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#living rent free in my head from the first moment i heard them
ibrokeeverything · 3 months
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Oh, I'm sorry. The clue board? You mean my clue board? That I made. We like the clue board now?
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jazjelspen · 3 months
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my angel baby
(alastor w/ angel daughter reader)
[caution!!: EPISODE 8 & 6 SPOILERS. NOT PROOFREAD]
(notes: alastor joins charlie and vaggie in heaven to convince them about the hazbin hotel. angel reader physically resembles a fawn. )
(right now this is considered a oneshot, unless there is a very high demand for a part 2 I'll happily make another one for funzies!)
(PART 2 IS OUT!!!)
(also apologies if alastor's last name isnt actually altruist LMAo I kinda just wrote it assuming so 😭 )
You made it to heaven, lucky you.
Heaven was surely a treat, you lived your days with the upmost happiness, the light of heaven shining on your skin with kisses as if praising you for your goodness and your sacrifices,
all your sacrifices.
You were currently taking the job over for St. Peter at the gates of heaven for just a few minutes to await for any wondering souls to appear, to help guide them while he came back from a lunch break. Normally they wouldn't allow a human soul like yourself with little experience in this kind of task to take charge of such an important job, but you were close to many of the high ranking angels and you have proved your proficiency in tasks that you set your mind to, so you were glad to help those in need.
You stood there reading through the millions of pages looking over all kinds of names, all seemed like names that you wouldn't normally hear back in your time when you died. Some you liked, others didn't exactly pique your interest much, but the advancement of names since the 1930s surely proved how much times have changed and how quickly time seems to pass in heaven.
You wonder if it is in hell too.
'Hell?..' you wondered as you shook your head and sighed, your mind has been on that place lately and you wondered if it was even worth the rent free space in your mind.
You were currently slouched over the book and decided to close it with a glum look on your face, your elbows now resting on the golden podium and your hands cupping your face.
Geez, and you've been thinking a lot about your old man.
What-- no wait-
You shouldn't call him your old man, let alone your dad, not even father, pops-- not even by his damn name.
Even so, as much as you hated it.. you couldn't help but still use his last name sometimes since it's what you were given when you were first taken in.
Your last name?.. why, you're forgetting already?
_____ Altruist is who you a---
"HELLO??"
You snapped out of your thoughts as your head slipped from under your palms, face planting onto the cover of the enormous book. In embarrassment you snapped your head back up and your wings followed suit, spreading open behind you in shock as your eyes searched for the voice that called out to you from below.
You finally darted down to see three oddly shaped figures, your panicked vision soon relaxing to see two girls and a man dressed in red from tip to toe.
How peculiar.
Your eyes only set on the girl at the moment since she was the one waving at you and basically begging for your attention.
"Hello hello! uh.. Down here!" The girl with long locks of pale yellow hair waved, her smile widening when seeing she's caught your attention.
"Ah- yes yes! Hello hello! Welcome to Heaven! May I.. uh-" you scrambled nervously to open the book in the middle of it, "May I have your name please?"
She nodded, also returning a bit of a shy attitude back "Yes of course! My names Charlie Morningstar!"
Just like that you flicked the pages to go to the names that sounded similar to the girl's, mumbling her name under your breath as your finger traced down each name on the list.. to your dismay you couldn't find it.
"You don't seem to be on the list ma'am.. how weird.. does this usually happen with St. Peter?.." you spoke in concern, mumbling the last part to yourself.
The girl then started to explain something about her dad getting her a meeting, your mind a little clouded still trying to find her name until you heard the forbidden name that no one inside the pearly gates ever attempted to say out loud.
"-- maybe try, Lucifer.. Morning...star-"
And just like that you slammed the book closed, no words coming out of your mouth but an exasperated look of shock freezing your face.
"Oh-hoho... that explains so much--" you gave her a small sheepish smile, awkwardly looking off to the side where your eyes couldn't help but drag themselves to the man dressed in red.
"Miss you don't think.. you could've..." your eyes at first looked at the man's waist, his coat lightly shredded at the ends and the stripes of the long suit guided your eyes upwards "-gotten..." up and up and your eyes met his. The red eyes, the ears, the small horns, the horrific aura, and..
Oh dear, you'd recognize that damned smile anywhere.
"--lost..?" the end of your sentence dragged on, taking a long while to finish since all you could think about is how this man is at the front door step of the place he shouldn't even be considered in being let to enter.
Alastor, your father from the living realm. Not connected by blood but by life and connection.
The man where you got your last name from by being taken in and called his daughter.
The red deer demon seemed to recognize you as well, a spark in his devilish eyes proved it so, but it was very brief since he more or less also seemed to relish the look on your face with his smile stretched further up.. however further up it could get.
Charlie seemed concerned at your reaction, waving her hand in front of your face gently as if to get you out of this trance. "Heyyy... are you okay?.." she asked with genuine worry until all of you were focused away from this bizarre moment when a set of three angels befell before you all. The two seraphims and finally-- St. Peter off from his break.
"_____. We can take it from here, we appreciate the help." The highest and oldest seraphim announced your name and her appreciation while gliding down a bit more earlier than the blonde angel you covered for, she and the younger seraphim's forms going from their true to more human-like appearances.
"_____! My dear friend thank you so much for covering for me, always a real helper you!" St. Peter popped beside you as he praised you while gently flying beside you, you looked up at him with a small nervous smile before opening your own wings to flap down from his podium and let him get back on the job.
"It's no problem at all, you know me! Always.. happy to help.." you spoke your last words to him before your wings gently took you down to set yourself beside another one of your friends, Emily! You never talked much to Sera that wasn't in a formal setting but Emily seemed so easy to get along with. She gave you a tight squeeze of a hug while saying hello which eased your nerves a bit more, of course they never fully disappeared with the man who ruined everything before you let out your last breath.. standing right in front of you.
The man that brought you up here in the first place.
The seraphims introduced themselves to the three residents of hell, the deer demon more quiet until finally finding a spot of silence to jump in and introduce himself as well.
"Why hello, a real pleasure meeting you two quite the pleasure! Never thought I'd ever get to see an angel up this close in my life HAHA! The names Alastor!"
The voice, the radio static over it, his name.
It was him, you recognized it as if you listened to him on the radio just yesterday, your own personal hell.
Whatever reaction or words the higher ranked angels said seemed to fizzle out of your brain as they were replaced with the memories of your last moments on earth.
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"Father!" you screamed as you ran up to your childhood home, the home to which you were raised and kept in, your home in which you lived in with your father, Alastor Altruist.
For sometime you had suspected foul play when it came to your father's weird actions when the night came, the tone he spoke through his radio show when announcing several murders happening across and haunting New Orleans. You just didn't want to truly believe that the man that found you, a poor little orphaned baby, and raised you would do such disgusting and diabolical crimes.
You couldn't believe it.. until you finally saw it.
Your legs scrambled and fought each step to become faster, finally reaching the door of your home you slammed it open with a strong kick after jiggling the doorknob didn't work.
You knew the next murder he would commit would happen in your home.. you thanked whatever force that made you disobey him and look through his study since if you didn't you wouldn't know that right now there was blood to be shed.
The door opening and with your kick full of adrenaline and panic it made the door barley cling onto it's hinges. There your father was, on top of a wounded man that seemed to be gurgling and gasping to breathe as the victim attempted to claw at Alastor's grasp. Pieces of glass and wood broken across the entire floor, walls bloodied and worn out, pictures that hung neatly now cracked and lopsided or shattered on the floor.
Whatever happened in here, the victim was sure a fighter in the beginning.
You immediately without hesitation with full force pushed Alastor off the man, pulling the bloodied stranger by his wrist. The victim and you stared for a moment, him mostly realizing that he's being saved by a young girl like you. His lips parted to thank you but you could see Alastor raise his kitchen knife in the air and sprinted toward him to stab him on the back.
With no words left to share or spill you grabbed the stranger by the shoulders and with all your might pushed him and yourself away so that in the end Alastor ended up stabbing nothing but air.
Alastor grunted in frustration, his bloodied smile yet never faltering despite the challenge you now gave him.
The man snapped his head at you, eyes fixated at you before snapping back to his victim and raising his knife up once more, in a haunting motion his steps creeped and creaked towards the injured New Orleans citizen stricken with fear and terror.
Just like that, Alastor slams his knife down with no hesitation. The knife fully in his prey with no inch of the blade uncovered.
Oh-- wait.
That shriek, the sobs, the shaky breathing and the coughs of blood.. that wasn't his victim.
It was you.
His daughter, he stabbed his daughter.
For a moment you could see his crazed smile falter, the humane part of him uncovering itself for a moment, for you.
His little girl was covered in her blood because of him, the little baby he found on that cold rainy day is dying because of him, his bundle of joy that he took years to take care of is leaving him.. and it's all his fault.
He didn't know it was you-- he didn't know you'd be that stupid to sacrifice yourself for some random prick.
He didn't know that in the end, someone as evil as him could have raised someone as selfless as you.
"p..papa..?" you whimpered, your painful coughs of blood spilling out and going down your chin and your neck. "It hurts-- g.. it hurts so much papa.." you cried as the knife in your chest seemed to feel as if it was melting into your skin, becoming one with you. It obviously wasn't but the pain was just that painful.
Alastor's smile faltered and kept trying to stay up, his own set of tears falling down his face and onto your cheeks that were slowly losing life. Regret stabbing his own heart the way he did to yours. He let go of the knife and instead cradled you in his arms, just like how he used to when you would have nightmares as a little girl.
"Shh.. Shh.." he shush you softly as he gently patted your head, moving away any uneven strands of hair he could spot with his hands trembling in regret. "Little one.. don't worry about a thing, papa's here.. " he mumbled, the gentleness replacing what once was pure aggressiveness.
Your eyes slowly started to flutter closed, your pulse slowing down, breathing less profound, your limbs going limp, and your face.. contorting into a peaceful state of slumber.
Alastor watched as you passed in his arms, his faltering smile picking itself up once more to stretch itself across his face with tears pouring out his eyes. This wasn't a smile of joy, it was a smile to hide what he truly felt.. to lie to himself. "My little angel, forgive me please."
Those were his last words to you, words that in the end you couldn't hear.
And that man he tried to kill earlier? He escaped when he was given the chance, Alastor was sure the cops were to invade his home soon.. now there was just one thing left to do before he'd be found once again to pay the consequences.
He took your body to a beautiful forest filled with flower meadows. Alastor knew this was one of your favorite spots as a young girl, why not let you rest here.
Ah but as he was preparing to bury you in your final resting place... that darn deer hunter.
Well, you know the story. Mistaken for a deer, shot, that's the end of Alastor Altruist and his darling daughter, ______ Altruist.
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As you stood there you were awoken from your thoughts with the high angels escorting the princess and her other female companion into the gates of heaven, St. Peter welcoming them humbly with one of heaven's popular songs.
You were frozen, in shock. A chill went down your spine as you felt a foreign energy come closer.
You felt long fingers grapple themselves onto your shoulder which made you dramatically turn towards the hand and away from it.
Your father wanted to talk to you.
Your contrasting colors and appearances made this reunitement even more uncomfortable for you, his demon form seeming to match his disgusting self that he hid from the human world before.
His face was hard to read, especially with that signature smile of his that even in death he would never get rid of.
"Little one, my darling daughter.." he spoke, his voice seemingly trying to seem genuine but the radio filter over it made it feel condescending to you.. as if mocking you.
The look on your face was evident, you missed him so much but hated him with your entire being because of that hidden side he kept for years.
He continued "My little ____... out of all places I never thought I'd see you here. Oh but it's definitely much better than down under my little dove.."
Geez what was he even saying?? What were his intentions..?? You couldn't tell.. after all this time, you couldn't forgive this man, this serial killer, this demon, this.. monster. You couldn't.. not this soon anyways.
You took a deep inhale and exhale before fixing your posture and stance, trying to seem more professional and confident. "Sir, your hosts and companions are ahead of you. You wouldn't want to miss your introduction to a place you'll never see again after this day." Your voice stern and professional, trying your best to be void of emotion.
"Darling.. is that truly a way to greet your dear ol' father?" He spoke, hand stretched out while the other held onto his staff.
"Your friends are waiting on you, don't be late Alastor."
Just like that you turned your heel and gave him the cold shoulder, your wings spread and started flapping. Taking you up and away further into your home.. Alastor watched you as you left him once again, this time by choice.
Ah but he knew, he'd have his darling daughter back soon. His little angel that he cared for will forgive him.. he knew you had to.
With his grin widening even further he walked to catch up to the Princess of hell and her partner into the pearly gates, to see what other thing could entertain him while his daughter snapped back to her senses.
(hello!! thank you so much for reading I had a blast with this. as you can tell. once again thank you so much for reading! hope to see you soon! mwa mwa!)
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truly-neutral-art · 6 days
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Din/Luke Pacific Rim AU pt.2
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Pt.1 | Pt.3
Another addition to this AU because It's been living in my head rent free for ages. I can't do a Pacific Rim AU without recreating the iconic Kwoon scene. Also, I was too lazy to draw backgrounds so I just stole them from the movie  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Under the cut is a teaser of the fic I'm trying to write. It's a first draft, so there's probably some mistakes. Also, I'm still kind of in Screen Writing mode from school, so please don't mind if there's not a lot of internal character narration.
“Four points to two,” Luke calls after the final candidate falls. His emotions are carefully masked on his face but Din can see how tense he is. 
“We’re wasting time, Marshal. He’s barely compatible with any of them, this isn’t going to work,” Luke says.
“What do you suggest?” The Marshal raises a brow. 
“Put me in charge, I’m drift compatible with several cadets. We don’t need him.” Luke gestures towards Din. The look on his face makes Din’s blood boil. Contempt. What did he ever do to Luke to earn this?
“What’s your problem, Skywalker?” Din stomps towards the edge of the mat. 
“I’ve already told you, I don’t think you're the right man for the job,” Luke replies. He’s now turned squarely towards Din, his face back to that eerie calm. It sends a shiver down Din’s spine. 
“No, there’s more. You’ve got a problem with me.” Din steps closer, trying to ignore the piercing blue of Luke’s eyes. 
“Enough! both of you.” Marshal Skywalker turns to them both. 
“If you think you’re so much better, then let’s go.” Din points his bō at Luke. “If you win, you can pilot the Crest. If I win, you back off.” Din holds Luke's gaze, projecting his challenge. 
“Neither of you are in the position to make that decision,” Anakin states, breaking the spell. 
“What? Think your own blood isn’t good enough to beat me?” Din didn’t know Marshal Skywalker that well, but from what he did know, the man was prideful. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest move, but it got him what he wanted. 
The Martial turned towards Luke, earning his attention. No words were exchanged between them, the Martial simply gave a nod. A brief look of satisfaction washed over Luke’s face. Din turned towards the mat to prepare for the fight before Luke’s eyes turned back to him. 
Luke stepped to the edge of the mat, shoes and outer shirt removed. He bowed at the waist before stepping forward. He was in a simple black tank top and the standard cargo pants. It was the first time Din had seen any of his skin exposed beyond his face. His arms and neck were covered in pale, lightning-like scars that looked like they extended beyond what Din could see. He wasn’t sure what to make of them. He knew almost nothing about Luke when he really thought about it. Only what he heard from the news from the past four years.
He had to admit, it made him earn a little more respect for the kid. At first he’d seemed like a petulant child who was getting his favorite toy taken away, but now, Din wasn’t as sure that was the case. He had no more time to think on it as he and Luke passed each other on the mat, walking to opposite sides, then turning to face each other. 
In the blink of an eye Luke swung his bō with the finesse of a warrior. He moved forward before stopping in the middle of the mat as he pulled his bō up in defense. Din followed suit, taking on a more aggressive starting position. He could tell Luke was analyzing him, eyes flitting around to every point of his body. Din took the opportunity to attack. In one swift moment he had his bō mimicking a strike at Luke’s skull. 
“One, Zero.” The words had barely left his mouth before Luke made a counter attack. In a flash Luke had reversed their positions with a satisfied smirk. 
Without wasting any more time the two began to fight again in an explosion of movement. The people in the kwoon reacted to them, but Din’s focus narrowed in until it was only them in the room. He watched Luke’s movements carefully, anticipating and blocking every attack that came and returning his own. He picked up on a franticness in Lukes’s movements and took advantage, landing an attack on his ribs. 
“You’re too eager, you’re projecting your moves,” Din commented as they reset. 
“I don’t need your advice.” Despite his words, Luke waited, ready for Din’s next move. 
Luke swiftly blocked everything Din threw at him and pushed back even harder. In the next moment Luke attacked with a flurry of blows, catching Din off guard. He was stronger than he looked. 
“Two, two.” Luke had once again evened the score. 
There was barely a pause before they were at it again. This bout lasted longer than the others, both having picked up on each other’s gambit. They danced around each other, the only sound in Din’s ears were the clacking of their bō staffs and their heavy breathing. Neither was holding back. 
In a blur of motion Luke darted towards Din’s legs, throwing him off balance. Din rolled out of the throw but as he lifted his head he was met with Luke’s bō to his throat. Luke's eyes were no less intense this close. 
“Two, Three.” Luke stepped back into a ready position. “Better watch out, Djarin.” There was a satisfied smirk on his face. He was winning. Din wouldn’t give up that easily. 
He pulled out every trick he had, but Luke seemed to always be a step ahead. He was too fast, almost as if he could read Din’s mind. From the outside it would almost look like this was rehearsed. In the end, it was Din’s weight advantage that won him the point. He moved in close and pinned Luke's arm before throwing him down to the mat. The blond hit the ground on his back, breath escaping his lungs from the impact. 
Din almost went to help him up but Luke threw his legs backwards into a handstand before standing back up. He barely looked affected, the only sign of fatigue on him was the sweat on his forehead that matted down his blond hair. 
“Three, Three,” Din called. “And there’s no need to show off.” 
The next point would declare a winner. There was a smile on Luke’s face, different from the ones before. This one was more open, leaving Din feeling dizzy instead of insulted. 
Din tried to understand it but there was no more time to ponder as Luke set on his next attacks. He was more aggressive than he’d been the rest of the fight but Din pushed back, not without some difficulty. Luke danced around Din with a frightening agility. The only thing that kept Din in the fight for so long were his reflexes. He knew he had to end this fight soon or Luke would eventually wear him down. 
In a decisive move Din attacked at Luke’s head, trading off his defense for offense. He had Luke on the move, nearly pushing him off the mat. However, before he could land a finishing blow Luke darted to the side, slipping his leg between Din’s and toppling him to the floor. When Din processed what happened, he was pinned under Luke’s hips on his chest and his bō at his neck. 
Cheers erupted from the gathered crowd, but Din’s view had narrowed into Luke as he stood up. Din stayed on the ground, still a bit stunned from the end of the fight. He wasn’t really sure how to feel about its outcome. But one thing was for certain, he and Luke were drift compatible. Very drift compatible. 
Din was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t even realize Luke was reaching down to him until his hand was in his face. He took it and allowed Luke to help him to his feet. 
“You felt it too, didn’t you?” Luke asked.
“Yeah.”
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gadriezmannsgirl · 7 months
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Hi! Love your work could you write a gavi × reader where reader is on vacation in Spain and gavi sees her from afar and he can't stop looking at reader like live at first sight and his friends see him watching you and tell him to make a move and he does and his friends tease him bc he finally found someone
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Celebration fic for the 1K followers✨
Vacations with Love at First Sight -P.G6
Summary: At vacations the last thing you both thought was falling in love.
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You were in delight when you got your vacations after studying so hard for five months and two weeks straight, Uni was kicking your calm, patience and sleep hours and now you were done, you were finally getting them back for another two weeks. And it may not be the whole time you'd like but it was what you get and you were going to take the best of it.
You and your friends wanted and decided (After a lot of begging to your parents), that you were going to spend the two vacations week in Ibiza, you have rented the house you were staying in for, you have the food, the restaurants, everything.
And now after three days of being there already, you were loving the idea of coming next summer to Ibiza, the place was so nice and quiet enough to reload your batteries and have a great time with your girls.
What you didn't know was that you had a little admirer looking at you three tables away.
Pablo Gavi, who was also in Ibiza with his friends after a hardworking season with the Barcelona and the National Team, had his eyes on you since the moment you walked through the door with a smile on your face.
"Would you stop looking like a creep?" Adbe, one of Pablo's friends said
"I'm not a creep"
"Please, you have been looking at the girl ever since she came here" Javi joined besides him as Pablo gave him a look "You're not even trying to hide anything" Pablo rolled his eyes as his friends laughed lightly "She's pretty"
"Yes, she is" Aurora nodded agreeing with her boyfriend
"C'mon, Pablito" Fermín smiled at his friend "Go talk to her"
"She's pretty but I don't like her. I can't distract myself with girls, I need to focus for the next season. Besides, she's with her friends, she won't pay attention to me or will just think I'm stupid"
"She won't" Aurora replied "You obviously like her, season is over now, you can relax yourself and have a great time Pablo. Girls won't distract you from anything"
"I won't go"
"Fine. I'll go"
"Aurora, what are you doing?"
"Making friends" And that's how the seven guys watched how Aurora walked over to your table and a few seconds later, you stood up grabbing a chair from the empty table besides you and invited her to sit, which she gladly did
"Oh fuck" Carlos said laughing "Your sister's amazing"
The guys were laughing while Pablo was shaking his head softly looking at you, wondering how easy was for his sister to engage a conversation, he couldn't believe it.
"Aurora's calling me" Javi said standing up
"You're leaving?"
"My girl calls" The guys laughed before Aurora appeared
"The girls are okay with you sitting with them, if you'd like"
"This is your chance, Pablito" Mario said smiling and standing up "It's okay to have someone, you know?"
"Yes, Pablo" Fermín nodded "Stop with those things going on your head, be free and happy"
Pablo sighed watching his friends go around your table, watched how you got two tables together for all of you and slowly let himself stand and walk towards you.
"Hello" He tight smiled and inmediately he was received with your smile and a wave "Where can I sit?"
"There's a seat next to Y/N" Javi said inmediately and it was as if he knew who you were, his eyes went to yours and you smiled moving your chair to the side leaving a seat free for him.
He instantly went to sit next to you with his nerves at the top of his head and actions
"Hello" He heard your voice and instantly fell in love with it, he smiled at you "Y/N Y/L/N" You stuck your hand out and he shook it
"Pablo Gavi" He smiled
"You're Aurora's brother, right?" He nods
"Sorry if she came out a bit too much" You shake your head
"She's lovely"
And that was the start of a conversation with Pablo. Both of you, hitting it off instantly, no one, not even your girl friends, dared to disrupt your conversation with the Sevillano.
"I'm gonna go and bring me another drink" You said standing up "Guys... You want a refill?"
A few "yes" came through the table as you picked their drinks
"I'll help you, girl" You best friend, Pamela said standing up
"Don't you worry, Pamela" Fermín said "Pablo can help her"
Looks were directed to Pablo "Yes, of course!" Pablo said standing up and helping you with the drinks.
You walked over and asked for the refill and as you waited, you and Pablo were in silence for the first time of the evening.
"Y/N" You heard your name being called and you turn to Pablo "What are you doing later?"
"Um- I don't know... Maybe later with the girls go to our room and watch some movie or go to the beach, why?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out?" He asked and you smile softly nodding
"Sure, where are we going? Are the guys coming as well?"
"I meant just you and me" Pablo said nodding while pointing to him and you
"Oh! Yes, of course!" Your nods and smile calmed him down "Where are we going?"
"Wherever you want to" You laugh nodding
"What time?"
"Does 5pm sound good?" You nod "Perfect. Make yourself prettier than you already are"
"You think I'm pretty?"
"I don't think you are pretty. You are pretty, I'm just lucky to see it"
"You're a charming one, Pablo" He smiled feeling the blush come to his cheeks "And a very shy one as well"
"Ay, cállate" (Oh, shut up) You laughed carefree as you were being watched by Javi, Aurora, Mario and Fermín
"Told you he was gonna do it" Mario said happily
"I'm happy for him" Fermín said
"So are we" Javi replied for him and for his sister. You came back with the drinks and instead of sitting, you remained up
"Seat's free to sit" One of your friends, Melisa joked as you laughed lightly
"I know it is but we won't sit right now"
"Why?"
"We are going on a walk" Pablo answered smiling softly "I'll bring her back before 9pm"
"You better" Your best friend, Pamela said with a smile "Take care guys"
With a smile, Javi opened his phone and went inside their group chat "Distracted already?🥴 You left your glasses"
And with that text a lot of teasing came through to the poor Sevillano, who couldn't care less about his phone at the moment, he was happy he followed his friends advice.
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Taglist: @gaviypedrisbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover @azzpenswrld @http-isabela
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soaringthoughts · 1 year
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:: A MISFORTUNE'S VESSEL. ( chapter 1 )
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lowercase intended. CONTENT WARNING: depressing topics, implied deaths. PAIRINGS: aqua hoshino x reader A/N: MINOR changes on the plot in order to squeeze the reader in and make the plot make sense, such as: reader is the daughter of Miyako and Ichigo Saitou. this is the only change I made in the plot so it doesn’t affect the main stream of Oshi No Ko that much. POV is second person pov. reader is AFAB. english is not my first language so expect some grammar errors. usage of [name] instead of Y/N. reader is addressed by name instead of pronouns.
story starts with the reader already knowing Aqua from his past life (Goro Amamiya) and will only focus on that for the meanwhile, next chapter will be Aqua.
my first fanfic! open for criticisms. word count: 3,079 words
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a disappointment. that's what you're always labeled as. you've already reached the age range wherein you're finally capable of getting hired in a job, but of course, you can't get yourself one. didn't finish college either, makes you wonder how vast your parents' patience must be to let you keep living under their roof despite not returning the favor of their great care by accomplishing something. and just as if the world was opposing you, you got caught in a car crash on your way home from a job interview.
perhaps you are binded by fate to just stare at the solid concrete ceiling of your hospital room.
………….
“my [name]..” the guttural whines of worry from your mother will live rent-free on your head. it was the hint of concern and worry in your parents' words that's evident in their voice, but it was only the glint of dismay in their half-lidded eyes that you saw.
you absolutely see no point in living now. you've always been a disappointment for your family the whole time, and now, you even made things worse by practically forcing them to charge for your hospital fees.
dealing with both fatal, incapacitating injuries, and heart failure was a rough circumstance for you, and it only doubles the fees that your parents need to charge.
your mind was all stirred from all these heavy thoughts as the guilt continued to consume you, perhaps the world got stuck in an endless time loop to maintain your suffering on purpose.
“I won't be surprised if your body stays frozen like that for hours.” it's almost as if a shrieking noise snapped you out from your thoughts the moment you heard your doctor spoke. you remained silent however, not the slightest bit of word slipping out of your mouth. this doctor was getting on your nerves lately. you were never a fan of small talks nor a conversation itself. you always thought that drowning in your thoughts while getting lost in your own little world as your eyes are solely focused on the scenery across the window was better.
“Do I have something to say?” your remark was thrown off in a sarcastic manner as your gaze was still fixated on the window, which only raised a hint of concern on his face further. but his expression remained neutral.
“You've been staring at the window for an hour. It wont hurt to initiate a conversation from time to time.” he let out a ragged exhale. was he also getting tired of you? of course. he's been guarding you in your room for hours after all, you still don't know why but perhaps it's to keep you company and to have someone present in case there's something wrong with your injury.
“…” it was the pause of silence that's somehow clear and tranquil within the walls of the room. he was right. you are worn out by the boredom, too, so maybe, just maybe, you'll get some source of entertainment if you finally speak. “Doc, have you ever felt like the whole world is against you?” maybe his eyebrows raised in amusement. maybe it was because he found you weird. but it's either of the latter.
“..The world has to be unfair to everyone in some aspects. It's not just us who experience it.” you aren't sure whether it was the answer you were looking for, but his response intrigued you. he isn't so bad for an 'old' doctor after all, you thought. "And if you please, just call me Goro." he followed up after.
“Wouldn't that be unprofessional?” you immediately detached your eyes off of the window to dart it at his for a moment, and the first thing that you saw was the startled and surprised expression written all over his face. “Are you serious all the time?” he shot back in a questioning manner. although it might sound a little offending, to you at the least, you only let out a slight laugh at his remark. “I thought we're supposed to be professional with doctors. It would sound off to refer to you as a mere friend.” you asked back again with that slight smile now evident on your face.
“Well, that's for other doctors, I suppose.” Goro responded with a shrug. you hummed at the answer, maybe he prefers to be casual unlike the others. that would indeed open up a path for you two to get along. "I'm-" just as you were about to say your name in return, he interrupted you. “[Name]. I already know from your documents, so no bother.” I can't tell whether he is bragging about that or.. you thought to yourself as you felt your eye slightly twitch at his straightforwardness.
“So, [Name]. What do you think of the entertainment industry?”
“Why'd you ask?”
“Just a question, really. I have this patient of mine that's obsessed with a certain idol.”
“Ai Hoshino?” Goro's eyebrows raised at your sudden response. it's almost as if he wasn't expecting it, but deep down, he knows that Ai is way too popular to not be known by everyone.
“Don't tell me you're obsessed with her too?”
“Not obsessed. I just admire her.”
“As for the entertainment industry, I know for sure that the way they operate behind the scenes is a mess. I'm not even an idol nor an actor myself but I can tell that the impression they display in public is fake.” Goro seemed to be fascinated by your words, his face obviously plastered with a look of both amusement and interest as he stared at you in silence for a brief moment.
“How can you te-” you could've sworn that the time was ticking slow. but before you realized it, the sun was about to hide behind the arms of the horizon as the rays of the sunlight lit through the window. Goro was interrupted mid sentence as well when he noticed this. “Ah, too bad I have to go.” he simply said as he got up from his seat and dusted off his coat.
"Already?" you frowned a little at this, considering that you're finally intrigued to talk to someone after for what's been like years.
"It's just the end of my shift. I'll be present tomorrow." there was a slight smile curved up on his lips before leaving the room, and boy, you felt at ease hearing those words.
………………………………………………..
you didn't know whether to feel happy or upset now that you only have a day left before you'll get discharged from the hospital. you didn't want to burden your parents anymore longer, but why are you upset now that you're finally free once again? there's this something in you that makes you want to stay more. or maybe it's just your attachment to Goro? you don't know.
just as when you are once again drowning in your thoughts, you got snapped back to reality by someone's voice. it's him.
"What are you doing all the way up here at this hour?" you immediately recognized his voice. you wanted to hear it more often─ but too bad, you just can't stay here just because you want to.
the gentle breeze of the countryside air softly swayed your hair locks back and forth. the rooftop of the hospital was dim and was only illuminated by the ray of the moonlight, hovering over the figure of the both of you as Goro kept staring at you from a distance.
and of course, you just felt like being sarcastic for one more remark, "Is it so bad to chill on the hospital's rooftop before my discharge?" his chuckle was completely audible despite the soaring roars of the wind and the continuous noises of the vehicles over the roads.
sure, it's loud here on the rooftop caused by those sounds, but that doesn't matter since it's his voice that your ears can only hear well.
"I suppose it would carve a memorial to make this our usual spot before your discharge."
"I'm not yet dead, you know." you surely are going to miss his jokes once you get out.
"I know, I know." the rooftop was immediately radiating with a positive aura as you both laughed. "Well? What are you gonna do now that you're back to your usual life?" he closed the stairway door and made his way to you, leaning over the railings as he stared into nothingness.
"…" there was a brief silence once again as the wind continued to leap through the garments of your clothing and hair. your chest heaved as you exhaled, also walking over the railing as you leaned on it beside him. "I don't even know. Not like I had a plan anyway." just the thought of getting discharged and living back to your normal life irks you. the same old, repetitive, dull, and 'being' a disappointment days will return. It will return now that you're out of the hospital just right when you already found someone who understands you well. you expected this from the start. good experiences come and go, but you still can't gather the wits to accept it.
"You know, I can't seem to do anything right even if I try hard. I always surge into actions with preparation and always come back empty-handed. It must be nice to live a life wherein you are blessed with skills and luck."
Goro knew that you had some depth in your words. you've told him about your struggle in finding a job and the results of your entrance exams in college before, so he immediately knew how to respond to you.
"A caterpillar must undergo a dissatisfying process before eventually blooming into a beautiful butterfly." his eyes were glistening with sincerity as he muttered those words out. although he was still staring into nothingness and eventually into the starry night skies, you just fixated your gaze on him.
"You can't be saying that."
"I can be saying that."
"But the caterpillar's progress will go to waste when a human steps on it."
"That caterpillar will remain wounded but still manage to live."
"It can still die after being stepped on."
"And it can still live after being stepped on."
"Why are we talking about caterpillars?"
"Because you're the caterpillar we're pertaining to." you quickly lost it and let out a laugh at Goro's remark this time. you knew he was referring to you, but why were you two talking about caterpillars instead? "Seriously, the caterpillar will die."
"Then that caterpillar will get reincarnated." his response this time was tacky, you can't help but laugh at it. of course his words were obviously laced with sarcasm, but you couldn’t help but see a fragment of hope in his words.
and for the first time in your life, fate resided within you. because guess who got reincarnated as the child of the president of an entertainment production.
“She is beautiful.” those were the first words you heard the moment you regained your consciousness and maintained the track of the world. and a pair of rosewood eyes were the first thing you laid your eyes on.
your mother was welcoming. your father, on the other hand, “Let’s just hope this won’t hinder our work.” you didn’t really have anything to say to him. perhaps he was just worn out from his work. he is the president of his company after all.
“Sorry about that, [Name]. Your father’s just immersed in his work. I’ll be the one who will take care of you by then. Although I’ll have to take you with me to the home of our company’s prized star to also keep watch for two of her children.”
not only is your father drowning in a stack of work to do, your mother is also forced to be in charge of taking care of children. it seems like she doesn’t like the duty of being a babysitter, you can tell it by her face and the way her chest heaved when she sighed. so you swore to yourself that you will behave well and remind the 2 other kids to do so as well.
strangely, you still remember how you lived your past life. your family, your memories, the time of your death, the place of your death. all of it is still fresh on your mind.
the world really does hate you, from your beginning and even until your end. you can’t accept the fact that the last memorable thing you had before your death was that conversation you had with Goro on the hospital’s rooftop. he told you that he’s in charge of delivering the babies of Ai the day before that, and that he is also supposed to guard you afterwards. but you never saw him come.
it was as if fate was playing you in its hands that they decided to give you a heart attack at that exact time. there were no doctors present as the rest of them were dealing with the other patients, so you were only treated by the inexperienced nurses.
you expected Goro to come, but you remembered that he is dealing with the giving birth of Ai.
“Then that caterpillar will get reincarnated.” it’s silly how those were the last words that flashed on your mind before your heart gave up. perhaps that interaction you had with him on the rooftop really was something special after all.
“Are you ready to meet them, [Name]?” it hasn’t been long before Miyako arrived with you at the home of the prized star she referred to. you could’ve sworn you’ve been blessed by the deities when it was none other than Ai Hoshino. this new life you have is definitely better than the former one you had.
your eyes met with hers. and of course, you got lost in it. “Is that [Name]? She’s adorable!” well that was a side of her that you expected. she really is carefree even when behind the screen.
“This is my daughter Ruby, and my son over there on the couch is Aqua. You guys will frequently spend more time here while I’m away so I hope you three will be the bestest of friends!” you didn’t appreciate how Ai shoved Ruby in front of you for the introduction, but liked her welcoming energy either way.
this was really a new experience for you. you didn’t expect to be close with your idol in your new life at all. but you’re not complaining either. this is your new life now, you’ve decided to just enjoy your life as a baby once again despite the big contrast between your true mental age.
“Come on. It’s time for work.”
“I’m out~”
the room was immediately confined with tranquility the moment your father, Ichigo, and Ai, headed out for work. while your mother, Miyako, just laid face-down on the sofa and groaned in distress.
‘I probably shouldn’t bother her.’ you can tell how frustrating it could be to take care of three children, so you just let Miyako be and sat on the clean mattress on the floor just in front of the TV.
Ai’s son, named Aqua, was also sitting from a distance on the mattress with you. there was an awkward silence between the two of you as expected. you didn’t feel like you’ll get along with his sister either, since you’ve been told that she’s younger.
that silence remained for what felt like an eternity before broken by the sounds of the TV when Aqua turned it on without a word. and oh boy, your eyes lit up with particles of stars when you saw Ai on the screen. you both watched in silence, admiring the appeal Ai has when performing. eventually, you two were distracted with a familiar whine from the crib.
“N station has already started! Why didn’t you wake me up?!” you have to admit that you didn’t like Ruby at first, but the interests that you two share just now made you want to get to know her more.
she quickly hopped off the crib and sat next to you, all the while squealing and rambling about how remarkable her mom is.
unlike you, Aqua just gave her a look with that neutral expression of his. he seemed too composed for his age, you thought. but you shrugged that thought off.
“Well, I suppose the three of us would be acquaintances considering that we all look up to the same person.” you simply said before fixating your focus back on the TV.
“Do you normally talk like that?” Aqua’s question caught you off guard. ‘shoot. were my words formal? not like it will blow me away anyway, right?’ living on a child’s body completely slipped out of your mind. you just prayed to yourself internally that this boy wouldn’t think of something bizarre.
“Huh? Talk like what?” your attempt at trying to dodge the question was poor. especially the awkward clearing of your throat and the laugh you did that added up to it.
the confusion and skepticism was evident on Aqua’s face, you can’t tell whether he is judging you or just trying to process that hell of a formal usage of words you did. either way, he just stared at you in disbelief for a couple of moments before shrugging it off.
“Looking forward to getting along with you, then.” of course, you were also surprised by his response. but held your tongue back. there’s no way this boy is also a reincarnation of someone simply because of how he talks or acts.
maybe he just learnt how to speak properly at such a young age.
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steddieasitgoes · 5 months
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@steddiemas Day 5 Prompt: Grinch vs Christmas Cheer
Tags: Modern AU, Eddie Munson & Jeff, Steve & Eddie Are Neighbors, Teacher Steve, Meet Cute
wc: 1863 | Rating: T
Read on ao3 | ao3 collection
“I thought you said you talked to them?” Eddie groans. He tips his head so far back he wobbles in the chair for a moment before he rights himself and buries his head in his hands. “I can’t work under these conditions!” 
“I don’t think planning a campaign counts as working,” Jeff teases. 
They’re in their apartment kitchen. Jeff cooking something that smells a hundred times better than the vending machine sandwich he had for lunch at the shop. Free from his day job, Eddie’s working on something he actually cares about now. The latest Dungeons & Dragons handbook is open to a random page while his trusty notebook sits open. There’s no use in hiding it from Jeff. It’s not like he could decipher Eddie’s chicken scratch penmanship anyway.
Besides, he hasn’t gotten much of anything done since he plopped down on the worn leather chair. It’s hard to work with the blaring sound of Mariah fucking Carey’s Christmas album playing on repeat for the third day straight coming from their neighbor's apartment. The obnoxious whirling of the fans keeping a dozen or so Christmas inflatables blown up on their shared stairwell and balcony also doesn’t help. 
If this continues any longer, Eddie swears he’s going to find them a new place to live. The peace and quiet would be worth losing out on their rent-controlled place. At least, Eddie thinks so. Christ, he misses the Richards who moved last year. He’d take their scowls and snide comments over this Christmas madness any day. 
“It absolutely counts as working,” Eddie scoffs, shooting a glare in Jeff’s direction. “And don’t change the subject, Jefferson. Did you even talk to Mr. and Mrs. Claus next door?”
Jeff snorts, shaking his head before returning to the pot of sauce he has simmering.  “No, I didn’t and I’m not going to.” 
“Jeff!” Eddie whines. “Your job as the approachable one of this house is to confront our neighbors when they’re annoying us.” 
“Okay, but they’re not annoying me.” 
“Well, that’s a lie. You hate Michael Buble as much as I do and I know you heard his stupid crooning voice at seven this morning like I did.”
“Okay, you’ve got me there,” Jeff sighs, turning away from the stove to face Eddie. “But I can’t tell them to lower their music! Not when they haven’t complained once about the shit you blare at all hours of the night or our Corroded practices when we have nowhere else to go.” 
If Eddie was less stubborn, maybe he’d see that Jeff has a point. But he is stubborn, so he doubles down instead. 
“That’s different.” 
“It’s really not.” 
“Fine,” Eddie shouts, throwing his hands up in defeat. The headache festering behind is eyes is too painful for him to keep arguing with Jeff. Besides, he’s never been able to push Jeff around. It’s why they make such good roommates. “Can you at least talk to them about their decorating habits then? I had to wade through a fucking forest of inflatables this afternoon. M’pretty sure Frosty the fucking Snowman almost punched my balls.” 
“Eds, need I remind you that a few days ago you had the entire place decked out for Halloween? How is a few inflatables different than all those skeletons and demon shit you had up?” 
“First of all, how dare you compare my artistry to whatever is going on outside,” Eddie scoffs. He’s going to give himself a sore throat if he keeps this up. “I have taste. My decorations told a story! Those inflatables aren’t even from the same properties. They’ve got Santa Mickey next to the fucking Grinch! Charlie Brown mingling with Yoda! There’s no plot!” 
Jeff’s shoulders slump, forearms coming to rest on the kitchen counter so he’s at eye level with Eddie. “Just look on the bright side. At least they haven’t done one of those obnoxious light shows like that stupid reality show.”
As if Jeff accidentally summoned a demon in the form of Christmas cheer, a burst of red and green floods their apartment. Their once dimly lit kitchen looks like the inside of a club, red and green lights flickering with the occasional white and blue mixed in. The flickers are timed with the beat of another Mariah Carey Christmas song. 
This is what hell must look like, Eddie thinks, as he glares at Jeff. 
“What did you do?” 
“I didn’t do anything,” Jeff defends, hands up in surrender. 
Eddie can seem him struggling not to laugh and it takes all the energy he can muster not to reach around the counter and playfully punch his shoulder. How can Jeff think this is funny? The flickering lights completely goes against their moody aesthetic! Not to mention it’s a health hazard! There’s no way Gareth is going to be able to come over here — not with the way he’s so sensitive to strobes. 
Jesus H. Christ and it’s only November 25th! He has to put up with this for weeks! 
“It’s not funny, Jefferson!” 
“I mean,” Jeff snorts, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his smile from growing. “It’s a little funny.” 
🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬 🎅🏼 🎄 🤬
The lights have not fucking stopped. Not for one single day. Eddie had hoped his neighbors would have grown tired of the constant strobing and Christmas music by now. But nope. A week and a half and its still going strong. 
He’s going to lose his goddamn mind. 
“Jeff,” Eddie hisses, lifting the blanket of his makeshift fort enough that he can make eye contact with Jeff. Or at least, try to. Jeff’s perched in their recliner with the biggest pair of sunglasses Eddie’s ever seen. “Please. I can’t take much more of this!” 
“It’s not that bad.” 
“I might have believed you if you weren’t wearing those ridiculous things,” Eddie snorts. He waits for Jeff to retort but when he doesn’t, he groans and slowly emerges from the safety of his blanket fort. Christ he forgot how bright those damn things are. 
Stalking over to their small entryway, Eddie hastily tugs on a pair of boots and reaches for the doorknob. 
“What are you doing?” Jeff asks, voice laden with concern. 
“Someone has to confront the neighbors!” 
He doesn't give him time to respond, yanking the door open and slamming it shut behind him in one fluid movement. It should be a short trip to the neighbor's front door, just a few long strides, but Eddie forgets to account for the fuckton of inflatables cluttering the path. He ducks around Frosty, flipping him off when his stupid wood arms nearly deck his balls, again and forcibly shoves Mickey’s face away from him. 
It takes another bit of carefully navigating before he finally reaches the front door adorned with a festive wreath. These people really left no spot undecorated. Eddie doesn’t spare them the decency of a nice, neighborly knock or ring of the doorbell. They’re way past that. Instead, he makes a fist and slams his knuckles into the wood door, and keeps going. Knock. Knock. Knockknockknock. 
They probably can’t hear him over the damn music, Eddie thinks, as his knuckle turns redder and redder. Just when he’s about to retreat and face Jeff’s smug wrath, the door opens. 
The first thought that passes through Eddie’s mind is oh, he’s hot. The second, more vital thought, comes a moment later. He’s going to kill Jeff. How dare he not disclose how attractive this guy is the minute he met him months ago? 
The guy, who Eddie vaguely thinks is named Steve, looks just as surprised to see him as he is. Decked out in an obnoxious Santa-themed apron and green plaid flannel pants, his cheeks are spotted with flour and his hands are stained a faint red color. Judging from the delicious aroma of vanilla and peanut butter wafting into the hallway, Eddie interrupted some very serious baking. 
“Oh, you’re not the Instacart shopper,” maybe Steve frowns. “Can I help you?” 
“Oh, uh,” Eddie trails off. He’s here for a reason, he knows this, but his mind is blank. Distracted by the smells and the lights and the gorgeous fucking man standing in front of him with hazel eyes so sparkly Eddie’s pretty sure he belongs in a cartoon. “I’m Eddie, your neighbor.” 
I’m Eddie, your neighbor? 
This cannot be the same brain that creates intricate, plot twist-ridden campaigns that last months. Absolutely not.
“Ah, so you’re Jeff’s roommate! It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Steve.” 
“Right, Steve” Eddie nods. He’s not sure why he nods, it’s not a normal thing to do when you meet someone, and yet, he can’t stop nodding. Stop fucking nodding! 
“So, uh, what brings you by?” Steve asks, casually leaning against the doorframe. 
“Oh, I uh…” The lights. You were coming here to complain about the lights! “I came to tell you, uh… I could smell you baking!” Oh my fucking god. “You know these walls are thin and we, uh, share AC vents or something I think? So the smell was filling our place and it smelled so good I just, uh, had to come over and see what you’re baking?” 
If Jeff was here, Eddie’s pretty sure he’d be two seconds away from collapsing in a fit of laughter. Thank god he’s not. As soon as he gets back to his room, he’s going to take a lukewarm shower and try to forget this entire interaction ever happened and then hide from Steve for the rest of his life. 
“Oh, I’m making peanut butter cookies.” Steve’s smile is almost as blinding as the twinkling lights and like a moth to a flame, Eddie can’t look away. “One of my students has been having a rough time and they’re their favorite.”
“Damn, maybe if I had a teacher who baked me cookies I would have done better in school.” 
Steve laughs, “Tell me about it. Actually, uh, do you want to help? I’m allergic to peanut butter and my best friend is tied up at work. I could really use a taste tester. Make sure they’re edible.” 
“Oh, uh…” Eddie glances over his shoulder and takes in the sight of the sea of inflatables staring at him with their beady painted on eyes, squints at the obnoxious flashing lights keeping time to a terrible cover of “Jingle Bell Rock.” Together it’s the reminder he needs as to why he trekked over here in the first place, but when he turns he’s hit with a punch of peanut butter and well… “Not to toot my own horn, but I am a pretty good taste tester.” 
“Perfect,” Steve smiles, pushing himself off the doorframe. “Kitchen’s this way.” 
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Eddie returns an hour later. Belly full of joy just peanut butter cookies, but also chocolate chip, and gingerbread, and some cinnamon concoction that had him considering a marriage proposal on the spot and a tupperware overflowing with said cookies. 
Jeff is still in the living room, sunglasses shielding his eyes, but Eddie knows him well enough to know he’s judging him. 
“Don’t say a word,” Eddie sneers, heading straight for the kitchen. 
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akane171 · 4 months
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­­­Things about Ron Speirs that live rent free in my head
-“SPEIRS, GET YOURSELF OVER HERE!”
I don’t know what I like most about this scene. The fact Dick just furiously passed Sink and ignored his commander, because his boys were getting screwed? Speirs running to him and then without a single word sprinting to do the job? Or Nixon with his binoculars liveblogging the whole  battle? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
-The change in his voice and intonation between “I’m taking over” and “First Sergeant Lipton!”.
-The church scene, when Lipton says Easy men didn’t care about the gossips… It was HILARIOUS. Like, Lip? Sweetheart? Ron scared the shit out of Christenson and some poor innocent kids in the same damned ep. I could hear Pat’s sobbing in the background during that scene, mixed with the nuns’ chorus.
-A man needs a hobby and his was trolling people. Aside of the whole “did he or did he not shot the prisoners”, he enjoyed the gossips, appearing suddenly out of nowhere, while giving creepy speeches and traumatizing people. And he did it fabulously. Legend.
-His little, millisecond pause, when we watch his back while Lipton says “Well, maybe they keep talking about it because they never heard Tercius deny it”.
-And two things about this scene. Lipton knows Speirs was trolling people and it was amusing him. And Ron’s answer “Well, maybe that’s because Tercius knew there was some value to the men thinking he was the meanest, toughest sonofabitch in the whole Roman legion” - he knows Lip knows he was trolling people and (not directly) admits it. He never did that to anyone else, what also means he really respected Lipton (gross sobbing).
-Anyway, this whole church scene is a pure love and I adore every second of it.
-He was a history nerd ;_; I’m kind of sad, we didn’t see him and Buck taking about some ancient battles in Gaul.
-He kept tabs on Easy xD how much he’s learnt from creeping in the shadows and eavesdropping – no one knows xD
-The fact real Speirs was shot in the ass on some of his solo patrols proves he was just meant to be Easy’s CO. Fucking destiny.
-His favourite sergeant was Grant (ok, ok, put the pitchforks DOWN, I said sergeant NOT lieutenant, geez).
-The fact no one called him “Sparky” in the show is a crime against humanity. But at least we got one “Ron” from Winters. Still…
-I think I read somewhere here, that he wore his helmet so low, because it was too big and… yes? Absolutely? Whoever noticed it – I bow to you.
And it reminds me all the promo pics where we have most of the characters standing together and he stands on the side, a little farer and looking awkwardly like “mom said I have to socialize more, so here I am, ugh…”.
-Also, he looks tiny compared to the other guys on many shots/pics, what is hilarious on many levels.
-I realized it after the second watch, that he not only stole cigarettes from Buck, but he offered them to the German POWs. Not his cigarettes, but the shit he stole. I don’t know why, but it’s just so super HIM xD
-I wonder when exactly Easy Company did realize that their new CO is not exactly the meanest, toughest sonofabitch in the army, but a big ass weirdo, with poor social skills, suspicious hobbies and sticky hands.
-Ep 8 look >>>>>>>>>>>>> everything else.
-The moment when Webster throws himself to the ground and Ron just stands in the background, watching the missile like it was meh (he had a personal ranking of “Things that almost killed me” and that missile was not even on the Top 10).
-“No. You don’t have any experience.” How the fuck Jones didn’t drop dead right after is beyond me. Also, A+++ acting.
-The fact is that Lipton was his social-skills-only-working-brain-cell and it’s beautiful.
-The moment Perconte asked him to give him back his lighter, I guess it was the moment Speirs knew his reputation crumbled to dust xD
-Unpopular opinion, but I don’t think Malarkey scared him on a purpose. I think it was accidentally, what for me, makes it even funnier. But the fact Don started as someone who was scared of Speirs like no one else and ended scarring him – it just warms my heart.
-And that pure annoyance on Ron’s face when Malarkey’s approaches him a second after he scared him, will never stop making me laugh. It the look could kill the bottle in Don’s hands would explode.
-On some point Lipton was sitting with his head in his hands and moaning that he was not paid enough to keep his crazy CO with suicidal tendencies alive and Luz was there-thereing him.
-All the things he's done to keep Grant alive.
-Basically, Speirs gives me a stray cat vibes and the fact he kind of, adopted Lipton and whole Easy proves it.
-And finally, the way he went from “we are all dead, just accept it” to “ok, I guess I’m going to stay in the army to keep the idiots alive (sighs)” is one of the best character developments and is so… sooo … you know? ;_;
Anyway, the thing I like the most about his character is how unexpected he is. I didn’t expect to like him so much. I didn’t expect him to change so much in such splendid way. But here I am.
We meet him in the show as  “a cold blooded soldier” stereotype and we learn in the end he was just deeply compassionate man (and a weirdo), who applied being a sociopath to be a better man of war. It just makes him very human - thanks to the fact his character was based on a real man, I guess. And that applies to all BOB’s characters.
And BIG kudos to Matthew Settle for doing such a great job and creating an iconic character. I read and watched some interviews, where he admitted he had a big problems with grasping the role, but damn, in the end he absolutely NAILED IT.
EDIT: Part II (x)
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dustofthedailylife · 1 year
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Lost And Found
-> Masterlist || → Taglist
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Pairing: Welt x (gn!) Reader
Summary: You meet your old childhood friend and crush again unexpectedly and feelings you thought you had long forgotten begin to resurface.
Tags: Fluff, Jarilo-VI story spoilers, childhood friends to lovers, Reader is implied to have known Welt when they were still young so they're about the same age here
A/N: I am on my knees begging for Welt to come home, and he refuses to come home, so I'm offering this fic as a sacrifice to the gacha gods. This is also my first HSR fic! Jing Yuan will probably be the next one I write something for... he is living rent-free in my head atm :3
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You were standing in line at the street kiosk for a coffee-to-go and a granola bar. Like every morning before you headed to work. Or whatever your work was, now that the Stellaron was gone. There already had been a huge amount of layoffs lately and you expected that it wouldn’t be long anymore until they would lay you off as well.
It was cold today, nothing unusual on Jarilo-VI, but you felt like it had gotten warmer, even if it was still very minuscule and barely noticeable. 
One glance at today’s newspaper revealed yet another Stellaron headline. Nothing surprising.
Silvermane Guards push back on the Stellaron Corruption further. Supreme Guardian Bronya supports the underground with the delivery of rations and supplies.
You heard some strangers from afar had come here and managed to achieve, within a bit more than a week, what people on this planet failed to do for hundreds of years. Something you failed to help with as well, despite coming here for research on the topic yourself.
“Good morning!” The barista greeted you. “The usual?”
“The usual. Thank you.” You nodded with an honest smile. 
Once served and paid, you clutched your hands around the cup to warm your hands on the steaming hot liquid. 
The brew here could hardly be called coffee when comparing it to the one on Earth, but for what it was worth it made do. All it needed to achieve was giving you a small energy boost and some warmth after all.
Walking further down the street you spotted a lot of new faces. Ever since you’ve been here the underground had been sealed, now that it was back open it was definitely great to see the streets bustling with life again. It gave you hope that things would finally take a turn for the better on this planet. 
Maybe that meant it was time for you to leave soon as well. You had no concrete plans on where to go next yet. But essentially as always, you’d just go wherever the stars would carry you.
Lost in thought you didn’t notice how the person in front of you had stopped walking, causing you to bump into them and spill the entire cup of your tastebud-offending coffee over their coat and yourself. 
Just fantastic.
“Shit, I’m so sorry. It was my bad, I should have–”
You frantically took out a handkerchief and tried to dry the clothes of the man in front of you, until he suddenly took hold of your hand, forcing you to halt your ministrations.
At that moment he questioningly called your name.
Startled by the strange yet familiar voice, you flicked your eyes up to the face of the man you had just run into. And without a shadow of a doubt; it was him. 
His friendly brown eyes still exuded the same comforting warmth as they did all those years ago. Something you thought you’d never see again in this lifetime. Not after he left Earth.
“Welt?” You carefully inquired despite being sure that the man standing in front of you was him. Your childhood best friend. The boy you had the biggest, most mind-numbing, and toe-curling crush on back in the day.
“So it really is you!” He huffed in disbelief with a wide smile and an excited sparkle in his eyes. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
“Neither did I after you left…”
You paused for a moment to take in his features. He had become old, without a doubt, but he was still as handsome as you remembered. You dare say, it made him look even more handsome than he already was back in the day. Maturity certainly suited him.
“Let's get you a new coffee, shall we?” He points out after both you and he just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity without uttering a word. 
"Oh, uh. There is no need. It was my own fault for not paying attention and bumping into you.."
"Please, I insist! Even if it’s just for old times' sake. Although you might have to lead me to a Café since I'm unfamiliar with this city. If you still wish to take me with you in my coffee-stained state, that is…"
He looked at the mess on both his and your clothes before laughing.
But who were you to say no to an old friend? Who, after all this time, still seemed to effortlessly make your heart beat an octave higher.
"I have to warn you though. Don't expect too much from the coffee here. It tastes like hot dishwater at best."
"Well, maybe I like dishwater if I can enjoy it with an old friend?"
After you arrived at one of your favorite Cafés, he led you to one of the tables and pulled out a chair for you, waiting until you sat down. Flustered by the chivalrous gesture you avoided eye contact and waited until he sat down as well before looking at his face again.
Soon after, the conversation with him just kept flowing and it felt as if you hadn't been apart for even a day. Talking to him felt as natural and calming as you remember it. At the same time, it made you painfully aware of how much you had actually missed him.
"Hey, that reminds me, I haven't even asked yet, but what brings you here?"
"Oh, right. My crew and I were responsible for the Stellaron incident." He explained.
Figures. You could've expected that it was him who was responsible for resolving the crisis on this planet the moment you found him again.
“I’m not surprised.” You chuckled. “You mentioned a crew?”
“Yes. We travel together on the Astral Express to planets with Stellaron activity.”
“So you’re essentially the Guardians of the Galaxy?” You joke.
“Something like that.” He laughed as the corner of his eyes crinkled upwards. “Travelling feels great again. When Himeko found me–”
“Himeko?” You inquired a bit too quickly as soon as you felt a pang in your chest when he dropped the name. You tried to stop yourself from doing so but it seemed like finding your old friend again made feelings resurface you thought you had long buried and forgotten. Of course, he too had moved on with his life after so long. It would’ve surprised you if he wouldn’t have found a partner, especially with how handsome he was and still is.
“Is she your wife?” You carefully speculated while trying your hardest not to look hurt by the consideration that she might be.
“Who? Himeko? No… god, no. We’re just colleagues. Friends at most.”
A wave of relief washed over you. Was it stupid to be relieved that he wasn’t in any relationship just for your own selfish reasons? Most likely. It’s not like he’d stay here with you or take you with him all of a sudden. And you shouldn’t expect him to do so either.
Your subconscious feelings were hard to suppress though. No matter how hard you tried.
“What can I get you two lovebirds?” The waitress asked when she arrived at your table with a sweet smile.
“Oh, uh, we’re not–”
“I’ll take just a normal cup of coffee. Black, two pieces of sugar please.” Welt interrupted entirely unphased and not in any rush to correct the waitress about her wrong assumption of your relationship status. He smiled and threw you a glance out of the corner of his eyes as he spoke, seemingly amused by your probably undeniably flustered state.
With a heavily beating heart, you simply ordered the same as him while trying not to sound too out of breath. Not that you were capable of thinking about coffee when your mind was racing at the speed of light.
“I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet, that you look just as stunning as I remember.” He complimented as soon as the two were back alone. 
Was he trying to kill you?
“Oh, uhm.” You cleared your throat, feeling how your face had started to burn up. “Thank you. I could say the same about you.”
The wait for your coffee would be excruciatingly slow at this rate. Where were you supposed to look or what were you supposed to say now? 
Every ability to converse like a normal human being flew right out the window the moment he complimented you. Lucky for you he seemed to have enough to talk about, so he kept the conversation flowing by telling you about what he had been up to since you last saw each other.
“Anyway, that’s enough about me. What have you been up to all this time?”, he asked as soon as the waitress served your coffee.
“Oh… I actually came here for the Stellaron myself, so I’m basically jobless now thanks to you and your crew.” You chuckled as you took a sip from the coffee. The dark brown bitter liquid enveloped your tastebuds and made you cringe for a brief moment. You would never get used to the dishwater they dare to call coffee here.
“I’ll have to see where I’ll go now. I have no concrete plans or goals. But probably trying to find another planet that might need my help.” You ascertained after a brief pause.
“Why don’t you come with us?”
Taken aback by the unexpected and sudden proposal you started choking on your coffee as soon as he had finished speaking. Despite the butterflies that made themselves known in the pit of your stomach you couldn’t help but stare at him in disbelief. Simultaneously feeling both hope and old feelings started to bloom inside of your chest once more.
“I’m sorry. I know it might be quite a rash proposal. But it seems we share the same ideals and I thought you would be a great addition to the crew.” He paused and took a sip from his cup, awaiting your answer.
“I–I… Okay. Yeah, sure. I’ll come with you.” You reply which elicited a smile and, what you assumed was, a quiet sigh of relief from him.
“I’m glad. There is so much I still wish to tell you.”
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Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.
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starneteyam · 1 year
Note
hiii, luv <3 hru?
i saw that your requests were open and i have a scenario that has been living in my head rent free. i will totally understand if you don't like it or it's not your style of writing, so please take it more as a suggestion!
you know that moment in the beginning of avatar 2 where neteyam gets injured after following lo'ak into the middle of the attack and it makes jake super worried? can you write a drabble of something like, after neteyam gets his injuries treated, he goes after reader who was also on the mission, but in a different area, so she doesn't know what happened to him to check up on her and then the moment she sees him hurt she gets super troubled and distressed, but he calms her up and they have a super cute moment after. pure fluff: just him venting about the pressure of being the perfect son, his worries towards his family and she reassuring him that he doesn't have to be perfect all the time and that he’ll always be safe with her… that kind of thing. maybe that’s the first time they ever said ‘i see you’ to each other ? idk, it’s up to you <3
i’ve been missing my baby boy sm lately so i’ve been daydreaming a lot :( thank you in advance and i hope you have a great day !! i love your content <3
MINE IS YOURS, YOURS IS MINE ★
🖇️ char. Neteyam x fem! Omaticaya! reader
🖇️ warn. None, best friends to lovers
🎥 In which Neteyam gets injured during an attack on the Sky people, and you worry about him
A/N Tysm for requesting!! I love this scenario it’s so cute :( I kind of ate this oneshot ngl 😜
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Even though Neteyam was your best friend, he was very affectionate with you. He liked resting his head on your shoulder, and he loved the way you comforted him. Something about you made him so calm, and you made all his worries go away with a single smile. He was basically glued to your hip, and nobody would see you without the other.
But as you grew, the Sky People started becoming more aggressive and frequent with their attacks, and Neteyam was becoming older, which meant he would start going out into battle with his father, along with Lo’ak. You would be situated in a different group, in charge of grabbing any medicine you could loot from the cargo. You hated the fact that you had to wish Neteyam safety as you watched him fly into danger and possible death, but you knew he was only doing overwatch work, which meant he wouldn’t be in the battle field. He would come back without a scratch, every single time.
That was, until today. Lo’ak decided it would be a great idea to go down to ground and “help out”, and being his older brother, Neteyam followed. After a missile striked near where the two of them were, he got blown back and injured, getting cuts and bruises scattered all over his body, losing consciousness for a few seconds. You had seen the missile, furrowing your eyebrows as you watched it hit the ground. Your heart burned anytime any of your people got hurt, and you just hoped nobody who you knew had gotten hurt, or worse.
After flying back to the caves, of course, he got an earful from his father, who was very clearly disappointed in him. ‘I tried to stop him,’ Neteyam wanted to argue, but he bit his tongue and stayed quiet. His father dismissed him with a huff, and Kiri led Neteyam to her grandmother to get himself treated. You, on the other hand, was still at the train tracks, looking carefully for any medicine or herbs you could fine, taking hours.
You finally flew back to the caves, groaning, as your legs were sore and your feet were scratched. You turned your head, cracking some joints as you entered the first aid tent, seeing nobody inside. It was already dark out, and you could hear nothing but the sound of ikrans crying around you. You sat on the floor, unpacking your looted items, drained. “You’re back.” You heard a voice from behind you, and it was as if all the tiredness just suddenly went away, a smile creeping onto your face as you immediately recognized the voice, your heart skipping a beat.
You turned around, and your smile soon disappeared as quick as it came. “Neteyam!” You gasped, looking at his body full of cuts and scratches, his ribs covered with bruises. You stepped forward, your hand hovering his injuries as the other cupped your open mouth. “What happened?” You asked, your hand grabbing his wrist as you looked up at him. He looked down at your worried expression and frowned.
“Lo’ak.” He replied shortly, his voice soft and quiet. Your ears turned downwards as you heard his voice full of hurt. “You need to be more careful, Neteyam. Are you alright?” You rambled, not knowing wether to be angry or concerned. “What if you had gotten killed? I would’ve- I…” Your breaths were patterned, and he immediately reassured you by cupping the side of your face with his palm, forcing you to look at him. “I’m alright.” He told you sternly, and you let out a shaky breath, closing your mouth and nodding firmly.
He sighed as he leaned into the crook of your neck, arms wrapped tightly around your waist as he fit you like a puzzle piece, melting into you. This is what Neteyam had been longing for. You hugged him back, one hand on the back of his head as you lightly pet him. “It was that missile, no?” You asked quietly in his ear, and he said nothing but nodded.
You stayed silent for a few heartbeats, letting him relax into your touch. “It wasn’t your fault.” You told him, knowing he needed to hear it. He pulled away, scoffing as he walked past you. “Tell that to my father.” He mumbled, plopping onto the floor. You let out a tiny sigh. Jake was too harsh on Neteyam, everybody knew that. You couldn’t imagine the pressure Neteyam held. If Lo’ak, or even his other siblings were to get themselves killed, you knew Neteyam would blame himself—and you feared that the most.
You sat on the floor next to him, and as if you were a magnet, he leaned into you, resting his head on your shoulder. “It is Lo’ak’s fault, I told him to stop, to come back! He never listens, and he never apologizes.” He complained, looking at the floor as he played with his fingers, frustrated. You stayed quiet as you listened to him ramble, knowing he just needed to rant. He talked on and on for what felt like hours, and you just sat there, listening, playing with his fingers and hair as you did. You would do anything for him.
“Neteyam.” You called to him, interrupting him as you scooted in front of him, grabbing both his hands. “It was not your fault.” You pronounced each word carefully as you shook both hands, and he frowned, looking away as he shrugged his shoulders. “I know, but-”
You interrupted him again, this time, hand on his jaw so he would stop looking away, and look at you and you only. “Not but, Neteyam. It was not your fault Lo’ak decided to wander off, and I’m more worried about you!” You huffed, frustrated. “You’re terribly injured and you nearly got killed!” You brought your hands to his face, softly brushing your thumbs across his cheeks as your searched his face. “I worry for you, Neteyam. I care for you.” Your words got quieter as the words you always wanted to say now sat on the tip of your tongue.
You closed your mouth, sighing through your nose before opening your mouth to speak again. “Your father may not see it, but I do.” Your mouth opened and closed as you hesitated to say the words. He looked at you expectantly, leaning into your palm. “I see you, Neteyam.” You said quietly and slowly, making sure the words sunk into his heart.
The words flowed out of your mouth, and you saw Neteyam’s expression change to a relieved one. Without warning, he leaned in, eyes fluttering shut as he pushed his lips against yours, a hand on the ground as he did so. It was a deep, slow kiss, your breath getting lost in his mouth as he moved his lips rhythmically, moving in sync with yours. It was as if a dam had been broken, all of your feelings flowing into that one kiss. He pushed against you eagerly, almost knocking you back.
You longed for this moment since forever, and so has he. All the days you had spent, hugging each other with care or looking at each other with eyes that would never look at anybody else the same — all of it being released. After one final, deep kiss, he pulled away, eyes flickering from your lips to your doe eyes, still feeling the ghost of his lips on yours. Your breath tickled his skin, a shiver being sent down his spine. He let out a small laugh, as if only now realizing he had finally kissed you, and you smiled back. “And I see you—only you.” He told you.
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Neighbors
Part 1 Part 2
Tw: female reader, mention of Y/N
Proofread by the lovely @crashtestbunny
Ghost sighed as he signed the paperwork to rent a shitty flat. He sighed as he unloaded the boxes from his car, and he sighed as he stepped into the apartment. It matched him, he thought. The cobwebs, the dust, the watermarks, the stains on the carpet and the walls. It all matched his rotting soul. He didn't love the situation, but since when did he deserve to love anything? It was a place to leave his things when he was deployed. It would keep him (mostly) dry and warm, hopefully.
He let the maggots that lived in his brain slither around for a moment before shoving them back. He needed to unpack, and then eat. Get things done. Have a plan of action. Thats how he functioned best. Take off the mask? He briefly considered it, then shook his head sharply. He hadnt cleared the space of cameras yet.
Just then, he heard a knock on the door. Immediately alert to danger, he mentally cataloged the guns and knives he had hidden on various parts of his body. Slowly he opened the door to see his savior. You. With a bright smile and a Tupperware of cookies in hand, you shoved a ray of sunshine and and life right into the endlessly deep pit of darkness that was his brain. He liked no one, absoluetly no one, but he liked you already.
"Hi!" You chirped, "I'm your neighbor! I brought cookies!"
He forgot how to speak for a moment. You were... everything. He gruffly cleared his throat, he wanted to make his voice a little gentler for you. He didn't want to be anything less than perfect for you.
"'Ello. Thanks." He grunted, then cursed himself inwardly. He'd scare you off and he'd never seen you again and he'd have to live with the poison inside of him all alone forever and-
"'Course!" Your smile hadn't faded at all. In fact, it might be bigger. Brighter. More beautiful.
There was a slight awkward pause where Ghost wracked his brains for something, anything to say.
"Weathers been-" "My name is-"
Your smile turned sheepish, a little amused, maybe.
"You can go first." You said, and he wanted to hold you close, tell you everything and nothing all at once because his past had no place here, in your vicinity, but maybe he could tell you a happy memory or two and make you laugh?
"No, you 'kin go." He would let you talk over him forever, if you wanted. He wished he could listen to your voice 24/7/365. Record it and play it on repeat.
With a grateful look, you started again. "My name is Y/N. What's yours?"
A name a name a name a name a name. He had a name for you. It fit. Beautiful, just like you.
"Gh- Simon. The names Simon Riley." He was Ghost. To everyone. Even Soap wasn't allowed to call him Simon, Soap didn't even know he was Simon. Simon was the gentle, innocent, helpless, young boy he used to be. Simon wasn't him anymore.
But for you, he could be. Maybe. He hoped he could be. He could try, anyway.
He didn't want to be Ghost around you. Ghost, who would infect you with his dirty soul. Ghost, who hurt everything he touched, Ghost, who didn't feel. Ghost, who didn't care. Ghost, who was everything that he wanted your life to be free of.
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chvoswxtch · 1 year
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Hi! I have a request for Matt Murdock
Matt is dating a Black Widow but she occasionally suffers from nightmares about her past, and doesn’t sleep for a long period of time and he sometimes stays up with her and talks to her about the Red Room.
hi nonnie! thank you so much for the request! i'm not sure if you're the same person that requested a few other matt x black widow reader prompts, but if you are, you literally live rent free in my head because it's an idea i've thought about for awhile now, so thank you & I hope this is what you were looking for!
warning: some cursing, and very brief mentions of abuse in relation to the red room. I gave this a kinda fluffy ending because everyone deserves some comfort after a nightmare. ❤️ word count: 1.5k
the red room.
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Raindrops cascaded lazily down the glass after pelting the window pane, like they were a part of some fervent race none of them cared to win. Thunder cracked loudly across the sky, the sound ricocheting through the clouds like a dead tree being snapped in half in a quiet forest. If it wasn’t for the calamitous thunder accompanying the cadent storm outside, Matt wouldn’t have noticed that you weren’t in bed. 
Another round of thunder dragged him out of a deep sleep, and it was only as he turned over to seek out your body that he noticed your side of the bed had gone somewhat cold. Matt suddenly shot up, focusing his senses on trying to find you and decipher what state you were in. The living room was still and quiet as you sat perched on the window sill, but inside of you another storm was brewing. 
Your breaths were somewhat ragged as you attempted to keep them under control, eyes following the trails of raindrops to give your mind something else to focus on. Your heart thundered in your rib cage at an anxious irregular pace, and Matt could smell the cortisol raging in your bloodstream. He kept his footsteps quiet as he approached you slowly, not wanting to add to the fear and uncertainty that was radiating off of you. He kept his voice barely above a whisper as he stood a few feet away, preparing to give you space if you needed it.
“What was it tonight?”
You jumped so slightly at the intrusion of his voice, even he almost missed it. Matt’s fingers twitched at his sides as he studied you, waiting for some kind of signal that he could approach. A shaky inhale through your nose had his chest constricting along with the detachment in your voice.
“The Red Room.”
Matt closed his eyes for a moment as his fists balled up tightly at his sides. You hadn’t gone into too much detail about what you’d endured during your time in the Red Room, but based off of the snippets you were vulnerable enough to share and the way your body reacted as you divulged them, he didn’t have to use his imagination. He’d heard plenty of horror stories from other former black widows that had escaped, and if your story was anything like theirs, he understood fully why you never wanted to speak of it. 
Although he knew his own childhood and upbringing hadn’t been exactly easy, he couldn’t even fathom the degrees of abuse and manipulation you had experienced. The first night that you spent together when you’d had a nightmare, Matt was more terrified than he had ever been in his entire life. He had a brief idea of your past, but he didn’t know just how much it affected you until that night. It had taken him several hours to calm you down, and he had never felt so helpless. 
The hardest part was never knowing when the nightmares were going to hit, or what they would do to you. Some nights you woke up sobbing uncontrollably, gripping onto his body like he would vanish into thin air if you even slightly loosened your hold. Other nights you awoke with a start, silently slipping into the living room, refusing to speak to him or let him touch you. The worst nights were when you woke up screaming. Matt would have to pin you down to the mattress until you awoke fully, repeating over and over that you were safe; that you were home. He hated those nights. 
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real.”
You were talking to him. This was a good sign. He approached you slowly and carefully like you were a wounded animal trapped in a corner. He placed his hand next to yours on the window sill so that you could feel his warmth and presence, leaving the option to take it completely up to you. 
“How so?”
“The memories. Sometimes they feel like…like they belong to someone else, and I just have them in my head.”
Matt stayed quiet as he waited for you to continue. He felt a slight sense of relief noting that your breathing had finally started to even out.
“I know they’re mine. I can feel the reason behind every scar. I know exactly what memory they’re tied to. Sometimes…if I close my eyes…it’s like I’m still there. Like this has all been some…twisted dream I made up, and I’m finally awake.”
“It’s not a dream.”
Matt spoke more firmly this time so you couldn’t mistake the sincerity in his voice. His chest ached when he felt the lump forming in your throat, his entire face falling as he tasted the salt from your silent tears. He gently turned your body to face him, slotting himself between your thighs, and delicately brought your hand up to place your palm against his chest over his heart.
“This is real. You being here, with me, is real. Feel my heart. I want you to try and match your rhythm with mine, like we practiced. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?”
Your shaky fingers gripped tightly onto Matt’s bicep as you dug your blunt nails into his chest, closing your eyes to try to focus on the strong rhythm thumping against your palm. You leaned forward to rest your head on Matt’s sternum, melting further into his touch as he cradled the back of your head and held your wrist.
“There you go. That’s perfect. You’re doing so well, my love. I’m so proud of you.”
“I can still see their faces…”
Matt could feel tears building up behind his own eyelids at how small and broken your voice sounded. He let out a shaky exhale, hugging you even tighter to his chest. 
“Listen to me. That wasn’t your fault. That was not you. That is not who you are. I know that. I trust that. You can’t blame yourself for things that were out of your control.”
Guilt was an emotion Matthew Murdock knew all too well. He knew how heavy it could weigh on someone’s chest to the point where it made it difficult to breathe. He knew the agony of making a remorseful decision or an inadequate effort. He felt hypocritical telling you something that even he had a hard time believing and practicing himself. But he had always had the luxury that you never did; a choice. 
Questions of morality and faith guided his feelings of guilt, not an absence of autonomy.
“If you truly were the darkness they tried to create, you wouldn’t feel an ounce of remorse. You wouldn’t have dedicated your life to helping people the second you were able to make a decision for yourself. You are a light, my love, and you bring that light to everyone you meet and help. You put the goddamn sun to shame.”
“So…if people stare at me too long, they go blind?”
“What do you think happened to me?”
A breathless laugh cut through your tears and Matt found himself letting out a deep sigh of relief, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear as you tipped your head back to look up at him.
“Uh…you said you had an accident as a kid?”
“I’m full of shit. I saw you smile for the first time and next thing I knew, I was blind. I just, you know, made up that story so you wouldn’t feel guilty.”
You were trying your hardest to contain your giggles as you shook your head, and Matt couldn’t help but grin victoriously. 
“Oh, okay. So you decided to make me feel guilty when I’m already feeling guilty?”
“Guilt cancels out guilt. Isn’t that how math works?”
“It’s a good thing you’re such a pretty lawyer.”
“In my defense, I only took about 2 semesters of math.”
“Mm, it shows.”
As the storm calmed into a light rain outside, Matt could feel the sky opening up in your chest. There wasn’t a lingering trace of fear in your veins, and your heart had steadied to a relaxed rhythm that matched his. Matt sent a silent prayer up to his God that he was able to bring you back easily tonight. 
He wrapped his arm around your waist as he held you protectively against his chest, cradling your face gently in one of his hands.
“Hey, everything is okay. You’re home. You’re safe. I would never let anything happen to you, you know that right?”
“I know, Matty.”
You gave his bicep a gentle squeeze, something you did to reassure him you were back in a good headspace, as you leaned into his touch for comfort. Matt lightly traced the pad of his thumb along your cheekbone, leaning in to press your foreheads together.
“No one is ever going to hurt you again.”
A tiny proud smile tugged at the corner of your mouth as you chased Matt’s lips for a soft kiss, whispering against his mouth.
“Not unless they wanna meet the Devil.”
A crooked smirk lifted at the corner of Matt’s lips as he bumped his nose against yours. 
“Not even God could help them if they did.”
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captainsophiestark · 2 years
Text
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader
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Masterlist - Join My Taglist!
Fandom: Top Gun
Summary: Five of the most important moments in your life with Rooster. All fluff, humor, and adorable energy, despite the title sounding angsty. Go listen to the Elton John song that the title’s from, the vibes fit.
Word Count: 2,834
Category: Fluff, Humor
A/N: When I tell you this fic lived in my mind rent-free and refused to leave until I wrote it... dude, I literally couldn’t think of anything else until this was metaphorically on the page
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
"C'mon, Phoenix! Payback? Fanboy? You can't leave me hanging, I need somebody to sing a duet with me."
"No way in hell Rooster. We're not going up there and making fools of ourselves."
I couldn't help tuning into the loud argument being had by the group behind me. I turned to find a tall, handsome man with a mustache standing and trying to persuade just one of his friends to go sing karaoke with him.
He wasn't having much luck.
"You know, if none of you go up there with me, I'll just have to go up there and do both parts myself."
"Great! Bob, get your phone out and record this, it's going to be gold-"
"Excuse me?" I said, standing and walking around the table where I'd been sitting to stand in front of the mustache man. My friends gave me incredulous looks, but I ignored them. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing. I've been trying to talk my friends into going up there and singing with me all night with no luck too, and so if you need a duet partner... I'd be happy to step in."
"Seriously?" he asked. I nodded.
"Seriously."
"Then let's go!"
He didn't even hesitate as he grabbed my hand and headed up to the front of the bar, and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of me. We got to the front, where people were taking signups, and he pulled me up with him before dropping my hand and draping his arm around my shoulders instead.
"Hey!" he said, yelling to be heard over the current singer and music. "We're- shit, I don't even know your name!"
He turned to me, dropping his arm from my shoulders with a wide-eyed look on his face, but I just laughed.
"It's Y/N!"
"Y/N, Rooster! It's nice to meet you!"
"Rooster?"
"I'm a fighter pilot, it's my callsign!"
"Oh! Well then, Rooster, it's nice to meet you too!"
He turned back to the karaoke people like there had never been an interruption, a massive smile on his face.
"We're Rooster and Y/N. Can we sign up for a duet?"
"Sure thing. What do you want to sing?"
He turned back to me and raised an eyebrow. I leaned in a little, so I wouldn't have to yell as loudly, and Rooster turned so my mouth was next to his ear.
"How about Don't Go Breaking My Heart?" I asked. Rooster whipped his head around to face me so quickly he almost accidentally kissed me on the mouth.
"That's perfect! I think I might love you for suggesting it."
I just laughed and leaned into him as he turned back to deliver our song decision. The karaoke people wrote it down, then gestured for us to wait until our names were called. We chatted by the bar for a few minutes, and then at last, we were up.
"Okay, so you're gonna be Kiki Dee, right?" I teased as we went up. Rooster shot me a grin as we took our mics.
"Honey, I'm pretty sure you're kidding, but you'd better be careful because I'll take you up on that in a heartbeat."
I laughed as the music started, sharing a brief smile with Rooster before we launched into our performance. Our friends were clearly laughing at us, but neither of us cared.
We were having the time of our lives.
****************
I fidgeted in front of the mirror, adjusting my dress and hair again. After a few seconds, I forced myself to turn away and head downstairs before I drove myself crazy. Rooster was picking me up in a few minutes for our first date, and I'd taken to messing with my outfit to try to keep my nerves down while I waited.
I wandered into the kitchen and pulled down a glass to get some water, but I almost dropped it when a knock came at the door. I set the glass down and smiled as I moved to the door, opening it to find Rooster on the other side, a massive grin on his face.
"Wow. You look gorgeous."
I felt my face heat up as I looked down bashfully.
"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself."
He shrugged. "I do my best. You ready?"
"Of course. Where are we going?" I asked as we headed for his waiting car.
"I thought we'd go to that nice restaurant down by the Hard Deck, then walk along the beach afterwards? Look at the stars, walk through the surf, all that good stuff?"
"That sounds perfect."
We shared a smile as Rooster opened the door of his car for me and I slipped inside. He walked around and started the engine, and to my delight, Don't Go Breaking My Heart came on the radio.
"Hey!" said Rooster, immediately reaching for the dial to turn it up. "It's our song!"
"First date and we've already got a song?" I teased. He grinned right back.
"Since we met through singing it, yeah, I think it already counts as our song."
"Fair enough."
Like we'd planned it, we started singing together with the windows down as we drove to the restaurant. A joyous feeling bubbled up in my chest, and I felt truly alive with the wind in my hair and the music at top-volume as we cruised to the restaurant together.
After our song ended, Rooster and I just kept singing. One great song after another, we belted our hearts and souls out the whole way there. We occasionally got strange stares from the people on the street and in the other cars around us, but neither of us cared at all.
We had a lovely dinner together, then wandered down to the beach. I immediately kicked off my shoes, opting to carry them and feel my feet in the sand, and Rooster quickly followed suit.
"Nothing like the ocean at night," I sighed, breathing in the cool night air as Rooster gently took my hand.
"All the stars overhead aren't doing anything to hurt the view either," he added.
"No kidding."
We walked for a few minutes in comfortable silence, eventually wandering closer to the edge of the surf. We dipped our feet in the water and moved on to talking about nothing, enjoying every minute of it all the same.
Eventually, it got late enough that we needed to head back. We were both tired enough that we didn't sing along to all the songs on the way back, but we still turned them up to full-volume to enjoy.
When we got back to my house, Rooster walked me to the doorstep. We paused just outside the front door, smiles on both of our faces.
"So... did I make the cut for a second date?" he asked.
"Hell yes you did. I had a really, really good time, Rooster."
"Me too. I'm bogged down at Top Gun for the rest of the week, but maybe after that we could do something?"
"You're on, Bradshaw." I turned away long enough to open my door, then turned back to look at Rooster again. He stared right back as I took a few steps to close the distance between us, his eyes never leaving my face. I leaned up to place a soft kiss on his cheek, and when I pulled away, Rooster watched every single move I made like a hawk.
"I'll see you next weekend."
****************
I fidgeted on the docks, watching the massive aircraft carrier in front of me go through the final steps in the docking process. Rooster and the rest of the Top Gun special detachment were finally getting home today, safe and sound by some miracle. We'd been dating for months now, but this had been the first time I'd watched him ship out somewhere.
It was terrifying. But he loved flying, so I got through it. And now, he was coming home.
Maverick was the first one down the ramp and on dry land, and then a moment later, Rooster appeared behind him. A massive smile broke out on my face, and I didn't waste a second before sprinting across the dock.
Maverick grinned as soon as he caught sight of me, and then made a big show of clearly stepping out of my way. Rooster beamed as he opened his arms wide, catching me and managing to keep us from eating shit as I ran into him at full speed.
"Hey, baby," he muttered into my hair. He wrapped both arms around my waist and held me tight, spinning me around a few times before letting my feet rest firmly on the ground again. A few of his fellow pilots cheered and clapped him on the shoulder as they went past, but I ignored them all.
"I missed you," I said, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. "And I'm so glad you're home."
"I'm glad I'm home too, sweetheart."
He smiled, and I didn't waste another second before kissing him, hard. I heard Maverick clear his throat, but I ignored him. Rooster hadn't even been gone that long, but I'd missed him all the same. I didn't give a rat's ass who was watching; I was going to kiss my boyfriend as long as I damn well wanted.
When we finally broke apart, Rooster was staring at me with all the love in the world on his face. I couldn't stop myself from leaning up to give him one last quick peck, then we turned to head the rest of the way to shore. Rooster wrapped one arm tightly around my shoulders, and I started to walk, but I stopped short at the look Maverick was giving us.
He stared at us like we were ghosts, a slight sheen of tears in his eyes.
"Uh... are you okay?" I asked. Rooster's arm tightened around my shoulders as Maverick gave us a small smile.
"Yeah. Fine. You two just... you look a lot like another couple I knew."
I tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about, since the last time I'd talked to my boyfriend, Maverick had been enemy #1.
To my surprise, Rooster dropped his arm from my shoulders and took my hand instead, pulling me with him into a group hug with Maverick. They shared a smile and a laugh as we all embraced, and it seemed like a nice moment, but I couldn't help being a little confused.
After a few beats, we all broke apart, Maverick and Rooster still sharing happy smiles. When neither of them jumped in to explain, I took matters into my own hands.
"So... I take it you and Maverick worked some things out on this mission?"
Both men turned to me, giving me eerily similar smiles.
"Yeah, we worked a few things out," said Rooster. "I'll catch you up on it, but... we're cool with him now."
I shrugged. "Sounds good."
Maverick looked between Rooster and I with a raised eyebrow.
"Is that why you seemed mad at me every time I saw you?" he asked me. "Even before I knew who you were?"
"Yeah. My boyfriend had beef with you, so I had beef with you. But now, apparently, you're in the clear! So, I guess... looking forward to getting to know you."
Maverick stared at us for another few seconds, then broke out laughing. He sighed and looped one arm around Rooster's shoulders and the other around mine.
"Let's get out of here and go get a drink, then. I want nothing more than to get to know the woman who's been making Rooster so happy."
****************
"Amelia! Come back here! What the hell are you even doing?"
I shouted down the beach at Rooster and I's honorary little sister as she booked it down the beach. I was supposed to be driving her to a tutoring session, but when I'd swung by the Hard Deck to pick her up, she'd sprinted out to the beach without a word to me.
I saw her disappear around a rock outcropping a little further ahead, and I hustled after her. I had no idea what had made her run out of the bar like her hair was on fire, but I seriously needed to find out.
I rounded the rock, having to get my feet a little wet in the process, but came to a dead stop when I saw what was waiting on the other side. Amelia stood between her parents, Penny and Maverick, all three of them with massive grins on their faces as they stared at me. Between me and them stood none other than Bradly Rooster Bradshaw, my best friend and boyfriend, radiating happiness like the sun.
"Babe... what's going on?" I asked, taking a few steps closer to Rooster. He didn't answer, instead waiting until I got almost all the way to him. Then, just as I was about to start demanding some answers, he dropped to one knee before me in the sand.
"Y/N..."
"Oh my God, Bradley..."
"You make me the happiest I've been in a long, long time. You're my best friend, dream karaoke buddy, partner in crime, and the absolute love of my life. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Baby... of course I will."
I couldn't help the tears that started to fall as Rooster stood, catching me as I fell into his arms. I held him tight and kissed him hard, and we lost ourselves in each other for a few moments before the happy congratulations of our family brought us back to reality.
"So, do I get to be in the wedding?" asked Amelia with a grin as Rooster carefully slipped the ring on my finger. I leaned into him as I smiled back at Amelia.
"Absolutely you do. Despite the fact that you made me run frantically across the beach in a near-panic right before my proposal, I'd be honored to have you as one of my bridesmaids."
She absolutely beamed back at me, a very similar expression on Penny's face behind her. Rooster tugged me in tight to him as Maverick clapped him on the back on the other side, and I felt an absolutely beautiful sense of peace looking around at the people I loved so much.
I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life just like this.
****************
"...and do you, Y/N Y/L/N, take Bradley Bradshaw to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"Absolutely I do."
"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now ki-"
Rooster was way ahead. He swept me into a dip and kissed me, both of us smiling into it. Our friends and family cheered, and we stayed like that for a minute before finally straightening up.
Rooster and I held our joined hands up in the air in victory, and I laughed happily as I leaned into him. We'd both been smiling non-stop since this morning, and neither of us showed any signs of stopping soon. We strutted out of the church together to the applause of all our guests, then climbed into the car waiting to take us to our reception.
When we got into the back and the door closed behind us, I couldn't help letting out a little sigh at the temporary peace and quiet it gave us.
"I love you so much, Bradley," I said, leaning my head on his chest and resting a hand on his thigh. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me close, placing a soft kiss to my forehead.
"And I love you so, so much Mrs. Bradshaw."
I hummed. "I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of hearing that."
"I sure hope not."
I chuckled, half-heartedly hitting Bradley in the chest. We spent the rest of the ride recharging together, and basking in the glow of being newly, officially married.
Married.
By the time the car got to the reception venue and the wedding party got done taking photos, the festivities were already in full swing. Rooster and I strutted in when the time came for our big entrance, then took the floor for our first dance to none other than Great Balls of Fire. We hadn't choreographed it, and we were laughing so hard that half the dance was us leaning on each other just trying to stay standing, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
After the traditional first dance, it was time for our new tradition. Our first karaoke as a married couple.
"You wanna be Kiki Dee or Elton John?" I asked as we took the stage and grabbed the two waiting microphones. We'd sung this song at karaoke plenty of times since the first one when we'd met, but it never failed to make my heart beat faster and put a smile on my face.
"Dealer's choice, sweetheart. Although I think we figured out pretty early that my voice is a little better suited to Elton's voice."
"Yeah, good point. You need to be way more drunk to make Kiki Dee's part sound good."
"Maybe a little later in the evening, then."
We shared a smile, then the music started and we faced our waiting friends and family. The past few years with Rooster had been the absolute best of my life, and I couldn't wait to spend every other moment with him, just like this.
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obey-my-twisted-logic · 6 months
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Name-Your-Friend : You find a rather tall boy with an interesting look in your yard at Ramshackle. Despite your initial wariness, something draws you to the man and an interesting friendship blooms. Platonic!Malleus Draconia x GN!Reader
Synopsis : you make a new friend who's almost as bad at socializing as you are. He's quiet, gentle and awkward in a way that's endearing. He won't share his name, so you decide on a nickname as you confide in this mystery man. Begins the night after Riddle's Overblot.
Warnings : general spoilers about the game Disney's Twisted Wonderland. Light fluff, purely platonic and friendly, use of personal head canons and what I know about the game pre book 5. Slightly different from the in game meetings but same vibe. INCREDIBLY SELF INDULGENT BECAUSE HORNTON IS MY BEST BOY. Reader is normal font. All thoughts and musing by Malleus are italic.
Authors Note : this has been living rent free in my head since I first met Malleus in game. They can't show us every second and every interaction, so I think there's a lot of late nights he visits because he's just as lonely, and it's nice to have someone who's not groveling, calling him "my prince" or scared of him. God I love him.
---
You were physically and emotionally done for the day. Grim was passed out and dreaming of tuna all ready while you began to close the curtains. As you did, something caught your eye. Something? More like someone. You couldn't tell from this distance but because of the lighting of the moon, you could see a student of NRC just staring at your house.
It definitely startled and when you made eye contact from the window you pulled the curtains shut and dropped to the floor. Why did you feel like you'd been caught peeping? After a moment of collecting yourself, you pull on a hoodie over your pajamas and stuff on your shoes before making your way down and out of the house.
The ghost trio gave light teases as you passed. A midnight tryst?! And so soon! You'd have to introduce them. You waved them off, a little annoyed but mostly focused.
Had he run off? You can't help but wonder as you step outside into the brisk air. Scanning your surroundings you find him nearer than before. He had what you could barely call a smile on his calm and handsome features. He was so beautiful you felt inferior. Shaking off the nerves, you stepped onto the dying lawn and stood beside him, looking up to see what had caught his eye.
You weren't sure if he acknowledged your presence, but he made no move to leave or brush you off. He just continued to stare up at your roof.
"Is it the gargoyles?" You ask suddenly. It was the only thing of interest you could spy. It kind of fit his spooky yet handsome appearance. "I couldn't believe myself when I was first dumped here. Old place has a lotta very cool bits and bobs, even if it is falling to pieces..." You grumble that last bit, still frustrated that Crowley had been avoiding the topic of fixing the roof, despite all your work so far. The near perfect grades you got, handling Riddle's outburst and Overblot without dying, and just generally baby sitting some of the rowdier students.
"A child of man?" Was the first thing he said. You try not to gasp, he had such a pleasing voice. "To my knowledge, this dorm has been abandoned and forgotten for quite a while." You noticed for a split second a look of confusion. Had you not been studying his face, you may of missed it all together.
"Ah yea, I had heard that from some of the ghosts and the headmaster. My name is [Y/N], I'm Ramshackle Dorms new Prefect." You explain quickly and offer your hand.
A moment passes, and you begin to feel a fool for offering your hand to a stranger. He does however accept it within his firm gloved grasp. "A pleasure to meet you child of man. I am-" he paused and shook his head. "My name matters not, you may call me what you wish. Though careful, you may come to regret it." He gave a playful smile, exposing sharpened canines. Between the horns and his teeth, you knew he wasn't human. This didn't scare you near as much as it should, but then again three of your roommates were ghosts.
"Shy?" You ask with a shrug and give it a thought. "How about Hornton? It's a bit on the nose but it's all my brain can come up with."
He bursts into laughter, giving you his first genuine smile. "You are quite fearless child of man. Truly." He gives you one last smile. "While it's been pleasant having the ruined house to myself, I look forward to what you bring to the future." He gave the gargoyles a fond look. "Remember the gargoyles as you fix things up, and give it attention." he finished with a short bow, as he burst into a beautiful green light, leaving nothing behind but some fireflies.
What a magical way to end a very long and unpleasant day. You hoped he'd visit again, he was pleasant to be near. He gave you an odd calm feeling, even though his aura screamed danger.
~~~
You intrigued Malleus Draconia greatly. Not that he had revealed his name. Despite his overwhelming aura, you approached him with little to no hesitation.
In the following months, you'd catch him admiring the quiet of your house, even going so far as to give you advice on how to deal with the OctoTrio when they had taken hold of the dorm, threatening to leave you homeless in a world that wasn't your own and was hardly kind. Especially not kind to those without magic.
Other times you'd join him in his quiet studies of the gargoyles and surrounding forest. Occasionally you would break the silence with questions or just to add your own musing to the about the surroundings and recent event. You told him about everything, from mundane classes to nightmarish Overblotting of several Housewardens.
His favorite part about you was how you genuinely treasured your time with him. You never pushed for his identity, happy to have him as your gargoyle enthusiast friend Hornton. He found himself chuckling over the name, even when not around you. Lilia had asked about you more and more as he noticed the lingering visits Malleus spent at Ramshackle. He waved it off, merely stating he needed to check on you, his "Child of Man" who was almost completely alone in a terrifying new world, full of a magic you had never seen before. Lilia would always laugh and nod along, even going so far as to deliver a holiday card when Malleus could not himself.
Not long after the winter, he was once again in front of Ramshackle, waiting patiently for his Child of Man. He was surprised when he heard your familiar footsteps. Not surprised by them exactly, more stunned by the speed and noise that you made rushing to open your door.
"Hornton!" You exclaim and practically threw yourself at him, embracing him. It felt like so long.
The embrace surprised the fae dragon, but he caught you none the less, carefully returning the embrace. "Awfully excitable tonight aren't you child of man?" He teased lightly.
You beamed up at him with a pleased grin. "Yes! Tonight is important. It's very special." You assure him, kicking your door gently open further.
Freeing yourself from his embrace, you give him a little bow and extend your hand for his. Before he could even pout, you continued to smile at him and take his hand. "Ramshackle is finally presentable enough for me to invite you in. Hornton," you begin to lead him inside. "I welcome you in to my dorm, come have a drink or something! I'm excited, you're the first person I wanted to invite in."
"You're inviting me inside Child of Man?" Malleus asked surprised, but genuine smile and delight on his face.
"Of course! You're one of my best friends, and I wanted to share this with you as soon as I could." You led him in and rambled about how you had to enlist Azul and professor Trein to finally get Crowley to get off his ass and make the place at least a safe haven from the elements.
Malleus had stopped listening from the moment you confirmed the invite. All he could do was smile and keep his hand in yours. You truly were special. His Child of Man would always remember to invite him, always remember to have him in your life. He quite looked forward to that night, and any following adventures he would have with you.
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fourraccoonsinacoat · 7 months
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Head Full of Ghosts
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Pairing: Astarion x Dark Urge
Summary: Takes place during the events of Baldur's Gate 3 and explores the romance between Astarion and the Dark Urge, as well as the friendships and relationships she has with her companions. Plus, everyone gives shit to Gale about his cooking. Tags: Slow Burn, Angst, Pining, Humor, Violence, Friends to Lovers, Developing Friendships, Developing Romance, Spoilers for the Dark Urge and BG3 in general, Dark Urge as Original Female Character Rating: Mature (Will eventually be Explicit, just not there yet.) Current Chapter Count: 3/? Read on AO3 (Will post chapters to Tumblr, as well.) Current Word Count: 13,050
Author Notes: Hello, Tumblr! Longtime lurker, first time poster. BG3 has reignited my love for writing fanfic - I think it's legit been over seven years since I've written a fic. The dry spell has now been broken. BG3 has grabbed me by the throat and pulled me back in and damn, if I'm not enjoying the hell out of it. I've got an ongoing fic on AO3, so I figured why not officially join Tumblr and dive headfirst into the fandom? Should anyone read my silly fic, I dearly hope you enjoy it. All these characters currently live in my head rent free.
Chapter 1: Misfits
The toll house burned as Karlach whooped, exacting rage and fury on everything within the abandoned building. Her glee might have been infectious if it hadn’t been so damn dangerous.
Luckily, Eli and her merry band of misfits had gotten clear of the structure before the worst of the fires caught. They now stood in the middle of the dirt cart path that led to the toll house entryway, watching the scene unfold in front of them with the same morbid curiosity with which townsfolk might watch a public hanging.
Wyll rubbed the back of his neck, cringing slightly as the loud and unmistakable crash of something glass-made reverberated from within the inferno.
“Maybe…” he started hesitantly, then cleared his throat. “Maybe someone should stop her?”  
Honestly, Wyll was too pure for their group of maladjusted headcases. Between being forcibly inducted as Emerald Grove’s newest mediator, and trying to figure out just what in the nine hells was going on with the illithid tadpoles in their brains, Eli had not had much time to get to know Wyll. Like her, he was a warlock, though he was being rather cagey about who or what his patron was. She guessed it had something to do with his contract, and it wasn’t as if she had much room to judge.
Eli couldn’t even remember who the hell her patron was. That knowledge was a gaping black hole in her ruptured memory. Sometimes, late at night, in the stifling silence when the chaos of the day had finally died down, she’d try to recall…anything. Anything about her past life beyond the images of blood, death and rot that swirled in her mind. She was never successful, and her attempts usually ended in a roiling headache. The holes in her brain were deep, dark and remained unknown.    
“These days I’m trying to avoid situations that end with me burnt to ash,” Astarion’s snark brought Eli back to the here and now. “But if you’re confident in your ability to be fire retardant, then by all means,” he finished the thought by motioning towards the building with a bit of a flourish.
The building was now practically engulfed in flames so bright that it was difficult to look at. She was pretty sure she could hear the roof caving in. Eli pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes, the light and sound of it all was causing her already throbbing headache to grow and fester behind her eyes.
“Stop trying to suck the joy out of things, Wyll,” Eli said, with a bit more bite than she had intended.
She couldn’t see it, but she heard the eye roll in his response. “Fine. Far be it from me to deny someone their little moments of destructive bliss.”  
Eli huffed in response and felt a presence move up next to her.
“Another headache?” Shadowheart’s voice wasn’t quite concerned, but it did have a hint of guarded interest, and for Shadowheart that was just as good.
“Think I’m going on day three now,” Eli responded with a groan. She let her hand drop from her face and opened her eyes, blinking back against the influx of light.
No one spoke it out loud, but they all knew the significance of that statement. Three days ago, Eli had woke in the middle of the night to discover Alfira, a kind and gentle tiefling bard, brutalized and dead…by Eli’s own hands. The shame, guilt and confusion from that night was still a gaping and painful wound within. Alfira was a constant and haunting presence, a reminder that her mind and body were not her own. She could recall flashes of memory from that night, and she desperately wished that was not the case.
The fear in Alfira’s eyes was emblazoned upon her brain and it followed her into her dreams. She was not sleeping well, if at all. And the terror that she would once again wake up to find she’d torn open another of her companions, one of her friends…it was enough to fill her nights with nauseating dread.      
“Maybe Gale can cook up a sleeping potion for you when we get back to camp,” Shadowheart suggested with more softness in her voice than Eli was used to. “I’m sure your penchant for rummaging through our wares until all hours of the morning isn’t helping things,” she chided a bit more coolly.
Eli gave her a non-committal half smile. She’d taken to perusing their camp’s growing hoard of books during her sleepless nights. Reading kept her mind busy, and off of other darker thoughts that stalked her steps.    
“Given the unholy smells being extruded by Gale’s cookpot the other night, I’m not sure I’d trust him to brew a sleeping potion someone is expected to wake up from,” Astarion said cheerily, stepping up to Eli’s other side opposite Shadowheart. “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little extracurricular nighttime activity.”
The suggestive smirk he gave Eli caused the pit of her stomach to tighten.
“Yes, because reading is so titillating,” she deadpanned back at him. Astarion was a shameless flirt, and Eli wasn’t in a mood to deal with him while her head was splitting open from the inside out.
Astarion, however, was not dissuaded.
“Darling, it’s not my fault if you choose a boring activity.” He emphasized the word ‘boring’ and Eli knew exactly where this was going before they even got there.
He leaned in closer and she caught the faint scent of spice and rosemary that always lingered in the space where he’d been. Nine hells, why did she know that?
“You know I’m only a few tents away if you ever want to try a more stimulating activity,” he purred. A small shiver ran up her spine as she felt the breath from his words against her neck.
A derisive snort came from Eli’s other side. “Really, Astarion, were you never taught not to play with your food?” Shadowheart said with the hint of a smirk, which turned into a full grin when Eli shot her a dark glare.
Eli suddenly felt very aware of a certain spot on her neck as she looked back to Astarion, whose red eyes had been lingering there before they flicked back up to her face. She met his gaze and thought she saw something hungry flash across his expression before he looked to Shadowheart.
“Call it an appetizer,” Astarion replied in that smooth and sultry voice that danced so effortlessly from his lips. “Something to get the blood pumping before the main course.”
Eli was starting to feel something akin to what a rabbit may feel when being circled by wolves. Astarion had inched closer to her as he spoke and teased, pushing into her personal space with bravado and squaring up to her like an animal on the prowl. Eli had experienced this behavior from him before, and she hated it. Not because of any issues with personal boundaries - she didn’t even know if she had issues with personal boundaries, considering how full of holes her memory was. No, she hated it because of how her body responded. And she doubted it was the sort of response Astarion was looking for.
All of his bravado, his confidence, how sure of himself he seemed when he pressed near to her, playing his games. It triggered an anger in her she didn’t recognize. A cruel and dominating rage that wanted nothing more than to grab him by the throat and force him to his knees, demanding respect. She was no rabbit fearful of wolves, no plaything for him to tease. She’d flay him sternum to navel for his insolence.
“Stop,” Eli muttered, moreso to herself than to Astarion.
Her head was pounding as she tried to shove those unwanted and vicious thoughts back down into the unknown void of herself. She took a tentative step backwards and nearly collided with Shadowheart, who managed to step quickly out of the way. Eli felt a hand on her shoulder and reflexively flinched away, internally trying to wrest herself from the cloying vile madness that was building in her brain.
“Sorry,” Eli heard Shadowheart say.
Glancing to Shadowheart, Eli saw she had her hands raised in a conciliatory gesture. Likely, Shadowheart had reached out to try and steady Eli. The problem was, Eli didn’t trust herself when her mind went red and hazy.
She didn’t want anyone touching her in those moments. She didn’t want anyone ending up like Alfira…
“That’s enough of that,” Wyll’s strong voice held a very clear note of annoyance in it. “Leave her be and let’s get back to camp. Lest we get lost out here after the sun goes down.”
Eli appreciated the sentiment, but she almost wished Wyll had stayed silent.
“Ah, the dashing Blade of Frontiers here to save the pretty damsel from the dangerous vampire,” Astarion said, with more than a hint of contempt to his words.
Astarion and Wyll did not play nice. They reminded Eli of two dogs posturing and vying for control when they were near one another. And, unfortunately, everyone else got pissed on in the process.  
Astarion continued to bait the hook, voice sickly suggestive. “Hoping she’ll offer you a place to sheath your blade tonight if you play hero?”
Eli wheeled on Astarion with a glare that only succeeded in making the elf smile wider. For all of his pompous confidence, Eli did take note of the fact that Astarion had backed off from her. At least in the physical sense. He seemed more than happy to continue his verbal assault.
“You vulgar bastard!” Wyll barked back, angrily stepping towards Astarion who was grinning like a feral cat. Wyll was taking the bait.
“Lolth’s rotten nickers!” Eli exclaimed, exasperated and over all of this. “If the two of you want to have it out, fine! Just know I’m not asking Withers to bring either of you miserable assholes back if one of you kills the other!”
The blood in her head was pounding again, pulsating painfully behind her eyes. Eli threw up her hands and turned away from the squabbling men, only to see that tiefling barbarian, Karlach, watching all of them with a grin.
“You lot seem fun as hell!” she proclaimed with a laugh as the toll house continued to blaze like an inferno behind her. “Still cool if I tag along?”
“Yeah, sure,” Eli responded. “We all seem to be in the same shithole of a boat, so if you want to grab a paddle I’m not stopping you.”
Eli smirked and Karlach’s face lit up with excitement. “That’s the spirit!”
The next few moments were a blur. Moments in which Eli felt very much like a passenger in her own body. Astarion wasn’t letting up, and from behind her Eli heard his goading voice as he continued to taunt Wyll.
“You know, Wyll, if you’re ever curious about what our dear, sweet Eli tastes like, all you have to do is ask,” Astarion’s sly words were dripping with inuendo.
Eli snapped.
She rounded on Astarion like a displacer beast loosed from hell, stepping into his personal space just as he had done to her earlier. Eli, however, was not playing games. Her head felt like it was exploding from the inside and her vision was beginning to swim. She needed to get out of here. She needed to leave before she lost control. She needed to put this flippant, disrespectful maggot in his place.
“Would you FUCK OFF with your self-aggrandizing bullshit!” she roared.
Eli was up in Astarion’s face now, all venom and rage as she tried to maintain enough control to keep herself from driving a dagger through his eye like the monster inside of her was demanding.
“I’ve let you feed on me ONE time, and that has been the extent of any nightly activities between us,” she growled, locking eyes with the vampire spawn.
Astarion was a few inches taller than her, but in this moment it didn’t matter. They had all seen Eli fight. They’d witnessed the absolute carnage and power that she was capable of, and while most of that ability came from whatever deal she’d made with her patron, they had all sensed something else beyond her skill as a warlock. Something foul and brutal and violent that she seemed desperate to keep restrained.
That thing was leaking out now. Pressing at the barricades in her mind wrestling to break free. It wanted blood and gore and anguish. It wanted out.
“So, keep your pathetic attention-whoring charade in check or I’m going to lock you in a coffin and burry you so fucking deep even the worms won’t be able to find you!” Eli snarled, eyes glittering with a mania that indicated she was far from joking.
Eli didn’t know the chord she’d struck in Astarion – she didn’t even know if he had chords to be struck. She didn’t know how her words wrenched unbidden memories to the surface of his mind, like puss oozing from an infected wound. She didn’t know the torments inflicted upon him. Didn’t know that her words caused his chest to tighten with anxiety as unwanted recollections flashed in his mind. Days, months, years trapped in lonely confinement at the whim of his abuser. Locked away and starved because he said something displeasing or because he begged to be spared the agony of having his scars cut open once again because his master was bored and wanted to play.
Astarion had gone very still in the face of Eli’s wrath. And as the haze of anger in her mind dissipated and the realization of what she’d just said crashed down upon her, her eyes went wide and she took a quick step back. Her head was a mess and she felt like she was coming up out of a dream and seizing control of herself once more.
Shadowheart, Wyll and Karlach stood by, staring with a mix of shock and morbid curiosity. They were not going to get involved, but they damn sure were going to watch this disaster play out.
“I…uh…” Eli stuttered as she pulled herself back from the brink.
Her movements felt lethargic and wrong, as if she were a step removed from the actions her body was taking. But she kept hold of her mental steering wheel and willed herself to maintain control.
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Astarion,” she lifted her gaze, wanting to meet his eyes so she could explain and apologize again.
But Astarion wasn’t looking at her. At least, not at her face. His eyes were fixated on the collar of the burgundy undershirt she wore below her chest armor. His expression fluctuated somewhere between grim detachment and smoldering hatred, crimson eyes glassy and distant.
Eli felt an unnerving sensation of being looked through.
“Astarion?” she questioned, voice softer and tinged with an edge of worry.
She took a tentative step forward and raised a hand towards him. Had he been struck with an incantation? A curse? Maybe Shadowheart or Wyll had cast something as a means of intervention?
Eli was about to turn and ask them when Astarion flinched back from her outstretched hand as if she’d struck him. His eyes snapped to hers and burned with a hostility she’d never seen from him, not even during the famously vehement rows he and Gale would get into over Gale’s cooking (the arguments usually ended with Gale shouting, “You aren’t even going to eat any of it, anyway!” and storming off in a dither).
“Don’t,” Astarion snarled through clenched teeth and a tight jaw. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Icy loathing dripped off his every word and Eli suddenly recognized the defensive posture he’d put himself in, leaning back and away from her with hands ready to go for a weapon or even swing at her should she move closer. He reminded her of an animal trapped in a corner, baring its fangs at something…
At something dangerous. At something intent on hurting them.
Shit. Had her outburst really been that bad? Had he really thought she was going to attack him?
A pang stabbed through her stomach as she realized…of course he had. Because of what she’d done to Alfira. She’d already proven she was capable of brutalizing the people around her, no matter how innocent they were. They thought she was dangerous. Astarion, a godsdamn vampire who’d crept up on her in the middle of the night, thought she was dangerous.
She needed to get herself under control. This wasn’t a sustainable lifestyle. At least not for the people around her…
“Astarion, I’m really fucking sorry,” she backed away from him, giving him space and bringing her hands back to her sides. “I’m not even entirely sure what happened. Things got…hazy. I’m really sorry.”
It was a piss poor excuse, and an even worse apology. She knew. And it seemed he agreed.
“You can choke on your apology,” Astarion snapped as he shoved past her. “If the tadpole turns you tonight, it wouldn’t be too soon.”
The sheer venom of his words stung as painfully as if he’d stabbed her right there on the spot. She opened her mouth to reply, but could think of nothing worthwhile to say. So she snapped it closed and watched him walk off down the path that led back to camp.
Well, some fantastic leader she was turning out to be. She already didn’t understand why anyone thought she, with her magnitude of memory loss and murder happy tendencies, was the ideal candidate for a position of authority. She was awful at this shit!
Eli had spent a lot of time combing through her fractured psyche, trying to piece together any semblance of facts about who she was. In all that self-reflection, she’d concluded there were two things she was really good at. Killing people and drinking.
Fuck, what she wouldn’t give to be doing either one of those things right now instead of this.
She turned a miserable expression on her remaining companions. “Is it too late to go back to the mind flayer ship and just surrender?”
Wyll laughed and sided up to her, clapping a hand on her shoulder and trying to be reassuring.
“I’m sure he’ll get over it,” he said. Then, with a somewhat darker smirk, “And if he doesn’t, we’ll just stake him. Luckily for us, our benevolent illithid captors saw fit to crash us in the middle of a forest. Trees everywhere.”
Wyll grinned while Eli just gave him a deadpan stare. He wasn’t helping. Maybe he wasn’t too pure for their little group, after all. Maybe he was just as much of a dumbass as the rest of them.
Eli looked to Shadowheart, who simply rolled her eyes before glancing after Astarion as he continued to walk further and further from the party.
“I bet he just needs some time to cool down,” Shadowheart mused. “Men can be irrationally dramatic when they put their minds to it.”
The grin on Wyll’s face fell as Shadowheart started to follow Astarion down the path. Eli trailed after her, glancing to Karlach in the hopes of making some sort of conversation to distract herself from all the pain and noise in her head.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Karlach laughed.
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lettersfromaphrodite · 10 months
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[23.49]
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― pairing : Wonwoo x fem! reader ― content warnings : fluff, wolf au, wonwoo is a witch, reader is a wolf, medieval settings ― word count : 2.800 ― notes : ⚠️ this fic doesn not mean I will start writing series for seventeen as well! I love them a lot but my brain wouldn’t handle writing for 13 people… But Wonwoo lives in my life rent free although he’s not even my bias so here goes nothing⚠️   
― notes : this fic looks familiar?it is! I’m reposting ALL my works on this brand new blog and therefore please, bear with me! as always, askbox is always open and feedbacks are always welcome 💌
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It happened on the third day you had silently returned to your house right next to the woods; you were hunting for something to eat, when all of a sudden, in the distance, you saw him. 
Wonwoo was lazily walking around while the dark green cloak he was wearing was obediently following his movements, his eyes analysing the grass while looking from some kind of herb, and you guessed that he must have embraced his warlock side; unlike him, you knew he could use magic – when you were kids he loved to show you all the spells he learnt, but Wonwoo didn’t know about you being a wolf. 
Since you were both very young when you left your village, sometimes you wondered what he would have done if he ever found out that you could shift into another creature, but you felt like laughing at yourself for your own naive thoughts. After all, Wonwoo had always made you feel at ease, and he had always made you feel safe; you were certain that he would have accepted it easily. Would he?
Among the things you absolutely hated the most, hunters were definitely on top of the list, especially because they always found creative ways to camouflage their traps.
Despite it’s been more than ten long years since the first time you learnt how to properly shift into a wolf, and despite the fact you had always been careful while wandering through the woods, you had to admit to yourself that you have been an absolute idiot.
Probably, you were just genuinely happy to have returned to your village after such a long absence imposed by your mother, who was both extremely happy because in your family, only women were able to shift into wolves, but also extremely worried since she didn’t want you to hurt anyone on accident before you were completely sure to be able to tame your wolf side.  Probably, you have been genuinely taken aback from the sight of your long time crush wandering in the woods as if he was walking in starlight.
Although you wanted to remain where you were – strategically hidden behind an oak tree, and enjoy the sight of Wonwoo strolling through the woods, you realized that your priority, at the moment, was to head back home and tend your wounds; even though your reflexes prevented your foreleg to completely be stuck into the iron toothed trap, you had been roughly scratched by it, and leaving traces of fresh blood all around the place definitely was not a wise option.
On his behalf, Wonwoo definitely was not naive; he had been walking through the woods for years, and he quickly realized that he was not alone. Unbeknownst to you, the warlock kept his attention focused on the general direction where you were, and therefore, he easily noticed when you decided to head the opposite way.  
«Hey, wait.» you heard Wonwoo’s deep voice gently call for you; instinctively, you stopped in your tracks, wincing in pain as you slightly lifted your right foreleg, hoping in vain for the latter not to notice that you were hurt. 
«It’s okay,» he called out again, easily closing the distance between the two of you, walking around your frame and crouching down in front of you – almost purposely making himself smaller and an easy target, just to make you feel less threatened; the warlock’s dark green cape was now crumpled on the ground, and the small basket full of herbs he was carrying with himself was right next to his left knee, «I won’t hurt you, I promise.» he kept talking with a gentle voice, as if he already knew that wolves understood human language, since part of them could shift into a human form, while the ones who couldn’t shift, simply got used to constantly hear human language.
Eventually, you walked closer to him, trying not to push too much of your weight on your injured limb as best as you could; for whatever reason, you were almost shy to meet his eyes, as if you were embarrassed about tripping directly into a hunter’s cage because you were secretly happy to see him. 
Wonwoo carefully followed your moves with a small frown, which immediately turned into a gentle expression as soon as your nose was few inches from his. 
«You must be a new one, I haven’t seen you around before.» he spoke balancing his elbows on his knees, and carefully studying your frame; again, you avoided meeting his gaze. In your human form, you had a scar on your left cheek; a permanent reminder of that day when you were seven years old, playing hide and seek with Wonwoo as the two of you decided to adventure in the woods. A scar that of course was meant to show on your wolf form as well, in an ugly line of missing fur right under your left eye. 
Unbeknownst to you, Wonwoo’s eyes lingered on that small scar, but your brain was still processing a particular sentence he had just spoke; were there other wolves around? By all meant you were trespassing someone’s territory. 
“This is definitely not good.” you thought, the last thing you wanted was to challenge some alpha over a territory. But, however, if there was really a pack of wolves around, why didn’t you felt anything? Usually, an uneasy feeling would spread in your stomach, almost as you felt anxious about intruding someone’s home without authorization.
«Can I see that wound?» Wonwoo asked you, snapping you out of your thoughts, and stupidly enough, you instinctively met his gaze. Although the warlock had definitely grown into a handsome young man, you noticed that one thing had remained just as when the two of you were kids: his glasses seemed to continuously threaten to fall off his nose, which made him appear extremely cute and adorable, despite his sharp features. 
However, what made your heart race was a very definite feeling within your soul; Wonwoo met your gaze and your soul felt calm, as if you were howling at the moon in a summer night.
“He’s my soulmate.” you thought.  Wonwoo extended his hand towards you, and you sat on the ground, placing your injured paw on the palm of his hand; he carefully analysed it, his fingertips gently moving around the fur over the wound, before eventually, you saw his eyes flashing a bright golden colour. The warlock quietly mumbled few words which you couldn’t understand, and before you realized it, the pain you had felt had completely stopped. 
«All done, make sure to pay attention around here.» he gently commented, and you immediately ran home with a racing heart. 
Whether that night you laid in bed in your human form, staring at your right hand without managing to fall asleep, that’s a secret for only you to know.
Within the following days you had met Wonwoo almost on a daily basis, although – when you were by yourself, you kept avoiding walking too close to the village while being in your human form; sometimes, you had the feeling that Wonwoo suspected something, but how could he? He couldn’t read your mind, could he?
“I wonder if he feels different, if he missed me,” you silently questioned yourself as your thoughts wandered on dangerous territories, “I wonder if he will accept me as his mate.”
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A month later, Wonwoo had basically turned you into his familiar; it wasn’t rare for you to spend your days in his garden as he was either busy creating some strange looking potion or doing the laundry, but nevertheless, anytime he asked you whether you wanted to go to the village with him, you always refused, immediately going back home. “It’s not my territory.” you reminded yourself every time.
Spring afternoons were extremely relaxing, and strangely enough, the small section of grass in Wonwoo’s little garden seemed to be more comfortable than all the wild grass which covered the woods. The warlock was on his knees, palatially leaned over a wide wooden basin filled with warm water, as he was patiently washing his sheets; you were laying on your side, casually glancing at him – wondering why he wasn’t using magic in the first place, while fighting the urge to drift off to sleep.
As you were about to fall into the temptation of losing yourself into slumber’s embrace, you felt few droplets of water land on your nose; your eyes curiously opened, and Wonwoo sprinkled some water towards you once again, using his fingertips. Instinctively wrinkling your nose, you squeezed your eyes, placing your left paw on his thigh and pushing forward – trying to ignore how firm his thighs actually were, with the secret goal to make him fall on the ground for interrupting your nap time; Wonwoo laughed softly, adjusting his glasses while using his wrist, and you felt your heart swell. You loved being around Wonwoo, especially as a wolf; actually, you were certain that you would have loved being around him even as a human, but you still didn’t gather enough courage to tell him that you had came back.
Few hours later, the warlock was sitting next to you, leaning back so that his weight was placed on his left hand, while he was gently brushing your soft fur with his right hand; however, his fingertips dangerously lingered over the scar on your face, and you kept your eyes tightly closed. 
Wonwoo used to caress it when you were kids, a tender brush of his fingertips which you probably wouldn’t have noticed if you weren’t looking at him anytime he did that; the warlock had just did the same thing, and your heart immediately picked up pace.
Wonwoo knew it was you.
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«You are a wolf,» you spoke, your index finger pointed to your own reflection in the mirror in a threatening way, «you could literally eat him in one – two bites!» you steadily went on with your rambling, asking yourself why were you supposed to be scared of telling Wonwoo that you were mates, and not finding an answer to your own cowardice. 
Since the afternoon the warlock had caressed your scar, you had carefully avoided to go in the places he usually roamed in, and therefore, you haven’t seen Wonwoo for more than a week; you wondered if the longing feeling which almost completely filled your soul was completely due to the soulmate bond, and moreover, you wondered if he missed you as well.
«Maybe he has someone?» you questioned yourself, before immediately shaking your head with a frown; you’ve spent enough time at Wonwoo’s house to knew that he didn’t have a partner, «and moreover, he’s meant with me.»  Basically, you spent the morning acting like a flustered teenager, despite the fact that you were a full grown adult.
Hesitantly, you knocked on Wonwoo’s front door, still pondering to just turn around and leave; it was late afternoon, and you had finally made up your mind, walking all the way to the warlock’s house. However, the more you waited, the more you realized that he wasn’t going to open the door anytime soon – he probably wasn’t home, fortuity which gave you the opportunity to flee; as you were stepping down the last step of Wonwoo’s porch, you heard the familiar creak of the wooden front door being open.
«You sure had some nerve making me wait for this long.» Wonwoo’s voice was groggy, and you figured out he was probably just taking a nap; you immediately spun on your heels, your gown obediently twirling around your legs as you stood facing him, your fingers nervously picking at each other in short and nervous movements.
«Well, I – »you started, now knowing what you wanted to say; although you wanted to apologize, every word you knew seemed to have vanished for your brain. 
«Come here, you idiot.» Wonwoo smiled at you, and in the same moment you saw his arms widening into an obvious offer of a hug, you skipped back on the steps of his porch, almost throwing yourself in his arms. 
«You can’t walk around with a scar on your cheek and not expect me to connect the dots,» he mumbled, resting his chin on the top of your head, as your face was basically buried in the crook of his neck, «I missed you.» he finally admitted the words you’ve desperately wanted to hear, and you instinctively hugged him a little tighter.
Wonwoo ended up convincing you to stay for dinner, and of course, you couldn’t exactly bring yourself to say no; even if you still had to confess him about the soulmate bond connecting the two of you, you were happy to spend some time with him by simply staying in your human form.
The moon was shining in the sky as the two of you were sitting on the steps of his porch, enjoying the quiet night summer breeze.
«Were you actually certain that I was the wolf?» you questioned; Wonwoo adjusted his glasses, and simply shrugged.
«It was just a bold guess in the beginning, but Seungcheol kinda confirmed it,» the warlock took your bewildered expression to explain himself further, «I randomly walked into him the day after we met, and he seemed to be all excited about you having returned into town, as a wolf. He also said we had the same scent, so we were probably mates.»
«Wait,» few seconds of silence had passed, and you silently connected the dots, «Seungcheol is a wolf?» you questioned, dumbfounded, and Wonwoo simply nodded, quietly chuckling at your surprise, already knowing what you would have said next, «Seungcheol, “let me chase you real quick while holding this bee hive” Seungcheol?»
«In his defence, he grew into a reliable leader.» Wonwoo admitted, and a comfortable silence fell once again around the two of you. Of course, the fact that Seungcheol was the alpha of the territory was the main reason you didn’t feel threatened with the sudden instinct and need to leave; he might have accepted you as one of his pack before you even thought about asking him to become one.
«He also told you we’re soulmates,» you sighed, «I feel like I’ve been beating around the bushes for nothing.» you felt Wonwoo’s arm around your shoulder, before being gently pulled into his side; you immediately shifted closer, so that you could comfortably lean against him without the two of you being uncomfortable.
«You did, but it was cute,» Wonwoo admitted, and your shoulders lowered in defeat, making him chuckle at your behaviour, «I was honestly curious about how long it would have took you.»
«Can you blame me? I literally disappeared in the middle of the night, and showed up years later.» you immediately retorted, explaining that your mother didn’t exactly gave you time to warn him about the fact you were about to leave, and as soon as you reached your new house, your main thoughts were immediately focused on trying to tame yourself in order not to hurt other people by mistake.
«I was really angry back then,» Wonwoo confessed, «but eventually, other friends went through the shifting process, and when he came back, Seungcheol helped me actually understand that you would have come back, sooner or later. I just had to wait.»
«So… Does it mean you’re accepting the bond?» you timidly questioned, and you felt Wonwoo wordlessly nod against your forehead, «and does it mean you’re going to kiss your soulmate?» as you felt the warlock detaching himself from you with an overdramatic sigh you felt like you had screwed up but luckily, as you met his gaze, you could only find affection. 
«If I hadn’t had a crush on you since day one I would have said no, because your pickup lines are really awful.» hearing Wonwoo’s words was as if your neurons simultaneously caught fire; before you could actually question him about “what the hell do you mean you have a crush on me”, his lips captured yours in a soft, tentative first kiss. 
Wonwoo’s lips were gentle – just like his whole being, but the kiss feels like the rush of a high tide at noon; his right thumb and index finger were under your chin, while his left hand was lazily gripping your nape, as if to prevent you from run away when all you wanted was to taste more, to feel more, until the point where you can’t even quantify what could that “more” even stand for. 
«Don’t leave.» Wonwoo spoke, a faint murmur against your lips, and you instinctively smiled in return, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him again, again and again.
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all works © lettersfromaphrodite
Do not modify, repost, translate or plagiarize my stories. I only publish my works on tumblr & AO3.
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2manyfandoms2count · 6 months
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Back to Life (Back to Reality)
Toxinelle and Griffe Noire really have been living in my head rent free for the past week, I just think they're extremely interesting characters 👀 This is more of a character study than an actual fic with a plot, I wanted to get into Toxinelle's head! Maybe I'll revisit their world at some point, I do think it's quite cool to not have a lot of knowledge of what's going on in their world, it's that much more intriguing...
Hope you enjoy!
Read on AO3
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Back to Life (Back to Reality)
Although the world they entered was the same they’d left behind, crumbling buildings lining the streets she and Griffe Noire had targeted time and time again in their quest to retrieve the Butterfly Miraculous, Toxinelle couldn’t help but notice that it didn’t look quite as hopeless as it had when they’d left it. The rising sun, which only a short time ago she might’ve found obnoxiously bright, pleasantly warmed her cheeks as she came to a halt next to a beaming Hesperia. 
“It’s been an eventful night, hasn’t it?” he commented once Ubiquity landed at his side, the glow of her power receding to reveal Alya Césaire. 
If she’s the other Marinette’s best friend, she can’t be that bad, Toxinelle thought, already considering a strategy to get closer to her at school. 
“I suggest we all take a little time to process what’s happened, and regroup later.” Hesperia smiled, interrupting her mental meanderings before she could overthink anything. “You know where to find us, take your time.” Watching him, Toxinelle found herself realising that she’d never realised how approachable he looked, unlike most adults in her life. And if the other Marinette’s world had seemed better in many ways, she really didn’t envy her for the presence of Monarque in her life; she wasn’t sure who of him or the Supreme was worse, but she liked the idea that she’d have a heroic adult on her side to fight for a better world.
Hesperia extended his hand, a gesture that made Toxinelle realise she was still holding Griffe Noire’s. She cleared her throat as she let go of it, before shaking her ex-opponent’s, who then turned towards her partner— no, that didn’t sound right, was it teammate, that the other Marinette used as a term?… It was probably more accurate. Had somebody asked her earlier that day, she might’ve described their relationship as one of “reluctant allies”, but there had been a shift in their dynamic from the moment they’d positioned themselves against the Supreme, which would have to draw them closer. 
At least she hoped so— it was one thing considering going against him as a team, an entirely different one to face him on her own. She didn’t think she was strong enough for it; not physically, the newfound feeling of health she’d retrieved from the other timeline being just a flicker next to the flame she’d once possessed, before it had all started, but least of all mentally. Not now, anyway.
“See you soon,” the man said, waving as he and his ally made their way back to their base. 
Just like that, Toxinelle found herself standing alone with Griffe Noire in the empty street.
“Bed–, I mean, um… Ladybug? Is that really what I’m supposed to call you now?” the tomcat raised an eyebrow.
“What about you? Have you landed on a good name?” she parried. 
“Hey, at least I was creative with mine, you’re just a– a copycat!” He pointed at her, laughing. It was the first time she heard him laugh genuinely, and she had to admit, it sounded pretty good.
Toxinelle stuck out her tongue at him, hoping it would distract from the blush creeping up her cheeks. She wasn’t entirely sure, but something told her that the thick layer of pale foundation she conscientiously applied every day, and which had until then stuck through her transformation, hadn’t made it back from their journey to the other world. 
“Anyway, what?” she asked rather abruptly, out of habit. She didn’t like that her sharp tone was coming back so quickly. She winced, and quickly added, more softly: “did you want to say?”
“Oh, er, well, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to meet up at some point? To discuss… this.” He gestured vaguely at their surroundings.
Toxinelle thought about what awaited her at home, and the panic that started washing over her made her feel like she was already losing grip on the thin thread of hope the other Marinette had started weaving for her.
“How about now?” she blurted out.
Griffe Noire was speechless for a second, but quickly pulled himself back together with a smirk. “Well, well, well,” he said, “look who can’t get enough of Adrien Agreste now.”
Toxinelle rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks heat up again. “For someone who’s so gloomy and silent without a mask, you sure are chatty with one on,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
Griffe Noire paled (she noticed now that his make-up had gone during his costume change, too; his complexion was quite nice when it wasn’t painted over) and he cleared his throat. “As if you don’t change your attitude either.”
“I’m sorry, how do you know me again, exactly?” She quirked an eyebrow.
“You’re my baker girl.” He shrugged, looking down and kicking a stray pebble. “I mean, not my baker girl, more like, the baker girl. Or whatever,” he mumbled quickly, blushing.
Toxinelle frowned, racking her brain to remember meeting him. Even without being a fan, she’d still recall serving the famous Adrien Agreste. She probably even would’ve been annoyed by his presence, knowing it would probably bring more people to the bakery, not to buy, but to stalk around in the hope of catching a glimpse of him. People could be so shallow. “You’ve never come inside the shop, though, have you?”
“No,” he admitted. “My bodyguard gets my chouquettes for me.”
“Wow, so you’re really that famous person.” She rolled her eyes.
“Hey, I’d like to see you face crazed fans any time you set foot outside.”
“Not likely to happen.” She walked away. If she shared an interest in fashion with the other Marinette, she clearly didn’t have the same support, or even the same time to dedicate to what she could only describe as her hobby, rather than a more serious career aspiration. And if she didn’t get the practice now… well, she wasn’t sure she’d ever get around to it.
“It’s always you, serving clients at the bakery. Never your parents,” he called out after her.
She turned back towards him, guarded. If he’d noticed that much from just waiting around in a car, who knew what else he’d noticed. “They’re very busy people.”
“And you’re still in school. And a Miraculous holder, even if I guess they don’t know about that. That’s one thing my dad is incredibly annoying about: making sure I don’t overdo it in modelling hours because “I need to lead a normal life”.” Griffe Noire air quoted.
“It’s nice that he cares, though,” Toxinelle let out with a sigh. 
“It’s exhausting, he’s positive all the time .” Griffe Noire threw his hands up. “It’s unnatural, if you ask me.” 
“Oh boo-hoo. He should meet my mother, nothing’s ever good enough for her,” she muttered, immediately regretting her words and the can of worms it might open.
There was a beat of silence, which felt unbearable to her, before Griffe Noire cautiously asked: “Want to talk about it?”
She considered her answer carefully. On the one hand, something told her that talking about what she was going through, the constant pressure of life at home, in some ways feeling more isolated in what should be the comfort of home, never being able to rely on anyone, might help her. Talking to the other Marinette had made some things click inside of her, after all. On the other hand, as much as she wanted to trust that Griffe Noire wasn’t going anywhere, she was afraid to crack the door open if it would just come back slamming I’m her face.
“Not now, if that’s okay,” she finally said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’ll be there when you’re ready.” Griffe Noire nodded. “You know where to find me. If you still want to talk, that is, if you want to be my…” he trailed off, as if looking for the right word.
“Friend?” she suggested, holding out her hand.
“Friend,” he repeated, shaking it, as if tasting the word. His face lit up with a bright smile.
His baton beeped just then, and he looked at her sheepishly. “I think that’s my cue to leave. I’m going to be late for dinner with my father— another thing he’s very peculiar about. But we’ll have to meet again, we didn’t get to discuss our whole situation with the Supreme, Hesperia and everything.” 
“It’s alright, we can set out another moment when I bring you your chouquettes tomorrow.” She smiled.
“Are you really going to turn me into the type of famous person who gets them delivered directly to the window of their car? I would’ve thought you’d despise that.” He winked.
“It’s fine if I’m the one who suggests it.” She laughed. 
“Aright, then, looking forward to it.” He bowed. “See you tomorrow, Bug.”
Toxinelle had to admit that she could hardly wait.
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