#may as well keep my jellyfish in the tank

[straykeedz]

day 17: bang chan + bulge kink

©straykeedz

tw: female anatomy; oral sex (f receiving); protected piv sex; dirty talk??; ♡

wc: 2,3k;

this is part of my kinktober masterlist. you can find my regular masterlist here (tho it will not be updated until the end of kinktober) ♡

🔖 (open): @linos-kitten ; @luneskies ; @kxcies-blog ; @idunnomanmynamewastaken ; @cessixja ; @stolasisyourparent ; @kookiesbunny ; @xoxo-xoxo-bunny ; @ivyskzsworld ; @mal-lunar-28 ; @leetaste ; @sunnykynnie ; @channiesgoodgirl ; @seonghwatoothless ; @mrsminho ; @seungminluv3 ; @jin-from-the-block ; @aaasia111 ; @sulkygyu ; @whosanaanyway ; @y-ur--I ; @vixensss ; @nightimescapes ; @freckleboilix ; @dreamingaboutjisung ; @yourbeomiebear ; ♡

to make sure i add you to the taglist, your age must be clearly visible on your profile. also, empty blogs will not be added - add at least a profile picture to your blog so that i’ll know you’re not a bot. ♡

smut below the cut, minors dni.

☉

You never thought a date with a man you’d met online could go that well. 

But a certain Chris somehow proved you wrong, and now you’re absolutely whipped for him. He feels the same way about you, so you decided to make things exclusive pretty quickly, and have been seeing each other for nearly a month now. The two of you get along really well, the chemistry is definitely there and you can’t keep your hands off each other every time you’re together - making out and touching each other, not in a sexual way tho, you haven’t gone that far yet.

However, tonight you just had your fifth date and you’re now about to do something you never do.

See, you have a rule: you don’t sleep with a man until the tenth date. To somebody, it may sound like a stupid and useless rule, but you’ve never been one who only looks for fun in relationship. You don’t judge who only goes out with people for fun, it’s just not something you can do. You tried hooking up with a couple of guys, but soon found out it’s not your thing, and that in order to be satisfied in bed you need to develop a proper emotional connection with that person. 

So what the hell were you doing on that stupid dating app? Easy - your friend had practically begged you to download it and try meeting somebody there since it’d been ages since you’d last gone out with somebody. 

You did it - for her. And you were pretty skeptical about it, because meeting strangers online is not something you’d usually do. But somehow you ended up meeting Chris - and it changed your life. 

But back to that tenth-date-rule. You now find yourself about to break it, and you’re blaming Chris for that.

Yes, because he looked so fucking sexy on the day you had and you just couldn’t stop thinking of how bad you wanted him to bend you over the next surface and fuck you senseless, or how banter you wanted o just kneel down before him, unzip his pants and suck him dry. And he was not even wearing a sexy outfit or had hinted at something racy or anything - the man was just innocently standing there, in front of the aquarium, explaining something about jellyfish to you and you were staring at him while all kinds of dirty, filthy thoughts involving him were flowing in your mind. 

All you kept doing was stare at his fingers, then his veiny hands, then his wrists, then his strong, muscular arms and suddenly, you were wet. The rest of your date went on like this - him explaining everything about this and that species of fish, and you thinking of him pressing your body against the next fish tank, unbuckling his skinny jeans, lifting your dress, pulling your panties to the side and, finally, entering you. 

When he drove you home and walked you to the door of your place, you decided you just had had enough of being good and following the rules, tonight you wanted - no, you needed to be reckless. 

So, you pulled him in for a hot, passionate kiss, and you now find yourself under him on your bed. His body hovers over yours, lips still pressed together, only pulling away from each other when you have to remove your sweater first, then his. And then, when he unbuckles his pants and slides them off his thighs together with his boxers, you notice it. And it’s big, probably bigger than any guy you’ve been with, and it kinda intimidates you. 

“What’s wrong?” Chris asks, noticing your wide eyes and slightly panicked expression, worried he might’ve done something wrong. 

“Nothing, it’s just…”

“Just?”, he encourages you. 

“You’re big.”, you admit, blushing a little. 

“Oh.”, he looks flustered too, glancing down at his own cock, which looks painfully hard. “It’s not that big.”

It’s not that big, says the guy with an eight-inches dick that’s about to split you in half. You’re about to say something when Chris suddenly lies down on his tummy, right between your parted legs, and you forget what you wanted to say in the first place. 

“Can I take them off?”, he asks, looking at you with big, lustful eyes, fingers brushing the soft fabric of your underwear, making you shiver. 

You nod, and he hooks his fingers on your panties before sliding them off your thighs. You’re feeling kind of embarrassed of being exposed like that in front of Chris, and he seems to notice it immediately. 

“We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”, he reassures you, caressing your inner thigh with the pad of his thumb. “Okay?”, he gives you a warm smile. 

“No, I- I want this.”, you say, propping yourself on your elbows to look him in the eye. You want him to believe you, because it’s the truth. “I promise.”

Chris doesn’t say anything else, he simply licks a long stripe on your pussy and hums as soon as your taste invades his mouth. It’s intoxicating in the best way possible, and if it were for him - he’d never stop. He laps at your clit repeatedly, expertly, occasionally flicking it with his fingers with delicacy - after all, it’s the first time you’re sleeping together, and he has to experiment a little in order to find out what you like. 

“Can you…” you let out a shaky breath. “Use your fingers, too?”, you ask him, cheeks flushing red. 

“Inside?”, he asks, kissing your clit. 

“No, just - put them on my clit like this.”, you shape a ‘v’ with your fingers.

You’re not used to telling men what you like in bed, but Chris is not men. He nods, then places his digits on your pussy, just like you asked, clit beautifully placed between his index and pointer finger. He spits on your clit to lubricate the whole zone, then attaches his plump lips back on your clit, gently moving his fingers at the same time, providing further stimulation, especially when he delicately squeezes it between his digits. 

Chris seems to be naturally skilled at eating pussy, because he makes you cum in record time with a combination of kisses and sucks on your clit and the movements of his fingers, which has you tugging at his hair and practically pushing his whole face against your pussy as you ride out your orgasm. 

You let your body fall back on the mattress as you pant, releasing the grip you have on his hair. “Shit- sorry, did I hurt you?”, you ask, propping yourself on your elbows once again, scared that you might’ve unintentionally pulled his hair too strongly. 

He shakes his head as a no, then licks his lips, savoring the way you taste, then wiping his chin with the back of his hand. “No, you didn’t. In fact, it was really fucking hot.”

“Now it’s your turn.”, you reach for his hard cock, but when you wrap your fingers around it, giving it a couple of slow strokes that have Chris biting his lip and kicking his head back. “Although…” you suddenly stops your movements, and Chris snaps his head in your direction, looking at you “I’d love it if you came while inside of me.”

Chris blinks a couple of time before his brain finally registers what you’re asking him. Once he processes your words, he nods frantically, climbing off the bed only to pick his skinny jeans up from the floor, taking his wallet out of one of the back pockets, eventually fishing a condom from it. Then, he’s back on the bed. 

“You know, you really shouldn’t keep your condoms in your wallet.”

“I promise it hasn’t been there long. I put it there today.”, he admits, cheeks slightly blushing at the implication of his words. 

“Oh, so you were hoping to get laid?”, you chuckle, but he can see you’re not really offended by the situation. 

“Not hoping, but you know…”, he says while unwrapping the rubber, rolling it onto his length swiftly. “Better to be safe than sorry.” He’s got a point. 

He positions himself between your spread legs and aligns the tip of his cock at your entrance. Then, he spits on his fingers and spreads his saliva all over your pussy to make sure you’re wet enough to take him - little does Chris know you’ve been wet since he picked you up four hours ago. 

“Tell me when you’re ready.”, he tells you, rubbing soft circles on your knee with his thumb. 

“Ready.”, you tell him immediately, and he chuckles - he’s just as whipped for you as you are for him. 

When he pushes inside - the stretch is insanely good and it doesn’t hurt, even though he didn’t use his fingers to stretch you out before entering you. It’s thick and long, and it feels so big inside of you it makes your head spin. It takes a while for him to bottom out completely, mostly because he’s pushing him at an excruciatingly slow pace to make sure not to hurt you - all while rubbing soft circles on your clit. 

Then, once he’s fully inside of you, he lets his body fall on top of yours - chests pressing together as he balances himself using his elbows. He kisses you on the lips as he gives one tentative thrust  inside of you, testing the waters. You moan against his mouth, taking in the feeling of having him inside of you - a feeling that’s overwhelming in the best way possible, and you don’t want it to stop. 

The first thrusts are slow and precise, letting you adjust to his size, and the angle is just right, hitting all the right places with each movement. Then, he starts to pick up the pace of his thrusts all while kissing the corner of your mouth, or your neck, or your collarbone. Kisses, kisses everywhere, combined with his fingers gently caressing your hair and scalp as he snaps his hips against yours quicker now. 

“So good to me.”, he whispers words of praise in your ear, letting out a choked whimper when your hand squeezes the flesh of his ass as he moves inside of you. “You feel perfect around me.”

You believe him, because he does feel perfect around you, too, and you can’t believe you almost missed out on all of this because of that stupid rule. 

“And you feel perfect inside of me.”, you moan. “So deep. Look.”, you intertwine your fingers with his, then drag his hand all over your body, placing it on your abdomen. 

He’s confused at first, but then he feels it. He feels himself. Inside of you. The tip of his cock right below your belly button, moving inside of you. His eyes widen, and he pulls away from you abruptly, but it’s just because he wants to witness it with his eyes.

He continues to fuck you, only this time he’s kneeling between your legs to get a better look of how his cock moves in and out of you. He’s mesmerized by the view, a tiny bulge appearing on the soft, delicate surface of your belly - shaped just like the tip of his cock, making his head spin. He brushes it with the pads of his fingers, feeling himself inside of you, moving slowly, and then halting his thrusts completely. His dick throbs inside of you, and he can see it reflected on how the bulge moves. 

“Do you like it?”, you ask, your voice soft as your knuckles caress his forearm. 

Like it would be an understatement. “I love it.”, he whimpers, and it makes your stomach do a flip. Then, he does the same thing you’d done a couple of minutes before. He takes your hand and places it on your belly, letting your palm lie flat on your skin as he thrusts deep inside of you, allowing you to feel every inch of him sinking in your hole. “Tell me you like it too.”, he moans, and he sounds absolutely desperate and close to his release. You are too. 

“I do.”, you pant, his fingers still wrapped around your wrist, keeping your hand on your tummy. “I do so fucking much. You’re fucking me so well, Chris, I’m so close.”, at this point you’re just rambling, incoherent words falling from your lips as your toes begin to curl. 

“Y-Yeah?”, he whimpers, hissing as he kicks his head back and breathes through his nose, snapping his hips against yours until wet sound start filling the room. “You like my big cock stretching you out? Like it when you feel it in your tummy, baby?”

You can’t believe this is the first time you’re fucking this man - the chemistry feels unreal. 

“I do, I do.”, you whimper, your orgasm is so close your toes are already beginning to curl. “So close, Chris, so close.”

“Fuck, cum for me, baby, please.”

As soon as he feel you clench around him, his orgasm washes all over him too, cock throbbing inside of you and he places his own hand next to yours, wanting to feel himself emptying into the rubber, even if it’s from the outside. It doesn’t matter, the thought drives him wild. He keeps his hand there until he feels his cock start to get limp, and then he’s quick to pull out our you, careful to hold the base of his cock. Then, he takes the rubber off and throws it in the trash can in your room and climbs back on the bed to lie down next to you. 

And as you try to regain your breaths, cuddled up next to each other, you can’t help but think that you really need to thank your friend for making you download that stupid app. 

☉

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[togamzee]

“You have a call waiting. I tried desperately to have him leave a message. It’s your father.”

Mizuo wanted those words to be a joke. A joke he would absolutely scream at Karin for making, but she would never do such a thing. No one would dare joke about that. Especially not an individual who knew.

He stared at her for too long. A pained smile spread across her face, fingers reaching up to adjust her glasses. “I really am sorry. I tried. Our receptionist has had enough. She finally begged me to take the call, and…well.”

“Understood. Leave.”

“I will, but should I…perhaps let the sound production team know you may not make it today?”

Mizuo shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “I’ll be there. I’ve missed enough as it is.”

“Hardly. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Shortly after the door shut behind her, Mizuo closed the blinds to his office. He felt his heart beat faster. His throat felt dry, and a panicked train of thought had begun racing uncontrollably through his mind. What could he want? What could be so pressing that his father demanded to speak to him, refused to leave a message, put up such a fight that even Karin caved despite knowing how strongly he detested the thought of holding a conversation with that man. Whatever Ikusaba Mitsuki wanted with him—couldn’t it have been solved by the deposits that went through monthly? Mizuo hated himself for sending them to begin with, but it was something, enough in his mind to keep his parents at bay and meant to convey the underlying message of “I’m already doing this for you, leave me be.”

His desk phone wasn’t going to disappear, no matter how hard he willed it to.

Breathe.

Swallowing his fear and his pride, Mizuo sat back in his chair and picked up the phone. His mouth opened with the intent to say something. No words came out.

The sound of the phone being answered must have been enough for his father, regardless.

“Pretty fucking ridiculous I have to go through your whole chain of command to get ahold of you, son. You that unobtainable? Gotta stay that far out of reach? Jesus Christ.”

“I’m busy. You have to know that.”

“Busy, huh? I fucking bet. Wouldn’t kill you to get your head out of your ass for an hour and pick up a phone.”

“It would kill me, actually. Sorry. What do you need? Check not go through? Need to update your routing number?”

“Real cute. Drop the fucking attitude. That money’s been going to your mom’s constant hospital bills for a couple years now, not that you give a fuck to call or ask or anything like that. I get that you think you’re so far above us, but your mom’s been crying about you for over a week and I can’t take it anymore. You need to come see her before her doctors tell us time’s up. Unless you’re cool with that guilt forever, if you feel it.”

Silence. He could have overlooked the tone, the argument, he had expected as much. His mother was dying? Had been sick this whole time?

He felt hollow.

“Let me guess, too busy huh? I’ll tell her, even though I already fucking told her you weren’t gonna make time.”

Mizuo bit down hard on his lip. His fingers curled tighter around the phone, anger rising he couldn’t be bothered to hide. He wouldn’t want to hide it.

“Don’t fucking assume that about me. Obviously I’m going to come see her. I’ll fly in Friday night and leave Sunday. Which hospital in Tokyo is she at?”

“We’re not in Tokyo anymore. Haven’t been in years. I’ll send you the address, if my number isn’t blocked in your phone.”

“It’s not.”

“Great. See you.”

See you.

He spent the better part of ten minutes staring at the jellyfish in his tank before finding the will to return to work, and to tell Karin his weekend agenda would need adjustment.

[kinkymagnus]

do u ever have an au living rent free in ur brain but u kno literally no one but u wants it so ur just like........well if i try to write this out i’ll ruin it anyway! so it just lives in ur skull like a jellyfish

#take the jellyfish out of the tank and it is no longer a pretty delicate swooshy thing of ggrace but instead a fucked up blob #that's what writing down ideas--particularly ones that have lots of different possibilities--feels like #and since ive already got so many others and also again literally no one else wants this very specific au #its like meh #may as well keep my jellyfish in the tank

[intomymindspace]

Just One Day ✰ Ushijima Wakatoshi

Just One Day by BTS

ushijima wakatoshi x gn!reader

Through the Summer and the Fall // Haikyuu!! Songfic Series

a/n: hi everyone, I'm sorry for falling off the map for a bit. I was feeling really just overwhelmed and burnt out, but also disheartened because of my fics not showing up in tags and stuff. oh well. I also started another semester of college... and on the first day, I found out that my ex had cheated on me 🤡 n e ways,,,, this fic is heavily influenced by that. thank you for reading my stuff and sticking with me. I just wanna be loved sometimes, yanno?

Word Count: almost 5k?

Warnings: none, just Oikawa mentioned as being a bad ex bf for unknown reasons. this is also probably unedited, so I am so sorry if there are any mistakes

If I have just one day I'd like to fall asleep with your scent If I have time on a tight schedule I'd like to soak myself in your warm, deep eyes

If Ushijima Wakatoshi could be with you for just one day, he would take you to Tsutsujigaoka Park. He would hope it was near the end of March, so he could take you for a walk while the cherry and plum blossom trees were blooming. Regardless of the season, he would make sure to prepare a blanket and two bentos, and maybe even a sketchbook or two. The two of you would talk, and walk in a comfortable silence as you viewed the nature around. If any food stalls were open, Wakatoshi would make sure to bring extra pocket money to buy you something you wanted. His hand would completely engulf yours if he held it, and as he walked you back to your dorm room, he would even dare to ask permission to kiss you.

Tendou watched his best friend fondly, smiling as he recognized the faraway look in Wakatoshi's eyes. The ace was thinking about you. Tendou saw this look quite often, whenever Wakatoshi needed to calm down during a match, when he needed a break from studying, and even when you visited to coordinate cheers for upcoming matches. The olive-haired boy had never said anything about you, but this was one thing that Tendou was always able to read.

As the cheer captain of Shiratorizawa, it had always been a little tough for you. While coming up with cheers and leading the school to rally during games was easy, being in a relationship with Oikawa Tooru was the unsolvable variable in that equation. Wakatoshi had only wished the best for the both of you, as much as he pined from afar. You were happy, right? Did Oikawa make you happy?

There were many times where he had seen your puffy eyes, your cheeks rubbed raw, your voice not as loud as usual. It was never his business to ask - you were his rival's partner after all (or recent ex-parter, he had later discovered), and he was sure that Oikawa had given you a nasty impression of the ace.

He wondered if he could still have you, even if it was just for one day. Wakatoshi knew better, however. He knew the last thing you wanted was another man in your life. You didn't need someone who always reminded you of the boy who never prioritized you, who never shut down his fangirls and always left you insecure. Wakatoshi always felt guilty, even though he knew it was for no reason. Maybe if he had built up the courage to talk to you during first year homeroom, things would be different.

Even if it was for just one day, Ushijima Wakatoshi could've taken care of you. He could've balanced his priorities, appreciated your support, and crushed your insecurities. He could've been everything Oikawa wasn't. Wakatoshi was not a man of many words, but he knew the ones he could have spoken would have counted for something. He was never a man of empty promises, empty ambitions, and empty dreams. As the buzzer went off, Wakatoshi was brought back to the reality of the current game.

It was a shame, he thought, that Karasuno had beaten Aoba Johsai. He would've liked to put Oikawa in his place one last time.

As he stood back up with the rest of his team, he made his way over to the edge of the court. He breathed in and out, hearing your voice ring loud and clear. Your voice parted the crowd, and his heart couldn't help but flutter.

"Ushijima! Ushijima!"

You were cheering for him after all, right?

He bounced the ball, hitting it against the ground to make sure it felt right. As he heard the referee blow the whistle, he thought about what your face would look like when he served. Would you be ecstatic? Would your eyes widen in shock? Would he scare you, as he does so many others?

As the volleyball slammed into Karasuno's court, the crowd went wild. Wakatoshi glanced into the bleachers, already knowing where you were standing. The look of awe on your face was evident, Wakatoshi thought. He would certainly make the next serve if it meant seeing you smile again - even if it was for just one day.

Your voice when you call my name I want to be sunk with that voice and swim I want to know you more I am an adventurer who explores an unknown forest called "you"

If Ushijima Wakatoshi could be with you for just one day, he would take you to the Sendai Uminomori Aquarium. He would stare at you under the black lights as you admired the jellyfish, floating in their tanks, their tendrils extending and waving to say hello. He’d catch himself in the reflection of the glass, his lips in a rare, soft smile as he’d watch you press your hands gently against the divider. He could imagine the look on your face - would you smile at him the way you used to smile for Oikawa? Would you finally have the sparkle in your eyes that had left? Wakatoshi hated that he would compare himself to the setter... but how could he not?  

Would you enjoy the opposite of Oikawa?

He pondered this as he sat during the graduation ceremony. You were sitting a few rows up with your class, and he was placed next to Tendou, Semi on the opposite side of the red-haired blocker.

The chances of him ever seeing you again were very low. He would be playing with the Japan National under-19 volleyball team until his birthday, and from then he’d be trying out for the division one teams. Wakatoshi wasn’t sure what you would be doing - Tendou had told him that you had mentioned you’d be going to Tohoku University.

Wakatoshi’s biggest regret was never talking to you. He knew he had a multitude of opportunities, whether it be communicating on cheers, or simply just joining in on the conversations you’d have with Tendou and Yamagata. He knew it wasn’t his place, to try to replace the remnants of Oikawa in your heart with himself. But he would make sure that his last day with you wouldn’t be for nothing.

He found himself being dragged into pictures upon pictures - not that he minded, of course. He would make sure to ask for copies to keep as memories. He would need them for the documentary Tendou insisted he’d have. He couldn’t help but look at the smile on your face as you held up peace signs with Goshiki and Shirabu. You had gotten closer to the team during your third year, something Wakatoshi was forever thankful for. Tendou smiled, gently nudging the ace.

“Wakatoshi-kun, won’t you say something?” His olive eyes met Tendou’s crimson ones. Most would take Wakatoshi’s silence as indifference, but Tendou of all people knew better than that.

“Ah, you already have something in mind, don’t you?” Wakatoshi nodded.

“Will you go through with it?”

“Yes. I think I will.”

You had been comforting Goshiki through his tears and sniffles, promising to keep in contact with your precious kouhai. Once again, a rare, small smile curled Wakatoshi’s lips. You were still so caring, even when you’d been treated badly.

“May I speak with you for a moment?” You seemed surprised by Wakatoshi’s inquiry, but nodded nevertheless. Giving Goshiki one last pat on the head, you followed Wakatoshi as he lead you away from his and your teammates.

“What was it that you wanted, Ushijima-san?” Wakatoshi took the time to memorize the way your hair was lightly rustled by the breeze.

“Hold on, wait!” Tendou jogged up to the two of you, camera in hand. “Gotta take a photo of our two favorite captains!”

You leaned into Wakatoshi, your diploma in one hand and a peace sign in the other. Your smile was radiant, and Wakatoshi gingerly wrapped a loose arm around your shoulders. He didn’t even realize Tendou had counted down the seconds until the flash appeared, for he was too focused on looking down at your shining face. His best friend left as quickly as he appeared, shouting promises to send copies later. You turned back around, an expectant look on your face. Wakatoshi’s heart was fluttering in his chest, but his mind felt an odd sense of calm.

“We do not have military style uniforms, but I understand that it is common for boys to give the our second button to the one we cherish most.” He paid attention to every detail he could - the way your breath hitched in your chest, the flush in your cheeks, and your wide eyes. Without much effort, he ripped the second button off his suit jacket and presented it to you.

“Will you please accept it?”

Wakatoshi couldn’t help but wish you all the luck and happiness in the world. Even if it was for just one day, he was glad to see you one last time.

I appreciate a masterpiece, "you" Because your existence is an art Every day I imagine like this all night long Because you are nothing more than just a dream to me

If Ushijima Wakatoshi could be with you for just one day, he’d take you to Universal Hollywood. He was never one for thrill rides, but Wakatoshi wouldn’t mind riding on the Hulk if it meant holding your hand as you screamed for your dear life. He would make sure to treated you to a nice, iced butterbeer and matching Harry Potter gear. Granted, he also wasn’t much of a fan, but he would be more than willing for you. He’d stand with you in the shade as the two of you sipped on the cold drink, the bustling life of Diagonal Alley creating the illusion of escapism. He’d remember to post a picture or two for Instagram, since Tendou always bugged him about starting a public social media.

Did Oikawa ever post photos of the two of you? Wakatoshi wondered if the setter had ever cared to do so. It had been nearly two years since he had gifted the button on his uniform to you - and he often found himself going back into his camera roll to find the photo Tendou took after graduation.

You had accepted it with a blushing face, not knowing what to say. Wakatoshi didn’t need an answer from you. He was more than content with the thought of you. He hoped you were doing well in college.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Wakatoshi heard a familiar voice say. The ace turned around to find Iwaizumi, Oikawa’s ace, standing in front of his very eyes.

“Iwaizumi-san, it is good to see you again.”

“Same goes to you, Ushijima-san. What are you doing here?” Ah, Wakatoshi thought, he must be referring to why I’m in this unbearable heat.

“My father is holding a training camp on campus, and invited me to attend before division one tryouts.” Iwaizumi’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re Utsui-san’s son?” Wakatoshi nodded.

“What are you here for?”

“I’m majoring sports science, and well, I was kinda hoping to meet your father while studying abroad to see if I could intern with him after graduating.” Wakatoshi nodded politely.

“I am on my way to see him right now. I would not mind introducing you to him, I am sure he would be more than willing to speak with you.” Iwaizumi thanked him profusely, falling in step beside his previous opponent as Wakatoshi began walking again.

"What teams are you hoping to tryout for?" Iwaizumi asked.

"I would like to play for the Schweiden Adlers."

"Ah, I'm sure they'll want you. Any division one team is probably dying for you to choose them."

"Thank you. Are you not pursuing volleyball?" Iwaizumi shook his head.

"Nah. I love the sport, but I think I'd rather train or coach players." Wakatoshi nodded.

"Though, Stupidkawa still is, obviously. He's been in Argentina for a while now." Iwaizumi noticed the slight furrowing in Wakatoshi's eyebrows, his face seeming forever etched into a frown, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry from bringing him up like that." Wakatoshi merely brought his hand up to wave away Iwaizumi's worries.

"What's funny is I actually go to college with his ex - they were at Shiratorizawa with you, right?" Wakatoshi couldn't help the way his eyes widened at Iwaizumi's mention of you.

"I have not spoken to them in a while. How are they?" He asked, keeping his olive eyes in front of him. Iwaizumi only smiled.

"We've actually gotten pretty close. I wound up in a bio lab with them in our first semester, and it turns out they're majoring in nutritional sciences."

"Is that so? How does Oikawa feel about that?" The brunette beside him knew better. After all, the two of you had become close friends. You had told him about Wakatoshi's confession.

"Shittykawa is pouty as always. He knows what he did wrong, though, so he doesn't complain." Iwaizumi looked up at Wakatoshi. "He's actually thinking of trying things again the next time he visits Japan." Wakatoshi tried his best to hide the disdain in his reply. Surely, you wouldn't want to retry being in a relationship with the setter, right?

"I did not think he would have the time." To Wakatoshi's surprise, Iwaizumi barked out a laugh.

"I don't think they'll accept any of his new advances. They've been focused on themselves and getting their degree for the most part." Wakatoshi wanted to ask what the ace meant by 'for the most part,' but his lips remained shut.

"That is good to hear." Iwaizumi smirked.

"I'm sure it is, Ushijima-san. After all, they did keep your button."

Maybe, Wakatoshi thought, just one day was not enough.

If I can be with you just one day If I can hold your hands just one day If I can be with you just one day Just one day If you and I can be together just one day

If Ushijima Wakatoshi could be with you for just one day, he would make sure you had his undivided attention. He was fairly good at time management - knew when to start tasks, and he knew when to stop them. He could easily devote time for you while still being a pro-volleyball player. He would spend the day doing whatever you would want - whether it be going shopping (and holding your bags), taking a hike (he would pack extra snacks just for you), or simply staying in for a day of relaxation (he'd even make you your favorite dish, but Wakatoshi wouldn't be able to guarantee how good it would end up tasting). He'd make sure you felt loved and cared for, returning the same affection and effort that you gave to him.

He had been playing for the Adlers for almost a year now, the newest addition being Kageyama Tobio. Oikawa's disciple, he used to call the black-haired setter. To be honest, he quite liked Kageyama. Wakatoshi was just surprised that the orange-haired crow didn't follow him.

As Wakatoshi took his duffle bag and clothes from his locker, he found himself staring at some of the photographs he had printed out and taped to the inside of his locker. There was one of the Shiratorizawa team, used as a roster in his third year. He looked the just the same, in his opinion. The next one was of him and Tendou at the airport. The redhead had shaved his long locks, but the delighted look in his eyes was still present. Wakatoshi would make sure to call him on Friday, just like they did every week. They were best friends, after all.

The last photo was the one Tendou had snapped the day of graduation. Wakatoshi found himself always looking at it. The smile on your face would ground him before practice, before games. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could still hear your cheers in the stands. He would open his eyes, serve, and think of the same smile he always sought out in the crowd.

Wakatoshi had always wondered how you were doing - he thought about you everyday. He knew he could easily give into Tendou and Hoshiumi's pleas for him to create at least a Facebook page, or ask Iwaizumi for your number. But, it wasn't as simple as that, at least in his mind. You wouldn't want him anyways, would you? Not when Oikawa still seemed like such a big wall, at least in his mind.

He could still remember that day like the back of his left hand. He still remembered the way you smiled as you hugged Goshiki through his tears, and he still remembered the look in your eyes when he asked if you would accept his affections, without a need for them to ever be returned?

Wakatoshi questioned why he limited himself to being with you for just one day. Was he being patient, waiting for a day that would never come? Why was it that he convinced himself that the only way he'd ever see you again was when he dreamed?

"Ushijima-san?" It was Kageyama that pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" The setter merely frowned, holding his phone out for Wakatoshi to look at the screen.

"TOBIO-KUN!!!" It was a text from Hinata Shouyou. "LOOK WHO I FOUND IN RIO!!!" Below it was a picture of Hinata, his tongue out, the Rio sun setting behind him. Next to him was no one other that Oikawa Tooru, his tongue out as well. Wakatoshi's eyebrows furrowed immensely, his lips frowning.

"TOORU-KUN SAYS HI!!!" The situation alone was already jarring enough. Wakatoshi looked back up at Kageyama, to find the same look on the setter's face. Was Oikawa taunting him? Had Oikawa visited Japan before Rio? Had he bothered you? Wakatoshi had assumed that you still lived in Miyagi - you were almost done with your degree, if he counted the years correctly. What would you do after you graduated? Would you go back to Oikawa? Forgive him for all the things he had done? Or, would you find someone else? Would you move on (or, had you already moved on? Wakatoshi wondered this frequently) and find someone who would give you everything Oikawa couldn't, and everything Wakatoshi could?

He remembered the tears when you had gotten the call during a joint practice. Would he remind you of those painful times?

For just one day, Wakatoshi wished he could take all your troubles away, as old or as new as they were.

You will blame me a little, or a lot maybe I know I couldn't see you more because of my dream Then please give me one day, even one day in dreams is fine All the words I couldn't say, making an excuse that its reality

If Ushijima Wakatoshi could be with you for just one day, he take you to Zuiganji Temple. It was nearly Christmastime, which meant the new year was just around the corner. On the first day of January, he would go with you to pray at the temple. He would stroll with you, hand-in-hand, as you admired the nature that surrounded the temple. The two of you would give offerings to the kami, clap your hands together in prayer, and receive good fortunes. Wakatoshi would make sure to pray for many more New Years with you.

The old Sendai City Gymnasium, now the Kamei Arena Sendai, sent him back to high school. They were even playing the MSBY Black Jackals. He remembered how you cheered for him in the stands, voice loud and smile bright as your pom-poms waved in your hands. He would most certainly imagine you in the crowd - he always did.

As the starting lineups are announced, Wakatoshi finds himself thinking about how the different the members of MSBY Black Jackals are. He would remind himself to go say hello to Sakusa and Hinata after the match. Out of the corner of his eye, Wakatoshi swears that he saw a glimpse of your hair. No, he thinks to himself. You were studying nutrition in college, so why would you be on the court? He didn't know if you'd be in the stands - would you? After all, Semi and Reon did come to watch the match.

He peers over to the opposite side of the court once more. He didn't know that the MSBY Black Jackals had a manager. His eyes must have been messing with him. Imagining you cheering him on had never been a distraction until now. Had he eaten something unusual this morning? Were the chia seeds in his overnight oatmeal expired? Wakatoshi thinks that it couldn't possibly be you. You weren't the person standing in a black and gold jacket on the opposite side of the course - they just had similar hair.

Bokuto Koutarou, as always, makes a scene as he leaps across the court during his introduction. Hinata and Miya Atsumu are yelling and laughing wildly, and the crowd goes crazy. The silver haired wing spiker then runs back to his team, giving them all enthusiastic high fives as he goes down the line. As he arrives at the end, he spins the manager around before picking them up, hugging them affectionately as he lifts and spins them around.

Wakatoshi's eyes widen as he finally sees the manager's face - and its you. It was really you. His breath seems caught in his throat. His chest is tightening like crazy, and he knows the exact reason why. He knows he had never stopped loving you - and now that he was seeing you again for the first time in years, his heart can't handle itself.

"Ushi-kun, are you okay?" It was Hoshiumi who pulled him away from his thoughts this time. The white-haired man was staring up at him with wide, concerned eyes. His eyes followed Wakatoshi's gaze, which lead straight to you.

"Is that the person in the picture that you always stare at in your locker?" Wakatoshi hears Kageyama sputtering, nearly choking on his water.

"Senpai is here?" Kageyama's eyes are wide as he looks across the court as well. Once he spots you, he frowns. "Stupid Hinata. Didn't even think to tell me that they were on the team. Their manager and nutritionist, no less."

Wakatoshi remembers when Kageyama first saw the photo in his locker.

"That's Oikawa-san's ex, right? I forgot they had gone to Shiratorizawa with you." Kageyama was peering into Wakatoshi's locker, forgetting personal space. The wing spiker nodded.

"Yes, they were the captain of the cheerleading squad." Kageyama nodded.

"They actually went to Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High. They always tutored me throughout junior andante high school and always bought me snacks, even after Oikawa-san - " Kageyama cut himself off. "Senpai was always very kind to me."

Wakatoshi nodded at the setter. "Yes, they have always been kind."

"Were you close to them? Ushijima-san?" For a few moments, Wakatoshi simply stared in silence at the photo.

"No, I would not have considered us close." He allowed himself to smile. "But, they are very dear to me."

Wakatoshi would've been more bothered by the Adlers' loss if it weren't for the fact that you were there. Seeing you there, smiling as you congratulated your team was more than enough to keep him at bay. However, he would make sure to beat the Black Jackals next time.

Wakatoshi had approached, almost with caution, as he trailed behind Kageyama and Hoshiumi. What should he say? Did you even want to talk to him? You looked really close to Bokuto and Atsumu (in fact, you seemed close with most of the team in general). Would you remember him? (That was a stupid question, he then decided.)

As he stood awkwardly behind the reunion, he continued to stare at you. You were laughing along with something Meian had said, and judging by Atsumu's face, the captain had made fun of him. His phone kept on buzzing, and he finally checked it only to find that it was the old Shiratorizawa groupchat.

"Look at this idiot" texted Reon, attached with a photo that must have been taken barely a minute ago. It was zoomed in and a bit grainy, but it revealed Wakatoshi staring at you. Yamagata had replied with an emoji of two eyes looking off to the side.

"Wakatoshi-kun" Tendou had texted, "If you don't go up to them right now / I will personally fly all the way to Japan / to kick your ass"

"OMG IS THT SENPAI / TELL THEM I SAID HIII / AND THAT THEY LOOK GORGOUS TODAY" Goshiki spammed, making Wakatoshi sigh. He looked back up, only to make eye contact with you - immediately, his breath felt as if it was lodged in his throat once more. A smile graced your lips, and you began to walk over. Wakatoshi could only stand there as you approached him.

"You were amazing today, Ushijima-san. I'm glad I got to watch you play in person again." You looked just as beautiful (or perhaps, even more than so) as you did all those years ago. Before Wakatoshi could even reply, you began speaking again.

"If you're free sometime this week, before you go back to Tokyo, I would love to catch up with you." You were playing with your fingers (a nervous habit, he had realized while in high school). If it weren't for his complete focus on you, he would've noticed both teams smirking and giggling like schoolgirls at the two of you.

Maybe, Wakatoshi thought, he could finally be with you for just one day.

I want to say at least one word right among them I didn't think it would be easy to forget you Am I selfish if I wish you won't forget me so easily? You're standing in the middle of me

If Ushijima Wakatoshi could be with you for just one day, he would make sure to perfect his vows. He would rehearse them over and over again to Tendou as his best friend (and man) made sure Wakatoshi looked perfect. Wakatoshi would already have memorized everything by heart, but Tendou would insist on him having a copy in his pocket, just in case. He would let you choose whatever decorations and colors you liked, and he would make sure to spare no expense if it meant seeing you smile. Wakatoshi was an Olympian, after all.

What would Oikawa's vows sound like? Would the setter charm you with sweet words and promises of love, like he had once done? He knew Oikawa did not matter anymore - he no longer questioned if you still loved the setter, or if you were still healing from the breakup (even if it was already so many years ago, Wakatoshi just wanted to make sure). He no longer compared himself to Oikawa, but he still wondered what it would be like if Oikawa were in his position.

"Thank you once again for designing and creating our outfits, Azumane-san." The long haired man smiled, placing the finishing touches on Wakatoshi's custom suit.

"It is my pleasure, Ushijima-san." The designer cracked a smile. "After all, you did pay me."

"Are you nervous, Wakatoshi-kun?" Tendou asked. The short-haired man was smiling at Wakatoshi.

"Should I be, Tendou-kun?" Wakatoshi truly did wonder this. Should he be feeling nervous? Because truth told, he wasn't. Wakatoshi couldn't feel a single nervous bone in his body, and Tendou only laughed.

"If you are, I wouldn't blame you. You're getting married, after all." Iwaizumi barged into the room as he fastened the cuff links. 

"Are you ready, Ushijima-san?" He felt Tendou pat his shoulder.

"Yes, I am."

How could Wakatoshi be nervous for a day he had only ever dreamed of?

He stood at the end of the aisle, as patient as ever. It was a medium-sized wedding, as close family and friends from high school and beyond were invited. Tendou stood just off to the side, followed Iwaizumi, Kageyama, Semi, and Bokuto. As the music began to play, Wakatoshi readied himself. For obvious reasons, he hadn't seen what you looked like - and Azumane made sure to keep the design of your outfit "top secret."

He inhaled deeply, paused, and then exhaled. As his olive eyes traced your approaching figure, Wakatoshi found himself just as breathless as he was, all those years ago. You were shining just as bright. Wakatoshi didn't cry - he didn't need to in order to express how he felt at that moment. He was calm and happy. Your hands were cold in his much larger, much warmer ones. Wakatoshi took them both as you stepped up to the platform. Had his eyes always been this soft, this fond? The smile on his face was evident - and he could care less if anyone were to be surprised by a break in his often stoic face.

Wakatoshi never needed to wish for just one day with you. Not anymore, at least. He could take care of you, and be with you for the rest of his days. He realized this as he saw the tears well up in your eyes as he finished his vows. The were no longer any reasons for him to compare himself to Oikawa. Not when you were standing before him, wedding ring slipped around your ring finger. He could prioritize you, praise you, and love you the way he had always wanted to.

"For so long, I had so deeply desired to spend even just one day with you. I am forever grateful that you would choose to spend more than one with me."

If I can be with you just one day If I can hold your hands just one day If I can be with you just one day Just one day If you and I can be together just one day

thank you for reading!! once again... please do like AND reblog if possible. and let me know what you think. I crave validation and attention. I'm so lonely its unreal.

- Crystal

through the summer and the fall masterlist

blog masterlist

my ko-fi (but only if you can and want to!)

#ushijima x reader #ushijima wakatoshi x reader #ushijima imagine #ushijima wakatoshi imagine #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu x reader

[skyemisc]

Jade Leech Birthday SSR Story Translation

I am still studying Japanese so I do not 100% guarantee accuracy in this translation. The gist should be there.

NRC Newspaper interview Birthday interview feature

~Jade edition~

--

Part 1:

Option: Happy birthday.

Jade: Thank you very much.

Screen: Please let us know how you feel about everyone congratulating you.

Jade: I am very pleased to be here alongside Floyd for everyone to celebrate with us.

Jade: However, hearing everyone congratulate us makes me uncharacteristically bashful.

Screen:  Did you receive any messages from your parents?

Jade: Yes. Floyd and I received a message addressed to us from our mother.

Jade: “Jade-san, Floyd-san, are you eating properly every day?”

Jade: “Its understandable you are having a fun time up on land, but please come visit every once in a while.”

Jade: It seems we have been weighing on her mind as of this present state.

Jade: That being said, this message is not anything abnormal since we keep in contact regularly.

Jade: Ever since we were young, our mother has a bit of a worrywart.

Screen: Please tell me about your different birthday memories.

Jade: Memories? …I see. Then, allow me to tell you about a time we were children.

Jade: During Floyd and I’s birthdays, not just our relatives but our father’s work colleagues would rush to visit—

Jade: We would receive a mountain of presents.

Screen: What sort of things did you receive?

Jade: Sweets, seaweed eye masks, toys you can only acquire on land—we received quite a variety.

Jade: Though, there would be luxury consumables mixed in that children would have no business needing…

Jade: They were not for us, but to bribe our fath… No, they seemed to be presents to our father from desperate people to win him over.

Jade: For such profound gifts, he would always obtain their signature.

Jade: He would have them sign certificates stating, ‘this was well-intentioned present, and we will not request for anything in return.’

Jade: As our father, he’s very similar to our mother in how he’d worry about such things.

Jade: Well, they say a man and his wife are very similar… It’s good to see them get along with one another.

Screen: I would like to visit your parents’ home someday…

Jade: It is simply an independent business? One that dives into a wide, frivolous sort of trades… It’s very ordinary, you see.

Part 2:

Screen: What are your interests?

Jade: Terrariums.

Jade: There is such a profound meaning behind raising living things from land in transparent, water tank-like glass containers.

Screen: Please tell me what got you interested in terrariums.

Jade: I first heard about it from the Great Seven’s Sea Witch.

Jade: I heard a certain anecdote about how she kept living creatures in bottles.

Jade: Yearning to understand more about such a tremendous figure, I began to imitate such a practice.

Jade: Even in my hometown, I would raise many from within those bottles.

Screen: What is it that you like about terrariums?

Jade: Let me think… To be the one who is in control, perhaps.

Jade: I am responsible for maintaining peace in the world of this container.

Jade: Meaning, I decide what may live or die.

Jade: You could say being the maintainer for a terrarium is like being a ruler of a miniature garden.

Jade: Above anything else, nurturing it at my own pace helps put me to ease.

Jade: Nevertheless, not everything will always go as you planned.

Jade: Vegetation you harvested could suddenly wither, unexpected plants growing from dirt you collected from the mountains…

Jade: There is a certain charm when such unforeseen circumstances occur.

Screen: Are the unforeseen circumstances enjoyable?

Jade: Yes. After all, if everything when as you planned, that would simply be dull.

Jade: I still have little about living creatures on land, there is much I cannot predict in how they develop…

Jade: Because of that, I have a tremendous fascination with terrariums.

Part 3:

Screen: If you have any memories connected to your earring, please tell me.

Jade: Oya, you are curious about what I have on my left ear?

Jade: Heheh, that is fine. I will tell you. It is a bit of a long story but…

Jade: Before entering middle school, Floyd and I were challenged by a sturgeon.

Jade: That fish had such beautiful scales.

Jade: We were intrigued and asked if we won, that they would give us their scales.

Jade: As a result… I’m sure you understand?

Jade: Yes. Winning without any issues or injury, we received their beautiful scales.

Jade: We had these produced, and now Floyd and I wear them as earrings.

Screen: They are very pretty.

Jade: Thank you very much. Hearing you praise them so makes me feel content.

Jade: One of the verses from the Sea Witch’s spells mentions sturgeons…*

(Note: In JP the spell said “Sturgeon of the Caspian Sea” not what was said in English)

Jade: As such, the Coral Sea regards sturgeon scales as a popular good luck charm.

Screen: What else is popular at Coral Sea?

Jade: Let’s see… Oh. Fireworks are extremely popular.

Jade: When the shore sends up fireworks, much merfolk will reach the surface in appreciation.

Jade: For Floyd and I, on days of the fireworks, we would go up close to the shore and play there.

Jade: Because everyone looked toward the sky, the people on land would seldom notice us.

Jade: By the way, merfolk of the olden days would think of fireworks as jellyfish in the sky.

Jade: I would say that’d be too flashy for jellyfish but… Hehe, it’s an amusing misunderstanding.

Screen: Thank you for letting me listen to your stories.

Screen: Once again, happy birthday.

#twst #twisted wonderland #translation #jade #jade leech #jade leech birthday #birthday #translate #jade leech ssr #do you ever wish you were a fork

[zevlors-tail]

Shinsou x Reader x Deku Zoo HC’s

Pairing: Poly ShinDeku x Reader/Shinsou x Reader x Izuku

Description: A day trip to the zoo with Reader!

Warnings: Established poly relationship, otherwise none. Maybe tooth rotting fluff.

A/N: First and foremost! Both boys and the Reader are in an established poly relationship, are Pro!Heroes, and are aged 21+. Bet y’all can’t guess where I went today lol. Today had hella Shinsou vibes, and of course I will forever love the green ball of sunshine that is Izuku Midoriya, so this happened. Enjoy!

A Day At The Zoo

-It’s so rare that the three of you ever end up with the same day off together, so most of the time you have to plan ahead if you want to have outings or adventures, the zoo included!

-It was Deku’s idea first. Well, not idea per se; he just suggested it in passing and you hopped on that train of thought so freaking fast! A whole day spent looking at cute animals with your cute boyfriends? Um, yes please!

-Shinsou had never been to the zoo before, so he didn’t really understand the hype at first. What exactly was the point in visiting animals other than cats? Especially when you can’t pet or hold them? But if it made you and Izuku happy, then who was he to say no?

-Izuku recommended a zoo that was a little bit farther away than your local one, but it had so much more than the typical barnyard animals at yours. He’d gone a few times himself for fundraisers and meetings but you and Shinsou had never been there before.

-So the three of you planned out a day in advance, took the day off from your respective places of work, and thus, the adventure began!

-You talked about it for weeks beforehand, right up until you were parked at the front gates. “Are you guys excited? Because I am SO excited! I’m gonna pet the goats, and the stingrays, and the sharks, and look at all the birds, and take so many pictures-!”

-The first thing you spot is the giant monarch butterfly chilling on the flowers outside of the front gates, so you already know it’s gonna be a good day. You already have your camera whipped out to take a pic.

-Izuku thinks it’s the cutest thing, and Shinsou is literally taking a picture of you taking a photo of the butterfly. The butterfly might be photogenic, but honestly, he thinks you’re the real work of art here.

-The three of you pay and no sooner than when the receipt was in Shinsou’s hand were you running off to the first exhibit, both boys trying to keep up with your pace so they didn’t lose you.

-The first exhibit had some arctic animals like polar bears and seals, which you watched for a while with a content smile on your face. The bears were up and playing around with a dented bucket and a huge rubber ball, and you got some really cool pictures of them. Izuku even managed to get a video of a seal gliding through their underwater tunnel.

-Once again Shinsou is taking pictures of you taking pictures of the animals, because he thinks it’s absolutely adorable. He has this little smirk on his face as he watches you from the camera lens. Although he has to admit, the polar bears are super cute. 

-You keep bouncing around from exhibit to exhibit. One moment the boys are watching the wolves with you, and the next, you’ve wandered over to the giraffes by yourself. Shinsou briefly wonders if they should invest in one of those backpacks with a leash for you.

-Eh, they can just use Izuku’s arms instead. At some point in the day, you’re not really sure when, Izuku just resulted in wrapping his arms around you and holding you while you’re looking at exhibits to keep you from running off. He likes to rest his chin on your head and listen to you gush about how cute the animals are.

-And when you’re walking from place to place, you can bet he’s immediately reaching for your hand to lace his fingers in yours. You end up in between him and Shinsou who also wants to hold hands with you.

-You point out all the animals, even the ones that aren’t a part of the zoo, and the boys think it’s endearing. “Awe, look at this dove over here in it’s nest! Isn’t it so cute!?”

-”Y/N, I don’t think-” He’s being good-natured about it and laughing because he finds it sweet, but Izuku can’t finish his sentence because Hitoshi is slapping a hand over his mouth.

-”Just let them be. It’s precious.”

-”Hello, Mr. Squirrel!” You probably name all of the local ducks and geese walking around, too.

-Eventually you guys make it to the aviary, and you start to explore all the bird exhibits.

-Shinsou, immediately: “It’s so loud in here.”

-Izuku seems to know little random bits of information on the birds, and really enjoys watching them fly around.

-”Shinsou,” you beg him, “can you take my picture next to this giant bird!?”

-He perks up a little after that. Also, he already took your picture. He’s super sneaky and really good at taking pics while you’re not looking. Some of the best photos he has of you and Izuku are candids he took without you knowing. Nothing terrible; they’re all literally still shots of your smiles, your eyes, or just of the two of you doing routine things. His whole camera roll is full of you and Izuku.

-After the birds, you come to the penguin exhibit.

-Penguins just so happen to be Izuku’s favorite animal at the zoo. He loves how they waddle around without a care in the world, and he thinks their black and white patterns are just so unique!

-Definitely embarrasses Shinsou by imitating the penguin walk. He’s a goofball with the two of you, you know he would! And you’re right there with him, following him around with your hands at your sides as you waddle behind him. 

-”I don’t know them,” Shinsou jokes with the people next to you. But he loves you both, you can tell by the way he’s smiling. He thinks it’s cute how the two of you act like this together...in a dorky way, but still.

-Finally, you guys get to the aquarium. The moment you step through the door, Shinsou is practically mesmerized by the fish. He’s never seen so many before; there’s so many colors and shapes and sizes...

-He feels peaceful while he’s watching them swim around.

-You like all the really weird fish. Izuku likes the tropical ones with all the crazy colors, and Shinsou...

-He loves the moon jellies. The second he stepped in front of that tank, he was gone. You and Izuku just watch him for a moment as he relaxes his shoulders and stares into purple tinted waters, totally serene and carefree.

-Izuku takes a 2 minute long video of him bc the moment is just so precious. RIP anyone else who wanted to look at the jellyfish today, bc Shinsou’s literally been there for like 10 minutes now

-Shinsou decides he really likes the zoo after that. Every other exhibit is much more enjoyable and he’s in such a better mood. Not that he was in a bad mood when he first got there, it’s just that he didn’t see the point in all of it at first. 

-Izuku also spends a while looking at the sea turtles, which happen to be his second favorite animal.

-You guys spent the most amount of time in the aquarium no thanks to Hitoshi, but you did manage to make it to the museum before it closed for the afternoon as well.

-Izu reads all the plaques out loud to the two of you and tells you all about the animals and displays. Some of them are interactive, and you can’t help yourself from pressing every single button and listening to the noises and information it gives you.

-There’s a section in the museum where you can pet stingrays. You had never done something like that before, and neither had the boys, so the three of you decided to give it a go.

-It was so soft.

-Stingrays feel like wet velvet, almost. 

-Izuku decides he’s done so he just ends up taking pictures of you and Shinsou. But soon you’re done too so you grab Hitoshi to leave, however-

-You and Izuku are walking away and suddenly: “Uh, Y/N? Wasn’t Shinsou with you?” “No, I thought he was with you?” “Where’s our boyfriend!?”

-You turn back around and he’s still there petting the stingrays. He’s SO fascinated, please don’t make him leave. He’s having the time of his life! It melts both of your rapidly beating hearts (you know, from the mini heart attack you had bc your other third was missing for a second).

-You both let him stay there for however long he wants, and when he reluctantly leaves (finally), you make your way to the giant gift shop at the end of the zoo.

-You guys buy so much stuff it’s not even funny. Partly because as Pros, you have the money to spend, and partly because you want to support the zoo so you can come back. They always appreciate business and donations.

-Speaking of donations, Izuku whips out his checkbook and makes a huge donation to a cause for sea turtles. The zoo is super thankful and you couldn’t be more proud. 

-You’re sure that if there was fund for jellyfish, Shinsou would be donating too.

-You all end up buying each other a plush of your fav animals; Izu gets a penguin, Shinsou gets a jellyfish, and you get your favorite animal too.

-You may or may not have bought a shirt as well... It has the zoo’s museum name on it along with some really cute animals.

-All in all a really great day! 

Bonus Content:

-Shinsou wants to book another trip as soon as you all are back home. He loves the zoo now and he wants to go, like, all of the time.

-You and Izu have caught him watching jellyfish videos on youtube on more than one occasion. He finds them relaxing and can’t wait to go see the real thing again.

#bnha hc's #mha headcanons #boku no hero academia headcanons #izuku x reader x shinsou #shinsou x reader x izuku #poly shindeku #poly shindeku x reader #shindeku x reader #izuku #midoriya #shinsou #hitoshi #shinsou hitoshi #izuku midoriya #midoriya izuku #poly bnha #poly shindeku x reader headcanons #zoo hc's #shindeku #deku x reader x shinsou #shinsou x reader x deku

[spookyboywhump]

May 15th

AHAHA I FINISHED IT AND I LIKE IT

Soft content for Eli’s birthday, featuring some baby Eli content as well

CW: fluff. Eli cries a bit. It’s actually quite happy

***

He kicked his legs excitedly as he sat there in the booth, his brand new shark stuffie clutched tightly in his arms. He was so small, it was quite big compared to him, but that just made it all the better in his opinion. He was only just now turning six years old, but he was certain this was the best birthday, and the best gift he’d gotten in his whole little life.

Everett had kept him home from school that day, he was already excited to brag to anyone who would listen tomorrow about how cool his brother was for doing so. He had made him breakfast, pancakes with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles, and after that he’d let him choose his own clothes for the day, instead of the strict and stuffy outfits their mother preferred he wore. He didn’t even fight him on his hair, simply tied it back in two ponytails for him instead of fighting with a brush while he cried. To him, it was already a great day just from the morning.

After that, he’d taken him out for the day. He’d repeatedly asked him where they were going but Everett simply assured him it was a surprise, only serving to make him more excited. He hadn’t been able to guess where Everett was taking him, but when he saw it was the aquarium, he had accidentally squealed from how excited he was, happily flapping his hands until Everett picked him up and had him sit on his shoulders so he wouldn’t run off in his excitement, as he was known to do.

He was completely in awe of the exhibits they passed through. They spent nearly thirty minutes in front of the tank of moon jellies because he just couldn’t stop staring at them. He thought that was the best, at least, he did until they entered one room where they could actually touch things. Everett was hesitant to do so but he set him down in front of the low tank, and he had absolutely no issue with sticking his hand into the water, gasping when his fingers brushed over the back of a small passing stingray.

“E-Ev- Ev! It’s a, it’s like a, like a pancake!” He giggled excitedly. He snatched his hand out of the water, spreading his hands out as he said, “It’s uh, it’s uh, it’s smooth and flat, it’s like a- like a pancake!” He said, waving his hands excitedly.

“A pancake? Really?” Everett laughed, and he nodded, happy to stick his hands back into the water, a look of absolute glee on his face.

They spent a long time at the aquarium, simply because he felt the need to look at everything for a prolonged period of time. Everett didn’t seem to mind though, he let him take his time and on their way out they stopped in the gift shop. He wasn’t the kind of kid to ask for anything, he knew the answer was likely to be no, but he couldn’t stop staring at the shark plushies, and after a while of him looking between them and his brother, Everett said he’d buy it for him, since it was his birthday after all.

He took him out for lunch once they finally left, and then to a park so he could run around, holding onto his shark while he did so so it wouldn’t get dirty. And now, as the day was ending, he brought him to a small ice cream shop, an especially rare treat for him. He’d gone to get their ice cream, leaving him there alone but still in his line of sight. He perked up when he saw him coming back, he had a cup with large scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream for him and one with strawberry ice cream for himself.

“Here you go, kid.” Everett said, setting it down in front of him as he took a seat across from him.

“Th-tha-thank you!” He said, grabbing the spoon and excitedly shoving a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

“Have you had a good day?” He asked him, taking a bite of his own ice cream while he happily nodded.

“Mmhm! I-I- I had- had fun!” He giggled softly. “I like- I liked the- the- the fish! And- and my shark! I love my- my- my shark!”

“Are you gonna name it?” He asked, and he looked to the shark, making a face as he thought it over.

“Mmmm… Ev.”

“Yeah?”

“N-No- no his name- his name is Ev.” He said, looking up at him. “Since Ev got him- got- got him for me, his name- his name is Ev.” He said, and Everett smiled at him.

“You’re a sweet kid, you know that?” He said, and he giggled, happily shoving more ice cream into his mouth.

By the time they finished he was bouncing in his seat, even more hyper from the sugar. Everett cleaned up after them, getting up and leaving the table for a moment. He watched his brother, on his way back he stopped somebody, asking them to take a quick picture of them together and explaining it was his birthday. When they agreed, he sat down next to him, pulling him into a hug, both of them flashing big grins as the stranger took a picture, commenting on how cute the pair of siblings were as they handed the phone back to Everett.

“Can I- can I- can I see?” He asked, getting up on his knees, and Everett showed him the phone, the photo of them together, he had a big grin on his face, one of his front teeth missing and his shark still in the background. “Oooohhh! I- I love- I love it!” He giggled, and Ev smiled, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Happy birthday, kid.” He told him, and he clung to him tightly, a big smile spread across his face.

After they left, Everett carried him home, having to carry his shark in one arm so he wouldn’t drop it. It was quite late in the day, and after spending so much time out and being so active, he was quickly growing sleepy, struggling to keep his eyes open as they got closer to his apartment. Once there Everett carried him back to their shared room, laying him down and handing him his shark, taking a moment to pull his shoes off for him.

“I’m glad you had fun.” Everett said, brushing wispy strands of brown hair back from his face.

“I- I- I had…” He paused to yawn, finishing with, “I had lots- lots of fun…” He murmured, curling up and cuddling his new shark close. He was asleep in only minutes, a content smile still on his face. Everett smiled as he looked down at him, so happy and so relieved he’d been able to do this for him.

***

“Can I open my eyes yet?”

“Not just yet, we’re almost there.” Zander told him, steering him by the shoulders. “And no peeking.” He told him, Eli snapping his good eye shut when he said it. They’d spent the day out together, Zander had taken him to the aquarium and listened to all his talking and rambling, and now they were finally returning to his apartment, but Zander was insistent that he kept his eyes shut. He heard him unlock the door and push it opened, tugging him inside by his wrist and only stopped in what Eli assumed was the dining room just off his living room.

“Alright- you can open your eyes now.” Zander told him, and he didn’t have to be told twice.

“Surprise!”

He nearly jumped back, startled but a grin quickly spread across his face at what he saw. Cara, Lila, Alec, even Alondra were there, crowded around his dining room table. They’d hung a happy birthday banner on the wall behind them, and gotten blue and white balloons for him, tying them to the chairs. They’d hung pale blue streamers from the ceiling, and on the table was takeout food from his favorite restaurant, and a cake with blue icing and number candles for “25”, and the words “Happy Birthday Elias”.

“Eli- shit, kid are you okay?” Zander asked, sounding worried as he brought his hands up to cover his mouth, blinking back tears.

“I’m- I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m sorry, I love it!” He laughed.

“Aww, Elias you can’t cry on your birthday!” Cara said, coming around the table and pulling him into a hug.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, no I’m so happy! This is perfect, I love you guys!” He said, reaching up and wiping at his eyes. Cara pulled away so they could all take a seat at the table, Alec using a lighter to light the candles, the small group singing happy birthday for him while he tried to keep from crying again.

“Make a wish!” They told him and he blew out the candles, smiling as Zander ruffled his hair.

“What did you wish for?” He asked him, and Eli laughed.

“I’m not telling, I want it to come true.” He said. He gladly accepted a slice of cake when Alondra passed him a plate, looking excited.

“I hope you like it, they said this was your favorite.” She said, and he grinned when he saw the inside was layered vanilla cake, one layer white and one colored blue.

“You made this?” He asked, and she nodded as he took a bite, only for his eyes to widen. “Oh shit- this is amazing!” He covered his mouth to hide the grin on his face, looking up at her. “I love it! Thank you so much!” He said, and she grinned at him.

“I’m so glad!” She looked both happy and relieved at the same time, as though she’d really feared he wouldn’t.

It was easily one of the best nights he’d had in a while, surrounded by his friends as they ate and talked and laughed. Once they had all had their fill of food, they brought Eli into the living room, having him sit down on the couch in front of the coffee table, a few gifts placed in front of him that they insisted he opened.

Cara and Lila had gotten him matching pink and green squid shaped pillows, and Alec had gotten him a set of books he’d been collecting. Alondra had given him a homemade apron, made from jellyfish printed fabric and a set of blue baking spatulas with white polka dots, measurement conversions printed on the back, and Zander had gotten him an adorable cat shaped lamp, which would fade through different colors when it was one. He was so excited over each and every one of them, to the point of frantically flapping his hands as he thanked them, looking overjoyed.

“Oh, there’s one more thing.” Zander told him, going across the room to get something from the closet.

“We all picked this one out for you.” Cara told him, and Eli grinned as Zander brought back a rather large gift bag, filled with blue tissue paper. He had to pull quite a bit of it out to get to it, but his face lit up as he saw the item inside.

“Oh my god! I love it!” He cried, pulling out the large dolphin stuffed animal. It was absolutely adorable, he instantly hugged it close to his chest, already in love with how soft it was.

“We’re glad you like it.” Zander said, ruffling his hair. “Happy birthday, kid.” He said, sitting down and pulling him into a hug, only for the others to join in as best they could. It took all his self control to not burst into tears again, overwhelmed with happiness and love for his friends.

***

That night he laid in bed, Zander next to him as he had stayed the night. Zander had passed out after a few too many drinks but he was still awake, laying there and watching the pale light from his new little lamp change. He smiled, turning onto his side and cuddling both his shark and his new dolphin close to his chest, thinking over that year’s birthday wish.

I wish to be this happy all the time.

#not whump #fluff #my writing #my oc’s #Wren #Zander #Everett #Cara #Lila #Alec #Alondra #happy birthday eli #he’s baby #just baby

[ghostiewriter]

67/76 for hurt! Kiara and protective! JJ

OKAY SO😂I couldn’t decide between ansgty or goofy so I kinda mixed them, more towards the goofy side though since I have a few angsty prompts coming up! But yes, hope you enjoy! This does mention blood and injuries, just an fyi to people!

Word Count: 1.8K

Prompts: “I’m afraid.” // “I think you need stitches.”

This was supposed to be their chill day.

The day that was reserved for just them. No pogues, no adventures, no crazy ass plans. Just JJ and Kie.

Some may even call it their date day—although according to Sarah, hanging out and getting high does not count as a date. The couple were inclined to agree, these days weren’t a new occurrence. It was often how they spent their days together even before they officially became a couple, except now there was the odd make out session sprinkled throughout and far cheesier flirtation banter. But it was still their day and they cherished it.

The plan was simple enough. Kie had packed some food from the restaurant and grabbed a couple of beers, JJ was in charge of getting some decent joints from his cousin and the two of them would take the Pogue out for the day. It was probably the most romantic you’d ever see the couple get.

They had taken the boat down south along the coastline, it wasn’t very explored in terms of how often the pogues ventured down there but JJ was feeling a bit adventurous. Plus Kie had no arguments as she happily sat back and watched JJ steer, one hand resting on the metal framing in such as casual way whilst the other was on the wheel, but the brunette found herself quite happily distracted by the straining back muscles that were in her line of sight—his tank long abandoned somewhere with the sundress she had slipped on over her bikini for the ten minute drive from her house to the Chateau.

Maybe if either of them had taken a few moments to think about the area they had anchored in or even glanced at a map, the whole situation could have been avoided. So in hindsight, maybe it was slightly their fault for being so reckless. However, Kie was more inclined to blaming the bastards that dump whatever trash they wanted into the ocean, not only because of the harm it caused to the wildlife but apparently humans too.

A couple of beers in, JJ was tugging on her hand to drag her up from her seat as he terribly danced along to the music blasting from the speaker they had brought with them. “C’mon, stop being a bore!” He whined childishly as she begrudgingly got up.

“I’m not being a bore,” She laughed, letting herself sway a little to keep him happy as he continued to mouth the words to ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ that was currently playing. “I was enjoying the show.”

“Hm, it doesn’t come for free, ya know.” He murmured as he puckered his lips, making little kissy noises until she finally gave in. And Kie had assumed that would be enough for him, that she could happily indulge in some of the crabsticks she brought. But in true unpredictable JJ fashion, he was throwing her over his shoulder without a warning. Kie squealed, her nails digging slightly into his back so she didn’t flip over.

“JJ, what the hell!” She exclaimed, but the giggles escaping her lips told him that she wasn’t really mad.

“Thought you’d appreciate the view.” JJ replied as he lightly spun around, a grin etched on his face when he heard her laugh harder.

“I don’t know,” She said, staring down at his ass. “I’ve seen better.”

“Oh, you’re going to regret that, Carrera.” He warned.

“I’m afraid,” She giggled back. “Not one of JJ Maybank’s notorious empty threats!”

“Have I told you how hot you look today, Kie?” He asked suddenly in an oddly innocent and un-JJ like way.

“Like I need you to tell me, I know I look great.” She sassed back, letting out a small gasp when she felt him slap her ass. She could practically hear the smirk on his face.

“I think you need to cool down a little.” He retorted, already making his way towards the stern of the boat. Her eyes widened slightly as she tried her best to hold onto him.

“JJ, DON’T YOU DA—AHHH!”

By the time she surfaced, she could already hear JJ’s laughs. She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it out of her face as she looked up at the blond with a glare. He was grinning innocently back at her.

“You look cool in there.” He snickered.

“You’re an ass.” She called back, moving her arms in gentle circles to keep herself afloat.

“Ah, but I’m your ass.” He grinned back and she didn’t disagree. Eventually, she had managed to convince him to come in with her—of course the asshole canon-balled in—the water actually feeling great against the midday heat.

They tried not to venture too far from the boat, although that wasn’t a problem when they realised quickly that most of the surrounding area was just marshy and not great for swimming.

“God, this feels horrible.” Kiara muttered as she glanced down, as though she would actually be able to see much. Still, didn’t stop her from trying.

“I kinda like it,” JJ spoke up, seeming to enjoy himself despite Kiara’s constant requests to head back to the Pogue. “Feels like I’m walking on a marshmallow.” He added nonchalantly.

“Congratulations, your eight year old self’s dream came true,” She commented with a small chuckle, almost as if she was imagining young JJ with his horribly done buzzcut. “Now can we please head back? I’m fucking starving.”

“Geez, you get cranky when you’re hungry.” He teased, promptly avoiding the splash that she had directed his way. He only cackled, yelling that the last one to make it to the boat gets a warm beer before he got his head-start back.

Kie only laughed, calling him a cheater as she followed suit. Except getting out of the marsh was a little harder that she assumed, kicking her feet and swearing under her breath whenever she got stuck again.

She felt a nip—or maybe it was more than a nip but the adrenaline of the competition was coursing through her—and when she went to kick her leg free once again, she felt a sharp pain run up her leg. Kiara didn’t even remember screaming until JJ was on his way back, eyes wide in concern.

“Kie, what’s wrong? What happened?” His eyes glazed over her as though he was trying to see the cause of her scream.

“M-My leg.” She whimpered, feeling her eyes well up with tears as she tried to free her leg once again, only to feel another shot of pain.

“Jellyfish?” He asked but she simply shook her head. “Okay, let’s get you back to the boat.” He murmured, heart racing when he saw some red residue on his hand after he helped her tug her leg free.

It was a hassle but JJ didn’t care, his first priority was getting Kie back somewhere safe and right now, that was the boat. He helped her up before he pulled himself onboard, his eyes falling onto her leg.

His eyes widened when he saw the massive cut on her leg, the lower half of her left leg covered in blood. He could feel his throat closing up, mind racing and hands shaking. Everything around him seemed to drown out as he stared at her leg, and it wasn’t until she felt her tugging his hand and calling his name that he seemed to snap out whatever trance he was in.

“Right, sorry!” He quipped before he grabbed a towel and placed it down on the seats before gently lifting her on top of it. He then disappeared to grab the first-aid kit they kept on board, but Kie didn’t miss the way his hands were a little shaky when he placed it down beside her, fingers fiddling as he attempted to open the box.

She won’t lie, the salt water made it sting like a bitch. It hurt and she probably should’ve been more alarmed at the amount of blood dripping down her leg, but she had never seen JJ so shaken up. She didn’t peg him as the squeamish type, so she couldn’t really understand what’s got him so freaked out.

“Jay…” She whispered softly, placing her hands over his. He finally looked up at her, sniffling slightly and it was then she noticed how red his eyes looked—though she wasn’t sure if that was because he was crying (or trying his hardest not to) or if he had just gotten some salt water in his eyes—but either way, she hated the broken look on his face.

“I-I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you when you said we should head back.” He began to ramble, not seeming to have control over his words. “I shouldn’t have even thrown you in the water in the first place!”

“JJ, it’s okay.” She whispered, turning her body to face him as much as she could without moving her leg. “This isn’t your fault.”

“I’m still sorry—”

“Nope, no more apologising.” She scolded lightly, giving him a small—and hopefully comforting—smile. “C’mon, Doc, fix me up.” She added, nudging his shoulder a little. She relaxed a little when she saw the small smile on his face.

“Dr Maybank to your rescue.” He huffed out as he opened up the first aid kit, grabbing some wipes before he gently began to clean the wound and surrounding area. She watched him carefully, lip tugged between her teeth to contain her winces. She noticed the little crease between his eyebrows as he focused at the task at hand. If she didn’t feel a shooting pain down her leg every time he even touched it, she would’ve basked in the adorable scene of focused JJ.

“I think you need stiches.” JJ spoke up, staring at her wound with a thoughtful face.

She looked down at her leg, trying not to wince. It was a clean cut, probably from some broken glass hidden in the marsh. And it was deep, but Kiara didn’t think it was stitch-level deep.

“You’re being overdramatic, just need to wrap it up and dose myself up on some paracetamol.” Kie said with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey, I watched Grey’s Anatomy with Pope,” JJ said, hands on his hips as he looked between Kie and her leg. “I think that makes me pretty qualified to say that you need stitches.”

“You watched one episode, dumbass.” She scoffed. “Just drive back, I don’t need you performing amateur surgery on my knee.”

Except it had taken at least fifteen minutes before Kie finally convinced JJ that she was comfortable and fine and that he could stop fussing over her. He only narrowed his eyes at her before pressing a kiss to her forehead and handing her a joint, saying it would help with the pain.

“You know, it’s kinda cute.” Kie called out, moving her eyes away from the passing scenery as she looked at JJ from over her shoulder.

“What is?” He asked.

“Your little protective mama bear side.” She said with a snicker. JJ rolled his eyes in response, but there was a smile on his lips.

“Well excuse me for being a caring boyfriend.” He huffed out.

“I said it was cute!”

“Yeah, yeah! Whatever!”

“Uh oh, mama’s mad.”

#jiara #outer banks #obx #jiara prompts #writing prompts #my writing

[honghunni]

A zoo trip with Taehyun

Gender neutral fluff with light sexual themes

Plus some mild yeonbin angst that may be potentially triggering for anyone that is sensitive to themes of infidelity and cluster B disorders

Short oneshot

Today is your boyfriend's birthday. He's always expressed a love for animals so you thought the best present was a trip to the zoo. While briefly waiting at the entrance gate you see Taehyun happily bouncing toward you. "Touch!" He says while lightly hitting your shoulders and continuing on. "I want to see the meerkats."

"Taehyun we have to pay... also you haven't even said hi to me properly! Just because it's your birthday that doesn't mean you can ignore me." "Oh, sorry. I'm just excited, well if you just want me to say hi." He jogs backwards and turns towards you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his forehead against yours. "Hi." He says before kissing you.

As soon as you pay he has run off again. You quickly find him at the meerkat enclosure cooing at the meerkats. He presses his face close to the glass looking straight at one of them. "It looks like one of my roommates." He says. "Which one? You have 4." You asked

"Huening Kai." He answered.

You had to practically drag him away from every exhibit. After exploring for a while you end up in the aquarium section. Taehyun points at a small angelfish. "That one is me." He then turns around and points at the other tank. "That one is you." You look too see an ocean sunfish.

"That is the ugliest fucking thing I've ever seen I hate you." You griped.

Taehyun laughed.

Further into the aquarium was a darkroom with bio luminescent fish. Taehyun approached the large tank with comb jellyfish. The blueish light softly illuminated his face; the water refraction cavorting across his skin, his eyes seemingly glowing themselves with fascination.

You feel like you could look at him like this forever.

He glanced around seeming to check if anyone else was around then looked over to you. "You look nice in this lighting." Taehyun intoned softly while walking towards you. You didn't notice he was backing you into a corner until your back hit the wall and his hand was resting on the wall next to your head. He leaned next to your ear and whispered. "Do you think it's dark enough that we wouldn't get caught?"

He went to kiss you but you stopped him by placing your hand around his neck. "Seriously...... not here Taehyun."

He grabbed your hand off of his neck gripping your wrist tightly and kissing you deeply. After a short while he pulled away and as he did so you almost felt as if your soul left your body. "I'll kiss you like that again if you can find me." He sprinted off.

You searched for him for maybe 10 minutes before finding him again at a snack stand with 2 small plates of food and 2 drinks under his arm. He walked over and handed one of the plates to you, you both sat across from each other. Taehyun opened the map of the zoo and layed it on the table, looking over it while eating trying to decide what he wants to do next. He then pointed at the map. "Reptile experience..." he murmered to himself. "You want to go to that?" You said. He nodded and kept putting (too much) food in his mouth. He waited for you to finish before taking your hand. "We need to go now if I'm going to hold the snake they bring one out every 2 hours." He said practically dragging you to the reptile house.

You sat down at an amphitheatre as a zookeeper brought out a large python, some people were scared and some people weren't phased. Taehyun was clearly excited and was completely enveloped in everything the keeper was saying, his hands were clasped together in excitement. As soon as the keeper asked who wants to hold the snake Taehyun shot up and of course was chosen.

The snake was placed around his shoulders and it's head turned toward him and flicked it's tongue on his nose which caused him to giggle. You won't lie for some reason he looked hot handling a snake. When his turn was over he excitedly ran to you. "THE SNAKE'S NAME IS BREADSTICK I LOVE IT!" he exclaimed. Taehyun looked down at his phone and his smile died down a bit. "I have to leave my roomates planned a house party for me..." He said. "Will you walk home with me? I want to be with you longer."

His house is on the way home to yours so you didn't see any reason to reject him. "Sure, I'll go with you." You answered. His smile brightened.

You left and got on the next bus to arrive and both sat at the very back.

"Taehyun."

He turned to look at you

"You said you would kiss me like you did earlier if I found you again. I found you 30 minutes ago." You tempted him.

Taehyun moved closer to you and smiled "So an aquarium is a no but the back of a bus is fine?" He joked. He placed one hand gently on your face and one on your thigh he stared into your eyes briefly before kissing you. After a while you forgot you were even on a bus, luckily Taehyun was still aware and was able to press the button behind him when your stop came up. When he finally pulled away you had arrived. "Wait we are here? But it takes 20 minutes it's only been like 2 minutes at most?" You felt confused. He looked back at you still smiling while walking to the door of the bus. "We were making out for 20 minutes, are you going to get off and walk to my house with me or keep going to your house?" He asked.

You got up and hooked your arm around his and started the short 7 minute walk to his house. "It's kind of cute that you lost track of time." Said Taehyun. "I didn't know I had that sort of effect on you." He was clearly proud of himself.

As soon as you arrived at his house two of his roomates Huening Kai and Beomgyu came out chanting birthday songs at Taehyun placing a party hat on his head and surrounding him. Not even realising you were there, Taehyun was dragged away into the house and he was just able to say goodbye to you. As they went inside two of his other roomates walked out. Soobin and Yeonjun. Yeonjun was eating cheetos and Soobin had a slice of cake on a plate. "Sorry about them dragging him away they are excited." Said Yeonjun. "Do you want this cake?" Offered Soobin. "Sure." You took the cake.

"You know you can come in and join us." Yeonjun said.

"Thank you but parties aren't my thing and I'm busy." You replied.

Yeonjun stuffed both of his cheeks with cheetos and waved at you while walking inside.

"I'll walk you to the bus stop I need a break from them." Soobin sighed.

You felt quite safe walking with Soobin since he was so large.

"Taehyun talks about you a lot and is so loyal to you.. I'm jealous."

"Oh, do you not have a partner?" You asked him as you both sat down at the bus stop.

"I do." He answered "Yeonjun is my boyfriend. But he's a bit........" Soobin paused for quite some time. "He's not a bad person but he has bad behaviour. I know he loves me but he only feels good about himself if he..." He paused again trying to find the right words.

"He only feels good about himself if he feels wanted by multiple people and he's explained to me why he feels that way, he's in a bit of a destructive cycle right now."

"Are you saying he cheats?" You questioned.

"I wouldn't really call it that but, I guess so. I know he's unwell and he doesn't actually have much control over it but it hurts...." You remembered Taehyun had talked about one of his roomates having mental health issues. I guess it was Yeonjun he was talking about. You hugged Soobin.

"We both go to therapy so we are dealing with it, I wish I was in his head sometimes so I could understand a bit better but I also from what he described really don't want to." He somewhat sadly giggled to himself. The bus pulled up and you stood up to get on the bus. You looked back at Soobin. "I hope you and Yeonjun become happier. Thank you for walking me to the bus." You said.

Soobin smiled "Thank you for listening."

You sat at the back again and watched Soobin wave at you as you drove off.

#TXT #tomorrow x together #txt taehyun #txt taehyun x reader #yeonbin #txt soobin #txt beomgyu #txt huening kai #txt yeonjun #txt x reader #kpop #kpop x reader

[aestheticaxolotl]

Lets Talk About Gunnar Maelstrom

Evil Daddies is where it’s at.

One of the meanings of the word "Maelstrom" is 'A situation of state of confused movement or violent turmoil.

Let me start with Maelstrom, usung the Carmen Sandiego Wiki to break him down as a whole, starting with appearance and personality (Excluding the comments around his action in the show, this will be hard seeing his major inclusion to the story so please bear with me once more as I do this).

Professor Maelstrom is a middle-aged man with pale skin and white hair with a receding hairline. He has broad shoulders and wears a black blazer over a dark gray turtleneck. As stated previously, Maelstrom is seen as being an almost unnaturally pale color, hinting towards possible Albinism.

Now, Middle aged according to the wiki page is between 50 and 60. Seeing the receding hairline and the lines on his face (Also can someone point me to a source about those random chin hairs? Like please I need context). 

He obviously has stress and sleep lines. I imagine these are due to his life choices and idiot operatives. His ethnicity is stated as being Swedish but continues to contradict itself when it later states that Maelstrom is from Scandinavia. I think this is to throw the readers and deep show watchers off and it would work better if both ethnicity and race were left as unknown. 

Now we move on to the easier things, personality, which is LONG. So let me start writing!

Of the five members of V.I.L.E's faculty, Maelstrom seems to command the most authority and serve as the de facto leader of the group, being the first to speak as well as hand out orders. As one may expect, Professor Maelstrom is criminally insane, which is ironic, considering his forte is psychiatry. Professor Maelstrom often likes to tinker with his patients' psyches and enjoys psychologically evaluating students, much like someone finding joy in pulling the wings off a butterfly. He does possess some level of awareness to his own insanity, though he is quick to brush it off as a mere label that other weak-minded people have given him. He also has an apparent fondness for the more psychotic recruits. In keeping with his name, his main desire is to spread chaos and disorder, with any actual gain being a secondary concern at best. Carmen considered him to be creepy, and rightfully so after he and Dr. Bellum collaborated to wipe Crackle's brain. Professor Maelstrom loathes Cookie Booker as he has no tolerance for her stuck up behavior towards him. He seems to have a fondness for marine life, as his office hosts a giant aquarium filled with jellyfish and other specimens. His use of the term "bait" as a pun is in reference to fishing bait, and in the novel adaptation, it is used twice. Further expanding the psychological exam scene from the show, in the novel, he declares that Carmen gave the "wrong" answer to the Rorschach test, stating that the image was a seahorse. The novelization expanded his sense of humor, though it mentions that even that had a dark and unpredictable tinge to it, showing delight in the lengths that his students would go in order to not be called upon in class. The show does have him throw a small quip every once in a while, often tinged with exasperation at his colleagues' antics or ignorance. He also enjoys making Countess Cleo envious of his fashion style, having asked Le Chevre and El Topo in the "The Fishy Doubloon Caper" to acquire an Ecuadorian Eight Escudos doubloon to be melted into solid gold cufflinks.

As done in my previous post, I will be diving deeper into the statement in the bolded font. 

Maelstrom seems to command the most authority and serve as the de facto leader of the group,

I don’t see any major reason for this face besides that there is a level of respect among the Faculty that centers around Maelstrom, seeing as he is one of the psychologically smarter than any of the other members, except Shadowsan but that is a post for another day. He is a very scary character because he is unpredictable, and possibly in the minds of the other, can be blamed for their crimes should they ever had been caught, but this leads me to my second quip with Gunnar Maelstrom.

Professor Maelstrom is criminally insane, which is ironic, considering his forte is psychiatry

When one looks up the term ‘Criminally insane’ we get the following “an accused person that is deemed to be suffering from cognitive illness or fault which frees then of lawful accountability for the unlawful behaviors” from https://psychologydictionary.org/criminally-insane/. 

I cannot at all say that I support this terminology on the stance that Maelstrom is more than aware of his action, to the point where he logically makes the choices to leave his fellow faculty behind at the prospect of capture. One cannot say that a “Criminally insane’ person is able to make these choices so quickly and with such calculation as to pack a go bag and hire an escape driver. But I digress.

He does possess some level of awareness to his own insanity, though he is quick to brush it off as a mere label that other weak-minded people have given him.

I don’t think that Maelstrom can stand to be labeled by other people. The exact use of the phrase “Weak-minded’ points me to believe that Maelstrom sees himself as mentally stronger, powerful, and far beyond that of the average person. This points to his class, and I’ll explain this in the next part, being the most critical and important to V.I.L.E as a whole.

His main desire is to spread chaos and disorder

This is WAY too specific to just be a drop in detail. No character is created be be a chaotic mixture, but they are built to SPREAD chaos, and Maelstrom is the perfect character to do this. His favor to Paperstar is a direct jab at this detail about him, she is an element of chaos that he put into play, the disorder of her is why he places her, while the other faculty hate Paperstar, he finds her the perfect wild card.

Professor Maelstrom loathes Cookie Booker 

I fully think this is, as the wiki and al of my sources say, Cookie Booker represents the original 1998 Carmen Sandeigo. And the loathing between them is a reference to the original game and books.

He seems to have a fondness for marine life, as his office hosts a giant aquarium filled with jellyfish and other specimens.

Not gonna lie, but I love this detail. The details, that caused me to GO BACK and watch the episodes with Maelstrom, was that the man likes fish. This adds onto the effect that he is rather cold and uncaring towards people, seeing them a thing to observe and keep. I also just love the idea of him having a fish tank and spoiling his goldfish that he named Clyde or something equally related to big time crime, like Al Capone or as said before Clyde.

He also enjoys making Countess Cleo envious of his fashion style

I’m sorry but Cleo and Gunnar challenging each other to see who is better in fashion? I’m sorry but they are the fashion police. Also I think this places WHO he is close to in the Faculty. I am very willing to bet that Maelstrom, who left Coach Brunt to drown and die, would NEVER leave Cleo or Bellum (Possibly) to die because they align more with HIS goals.

Brunt is... Dare I say... THE DUMBEST OF THE V.I.L.E FACULTY

WHAT DOES SHE DO?!?!

WHY IS SHE HERE?!

SHE’S STRONG AND THAT’S IT!

I digress (i used that phrase twice now), I just think his goals line up more with Cleo and (Again, possibly) Bellums’.

Now I go onto my favorite part of these paragraphs, the trivia/abilities. I love trivia/abilities, just because everyone sees this word and they are like ‘oh it’s just dumb facts’. BUT NO! It’s DENSTRAMENTAL to the character and links to their personalities.

He is capable of expertly performing a bait and switch. Professor Maelstrom specializes in psychiatry. He has been shown to have a favorite student, similar to the other faculty, in Paper Star; despite her disregard of the protocol in Mumbai. His grudge against Cookie Booker could be a subtle reference to the hostile relationship that his previous incarnation had with Carmen Sandiego in the 90's cartoon. As shown in the season three episode, The Haunted Bayou Caper, he has a fondness for Halloween.

Most od this is already covered, i know, so I won’t go over what I already did. SO let me just say... I know-

He is capable of expertly performing a bait and switch 

I NEED to SEE Maelstrom just- *Pulls and Bait and switch* -STEAL FROM SOMEONE. Like. I could totally believe that Maelstrom is the sleekest, most sneaky, most Swiper is swiping guy in the world. I am okay with letting them tell me this, but NO okay with them not SHOWING ME.

Netflix, I HOPE you see this so you can give me a SHOW on HOW GUNNAR MET MY MOTHER, COUNTESS CLEO.

He has a fondness for Halloween.

Charlie Pants. 

Do I need to say any more?

Okay, big ending time. So Gunnar Maelstrom, a deeply interesting character, mysterious backstory that a person can read into, different fun facts that lead to speculation and interest and amazing stories. I love Gunnar Maelstrom’s character, his personality, and his appearance. His effect? 100. His story? 100. His ability to make me rewatch the series? 100. 

Thanks for reading this. I’ll have another one out soon! Requests are open

[blankdblank]

Peter finds out Loki is technically a teenager still by Asgardian standards so he gets invited over for a sleepover.

Half heartedly he holds his rolled sleeping bag ignoring comments from the others as he climbs out of the car shouldering his bag for a weekend stay with the teen who seemed to be the only one he could tolerate for long periods of time.

Films were readied and an undeniably enviable pillow fort the duo fixed snacks to share inside the fort before dinner would come and sleep after. Dinner was when he saw her, groggily whipping up a meatloaf and all the sides in a next to sheer tank top baring a strip of flesh above plushy sleeping pants coated in animated characters. Hair tied back askew and then as if by magic she was gone and returned in a sparkling mini dress with fake lashes and glittery eyeshadow and gloss across lips his eyes seemed glued to until he finally took notice of those heart stopping eyes. Nothing however had prepared him for the view of the crossing of bent legs she lowered from onto her seat beside his once flashing up dangerously high on the thigh only to vanish all trace of skin under the table in her turn. Try as he may he failed in keeping up with the conversation and then teetering peeking around furniture a bag he had spotted earlier from his stolen moment inspecting her rather than the room Loki turned back to that spot. There it lay and with a crack in his voice stating her name those eyes fell on him again with lips parted soon revealing a beaming smile for just him in his throat clearing trying still to say that he had found it.

Like a ghost she was upon him with arms around his neck ignoring the bag and said tempting lips planted ever so surely on his cheek skipping his heart and almost making his body drop from he unexpected amorous contact. “Loki, you are magnificent!” A brief hug but no kiss was given to her baby brother and still collecting himself for a breath Loki turned with Peter back to the meal and waiting dessert before more films were to be had.

Hours later with sleeping back nudged open he eyed the useless thing placing him just a fraction of an inch off the ground in a bag of lies not clouds as Tony had boasted from its use on his last camping trip. Into the ridiculous thing to Peter’s sudden flip onto his sprawling belly position triggering an onset of snores Loki Loki shifted uncertain even if he made a sound waking the teen would be possible. All the same he remained silent still reeling from that moment.

Waiting, patiently waiting until he heard what he did, a dropping of keys, muttered curses and a body dragging through more curses with muttered comments to a heavy drop onto the sister’s bed. Clenching his eyes shut he hoped to drift as sudden as Peter had, to not hear what his chest ached imagining. For that solitary moment he wished to be anywhere but here until he heard a soft hiss, “Venom cannot feel Eddie’s legs.”

Lowly she replied, “I did warm him against climbing that tower. They had that clock in all the news for a week.”

“Venom did not expect it to take this long.”

“I know time flies on a stakeout but next time bring a harness or something or he’ll snap his neck and he’s heavy enough to drag when the lift isn’t broken.”

Venom did crawl halfway,” heavy boots were set down and propped up onto his elbows Loki listened closely.

“I know, now let him sleep. No chasing our cat or the pigeons in the morning Eddie will be sore, and need coffee.”

“Venom is lucky,” another grunt sounded in the shifting of legs and covers tucked around the body settling the springs on the mattress. “To have such friends.”

“That’s very sweet Venom. You are an amazing friend yourself, get some rest.” Clothes were gathered and out of the now closed room to the guest bath she walked changing and clearly cleaning her face and whatever she was muttering about on her dress left to hang later discovered in the shower rod with heels scrubbed as well inside the tub drying with torn stockings tossed in the trash. Under a heap of blankets the couch was clearly where she had settled and in the early morning light the man in the blood soaked shirt nodded his head to the Prince up early returning with toothbrush and paste tube in hand stating, “Morning.”

Loki nodded as well replying, “Good morning. Are you bleeding?”

Eddie looked down at his shirt and shook his head with a sigh, “Not my blood.” After a pause the stranger tapped his cheek saying, “You got some glitter,” Turning for the guest bath pulling his shirt off over his head revealing olive covered bruises and scabbed nicks from the night before Venom had been healing. On the tap in the tub turned and panting up on the couch she shot up to all fours making Eddie glance out saying, “Sorry Angel, Just rinsing my shirt.”

Groaning lowly she curled into a ball laying down again on her knees and curled arms making Loki smirk at the cat like pose revealed in the settling of the deflating parachute of a blanket. Peter came out blinking at the noise and grumbled a good morning to Eddie then patted Loki on the shoulder, “Waffles buddy.” Self explanatory of what was to come and once his things were returned to his bag he was stunned to see the couch empty and again she was at the stove fixing eggs to Peter’s amused inspection of the waffle shapes he could make with batter in the heated iron open before him. Shared explanation of the night prior, a case freshly uncovered with her as a ruse while he scaled the building and gathered evidence for a story he soon rushed off to get edited for print the next day while she was off to her own desk at the paper.

More and more he found excuses to join the Parkers to hear more of her adventures and be exclaimed as marvelous again with his collection of kisses growing by the day. Until a mention of the New Years bash at Stark Tower found him lurking behind the alluring sister to his now claimed best friend crashing into several mortal taboos as Sam had pointed out unprovoked one day. All the same there was one tradition he wanted to use to his advantage here as he found no thing to swoop in and apparently save the day earning a kiss for. Any so called subtlety he once had in plans to take over the world were as useful as a jellyfish right now for his exploding nerves. Blatantly bordering on stalking her all night until his ruse was caught and in her sudden vanishing act into the crowd he plopped onto an armchair in a huff by the glass wall to stare at the city and the clock tower in the distance. Onto his lap however with two drinks in hand she plopped and his silver tongue failed him but was unnecessary at her hour early lean in to place ever so gently right on his lips a tender brief kiss making him hungry for more.

Just one hour to go, and sipping on his drink he floundered through the conversation with the people around the pair of them as she floated effortlessly as she always did ignorant, or possibly not so very ignorant of his plotting to gain as many kisses as possible before midnight could strike, and so very many afterwards.

#loki #peter parker #venom #eddie brock #loki x reader #sleepover #new years

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 157 prt 1

157

Lance dozed off and on as Keith drove them home. His hat and glasses coming off as he curled up as much as he could in the passenger seat. Driving a little too aggressively, Keith definitely wasn’t leaving the zoo a good review. What kind of people were they letting in there?! Reaching the apartment, he had to coax Lance out of the seat and into his arms, keeping him close as they headed up.

Opening the door to the apartment, Shiro and Curtis were sitting on the sofa. Shiro’s legs over Curtis’s lap. Both of them staring at Lance’s disheveled state

“What happened?!”

“Is he okay?!”

Lance flinched at both questions. Shiro pulling himself up to sit properly, hovering on the edge of his seat as if knowing Keith would ask for his help if he wanted, and holding himself back at the same time. Angrily Keith huffed

“Some fucker shoved him. Messed up his nose”

Shiro was instantly angry

“What?! What the fuck?!”

Lance flinched away. Keith keeping him in place with his arm around his waist. Harsh tones and loud sounds were bad. He should have taken Lance straight through to his room

“I know right. Babe, do you want to stay up or lay down?”

“Can I lay down?”

“Yeah. I’ll grab you some blood”

“Can I be alone for a bit?”

“Babe...”

“I want to be alone for a bit... I’m sorry...”

Keith was very much against leaving Lance alone. Kissing his boyfriend’s hair, he settled on a compromise

“How about I help you get out of these clothes then I get you some blood? Then you can have some alone time a nap?”

The second he was organised he was going to be letting himself back into the bedroom

“Okay... I’m sorry I ruined our date”

“You didn’t. Not at all. I had a good time with you. I always have a good time with you. Here, let’s get you out these clothes and I’ll put them in the wash”

“Okay... sorry... guys... I didn’t know you’d be home”

Keith shot Shiro a warning glare that Shiro ignored

“It’s fine. We’re just watching some TV. You’re not interrupting anything, if anything you’re saving me. I have no idea what’s going on anymore”

Lance snorted, immediately regretting it as he moved the toilet paper from his nose to look at the blood

“Yeah, let’s keep that against your nose. Ignore Shiro, he’s not in any way hilarious, despite what he thinks”

“He’s not awful... I really am sorry”

Lance stopped apologising as Keith got him out his bloodied clothes and into his bed. Everything was dusty from him staying in Platt. He’d have to have a word with housekeeping, aka Curtis, about the state of things. Rolling away from him, Lance totally seemed to be shutting him out of whatever lingering panic was eating him up inside. Retrieving a blood bag from the fridge, there was only one in there, meaning he’d have to call Coran and organise something if Lance didn’t want to go straight home to Garrison. The news of his sister had to be hard. Keith felt drained and he wasn’t even the one going through all this shit. Making sure Lance had everything he needed, he kissed his boyfriend’s cheek before leaving him alone against his better judgment.

*

Keith counted to 20 mentally before forcing himself to leave Lance alone. Putting his boyfriend’s clothes in the machine, he came back out to living area to find Shiro making him coffee. God he loved his brother

“Is he okay?”

Watching the coffee pour from the machine, Keith didn’t know how to answer that

“He was. You should have seen him. We near came home with a flock of deer, a dozen rabbits, and if he’d had his way a new pet snake”

Shiro chuckled at him

“It sounds like you two had a good time”

After their little talk and “punching the shark”, Lance had made such a huge effort. His boyfriend making him laugh way too much as he impersonated stiff jawed sea captains from the photos on display, accent and all, as he proclaimed he was off to hunt for the “Great White Booty”. And how it was a rare treasure belonging to him that no one else should touch. Keith not initially realising Lance was talking about his arse, dying a little inside as Lance talked about harpooning it.

Inside the whale exhibit had been cooler than the rest of the place in Keith’s opinion. There were these stairs to this underground theatre area where you could watch whaling documentaries. They’d been done to look a if they’d come out of some fancy cruise ship from way before Keith’s time. There’d also been this whole big glass wall of whale measurements compared to humans, skeleton fragments, and the anchor off a famous whaling ship that’d sunk off the coast. Keith tried to get Lance to attempt to lift it but his boyfriend refused to even try, laughing about how he liked how big Keith was and didn’t need bigger.

For some reason that Keith didn’t get, there’d been these two tanks of jellyfish down there too. The colours of the tank lighting make the jellyfish appear otherworldly and bathed Lance’s faces in so many colours that it’d taken Keith’s breath away. Maybe that was the point? A big wow before the indoor touch pool and the exit to the animal part? They should have just stayed inside.

“Yeah. Fuck. I should have gone with him”

Shiro sighed softly as he moved the coffee cup away from the now empty machine

“What exactly happened?”

He’d fallen hard for his boyfriend again? That’d happened. He’d also seen the largest and scariest fucking stingray of his life. When that thing floated over them, he’d definitely nearly died of awe

“Everything was... it was a bit rocky...”

“I thought you had a good time?”

“I worked myself up and over thought things. Lance was being distant... and I thought I fucked up”

“I can imagine that”

Keith glared cooly at his brother

“You’re not funny. We... kept staring at each other and not to much the exhibits...”

Shiro snorted, starting to pour milk in to Keith’s coffee for him. Nodding to himself, he deemed an inches worth enough as he slid the cup over to Keith

“Yep. I can imagine that too. I meant what happened to Lance?”

Keith sighed heavily, knowing Lance could probably hear him

“You know how... how I used to have panic attacks, and you’d be there. He kind of had one but I wasn’t there, and some wanker pushed him out of the way”

“Your attacks have calmed down a lot being here. Does Lance know what triggered it?”

“The floor. It was stone”

Shiro froze. Keith had never been into the house but Shiro had described the flooring as being stone. Taking a moment, his brother slowly relaxed

“I can see why”

Then it wasn’t his Lance still dealing with what happened. Shiro was too and they’d barely spoken about how he was doing lately. Keith felt like a shit brother going to ask Shiro to talk to Lance before realising maybe that would be something best asked in front of his boyfriend

“Then... his nose wasn’t broken but it was messed up. He panicked and tried to hide, only some dick pushed him. He said Sendak broke his nose and his arm”

“His goons knocked his teeth out too. Curtis told me”

Keith looked to Curtis who nodded

“Once the plans were in place to leave, they took particular delight in making us feel shit. He got so mad over my behalf”

“He hasn’t talked much about it... He still regrets killing Sendak”

Shiro nodded. He knew that too well. Keith may have mentioned it more than once and twice and how he should be with Lance helping him through being abducted

“Taking life is never easy. Especially for Lance. It’s kind of the stigma, isn’t it? That he’s some kind of blood thirsty beast? Has he talked to Coran?”

“I don’t think so. Should I have pushed him on this? To tell me more?”

“You know being triggered usually happens unexpectedly. Was he coherent?”

“Yeah. Kept acting like it was his fault. It’s not. Is he still awake?”

“He wanted to be alone”

“If he’s sleeping I’ll leave him be, but for now I just want to check in with him and let him know we’re here. Don’t give me that look. If he doesn’t want me there, I’ll leave right away”

Keith knew he was giving Shiro “that look”. If anyone was talking to Lance it should be him. But he hadn’t been held captive. He wasn’t there. If Shiro asked, and Lance said yes or no, then... that would be giving him the choice. Keith didn’t want to limit Lance’s freedom or take his chances away from him

“Alright. I’ll punch you in the dick if you upset him”

“Understood. Maybe Curtis can explain what the hell’s going on in that show of his? That’ll keep you too preoccupied to worry”

“We both know I’m going to worry”

“We do. Drink your coffee and I’ll be back in a bit”

*

Laying in Keith’s bed, Lance heard everything. Lance hadn’t been quite completely truthful. He had for the most part but there was one huge element he was leaving out. An element he absolutely couldn’t tell Keith.

Knocking on Keith’s door, Shiro opened it to poke his head in

“Lance?”

Lance too tired to care about being shirtless under the covers as he internally sighed

“Come in”

“I guess you heard us”

Not that he’d wanted to. He didn’t want everyone fussing and worrying, but he felt so messed up, and maybe needed a little fuss and worry from Shiro because he’d underst

“It’s hard not to. You can stay, close the door”

“Okay. If you’re not up to talking, I can go”

“Nah... I kind of need your advice”

Walking around to what was usually Lance’s side of the bed, Shiro dropped himself down with all the grace of a sack of potatoes, Lance groaning as the bed shifted aggregating his throbbing head further

“That good?”

“I’ve been better”

“I can see that. Keith said you had an attack”

“Yeah. I... nearly vampired the guy”

“Oh”

“Yep”

“And how does that make you feel?”

Lance could only shake his head mentally at Shiro. The question was valid, but he knew Shiro knew he’d get an internal laugh out of it if he didn’t have other things on his mind

“You want to talk about what happened...”

Shiro moved closer, ruffling Lance’s hair

“Only if you’re ready to. Do you want my advice before or after?”

“Maybe during... The stones set me off... but I didn’t tell Keith everything”

“I can imagine he was mad enough”

“Very. All I wanted to do was use the bathroom. We were sitting down because I felt faint”

“Are you okay? Should I call Coran?”

“I’m okay. I just didn’t get much sleep last night... Keith went to get me water and all... people were talking about us. Mostly me, but us... Then, when I bumped into that guy... He didn’t have the nicest things to say about Keith, or me. Or about how appropriate our relationship was. He tried to start something. He even kicked the door when I locked myself in”

Shiro sighed. He got it. If Keith knew then Keith would have gone ballistic

“So he shoved you maliciously?”

“Yeah... Kind of. I didn’t want... I don’t want Keith to... He’s...”

“He’s in love with you and probably would have beaten that guy to a pulp if he knew”

“When I saw the floor it was like everything started spinning. My nails came out and I wasn’t even looking... Our whole date got ruined”

“Not your whole date. Keith’s really upset over this. I understand why you’re not telling him, but at the same time, he couldn’t give two shits what people think about the pair of you dating. He adores you”

“But how do you cope?”

“I ignore them. What happens in my private life is my business. I know it’s hard, but they’re not worth your time. You can’t win an argument with an idiot”

“I apologised and he still... He scared the fuck out of me when he kicked the door. Someone said something and he played it off as a joke... We were having a good time, we didn’t hurt anyone... so why do people have to be so mean?”

“Because they don’t know you. How’s your nose feeling now?”

Lance’s head still hurt. He could taste his own blood, but he’d been sipping on the blood bag Keith left him. He’d heal. Soon it’d be like it never happened. The stranger had lashed out, shoving him with a slur. Cursing how he didn’t want “one of them” touching him. Kicking the door he’d called for him to call his “abomination of a partner”. Muttering he’d left the bathroom talking about how those kinds of people should be castrated and chucked in a wood chipper. The words weren’t complicated. He’d heard people whisper before when he and Keith held hands or were close in public. Some happy, some nervous, some rude. As long as Keith didn’t know, or wasn’t being insulted, he didn’t show that he’d heard. This man... Lance’s panicked thoughts had him thinking the stranger was Sendak.

Overwhelmed by the strange scents and unfamiliar faces, all Lance had wanted to do was snap. Ego tearing him up inside as he resisted breaking the bathroom door down then snapping the man’s neck for insulting Keith

“Better... Keith was going to help me clean up but... I wanted blood, Shiro. I wanted to hit him and it scared me. I can take the insults but when they’re directed at Keith...”

“It hurts so much more because you love him. I know. Some people just don’t get it and it sucks and it’s wrong, but those people aren’t worth your worry. You love Keith and he loves you. That’s the main thing. Are you sure I should be calling Coran?”

Lance wasn’t sure he could face the fussing of Coran. The twins were moving, his stomach didn’t hurt that much... That was the main thing. He hadn’t hit his stomach, just his face on the door frame. He’d been a mess trying not to let it show as he’d waited for Keith

“I’ll be okay... I’m trying. I keep trying to not think about that. About how things played out. How I could have injured Curtis. How things could have gone wrong in the crash. What would have happened if I hadn’t lost my temper”

“If you hadn’t then I doubt you and Curtis would be alive. Curtis told me how you wanted I protect him. How you pushed yourself. I’m sorry I seemed like I was disregarding your ideas”

“They were stupid ideas”

“Not necessarily. We just didn’t have enough information to act”

“I still feel like I could have found another way”

“Sometimes there isn’t one. You’re not a hunter, but you did a good job. You protected Keith. That’s all I could have asked for. He’s got this habit of rushing in head first. You give him a reason to think twice”

Yeah. He did. Except he really threw everything away when it came to Lance. Lance had wanted to tear the throat out that man at the petting zoo when he’d slagged off Keith

“Unless I’m the one in danger”

“Ah, yes. In his defence, when we arrived to find the house empty I felt as if... I felt as if I’d lost Adam all over again, only this time I’d lost my lover and my brother”

“Do you have nightmares?”

“I do. Of being too late and Sendak snapping Curtis’s neck. Of dying in that cell. Different memories mixed in with being in that place. I froze when Keith mentioned the stone floor”

Sendak had fucked them all up. Everyone else seemed to know how keep walking forward, so why did he have to be the one to freak out over the flooring? Seeing Narti’s body didn’t mess him up as much it should have. She had her life snuffed out, and that seemed to be something he was far too okay with

“Shiro, is there any way that we can see the house?”

Shiro lifted his hand off Lance’s head. The man’s heart beat increasing in pace. Shiro didn’t want to go back there

“Lance...”

Shiro cut himself off, moving his hand to his lap

“Why would you want to go back there?”

He wondered himself, the question as much as a surprise to Shiro as him

“I know it’s over, but... I want to see where they kept us. I want to see no one else is in there. I know no one else is but I never saw Sendak’s body and I never saw the outside of the house”

“Are you worried Sendak is hiding there?”

He hadn’t been until Shiro brought up the possibility. A cold shiver ran through his body. He’d never seen what happened to the body, nor did he know what was in that house

“Yes and no. I don’t know what I did for sure. Everyone kept praising me and I never... I don’t want to be stuck being scared of flooring. I want to see the house is empty”

“Then what are you going to do? Even if it’s empty, we might not be able to see it, or go inside. If we do, though, what do you want to do?”

Shiro was too uncomfortable. His heartbeat too fast. Lance knowing he shouldn’t have asked. Shiro may have said he’d talk to him, but he wasn’t ready to talk either when it came to that house. They hadn’t treated him overly badly, instead it was the pain of what happened to Curtis that kept Shiro from wanting to be there

“I want to burn it down. That’s honestly what I want to do. I know houses aren’t evil. It’s just a house but... Never mind. I thought maybe I understood what I wanted but I don’t think I do”

“Let me think about this. I’m not to find of the idea of going back there”

“Neither am I. I’m just sick of being stuck with these thoughts when all I want to do is focus on Keith and the twins”

“Speaking of Keith... am I allowed to let him back in?”

Oh. Lance wasn’t strictly done with the things he wanted to ask Shiro.. Shiro must have decided to run before Lance could ask him anything else, like if he and Curtis wanted to come and stay for a few days

“Yeah. I feel so pathetic... When Keith hugs me it’s like everything else just falls away. All I want is for him to be happy”

“I know you do. If you need to talk, I’m here. So’s Curtis. We’ve both been through similar events before, but I imagine all of this was very new to you”

“The last time some really hurt me, like, really really hurt me was when I was turned. Matt doesn’t count because he didn’t mean to”

Matt had felt terrible for hurting him in the tunnels. Lance felt terrible because Matt felt terrible while their egos both laughed at their stupidity. If anyone supernatural was going to hurt him, Matt would be the least of his worries

“You’ve got a big heart. Get some rest”

“Yeah. Thanks for... for this. I realised how lucky we’d been with the people around us and I flipped at the idea that someone saw Keith as anything other than himself”

“People can be very stupid. I understand not telling him. What happened already happened, and he already has the gist of things. I love both of you like brothers”

“I love you like a brother too. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much family as I have since you all gate crashed my life”

Shiro chuckled at him. Lance kind of definitely feeling he’d maybe upset Shiro by accident, either that or Shiro was pulling a Keith and running away

“Happy to help. Okay. Don’t forget to talk to me if you need to... wait, that sounded wrong, I’m here when and if you want to”

“I know. Thanks”

Keith was like Kosmo. Climbing straight up into their bed and laying himself right up being Lance as their precious fur son liked to do. There’d barely been a minute between Shiro leaving and Keith coming in. Wrapping his arm around Lance stomach, his hand immediately went to rub at the vampire’s belly as he nosed at Lance’s shoulder

“Babe?”

Ahhh... questions. Keith had questions. Lance placing his hand over Keith’s and snuggling back into him. He missed being the big spoon. Being about to curl around Keith and protect him from the big bad world

“I’m okay. Better. Much better with your cuddles”

Kissing Lance’s shoulder, his boyfriend’s coffee breath wasn’t the greatest thing with how he felt, but it was so very Keith that Lance didn’t care

“Is it okay to ask what you wanted to talk to Shiro about?”

Shiro was thinking about his request, but if he did grant Lance’s request they’d be taking Keith with them

“I can talk to right, and you’re not going to yell?”

“That doesn’t sound good”

“Keith, I’m serious. I want you to hear me out”

“Okaaaay. God, you’re not going to break up with me, are you?”

“No! No. No, that is not happening”

“Then tell me what you talked to Shiro about”

“I asked him if he’d feel comfortable returning to the house where they held us”

Keith immediately tensed, Lance flinched in preparation for him yelling. When Keith didn’t yell, Lance forced himself onwards to explain

“I want to put Sendak firmly behind us. Today was... like a wake up call that no matter how hard I’m trying I’m not okay with what happened. I want to go to the house and see it. I want to see it empty. See he’s not there anymore”

“He’s dead”

“I know that logically. My reaction today wasn’t very logical. I want to understand what it was in the flooring that made me freak out. What I want is no more regrets and secret fears popping up and getting in the way of making a happy life together. I want to keep moving forward and today brought back all that fear. I know you’re angry at me and you probably don’t understand why I’d ever want to be in that house again, but that house robbed us of time together. I just need to see it. I need to see how they kept us down there... I asked Shiro, and I think I set of his anxiety and upset him. But I feel like if I don’t see that house I’m going to keep wondering what happened to it”

Keith took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. His grip with his fingertips on Lance’s stomach almost painful

“I don’t want you going back there”

Of course he didn’t. It’d be hard for all of them, his pregnancy was complicated enough and Keith feared the amount of stress Lance would be under

“I know. It’s not like I’m asking to go alone. I don’t want to be there alone”

#once bitten twice stupid #oncebittentwicestupid #ashratherose

[codylabs]

Nomads: Part 4 Final

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 

“Hey Keeleeticktick.” She startled him by coming up behind. “I need a way to secure my pod to the convoy, while still spinning.”

“Oh?” He was glad to hear that, and turned around. “So you plan to continue traveling with us?”

“Of course I do… Man, where else would I go? …I just need a way to keep my gravity, and stay linked at the same time.”

“Hmm.” He drifted in a small circle, as he thought. “You will need some manner of oiled rotor then. One end of the rotor will not spin, and can be tied to the convoy. The other end you will tie to the center of mass of your spinning tether. Then you can hang a ladder from the rotor down to your pod, and you never need to stop spinning.”

“Great idea. Uh… Do we have a rotor like that?”

“No.” His eyestalks bobbed. “We will have to make one on a lathe. There’s one over on the factory ship, so I’ll meet you there if you’ll bring some material. And I don’t know much about manufacturing, so I’ll have to ask some of the other guys to come help as well.”

“Great. Uh… I guess we could melt down one of the seats I took out of the pod?”

“They are aluminum?”

“Yes.”

“Aluminum wears down. Bring something steel.”

“…There was a turbine in one of the engines. That’s steel.”

“Perfect.”

“Cool.”

They were several hours into the project before one of the other guys spoke up. “You’ve been busy, Missus Fikes.”

“Yeah, I have.” She nodded.

“Ever since you met with her.”

“Yeah… She gave me a lot to think about.”

“Ha ha, yeaaaah, she’s pretty eloquent, Isn’t she?” He laughed.

“Of course she’s good with words.” Another male agreed. “Her brain is the size of three people.”

“What exactly did she get you thinking about, Missus Fikes?”

“It’s just… Things are really different on my world.” She shrugged. “And I know things have to be different out here just because of the way you people work and live, but… Honestly, seeing her closed up in there, being harvested for silk and kids, that was just too far. Kinda messed me up. I really… Really think her entire setup is just plain wrong.”

Many of the nearby men launched into long-winded excuses, or tried to shrug it off, or outright told her to go mind her own business. But surprisingly enough, many of them actually entirely agreed with her, or at least reassured her that things would change once they reached their destination; once they were out of the void, out of danger, and among rings again. A few men got to arguing with each other.

“Yeah, yeah, I know I know.” She waved a hand to try to calm the sudden dispute. “I didn’t mean to make waves, especially when she’s happy where she is, I just… It got me thinking about how unnatural I’ve been living too. And about how I can’t just keep living like you people do, not completely. We’re just… Just very, very different. And I needed to get my gravity back.”

“Women are treated better on your world?” Keeleeticktick asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “I mean yes! I mean… I don’t know.” She tried to concentrate on the lathe. “They were just… They were just treated basically the same way as men. They had all the same rights, the same laws…”

“How’s that possible?”

“It was possible because THEY were basically the same!” She waved a glove. “The women were a little smaller, and a little lumpier, and the men a little hairier, but if they were wearing clothes, especially a suit like this? You couldn’t even tell them apart… The gender roles weren’t ship and sailor, they were more balanced; provider and parent, leader and organizer, hunter and gatherer…”

They found that to be very interesting and very strange. “Missus Fikes.” One of them laughed. “Next you’ll be saying that you’re a woman!”

They all laughed at that.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’ll be the day.”

“Wait, but seriously though, are you a woman?”

She guffawed at the sheer absurdity of the question, that there should be so little ambiguity that it had taken them almost a year to ask it. But though she laughed, she chose her next words carefully. “If I were?” She asked, and looked up from the lathe to meet their eyes. “…If I weren’t? …Perhaps I ought to teach you a lesson by asking you a question back.” She put a glove on her hip. “If I were a woman, or if I weren’t, would I still be myself? Would I still be the same man, and the same friend? Would you still know your Missus Fikes?”

That seemed to confuse them for a moment. Thilykto seemed to be the most decisive and hasty of them all, for he was the first to answer. “Yeah! Of course! Yeah, you’d still be Missus Fikes.”

Other eyestalks were bobbing now, and the agreement was reached, that their visitor was still himself, different as he was, strange as he was, no matter what he was. They still knew their friend. And many of them took some additional consolation by convincing themselves that he was a man after all and was merely teasing them, for that was just so much easier to accept.

Most of them disliked the direction the conversation had taken, and floated away to find business elsewhere. “Although you know, Missus Fikes.” Keeleeticktick whispered towards her, when they were again alone in the shop. “I wouldn’t try to make a joke of you or subtract from you in any way if I knew which you were… But as your friend, you have to understand how curious I am.”

She smiled with a private sigh. All right. She said in sign language. What’s the sign?

“Woman.” He whispered. He held up two tentacles intertwined, and touched them to his right eyestalk. “Man.” He held up two tentacles straight parallel, and touched them to his left eyestalk.

She crossed her fingers, and touched the right of her visor.

Keeleeticktick stared for a moment in surprise and borderline disbelief, which slowly faded into hesitant understanding and uncomfortable acceptance. Then he gave a brief nod, and turned back to the machine. “…Missus Fikes, you’re a strange man.” He said, loud enough for others to hear. “And you’re a-“

“-A very, very long way from home.” She repeated his old line back with a smile. “Yeah, yeah, don’t I know it.”

“…Actually, I was just going to say that you’re a good man.” He told her. “And a good friend… And if you like… Home might not be as far as you think; It may just be right here.”

“…You could be right.”

And she thought he was, and as she lost her hope that he wasn’t, she was slowly becoming content.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 A time passed.

She’d worked her way up to 30% gravity in her pod now, and her muscles and bones were slowly becoming strong again. She could run now, she could jump, even if such a skill was only usable within the 100 square feet of her truncated pod. She could see the definition in her legs again, she could no longer wrap her hand all the way around her wrist, her space suit was getting looser around the torso and tighter around the limbs. Keeleeticktick was once watching her exercising, and asked her how she was getting along health-wise. “I’m feeling great.” She’d said, and meant it.

Their new sun grew ever nearer, glowed ever brighter in the forward starscape. As they passed through the denser regions of the system’s Kuiper belt, asteroids were being located and ensnared in greater and greater numbers. The momentum the fisher’s borrowed from their targets was transferred through lengths of extra-elastic silk to the convoy itself, to help them slow down from their interstellar speeds. Keeleeticktick took her to the telescope one night, and showed her their first clear image of their new world: a brilliantly blue-green gas giant turning in a shallow orbit at a high obliquity, with a wide, dense set of glittering rings that would have put Saturn’s to shame. “It’s beautiful.” She’d said, and meant it.

As for the asteroid fishing, she herself was quickly learning the intimate details of the operation, was even bringing her pod along on fishing voyages so she wouldn’t have to stay behind. One time when they finished reeling in a captured asteroid, she was among the first to climb down the silk to stand on its icy surface. All around her, the nomads were breaking off pieces of ice with their beaks and eating them right there, a primal sort of victory ritual to celebrate the hunt. By their example, she broke off a piece as well. Then she opened her helmet, right there in the void, took a big bite, and closed her helmet again before she suffocated. As the life support roared to keep up, and as she blinked to keep the moisture from boiling off her eyes, she chewed and sucked on the rock. It was gritty and hard, and unbearably grating on her teeth, but she could taste the water trapped in the dust, felt the ice melting on her teeth. Keeleeticktick laughed at the stunt, and asked her how it was. “It’s good!” She’d said, and meant it.

One night the men opened Kinthalikal’s cargo pod, and encouraged her to come out for a bit of exercise while they cleaned her pod and made some adjustments. All the men in the convoy watched and stared as she emerged, spread her anchors and flexed her engines. They fed her a bit of ice and her fuel tanks began to fill, unfurling and inflating with all the elegance of the bodies of jellyfish, all the pride of banners flapping in the breeze, all the beauty of wind catching in the white sails of the great old boats of Earth. Her eyes widened, her hearts contracted, her engines throbbed with pale light, and she glided upwards away from the colony, and through a wide circular orbit around them. As she returned to her pod, two silent hours later, Thilykto whispered that the woman was so beautiful. “Yeah. Yeah she is.” She’d agreed, and meant it.

Rickakticktacka finally finished the fantasy novel he’d been reading. The witch was killed and the Elkakik achieved his purpose, allowing his spirit double to move on to peace in the afterlife, and allowing him to finally fall in love. The queen gave him a princess in marriage, and they set out to make a new life for themselves in the ring beyond the black moon, the land that the witch had once held in a rule of darkness, now free. By the end of the tale she’d learned to better understand the old story-language, not enough to speak it, but enough to listen fully. So when the natives were congratulating the story and retelling the parts they’d enjoyed, she’d finally been able to honestly say “It was excellent,” and mean it.

Then came the day when they were asking for a new story to be told, and she’d volunteered, and stepped up with an old text file of The Lord of the Rings, which she’d found somewhere in the pod’s backup computers. She had a slow and difficult time translating one sentence at a time into the nomad’s language, but they were nothing if not patient. Many times she had to pause to explain things like rivers and mountains and forests, and it took them awhile to get the gist of the need to walk for great distances instead of merely drift, but they were enjoying these new concepts almost as much as the story itself, and they made good progress through the book. Many months later, when Sauron was finally defeated and the Fellowship parted ways and the Hobbits returned home to liberate the Shire, the nomads had cheered. “That was a beautiful story!” they’d said, and meant it.

Months added up into years.

She turned fifty.

And she began to get very sick.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Hey Keelee?” She pointed across the convoy toward the heavy ion engine on the stern of the main tug. That gentle blue electric flame had never once turned off or even faltered in her entire stay, or for many years previous; it was a technology designed for efficiency and endurance instead of speed and power, indeed it was so weak that its thrust was entirely imperceptible on a day-to-day basis. Yet for all the fuel it was saving them by pushing so slow for so long, it had used just that much electric power. Power it got from a nuclear reactor, which stood tall and grey, in full view of every ship in the convoy. “The reactor…” She hesitated to ask, but at some point she had to know. “How much shielding does it have?”

“Shielding?” He frowned at it, then back at her. “…What do you mean…?”

“Ah…” She took a deep, slow breath. “…Oh… Oh dear. Umm… Keelee, I… I don’t know how to say this, because I don’t know what you could do about it, but… I’m pretty sure I have cancer. I need a doctor.”

“Talk to Rickakticktacka. He has some experience.”

“It’s different with humans… We can’t just grow new organs and… And… And surgery won’t work either. There’s bones and… And muscles in the way, and our organs are all crammed real close together, and we don’t ever stop bleeding once we start… I need a human doctor. Earth medicine. Specialized nanobots. And a whole lot of other stuff depending on the results of tests I don’t know how to perform… And I need it soon, and there’s no way I could ever get it in time.”

“…Oh.”

“I’m dying, Keelee… It’s nobody’s fault, and there’s nothing to do about it… And I don’t know how long I have left. Years, months, weeks, I don’t… I don’t know.”

“Oh.”

A nomad’s touch was impossibly soft, and light. Through her suit, she could barely feel a thing as he wrapped a couple tentacles around her shoulder, and his whole body weighed less than fifteen pounds, so when he pulled her close, he was the one who moved and she not at all. But when she returned the hug, and wrapped his body up between her arms and squeezed and grasped for any substance at all, she could definitely feel something there, however slight. Something as flimsy and faint and membranous as an old balloon or a discarded plastic bag, yet at the same time graceful, and soft, and ancient. She could feel a tiny heartbeat vibrating up through his back. She could feel the shaking of his muscles as he wept, could feel a faint pressure from his tentacles curling. A fleshy part of his shoulder was squashed flat across her visor.

And she sobbed too, inside her suit. Her sun screens clattered against the glass of her helmet as she shook. Her heart and her lungs throbbed and pounded against the inside of her ribcage. Her life support pumps roared, and beeped at her for her sudden oxygen usage. Wet tears drifted off her face and contaminated the instruments. A rotary bearing pressed uncomfortably into the fold of her elbow as she squeezed. Her radio crackled with signals from Keeleeticktick, but this entire time, the only actual noise inside her helmet was her own.

The difference between a chemical booster rocket and an ion engine was the difference between she and him.

A chemical rocket burned fast, and burned hard, hard enough to lift great cargoes off the surface of planets. It burned with purpose, and direction, and power, and its fuel drained by the second in a roaring flash of light, strong and bright and loud, loud, loud. But it lasted only a short time. It broke too easily, exploded too easily, required too great a complexity, consumed too much fuel and steered too violently. And in the end it burned itself out, so it detached and floated away, to allow the next stage to carry on.

An ion engine lasts an eternity. It glows dimly in a vacuum, pushes imperceptibly slowly, waits years for the tiniest adjustment, endures unaffected through light and dark, heat and cold and radiation. But it is incapable of great feats. It has no capacity for strength or shock or anything but the most gradual of calculated change. And when it finally fails, at the conclusion of years, it will have failed because its power source has failed. It dies because the surrounding vehicle has broken down or decayed or become something unrecognizable. An ion engine moves so slowly that it is left behind by time and space and the universe itself.

And he would miss her dearly.

He didn’t know why he’d expected her to live until they reached their destination, in only 30 years more. Didn’t know why he’d assumed they would live together in the same family even after that. Didn’t know why he’d once or twice considered her as a companion, had begun in secret to worship her as men always do toward women. Didn’t know why he’d inferred outright indestructibility from her strength, and had assumed she would remain as she had been for ever and ever. Didn’t know why he’d signed ‘happily ever after’ to their story so long before the end.

But perhaps it wouldn’t be entirely sad.

“I won’t sleep, Missus Fikes.” He promised her. “I won’t pause. And I won’t tire. I’ll be there for you your every waking moment. I’ll keep away your pain. I’ll show you all there is to see. I’ll tell you stories. I’ll listen to stories. I’ll show you stars, I could teach you to dance. And when one day you go, I’ll miss you as a closest friend, and remember you longer than lifetimes.”

She tried to wipe her eyes, and gleaned some tiny amusement when her helmet of course thwarted her. “Why Keeleeticktick.” She muttered. “…Is that romance I hear?”

“I hope not… Missus Fikes, thinking of you has taught me to see my people’s romance a little like how you see it. I’ve come to recognize it as not quite noble, and not quite natural, so I think it would be a sorry gift for a dying friend. But I want to make you happy.”

“…You’re a good, good friend, Keelee.”

“As are you, Missus Fikes.”

“…I’ve been thinking. In any time I have left, I think I’d like to write a book.” She said. “A story of all that’s happened to me.”

“…It wouldn’t make a very good story.” He told her. “Nothing really happened, and the ending is very sad.”

“Yeah.” She agreed. “But you know, true stories don’t have to be good stories. And the folks back on Earth will think it’s pretty interesting anyway… Assuming any of you ever built a transmitter large enough to send it to them, that is, ha ha.”

“Transmitters are a bit risky.” Keeleeticktick admitted. “…But you never know. Maybe we’ll be safe enough in our new home to risk a signal or two. Or perhaps Thilykto’s children or grandchildren could deliver it in person? I’ve heard Saturn is quite a scenic destination.”

“It is indeed.” She tried to laugh.

“And we never stay still for long.” He agreed. “So which one of them is it? Which is your star? Which is Sol?” He gestured across the sky. “To which of these worlds shall we deliver your book, Missus Fikes?”

“You know, it’s funny…” She shook her head sadly. “This entire time, I never knew.”

“Pity.”

“…And for what it’s worth, you can call me Charlotte.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Author’s note:

I hope you thought that was interesting. I certainly thought it was.

I am aware that at moments in the story it may appear as if I had been trying to make a statement about mankind, or society, or the state of the world. This is not entirely true. I did not set out to make a point about any human class or sex or construct or current event, my desire was merely to document and explore the operations of a very different race, one for whom I have no particular respect, and whose actions I understand but do not condone.

I say ‘not entirely true’, however, because I write all intelligent beings as similar in spirit; beholden to the same morals, users of the universal emotions, and capable of the same virtues and sins. So, as is the case with most stories, whatever moral you ascribe to the story is probably true in real life as well. I will only say that these long-lived hecka-dimorphic space squids and the human widow who stayed among them have made me think, and I hope they made you do the same.

This was a short story, and it is concluded.

This is part of a larger universe which I am growing, and the Nomads will be seen again, far away.

Feedback is appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and God Bless you during the difficult nights of your own long journeys.

#The Nomads #missus fikes #spaceborne lifeform #alien #planet #scifi #writing #short story

[the-writing-dump-bin]

I see requests are open may I request a scenario where jotaro and female reader go on an aquarium date (like there aren’t enough but I’m a sucker for joot at the aquarium) then like explore the city and have a nice dinner then go back home and cuddle until they fall asleep on each other please and thank you so much

Hey friend! Sorry this took a while to get to, I hope youre still kickin around these parts. I hope this was okay for you!

SFW

"Jotaro, where are we going?" You giggle as the two of you sway on the train. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see soon enough, now shut up."

You weren't fazed by his way of talking. You and Jotaro had been dating for a year now and you were use to his grumpy attitude. Only you got to see his soft side whenever you were alone.

Today was yours and Jotaro's one year anniversary. He had woke you up with breakfast already made and, to your surprise, had the kitchen cleaned up after him. He had a bad habit of leaving the kitchen a mess after he cooked anything. Now, he was taking you somewhere to spend the afternoon with you.

The train came to a stop at its designated station. Getting off, you follow Jotaro, practically skipping to keep up with his long strides.

"We're here." He stated, stopping in front of a large building. No one else could tell, but you seen the excitement in his eyes when you realized you were at the new aquarium that had just opened up. You smiled at him. Loving how passionate he was for marine life.

Walking inside, he was already mesmerized by the lobby. There was a line to buy tickets; you stood in there while Jotaro looked at everything the front entrance. When you came back, you handed him a ticket. He looked at it and that at you. "Why did you buy them?"

"You want to go in, dont you?" You put your hands on your hips.

Jotaro scowled at you. "Yes, but I am supposed to buy them. I'm taking you on date."

You waved a hand at him. "Jotaro, I don't mind. I know you love these places. Besides, you take me out all the time, let me treat you for once."

"Yare yare daze." He said, pulling the brim of his hat down. He knew he wasn't going to win this.

This place was huge. It was a lot better than the original building it had been. Tank after tank, fish after fish, you saw it all. The two of you subconsciously broke apart from your hand in hand walk through the darkened halls when a tank of jellyfish caught your attention. They moved so gracefully in the water in front of you, pulling you in a small trance.

When Jotaro noticed you weren't by his side anymore, he panicked a little. Being 6'5 had its advantages, he looked over the crowd to find you standing by yourself, staring at how fluidly the jellyfish moved in the water.

It was like everyone else around him disappeared and only you remained. The way the soft, blue light and the water reflecting off your face made him remember why he loved you. Maybe you didn't love sea life the way he did, but you were still appreciative of it and his interests. You were always there for him, giving him the care he secretly craved. Making his way over, he stood behind you and draped his arms over your shoulders, giving you a hug.

You were surprised, not expecting this quiet, grump to hug you in public. But you enjoy it, raising your arms and resting them on top of his, your head leaning back on his hard chest.

An hour later, you finish the entire aquarium and leave. Not wanting to end the wonderful time you two were having, Jotaro took you around town; letting you shop a bit before he voiced that he was hungry. You were starting to as well. "Where do you want to go?"

Jotaro looked around where we were. We weren't dressed for a super fancy restaurant, so he picked the closest place that had less people. It was just a small family resturaunt that had really good food. You were having a great time, it had been forever since the two of you went out to dinner. "Try this." You say, putting a bit of your food on your fork and bring it to your boyfriend's mouth. He ate it and nodded his approval. You were right, it was good. Jotaro made sure that he paid for dinner. He didn't want you spending anymore of your money on him.

The sun set while you were having dinner, so when you walked out, you realized how fast the day went by.

Returning home, you put your shopping bags down and shuffled to your room. Though you had fun, you were completely wiped out. Jotaro followed you, shedding off his clothes until he was just in his boxer briefs and flopped onto the bed.

"Idiot! Don't flop like that, do you want to break the bed?"

Jotaro quirked up an eyebrow and smirked.

You rolled your eyes at what Jotaro was insinuating but laughed. Getting your pajamas on, you crawled into bed with him, cuddling right on top of his large frame. He smelt so amazing, so soothing. "I had an amazing day, my love. Happy anniversary."

Jotaro wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close so he could kiss the top of your head. "I'm glad you had fun." He could hear the sleepiness in your voice and soon enough, you had drifted off with a soft snore. He smiled, so happy to have you in his life. "Happy anniversary. I love you."

#request #anonymous #anon #jotaro #jotaro kujo #jotaro x reader #jojo #jojos bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyou na bouken #SFW

[iamtotallycool]

EOA Ship Appreciation Week Day 6: Date Night

Sorry that this one and my day 7 might be a day late! Work is seriously interfering right now!

However, I was glad to get out my last Carzel fic for this week! Thanks to everyone who’s starting to love this couple as much as I am!

Enjoy!

It was safe to say that Carla Delgado had never been on a proper date before.

Honestly, how could she with the way her life had been up until this point?

However, she knew how to flirt and dance and even kiss. With those skills, this evening should be a piece of cake.

So why was she so nervous then?

Carla was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the heart of Nueva Vista. She fiddled nervously with her lucky purple necklace as she looked up at the City clock. Marzel would be here any moment to meet at their agreed time.

A few people kept looking over at her when they walked by. Carla pretended not to notice them as she pushed back a styled curl from the high ponytail that her hair had been slicked back into.

After rehearsals had ended at the Seahorse Theater, the haughty play director, Felipe, had taken an unusual interest in what her evening plans were. There had been something so condescending in his tone, that Carla couldn’t stop herself as she retorted back that she had a hot date tonight. Luckily, she had stopped herself from saying who.

What had been aggravating is that Felipe’s expression didn’t even change as he then asked her, “And what exactly are you planning on wearing? Do you even own anything decent?”

If she didn’t need this job, Carla would have thrown her script at him.

Marzel hadn’t said anything about where they were going or what they were doing.

After he had surprised her by meeting her after her lesson with Sabine and saw that she made it safety back to the shore, he grabbed her hand and just casually asked, “Will you go somewhere with me on Saturday? Just the two of us?”

Carla had been taken aback. They had spent time together, usually with at least one other person, and that person, or Sirena, being Marisa. She did think he was attractive though and it was fun to flirt with him, and she hadn’t done anything fun in so long. So why not?

Still, Carla didn’t have anything in the way of formal attire. She had left Avalor with a few clothes that were mostly hammy downs from Rafa De Alva. And since she had started earning money, she had bought the occasional small item here and there, but most of her paychecks went to her rent and necessities.

“I suppose I can be of some assistance,” Felipe sighed out.

Before Carla could ask why he was being so uncharacteristically nice, he barely talked to anyone who wasn't the main actors, she was yanked to the side by one of the make-up artists and shoved into her usual chair. Felipe had even loaned her a dress for her to wear. A pink, strapless dress with a soft tulle skirt that was short in the front, but flowed long and elegant in the back.

“Remember, it’s only for tonight,” Felipe said sharply before she shoved her out the door rather quickly. “So I expect it back tomorrow in perfect condition.”

 Carla had felt a little abused and a little silly being so overdressed as she walked down the city streets. What she was most nervous though at this very moment, was how Marzel would dress. Last time Marisa and Marzel had decided to hang out on land during a local festival, they showed up in the most appalling display of patterns, fabrics, beads, and feathers. Carla had to pull them down the nearest alleyway and do her best with fixing those ridiculous outfits.

The Noble fashion here in Nueva Vista wasn’t any help either. Cristóbal may have been conniving and evil, but he also had the worse fashion sense. I mean, a giant pink bow? Really?

Carla’s eyes then flickered over to the nearest canal. It would probably be better if he even just showed up in his usual Sirena Attire. Even if that meant they would be horribly mismatched.

“Hey, Carla!”

Carla felt her heart begin to rise at the sound of his voice coming from the opposite direction.

She took a deep breathe before she turned to see him…dressed normally?

Marzel was wearing tan breeches, tall black boots, and a brown vest decorated with intricate gold designs over a green puffy sleeved shirt.

In fact, he looked better than normal, he actually looked really handsome and dashing, and all those other adjectives her scripts described the main hero as.

Marzel’s eyebrows knit together. “I’m not late, am I?”

Carla realized that her mouth was hanging open like an idiot and quickly shut it.

“No, you’re right on time,” Carla said as she stood up and smoothed out her dress’s skirt.

“You look beautiful,” Marzel said sincerely with a lop-sided grin.

Carla gave him a half lidded look in return. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

The Sirena Prince offered her his arm, which she gladly took and let him lead the way. They ended up at a set of stairs that lead down to a basement apartment. A wooden sign hung right about it that said “The Grotto” with an arrow pointing downward. Carla raised an eyebrow at him, but Marzel only responded with a wink as they walked down the stairs and opened to large oak the door that was located at the end.

Blue light and collective sound poured out as they entered this secret room.

Carla took a sharp intake of breath as she realized this was an underground restaurant, and one that was underwater themed to boot. The walls were made out of some kind of shimmery stone that were extenuated by the blue, green, and white globe shaped glass lights the hung above them along with deep green streamers that emulated seaweed. There were also large tanks of tropical fish strategically located throughout.

“Can I help you?” The quite snooty looking host asked.

“There should be reservations for two under Marzel.”

“Ah yes, our associate let us know that you were coming.” He grabbed a couple of menus, “If you will please follow me.”

Carla was starting to get a little annoyed by just how suspicious this all was, and how she felt she was the only one not in the loop. Then a waiter walked by with a tray of delicious smelling food, and she decided that she would let it go. At least until after dinner.

They were seated in one of the far and intimate corners of the restaurant by a large tank of starfish.

“I’ll be honest, I might need your help figuring all this stuff out,” Marzel said sheepishly as he flipped through the many pages of the menu.

Carla had learned that Sirenas could only consume seaweed and kelp. However, being half-human allowed for Marzel and Marisa to consume a little bit of land food when they had their legs.

So, after much deliberation, they decided to try and share the pesto veggie pasta and coconut black bean soup.

Being in this incredible restaurant though, Carla felt a little awkward as the fully gravity of the situation started to really set in. She decided to resort to the things she knew in order to not avoid even a second of awkwardness throughout the dinner: keeping a constant smile, tilting her head just so, throwing her hair over her shoulder.

However, Marzel had to throw her off by telling her that the starfish in the tank were telling him about that snooty host apparently sung opera very badly and very loudly when he was by himself after hours, causing her to almost snort her tea up her nose, which he profusely laughed at her for.

She got her revenge later when they ordered dessert that came with some

“Awww, look at these,” Carla said as she picked up one of the chocolates. “Wonder if this looks like the jellyfish you were dared to kiss when you were 10. Which then stung your tongue and you couldn’t talk right for a week.”

Marzel turned a bright shade of red. “Marisa?”

Carla shook her head. “Cuco.”

“There is no loyalty these days, I tell you what.” Marzel groaned as he spooned another mouthful of the ice cream.

As they left the restaurant later, Carla was thoroughly surprised by how much she was enjoying this date so far. She had never spent time like this with someone that had been a friend first, which she never had a lot to begin with, and was now a…she wasn’t quite sure yet. But, she was willing to find out what as they continued to walk down the boardwalk.

They then came across a rambunctious tavern, whose party seemed to have spilled out of the building on onto the boardwalk as fast music was playing and just as fast dancing was occurring.

Carla smiled as her foot began to tap along to the jig. She loved music so much, it had brought her so much joy in the darkest times to be able to dance with her father.

How the two had easily decide to side with a witch that would’ve taken that away she’ll never understand.

Carla hadn’t even noticed that she had started to move towards the crowd until she was abruptly stopped in her tracks.

“I don’t think so,” Marzel said, staying firmly rooted to his spot.

“What? Why?”

“You remember what happened at that festival right?” Marzel looked away in shame. “And I’m still that horrible.”

The Sirena wasn’t exaggerating. While Marisa had spent so many secret hours on land and with her legs that her and Carla twirled and danced gracefully next to each other. Marzel on the other hand, had been a total disaster. Between trying to horribly copy every one’s movements around them and how unsteady he was on his legs, he kept knocking into people and it required both girls to save him and his pride.

Carla had at least a thousand lines in her back pocket for a situation like this. She could easily use the one she had used on Mateo during the Sunflower Festival. But she didn’t want to use any of them, not on him.

“Well I want to dance,” She said flatly. “So you’re just going to have to trust me, your highness.”

Her response threw Marzel just enough that she easily able to drag him to the farthest corner of the impromptu dancing area.

Carla grabbed both of his hands and placed them on her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, thankful for how much height her heels gave her. She sometimes enjoyed how level they were when he had his tail or when they were floating in the water. Marzel was stupidly tall when he towered over her on his legs. However, there was a benefit to his height as she fit perfectly against his chest.

She met his eyes to make sure he would follow her lead. They began to move their feet in small steps and slowly began to rotate in a circle. They weren’t exactly in sync with the music, but they were able to keep it light and fun, which was increased with the mimicking swing of their hips.

Marzel chuckled. “Is this really dancing?”

“Of course it is,” Carla said. “This one in particular is just called…swaying.”

Marzel’s hands slid from her hips until he clasped them together on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. “I think I like this one a lot.”

While she didn’t saying anything out loud, she was starting to have a new appreciation for this dance as well. Between the warmth of his body and how secure she felt in his arms, there was an alarmingly growing desire to rest her head on his chest.

“I have a confession to make.” He then said abruptly.

Carla sighed, the spell now slightly broken. “Most guys do.”

“I may have had some help with planning this date.”

“From who?” Carla asked, trying to run down the list of their acquaintances. 

“Felipe.”

“He did?” She was absolutely dumbfounded.

Marzel nodded. “Well, he didn’t want to, but after I offered a small bag of pearls, he was more than willing to help.”

“Now that sounds like him.”

Carla felt a little foolish now, this romantic scene was something exactly with the director’s taste. The young couple, dressed in amazing costumes, at only the most visually romantic settings. His work was always incredibly cheesy, but audiences here ate those fantasies up. And at the very least, Carla could say that she got to live one of them.

She was half tempted to turn around and she is she could find him, and maybe his assistant Astrid, in some long coats and ridiculous fake mustaches. Watching them just to make sure Marzel wouldn’t be coming back for a refund.

“Didn’t want to get advice from your human expert this time?” Carla said, referring to Marzel’s other half.

“I think there’s a difference between being an expert and just being an enthusiast.”

Carla laughed and nodded in wholehearted agreement with him.

“So,” Marzel said in a low voice as he brought his face closer to hers. “How did I do?”

Carla bit her lip. “Well, I’m afraid I have to confess something to you now.”

Marzel cocked his head to the side slightly.

“I’ve done all this stuff before,” Carla said, waving her arm in a large sweeping motion. “I even had some young lord buy me a diamond after only knowing me for an hour.”

Her father and her had pawned off the necklace later that day. Carla at the time had hated how she had to give away something so beautiful, especially with the way it sparkled against her neck, but she had done her job and the money helped them survive the winter.

“However, I didn’t feel anything with any of them.” Carla continued on, noticing the slightly crestfallen look that was starting to form on Marzel’s face. “So, I’m starting to realize that it doesn’t matter what we do on the date, it just comes down to who I’m with.”

She swallowed as she dared to move on of her hands so that her finger tips lightly gazed the small strip of bare skin around his neck.

“And I’m starting to like my choices.”

Marzel closed his eyes briefly, reviling in her touch.

“Well, now that I know better,” He began, his arms tightening around her. “What would you want to do?”

Carla shrugged. “I guess you’ll just to wait till next time when I get to pick.”

“Next time? I really like the sound of that.”  His face was so close now that his breath was tickling her cheek.

“So, tell me, your highness.” Marzel rolled his eyes at her excessively sarcastic use of that title. “How does this scene end?”

“Felipe thinks I should just leave with a kiss to the back of your hand. Always best to leave a tantalizing cliffhanger.” Carla shook her head slightly, leave it to a director to not know when to quit. “But I’m certainly open to changes, if the leading lady agrees with me.”

Carla just smiled coyly as she began tipping her head back so she could fully get a good look at him. His great smile, cutely pointed ears, and the way his amazing eyes were holding such genuine adoration. She wanted him. There was no doubt about it.

“Yes.” Was all she said.

Marzel wasted no time as he dipped down and placed his lips softly against hers. Carla tightened her grip on him as her other hand up into his hair. It was nothing like the descriptions she had read earlier this week in the surprising amount of Sirena themed romance books that were written and sold here. His lips had a slight salty taste to them, not fishy. He wasn’t trying to squeeze the life out of her with his inhuman strength but was actually very gentle as one of his hands came up to cup her face. And Carla didn’t feel some deep conflict and guilt over this kiss, she was loving every second of it.

People were no doubt staring at them for the umpteenth time that night, this crowd making it more obvious thanks to the vast supply of alcohol. They were not use to seeing a Sirena walk around, and definitely having never actually seen an open human and Sirena romance before. And Carla finally had enough of it, especially as she was now really enjoying herself now.

Forget waiting for a ‘next time.’

“Come on,” Carla said, gripping his hand and leading to the nearest set of stairs that led to the beach.

“Where are we going?”

“You said there were some secret caves near my cottage, right?” Some probably very dark and very private caves. “I want you to show them to me right now.”

She a twinge of remorse as she could feel that she was practically dragging Marzel down the rickety steps, his legs probably already tired from how long he had been on them. She would make it up later to him very soon though.

“Won’t Felipe get mad if we get these costumes all sandy?”

Evidently, it sounded, Marzel had received the same warning, no doubt after being practically shoved out the door as well. So, feeling this spike of annoyance and protective nature for Marzel, Carla decided she didn’t mind being a little bad right now, even though there would be hell to pay later.

“I like to think of it more as us going off script and improvising.” Carla shot him a cheeky look over her shoulder. “Which, as you just experienced, I happen to be an expert at.”

#carla delgado #marzel #prince marzel #Elena of Avalor #carzel #carlaxmarzel #Disney #disney jr #ship appreciation week

[kpopisthereasonihavenolife]

Now Exhale

BTS

Kim Taehyung/Reader [F]

Genre: Sea Prince AU, Romance

Words: 2.6k (This was suppose to be a drabble. Oops)

Part 2 of Hold Your Breath

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You kept your hands clasped over your mouth as you held your breath as long as you possibly could. Taehyung swam through the familiar water with ease and grace, yet also as fast as he possibly could.  He kept flicking his cerulean gaze down at you, eyes squeezed shut as your loose clothing tugged on your body and hair whipped down against your body at the sheer force of his speed against the powerful ocean. 

He knew he you couldn’t hold your breath for much longer.  He was nearly there, a secret place only he knew about where you could breathe and be safe.  Yet, still be under the sea with him. 

You hit your limit when you ripped your hands off your red, burning face under the cold water.  Bubbles of air burst from your mouth as the salty water was sucked into your body like a vacuum.  Taehyung gasped at your stupid action. 

“Idiot!”  He yelled, perfectly clear under the water thanks to his adaptable body.  Someone like him could breathe and speak like they were above land or not. He had no need to hold his breath. “Just a little longer!” He yelled over the rushing water around your skull as he held your head to his chest to shield you from any damage.  

You dug your fingers into his waist, blunt nails pinching his skin where scales and gills weren’t located.  

You were suddenly lifted out of the water and you felt Taehyung move both you and him up onto hard, firm ground.  He sat, his feet in the water as he dragged you up his chest and lay you on the ground.  You hacked and coughed, water unattractively spitting up your body and out your mouth as you rolled to your side,  practically vomiting up the water that was once trapped.  

You finally cracked your eyes open, rubbing at them as sea water was dripping from your eyelashes.  Rolling back onto your back you felt Taehyung grab your arms and lift them up above your head on the ground.  You watched as he moved his body to where he loomed over you.  

“It expands the lungs to lift your arms up.  It'll make it easier to breathe.”  You wordlessly nodded as you closed your eyes once again to focus on breathing. It hurt for some time, breathing that is.  It burned, but soon the pain faded and then you felt yourself shiver.  It was cold here; wherever here was. 

You felt Taehyung lower himself down.  He was laying on you now, head on your chest as his head was turned so he could hear your heartbeat.  One of his hands rested on one of your naked thighs as the other rested on your shoulder.  His legs were laced with yours as you felt his cool scales on your skin.  Opening your eyes, you could see his ocean blue hair just below your chin. 

You moved one arm and sat one hand on his head.  not stroking it, not playing with his hair like you use to.  Just let it sit and rest on his head.  It was already almost dry.  He sure is unfair, having all these immunities to water and the ocean, while you were still soaking and not to mention cold. 

“Taehyung,” your voice was gruff. He hummed at you, he could almost see himself drifting off if he so chooses to do so.  “Where did you bring me?” 

“To an underwater cavern.  I found this place a long time ago.  I’ve been keeping it a secret ever since I was a child.  I come here to think when I don’t feel like being a Prince.” 

“So,” you gently moved your hand down to his shoulders and tapped at them, silently telling him to get up.  “You're telling me I’m still in the ocean?” He rolled off you and sat up, crossing his scaled legs as he nodded.  You rotated your other arm down to your side as you pushed yourself up. 

“Yes.  It’s an enchantment of sorts, a pocket of air was pushed around this cavern that forced all the water and sea life out.  I’m not sure when it was formed, but you see that.”  He pointed behind you on a far back wall.  It was some type of carving, some sort of ancient writing maybe? “That’s encryption magic, pretty old too.  The thing that makes it so powerful is that under the encryption is damaged or corrupted, the spell remains.  So, this cavern is perfectly safe for you to be. Seeing as you don’t breath water.” 

“I see.”  You looked at the carving a bit more before moving to look back at Taehyung.  He, however, wasn’t looking at you. His head was turned, gaze elsewhere as his cheeks flared a brilliant shade of red.  He looked like a red betta fish you’d see in a pet shop downtown. “Taehyung? What’s the matter?”

 “Uh, well-” He tried to speak, but just sighed as he ruffled his azure hair and shook his head.  “No, nothing.  Nevermind.”  He tried looking back at you, but coughed and was quickly looking away again.  “You know what, do me a favor?” 

“What?” 

“Turn around.” Confused, you slowly did as he asked.  Behind you, you head him click his fingers together.  With a tap of his fore and middle finger to his palm, he began weaving.  Threads of iridescence seemed to spindle from his fingertips as they all joined together in front of him instantaneously. Weaving between each other and all coming together to join as one, creating a piece of enchanted fabric. 

His eyes shone as if putting the final touches of the fabric before the clothing piece was finished. He caught the piece before he turned his gaze back to you.  His once glowing eyes dimming back as he stared at your tank top, soaking and leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.  Completely transparent at this point. 

“One more thing,” you hum at his voice.  “Take off your shirt.”  You gasp as you swirl around to him, apples of your cheeks blooming.  “Don’t turn around!” 

“Excuse me!  I would expect you to have at least a little more tact, Taehyung!”

“I didn’t say get naked!”

“Then what were you saying?  ‘Take off your shirt’, what else am I suppose to think?!”

“You may as well be naked right now if you keep arguing,” he mumbled as you narrow your eyes at him. 

“What was that? Your Highness?” 

“Don't!  You know I hate it when you call me that!” You crossed your arms and that only further made him crimson as he through the piece of clothing he created at you.  Your arms that once pushed against your chest unfolded as you caught the piece of fabric.  You unfolded the wad it was in and looked at it.

A tie around bikini piece?  There were no straps for your shoulders or to even hook around your neck.  It was meant to just tie around your back.  You looked back up to Taehyung to question him when you saw that he had turned his back.  His broad, naked back starring at you instead of his eyes.

“Please, just change.  I can see- um, I can see your-” He trailed off as he cleared his throat.  You looked down and flushed at your chest, tank top dishelved and hiding nothing.  You squeaked as you quickly tore off your tank.  Hearing the wet fabric of your shirt hit the rocky ground, Taehung exhaled.  Finally, you were changing.  

When he was signaled okay to look again.  He sighed as he looked at your fitting it around your chest more.  Adjusting it to be comfortable.  He smiled at you wearing the clothing of his people, but with those shorts of yours you looked pretty mismatched.  He stood as he became you to do so as well.  Doing so, he walked towards you and put his hands on your waist.  

“What are you doing now?”  

“Getting measurements.  You need a second piece.”

“What’s wrong with my shorts?”

“Sweetheart, what isn’t wrong with them?”

“You’re so rude!” He chuckled as he quickly turned to his side and became weaving with his fingertips once again.  You’ve seen him do this once before, but it was still as mesmerizing and beautiful as the first time.  Seeing the threads become one and watching his beautiful eyes light up in magic, he was the most gorgeous part of the process no doubt

He finished once again, handing you a piece that would comfortably conceal what is meant to be hidden as well as added over it a skirt with ruffles.  It looked like the tendrils of a jellyfish in the most beautiful shade of coral. Turning his back once again, you changed and soon beckoned him to turn back as you twirled like a little kid in a clothes shop. You picked up the skirt’s fabric as it glided along your fingerpads like fine silk.

“Wow, you have great taste.  This is gorgeous Taehyung!”  He chuckled.  

“The fabric is nothing, you’re the one who makes it look so charming.”  You flushed.  He would do this from time to time.  Tease you.  It wasn’t fair exactly since he knew of your not-so-little crush on him.  He could smell it he says.  Says your scent changed one day and when he asked you outright, the bright hue on your cheeks gave you away.

Though, something seemed to be missing.  Actually, two things.  He cupped his chin as he popped his fist into his palm.  He stepped closer to you as he took the new necklace he had been wearing recently off.  A fine red string with one single small phoenix obsidian conch shell that hung around it.  He pulled it off and quickly looped it around your neck, pulling your hair free of the string and placing it on your chest to rest.  Yes, much better, but still not yet perfect.  

You toyed with the conch, joking putting the small shell to your ear to ‘hear’ the ocean that was quite literally only feet away.  Taehyung watched your lowered eyes and watched your tinkering fingers, the same fingers that he gently grasped and moved to hold at your side.  Your attention was now on him.

“Y/n, I want to bite you.”  Your eyes widened as you looked up at him.  You swore you heard your throat produce the most unattractive noise that lasted approx. .5 seconds, but it was an appropriate reaction on your part.  Biting in his culture was a big deal.  A really, big deal. Similar how in stories the supernatural imprint on or ‘mark’ their partners and lovers- that’s what his people did.  Or rather, that’s what the blue blood of the royal family set in stone a marriage and a future generation.  

In other words, Taehyung just asked you to marry him.

You stared at his sharpened teeth, that of a shark, then up to his eyes.  There was no hesitation, no joking gleam and no wavering in his gaze what so ever.  This holier than thou prince of the sea was really content on trying to wed a human?  Much less, you?

“Tae- I-”

“I’m not joking around.  I’m serious.”  He took a step towards you, pushing his bare chest to your newly covered one.  You wanted to regain the space he stole, but his free hand engulfing your waist to keep your feet between his stopped that from happening.  Sure, you were thrilled, but you didn’t want him to feel like he was forced into this just because he took you under the water. He saved you from the surface, and he knew that if you were to go back up, you’d surely be arrested, maybe even killed for some sort of treason.  

It all seemed too good to be true.  But, if he was as serious as he says he is. Then….

“Where?” He blinked once.

“What did you-”

“Where do you want to bite me, Taehyung?” If possible, Taehyung’s eyes shone brighter than ever as he smiled.  Your face was down, and he could feel the heat radiating off it.  Your ears were scarlet and your skin was hot.  He smiled wide and rectangular at the crown of your head as the hand that held your hand moved to capture your chin.  He moved your head so you looked him in the eyes, yours just now lining with their own type of salt water.  

“Before that,” he quickly captured your lips with his own.  Sliding his hand on your jaw to the back of your neck, he pushed down onto you.  He smiled onto your lips when he felt your hands move to rest on his chest, his cool skin for once feeling warm.  You pushed up, standing on your toes to show just how much you cared about him.  He had half a mind to pick you up and slam you against the wall, but he knew he had limits.  He bit lightly into your lower lip as he pulled away from you with a small heave of air and yet another breathtaking smile.

He quickly turned you around as he placed his forehead on your right shoulder. He moved to push his palm on your stomach, pulling your back onto his chest as he sighed.  He sounded so relieved? He pushed his nose into your skin, your warm skin as he kissed just where your clavicle met your shoulder.

“Here.  I want to bit you here.”  On the shoulder, anyone would see. You closed your eyes and leaned your head back, hitting his body.  You relaxed as his grip on your seemed to get more possessive the more he held you.

“Then go ahead.”  He wasn’t one to stop and ask questions.  He runs his lips over your skin, open-mouthed kisses lining the place that was soon to be punctured.  Sure enough, he opened his mouth and easily broke through your skin.  You winced as you felt his shark-like teeth bite into you.  You reached behind you and grabbed his hair, tugging it for leverage.  You felt like you were going to faint.

Taehyung held you up, feeling your legs weaken.  It was to be expected.  He wasn’t simply biting you, he was exchanging DNA.  What he pushed into you was DNA coated onto his sharp teeth.  It was the same concept of a spider biting you, injecting you with venom.  Only he was injecting you with a piece of himself, one that was to blossom into art.

After a moment, he carefully eased his teeth from you as you quickly buckled.  He supported you as he lowered himself and your now sleeping body to the ground.  Your head lolled to the side as you breathed easy.  He watched the punctures become something more on your skin.  Swirls and dark marks appeared on your skin, much like a tattoo.  Forming a symbol with twists, turns and loops like ancient calligraphy, he smiled as the dark tint faded to a bright blue.  Shining on your skin.  

He kissed the mark once more before he brushed your forehead free of your now dry hair and placed a kiss on your cheek.  He moved you both to a wall, where you slept against him while he leaned on the cavern wall.  He held you to him as he seemed to almost conjure up one more thing he couldn’t wait to give you.

A crystal intwined crown.  Beautiful, clear crystals were woven into wires of a small crown, just brilliant enough to crown a princess.  As much as he wanted to crown you this instant, he’d wait.  At least, until you woke up so he could see how the crystals reflected in your eyes.  

The eyes that he knew would open up again to be a beautiful, bright cerulean. You don’t need to hold your breath anymore.  It was time for you to now exhale.

XXX

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