once he heard that, but Pigsy scoffed.

“Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me,” he said as he wiped down the counters.

“Well every myth has a fraction of the truth,” he rebutted, “so I’m not giving up my exploration yet.”

“You visit the forest?” Mei curiously asked.

“I try to go as much as I can, but not just for the plants, there is rumored to be all types of different mythical creatures and spirits that wander in the forest,” Tang excitedly said.

“Oh really,” MK forced out with a pained grin, Mei was the same as she had seen some of them when she slept over one day. “That sounds really cool.”

“So,” the pigtailed girl tried to redirect the conversation, “I want to hear more about the Monkey King or any other gods, please.”

“Well I do have one in mind,” the man's eyes lit up as he flipped through the pages.

The two kids have a sigh of relief.

“The Six Eared Macaque is an interesting one.”

And immediately they both tensed back up.

“He is a demon that has caused mass confusion throughout history as no historian can agree which version is correct,” he landed on a page with a shadowed monkey with glowing violet eyes that seemed to bore into them.

“Oh, well-,” MK was cut off by Tang as he went on.

“Is he this one-note villain that simply stood in the Monkey King way or is he more of the mischievous trickster that helped wandering souls against vengeful beings and healed those when they asked. Is he both? If so, was he the healer before or after the Journey? If before then why did he decide to attack the Monkey King? If after, how did he survive that last attack? There are just too many questions that surround the origin of the Six-Eared Macaque, it’s truly quite fitting due to his nature.”

“It really is,” Mei gritted her teeth and slowly turned to face said Monkey demon, “hey Ma-I mean fluffy, I think it’s time we head home, right MK.”

“Yes we do,” he robotically said as the two made their way back to him.

“Oh is it getting late?” Tang blinked, “I didn’t even realize it.”

“It’s all good,” Macaque smirked as he ruffled the two heads, “nice stories.”

“History you mean,” he gave a wide smile, “besides, they were very good listeners…sorry I didn't catch your name?”

“Macaque,” he happily ignored the kid's panicked stares at him.

The man looked at him for a solid minute before laughing, “like the Six Eared Macaque! What a strange coincidence.”

“It sure is,” he smirked.

“Your parents must have loved the myths then,” he wiped a tear.

He shrugged, “it came along the way.”

Tang was a bit confused by that, but before he could ask the monkey he put a hand on both of the teenager’s shoulders and they seemed to vanish the next moment.

“…alright I’m not even gonna question how,” Pigsy grumbled as he continued cleaning.

“He vanished like a thief in the night,” Tang said in amusement.

“At least this thief paid for his food,” the pig grumbled then he noticed that there was some money with a note. Pigsy took a glance at the message and he gave a slight grin, “congratulations Tang, I won’t be on your ass today about your meal.”

“Huh, but you never let go of a chance to put it over my head?” The historian questioned as he walked over.

“Well you can thank their dad,” the pig demon showed him the note and he read it.

Thanks for keeping them entertained, food is on me.

“Well that is nice of him,” he smiled, “I hope they come back sometimes.”

“Hmph, any paying customers are more than welcome,” the pig said as he continued his cleaning, while the historian was more than happy as he continued to eat.

It was the middle of the day and both kids had their designated classes, whether online or home tutoring, and he was currently plucking out some of the weeds from a batch of Morning Glories when he saw the flowers bloom. “Back again already crackpot,” he called out as he took out one of the longer weeds he was plucking out of his mouth.

A croaky voice with a laugh, “what can I say, I can’t stay away from your glowing personality.”

He rolled his eyes as he stood up and turned to meet a balding old man with frizzy red hair and no shoes on his feet, “fuck off.”

The old man gave him a toothy grin as he flopped to the ground, poured a cup of wine, and held it out to the monkey.

“A bit too early for a drink there Shen,” he mused as he took the cup from his hand and sat next to him.

“It’s late somewhere else,” he chuckled and leaned back against one of the Plum trees.

“Yeah yeah,” he waved him off and took a sip of the drink, “don’t you get tired of drinking the same shit every time?”

“Yep,” Shen said.

“And you're still not gonna switch it out any time soon?”

“Nope,” he grinned and took a swing.

“You know one day you’re gonna tell me what the hell this is,” he grumbled in his drink.

“Not on my life.”

“Thought so.”

“Hey Dad,” MK called out as he entered the infirmary, “do you know where-,” he paused as he saw that he wasn’t alone.

“Didn’t expect you to have a hatchling,” the large alligator demon said, or what he assumed was an alligator as he looked almost similar to a ghost but in blue.

“Not most do,” Mac said as he picked out a violet plant and started to look it up in a book.

“Uhhhh,” his mind was running a mile a minute trying to come up with what was happening. “Sorry?”

He waved him off, “just be glad it wasn’t surgery.”

“So what is going on?” He asked as he slowly closed the door behind him.

“Just whipping up an antidote for him,” he hummed out.

“I didn’t know ghosts needed medicine.”

“Not a ghost,” the alligator muttered.

“Huh?”

“What he means is that he’s in his corporeal form,” Mac further explained as he began to dice up the plant. “Had to with the amount of poison in his system, so I just placed him in the lamp as usual.”

“Poison!? Lamp?!” He said in alarm.

“…oh I guess you have never seen it before, hold on.” Mac finished placing the last ingredient inside, stirred it, and let it simmer. He turned to the alligator, “want to rest or free roam?”

“Rest,” he said.

The monkey complied as he used his tail to grab a lantern and in the next moment, the transparent demon was gone.

“What is that?” MK went forward to get a better look.

“This is the Shadow Lamp, it allows me to store people's bodies in there, which puts said bodies in a stasis thus allowing me plenty of time to make the medicine needed.”

“Oh, so it’s like a fancy tool to help patients! Why don’t all doctors have this?”

“Cause originally this was not a medical tool,” he explained as he carefully set the lamp down.

“A weapon? How?” He tilted his head, he didn’t see how a lamp can cause harm.

“It was used to suck the bodies in the lamp, but be able to control their shadow against their own will,” he inwardly chuckled at MK's shocked face.

“What?! That can happen?!”

“Yep.”

“But wait?” He backtracked as he looked at the lamp, “if it’s so dangerous why are you using it?”

“At the end of the day, a weapon is just a tool,” he quietly said, “it doesn’t have any emotions, no attachments, no moral conceptions, it’s just a tool that anyone can use. It’s the one who uses the weapon that determines how the tool can be used.”

“Really?”

Macaque paused as he looked into MK bright eyes, he gave a small smile.

“Really.”

He put away his supplies and safety materials before ruffling MK’s long hair. “Now how about you tell me what you were originally here for nightlight.”

“Oh right! Do you know where the spare water bottles are? The others have holes punctured in them.”

“Damnit Minsheng,” Mac pinched his nose, “they should be in the bottom cabinet by the fridge.”

“Thanks!” He said as he left the infirmary, “Want me to bring you anything?”

“No, I’ll be a bit busy,” he muttered as he took out his phone, “I have a few arrangements to make, specifically with some glue, rope, and a whole lot of glitter.

“Hey Pigsy!” MK hollered out as he walked into the shop, “the usual please!”

“Coming right up,” the pig grinned as he was already preparing his order.

The fifteen year old grinned as he sprawled over the counter, “Tang not here today?”

“Surprisingly no, he’s probably off at the library or some antique store,” the pig demon then noticed that he was alone, “surprised I don’t see Macaque or Mei here.”

“Well Mei wanted to pick out her future bike, so she dragged Dad over to the auto shop.”

“Auto Shop? For a bike?”

“Motorcycle,” he explained.

“Ah,” he nodded and placed his food in front of him, “bon appetit.”

“Thank you!” He cheerfully replied as he dug into his food.

Pigsy just grins at the boy as he was about to go back to cleaning up since MK was the only one in, but he paused as a probing thought couldn’t leave his mind. He knows it wasn’t any of his business and he hasn’t seen anything damaging nor even concerning, but his damn gut has been bothering him ever since he laid eyes on him. “So kid.”

“Hm?” MK looked up as some noodles were hanging from his mouth.

“I'm a bit curious about your old man, he isn’t the chattiest bunch and I’m a bit curious at what he does,” he casually asks.

“He’s a doctor!”

“Really?” Now that was a surprise, he was betting on being some sort of martial arts teacher.

“Really! He’s super smart and a bunch of people and demons go to him, he’s even had a student before.”

“Huh, doesn’t seem like the type to take on a student.”

“No, but she was really persistent,” he grinned at the understatement.

“I bet.”

“Though he is a bigggg worrywart,” he leaned back from his chair.

“He is?”

“Oh yeah, like there was this one time when I was ten that I scraped my finger against a really thorny plant and when I yelled out, he instantly picked me up and started to treat my entire arm as he tried to find out if the plant was poisonous while asking me if I had a fever, nausea or any other symptoms and during that entire time I was not let down,” he deadpanned.

He snorted at the image, “that certainly is unexpected.”

“He also sometimes performs shadow plays at the theater.”

“Flair for the dramatics,” he quirked his eyebrow.

“Like you wouldn’t believe it,” he nodded.

Pigsy chuckled, “makes me wonder how he met your mother then.” Though he stopped as he saw MK fell silent and his face flushed. “…did I say something wrong?”

His head shot up and he shook his hands, “No! Nothing! You said nothing wrong! Well-actually a bit, but not anything mean! It’s just that-well he…adopted me.” He couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face.

“Oh-shit, I’m sorry that was really callous of me,” he winced, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“My loss?” His grin faded at the unusual statement.

“Your parents,” he clarified.

“Oh,” face completely slack and blank, “they're not dead.”

Pigsy’s eyes blinked, “Oh,” then he came to the realization of just what he meant and his voice and face dropped, “oh.”

MK gave a sad little smile, “Yeah, he actually found me in a back alley when it was about to rain and he adopted me from that point on. He may not be blood related to me, but he’s still my dad.”

The pig smiles and begins to heat some noodles, “and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, you want some more? This one is on the house.”

“Yes please!” He perked up.

Pigsy couldn’t help but give a wide smile at the child's affectionate nature, it was contagious.

‘Glad for my gut to be wrong for once,’ he mentally thought as he poured the soup in, ‘he just looks like the usual jackasses you see in the underbelly, but he’s just a protective bastard for his kid…kids, half sure that he practically adopted girlie.’ He should ask the monkey next time he comes in, it would be hilarious to see his reaction…damnit Tang has infected him.

Macaque was standing in front of the two teenagers in one of the forest's many clearings, “So after much deliberation, I decided to finally teach you how to actually fight.”

“I told you we would wear him down eventually,” Mei nudged MK, but they were both caught off guard when their feet were swept under them and they fell on their butts.

“First lesson, don’t let your guard down,” he said as his tail gently swished behind him, “that is the height of stupidity that will get you killed.”

“Noted,” they both groaned.

“Now,” he waited for a bit for them to get on their feet, “I can’t promise you that I am an expert on martial arts, most of my moves are just street fighting, but I can promise you that by the time I’m done with you guys, you will actually have a chance to put up a fight.”

MK and Mei listen intently.

“Mei,” she perks up, “I know your family has some sort of dragon ancestor right?”

“Oh yeah! The Great Dragon of the West Sea,” she proudly stated.

Macaque could only blink at the irony as he quickly realized just who her ancestor, or rather the son of the said ancestor, was, “Nope, not going to open that can of worms,” he muttered. “But yes that, and I believe that you have already looked through some of the martial arts teachings that was formed by him?”

“Yeahhh, but I’m having real trouble with actually learning some of the moves,” she nervously chuckled.

“That’s cause it shares the same qualities as Tai Chi, though with much serpentine movement, I have fought quite a few with that kind of style and usually two things stand out to me, they are quick and accurate.”

“Like a snake,” she nodded.

“Like a snake,” he agreed, “I can definitely teach a few off of the top of my head, but it would probably be best if I see a few of your scrolls at a later point so I can demonstrate.”

“Hell yeah!” She pumped her fist in the air.

“Alright, MK,” his head perked up at the call of his name, “you have zero knowledge of any type of fighting.”

He deflated at that.

“Which makes it easier to incorporate my style onto you.”

He instantly inflated back up.

“If there is one thing I have learned in all my years of fighting is-,” he vanished from view and both kids scrambled forward to escape being surprised from behind, only to be startled when they found their heads being gently pushed down from above and they were once again sprawled out.

“Be unpredictable,” he cheekily stated as he landed back down.

“Why do I get the feeling that we’re going to be falling down a lot,” MK said as he lifted his face off the grass.

“I have a feeling you're right,” Mei muttered as she laid flat on her back.

“Like I said, welcome to your first class my unruly disciples,” he gave the most shit eating grin, “you have a lot to learn.”

#monkie kid #mk #macaque #PlumTeaAU

[randomfanner]

Why Crowley Is Shady as fuck.

So like, can we just group every shady thing about Crowley? This is pretty obvious shit but I just feel like putting everything in one spot.

This is more of a rant format so be ready.

Like, just all in one place. Massive spoilers btw so if you aren’t to the latest part Shel_BB has posted, get caught up.

@the-blue-sandglass and I were just talking about Crowley because we both love the bird and well, we realized some shit about the bird. First and foremost because it is the first thing in the came, what with the god damn intro!? We KNOW that is Crowley’s voice and stuff but WHY, is that just how the magic mirror calls people in general? Or was it calling for the player specifically? And then right before chapter one the “For me. For them. For you.” that one HAS to be directed at the player. But W H Y, how did he know this was all going to take place? Also how he seems to be dilly dallying on getting you home. That could just be general laziness but like, he seems to like teaching and helping students, the special lessons SHOW that. Is it because we have proven to be useful?

I will state something out right, I do not think he is causing the overblots of benefiting from them in anyway. It seems like the circumstances around the overblots are just, too specif for him to have a direct hand in causing. But now that this is out of the way BACK TO THE SHADE.

And let us look at his design, ok, keys, fine, for the mirror, why wear a mask? He always has it on. Does he maybe have a scar? Is it for another reason? Just aesthetic? Also his ears! Can we just focus on those for a second, they are clearly pointed. The only other characters to have pointed ears are fae like Malleus. So he is a fae, and we know he is old. But because Lilia calls him young man, he is younger than Lilia? Is he younger than Malleus? Or maybe he saw the villains shit first hand? We can assume Maleficent is Malleus’ grandmother and for him to have seen the shit he’d have to be older than Malleus.

ALSO THE RAMSHACKLE DORM

ISN’T STRANGE HE JUST SO HAPPENED TO PUT US IN AN ABANDONED BUILDING ON CAMPUS(well all the other dorms have their own mirror portal) THAT HAS A MAGIC MIRROR THAT GIVES US VISIONS IN THE FORM OF DREAMS AND HAS A MOUSE IN IT! DID HE PLAN ALL OF THIS!?

NOT MENTION IF IT IS THE GREAT SEVEN WHY IS THERE AN EIGHTH DORM TO BEGIN WITH!!! WHO WAS IT BASED ON!? WHY!? WAS IT EVER EVEN A DORM!? WAS IT LIKE HIS HOUSE BEFORE THE SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED!? (trust me I have a whole ass OC based on that concept). WHY IS IT ALSO HE SENDS YOU TO THE DWARF MINES.

I GET THERE ARE NO DUPLICATED CRYSTALS BUT LIKE

IS THERE NO WHERE ELSE!? AND WHY DID THERE JUST SO HAPPEN TO BE AN OVERBLOT MONSTER THERE NO ONE HEARD ABOUT?! I AM SURE WE ARE GONNA GET THAT ANSWER IN CHAPTER 5 BUT WAS HE TESTING US TO SEE IF WE WERE THE ONE HE WAS LOOKING FOR!?

WHY DID HE JUST ASSUME WE WOULD MAKE A GOOD BEAST TAMER WHEN ALL WE DID WAS HELP GRIM AND GET THREE IDIOTS TO WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BRAIN CELL

WHY IS HE DRAGGING US INTO VDC, WOULDN’T IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE LIKE, AN ACTUAL RETREAT? OR MAYBE LIKE, HAVE EVERYONE STAY IN POMEFIORE INSTEAD OF THE RAMSHACKLE BUILDING!? WHY GIVE US THE GHOST CAMERA!? HOW DOES HE JUST HAPPEN TO BE EVERYWHERE IS HE EXPECTING THIS!? DOES HE ALSO GET THOSE VISIONS FROM THE MIRROR AND WERE EXPECTING US!? BECAUSE IF HE USED TO LIVE IN THE RAMSHACKLE DORM IT WOULD MAKE SENSE!!!

WHY ARE THERE GHOSTS?! DID STUDENTS DIE ON CAMPUS!? BUT WHY DO THEY LOOK SO OLD, DON’T YOU THINK THEY’D LOOK A BIT MORE LIKE TEENS INSTEAD OF OLD MEN!? DID CROWLEY KILL SOME PEOPLE!? WHAT IS BEING HIDDEN IN THE RAMSHACKLE DORM!?

I probably have more to say but this is all for now. Feel free to add onto this man’s shade.

#dire crowley #crowley #twst crowley #twisted wonderland crowley #ramshackle dorm #ramshackle #twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #rant #twisted wonderland headcanon #magic mirror #overblot

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Caught

by HyacinthLee4221 What if the world finds out that three of gothams hero’s are in a polyamorous relationship In which Daphne Wayne Tim Drake and Jason Todd get exposed for being in a relationship no one knew about Words: 6558, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Categories: Other Characters: Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Members of the Team (Young Justice), Teen Titans (DCU), Jonathan "Jon" Kent (Superman & Lois TV 2021), Superboy (DCU), Justice League (DCU) Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Idiots in Love, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Vaginal Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Underage Sex, Masturbation, Sex Pollen, Jason Todd Has PTSD, First Dates, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Boners, Whipping, Crime Fighting, Female Damian Wayne via https://ift.tt/BuxJPW4

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

[love-bokumono-fics]

WIP Wednesday - Trio of Towns

Trio of Towns has no shortage of wonderful works that are in progress. Some of them I know are years in the making and I always look forward to an update.

So here's hoping you find a new story to love!

If you're reading or writing a Trio of Towns WIP that didn't get featured today, please feel more than welcome to drop it in the Submission box and share with the rest of us! (When I only share 10 fics at a time, there's always something that's bound to be missed.)

Two in One - by PineconeTheKitten; WIP, 1/?, 1.3k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Ford/Wayne, Female Farmer/Ford, Female Farmer/Wayne; Characters: Female Farmer, Ford, Wayne, Dessie, Inari, Witchie

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Magic Revealed, Gods, Goddesses, Spirits

Summary: Ford and Wayne were once two people. Now they aren't. Holly doesn't know what to do. As it turns out, Ward is pretty into Holly, and she into him.

Two Individuals in Love can be Asexual, a Case Study - by chickadeequill; WIP, 1/?, <1k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Wayne

Additional Tags: Asexual Relationship, Romantic Fluff

Summary: After years of painstakingly avoiding romance, the town's eligible and single doctor Ford finds himself facing a simple question: is there room in his life for love? It seems the hardworking farmer just past the crossroads is still single as well, and Ford just can't figure out why she keeps declining advances from the other eligible singles in all three towns.

Watered-Down Ideals - by LemWrites; WIP, 3/?, 4k

Rating: Not Rated; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: M/M, Multi

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Farmer/Ludus; Characters: Original Male Character(s), Frank, Megan, Hector, Colin, Noel | Noelle

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Fluff, Self Confidence Issues, ADHD, I gave a farmer adhd and anxiety, this may have more projection then intended

Summary: Join Steve, the newly appointed farmer in the Trio of Towns world, on a journey full of; useless gay pinning, being a disaster, self hatred and more!

Earth and Rebirth - by TheBeckster; WIP, 17/?, 66k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: Multi, Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Characters: Holly | Nanami, Frank, Marlena, Wayne, Ford, Lisette, Brad, Carrie, everyone

Additional Tags: Undecided Relationship(s), Additional Tags to Be Added, lots of headcanons, Minor Character Death, Eventual Friends to Lovers, I'm not going to tag every single character, but they will all have a part in the story, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, New friends and found family, world building, Angst with a Happy Ending, Holly is an extrovert, endgame ship tbd, Cover Art

Summary: Holly considered herself fortunate to be living about as close to the dream as any young twenty-something could. A great family, a loving husband, and well, she'd admit their apartment was awful, but they'd be moving onto bigger and better things soon enough. She truthfully couldn't wish for more. But when an accident rips it all away from her, Holly finds herself seeking a change of scenery. Her Uncle's farm out in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place for her to hide to mourn. A familiar story with a twist or two.

Fire and Dew - by Juliko; WIP, 9/26, 73k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Yuzuki/Original Character(s)

Characters: Original Female Character(s), Yuzuki, Sumomo, Lisette, Colin, Wayne, Brad, Carrie, Shizu, Yaichi, Tatsumi, Omiyo, Umekichi, Lynn, Marlena, Daryl | Darius, Ittetsu, Moriya

Additional Tags: farming, Slice of Life, Drama, Family Drama, Family Issues, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Female Character of Color, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Friendship/Love, Past Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Humor, Eventual Happy Ending, Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Adoption, Sick Character, Lulukoko characters won't appear in this fic, Falling In Love, Dorks, Ableism, Happy Ending, Romantic Fluff, Break Up, Past Relationship(s), Cows, Chickens, Sheep, Rabbits, Flowers, Stimming, Family Fluff, Bisexual Female Character, Pansexual Character, Lesbian Character, Children, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma

Summary: For as long as she could remember, Harper Leigh Maxwell's dream has always been to become a farmer, but her father's job makes it hard to do so, since it involves lots of moving. After graduating from college, she finally decides to take a chance and get her own farm. She's determined to make the most of this opportunity and do what she's wanted. In the process, she makes new friends, learns many new things, and faces many hardships. One of the friends she makes is Yuzuki Fujiwara, a mellow, sweet natured man from the town of Tsuyukusa who doesn't have the best constitution. The two of them form a strong connection that may even end up blossoming into love. But Harper's past might make things complicated, and when it threatens to catch up with her, she may find herself facing the demons from her pre-adoption early childhood. This is the story of two different people, with different interests, passions, and paths in life, walking the same dirt road every day...

Tiny Steps to Big Leaps - by Distracteddiddlin; WIP, 29/?, 28k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Other

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Ford/Holly | Nanami; Characters: Ford, Holly | Nanami, Brad, Wayne

Additional Tags: Fluff, Developing Relationship, surprise parenting, rating and tags will update, NB Farmer, Idiots in Love, Wet Dream, Love Confessions, oh it's fucking started now, Mildly Dubious Consent, for like the smallest split second

Summary: Me while writing this months ago: what if I did that that Ford/farmer fic again but with a twist? Basically it's what if Ford accidentally became a single dad after the farmer meets him

Stranded - by TheBeckster; WIP, 2/?, 4k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Ludus & Siluka, Ludus & Iluka, Iluka & Siluka; Characters: Ludus, Iluka, Siluka, Tototara, Zahau, Caolila

Additional Tags: all aboard the childhood trauma boat!, Pre-Canon, Peril, Wilderness Survival, Mild Blood

Summary: Desperate for an adventure to break up the interminable boredom of a long summer, three kids set to the high seas and get way more adventure than they ever hoped for or wanted. AKA: Let's explore the Lulukoko Trio's shared childhood trauma!

Trio Of Towns - Figuring Out Love - by vampireprincess624; WIP, 6/?, 5k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Multi

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Ford/Pixie; Characters: Ford, Pixie, Wayne, Brad, Lisette, Carrie, Noelle, Colin, Miranda, Frank, Megan, Hector, Other(s)

Summary: Pixie Fawn is left with a mess she has to sort out after leaving Ludus at their wedding because Ford, who had been away for seven months, appeared as a guest. But how is fixing things with the stubborn doctor more difficult than sorting things out with her ex husband-to-be? Are they destined to be friends or will their stronger feelings for each other lead to love? A lot of Ford/Pixie scenes where they figure out their love for each other. This is Part 3 to my series, Life In The Towns, and I strongly advise you read Part 1 (or at least the last few chapters) before this, but it should still make sense anyway. Hope you enjoy :)

The House That We Built - by CherryQDoodles; WIP, 2/?, 8k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Holly | Nanami/Ludus; Characters: Ludus, Original Characters, Lulukoko Villagers, Westown Villagers, Tsuyukusa Villagers

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, story building, Learning from the Past, Tons of fluffy moments, farmlife shenanigans, Festivals, Romance, Dark skinned MC, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: Nicola knew as soon as she was able to talk that she was very different from the family she was raised in. From her dark skin to her snow white hair she stuck out as the black sheep, but she loved them like they were her blood, and vice versa. But Nicola always dreamed of wanting more: to become a farmer. Growing crops, raising animals and everything in between! She just had to convince her father that she could handle the hard work within two years time. Follow Nicola's journey to becoming the best farmer she dreams of, and her adventures in the Trio of Towns!

Ford's Roses - by thelighthouse33; WIP, 5/?, 3k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Wayne, Megan, Frank, Miranda, Carrie, Brad, Lisette, Noel | Noelle, Colin

Additional Tags: My First Work in This Fandom, better late than never, Ford x Holly, Story of Seasons Trio of Towns, Harvest Moon - Freeform, Gaming

Summary: This is a story of how the doctor of Westown, in charge of The White Capsule Clinic, falls in love with the new farm girl...

#wip wednesday #story of seasons #harvest moon #trio of towns #sos 3ot #story of seasons trio of towns #3ot #sos tot

[lyranova]

Children of the Future:

Chapter 5: Reunions

Hi guys! So here’s chapter 5 i’m sorry it took so long, also there isn’t any Zobra in this chapter which I apologize for, the next chapter will have them in it I promise! Anyway I hope you all enjoy 🥰!

Word Count: 2,829

Warnings: None

Taglist: @eme-eleff @jovialnoise @crazyclownthanos @talpup (because Yami’s in it hehe) If anyone else wants to be added please let me know!

———

Yami sighed as he and the others flew back to his and Charlotte’s newly shared home, now they were supposed to be going back to their respective hideouts, but at the last minute Julius had a thought.

“ Hey, since Josslyn seems to know Hikari, why don’t you all stay together? I mean, I’m sure the house is big enough for all of you to stay there comfortably. Plus it’ll help us be able to keep an eye on them.” Julius had explained to them before they walked out of the office.

Yami shook his head, leave it to Julius to come up with a crazy idea like that! But when he thought about it, it made sense for all of them to be staying together even though none of them liked it very much. Zora had gone back to the Black Bulls hideout to get some of his things while Nebra and Nozel went back to the Silver Eagles to get her things as well. So Yami was left in charge of Josslyn and Ace for a little while, which he wasn’t looking forward to too much. He already had how many teens/young adults to look after?!

The three landed in front of the house and he heard Josslyn chuckle.

“ This is it? It looks like a complete dump.” She muttered as she looked the house up and down.

“ I think it looks nice.” Ace said with a smile as he grabbed his older sister's arm and dragged her inside the house. “ Come on Josslyn I wanna see what it looks like inside!” He added as he pushed open the door, Yami tilted his head; the boy had been so quiet and shy earlier, but now that it was just him and his sister he seemed a little more energetic. Yami followed them inside and closed the door behind him.

Ace looked around in silent wonder; this place wasn’t nearly as nice or as big as his home, but it was still nice! It seemed warm, cozy, even inviting! Plus, this was the start of a new adventure! Sure he didn’t have any of his friends with him, but he did have his big sister with him so he wouldn’t have to worry! He looked up at his sister and saw her still wearing that scowl on her face.

“ Are you ok?” He asked her softly, she nodded before crossing her arms.

“ Fine. This just puts a wrinkle in my plans, the sooner we can get back to our own time the better.” She muttered before looking around the common room again.

“ But, we don’t even know why or how mom and dad sent us here in the first place. So how are we supposed to get back home?” He asked her softly, he wanted to get back home just as much as she did, but a small piece of him wanted to stay long enough to see how different this time was to theirs.

“ I haven’t figured that part out yet. But I will, I promise Ace, I’ll get us back home come hell or high water.” Josslyn said determinedly, Yami walked past the two and sat down on one of the couches.

Yami looked around and frowned; where were Charlotte and Hikari? He figured they’d have come out when he got back. As if on cue he sensed someone coming into the room and when he looked over it was Hikari.

“ Oh you’re back, is everything ok-?” Hikari paused as she saw the red haired boy and pink haired girl. “ Ace? Josslyn?! You’re here too!” She asked as she walked up to the two. Josslyn crossed her arms and smirked.

“ Well look what the cat dragged in. You’re a sight for sore eyes Sukehiro.” Josslyn teased, Hikari laughed and shook her head.

“ It’s good to see you too Josslyn. It’s good to see you as well Ace.” Hikari said with a smile on her face, she hadn’t been expecting anyone else to be coming from her time. She thought she was the only one. A small piece of her was thankful that she wouldn’t be alone here, another part of her hoped that maybe some of the others were here too!

“ Hi Hikari!” Ace said cheerfully, he had met the young Sukehiro many times before since Josslyn and her were best friends.

“ So you two were sent back here as well?” Hikari asked, she noticed Josslyn look over at Yami with a small frown, Hikari recognized that look; she didn’t trust him.

“ We’ll talk about that later.” Jossyn said shortly, but Hikari nodded in agreement. Hikari trusted the Yami and Charlotte of this time, but Josslyn didn’t. The only one’s she trusted were herself, Hikari, and Ace.

“ Where’s Charlotte?” Yami asked suddenly, Hikari looked over at him.

“ She was called over to the Blue Rose Knights. She said she would be back in a couple of hours.” Hikari explained, he nodded before standing and getting some wine to drink, after today he really needed it.

“ We’re going to my room to catch up.” She said before walking with Josslyn and Ace to her room, Yami nodded before taking a sip of his wine.

“ Alright, I’ll call you when dinner is done.” Yami muttered, to which Hikari nodded before the three kids walked down the hall. Yami suddenly choked on his drink as what he said sunk in; it hasn’t even been 24 hours and he was already starting to sound like he was her dad! He took another gulp of his drink, what was going on with him?

Yami didn’t consider himself very ‘paternal’, maybe an Uncle or a Big Brother, but not as an actual parent. Yet here he was, telling Hikari that he would call her when dinner was ready, threatening Finral for flirting with her. He sighed and leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed, what was going on with him?

———

Hikari closed her bedroom door behind her and sat down on her bed across from Josslyn, who sat on one of the other beds with Ace. She looked her friend up and down, she couldn’t believe she was actually here!

“ So you two were sent back here too?” Hikari repeated her earlier question, Josslyn nodded shortly and leaned back on her arms and sighed.

“ Yeah, mom and dad sent us back shortly after you did I assume. They didn’t tell us why though, I’m assuming yours didn’t tell you anything either?” Josslyn asked, when she shook her head the pink haired girl sighed. “ Why the hell would they send us here without any information?”

“ I don’t know, it’s odd. Usually my parents tell me everything, well, everything they’re allowed to tell me anyway.” Hikari said, pulling her legs up to her chest.

“ Do you think we were under attack?” Ace asked as he grabbed a nearby pillow and hugged it, the two girls looked at each other for a moment.

“ It’s possible, but unlikely since they’ve never sent us away when we were under attack before.” Josslyn told her brother as she put a thoughtful hand under her chin.

“ Unless the threat was just that dangerous.” Hikari pointed out, Josslyn nodded in agreement as Ace’s face blanched considerably. Silence fell upon the three at her words, it was something they were all thinking but didn’t want to say out loud.

“ It’s still unlikely though, we haven’t been attacked seriously in years. Plus, what kind of threat would be dangerous enough to warrant this? Our parents got rid of most of the devils decades ago, so there’s no way there could be a bigger threat than them.” Josslyn argued, Hikari shrugged, either way they would find out eventually.

“ Hey Joss,” Hikari started after they sat in silence again. “ Do you think the others may be here as well?” Josslyn ‘hmmed’ in thought.

“ Could be, especially since the three of us are here. Are you asking for a reason?” Josslyn quirked an eyebrow slightly, and Hikari shook her head with a soft smile on her face.

“ No. Not really.” She sighed before looking away and rubbing the back of her head nervously. “ I guess I’m just hoping he’ll be here too.” She added softly, she looked as the pink haired girl snorted.

“ Who? Pretty boy? Pfft. Please, I doubt he’ll be here. He’s Mr. Chivalrous, remember? Plus he’s the type of guy who’d willingly stay behind and sacrifice himself for the sake of others. Even if they don’t deserve it.” Josslyn said. “ He’s an idiot.” She added, causing the dark haired girl to frown.

“ He is not an idiot, he’s far from being an idiot and you know it.” Hikari told her seriously, she didn’t like it when people spoke ill of him. It always irritated her and made her angry, although she wasn’t sure why.

“ I know that geez lighten up.” Josslyn looked away and rubbed her neck in embarrassment. Hikari sighed.

“ Sorry I shouldn’t have snapped.” She said with a soft laugh. “ Anyway, even though he is all of those things you mentioned, except him being an idiot, I do think he would leave. Especially if his father told him too.”

“ True, he really only listens to his father,” Josslyn smirked a bit. “ Or you, apparently.” Hikari blushed at the statement and looked away, what was Josslyn insinuating? Sure he listened to her whenever she would offer some advice or things like that, and Hikari would do the same when he offered advice as well. They were best friends, so why wouldn’t they listen to each other?

———-

Yami opened his eyes when he heard the door open, he saw Charlotte walk in and he sighed again before closing his eyes. She frowned before closing the door, walking over to him, and sitting down across from him.

“ Rough day?” She asked leaning forward a bit, she noticed the wine glass on the table which confirmed her suspicion.

“ Oh yeah. Apparently, Zora and Nebra Silva have two kids together. Both traveled here just like Hikari. They’re in the bedroom catching up.” Yami told her before opening his eyes and looking at the blonde. She was looking at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“ So, there’s more kids out there?” She asked in shock, Yami chuckled. She was more worried and surprised by that than about Zora and Nebra, but then again, she didn’t really know either of them too well to form an opinion.

“ Apparently. But we don’t know if anymore have traveled back, and if they did, how many.” Yami said softly, Charlotte sat back in her chair; how many more future kids could be out there right now? Lost, alone, frightened? She shook her head to clear those thoughts.

“ Did you tell Julius about what Hikari told us?” She asked, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other as Yami nodded.

“ I did. It concerned him just as much as it did us. He was curious about the Time Gate, but I think he pushed that away when I mentioned our future selves being worried and dragging Hikari through said portal.” Yami said with a sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. “ Julius said to keep him informed of any changes, but he’s pretty worried about it too.”

Charlotte nodded as the room fell silent, she couldn’t help but be anxious about all of this. If multiple parents sent their children back in time to avoid a threat, how big and dangerous was it? Did everyone send their kids back or was it just the mighty few who had powerful connections and a high status such as themselves? She stood up quickly, she didn’t want to think about all of that right now.

“ I’m going to get started on dinner. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I last cooked so I can’t promise it’ll be very good.” Charlotte said with a small laugh before walking into the kitchen.

“ I’ll come help, we’re going to need to make extra since there’s 7 of us.” Yami stated before standing and following her into the kitchen.

“ 7?” She questioned before turning around to face Yami, he looked away sheepishly as he explained what Julius had done. Charlotte’s face turned a bright red shade, irritation and anger clearly on her face.

“ WHAT!!!”

————

Julius stared thoughtfully at his desk. These children were very peculiar. How were they able to travel back in time? Did they have a time mage like him? If so, how come they were able to open a Time Gate and he wasn’t? He was both perplexed yet curious, if he ever got the chance he really wanted to meet this time wizard or the mage who invented the gate! He stood up quietly, ready to turn in for the night, when he suddenly froze on the spot.

“ My, when did you get here? I thought I sensed someone’s mana, but I just assumed it was my imagination.” Julius said with a laugh, talking to the person hiding in the shadows. He had sensed this mana for a while, but he wanted to see what the mage was going to do before commenting on it. But the mage didn’t move, not one bit. He turned to face where the mage was hiding.

“ I know you’re there. So why don’t you please come out so we can have a conversation?” Julius offered kindly, even though he was treating this intruder kindly, he wasn’t about to let his guard down. For all he knew, it could be the threat Yami told him about.

The ‘intruder’ walked out from their hiding spot in the shadows and they stepped into the light. Julius wasn’t normally surprised, but once he saw their face he couldn’t stop it from showing slightly in his eyes.

A young man, around Hikari’s age, appeared before him. He was tall, lean, and wore a warm smile on his face. His hair was short, white, and messy, his piercing blue eyes stared kindly at Julius and his smile looked so familiar, and yet so different, what really struck him though were his clothes; they were the Golden Dawns uniform.

“ Ah a member of the Golden Dawn. Welcome, although I don’t believe your Captain knows you're here and usually I have to be the one to summon you.” Julius said light heartedly, the young man nodded and laughed.

“ Yes sir you’re right about those, although my Captain does in fact know I’m here. So it shouldn’t be a problem.” He shrugged, his smile staying in place. Julius analyzed him. His posture was calm, warm, and non-threatening, as though he were completely comfortable in the Wizard King's presence. The boy carried himself proudly, but not in an intimidating way, he smiled and was so far treating him as though they were old friends.

He wasn’t here to hurt Julius. That much was clear.

“ You’re one of the kids from the future, aren’t you?” Julius deduced rather quickly, surprising the boy in process.

“ Wow. You really are as smart as they say.” He laughed in surprise. “ I didn’t think you would figure it out so quickly.”

“ Well you don’t get to where I’m at today without picking up a few tricks.” Julius said kindly before sitting back down at his desk. “ Why did you come straight here?”

“ Because I thought this is where my father would be today. But I guess not.” The boy said scratching the back of his head nervously.

“ Your father?”

“ Ah yeah,” the young man laughed again, apparently that was a nervous habit of his, to laugh when he was either uncomfortable or nervous. “ usually this is where I find him most days. But I guess he’s different in this time.” He added with a small sigh.

“ Most likely. People grow and change over the years, we adapt and evolve. That’s just how things are.” Julius said with a nod before tilting his head.

“ Y’know, you seem to know a lot about me. This office. This entire building in fact since you were able to bypass all the security and Magic Knights. But yet, I know so little about you. What’s your name? I’m Julius.” He introduced himself to the young man with a warm and kind smile, the boy looked at his hand before looking back up at his face. He quickly took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

“ My name’s Alistar Vangeance. It’s a pleasure to meet you Lord Julius. But I think we need to call my father and tell him that I’m here, don’t you?”

———

*squeals* My baby boy is finally here hehe! I love Alistar so much 🥺, I hope you guys like him too! Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!

#children of the future #yami sukehiro #charlotte roselei #julius novachrono #oc; hikari #oc; alistar #oc; josslyn #oc; ace #hikari is not my oc #josslyn is not my oc #ace is not my oc #black clover fanfic

[peachpeachplumb]

Welcome To The Fat Parade

Hey hey its time for the collab with @justanotherworthlessweirdo , hope you enjoy! This is more of a setup chapter so get a good look at the three ladies now because soon they’ll look very different 😉

It was Billy Corgan who said that the moment a band starts writing about themselves, and how hard it is being as famous as they are, and how tough being on tour is, is the moment they cease to be relatable, the moment they become egotists. Admittedly, Ebony thought, Corgan had never been regarded as a particularly humble man, but he was one of her main musical inspirations so she felt compelled to take his advice to heart. It seemed good advice after all: don’t forget how normal people live or they’ll forget about you.

That quote had been rattling around inside Ebony’s brain for months now. Ever since the tour cycle for Burial it felt like all she wanted to write about was how hard it was being famous and how tough touring was. Sixteen states, plus Europe, plus Japan; Ebony felt like herself and the rest of Juliet is Dead had spent ninety per cent of their time in airports for eighteen months. And the shows themselves were no better, because like idiots they’d decided to make Burial a hyper-elaborate concept album about the thought-processes of a young woman buried alive by her husband; that necessitated equally elaborate live shows with enough props and pyro to make Muse jealous, and Ebony being the control freak that she was couldn’t so much as sing a note until she knew that everything backstage was working as it was supposed to. And on top of all that she was supposed to write a new album while they were touring? Fuck that. Linkin Park had done it, sure, and it’d turned out amazing for them, but Bennington and Shinoda were musical prodigies. Ebony, meanwhile, was not. She knew that.

And yet, she was a rock star. An idol to millions of teen girls. A masturbation fantasy to just as many teen boys. As much as she felt otherwise, Ebony knew she had it all. Furthermore, she knew she’d come a long way. Back in high school, back when she was still Tara Smithers, she’d been the laughing stock of the classroom. Ten-Ton Tara they called her, the tallest and fattest girl in school, the big fat crybaby with no friends other than those goth-looking dweebs who hang around the parking lot. Ten-Ton Tara, who stress-ate her soul away. Ten-Ton Tara, who nobody would be seen dead at the prom with. Ten-Ton Tara, the basket-case. The loser.

But she’d moved past it. She’d lost the weight, she’d formed a band with her besties, she’d become Ebony Styles and written three platinum-selling albums. And if she was now forgetting where she’d come from, how awful her life once had been, what right did she have to sing for all these depressed fans and say she was just like them?

And so, Ebony decided that Juliet is Dead needed to break up.

When Ebony first suggested this to her bandmates the room went dead instantly. Even Raven was shocked into silence. Not for long, though.

“Of course it would be you,” the redhead muttered quietly. “It was always going to be you...”

“I don’t understand-” Ebony began, but she was soon interrupted as Raven let her rage fly free.

“Of course it would be you!” she screamed, in a shrill voice like distant thunder. “It’s always been about you from day one, you’ve got the fans, you’ve got the interviews, you’ve got the tits!”

“She’s not just eye candy,” Willow said softly, desperate to diffuse the situation. It hadn’t worked. It rarely did.

“Don’t you see?” The pint-sized fury turned to Willow. “This is all about her, just like always, she’ll ditch us and she’ll have a solo career, that’s what this about!”

“I love you two,” Ebony said, “I’d never-”

“Of course you’d say that! This is all about you, we’re just dead weight to you, aren’t we? We gotta be cut loose so you can really shine!”

“It’s not like that at all!” Ebony was shouting too now.

“Quit lying! We’re Michelle and Kelly, we’re JC and Chris, you fuck off, you get all the money and fame to yourself and boom! Nobody remembers who the fuck we are!”

“This is not about fame!”

“Yes it is, it might not be for you but it is for us, cause unlike you the rest of us stand to lose everything!”

“So what? We’re all gonna lose it all anyway!”

“What?” That hadn’t been the reply Raven had expected. Ebony was crying now.

“You know it’s over,” she said. “We all do. It’s 2010. Emo’s dead, it’s over. Everyone’s moving on. MCR’s gone prog rock, Panic’s gone pop and Paramore are doing whatever the hell Hayley Williams wants these days. The goth get-ups, the scene, it’s all beyond uncool at this point: made a punchline by Pitchfork and Tobey fucking Maguire. Today’s teens don’t want misery, they don't want relatability, they want dreams, laughter, they want Katy Perry and Rebecca Black. When they’re not laughing at tus they’re scared of us. We’re the man now. Everything we rallied against. And hanging on to our heyday means letting go of all we stood for.”

Raven, for once, was lost for words. But Ebony was right, she knew that, so did Willow. But none of them felt comfortable accepting that just yet.

So, the band decided to soften the inevitable blow as much as they could. One last album, one last tour, one last gift to their fans for being so loyal all these years. That album was Cliffjumper.

It'd earned the usual sneering reviews from middle-aged critics, but as she stood on stage at what she knew would be her final performance, Ebony didn’t give a shit.

Twenty thousand people, right there in front of her. Twenty thousand people longing to see her, desperate to hear her voice, elated to be so much as in her vicinity. Twenty thousand people who loved her. And when Ebony said she loved them back, she meant it. From the bottom of her heart, she meant it. These were the people who made everything worthwhile. She’d brought joy into their lives, even saved some of their lives, and in turn they had all helped save hers. Thanks to them, she didn’t feel like Ten-Ton Tara anymore, she felt like Ebony Styles, saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned. They had transformed her.

And now, as the lights went out, they were gone.

#chubby girl #female feedee #weight gain #weight gain fat #tight clothes #wg kink #kink art #gaining weight #sudden weight gain #plumb draws #wg story #wg art #wg text