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sawyerconfort · 9 months

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the coven (+ marie and kyle) realizing they must be in love with you would include...

Officially back and so ready to write for our coven!

To celebrate that I'm reopening requests, I decided to give you some headcannons. They've been running through my head for a while and I thought I should post them ASAP!

Hope you like it!

Anyway, enjoy!

Orders are officially reopened, but please take it easy! I don't want to leave anyone without posts around here!

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The Coven and Their Allies Realizing They're Must Be In Love With You (Young!Reader, just for the record!)

Cordelia Goode, Fiona Goode, Zoe Benson, Madison Montgomery, Misty Day, Nan, Queenie, Myrtle Snow, Mallory, Marie Laveau and Kyle Spencer!

Cordelia Goode

Ok, we know that Delia went through a lot before getting here and that her self-esteem is not the best…

Regardless if it's as Supreme or before that, Delia never felt enough for anyone to love her and definitely avoided falling in love.

Maybe after Hank, things got worse in that regard.

But there, in the middle of her path, there was you.

Cordelia tensed as she realized that she was liking you more than a friend.

She didn't want Fiona to know (if she was still alive), so she just kept it a secret.

Okay, maybe Myrtle would have been the first person to know that she was in love with someone again, but she was the exception.

And Cordelia had to process all that on her own for a long time before she got up the courage to talk to you.

It started with just an exchange of ideas, a casual conversation that happened out of the blue when she approached you somewhere you guys went together.

Cordelia even offered to buy you drinks from time to time, a way of signing that there was something more and a way to at least be helpful and content.

(Of course it wasn't out of the blue, Cordelia kind of calculated her steps (not in an obsessive way) so she could get to you without stuttering…)

Delia won you over little by little, and your conversations gave her the confidence to keep going ever since.

Until the day she thought she couldn't keep it all to herself anymore.

"I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever felt anything like this for anyone before, but the truth is, I'm in love with you, (Y\N)… And, you know, it's okay if you don't love me back."

Secretly, she wanted you to reciprocate.

And well, actually, you reciprocated because who wouldn't fall in love with Cordelia Goode, right?

Fiona Goode

Let's start with the fact that you destabilize Fiona's entire pose the moment she first lays eyes on you.

And has been doing so ever since.

Falling in love has never been a problem for Fiona, she has done it countless times, and every time her loves have yielded incredible things for her.

But with you, it's different, and feeling it knocked her out at first.

Like, she's the queen of self-centeredness, and all of a sudden, she starts caring more about someone else than herself…

Nobody, nobody at all, would know that Fiona Goode is in love.

Oh yeah, and then there's the age thing, which she found a little humiliating at first, especially when she realized it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Of course, she had to make the first move.

And it would happen at a time when you're alone, at the bar, probably ordering a drink (similar to Cordelia's).

The difference is that Fiona wouldn't waste any time.

So, you can expect anything, anything, from her.

Endless flirting to make you blush.

And she always cracks that smile when she succeeds.

She will probably strike up a conversation, trying to find out what your tastes are, and use that to her advantage in an attempt to win you over.

Apart from the irresistible charm, which she uses even involuntarily.

Not to mention that once she got more intimate with you, she would brag about being the Supreme and most powerful witch ever.

"Would you ever consider dating someone older, (Y\N), like, casually?"

Zoe Benson

I believe Zoe (just like Luke) would be the most normal person to fall in love with, and handle it better than other girls.

Like, of course, she has the issue of her power and the like.

But I don't think she would consider that, especially after getting used to being a witch and having control of her powers.

Not that there wasn't that care and concern for her safety either, because the moment she realized everything, she wouldn't want to lose you.

I think she would also be like Cordelia and would need some more time to gain confidence in herself to confess her feelings for you.

Still, you can expect a few notes in the most unusual places you should find them, written by her.

Some were references to poems, others were song lyrics. Zoe would use that feature to be able to declare herself to you without having to use her words.

A few subtle flirtations when you met casually, whether it was on purpose or not.

Zoe is incredibly distracted when she is in love with someone.

And that would yield great content for Madison, who would be the first to find out about her coven mate's new love.

In a pre-Apocalypse era, Cordelia would have been your confidant.

And if it happened after that, Zoe would find a way to handle it all on her own too.

Either way, Zoe wants you to be sure that being with her is completely safe, despite the troubled life she leads.

"I think I'm in love with you, (Y\N). I'm serious."

Madison Montgomery

(anon who asked me a while ago about madison falling in love and being a complete mess, this one's for you!)

I don't think I need to comment on how frustrated Madison would be to fall seriously in love.

She doesn't give in that easily to anyone, but with you it's strangely different.

You can expect a softer side of her to come out over the days.

Not that her bitch side didn't prevail, of course, but you get the point.

Madison has a huge difficulty with words, and she secretly doesn't want you to know that it's because she has self-esteem and emotional issues.

Usually, when she stutters to talk to you, Madison pretends it was just a random distraction, with something passing by that caught her attention.

And you know the truth, but you think it's cute when she doesn't admit it, so you just let it go.

When she decides to tease you for fear of showing too much weakness and showing her feelings, it gets hot…

Like, when her bitch persona takes over, you can expect the dirtiest flirting, with her claiming with all the certainty in the world that she's going to win you over, no matter what.

But the thing that always gives away how much Madison fell in love with you is her jealousy flare-ups.

If you're relatively close and hang out together, she'll get used to other people talking to you.

But if you start a friendship for now, you can expect that seeing another person too close to you would give her a nervous breakdown.

Another one of the cute things Madison in love would bring you.

Given time, she would open up to you, no dirty jokes, no malicious intent, just pure, genuine feelings.

"Fuck, (Y\N), I swear to God I'm going to regret this, but I need to tell you that I'm in love with you, and this time I mean it."

Misty Day

There is no more lovable person while in love than Misty Day.

(Okay, my favoritism plays a big part, but honestly, I can't imagine anything else happening on Misty's part.)

It's very likely that this is her first time falling in love with someone, and it leaves her literally in a panic for days…

She's always done pretty well on her own, but after she got to know you, she realized that company might not be such a bad idea.

But she's a little scared to get close to you, scared that you'll somehow abandon her.

So things would start out slow, with Misty approaching you, making conversation and hoping to get to know you better after that.

You would expect her to get very carried away talking about the things she likes (aka Stevie Nicks, swamps and flowers).

And you can hope that would be the cutest thing to witness.

Speaking of flowers, she would take you to see the Miss Robichaux Academy greenhouse, in an attempt to get even closer.

And then she would make a point of introducing you to her favorite songs.

If it happens at a time when she's already tested the Seven Wonders, Misty would make a point of playing with a few of them to see if you're more easily impressed.

Misty is exceptionally clumsy when it comes to being in your presence.

Like, at the ultimate level, literally, she's a mess whenever she sees you, her nervousness, wondering if she's doing everything right.

And Cordelia would be responsible for calming her down when needed (and giving her advice on the best ways to get to you.)

"So, (Y\N), I think… I think I like you. Like, a lot. In fact, I think I'm in love with you, that's it."

Nan

Nan is too confident about her feelings to talk to you.

So honestly when she realizes she's in love it's not a problem.

She's just a little in doubt if it's really what she wants, and if you won't be amazed at the things she can offer.

Nan realizes that falling in love is harder than she thought, so whenever she can, she enlists the help of the other girls.

Madison would certainly tell her to confess her feelings at once and don't give a shit.

But Zoe would certainly be keen to give the best advice.

As it turns out, Nan has her own ways of dealing with these kinds of feelings, and again, once she really does gain confidence, she'll come after you without any help.

Little gifts and a few words of affirmation are all it takes for Nan to demonstrate how in love she is with you.

She's occasionally showing off her gift of clairvoyance, just to impress you and make sure it's not a problem.

"Okay, this is incredibly unexpected, but I'm having a vision about us… and that means I love you beyond friendship, (Y\N)."

Queenie

Queenie would probably be a person who would easily give in to feelings.

Not that being in love wasn't a shock to her, because it would freak her out that anyone actually cared about her for who she really is, even if she was a complete mess.

But once she was sure how she felt about you, she would go to great lengths to let you know.

She's completely honest, so whatever she has to say, she'll say it to your face, of course, as softly as possible, but directly.

Queenie is the type of person who, in front of others, would pretend to hate clichés.

But she would do them all for you, from little notes to sweets to a cliché date in the moonlight to flowers, anyway…

Now, if you wouldn't mind knowing, Queenie would die and kill for you (after all, that's what voodoo skills are for, right?).

She wouldn't think twice about confronting someone who was harming you, even if it meant hurting the person physically.

"I'm sorry, but I had to. I love you, (Y\N)."

And at the end of the day, she's just being honest and looking out for you.

Myrtle Snow

Complete madness, that's what it would be like when Myrtle Snow fell in love with you.

She may appear calm in front of others, but would secretly freak out when she realizes she's into you.

Unlike Fiona, she probably wouldn't deal well with the idea of the age gap at first.

But Myrtle would get used to it and see how insignificant it is when she realizes that her company is good for her.

Like, it's the first time Myrtle has been able to feel truly happy, not being in Fiona's shadow or the Council itself.

And she would certainly go against several Council laws for you.

But there would be the weird part of it, the crazy things you would be exposed to, being with Myrtle.

Of course, at first her ideas were completely crazy, but you learned to like it and get used to it.

To help, now you make her think twice before trying to gouge someone's eye out or making an impulsive decision.

Countless trips to Balenciaga now and then, the only place Myrtle and you would feel safe being yourself.

"(Y\N), honey, I think I like you more than I should. I think I definitely love you, in a romantic and sexual way."

Mallory

The biggest cliché of two teenagers falling in love could possibly happen between you.

Mallory is the most devoted and romantic person you could ever meet.

She's shy about admitting her feelings for you at first, but she'll learn the best way to say it without being too direct and scaring you off.

Coco basically being your cupid.

Mallory would hand you little presents from time to time, and when she noticed you had a bad day, she would do anything to cheer you up.

Very cute scenes of jealousy would happen even before she confessed her feelings.

Just like Misty, she would use her knowledge of the Seven Wonders and other powers to impress you.

And maybe, combined with her angelic beauty, it would work.

"I love you, (Y\N). More than a friend. More than I've loved anyone in my entire life."

Marie Laveau

Marie is tough and keeps everything a big mystery.

But she wouldn't be initially surprised to be in love with you no matter what.

I mean, she doesn't have to worry about love lives anymore after she supposedly got the woman she once ruined with her romances.

Without Delphine, Marie would become someone much more open and secure about her feelings.

And she would let you figure it out for yourself what was going on, though, because she was still afraid to express herself out loud.

She would make a point of keeping you safe from her enemies.

And I think Marie would be the perfect companion to learn how to survive in an increasingly cruel and evil world.

After all, three centuries of existence had to indicate something, right?

"The thing is, I think you're hot, (Y\N), and what do we do now?"

Kyle Spencer

Kyle is the smol bean we all deserve.

If it happened before the accident and before he was magically turned into a frankenstein, he would do anything to get at you in the best possible way.

But if it happened before, he would probably also be brave enough to take the first step and surprise you with the most infamous pick up lines.

If it happened later, Kyle would be afraid to scare you with brutality as an enemy.

But he would be surprised when he realized that the love he felt for you kept him from hurting you in any way.

Small gestures that would show how much he loves you, secretly, without having to use words.

Kyle would still remember a little bit of his life before the accident, so as time went on, he would become frustrated with not being able to talk to you about how he felt.

And I think he would make an effort to learn to speak again if it meant that it would bring you closer.

"I. Love. You. (Y\N)."

#lgbt #romance #headcannons #ahs x reader #american horror story #american horror story coven #cordelia goode x reader #cordelia foxx x reader #fiona goode x reader #zoe benson x reader #madison montgomery x reader #misty day x reader #nan x reader #queenie x reader #myrtle snow x reader #mallory x reader #marie laveau x reader #kyle spencer x reader #don't know if this is accurate but anyway

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nkjemisin · 8 months

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You should try to go see public works Tempest in central park, it’s really incredible and reminded me of the city we became. It’s super insane and beautiful and wild and hard to describe, so even though it’s insane to ask someone to go stand in line all day to see a play based off a random tumblr message I really think you should!

Oooh, I haven't done the line for Shakespeare in the Park in years. Not sure I still have it in me, since it requires getting up at 3 or 4 am and spending hours fighting line-jumpers and so on. But I've been hearing good things about this year's Tempest so maybe I'll muster up the energy. Thanks for the recommendation!

Since you reminded me of it, here's a deleted scene/alternate opening I once wrote for THE WORLD WE MAKE. I decided on a different opening for the final version, obvs, but maybe you'll enjoy what might have been. Cutting because long.

He's just a man standing on a rooftop. The outfit he's wearing is bespoke, by a Harlem tailor who came in second on Project Runway's last season. The jacket is rich brown suede, fine-stitched, over olive-tan pants and a piqué shirt of deepest royal indigo, and he's wearing the hell out of it. If there were anyone around to see, they'd think he was a model, standing in the kind of casual-at-attention pose that only men in magazine photo shoots ever do, with one hand in a pocket and his gaze thoughtfully locked on the cityscape horizon. The model aesthetic is reinforced by the fact that he's got a lean, strong figure and the kind of racial ambiguity that Hollywood diversity advocates love: brown skin that's not too brown, lips full enough to be either natural or recent collagen injections, thick eyebrows that are as sculpted as his cheekbones, eyes with just enough epicanthic fold to qualify as "exotic" but not in like an ethnic way.

He's not a model. He's just Manhattan, human representative of New York's contributions to the fashion, media, and sex work industries. He's not even trying particularly hard to look good. He has simply stopped resisting what comes naturally.

But he's about to be late for work -- and while New York custom permits a degree of conspicuous tardiness as a social power move in certain situations, this particular job is too personally important to him for such games. So he steps up onto the low wall that surrounds the roof, and then he steps off.

It's fine. The building is twelve stories tall; anything over five stories is required to have an elevator per city ordinance. He's been practicing, too, so all he has to do is shut his eyes and imagine, and the city's power holds him aloft in midair as solidly as if he's stepping onto flooring. (He is; it's just flooring that exists in several other iterations of his universe.) Even with this, however, he makes sure to take a step or two forward before calmly turning away from the cityscape. People don't usually stare at the back of an elevator, after all -- and verisimilitude is key. "First floor, please," he murmurs. In earlier days of the city, building elevators were a complicated luxury that required trained staff to operate. In current days of the city, many elevators run on voice activation. At Manhattan's request, there is an electronic ping of acknowledgement, followed by a very faint echo of blended, long-vanished voices: "Watch the door, please, watch your hands, going down." Then he begins to descend. It's smooth, slow; this is only a mid-sized building, not modern or expensive enough to have an express elevator. Only the fact that he's descending through thin air makes it odd.

Just above the sidewalk his descent slows, letting him drift to a gentle halt. There are a few dozen people on the street in this moment, and some of them notice as he just stands there for a moment, letting the metaphysical aethers settle and the metaphorical elevator doors open. The ones who stare are tourists. New Yorkers generally don't react to strangeness, but they do notice it, if only to shake their heads and murmur "This fucking city," to themselves before moving on. Manhattan catches the eye of one of the starers, winks and smiles, then strides off down the street.

As he walks, he hums John Coltrane's "Central Park West" -- not for power this time, but simply because he's walking along Central Park West and likes the song. It's also a beautiful day. Here at the heart of the city it is clear that autumn encroaches: Central Park is across the street, dense with color-shifting trees. Their whispers speak to the part of Manhattan that was more, once, than just concrete and cars; the island has always been here, after all, crossroads for many peoples, and those millennia of commerce were enough to form the building blocks of the living entity that it is now. But mostly, he just likes that rustling sound, and the flickers of color and movement, and the faint whiff of chemical sugars forming and breaking down within the leaves. Something about that scent, and the wind's occasional brisk sharpness, speaks to him.

There is the lightest of touches upon the part of him that is more than a man. Just a ping, to get his attention. "You wanna focus, or you gonna just keep spacing out about the pretty pretty trees, Mr. I Was Bebop Before It Was Cool?"

They've all figured out that words work better than thoughts. They are one city, the six of them, and if they ever need to, they can function as a single brain and heart and will -- but doing that is as overwhelming as it is thrilling. New York isn't supposed to be any single thing, see; the distinct characters of its boroughs are part of its strength. More personally, Manny's probably never going to be super-comfortable with letting his fellow parts of the city into his head, because he's got enough going on in there already.

But he's right in reminding Manny to focus. "Just getting into the spirit," Manny replies, waiting for a gap in the traffic before trotting across the street. Then he vaults the low stone wall around the edge of the park. It's a twelve-foot drop beyond, but he manages it easily enough, landing in a crouch in a wooded thicket already carpeted in red and gold leaves. Doesn't even make his knees twinge. Nothing can hurt New York, in New York, except New York.

Well. And one other thing.

He moves forward at a brisk Midtown pace, pushing aside the branches of small trees as gently as he can so as not to damage them. He starts finding white tendrils almost immediately. Just small patches here and there: three wigglers on a broad, still-green sycamore leaf, one on the tree's gnarling roots nearby. A patch shaped like a handprint growing atop a hooded garbage can; that one's especially nasty, positioned as it is to infect anyone who actually tries to deposit their litter in the can instead of just tossing it somewhere. "Rude," Manny murmurs. He's getting rid of the patches as he passes them, just by touching the wood or ground or metal near each cluster and letting a little of "Central Park West" riff through his mind and down his arm and out through his fingers. Earworms can be handy. Good for killing other wormlike things.

(Not so long ago, it would have taken everything Manny had to get rid of these things. He had to replace all his credit cards after symbolically buying all the real estate around a particular rock in Inwood Park. Now, however, the city is whole -- and these tendrils, tenacious as they are, are tourists from another urban locale who've overstayed their welcome. It's easy to obliterate them, but it's more important to find the bus they came in on, and deal with that.)

"Red alert!" says Padmini -- Queens -- suddenly. She tugs on the shared part of their consciousness, projecting an image onto it that is stunning in its precision: a three-dimensional and topographical map, with a moving cursor at its center and a GPS coordinate meter in the bottom corner. Padmini abruptly zooms them in on the cursor, and then she presents them with a simplified view through her own eyes.

There, jolting slightly as Padmini runs, is their quarry. To most other people in Central Park, the young man who slips down a leaf-thick hill and then scrabbles his way over a tumbled, mossy pile of bedrock is just another cross-country runner, or maybe a parkour practitioner with a greater love of natural settings than most. He's a lanky Indian-looking guy, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt -- but through the lens of Padmini's vision, Manny sees the rest. The guy's got patches of white fronds all over him, and as he runs they waft back like long hair which just happens to be growing from his forearms and shins and ass. Manny's used to this, people who look like yeti crabs, however horrible it is. Far worse is the tendril which projects from the back of the young man's neck, thick and veined in a disturbingly umbilical way, forming a long white cord which twists up and out of sight amid the trees. It stretches up into the sky, Manny knows from three months' experience, attenuating until it disappears from human eyesight with distance -- but wending southward before it does. They all know where that cable terminates.

"Mike check," says Veneza, and Manny's mental eye shifts to her view. She's standing under one of the park's stone bridges, her vision bouncing a little as she crouches to stretch out her ankles. Getting ready to run. Manny feels her excitement as the tendril-covered man comes into view, jogging over a grassy hill covered in early-afternoon sunbathers. But who's he kidding? They all enjoy this. "That's it. Come to mamãe. Drive him like a li'l doggie on the range, Queeny McQueenyface."

"I can't believe you mixed like three metaphors in ten seconds," Padmini replies -- but she zigs left, across one of the roads of the park. Manny catches his breath as she veers into a bike lane, because Central Park bikers all think they're in the Tour de France, but in the same moment he feels her latch into the bikers' sense of hurry and entitlement, drawing their power into her legs. Her pace speeds up sharply, until she's nearly flying down a sloping sidewalk, veering now and again to move around walkers and a small crowd near a pretzel vendor.

"That's the Jersey in me. Metaphors are our pork roll."

"Your what?"

"Pork roll. Look it -- wait, shit, hang on."

Tendril man has seen Veneza and stopped, halfway down the grassy hill. It's eerie to Manny how still he is. After all the running and climbing he's done, he should be out of breath, shoulders heaving, dripping sweat, but he isn't. It's just like the other cases of this they've encountered in the past few weeks; they're running on something other than human power. These tendril-people aren't avatars, however; they're more like drones, sent forth by some other malevolent consciousness and endowed with supernatural power only temporarily, and for their task. And if they don't catch this poor guy before that power gets done using him -- Well. Manny picks up the pace.

Padmini skids to a halt. (A man nearby does a double-take, then nods in a grudgingly impressed way at her athleticism.) "Shit. He's going to bolt, isn't he?"

In lieu of any reply, they all see Tendril Man bolt. He jumps off the steeper side of the rocky hill -- a ten-foot drop; Manny really hopes the poor guy was in shape before he got drafted as a spectral conduit for a hostile extradimensional essence, or he's going to feel that in the morning. Then Tendril Man takes off, moving with truly impressive speed up a paved hill-path.

"FUCK," two of them think. (Manny doesn't curse, but he empathizes.) They all take off running too.

Tendril Man is running toward a big, round building at the top of the hill. Its vendor doors are shut and there are only a few people hanging around near it, but abruptly he zigs toward a big wooden gate labeled PERFORMER ENTRANCE -- and vaults it, with the ease of a master gymnast. Manny might be able to think of a way over it too, if he gives himself a minute; surely there is some quintessentially cityish concept, like elevators for tall buildings, that he can harness to grant himself the ability to jump like that. In the fluster of the moment, however, he can't think of anything. Gotta work on that, do better at having a "jumping" construct ready to go under duress.

In lieu of leaping, however, he manages to remember the grating sound of garbage trucks barrelling down the street at oh dark thirty in the morning, usually with wonky transmissions and brakes that screech loudly enough to set off car alarms. Manny's seen several of them scrape or bang into cars without bothering to stop -- and so he draws into himself the desperate need to hurry and finish a shift, the hulking size and diesel-fueled strength of the trucks, the cheerful pragmatism of the tough workers who chuck heavy bags and kick rats with unflappable equanimity. And as Manny runs at the gate, the world blurs a little and an eyewatering stench surrounds him, and he finds it almost impossible to care about collateral damage because he's got a job to do, come on, come on, let's go...

He remembers enough of himself to dip his shoulder a little as he hits the gate. It only looks like wood; underneath, there's plenty of metal, and he sees that the gate has an electronic number-lock. Probably pretty solid. But his supernaturally-powered shoulder smashes the gate wide open, actually cracking the whole frame in half, too, and part of the fence beyond it.

Oops. Well, he'll make a donation on the website, because now that he's through the gate he sees: THE DELACOURTE THEATER WELCOMES YOU TO SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK.

Tendril Guy is running down the steps of what Manny now sees is a huge open-air amphitheater. He leaps again, a pretty impressive standing jump onto the stage -- and then he stops abruptly. There's a set being deconstructed here; Shakespeare in the Park only runs during the summer months, so someone's in the middle of stripping gigantic rolls of fake grass off the stage floor. And now, from within a huge prop built to look like a small apartment building, the avatar of New York steps forth to confront their enemy.

He's calling himself "Neek," these days -- a phonetic pronunciation of the initials for New York City. He hasn't told them his real name. Manny's not sure it matters anyway; doesn't Manny, of all people, understand that they are no longer who they were? The knowledge and joy and danger of eight million people has found its focus in Neek, and like any of their fellow great cities, this makes him strange. São Paulo was the same, whenever Manny had time and peace enough to study him: a young-old man who radiated urbane cynicism and eerie wisdom all at once. Hong Kong too. Maybe this is the difference between those who represent boroughs or neighborhoods, and those who are whole cities in themselves.

Or maybe it's just Neek. "Yo, man, take a breath," he says to Tendril Guy, as he slouches out of shadow. "Touch some, uh, astroturf. You keep letting that shit run you, won't be anything of you left."

Tendril Guy immediately turns to run, but by this point Manny has reached the other side of the stage. Veneza is in the ampitheater, trotting toward them from the other direction, and from somewhere backstage they can hear Padmini cursing and shoving something heavy aside, because apparently backstage is a mess amid the set breakdown. Unless Tendril Guy can fly -- and Manny puts nothing past the Woman in White -- then he's got nowhere left to run.

It's a dangerous time, though. In the past, whenever they've cornered one of her minions... Tendril Guy backs up, looks around, starts to get tense. Manny tries to think up a construct, and finds himself looking around. At the stage.

Neek's gaze flicks to him, and the little smile on his face widens.

"Two cities," he declares suddenly, spreading his arms wide and raising his voice. The Delacourte's acoustics are perfect, of course, designed to facilitate an outdoors theatrical performance. "Both alike in dignity! In fair Manhattan where we lay our scene."

Of course the theater absorbs this slightly-fudged homage, echoes it, amplifies it, and sends back a reverberation of energy: the faint murmurs and anticipation of a crowd, a lilt of music from a nonexistent orchestra. For just a fleeting moment Manny can almost see the suggestion of bodies in the amphitheater seats, shadowy heads that turn to each other or crane their necks or flip through Playbills. Ready to be enraptured.

Manny finds himself grinning -- but then he panics a little as Neek raises his eyebrows pointedly, because Manny doesn't have any Shakespeare memorized. But Broadway is only a few dozen blocks away; maybe he can use that instead? He sifts quickly through the grab-bag of random quotes in his head. Can't think of an actual line from an actual play, but it's a direct reference, so he clears his throat awkwardly and sings: "They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. There might be city magic in the air."

Stage lights, multihued but mostly white, appear above the seats. The lights aren't real. Manny can see most of the lighting equipment disassembled and stacked up to one side of the stage. Tendril Guy flinches suddenly and violently, staggering back. Steam rises as Tendril Guy raises his arms defensively, the tendrils on him whipping and hissing wildly as the city's light begins to burn them away.

They have to keep it going. Veneza giggles and runs down the steps, leaping to a crouch as if she's acting out some play or another, and sings, "Now is the time to seize the day! Answer the call and don't delay! New York can be righted, boroughs united; let us seize the day!" In response, loose cables curled on one side of the stage suddenly come to life, whipping around Tendril Guy's legs to keep him from running again.

One of the doors on the prop building slams open dramatically. Beyond it they can see Padmini pushing aside a rack of clothing that persistently keeps trying to roll toward her. She manages it, stumbles out, and glowers around at all of them. Veneza gestures frantically for her to take up the thread; Neek spreads his hands too in the universal sign of Come on, hurry up. Finally, with a little growl, Padmini snaps, "Oh, fine. 'Immigrants: We get the job done!'" This doesn't seem to have any effect at first, but then Padmini shoves a large, heavy-looking wooden desk out of the way with ease; she's much stronger, now. Enough to get this job done.

As performances go, it's all terrible. Slapdash, random, corny; Manny won't be surprised if in the morning they all receive a clipped-out review from a theater magazine that exists only in some alternate reality, panning all of them for defiling the stage. But as a construct, drawing on the power of three boroughs and the delight of a thousand audiences, from the Delacourte to the Fringe Festival and back, it's exactly what they need.

Then, his voice muffled by his own extradimensional growths, Manny hears Tendril Guy -- or maybe the guy within the pelt of tendrils -- try to speak. "A-all the w-world..." he murmurs, his voice thick, too deep, flanged in a way that sounds like bad special effects. He's steaming all over, now. Ah, and at last Manny sees the tendrils burning away, peeling off and curling into nothingness. As he lowers his arms, Manny sees that he's sweaty-faced and visibly exhausted... but he is smiling. He turns to face the whispering, flickering audience, and all at once Manny can feel him. Tendril Guy is part of New York, again -- and he knows it, and some part of his soul rejoices with the knowledge. Probably helps that the guy is a former theater kid himself; Manny can feel that, now that the Enemy's influence has been broken. Neek grins at Manny; he can feel it, too.

So then Neek goes over to Tendril Guy, leans close, and blows on the now-shriveled cord attached to the back of his neck. It snaps free as if Neek's breathed fire onto it, uttering a faint creel of inhuman pain -- and then the cord is snatched away upwards, into the darkening evening sky. Manny catches a fleeting hint of sinuous movement against the clouds, southward, and then it is gone.

Tendril Guy, who is now just Some Guy, beams at Neek. Then he steps back and lifts a finger. "All the world's a stage," he says again -- clearly this time, in a pleasant baritone, projecting with the ease of long practice. "And all the men and women merely players! They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."

He does the whole monologue then, perfectly. Not that Manny would know if he got it right -- but the Delacourte does, and as Manny glances out at their whispery audience, he sees smiles, hears soft "ahs" and giggles of approval with every precisely-enunciated line. As Some Guy finishes, applause breaks out, echoing with unreality but loud and enthusiastic. The artist formerly known as Tendril Guy beams in delight and extends his hands for Manny and Neek to take. They do. Padmini, her pique fading now that she's no longer fighting furniture, shakes her head and takes Neek's hand; Veneza giggles and runs up the steps to take Manny's. The applause goes on as, uh, Theater Guy leads them in first one bow, and then another. Someone in the audience whistles. Someone else yells "Encore!" It's intoxicating. They bow a third time. As at last the applause fades and the lights start to go dark... Theater Guy collapses, between them.

"Oh, no," Veneza says, her delight vanishing. "Please, not again -- "

"He's fine," Manny says, crouching by Theater Guy, though he checks Theater Guy's neck-pulse and breathing just to be sure. It's there, though the guy's skin is clammy with sweat.

"Close," Neek says. He's looking up at the sky, after the ugly cable that had been attached to the guy's neck.

It's only the second time that they've successfully rescued one of these agents of the Woman in White, sent forth from her bastion in Staten Island to... well, Manny's not exactly sure what their purpose is. Are they superspreaders meant to reinfect the city, and thus help her regain the foothold that she lost three months before? Are they drones of a sort, reconnoitering enemy territory? Either way, the result is always the same, if Manny and his fellow avatars don't catch the tendril-bearer and cleanse them in time: the person burns out and dies, all of their strength used up by the alien intelligence that has worn them like a puppet.

Not this time, though. "Let's get him outside," Manny says, grunting as he pulls Theater Guy up. "Easier for an ambulance to get to him out there."

"But what about after?" Padmini asks. She comes over to help him wrestle the guy into a sitting position, so that Manny can pull him into a fireman's carry. "Uff, he's heavy! But if somebody calls his family and they take him back to Staten Island, will she just take him over again? What if she's mad at him for getting caught by us?"

"It's fine," Neek says. He's still turned away from them, facing southward. There is an odd note in his voice, however, which makes Manny frown at his back. Neek sounds... distracted. "Most of the folks on Staten are fine. The ones who commute here lose their little wigglers when they step off the ferry, unless they've got one of those bigger cable-things attached to them. Grow 'em back on the after-work ride. They don't even notice."

"Remember what it was like when she was all over the city," Manny adds. "All those people she... infected. She used them if she needed them and ignored them otherwise. They became part of her, but they didn't seem to mean anything to her, any more than..." He shakes his head, to the degree that he can with Theater Guy on his shoulders. "Individual hairs on a person's head. How often do we notice when we lose one, or when it grows back?"

"We shouldn't let him go back at all," Padmini says, scowling. "We know she's doing something to all those people. He's safer here!"

Neek focuses enough to turn and eye her over his shoulder. His tone is mild and his expression neutral, but his words have a sharp point. "You gonna spring for an apartment for him somewhere? Let him go crash with ya auntie and the fam?"

"No, but -- "

"I know a good spot under the Williamsburg." Neek's relentless. "Probably still good even with all the cleanup and construction since the bridge broke. Warm on cold nights, hard to see so the kids and assholes don't fuck with you. We could dump him there."

Padmini sets her jaw. "Fine. Point made. But Staten Islanders are still people, and we should try to help them."

Veneza, who was peering into the orchestra pit in fascination, turns back to them, plainly uneasy at the tension she's picking up. "We are. But I mean, Pads... that's not really our job."

Now they all fall into an uncomfortable silence, because sometimes the truth is hard. And the truth is that the avatar of Staten Island is not here with them today because she has rejected them, and thrown her people to the interdimensional wolves by doing so. They are all of them New York... but they are not Staten Island, not anymore. Theater Guy's ultimate fate isn't theirs to make.

"Ay yo fuck that bird," Neek says, scowling at Veneza, who blinks in surprise. "Her and Squigglebitch tried to kill us, remember? Tried to eat you. Let Staten Island die."

Padmini stares at him. "Wait. What? Let a whole borough die? Are you crazy?"

"Fuck them." Neek gestures sharply, southward. "Everyone on Staten Island. Buncha racist redneck Republican dumbasses, nobody needs them. They're the reason she's still here, hanging over this city like a fucking guillotine. I'm tired of stressing about this shit! Let her flyover country ass die with the rest of them nobody-nothing sons of bitches."

Manny flinches, despite himself. That's beyond harsh. And something about this little rant feels... off. He's known Neek for all of three months, but in that time Neek has been a quiet and low-key leader of their group, unusually even-keeled for the personification of a city known for its aggression. Are you okay? rises to Manny's lips, but he refrains from saying it, aware that it could sound patronizing. He's wondering it, though.

All at once different lights snap on within the theater -- not stage lights, but all the rest. Padmini frowns at this. "Hey, we don't need these anymore. Which one of you -- "

Abruptly a piercing electronic alarm sounds throughout the theater, and the lights all turn a startling, awful red.

"What the shit?" Neek says. He blinks as if dazed, turning to stare up at the lights -- and then he stiffens. "Manny. You doing that?"

Manny can barely hear him over the noise. "No, why would I? Can't you stop it?" Neek is New York. He has better control over the city's power than any of them... but all of a sudden, the city feels strange. Sluggish and reluctant, when Manny gently urges it to shut off the alarm. It's responsive, but unreliable and slow in a way Manny's never noticed before.

And to Manny's surprise, Neek takes a step back, his very posture radiating unease. "I... can't. Nothing's happening. What the fuck." He shakes his head.

"Yo, uh, we should go," Veneza says, bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet. "If that's a break-in alarm -- I mean, we did break in, but -- "

The Delacourte sits the middle of Central Park, in one of the city's toniest neighborhoods, and is the site of one of its most popular attractions. "Out," Manny snaps, when it becomes clear that Neek has been so thrown by the situation that he's not reacting quickly enough. "Now."

Veneza's already moving, running to the edge of the stage. Manny follows her as quickly as he can with Theater Guy, and Padmini grabs Neek, dragging him along when he doesn't move fast enough. "Cover your faces!" she cries -- and, yeah, if the city's magic suddenly isn't helping them anymore, that's a good idea. But Manny can't, unless he wants to drop Theater Guy, who's been through enough.

There are people milling around in front of the Delacourte, mostly looky-loos reacting to the continuous beeeeeeep of the alarm, but Manny sees how many of them have smartphones in hand. It can't be helped. He crouches and carefully sets Theater Guy on a patch of soft grass, and catches the eye of an older lady who is staring at all of them. "Call 911," he says, with as much urgency as he can. They can't stop people from filming them fleeing the scene of an apparent break-in, but maybe the sight of someone in distress will distract most of the onlookers. "This man is hurt and needs an ambulance. I don't know what happened to him, he just collapsed."

The lady gasps and starts punching at her phone. Veneza grabs Manny, tugging so he'll leave Theater Guy there on the ground. He doesn't want to. If the cops arrive first, there's a strong chance they'll arrest Theater Guy for the break-in. If he could just make sure the paramedics arrive first, and that the cops think the alarm is just a mechanical error... He touches the ground next to his knee and reaches into it, groping for the feel of city power --

He finds echoes of old audience frustration and annoyed staff and prematurely shutdown vendor services... but these energies will not move in response to his will. What's there feels different from all the other times he's ever used city power -- clotted, somehow.

"Dude," Veneza says, giving him a hard yank. They can hear sirens outside the park, coming closer. "Come on, man, I ain't doing Rikers for you!"

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Manny lets Veneza pull him away. They book it for Central Park West again, zigging southward first since there are woods and rock hills in that direction that can obscure their route for anyone trying to put them on TMZ.

In their wake, the Delacourte's alarm blares until sirens drown it out.

TWWM Deleted Scene 1 by N. K. Jemisin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

#the world we make #the great cities #deleted scene #answered asks

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aerequets · 10 months

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Do you have any tips on how to draw different poses? Any kind of movement just fucks me up so bad 😭😭

hoo boy poses! an eternally difficult frustrating teeth clenching jaw aching part of drawing 🤩 JK but i def get where you are coming from. i was trying to think of the best way to reply to this and just ended up making a whole step by step of my process LOL

BEFORE WE BEGIN THOUGH i should mention that i am NOT a professional, nor have i learned these techniques anywhere other than the internet and so there's obviously room for improvement and this is not the end-all-be-all, just how i personally draw poses ATM.

now with that out of the way! keep reading for my tutorial on posing :D

i figured the best way to show this would be to take one of my old drawings and repurpose it. so:

rayla. january 11 2020 rayla. she looks a lil smug maybe? a lil confident? her arms are crossed and her head is kinda tilted and her expression seems that way, but all in all it's kinda grey. this is the first thing you should do when making a pose for your character:

what is your character feeling?

define it clearly. are they angry? close their pose up, cross their arms. happy? open it up, give them big gestures. lazy or tired? slouching, etc. posing is pretty much just body language so figure out what you want your character to say when they aren't speaking.

now i'll just show what the base sketch for this drawing looks like:

that's fine and all, the building blocks are there, but now i'm gonna redraw it and show what i would do differently now:

what's different about this sketch from the first one? three main things which i will break down!

The Lines

when i say "the lines", i mean the horizontal lines of the body if that makes sense? i'm sure there's an actual term or something, but basically, the parts of your body that can tilt. don't make these parallel! that can end up making the character look unbalanced and unnatural, or stiff if the lines are just flat. in the 2020 sketch, they aren't parallel, but they aren't exaggerated either. the more you exaggerate the differences in your posing, the more dynamic it will look. so in this sketch, i've exaggerated them more. gotta make rayla look real cocky yk

The Blobs

when i used to sketch bases for my characters, it would be a bunch of boxes and rectangles connected by sticks. i stopped doing that and it helped. human bodies are soft and squishy and curvy, we aren't robots with metal edges. drawing the base shapes as blobs personally helps me with getting rid of stiffness in the pose. lots of ppl make the boxy method work though, so if that's what you wanna do, by all means.

another thing i noted is "forget about the limbs". limbs are basically just branches, so if you get caught up in drawing them before their foundation (torso + lower half) is down, it could look wonky. get the basis down first, and then go on with the joints and limbs.

The Line (Singular)

AKA the line of action, which is a very popular term + method for posing. this is basically a line that runs down the spine, and the more bendy/curvy it is, the more dynamic your pose will look. tbh in the sketch i did right now it's not very action-y, but rayla is also just standing there, so if you want to do a fighting pose or something similar make sure the line of action is hella curved. even for stationary poses though, a little curve is helpful.

so! with these things in mind, i redid (extremely very roughly lol) the drawing. let's see the difference:

eyy hows that? she looks a helluva lot more arrogant! lol jk. but we can definitely get a better grasp of her character from the first image than the second. ofc there are other factors at play here like line weight and expression, but nevertheless, a few small tweaks go a long way.

anyways this got kinda long but i hope i could be of help!

#my art #art tutorial #asks #rayla #tdp rayla

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hanbindans · 10 months

Text

ways they're comforting (hyung line)

a/n: listening more closely to the in bloom lyrics ruined me so I'm posting this from my drafts. I'll get to the maknae line soon enough but since I already wrote the hyungs I'll post them first. enjoy me screaming into the void 🤍

jiwoong

you're like the older brother I never had. there's something comforting in the way you are exactly how I want to be when I grow up; considerate and caring and willing to love someone regardless of their flaws- kind to others but more importantly to yourself. you remind me that it's possible to go through all the stages of adolescence and young adulthood, and both see and feel so much hopelessness and negativity and doubt, and still be able to see happiness in all the small things. like finding peace in petting a small, fluffy animal. you've become the type of adult we all look up to. I'm so proud of you.

hao

I don't know, I just see so much of myself in you. in the way you were the smart kid who did well in school, the kid who worked hard at everything he did, the kid who got compliments from teachers and other people's parents. you could have had anything you wanted- you would have done what it takes to achieve it- and you chose with your heart. people probably had a lot of (high) expectations on you and you made a decision that was for you- something that you really wanted- and you worked as hard as you always did because you knew that you could do it if you really wanted to. I envy your courage to chose with your heart and follow your dreams. maybe one day I can learn it from you.

hanbin

sometimes I think that I can see when your perfect mask starts to slip and your facade cracks a little, and you race to patch up the holes before anyone takes notice. it's okay. I do it too. in some ironic way it makes you even more relatable. there's so much good in you and there's even more desire to be good, do good, make it overflow and spread to everyone around you and paint the whole world in yellows, smiley-faces and sunflowers. "don't regret what you do". I'm not sure if it's meant for me or for yourself. I hope it's for yourself. I hope you let yourself be bright, loving, and most importantly happy, even if it makes you imperfect, more raw, and easier to hurt. people will be ready to love you just as you are. they will love you because they want to return the good you have given. you make me want to do more good.

matthew

there's something very genuine in the way you carry yourself. it's unfair to just call it "unfiltered"- I think I would call it unapologetic, authentic, honest. you're not the type of person to lie about what type of music you listen to or order a plain salad when you're with people you don't know too well. I still have a feeling that you want to be impressive, but you don't try hard to impress. you want to do and be and try so many different things but you won't do it anything at your own expense. you will always say what's on your mind, always do things your way, even if not everyone agrees with you, because it's your life and you won't live it for others. it's admirable. please don't ever start apologising for the way you are.

taerae

I love how you're the colour yellow personified. from the duck emojis to the way you laugh at every joke like they're the funniest thing you've ever heard. you're so warm and fun and I just want to be around you all the time so I can re-learn how to be silly and not wince at the way my face scrunches up when I laugh. it's like you've already figured it out. how to be kind and caring and happy without being scared of being soft and vulnerable. there's so much comfort but also stability and security radiating from you and it's so infectious. I hope you never waver from that. I hope your laugh will always fill up the room and you will keep drawing your ducks and you will keep making your silly little poses. you seem like you're having so much fun.

#zb1 scenarios #zerobaseone scenarios #zb1 reactions #zb1 imagines #zb1 fluff #zb1 drabbles #zerobaseone imagines #zerobaseone drabbles #zb1 #zerobaseone #kim jiwoong #sung hanbin #zhang hao #kim taerae #seok matthew #this was the most I could do without it turning into incoherent rambling #but I do like these guys a lot actually they are all very neat

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papermint-airplane · 3 months

Text

I think I've finally accepted the fact that legacies/family play just isn't for me after a good 20 years of trying lmao. I've taken a good crack at it multiple times but I always end up stalling out somewhere around late gen 1 or early gen 2 because it's just...I won't say "boring" but let's just say it doesn't spark joy. I've always wanted a huge family tree and a ten gen legacy like almost every other Simmer in existence but I couldn't tell you why because I don't really enjoy playing that way. I guess I always get kind of envious of people who can tell you their family story from start to finish and show all the baby pics, etc. and they seem so enthusiastic about it. And like, duh Laura, of course, because that's how they enjoy playing. Everybody's different. Everybody has a different style.

What I'm doing now, a highly posed, highly staged, narrative-driven story is probably the most fun I've had Simming in a really long time and I find myself looking forward to it every day.

Maybe I'll take another crack at a family somewhere along the line with the Stewart-Clary family again because I really do love them a lot, but it'll probably be quite a while. Consider that save on indefinite hiatus.

#simblr updates #just simblr things #ramblings

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verdantcrimson · 7 months

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Shutter Chance - 1

Writer: Yuumasu

Season: Winter

TL: verdantcrimson

(Unproofread)

1 | 2

Tomoya: Hello, Hasumi-senpai. Could I sit next to you?

Keito: Mashiro. You can sit wherever you'd like.

Keito: But this is the final rehearsal before the performance. Since only associated parties and guests are allowed to watch, there's no need to sit close together, right?

Tomoya: That's true. But you know, Narukami-senpai told me I should bring a kerchief, because their performance would be a tear-jerker.

Tomoya: And I thought, it'd be super embarrassing to be seen crying by a random person that happened to be sitting near me, right? Which made me think that if someone was going to see me cry, it'd be better if it was someone I knew.

Tomoya: But even if it's Hasumi-senpai, it still feels embarrassing. Ehehe.

Keito: Hm. The more reputed a play is for being a 'tear-jerker', the more conscious of crying you feel, don't you think?

Tomoya: Ah, that's true. If you feel self-conscious, you'd probably be less prone to crying.

Tomoya: Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing this sad, but heartwarming story. Hokuto-senpai praised your script too.

Keito: Hidaka did?

Tomoya: Yeah. This performance is in a completely different style than the ones you've written before. He was impressed, saying, "I'm surprised he can handle a wide range of genres, from serious to comedic."

Tomoya: I heard that they were careful with adapting the script so as not to kill its charm. If I didn't have work, I would've loved to take part too!

Keito: … I also had some work to do, so I just handed the script over to them. The members of Dramatica are all quirky, and are a bit of a handful sometimes.

Keito: But because of the passion they put into their performances, I have faith in them. Next time, I hope to participate as an actor too.

Keito: Hm, an announcement from the stage… Looks as though the show will be delayed for around ten minutes.

Tomoya: This is a rehearsal after all. I just hope it's not serious. Maybe they aren't done checking equipment.

Tomoya: I guess I could read the pamphlet I got at the entrance to kill time.

Keito: That reminds me, I haven't read it yet either. I'll have a look as well.

Tomoya: … Ah. Like usual, there's a feature article on one of the members of Dramatica. This time, it's Hasumi-senpai right?

Keito: Yes. They interviewed me after the script had been finished. That was a while ago.

Tomoya: Isn't it hard to take pictures for these sorts of interviews? Even if they tell you to act natural, you can't help but feel self-conscious because of the camera.

Tomoya: Even when I try to pose casually, I end up looking like an industry professional. I always feel concerned about that.

Keito: You just have to get used to it through experience, I suppose.

Keito: Whether to sit or stand, where you should look, how you position your hands… No matter how much you overthink it, there are limits to variation.

Keito: The thing that readers are most concerned with is the interview, the photos merely act as decoration.

Tomoya: The photos are decoration… Understood. I guess I won't worry too much, since the main attraction is my answers to the interview questions.

Tomoya: Thanks for the advice Hasumi-senpai.

Keito: It isn't a big deal. I just stated the obvious.

Tomoya: Even if it's 'obvious', it still helped me realize it. Thanks to you, I'll be less afraid of making mistakes.

Tomoya: As the leader of Ra*bits, I feel like I have to be all put-together. I'm immature, so I constantly worry about the littlest things.

Tomoya: Hasumi-senpai, I bet those sorts of little things don't faze you at all…

Keito: No. I have plenty of worries myself.

Keito: I have a meeting regarding the 'Feature Live' after this play. We haven't decided on the kind of performance, what to put on the pamphlet, or anything like that.

Keito: AKATSUKI as a Unit has a distinct aesthetic, so I've been consciously trying to distance myself from that to avoid similarity but… Besides that, we're working with a completely blank slate.

Tomoya: Hm… But even if you gave Anzu-san that much information to work with, I'm sure she'd be able to whip up something nice.

Keito: Hm. But this is an opportunity to respond to all of the fans who would show up to support me at the solo live, so it'd only be logical for me to take the lead when promoting it.

Keito: … The buzzer signaling that the show is opening just sounded, so let's end the conversation here.

Keito: Now, let's direct our attention to the show.

[3 Hours Later, in the Terrace seating area of Cafe COCHI]

Keito: (That performance… After I submitted the script, I didn't show up to any of the rehearsals that followed.)

Keito: (Perhaps that was why it was so good. It was refreshing to see such an unconstrained interpretation.)

Keito: (When I write, even though I try to imagine how it would look on the stage, It always ends up surpassing my expectations, which is what makes writing feel worthwhile.)

Keito: (What kind of story should I tell next—)

Keito: Hm…. What was that sound... ?

Keito: … So the culprit was you, Anzu. Why did you just take a picture?

Keito: "I liked your mellow looking gaze" you say? So you wanted to capture me in my natural state for the Feature Live pamphlet?

Keito: If you want to take a picture, it's usually good manners to ask first… That's the extent I'll nitpick though. If that was your intent, I don’t actually take issue with it.

Keito: How long are you going to stand there? Sit down. I want you to show me if you got any good shots.

Souma: …… dono! Hasumi-dono!

Keito: ? That voice…

#shutter chance #Keito Hasumi #Tomoya Mashiro

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matenrou-fan · 1 year

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Could I have Sasara Samatoki and Ramuda finding out their usually cheery airheaded s/o is on Fluoxetine on accident? They would have no idea their s/o had depression or anything like that based on their s/o’s demeanor around them. How would they take care of her after that? Thank you, sorry my english is not the best 😭 Your writing is always so creative and beautiful so I wanted to write a request, I hope it is ok! Have a great day :)

Sasara, Samatoki and Ramuda finding out their usually cheery airheaded fem! s/o is depressed

hiiii!! hii ahhh!! don't worry, your English is pretty good! <3 Also wow creative.. No one ever calls my works like that, thank you very much, honey!! ^^

femreader, comfort, mention of meds, angst a little;;

-When you two met, he was sure that you're soulmates! As goofy and cheerful as him, you always were ready to encourage any of his ideas and just loved his jokes!

-So when he, in a hurry and without a second thought, opens your bedside table to find a pen, a box of meds really confuses him. Do you feel sick these days? Strange, he didn't notice..

-Of course Sasara worried, so instead of just placing it back he would read the label and the pretty familiar name makes his stomach clench in cold shivers. Aren't these the same tablets he drank after his disband with Rosho back ago..?

-This is the first time when your boyfriend would look at you from a different angle. Always considering you as just a positive person, he never thought that maybe you two actually are even more alike. That you're also hiding some kind of trauma behind these jokes and smiles, just like him.

-But ahhh, how embarrassing it would be for Sasara, to actually confess he found out..! So he would just slowly get more gentle around you.

-Of course even before he was such a softie around you, so clingy with his hugs and kisses, and of course puns. Yet now his touches are more.. soft? Like if you suddenly become a porcelain doll and he can't jump around you like always, instead tightly holding you closer to his chest. Ah, now you can't see his face, in such a pose.. What is he thinking about?

-"S/o.. Please, remember I will always love you, no matter what.." - he suddenly mumbled and you got even more confused, surprised with such a low and quiet tone. - "I adore you not because you're like me, but because you are you. With your weaknesses and problems that I'll always accept."

-He just wants to say that you can be more open to him..! As Sasara really wants to help you with your conditions and is willing to listen to your vent every day, if it would help you. There's surprisingly deep words that can't be heard that often from him.

-Now your boyfriend would try to have a more thoughtful conversation with you, so you both can share your worries. As a person who also was in a difficult situation, he knows how much support means.

-And he also knows all these small tips on how to make it easier for you - more fresh air and proper rest, now Sasara would try to control your diet and sleep schedule, and make sure you always take your meds in time. But in some casual silly way, so you wouldn't feel any pressure.

-Jokes can make you feel better, yes, and he doesn't forget about that, cheering you up with some cute wholesome puns. His plan is to make you feel better due to small changes, so you don't even notice how your life slowly gets better.

-"Sasara.. Thank you, really.." - you mumble during another cuddle session together. There's no way you didn't notice his changes, but this new, even more caring side of his love was so pleasant. - "I adore you for all you did for me.."

"Hehe.. And then I agate you, my dear!" - your boyfriend places a small kiss on your forehead and then giggles at your confused face. - "A gate is bigger than a door, s/o..!"

-This difference between your cheerful behavior and his more grumpy one was adored by your boyfriend more than you thought. Maybe it's hard to admit, but he really loves how you freshen his worldview with your happy-go-lucky attitude.

-Samatoki really wanted to protect this friendliness of yours from this cruel world, as he was sure that you actually didn't experience anything bad. And it hit hard when he accidentally found some bottles of pills that you forgot in the bathroom.

-He's not angry or annoyed by you, mostly by himself. Because it means he failed as a boyfriend, and it's his fault you didn't share this side of yours.

-It would be especially painful when he googled about these meds and found out it's antidepressants.

-Of course he would talk about this immediately, really trying to act calm as he doesn't want you to think he's pissed. Actually, all that Samatoki wants is to know why you didn't tell him, and how long you take it.

-Despite all traumatic events in his life, your boyfriend never considered to start taking something like that too, but it doesn't mean he can't help you properly - already being overprotective, now he just pampers you with attention.

-Always checking what you have eaten today, scolding you without rancor for a bad sleep schedule, forcing you to have more breaks during work.. His actions may look a little bit harsh but he just genuinely cares about you.

-"Here, s/o.. I bought you new vitamins." - with a sigh, Samatoki gets closer and pat your head. - "Don't forget to take them too now, alright? My old friend is Doc and he tells me it would be really helpful.."

-As a Yakuza, he has pretty much money and doesn't mind spending it on your needs, like finding maybe a more expensive but better psychologist or start taking new medication.

-Cause your well-being is more important and he tries to show you in all possible ways that you don't need to hide anything from him, even something that you find ugly or annoying about yourself.

-"Samatoki.. You really think it's worth it?" - in the dark, your words sound so weak after long hours of futile attempts to sleep. - "You know.. I appreciate you care, but aren't you tire-"

"No I'm not. Sleep." - his sleepy voice was so low and husky, as Samatoki embraced you in a warm hug. - "Sleep and remember that there's no way I would ever get tired of you, alright? Even if you would ask this every day..or night."

-Ahhh, aren't you two just the most precious couple in the world?! Two sweet cheerful angels, hehe! Ramuda just loves to tease you a little, as your airheaded behavior kinda reminds him of Dice and he's waiting to see the same amusing reaction for you like from his friend.

-Well.. But Ramuda is not a fool. Everyone has their secrets, and his lively behavior hides many many skeletons in the closet of his soul. So despite that he loves how similar you are, he still waits for some catch from your side too.

-And when a small bottle of pills was found in your bag by his nimble hands when Ramuda just wanted to bring your perfume that you asked for, it wasn't a surprise. Well, maybe just a little, as he was having other ideas in his mind, not mental illness.

-And yes, he's now worried. Even Ramuda can actually care about someone, especially about his girlfriend, as he considers you as someone who's closer to him than any onesans and even his teammates. He considers you as someone who he can open his heart to.

-But it's the reason why he's actually angry now, clinging to you with puffy cheeks and puckered brow. All this time he was so obedient and sincere, and you?!

-"Take note that you owe me at least.. mm, twenty kisses now, for such misconduct!" - he scoffs in his charming manner, before making a more sensitive, soft face. - "You're my precious doll and I need to take care of you, okay? Don't lie to me..!"

-Well, but despite his sweet playful tone, Ramuda actually wants to help you. Most of the time he prefers to use people to understand their emotions better, so he would know how to act and fake it in different situations. But if we talk about you and your state, it's actually a serious theme for me.

-It's just his way to help you get over it - to continue being your sweet cute boyfriend, cheering your life with his presence. In such a teasing tone it's easier to show his care without you noticing the depth of his worry.

-So now wait a bunch of texts from Ramuda everyday, as he asks about your well-being, reminds you to eat more proper food and leave all the candy just for him.

-And of course, a private, exclusive fashion show just for you! Aren't his cute accessories and colorful outfits make you forget about all other problems, as he runs around you, chirping how adorable you look now?

-"I don't know, isn't this too fancy?" - you can't help but giggle, looking at yourself in the mirror. - "Actually, I don't remember seeing this dress before on your shelves.."

"Ahh, cause I sewed this one just for you, s/o..!" - like a small rabbit, Ramuda jumps closer, hugging you tightly. - "A special dress for my special dolly! This soft fabric would protect you from all worries, okay? But to activate this effect you need to kiss the designer, hehe.."

#hypmic x reader #hypmic imagines #hypmic #hypnosis mic #sasara nurude x reader #sasara x reader #hypmic sasara #sasara nurude #hypnosis mic sasara #samatoki aohitsugi x reader #hypmic samatoki #hypnosis mic samatoki #samatoki x reader #samatoki aohitsugi #hypnosis mic ramuda #hypmic ramuda #ramuda x reader #ramuda amemura #ramuda amemura x reader

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robotsareneat · 1 day

Text

It's a monster . . .

So, this is a pretty darn great kit! It's got all the nice stuff that I've come to expect from G-Witch gunpla - great articulation, plastic on plastic joints, cool effects pieces, and just generally a killer design.

And it's got that broom. I love that broom.

But. But.

I think I overhyped myself on it.

I've seen so little negative press about this kit, that in my mind I guess it got a little . . . deified? Like, I went into this convinced that I was just going to have an amazing time, that this would be the best gunpla experience I've ever had and that a choir of angels would be singing the entire time.

Angels had another gig that day.

Don't get me wrong, Calibarn is a fantastic high grade. It's sleek, it's classy, it's got panel lines for days, and right now it's got the coveted Desk Space so that it can be admired when I'm supposed to be working. It truly feels like a culmination of everything I enjoyed about the Aerial and Aerial Rebuild.

But . . . I just don't feel like I can play with it, you know?

Now, I know, I know, it's a kit, not a toy, but generally I like to be able to experiment with different poses and equipment before condemning my kits to the Shelf of Eternal Immobility. This is less a critique on the actual kit itself (little bit of that later) and more a reflection on my own neuroses. I just have real trouble finding a pose with it that I'm fully happy with, but at the same time I don't feel the sense of fun I had when posing kits like the Lfrith or the Demi line.

Now, I do love several things about this kit. The big ol' rocket-broom-rifle, as I'm sure everyone agrees, is fantastic and really fits the vibe of the kit well - and despite what was reported when the kit was first released, I'm happy to say that with some finangling, Calibarn can ride the broom (albeit sidesaddle.) The bit-on form looks amazing, but more importantly the attachment points for when they're not attached don't look particularly incongruous. The big ol' attachment points on the backpack just look like rocket packs! The adjustable slots on the butt just look like a rocket . . . butt? Okay, but they do look cool. And the shield is identical in build to the one that comes with Aerial Rebuild, so you can mix and match them if you want!

In terms of actual build nitpicks - quite a lot of stickers! Doing the end of the broom was an exercise in frustration, and sadly a lot of the colour correcting stickers are in places where it's not really feasible for someone as heavy handed as me to try painting. I gave it a go on a few spots here and there - eyes and headcams as usual, under the forearms, and a touch on the broom's camera - but by and large I was beholden to the stickers.

Another thing I'm not so keen on is the V fin. I love the rainbow effect, it looks incredible from the front, but it's backed by some kind of silvery plastic or paint. It feels very delicate and means that rear shots of the head don't look as nice, but I'm guessing that's there to help the rainbow pop a bit more from the front. Maybe I'll try removing it in the future, I'm not sure yet.

Surprisingly for a HG, Calibarn comes with a stand, but personally I think I'll be swapping it for something a bit sturdier. The V base is okay when just doing a standing pose, but if you try for anything more dynamic then the broom makes it veeeery prone to overbalancing. You can counter this by having the kit facing backwards on the stand, but as you can see it looks a little goofy.

I will say though, I do like the way the feet fold in for high manueverability mode. It really makes it feel like something designed to operate in space, rather than trudging around on the ground with us mere mortals.

Is she perfect? I'd say no. Is she still a lot of fun? Yeah, I'd say so. I did have a few moments in the build that were a bit of a frustrating slog (see above comments about broom stickers, seriously that took me ages cos they're so small and fiddly) but if someone gifted me with another kit of this, I'd build it again.

(If my wife is reading this, please keep continue to encourage this nonsense. I adore every model you get me even if the kits themselves frustrate me at times.)

Calibarn! If you love the suit or don't mind a bit of a fiddly kit with a lot of stickers, go get it!

#gunpla #gundam #the witch from mercury #gundam calibarn #my kits #wife kit

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alrightbuckaroo · 12 days

Note

hi ada! it's nice ask week! i hope you don't mind me coming into your inbox!

what are your 3 favorite scenes in lone star?

what's your favorite hobby outside of fandom?

what's your favorite song/album right now?

Hello Rachel; I don't mind at all! I hope life is being kind to you and that hateful messages cease entering your inbox for the rest of time <3

what are your 3 favorite scenes in lone star?

Oh gosh, only three??

Maybe it's cheesy but I love the proposal scene. There's so many layers to it: the fact it was episode 3x18 and TK woke Carlos up at 3:18 in the morning, just after Carlos told TK he can wake him up at 3 a.m. if he needs anything??? I love the red string of fate, I love synchronicity I love soulmates. I also love the fact TK holds Carlos' hands the way he did when he told him they make a pretty good team. I say it all the time, but they really do hold one another like that's the reason God gave them two hands <3 Also the way TK rocks back and forth with excitement? The same way he flipped the ring he was going to propose to Alex with but because of anxiety? If I'm going to love anything it's a reference let me tell you that much!

I have gone out of my way to show people the Lou story line because to this day it might actually be my favorite. It's so miniscule, in a way, in the grand scheme of things but nothing beats TK walking in, posed like this: 🧍‍♂️and asking Carlos if they were robbed. As if the COP would just be sitting in a mess of a living room if they had 😭

Saving Grace is tied with Push as my favorite episode and I'll occasionally think of Grace telling Judd, "You're so tall." and Judd replying with, "You're so beautiful." and feel the need to scream because I LOVE them so much. I have a spin-off I want to write based off a Tarlos AU that's in the work and I can't wait to write them falling in love because I love falling in love with their love.

what's your favorite hobby outside of fandom?

Media consumption seems like the weirdest thing to call a hobby, but truly, that's what it is!

I love watching films that I don't know I'm about to love (Humboldt County, my beloved) , discovering new television shows that rewire my brain (looking at you AMC's Interview with the Vampire), listening to music that feels like sunshine (Cannock Chase by Labi Siffre, you will always be famous) or reading a book that makes me want to bite a brick (A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice ruined my life (affectionately)

If I'm not doing any of that, and this is going to sound so corny, but I write! I've been working on a novella for a little while as I'm trying to prepare something for grad school (that isn't gay firefighter fanfiction lol) and I was working on a book of poetry before realizing that I'm a much stronger narrative fiction writer than I am a poet (Ada Limón if I could just have a sprinkling of your voice please ma'am)

what's your favorite song/album right now?

Album wise it has to be Cowboy Carter. I've been saying it since forever, but Beyoncé truly is on a very different level than any other pop artist we have right now (and I like a lot of them! I loved eternal sunshine and I can not WAIT until Dua drops her third album in May)

If anyone is the music industry right now it is her because she is constantly reinventing herself as well and influencing the industry as whole. Did you know that she's the reason music comes out on Fridays now? Her impact !!

Anyways, one of my favorite genres of music is Classic Country; so think 1950s, 1960s Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Skeeter Davis, Lee Hazlewood, Glen Campbell; that whole bunch.

So, I was so excited to see what Beyoncé was going to cook up because that is a woman who makes sure each and every thing she makes is perfection and my god, it got as close as any of her work has gotten so far.

It also features an interpolation of Good Vibratations by The Beach Boys, who's one of my favorite artists so it feels like this album was made specifically with me in mind. Here's hoping Act III is rock because I need to hear her with Jack White again.

#i don't get parasocial but if i it would be with beyoncé's entire catalog she's just been so damn good and is still so damn good #thanks so much for the ask!!#asked and answered

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silver-wield · 2 months

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Sorry for the length.

Tbh, the only mistake here is the perception of the viewers. Not all friendship are immense or beautiful. Sometimes it's just comradery.

You know why they specifically chose NAKAMA instead of TOMODACHI? Because tomodachi is much closer bond. The latter is not. You can be nakama with someone you're neutral with.

Someone on TLS shared this.

"expand...I'll add that nakama differs from tomodachi (the standard word for friends), and translates to something like close comrades who've shared sufferings / struggled / journeyed together. Like the LOTR fellowship or Ino-Shika-Cho type friends. But yeah, a very strong friendship, nothing romantic. Cloud's heart belongs to Tifa."

What does aerith and cloud have that is real and unique to them? Only two things. ZACK and saving the planet/fighting sephiroth. That's it. I'm sorry but, that's really it.

How come? When aerith was alive, cloud actually tried his best go befriend EVERYONE, in a cute way it could be that he doesn't want to be left out of the circle like when he was a stubborn kid. He's a kind person. But aerith doesn't let him be. He responds to her negatively because she keeps trying to make inappropriate advances on him. Making him act as her stand in boyfriend when he does not consent at all. Aerith took cloud for granted, not the other way around AT ALL.

Now, what does that platonic handhold that's an AC reference about? A line written there , still not sure yet, but it says, "you only think about is yourself, but I will be here for you" coming from aerith. I assume she's the one who held his hand like that. Now KEEP NOTE. Cloud thinks this handhold is platonic, maybe through madam m / the world of FF. I believe aerith still believed that what he did in her gsd is romantic, I really think so. But after being called a NAKAMA, she knows where she stands and the TRUE NATURE of that handhold from cloud. It is just cloud passing on support, giving her strength when she was mopping about Zack" that's why in that scene he looks at her in a way that says "it will be okay, be strong, you got this". Nothing shippy, like ZERO. So the same could be about that AC reference. She is here afterall to pass on what she can give to fight sephiroth and save the planet. Well I sure hope that final handhold comes FROM HER. Otherwise it won't make any sense.

Now, to address all the gsd. Some can say all HA are canon. It shows his progress with everyone. But Cloti gsd is the canon progression of the story.

But let's look here. During aerith's confession, if you get her HA gsd, cloud says "wanting to make more memories" instead of just Nakama. But personally, while that's cool and all, I just find it so out of character because his 2 main bond with her isn't enough to inspire this at all. So I can think it's from the player's perspective. They want to spend more time with her. Like fr, if he really did, how come he almost looks so sick of her in AC? Shouldn't he be glad and excited to see her again? Yet all it is , is just wanting forgiveness? Maybe they'll retcon AC but as of now, it's a bit out of nowhere.

Now, for my last point.

How does aerith become a friend here? Like at all?

-> Well, she said she wanted to get to know him= she realizes he thinks only of her as a comrade

-> "you only think of yourself" during that AC pose = finally awknowledging cloud's rude attitude in HER POV. Even tho she doesn't know he tried his best actually!!!! I guess she was uber BITTER with the word WEIRD. I assume she ignored his rudeness because she was escapist in denial that he can't be her Zack 2.0

-> She says shell be there for him after death, and like I said she should be the one to relay the handhold. This is just her being a comrade-in-arms, they have a huge battle. This is it.

That's it. I can't say it's a beautiful nor deep one, no offense to whoever wants to sprinkle this dynamic with so you can enjoy c/a platonically and have brownie points. I just don't buy it because she never got to be a decent friend to cloud AT ALL. While he's like mostly there because he feels sorry for her. Like no joke.

So what is it then? In his pov? I think it's like Zack. He's also not as close with Zack but his death was painful. Both of these deaths triggers a trauma of NUMEROUS afflictions of cloud. But this two is more painful because it was through specifically their deaths that made him have the life he always wanted with Tifa. Hence the survival 's guilt. So I can say that c/a bond is IMPORTANT, but not as deep nor beautiful. I'm sorry, it really isn't meant to downplay them. But just look at aerith's LSW line, it feels so detached af. Personally I think in AC, he was closer to Zack the most. He is cloud's idol and he knew him while he was real cloud, plus zack didn't try to get in his pants, nor only tried to be a friend after her died. NOPE.

Normally I'd delete this because it's filled with tons of spoilers, but it's just too on point and everybody should read it 👏👏👏

#FF7Rebirth spoilers

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fitzs-trained-monkey · 2 years

Text

Three Doors Down

Title: Three Doors Down

Word Count: 11,000

Warnings: Bullying, descriptions of blood, a little bit of a slow start.

Summary: Alright, so maybe pretending to be Jeremy Gilbert's neighbor wasn't all that bad. After all, the kid's gorgeous cousin lived just three doors down. She stutters, but it's kinda cute... || Kol x Disabled!reader || Here lies my Masterlist

A/N: No, I am never going to stop with the disabled fics. Please note that any misrepresentation of Hypoxic brain injury and speech aphasia in this fic was done on purpose to make things clearer for those who are unfamiliar with the condition. Thank you!

"Dude, we can do anything you want, but not before we get some lunch. I swear, if I don't eat something soon, I'm gonna drop dead," Jeremy said, a little out of breath as he tugged his helmet off and placed it back on the shelf.

"You're worse than me, mate," Kol chuckled. He twirled the wooden baseball bat in his hand and shook his head, pushing himself off the wall. Turning around, he moved over to his locker and opened it up. He messed up on the lock code the first try, not because he was trying to seem more human, but because he simply hadn’t bothered to memorize it and just resorted to listening for the click of the tumblers. No one would be able to tell the difference, however, so like most things, this just served to work in his favour. He stashed the bat and helmet in the locker and retrieved his camera bag, slinging it around his shoulder before closing the locker door.

Kol Mikaelson was in Denver on his brother’s orders, posing as Jeremy Gilbert’s friend and neighbour from across the hall. He was here to serve as a proverbial axe poised just over the boy’s head so the kid could be used as motivation for a Benett witch to unlink him and his siblings. Kol despised following orders of any kind, even more so when they came from his brother, but he also liked not being dead so self-preservation was trumping his grudges and personal feelings for the time being. Besides, Nik’s doppelganger and her friends had the white oak stakes, and they were in Mystic Falls - easily 1,500 miles away from him - thus he was quite alright with leaving Nik and Bekah to handle that task. That way, if one or both of them messed up and they all died, then that was one less thing for them to pin on him in the afterlife. Anyway, Kol was there playing the part of Cole Mitchell, a British photography student shooting photos for a project about something to do with America and culture and whatnot. Though it had originally been a prop, Kol had actually come to enjoy photography beyond just playing pretend.

Jeremy raised a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked, falling into step beside him.

Kol shrugged. "Well, my sister claims my mind is occupied solely with the thought of food, but I think you make me look tame. Do you ever think about anything else?" He teased. Jeremy just snorted, giving his newfound friend a playful shove which he returned in kind, naturally.

"Is this you telling me you wanna pick what we eat?" Jeremy demanded, ducking Kol's attempt to whack him upside the head.

"That is exactly what it is, mmhm," The taller boy stated matter-of-factly.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Okay, then what do you want?"

What he wanted wasn’t exactly something the human would like very much. He would just have to go find himself someone to snack on later.

"I wouldn't say no to never ending breadsticks…" Kol drawled, glancing at the younger boy with hopeful eyes and a cheeky grin.

"No way, man," The younger Gilbert scoffed. "I'm seriously too broke for Olive Garden."

"I'll pay!" The taller boy offered.

"You don't have a job," Jeremy pointed out.

"Nope!" Kol cheered, flinging an arm around his shoulders. "But I do have two loaded parents who hate my guts!” The dysfunctional family was part of his cover story; no acting required there. “Thus, I get all the money I want as long as I stay far, far away from them. You know what that means?"

"Drowning your emotions with spaghetti?" The kid guessed.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Jeremy laughed. "Alright, man, whatever you say. Let's just-" Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye and he stopped. “- Hold on just a sec…” He was staring at something at the other end of the batting cages. His relaxed disposition vanished and the smile on his lips morphed into a thin line. "There’s something I gotta take care of,” He muttered.

Kol stopped and caught his shoulder, frowning. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

The Gilbert boy didn’t answer, he just sighed and shot Kol an apologetic glance. “You know what? Why don’t you just go on ahead, I’ll be right behind you.” He started moving and Kol followed without a second thought.

“You look like you’re about to start a fight,” He remarked, trying to hide his amusement at the thought.

“I might,” Jeremy grumbled, his eyes still fixed straight ahead.

The vampire nodded and shrugged easily. “Well, you know what they say. Friends don’t let friends go to prison for assault and battery alone!” That comment earned a huff of a laugh and Kol turned his attention to what the other boy was so focused on.

Towards the other side of the batting cages, there were these three girls all standing around a fourth girl who was clearly their victim. The fourth had her back to a wall and the other three stood one on each side, boxing her in like a pack of hyenas. Though none of them were much taller than the girl they were ganging up on, they each wore these enormous heels that allowed them to tower over the girl in her grey sneakers. Now that he paid attention, he could hear them talking. The voice of the girl that was doing most of the talking - Kol would assume she was the leader - was high pitched and piercing and her tone was sickly sweet.

"You know, I actually really love what you've done with your hair, Y/N," The leader said. The other girl, Y/N, shifted her feet, tugging on the strap of her satchel. She stood sort of curled into herself and her eyes flicked nervously between the three girls as the first one continued to speak. "I mean, I think it looks really cute on you, yeah. Just makes me wonder why you did it." Y/N shook her head, shrugging a little. Kol wasn’t sure why her hair mattered but girls always seemed to make a big deal about stuff like that. "I mean, did you do it 'cause you want attention? I know I’m not you, but if I were then I don’t think I could handle any more than what you have to deal with all the time. Though, now that I think about it, that’s probably not the right kind of attention so, like, is there someone you're trying to impress? Oh! Or are you just attempting to go blonde so you can try and keep with the whole blue eyes, blonde hair, dumb ass thing you got going on?"

Y/N hung her head, shuffling her feet as the girls around her did nothing but laugh. Kol raised a brow and scowled. They were within human earshot for that last bit, so he had to keep in character, though doing so wasn’t very difficult. For whatever reason, something about the situation just bothered him; he didn’t like seeing the shy girl getting ganged up on. It reminded him a little bit of his own family, and he didn’t like it. Clearly, Jeremy didn't have an ounce of patience for this sort of thing either.

"Well if she's dumb then, man, I'd hate to see your IQ scores," He remarked, comming to stand behind the girl doing most of the ridiculing. The leader turned around with the sort of smile Kol had seen more times than he could count. It probably would have been attractive had he not been able to see right through it. Now he just found it equal parts pathetic, hilarious, and revolting.

"Oh! Hi, Jeremy!" The lead girl's gaze flicked from the Gilbert boy to where Kol stood just behind him and she paused for a moment. Her eyes raked up and down Kol's figure and that smile of hers sharpened. He was used to reactions like hers by now, they amused him. "Who's your friend?" She asked, twirling a lock of hair around her finger in an attempt to be cute. He knew exactly what sort of thoughts were running through her head at that moment, he knew the game girls like her loved to play. He could play that game too, and he was much better at it.

"Someone way out of your league, darling,” Kol said, sending her a smile that was all teeth. The lead girl blinked and her smile faltered. She glanced at her little minions, clearly shocked.

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave Y/N alone?" Jeremy demanded, glaring at her. The lead girl recovered and shifted her attention back to him, rolling her eyes with a huff.

"I don’t know, maybe until I see a good reason why I should.” She smirked.

“Oh, I’ve got your reason,” The younger boy sneered, stepping forward. The other two girls took a step back, but the leader didn’t flinch. From behind them, Y/N looked up with wide eyes and shook her head at him frantically.

“What are you gonna do about it?” The leader challenged. “Ya’ gonna hit me?”

“Maybe,” Jeremy growled, taking another step. That was something Kol liked about Jeremy Gilbert, the boy reminded him a little bit of himself. He was an all-or-nothing sort of person and if he was going to confront someone then he wasn’t afraid to take it all the way. Kol, however, was older and he’d been raised better… in a way. He held a hand out to stop the kid.

“You don’t touch a lady, mate,” He muttered, shoving Jeremy back. The lead girl folded her arms and gave a prim little huff. Kol glanced up at her, raising a brow with another very fake, very threatening smile. “That being said, you, darling, are far from what qualifies as a lady and even further from deserving to be treated like one. You are a sad, pathetic little girl who preys upon the weaknesses of others to make herself feel better about her own insecurities. You are terrified that no one will ever have any respect for you and thus cannot stand it when another person has even a little bit for themselves. Now, if you have a modicum of intelligence, I would suggest you go home, rethink your life, and decide to do as my friend says and never come near this lovely young woman again.”

The girl’s mouth dropped open in shock. Then she clenched her teeth and hissed. “Or what?”

"Or I'll fetch an eraser and remove those eyebrows you drew on yourself this morning," The older boy supplied, not missing a beat. That seemed to have an effect. The ugly-pretty girl blinked and tried to hide her complete demoralization with a scoff.

"We-we were just kidding!" She defended. "Don't take things so seriously!"

Kol's smirk grew. "Duly noted. Have a lovely day, darling." The girl pouted and slunk away, dragging her minions along and he waved at them as they left. It was quiet for a moment before Jeremy let out a low whistle.

“Dude…”

Kol just waved him off. “If there’s anything my parents ever taught me, it’s how to offer an insult. Now, are you going to introduce me to your friend or what?”

He shifted his gaze to the girl left standing before him. Now that he actually took the time to look at her he noticed several things. The first being that she was beautiful, no question about it. Her’s wasn’t the show-stopping beauty of some, but rather an endearing sort of beauty. It was less something found in her face and more something he caught in her sparkling E/C eyes that gave him pause. Her eyes were deep and soulful and, good Thor, he could stare into them all day. Those eyes were so full of life and enthusiasm that he found himself wanting to smile; he could see why any woman - any person, really - would be jealous just looking at her.

The second thing he noticed was her heartbeat. Her heart was racing as she now took the time to look at him. The reaction was similar to those of millions of other women when they first saw him, but the expression she wore was completely different. She was smiling, yes, but not in the way he had grown so used to. Her smile was enthusiastic and flattered, though a little bit shy as if she was surprised he could even see her but ecstatic that he could. She smiled at him like he was a dear friend, not like he was an object she was trying to appraise. The cynic in him wanted to call her a fool but, oddly enough, he found himself enjoying the change of pace.

The third thing he noticed was the crescent-shaped devices perched over her ears. Hearing aids - as they were apparently called. They were bright green and she’d clearly had them for a while, which led him to wonder when she’d first gotten them and why. Although, the scars that caught his eye next led him to believe her hearing loss hadn’t been natural. Whatever the accident had been, he could tell it had happened a long time ago. The scars were pale and stretched from where she’d grown, they crisscrossed her cheek and jaw bone, moving down the right side of her neck where they disappeared beneath her shirt. Yet, they did nothing to mar her beauty. This girl had him looking twice… and that was a first.

“Um, sure.” Jeremy’s voice pulled him back to reality. “This is my cousin Y/N,” He said, gesturing back and forth between them. “And uh, Y/N, this is my friend-”

“Kol Mitchell,” He lied easily, stepping forward and offering his hand. Y/N smiled and took it, but instead of shaking, he pulled her hand to his mouth, leaving a soft kiss against her knuckle. She grinned, and her nose crinkled up in a way he couldn’t help but find adorable, and the laugh she made was more of a snicker than a girlish giggle. She surprised him - another first. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, darling.” Y/N nodded enthusiastically but said nothing. He tilted his head. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

There was a sharp pain sprouting from his side as Jeremy elbowed him in the ribs. “Aheh! Aheh! Shut up! Ahem!” He coughed, trying without success to disguise his words.

Kol shot him a questioning look but didn’t have time to ask.

“It-it's al-alr-right.”

The girl was the one to speak. It was strange, the way she said the word - as if she was learning how to say it out loud as she spoke. She nodded and smiled, waving her hand a little in a dismissive gesture. "H-hello, K-Ko-ol. Thank you for… for… uh, for, um…" She frowned and flicked her eyes upward as if trying to remember something. "For-for, um…" She started snapping her fingers. "What-what's the word? Gimme the word."

"Defending you?" Jeremy suggested.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed. "Yeah, that's it! Thank you for de-defending me. A-and for ke-eeping Jer-rr out of pr-risio-on."

"Eh, it was nothing. What are friends for?" He shrugged.

"B-bail money," She replied.

Kol snorted, that was actually pretty good. He was surprised by her quick wit because she didn't seem like the sardonic type. "So how exactly are you two related?" He asked, gesturing between them. He didn't actually care, he just wanted to ascertain whether or not the girl was aware of the supernatural. The two cousins looked similar in age, though Y/N seemed just a little older and he knew the Gilbert family had a legacy but was unsure if their sense of duty had spread through the family tree. He thought it unlikely considering how clueless the kid seemed to be, but he couldn't rule it out.

"Uh, on my mom's side," Jeremy answered.

"Sh-she was my Da-ad's sis-t-ter," Y/N added. Alright, so he would label her awareness as a loose maybe.

"You know what? No, I just can't see the resemblance," He joked. "You're much too gorgeous to be related to him." He jabbed a thumb in Jeremy's direction, simultaneously dodging another jab in the ribs from the same while his cousin just snorted.

"I've seen you," She said. "I-I've seen you places a-and h-here when I'm doing. I-I should - no, uh, I wanted to… I-I wanted to… um…" The girl started snapping her fingers again, bouncing on her heels. "What's the word? It's, um, what is it?"

He frowned. Again, that stutter irked him. Women often struggled to think clearly around him - an occurrence he enjoyed thoroughly - but she didn't seem nervous. A little shy, maybe, but not enough to be stumbling every other word. Then there was her speech pattern. While her voice was pleasant, it sounded almost hampered by something; she spoke in a halting way that put emphasis where it wouldn't typically belong. If he didn't know better, he would have thought her brain and her mouth couldn't agree on what they were trying to say.

"Help? Uh… talk?" Jeremy tried.

"No, no!" Y/N cut him off. "L-Let me get it! It's uh…" She scowled. "Ugh… it's… GREET! Yeah! I sh-wanted to g-reet you w-when you come, er, came. Your eyes- I saw them a-and th-thinking you were ni-ice. But there's a… there's a…"

"Reason," Her cousin muttered.

"Uh, huh. There's a reaso-on I don't ta-alk to… to, uh…"

"People."

"To people." Y/N's voice faltered to a whisper and she looked away, fixing her eyes on her shoes.

Kol nodded. "I see. Darling, not to be rude, but I can't help but notice the way you speak. Am I allowed to ask about that?" He wondered.

Jeremy shot his cousin a sidelong glance. She smiled slightly and nodded at him. "Um, I don't know what it's called…" He trailed off.

"It's spe-ech a-apha-aphasia. From, uh, from H-Hypox-Hypox-oxia," She told him quietly.

"And what is that exactly?" He wasn't strictly familiar with modern medical terms.

"Oxy-Oxygen def-deficie-en-ency in-in the brain for an exten-en-ded period-d of time that caus-s-es perm- uh, u-um… perma-perma… um…"

"Permanent."

"Yeah, perma-nent brain d-dam-damage," She admitted in a whisper. So Y/N was like him then, damaged beyond repair. That was something he could understand.

"Yeah." Jeremy reached out and draped his arm around her shoulder, comfortingly. "Car crash. Happened when she was six. Y/N and her mom were driving home one night and a drunk driver ran 'em off the bridge and into the water. A lot like what happened to my parents, 'cept my aunt was able to get out and she got Y/N out, but she'd been under for too long." He sighed. "She ended up with hearing loss too but the doctors said it was a miracle she made it at all."

"Ah, I see." He nodded. The girl just fixed her eyes on her feet ashamedly. Not that there was any reason she should. Losing a part of one's self wasn't something to apologise for, he knew that better than most. "Well, I'm glad you did, darling," Kol said, offering her a small smile.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He smirked and figured he would try his luck. "May I just say you have the most fascinating eyes I've ever seen?"

Y/N shook her head, blushing and hiding her face in her hair.

"Here we go again," Jeremy muttered. Kol shot him a cheeky smile before reaching out to touch Y/N gently on the hand. She had soft hands.

"We were just about to grab something to eat, would you like to come with?" Because he was actually rather enjoying not having to be anyone and as long as he was faking one friendship, he might as well go for two. Besides, Y/N was interesting and for some reason he couldn't quite place, Kol found himself drawn to her.

The girl lifted her head, blinking in surprise. She glanced between the two boys, seeming almost confused. "Y-you want me t-o?" She asked.

Kol raised a brow. "Well, I am inviting you so… obviously," He said with a charming smile.

Y/N's eyes gained a suspicious gleam. "Wh-why?" He opened his mouth to answer when Jeremy spoke for him.

"'Cause he's a nice guy, Y/N/N," The Gilbert boy reassured his cousin. "I mean, yeah, he flirts with anything that breathes, and I apologise in advance for that, but he's not inviting you along just so he can make fun of you." The girl didn't seem entirely convinced but she nodded anyway, deciding to trust him.

"I'm sorry but… do people do that often? Stab you in the back like that?" Kol wondered. The idea seemed unnecessarily cruel to him and certainly uncalled for.

Neither of the cousins answered, but Jeremy looked up with an expression that told him all he needed to know. He gave Y/N's shoulder a little squeeze and Kol could tell that the boy was extremely protective of her, which wasn't hard to understand. What he couldn't seem to comprehend, however, was why he - Kol bloody Mikaelson - suddenly felt the same way. Perhaps it was something about her frail stature or the way she'd been ostracized by her peers. She was small, like Henrik had been, and with the same willful yet vulnerable heart as Rebekah.

"Well, those people are clearly idiots," He replied with an empathetic smile. "Do you like Olive Garden?"

The girl's eyes widened. "Olive Garden? Yell heah!" She cheered, grinning. He snickered at her little mistake, perhaps some would find it annoying but he just thought it was cute. "Sooo… we fr-riends?"

"Of course, darling. I defended your honor and now I'm inviting you to lunch - that practically makes us cousins," Kol mused. Her enthusiasm made him smile. Y/N's eyes flew wide and she gawked at him, then she turned to Jeremy in disbelief.

"Fr-friends!" She squealed. Her cousin chuckled and nodded, clearly not as shocked by this as her. She turned back to Kol and threw her arms around him. He froze, unsure what the girl was hugging him for before accepting her embrace. She tapped his back softly.

"One," She muttered. "No, no… that's wrong… Start?"

"Do you mean first?" Kol guessed.

"Yeah! Yeah. You're my… my first! That's it." She hugged him a little tighter. "You're m-my first."

The one-thousand-year-old original found himself smiling then, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. “In that case, I’m honored.”

***

Food is always good; however, it’s even better when someone else is paying for it. You had offered to pay for yourself but Kol had adamantly refused. You had been wary of tagging along with your cousin and his friend, having no desire to be the third wheel but you were pleasantly surprised when that wasn’t the case at all. Kol gave you the same attention he gave Jeremy and that surprised you. People didn’t really do that outside your family because everyone else didn’t care enough to put forth the effort. Yet, Kol did and you found yourself genuinely enjoying his company. He was animated and lively when talking and an equally engaged listener - he was fun! The three of you talked about all sorts of things while eating breadsticks like there was no tomorrow.

So far you had learned that his favorite color was purple (he insisted there was no such thing as a ‘girly’ color), he was insanely good at close up magic (the guy was wearing short sleeves and he disappeared a pen right in front of your face), his family was apparently wealthy but he didn’t like rich people, his favorite animal was the fox, his favorite dinosaur was the velociraptor, he was claustrophobic (for reasons he would not expound upon), he spoke multiple languages (because his parents were apparently unpleasable and once you learn one of each type you can figure the rest out pretty easily), and when he was a kid he had wanted to grow up and become a professional wizard.

“A-are you lov-ved?” You asked next, mentally cringing a second after the words left your mouth. That was just your condition; you knew what you wanted to say but could never find the right words to say it how you meant. Often your words offended people, it was one reason why you’d never really had a friend outside of your family. Over the course of your conversation with him, you had put together that Kol came from a dysfunctional family; thus, it wasn’t exactly hard to see how your words could hurt him.

The British boy choked on his drink. “Excuse me?” He strangled out. You saw a twinge of hurt flash through his eyes and you wanted to run and hide.

“No, no! That’s not… I m-mean are-are you, uh… Do you… Do you, um…” You started snapping your fingers, trying to remember and looked desperately to Jeremy for help. He just shrugged, equally as confused as Kol. “What’s the word? It’s… It’s, uh… Where did it go?” You couldn’t remember the word you were looking for and you could feel your cheeks begin to burn as you grew more and more frustrated and flustered. You bit your lip and tore your fingers through your hair - another one of your nervous tics when you struggled, like snapping your fingers or bouncing your feet. A lock of hair got caught around your birthstone ring, tugging painfully and giving you a sudden idea. You gasped and slipped the ring off your finger. “Ring!” You exclaimed. The two boys glanced at each other, still confused and you huffed. Kol made a shocked noise when you suddenly snatched his right hand off the table, pointing first at his ring finger and then at yours and then holding up your ring. “Ring!” You said again.

Then something seemed to dawn on him and he smiled. “Wait, are you asking if I have a girlfriend?”

“Yeah! Yeah.” You relaxed, feeling a shy smile flutter across your face which was surely flushed.

“Well, no, actually, I don’t have one - not at the moment - but I’m open to auditions.” A slow but very cheeky grin spread across Kol’s lips. The boy was a thousand miles beyond cute and he knew it. “Why is it that you ask, darling?”

“‘Cuz she’s into you,” Jeremy said through a mouthful of breadstick. Now it was your turn to choke on your drink.

“N-no! I just-” Jeremy cut you off, pointing his breadstick in your face.

“Liar,” He deadpanned. Then he turned to Kol. “She never makes this much of an effort to talk to anyone. Not even me. I mean, I think this is the most I’ve ever heard her actually speak. Most of the time she just uses google translate or this funky text to speech thing to talk for her.”

You glared at him and made a show of pulling your phone out of your bag and turning it on before typing something in. Thankfully, you had fast fingers. “It’s pretty hard to type while you’re eating, dofus.” Your phone said in the monotone voice of a computer.

“Is it really?” He challenged. “I bet I could do it.” You typed another message.

“There is no way you’re touching my phone, butterfingers.”

Your cousin rolled his eyes. “I dropped that lego set one time,” He insisted. “And that still doesn’t explain why you’re so chatty. I haven’t heard you talk this much since you were six!”

You raised a brow at him. “It's a little thing called being polite. No one has bothered to engage me in a conversation since I was six, outside of our family, but I don’t have to be polite to you maggots.”

Kol laughed at that but quickly tried to cover it with a cough.

“Why don’t you just admit it?” Jeremy pressed, leaning over to ruffle your hair. You moved to smack his hand away but he used the opportunity to snatch your phone out of your other hand. When you reached for it back he held it out of reach. “Nope!”

“Give!” You demanded. You reached for it again but he quickly slid it over the table to Kol who swiped it up. He glanced from the phone to you and back with a very satisfied smirk.

You raised a brow. “Not girl talking with you. I’m a gir-rl. Not you.”

“Well, you certainly have the figure of one,” Kol pointed out. His eyes wandered to your neckline and you knew he did that just to make you blush and of course, it worked. You weren’t used to being noticed.

Jeremy groaned and dragged a hand over his face. “Dude, this is Olive Garden. Could you not?”

Kol shrugged. “You’re the one who brought this up,” He retorted.

“Well, someone had to. I know a good thing when I see it, but you’re too stupid, and she’d never admit it,” Your cousin claimed. You scoffed, that boy wouldn’t know a good thing if it bit him on the rear. “If I’ve learned anything this past year, it’s that drama sucks. So, yeah, just kiss but not here and not in front of me. Get a room.”

“I have one.” Kol smirked. “It’s right across from yours.”

Jeremy frowned and turned back to you. “Nevermind. Stay single, please.”

You groaned and put your head down on the table. A waitress must have seen because a second later, one was kneeling beside you.

"Are you alright, miss?"

You glanced up and nodded before picking up a breadstick from the basket.

"How many of, uh, of these to cl-clean-cleanse a sou-l."

The woman frowned. "The jury's out on that one, sweetheart."

You hummed and sent her a thumbs up. She walked away. When you finally worked up the courage to look back up at Kol, he was staring at you which didn't help your confidence in the slightest. He seemed a little out of it, though. His eyes were glazed over and they fixated on your shoulder… or was it your neck he was staring at? He was probably just lost in thought so you waved a hand in front of his face.

The boy blinked and met your eyes with a slight frown.

"I'm sorry, but I just remembered that there's something I need to take care of. I need to go," He said, standing up. His tone was remorseful but there was a trace of something else… something uncomfortable. You frowned.

"Oh…" You knew you would probably never see him again. At least, nothing more than a brief encounter on the street. You were a fool to think he actually tolerated you - a person who was a burden simply to talk with. "I'll look ar-round."

"It's 'I'll see you around'," Jeremy muttered.

"I mean, I'll see you ar-around," You corrected yourself in a whisper. You expected him to just leave then but he lingered.

"You really do have the most captivating eyes, Y/N," He said. You just kept your gaze on your lap and nodded, not wanting to watch him go. Then, you felt a finger lifting your chin, guiding you to look up. "You know, when someone calls you beautiful, it usually means they like looking at you." He smiled a little and all you did was nod. You were trying really hard not to let him see you cry. "When can I see you again?" He asked softly.

You blinked and finally met his eyes. "Y-you want to see me?"

Kol chuckled. "As a matter of fact, darling, I do."

"A-any-t-time. Jus-just hit," You said. He raised a brow.

"Oh, we didn't tell you?" Jeremy asked, leaning forward.

"Tell me what?" The British boy asked.

"Y/N lives three doors down from you. She means knock, by the way, not hit," Your cousin supplied.

"Uh, huh," You agreed. Kol grinned and you were surprised by how genuine it seemed.

"Well, you can be sure I won't keep you waiting long." Then he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against your forehead. Kol's lips sent bolts of electricity down your spine and through your limbs. Then he turned to leave.

You gasped. “Game nigh-t-t?!” You suggested. He stopped at the door and glanced back, spreading his arms.

“Why not? There's always time for games!”

So three nights later, that’s exactly what the three of you did, deciding to play board games instead of video games, at your suggestion. The event was held in your apartment, on your kitchen floor because you didn’t have a table big enough, and Kol had shown up wearing one of those tacky poker vizors. After getting your butts handed to you in Monopoly, you and your cousin decided to play Uno and unleash the full power of all the draw four cards you could find on Kol who had been less than amused. Currently, the sun outside your window was sinking low in the sky and the three of you had moved on to the Game of Life. Evidently, Kol had never really played board games before because his parents were jerks so explaining the game took a while.

See you were quickly approaching 8:00 PM and by nature that meant things were very dark, which was a problem because your apartment didn't have enough light to see the game you were playing. Luckily, you were prepared.

"Y/N, your lights in here are awful," Your cousin declared, squinting in an attempt to see his cards.

"I hate to agree with him, darling, but I can't even see how badly I'm losing," Kol hummed.

"You got anything to fix that?" Jeremy wondered. You nodded vigorously and scrambled to get off the floor, moving over to the cupboards. You reached in, pulling out a long tube and a bowl full of little plastic pieces.

"Sn-nap light!" You cheered, pouring a few hundred glow sticks out on the floor in front of you.

"Glow sticks, Y/N/N," Jeremy sighed. "They're called glow sticks."

"Uh, huh. Yeah." You giggled a little and glanced at Kol who was studying the multicolored rods as if he'd never seen one before. Maybe he hadn't. Maybe British people didn't have glow sticks - you'd been born and raised in Denver so you wouldn't know - or maybe his parents had just been truly awful. You grabbed three of the sticks and cracked them, watching Kol's eyes widen as they began to glow. Then you used the plastic pieces to fashion them into a ring, which you proceeded to place on his head. He went a little cross-eyed, grinning as he tried to look at it.

"A crown fit for a king," He announced. He reached forward and grabbed a handful of sticks from the pile, copying what you had done. "And one for a queen." Kol placed the so-called crown on your head and you smiled, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek. It was a quick, impulsive thing and both parties involved were equally surprised. Your insides felt all tingly.

"Do I even wanna know where you got all these things?" Your cousin demanded, cracking two handfuls of the little rods. Glow sticks may not give off much light but you had a lot of them, like a LOT.

"Uh…." You snapped your fingers a few times. "The… The groove?"

"You mean that dance a few weeks ago?" He guessed. "Why would you-"

"Free!" You claimed defensively. The people running the thing had been desperate to get rid of all the extras so you had done your part. You weren't one to turn down free stuff no matter how unnecessary it was.

You continued to play the game, all the while making more and more rings with the glow sticks. Your cousin wouldn't permit you to make him into a human light fixture but Kol just laughed and let you hang as many glowing rings on him as your heart desired. There were quite a few by the time you were done.

"Ph-phone!" You held out your hand expectantly.

"What do you need mine for?" He asked, regarding you with a somewhat cagey expression. You could feel a throbbing ache beginning to build at the base of your skull but you didn't want the night to end so you decided not to start a wrestling match with your frontal lobe. Instead, you opted to make a rectangle with your fingers and a little click-click sound with your mouth. "A picture?" He clarified.

"Yeah."

"Alright then," He grinned, shaking his head. "Just be sure to get my good side." He handed you his phone and you took the picture, flipping it around to show him when you were done. "You're going to steal my career, darling," He said. You just snickered. "Hey, why don't you send that to my sister? I think she's under the contact name: Fingernails."

"Fingern-ails?" You repeated. What kind of contact name was that? Kol just smirked.

"Yep. Fingernails."

"Okay…" You went searching through his contacts and Jeremy came to lean over your shoulder.

"Dude, what is with your contact names on here? I mean first Fingernails…and here's uh… Rover… The Stick + The Mud… this one's just an eyeroll emoji…" Your cousin laughed and Kol shrugged, taking his turn. "What, do you have something against using names?"

"Yes," He replied with a smirk. There was something behind that expression but you didn't know what.

"What d-did you ca-call me?" You asked.

"Oh, I don't think I have your number," He replied. "Which is a criminal offense on my part, now that I think of it. Here, put your number on that while you've got it."

"Okay." You did as you'd been told, sending the picture to his sister and putting in your number. "Back." You passed it back to him. He thanked you with a soft smile and glanced down to read what you'd sent along with his picture.

"Really, darling?" He sighed, though his lips were twitching. "I'm a pretty, pretty princess? That's what you choose to send?" You just nodded vigorously, a cheeky smile spreading across your face. Kol glanced up and his chocolate eyes met yours. He was just looking at you but no one had really done that before, you weren't used to attention that wasn't annoyed or pitying. Your cheeks heated and you tucked a strand of hair back behind your ear.

"W-what?" You mumbled. Was there something wrong? Had you done something?

"Nothing." He shook his head. "You're just adorable."

You ducked your head, unable to keep the smile off your face. Why was he so kind to you? People didn't do that. So why did he? You didn't get it.

"Your turn, Romeo," Jeremy interrupted, snacking on a bag of pretzels.

Kol just laughed and took his turn. He moved his piece along the board and his face fell. "Tree falls on house, pay seventy-five thousand if not insured. Great." You snickered and reached up to ruffle his hair.

"Sucks to be you," Jeremy supplied. "So what's my contact name on your phone?"

"Han Solo," Kol replied without missing a beat. Jeremy nodded.

"I can live with that."

"Me?" You asked hopefully. Kol hummed.

"Let me think…" His eyes skimmed up and down your figure and you knew he did that just to make you blush. A smirk spread across his lips when it worked. "Candy," He decided.

You tilted your head. "W-why?"

"Because you're sweet," He answered with a shrug. "And eye candy," He added under his breath.

Kol's response made you laugh, which subsequently made you flinch at the pain that jolted through your skull. That migraine wasn't going away. Your heart sank, you had really been enjoying yourself. Now you had to be the one to end things. This was why no one wanted to be friends with you; geez, you were always such an inconvenience.

"Whoa-" Jeremy placed a hand on your shoulder. "You good, Y/N?"

You shook your head, rubbing your temple. "Mi-migr-ra-raine," You stuttered out, guilt taking over your features. "I'm sorry. I just- I can't-"

"You want us to leave?" Your cousin asked. Kol was watching you intently but you couldn't meet his eyes. Always an inconvenience.

You shook your head. "I'm so s-sorry."

"Well that's just bloody fantastic," Kol spoke up. You flinched a little at his words, though they didn't sound particularly angry or even annoyed. "How convenient of you to make friends with possibly the only person on the planet who knows how to cure a migraine." You glanced up and there he was, smiling at you as though this changed nothing. As though this wasn't just another reason to prove you were more trouble than you were worth. He smiled as if - No. That wasn't a thought worth entertaining. You weren't going to delude yourself into getting your hopes up.

"A, uh, a cure?" You asked, a little bit skeptical.

"Not for the cause, I'm afraid - just the pain," He said. But that was enough for you. "Would you like to try it? It's back in my flat but I can go and get it, if you'd like."

"Apartment," Jeremy muttered under his breath.

"Flat," Kol affirmed, eying you with an expectant gaze. You just shrugged.

"Y-you had me a-at-t pa-ain."

Kol blinked. "That's… good to know." You could see the smirk tugging at the edges of his mouth and you groaned, hiding your face. He barely withheld his laughter as he patted your arm and got up, moving towards the door. "It's alright, darling, it's cute - part of your charm. I'll just go get that out of my flat. Be right back."

"Apartment," Jeremy grumbled.

"Flat!" Kol countered.

"This is America! It's called an apartment!"

"I'm British! I'm calling it a flat!" He shut the door sharply behind him, effectively ending the debate. You would have found their ridiculous banter amusing if not for your migraine. The harsh bang of the door reverberated painfully through your aching skull and you whimpered. The door opened just enough for Kol to peak his head back in with a sheepish expression. "Sorry 'bout that." He closed the door again, much quieter this time, and you sighed.

As far as his supposed migraine cure went, you weren't exactly convinced. You had been dealing with frequent migraines since the accident and though you took medication for it, it could only decrease the frequency of your migraine days. The pain was the real problem and nothing, it seemed, could make the vicious combination of searing, pounding, and ringing sensations disappear completely. But that was your lot in life. Your bedside table was a pharmacy and you knew the local hospital staff on a first-name basis. A normal life just wasn't in the cards for you and you had given up hoping for one a while ago.

"Do you think this migraine cure will actually work, or are you just humoring him?" Your cousin asked, taking his turn. You lifted your head just enough to look at him, lifting a very weary eyebrow. "No, huh? Is it 'cause you think he's full of crap or 'cause you just don't wanna get your hopes up?" You clicked your tongue and shot a finger gun at him. "Little bit of both?" He clarified. You nodded; non-verbal communication was just easier, especially when it was just you and Jeremy. You didn't have to perform for him, anyone else was another story.

"You know… you're allowed to like him, Y/N," Jeremy tried, sounding a little hesitant but convinced. "I mean, there's no law that says you can't." You huffed a bitter laugh. It must have been so easy for him to say that.

"Yes, there i-is," You muttered, a sour smile creeping across your face.

Jeremy sighed, giving you that same look as so many others. It was pity and you hated it. "Y/N, what those girls say-"

"I-I-I d-don't care, really. I-I don't-" You shook your head. "I'm a… uh… um… I'm not-not… um… what's the word?" You tapped your hand softly against your thigh, not wishing to insight further wrath from your migraine. "Bird? No, no…. Burden! Yeah. I'm a bur-burden, Jer. I-I'm not gonna ma-make him, o-or any-o-one, de-eal with me." That wasn't his responsibility. You couldn't expect anyone to actually like you and you weren't going to put Kol in a position where he would feel obligated to cater to a silly crush on your part. You knew he only hung around you because of Jeremy - you knew that - but as long as he wasn't actively protesting your presence, you would enjoy his. You had learned to be a scavenger by now.

Before Jeremy could say anything else, the door opened and Kol appeared with a steaming mug of something or other. "You two better not have stolen anything from me while I was out," He warned playfully. You rolled your eyes and he sat down on the floor across from you again, sliding the mug over. "There we are. I hope it's not too hot." The liquid inside the mug was a questionable peach sort of color and question it you did. "Oh, come on, darling! It's not going to hurt you, I promise it'll help." The expression on Kol's face seemed sincere, so you sent him a soft smile.

Lifting the cup to your lips you took a small sip. The taste was earthy, yet sweet with a hint of something you couldn't quite place. "What's in h-he-ere?" You wondered, enjoying the drink's pleasant warmth.

"It's herbal tea." Kol shrugged. "With a secret ingredient, of course."

"Sp-spill," You demanded. The boy scoffed.

"And give you an excuse to get rid of me? I don't think so, darling. Now take your turn." You rolled your eyes but did as you were told. You passed two payday spaces and found buried treasure so you weren't going to complain. Play moved around the board two more times before Kol spoke up again. "So how do you feel?"

Well, you felt a little tingly but other than that-

Wait.

The pain was gone. Just gone. You hadn’t even noticed it leave.

"G-Good… I'm… I'm good!" You exclaimed with a bright laugh. "No h-hurt!"

Kol grinned and there was something unusually soft in it that made you feel something strange. You felt… special. "See? What did I tell you?"

You didn't give him time to be cocky, opting to tackle him in a hug before he had a chance to react. He seemed surprised but wrapped his arms around you a moment later. You buried your face in his neck and hoped how tight you were holding him could communicate the gratitude you could never say.

"Somebody's enthusiastic," Kol chuckled. You just held on tighter. "Ah! I'm being strangled! Jeremy, she's trying to murder me!"

"Don't act like you don't like it," Your cousin scoffed.

You snickered and Kol shifted your weight easily so he could glare at your cousin over your shoulder. "Load of help you are."

"Thank you, Ko-ol," You whispered. For once, you really truly meant it.

You felt Kol's hands smooth over your back, settling around your waist as he turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss to your temple. "My pleasure, love." He sounded like he meant it too.

"Seriously? Right here? Ugh, just take your turn, Y/N. You guys can make out when I leave," Jeremy grumbled. Your cheeks flared with heat and you let go of Kol, moving back to your seat to take your turn. The game ended a few turns later and Jeremy won, only because he'd stolen your salary card at the last second so you had ended up coming in second. Poor Kol had come in last and suffice it to say, he wasn't too happy about that.

"I still think you cheated," The British boy insisted as he helped clean up the game.

Jeremy shrugged. "You're the one who chose to skip college, man."

"It's his first time playing, give him a break." You had your phone out and let it do the talking.

Your cousin just shook his head with a smile. "Well, guys I gotta go, I've got work tomorrow. This was fun, though."

"We should do it again," Kol agreed.

Jeremy moved over to you and gave you a hug. "Be good," He hissed in your ear. He didn't give you time to smack him before he went for the door. Then he turned to Kol. "Hurt her and I'll kill you."

Kol nodded, a cheeky grin tugging at his lips. "Noted."

Jeremy sent him a thumbs up and you a wink. "Also, keep it down. 'Night!" He closed the door before you could throw anything at him and heaven knows you would have.

You groaned. What was his problem? Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? He probably thought he was being funny, but he really wasn't. His words just hurt, really because you knew you were hopeless. Kol would never like you that way, no one ever had and no one ever would, least of all him! He was so far out of your league you couldn't even see that far. He was handsome, witty, well-spoken, and British! And what were you? A broken Plain-Jane with speech aphasia who takes glow sticks from parties to make up for the fact that no one asked her to dance. Oh yeah, you had it all going for you.

"So, just you and me now, eh? Whatever will we do to pass the time?" Kol drawled, throwing himself down on the couch beside you. The grin he wore reminded you of a puppy somewhat, full of energy. You gave him your best attempt at a smile in return.

"It's okay, Kol. You can go now, if you want." If you spoke, you were sure your voice would betray what you really felt and you hated crying.

Kol's face fell. "Darling, is everything alright? Did I do something?" He seemed oddly sincere in his question and a tad bit nervous if you were reading him right. You had thought he was just a flirt for the fun of it but maybe… No. Getting your hopes up would only hurt. But Kol reached out and placed a hand on your knee and hope started to creep into your heart without your permission.

"Jer-Jeremy's go-one. You-You don't have to put u-up with-with me any-any-any-m-more." You stuttered and stumbled but perhaps it was better to say this yourself. "I know-ow you o-only h-h-hang out with me be-because of-of him." You looked away, letting your hair fall over your face like a curtain.

"Y/N…" His voice was soft and had you been looking you were sure you would have seen pity drawn across his features. "That's not true."

A bitter laugh escaped you as you shook your head. "D-don't say, uh, that. Don't, um… um… w-what is it? Uh… Don't, uh… Lie. Yeah. Don't lie." That sounded harsher than you meant it to but you could barely get it out at all. "P-pity doesn't h-help me. Don't do it."

"I'm not pitying you," He insisted.

"You-You al-already did. Not-not trying though," You sighed. It was always the same. Everyone thought that they were being helpful or kind but their attempts only served to burn you further. It would be better if they just did nothing at all.

"Y/N, please look at me." His tone was patient but you shook your head, content to hide behind your hair. Apparently, such a response wasn't enough for him. A sharp gasp escaped your lips as Kol's hand trailed higher on your leg. The pressure of his fingertips was all you could register and your eyes shot up to meet his. He watched you with concern and it… it looked real. "I'm not lying to you, darling. Jeremy and I are mates, but that has nothing to do with you and me. What I think of you, how I behave in your presence, that's for me to decide - it has nothing to do with him. If I choose to spend my time with a beautiful girl, it's because I enjoy her company… simple as that."

That wasn't an idea you could comprehend. People didn't enjoy your company, that was just part of your life. You were used to being ignored and pushed away. Anything else didn't make sense.

"No…" You shook your head. "No that's not-" Then it hit you. It hit you like a ton of bricks. Kol had just called you beautiful. The thought gave you pause and you frowned. "I-I'm not pr-retty." You had scars from the accident. They covered your shoulders, neck, chest, and back. Some even crossed your cheeks. They didn't make you beautiful.

Yet, Kol lifted his other hand and brought it up to cradle your face, his thumb brushing along one of those old scars. There was something in his eyes - it was focused and real. "Pretty? No." He smiled. "Gorgeous? Absolutely."

"No-no one else…" You struggled to find the words in your scattered, damaged mind. But as he stroked your cheek, your thoughts were consumed by the warmth that seemed to overtake you. You couldn't stop yourself from leaning into his touch, and when you did, the joy - the excitement - that flickered to life across his face made your heart pound. The guarded quality he always kept melted away, leaving his eyes kind and innocent.

"I think you'll come to find-" He began softly, leaning in closer. His right hand shifted ever so slightly higher and you swallowed deeply as his fingertips tenderly clinched your thigh. "-that I'm quite a bit different from other people you've met."

"Wha-what, um… speaking like?" You shook your head, unable to make sense of it - of him. Everyone always wanted something. What was it that he wanted from you? "How? How dif-different?"

The boy sighed, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Well, for one thing, I understand what it's like to lose a part of yourself," He claimed. You nodded, encouraging him to continue, and with a shaking breath, he did. "Something happened when I was younger and-and I lost the thing that made me… that made me. It-It was just… in a snap -" He snapped his fingers. "- it was gone. Gone and I couldn't have it back."

You could hardly believe it. He understood. He understood. He wasn't lying. In your lifetime of people trying to sugar coat things, you had gotten quite good at spotting a liar. But Kol was telling the truth. You could see it in the hurt contained in his eyes and feel it in the tremble that wracked his hands.

He really did know, and for the first time in so, so long - longer than you could remember - you truly weren't alone. It felt wondrous. And that boy, he leaned in closer to you still.

"I know what it's like to yearn for something you can't have; something just out of reach, so close you can taste it on the tip of your tongue..." Your foreheads were nearly touching and you hadn't realized it until now, but his eyes were fixed on your lips and he was still talking. "So close but you just can't have it and you keep reaching, keep hoping, but every time it dissolves in your grip, a little piece of you dies. And all you want is what's right in front of you…" His voice was so soft, just a dull mutter and you couldn't really hear it - so soft your hearing aids couldn't pick it out. But you could read the words on his lips and feel them in the air he breathed as it ghosted over your face. His eyes were on your lips and his breathing was heavy. It was like a spell and you wanted to kiss him. "So close… but not for you to keep…"

Kol's lips brushed over yours so gently you wouldn't have sensed it had you not been so hyper-aware of him at that moment. Your eyes fluttered closed and though there were butterflies filling your whole being, you felt oddly relaxed. Maybe it was the way he held you - as if you meant something - as if you were something he wanted. The feeling that flooded you then was odd - it was pure and blissful and right, right, right! What was it? You didn't know, you had no word for it.

"What i-is this?" You asked breathlessly. The lack of air was marvelous.

"Something I shouldn't do," He replied, too low for you to hear. You felt the words against your lips, reading them like Braille. And Kol shifted his hands to your waist, squeezing lightly.

"No?" You breathed. He was so close.

His lips nipped at yours just the slightest bit. "I shouldn't…" He shook his head a fraction and nipped again. "I-I shouldn't…" It was almost as if he were fighting something. Your hands moved on their own it seemed and fisted his shirt. It was something to feel - something you could believe in. You didn't know what he was fighting but you wanted this moment to win.

Kol cursed.

"But I want to."

And he was kissing you. He closed the space between you, setting your senses on fire. His lips were soft and warm and the way he moved was so sweet. You gasped against his mouth and he just kissed you harder. The experience was so strange, you had never kissed anyone before but Kol felt so safe. You felt so safe with him. The way he cradled you like you were something to be cherished sent something beautiful burning through your soul. It was real, he was real, he meant it - you knew it. He tangled one hand in your hair, tugging on the roots just a bit because he needed to make sure you were real too. Kol's mouth lingered, but one kiss wasn't enough for him and he was right - it wasn't enough for you either. He came back for more, pressing you closer to him. Each kiss seemed more adoringly hungry than the last. For each time his lips captured yours and for each time he pulled away, you counted:

One… Two… Three…

A quick breath in-

Four… Five…

Kol moaned sweetly, slipping a hand beneath your shirt - just so he could touch your skin. He didn't want anything else at that moment, only you.

Six… Seven… Eight…

He broke away, only for a moment and only so he could speak. You opened your eyes to look at him and he was perfect. He licked his lips. His voice was hoarse and pleading, his breaths ragged -

"Lay back."

And you did. Because Kol was safe. His lips found yours again and he positioned himself over you.

Nine… Ten…

Kol's perfect kisses left your lips, moving lower. Over your jaw, down your throat. He tugged at your shirt to leave a trail of tantalizing bruises along your collar bone and back up. He stopped at your jugular, pressing his lips against your pulse and groaning as if he were in pain… Why was he in pain?

"This wasn't in the plan," He murmured against your neck. "I should stop… I need to stop." Words spoken absently, as if to convince someone else.

You frowned and opened your eyes. "My f-fault?"

"No." He sighed heavily and his grip on your waist tightened. “No, it's not your fault.” With one final, lasting kiss to your lips, he shifted his hold on you and moved over so he could lay by your side. Twirling a strand of your hair around his finger, he smiled at you. "If anything, you're a little too fantastic." You weren’t sure what he meant and for a moment you wished you could read his mind. You wanted to know everything he was thinking.

"I don't see in-inside," You said, frowning. You ran a hand through his hair because you could and to tell him what you meant.

Kol laughed softly. "I'm saying I fancy you, darling.” He slid his hand away from your waist, over your hip, and down your thigh, squeezing carefully - as if asking permission. You shivered but didn’t protest and he repeated the motion over and over. “Was that not obvious?" You blinked, searching his face for any sign of a lie. You couldn’t find one.

"You… like… me?" It was real. He really did. That was more than your brain could process. "Why?"

And Kol just smiled, his sweet grip on your thigh tightening just a little in a way that told you he wanted you to pay attention. "Because you see with more than just your eyes. You look deeper and… you like what you see." He sighed, shaking his head with a laugh that held a ring of pain. "Not many other people do."

"We-we dance," You muttered, nodding. “Per-per-f-form.”

"It gets a little old, doesn't it?" He agreed.

"Yeah."

"You don't have to perform for me," He promised. Kol smiled in that crooked way he always did and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, pressing a butterfly kiss to your hair. "Come here, darling." He wrapped his arms around you and guided you to rest your head on his chest. It was warm and you could hear his heartbeat and this was all a first for you but it felt like the first of many.

He was so warm and you could have sworn you only closed your eyes for a second…

But when you opened them again, Kol wasn't there, and you knew you'd been fooled. It was ten AM and you were all alone. He hadn't even bothered to say goodbye!

You sighed to yourself as you sat up, burying your face in your hands. You kept your eyes screwed shut to keep the tears at bay but a small sob escaped your lips without your permission. As much as you wished you could shrug it off like you had every time before, you just couldn't, because it was different this time. This time it wasn't just a little scratch on the surface of your heart. This time it was a gouge the size of the Grand Canyon and it hurt like hell. It was different this time because Kol was different - at least, you'd thought he was. For once, you thought someone had actually meant their words to you - he'd had you so convinced. But you'd been wrong about him. He was just like everyone else.

To be honest, you should have known better. Kol was a flirt and he always would be. That was just who he was and maybe he couldn't help it, you thought. Maybe he was still a decent person, maybe he hadn't really meant to hurt you the way he had. After all, the boy had the attention span of an adult child and the impulse control of a-

Nevermind. He had no impulse control.

You just should have known better than to think he'd see something in you worth sticking around for. You were lucky to have gotten what you had from him. Guys like Kol didn't look at girls like you. Sure, you weren't ugly, but you were damaged beyond repair. Just a burden you couldn't expect him to bear.

That didn't make it hurt any less though. The way Kol had kissed, and touched, and held you - it had all seemed so real. But maybe you were just a fool to have believed it. No one had showed interest in you like that before, you should have known better that to think anyone ever would. Kol had been the first, yet you wished you'd never met him because you knew now that he would be the only one. And if he was the only one, then you could be sure you would never forget him. You would never forget his kisses, the gentle way he spoke to you, that playful glimmer in his eyes, the laughter he could coax from you, or the bruises he'd left along your collarbone. Even when those bruises faded, they would leave a sweet pain behind.

Resigning yourself to that fact, you stood and started with your day. You got dressed, made yourself breakfast, washed the dishes, and then checked your phone. You were somewhat surprised to find fourteen missed calls from Jeremy, though you weren't much in a talking mood, so you ignored them.

You really shouldn't have.

Because sometime around eleven-thirty, there was a knock at your door. You ambled over - a little listlessly if you were being honest - and answered it, fully prepared to tell whatever salesman was standing there to go away. The door swung open and your jaw dropped. There, leaning in the doorway, stood Kol. Now, normally that fact alone would have been shocking enough, but that was the least of your worries at the moment.

Because Kol was covered in blood.

"Good morning, darling. How are we today?"

He was smiling at you - beaming really - but his shirt was soaked in crimson, along with his jeans. It almost looked like he'd been laying in a pool of blood. His face seemed slightly ashen and in his shirt, right over his heart, was a large, jagged hole. Like he'd been stabbed. Yet the flesh beneath that hole was completely intact, without so much as a scratch.

"Kol? W-w-wha-what?" Your eyes were wide and you shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts. "W-what ha-ha-happen-end?" You demanded.

"Funny story about that, actually." There was so much blood. Yet he laughed. "Jeremy and I had a bit of a falling out, if you can believe that. One if his other friends stabbed me."

You gaped at him. He shouldn't have been standing. He should've been dead. "Y-you-you can't… You can't be h-here…" You whispered. You wanted to ask how he was still breathing but the words were lost on you.

Kol grimaced, but not as if he were in pain. "Sorry about that disappearing act earlier, darling. I think there's something you should know," He declared. "I haven't been entirely honest with you, and I promise I'll explain everything, but first…" Kol pushed himself off the door frame with a slight groan and stepped forward, placing a hand on your shoulder and trapping you in a vice-like grip. He looked deep into your eyes and you found yourself unable to break free.

"First, you're going to do exactly as I say."

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