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dolldirector · 3 years

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Fallen Realm Playlist Masterpost

Big infodump under the read more, if you like my OCs and/or agree with my flawless music taste this should be interdasting

1. MUSE - Thought Contagion

Vampire stuff, punk vibes, a nod to thriller, all of the above fit the mood of a FR show + the song is genuinely very good and I could see it being used on stage easily.

2. PAIN - Call Me

Absolute banger. But that's besides the point. I see this as being the bassist Jez/Jamie's song (with a side of Deuce as the second vocalist). Jez is a fairly quiet lad who generally keeps to himself but I always imagined that he’d be secretly very flirty and cheeky, but would mostly only really express it via music. I actually wrote a lil short story where most of FR's band (minus Rex and Isabella) find themselves in some dive bar after a show, and end up performing in the place of the no-show band that was meant to be there that night. That band ends up being the very same one that kicked Jez out, so it’s a bit of a revenge story for him. This short is on my discord by the by.

3. Emigrate - Eat You Alive

Oh boy, this is a strong one. Basically, just watch this video but pretend that Axl is Richard (the frontman). That’s it. That’s the explanation.

Being serious though, RZK is and always has been a huge influence for Axl's visual design, mannerisms and on-stage behaviours. On top of that, this is 100% the type of music he'd listen to, and the lyrics may as well just be plucked right outta his brain. Are the words meant to be aimed at Valeriya in a threatening way? Or is it a cheeky flirt with Trinity? Both? Neither? We’ll never know.

Also, completely unrelated I’m sure, here’s a wip you may or may not be able to force me to finish on stream via channel points soon...

4. Axel One - Out of the Dark

Can't exactly say much about this one cause it's spoilers, but I will say it's less about the song itself and more about the video, and that it does concern the one FR character who is already dead when the story begins.

5. Lord of the Lost - Raining Stars

Just seems to me like a real good song to perform to. I can imagine seeing acrobatic stunts in slow-mo to this track. That’s it for this one, just “I just think they’re neat”. Gorgeous song and video by an amazing band anyway though.

6. Oomph! - Supernova

Kinda the same deal as the Emigrate song, you can just insert Axl into this one in Dero’s place, along with Jez, Vlad, and Thatch. Once again the style and lyrics fit him perfectly, and this one earns bonus points since Dero is actually Axl's canon voiceclaim - specifically in this era of Oomph!’s music too.

7. Die Kreatur - Kälter als der Tod

At the risk of this thread becoming Oops All Axl TM - AH YES. This one is perfect for the point where Axl finally gets the fuck over himself, and stops being horrible to Vlad because of guitar jealousy, and they become bros.

Realistically, I doubt that Vlad - the clueless human vampire fanatic - will ever realise that Axl is a real actual vampire, but he'd be so glad that they seem to have this ~shared interest~ in them, and he'd by hyped as heck to do a performance like this with his guitar buddy. By the way, Vlad wonders to himself, isn’t it odd that he’s never seen Axl putting his fake fangs in?? Weird

As for the girl on the altar, there are a couple ideas I’ve toyed with. Random audience member for fun. Trinity but Axl gets mad jealous even though he thought and said he wouldn't. (No sharing!! Not even for jokes.) Valeriya but the poor thing is scared to the point of tears because this is just a little too close to a real experience for her and Vlad just can't figure out why. Axl insists she’s just being dramatic. Rex has to rescue her because she’s too shy to put her foot down.

Or perhaps Isabella would wanna join in, but she can't take it seriously and keeps laughing which just causes a chain reaction every time with even Axl cracking a smile. There are like a million cut takes now. Send help.

All in all a fun crossover to think about.

8. Adelitas Way - Still Hungry

This one is just Diesel’s anthem. This is the story of a young punk who can’t stop, won’t stop, never gives up and needs more. Right kinda music for him too.

9. MONO INC. - Shining Light

100% a full-cast song. I feel like the lyrics apply to a number of different things about various members of the circus' backstories, and their found family vibe together - if you think about them in super vague terms, at least. I liked to consider the vocals a duet between Rex and Isabella, being the two singers, but there are a couple lines that are kinda too adult for Bella and would make the duet sorta odd so ehhh 90% of it can be that, let’s say. (This is baring in mind that Isabella is an orphaned minor and Rex is like a father figure for her - as he kinda is for many of the members of the circus)

I also did a doodle of this. This one will also be on the force-me-to-work-on-this-WIP-live pile.

9.5. Lacrimosa - Lichtgestalt a.k.a the original version of Shining Light

Same song, just German and carrying a much darker, creepier tone. It fits in new, fun ways.

10. Oomph! - Viel zu Tief

OOPS ALL AXL TM

Lyrics are very important for this one. Once again, music is the right style, Dero is still his voiceclaim, and Axl actually speaks German in canon (and NO I didn’t do that just so Oomph! songs fit him better, shUT UP)

11. Pet Shop Boys - It’s a Sin

Bit out of left field for this playlist, sure, but with all the controversy and extremely shakey morals in FR's world and with its characters, this one just seems fitting. Plus I'd want em to cover it for a show. Banger.

Honorable mention goes to Ghost’s cover of this song. I don’t even listen to Ghost but my reaction upon finding out this exists was like “lmao yes, of course, why wouldn’t they”.

This song in general I associate instinctively with Vlad, purely because its 80s and campy and I feel like he’d be the type to listen to Ghost.

12. Destiny Potato - Lunatic

Very strongly feel this is a performance song featuring Isabella. This song fits the character - and in particular her tragic backstoryTM pretty well. I’d even go so far as to say the singer would be a pretty good voiceclaim for her if her voice wasn’t meant to be more robotic in canon. This is pretty close to what I imagine, though. Strong n sweet.

13. Nightwish - I Want My Tears Back

One of the first songs I imagined to go well with stage performances. This one for sure would be a duet between Rex and Isabella.

Plus at about 3:10 there's a long solo with a bit of back-and-forth between the guitar and hurdy gurdy (I think?) that I could 100% see Axl and Vlad doing on guitar and keytar respectively.

14. Lord of the Lost - Drag Me To Hell

Yeah this one is just Axl @ his ex

15. Lindemann - Steh Auf!

Bleib nicht liegen, es wär schade - Zirkus ist heut in der Stadt

So, this would be from Isabella’s perspective. Did I mention she was orphaned? Yeah. I guess this one is a little dark.

16. Otetsu & GUMI - Disordered Self-Restraint Girl

The song itself seems to be the story of a child who is trying to coax their parent/guardian into getting up and doing things, not realising that parent had passed away from a drug overdose. Drugs isn’t the way Isabella’s parents died, but the rest of the song fits that part of her backstory imo. Plus, it’s German, and Isabella is German, so yay!

Uh oh, vocaloid.

For a long time I've associated this one with Valeria, and her feelings towards the circus in the early days. After she's accidentally turned by Axl, Val gets effectively kidnapped by FR, taken in before she can even regain consciousness and completely against her will, since it would be incredibly irresponsible of them to just leave a fresh new vampire out in the world so they kinda don't have a choice. While she eventually finds her place and elects to stay after some time has passed, there was a period of time where she definitely would have felt trapped.

This is without even going into the fact that she's now stuck travelling and living with her would-be murderer, and - due to the fact that half of the circus don't even know non-humans exist, let alone what actually happened to Valeria - many of the people around her don't seem to care, or simply do not understand why she's so scared and stressed. It leaves her, at times, feeling like she could be killed tomorrow and nobody would give a shit.

Showtime, katanamochi bunbun furimawashi kubi kara ue hanetobashite mo - ashita ni nareba minna motodoori, waratte yurushite

Translation: Showtime, even if a sword wielder slices my head and makes it fly off, tomorrow everything continues as usual, smiling, forgiving

(Don't worry, in reality Rex, Diesel, and Thatch are there for her & understand the shit she's going through. I promise the folks in the circus do actually care. It's just hard for her to see it in this period of time.)

(There will almost definitely be more songs and doodles added here in the future, but for now that’s all folks!)

#fallen realm #playlist #masterpost #ocs

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tfw-no-tennis · 3 years

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mtmte liveblog issue 13

humansona time, hell yes

OH MAN I forgot about the stuff w/swerve and blurr oof

that panel of perceptor just saying random equations always kills me vhsdjhfkbjhksdfnka

also I love so much that they call perceptor ‘percy’ that's so cute

I love the implications here that people just Grab minibots and carry them around like luggage bc they are Tiny lmao

ohhhh my god I fuckgin love ‘I'm just wondering if there's time to expand my aura and cleanse the area of aggression’ ‘I...don't think so, drift’ hgbadjfjbaskdfs drift’s hippy nonsense delivered completely seriously pairs hilariously with his whole ‘violent guy with a bunch of swords’ thing lmao

also, IM NEVER OVER CYCLONUS SINGING TO TAILGATE, and also the security team mistaking it for cyclonus murdering tg hbhkjadfbjkhsdf cyclonus u icon

and tg looking at cyclonus all heart-eyes, omg

drift showing rodimus how to swordfight...fellas.....

rodimus, being entirely ignorant to the irony in calling cyclonus and tailgate’s relationship strange when he and drift are Right There, being weird gay frat bros

did yall know, I love magnus so much. law dad

magnus saying ‘that's not even a word. id have heard of it’ about the word ‘relax’ is so funny god

rodimus bribing swerve with a bar license to get magnus turnt is hbvhjakdbfhskf

never over rodimus portioning out drifts blood money to the crew for shore leave hubhjsdkhfdbjksd god

despite tg lying about a good amount of his past, I feel like he rlly DOES see cyclonus as a link to a more familiar time, and that's a large reason why he’s so forgiving toward cyc

mannnn the stuff w/blurr and swerve is so depressing in retrospect. swerve is like, such a depressing character the more you think abt him vbhskjdhfbsk jesus

magnus trying to get in on the convo when swerve starts talking statistics oh magnus

idk what ‘the lube pits’ are but I Really do not want to know

‘the temple of the raging prism’ sounds fuckin bangin tho

I love seeing everyones humansona!! this art style is pretty simple, but I think it looks cute

rungs ‘human name’ being ‘mary sue’ lmaoooooo jro w/the self callout

also skids’ name being blank is a nice touch

still not over tg being a baby....poor guy

whirls humansona is so fuckgin good, also swerve looks like a hobbit

magnus basing his avatar on verity is so sweet ;_; I really should read all the wreckers stuff after I finish this reread

THE ABSOLUTE COMEDY OF MAGNUS JUST FUCKGIN PASSING OUT THE INSTANT THE ALOCHOL HITS...ICONIC

WHY would magnus accept a drink from whirl anyways lmao

tailgate is so cute

they rlly just left magnus facedown on the table and kept drinking huh. the irresponsibility....we love it

ARE YOU SURE THAT KILLMASTER IS DEAD, WHIRL? ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

rung don't lie, froid is your nemesis

WHY do we never get to hear more about skids’ apparent beef with misfire

rewind calling the swerve/misfire This early, wow

literally Everyone abandoning swerve to deal with magnus hgbvhfjdskdfbhs I fucking love this issue man

GOD I LOVE MAGNUS SO MUCH!!!!!!!! he’s such an interesting and unique character and hhhh I love him and his development

like, he was probably the biggest surprise out of everyone who agreed to go on the quest - ostensibly it was to keep order on the lost light, but it would make sense that magnus would get tired of being the Only one who cares about that sorta stuff on board

drunk magnus is such a delight oh my god

magnus rlly just wants everyone to be safe :( my daddddd

magnus: I love all my children equally...swerve, rodimus, [looks at smudged writing on hand] dirt

swerve: see, magnus, that’s where you’re wrong - I ALSO have crippling depression!

cant believe they bought rodimus a hat vhbhksdfhahsjkdf

HHHHH GOD I FORGOT ABT THATTTT when cyclonus goes bonkers in order to stop rewind from playing the ark 1 footage and inadvertently outing tailgate as a liar....AUGHHHHH THE FUCKING...THE FUCKING ROMANCE OF IT ALL

POOR MAGNUS LMAOOOO

oh rewind :( you should really wonder a little harder where chromedome is right now...oof

everyone jumping on magnus while he’s passed tf out is SO fucking funny

RUNG, PLEASE, WE REALLY DONT NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHATS AROUND THE CORNER. REALLY DONT

hhhhhhhhhhh I love how cyclonus sat tailgate down and confronted him about lying, but did it privately and not in front of everyone - and he even saved tg from being exposed as a liar, too. AUGH

I feel like cyclonus is kinda impressed at how effortlessly tg has managed to lie this whole time, and tbh it IS impressive, especially considering tailgate was basically teleported 6 million years into the future and has no idea how the world works anymore, but was still able to lie convincingly. even cyclonus only realized bc of his own past, and not until now

tailgate ;_; ;_; ;_;

cyclonus: oh no...im soft

tailgate and cyclonus singing ye olde cybertronian tunes together...OUGHHHH my fucking heart bro mY FUCKING HEART.

on that note: the song ‘to noise making (sing)’ by hozier is literally about cygate. thank u for coming to my ted talk

UGH GOD SWERVE STOP MAKING ME SO SAD, ITS NOT EVEN THE SWEARTH ARC YET

magnus had to like, get the robot equivalent of a stomach pumping after that hvbskdjfbhskdf jesus they really did almost kill him huh

I consider this issue forshadowing bc it makes 100% sense that minimus would be a Mega Lightweight considering he’s like 3 feet tall

the real quest that swerve is participating in is ‘the quest to get friends’ and so far its going pretty badly. poor dude

godddd the thing that says ‘next: Overlord!’ with a fucking exclamation point I DONT APPRECIATE THAT.

OHO i forgot abt the canon fanfic at the end of this issue

rung kicking things off with some good ole bodily workings-based dread

ok but being so awed by the construction of your species’ anatomy that you wanna fall on the floor in amazement? that's a whole ass mood and I do frequently stare at walls for long periods of time, thinking about the marvel that is the human body. so rung is valid

FROID NAME DROP LMAO. also yet again, are you SURE he’s dead?? are you????

the name ‘froid’ cracked me up almost as much as ‘rigor morphis’ did when I first read this...robot-based science puns! woohoo!

rung rlly b out here thinking abt overlords lips.....

‘forced browsing is not the autobot way’ lmao skids

also fr tailgate defs thinks that whirls actually name is nutjob

the entire segment of cyclonus browsing and everyone watching him and commenting is just. golden

oh no. don't make me think of rewind and his tiny memory sticks that he carries around. I'm NOT READY

magnus’ brutal read on rodimus and the fact that he’s more suited, personality-wise, to wartime than peacetime? oof. love it

I ALSO love that a big part of this issue was magnus admitting, in less direct terms, that HE isn't made for the post-war life either - his strict adherence to the rules and constant vigilance isn't exactly the best mindset for peacetime, for him or the people under his command

magnus’s hatred of metaphors and similes and the like....hvbsdjkfbasjhdf I love him

MAGNUS ILY...he’s trying SO HARD cut him some slack. i think his jokes are. yeah!

oh goody this text used "rodimus’s" so I guess that's canonically correct and I haven't been using grammar incorrectly as I had feared

rodimus sitting ON his desk and doodling on it...adhd icon

rodimus calling rung a psychotherapist, which was rung’s grounds for a nemesis hvbhjabfdskfnkks

rung: as I'm sure you know I take patient confidentiality VERY seriously

narrator: That Was A Lie

AUGH this hurts...rung trying to get justice for red alert but rodimus is in on the overlord stuff :( ouch

so issue 13! I fucking love this issue. just some good ole funney space hijinks, with some nice relationship development for tg and cyc - plus a revelation about tailgate - and some characterization for swerve and magnus. plus we get to see humansonas, which is always fun. augh I love this comic, and I am SO not ready for the next few issues, good lord

#lj rereads mtmte

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chickensarentcheap · 4 years

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Sanctuary - Chapter 28

Warnings: none really

Tagging: @alievans007, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @valkyrie-of-the-light, @thorsbathroomchicken, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y

The phone call comes in shortly before one pm; the SAT system easily tracing the number back to the Slainte pub. At first she just blankly stares at the digits and the name on the screen, not having the energy or the patience to deal with whatever bullshit would greet her the moment she answers. She's in a 'mood'. Rapidly switching from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs; either dissolving into tears at the drop of a hat or frantically cleaning the room and organizing paper work and files on the lap top. Torn between wanting to curl up in bed and stay there for the entire day, and desperately wanting something...anything...to keep her mind occupied. She's nauseous. Dizzy. A pounding headache that sits at the base of her skull and above her eyes.

Stress. Always the same old, same old when her nerves are shot. The same symptoms she suffers with for days when Tyler walks out of the house for a job. Incessant worry accompanied by crippling fear and the deepest and darkest recesses of depression. But at home she is able to beat it; focusing on the kids, concentrating on their needs, their laughter and their smiles and all of their hugs and their kisses making it all a bit easier to handle.

The SAT phone beeps. Indicating a text message. Groaning loudly in protest, she throws off the comforter as she lays on her stomach in the middle of the bed, propping herself up on one elbow as she reaches out for the offending object.

You missed a call. Nik's message reads. Everything okay?

Part of her wants to tell Nik to fuck off and leave her alone. That it's partly her fault for getting her mixed up into this god awful shitty mess to begin with. Nik could have had her side in the whole thing; adamantly refusing to bring her into the fold, not allowing Yaz and Tyler to call the shots when it came to the Intel and now the tactical sides of things. But Nik had just thrown her under the bus; offering her up like some kind of sacrificial lamb. Acting as if there weren't other people that couldn't do the job. Other mercenaries looking for work. Who were much more experienced. Seasoned. Hardened. Instead of putting all her faith and trust into someone who had become nothing more than a housewife and stay at home mother.

The other part reminds Esme that Nik is her friend. Regardless of her history with Tyler. Nik was the one who'd initially brought her into the fold five and a half years ago; who'd brought her along when she'd gone to the little shack in the Australian outback to recruit Tyler for the Dhaka job. In a way, it was all Nik's doing; had she not brought Esme aboard and had her tag along that day, this part of her life wouldn't even exist. There would be no Tyler. No hobby farm in Colorado. No children. She would more than likely still be living the old existence; living out of suitcases as she travelled place to place. Lying. Conning. Getting people to trust her so she in turn could help destroy them.

Fell asleep, she types back. If it's important, they'll call back.

She waits for the response. And in true Nik fashioned, it makes her want to hurl the phone across the room.

Get your head on straight, E. We don't have time for this.

Sighing heavily, she rolls over onto her back and stares up at the ceiling. One hand on her queasy, cramping stomach, the other holding the SAT down at her side. He's been gone for an hour; McCann had insisted on meeting forty five minutes from Belfast. Worried that there were too many eyes and ears within the city itself and that word would travel fast and the end result would be hell on earth. He had a lot of enemies within the IRA. He knew too much. Deep and dark secrets that could bring down a lot of very powerful people. And his involvement with someone like Tyler would set off a lot of alarms.

She worries that it's more. Something far more devious. Dangerous. He hasn't given them any reason to trust him. Right off the hop he'd fed them complete and utter bullshit regarding his New Zealand extraction; convincing them that his wife just nothing but a lowly, random shopkeeper when she'd actually been the reason he'd been hired in the first place. He hadn't gone after on a rescue mission; he'd been hired by the devil to take her straight back to hell. A man in this thirties wooing and winning a seventeen year old girl that was essentially at his mercy. That alone is extremely troubling. And taking into account his ties to the IRA and possible lingering connections to them, it was easy to assume that his plan to get Tyler nearly an hour away from the safety net of Belfast is also some of ruse. To get him alone and vulnerable.

Or to hit him where it really hurts and get her alone and vulnerable.

The nausea increases. Eyes closing as she rubs her stomach in slow, smooth circles, struggling to keep a grip on the runaway emotions. They normally weren't this bad. Usually she could easily talk herself out of the stress and the panic before they hit head on. But now it feels as if it's going way too quick. Too fast, too soon. So much worry and anxiety that it makes her head spin and her chest ache.

Her SAT rings once more. The pub. Again. Only this time she's able to get a grip, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and moving towards her laptop as it sits open on the table by the window. Once she's within a foot it causes the system to come alive; the recording of the call beginning even before she presses talk.

****

“Hello?”

“Is this Meghan?”

She recognizes his voice. Billy. The barkeep from the pub.

“William,” she warmly greets, with the same flirtatious tone she'd used the night before when she'd dropped his full name for the first time. She'd noticed then how it seemed to get under his skin; in a good way. That little smile that tugged at his lips, the slight blush in her cheeks and the tips of her eyes, the way his eyes seemed to soften and sparkle.

It had been one the easiest marks of her career. Most took a while to warm up to her. Taking weeks to even months to soften up their hardened and weathered exteriors. But he'd been eager; ready to let someone in. And what better someone than an established, attractive, and seemingly available woman? One that would do anything...or perhaps even anyone...to get ahead in the world.

“I hope I didn't catch you in a bad spot. I was wondering if you had a little time to spare.”

“For you?” she leans back in her chair, a barefoot planted against the cool glass of the sliding door. A far cry from the evening before when she'd played the part in her business slacks and curve hugging blouse. Clad now in one of her her husband's tattered and frayed t-shirts and pair of baggy grey track pants with the Emery surfboard company name and logo down one leg; small blotches of bleach dotting the fabric in several places. No make up and her hair messy. “For you I can make the time, William.”

A silent pause. And she smirks as she leans further back in the chair and places her second foot against the window, twirling a piece of hair around her index finger.

“I like that,” he says. “The way you call me that.”

“Well that is you're name, isn't it?” she crosses one her legs over the thigh of the other, bouncing her heel up and down against the glass. “You are William, are you not? That is what Billy is short for, I assume.”

“It is,” he confirms with a chuckle. “It's just that no one has called me that in a long time. Since my wife.”

“You're married?” she reaches over to snag the pen and spiral bound notebook off the table. It's full of random notes and doodles in various different colours of ink; her and Tyler both using it to hurriedly jot down names and numbers and any other bits and pieces of information, vital or not. It's old school and shouldn't be necessary with the computer recording everything off the SAT, but technology isn't always fool proof.

“I was. We're divorced. Bad break up. She was shagging a mate of mine.”

“Well that's unfortunate,” she hurriedly flips to a fresh page of paper and places the book on her thigh. “Hard to believe anyone would cheat on someone like you. If you forgive me for being so bold, but you aren't exactly lacking in the looks department. You're quite the head turner. In my humble opinion.”

“Well thank you,” he chuckles, and she can practically see the blush creeping into his cheeks and the tips of his ears. It's not entirely a lie; he is quite easy on the eyes. And a much younger and single Esme would have considered..albeit briefly...crossing that line between business and personal. “You're easy to look at yourself. Very easy to look at actually.”

“I take it this isn't a business call,” she muses.

“Not entirely. It's a little bit of both. Business and pleasure.”

She smirks. “And what kind of pleasure are we talking about? Because I don't usually get into that sort of thing with someone I barely know.”

“I was thinking dinner. And drinks. If you're free.”

“Well that depends.”

“On what?”

“If you tell me a little more about yourself. I can't jump into anything with a stranger. A young woman, alone in a foreign country, far from home. That wouldn't be smart would it? If I just blindly trusted you and took you up on the offer?”

“Well what is you want to know?”

“Well I think dinner and drinks calls for first and last names,” she says. “You know mine. So...”

“It's Flynn. My last name,”

“William Flynn,” she repeats, as she jots it down. “That has a very nice ring to it. How old are you William Flynn?”

'How old are you?” he counters.

“I asked first. And isn't it always ladies first?”

“I suppose,” he chuckles. “Twenty eight. And you.”

“Thirty,” she lies.

“I honestly thought much younger,” he admits, and she can't help but let it inflate her ego. And encourage her to continue with the little game. “You look good. For thirty. Very good, actually. Do you have children?”

“No,” that lie actually hurts to tell it, and she tries to push the intense feeling of guilt to the back of her mind. “I'm too focused on my career right now. You?”

“A son. He's three. Collin. Lives with his mom. In Dublin.”

She continues to scribble things down. “That's sad,” she hopes it sounds sincere. “I hope you get to spend time with him. That's quite the trek down to Dublin.”

“Every second weekend. I'd like it to be more often but...” he sighs. “...it is what it is. So you're not married? But you still wear a ring?”

“I've had a hard time severing that last string. It's a bitter pill to swallow. When the man of your dreams pick his job over you. When your happily ever after doesn't exactly turn out that way. He wasn't happy. As a husband. We were much happier before. Before things got too serious.”

“Well pardon me for saying this, but he's a goddamn fool. He has to be to choose work over the likes of you. So have you thought about it? My offer? Dinner and drinks?”

“I'm intrigued,” she admits. “What's in this for me? Other than the handsome and charming company?”

“I have some information. About what you asked about last night. Michael McMann. About his wife and kids and whose involved and trying to stir up trouble. And I've got some names. Of other people you can contact. That are willing to talk. People that are higher up than I am. With real connections.”

“Higher up in...”

“The IRA.”

She grins victoriously and in big letters at the top of the page, right under the name William Flynn, prints those three initials. “You're involved with them? The IRA?”

“It's the family business. What I can tell you is that we're not involved in this. With the wife and kids. We hate the guy. He screwed us over. But we'd never do that. Especially to kids. Even we draw the line somewhere. But whoever is doing this has pissed off a lot of people. Tempers are running high. We want to find out who it is and do something about it.”

“Like a turf war?” she writes that down, accenting it with a big question mark.

“There's a lot of trouble brewing, that's for sure. We want nothing to do with this. The wife and the kids. And they're using us to draw attention away from themselves.”

“Any idea who it is?”

“No real proof. Just lots of rumours. I shouldn't be talking about all of this right now,” he gives a small chuckle. “What will we talk about dinner?”

“Oh I'm sure we can find things to talk about,” she assures him.

“Or things to do.”

“Now don't go putting all your eggs into one basket. I'm not that type girl.”

“I'm sorry, Meghan. I never meant anything by it. Forgive me for being too forward. I...”

“What time for dinner? Tonight is unfortunately not going to work for me. I have prior arrangements that can't be cancelled. But if you're free tomorrow, I can certainly clear my schedule.”

“Tomorrow would be wonderful. I know this is terribly bold of me, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. You've been on my mind constantly. Since you walked into the bar. You're very...intriguing. I can't quite get a read on you. There's something so different about you. Way different than any of the women from around here. A mystery, almost. There's so much I'd like to find out.”

“Well if you play your cards right, maybe I'll let you find those things out,” she responds.

“Tomorrow? Six thirty?”

“How about seven? It gives me longer to get ready.”

“Done,” he agrees. “Where do I pick you up?”

Shit, she hadn't even considered that this question would come up. It has been smooth sailing; much easier and seamless than so many initial encounters.

“Meghan?”

“You know, I'm not entirely comfortable with a stranger knowing where I'm staying. I'm a little paranoid about that sort of thing. You can never be too careful in this day and age. How about we meet somewhere? In public. I hate to be such a bother and a worry wart, but...”

“How about we meet her at the bar? We could go in the back room. It's private there. We can have dinner. A few drinks. See where the night takes us.”

She groans internally. “Sounds like a plan,” she chirps. “I'm very much looking forward to seeing you again. To chatting more. I'm flattered. That you thought of me.”

“I've been obsessed with you,” he admits.

“Well hopefully you hold onto some of that enthusiasm. I have to go. I have an online meeting with my editor in a few, so...”

“I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow,” he says. “And I'm flattered as well. That you'd agree to have dinner with me.”

“I'll see you tomorrow,” she promises. “Seven.”

“Seven,” he confirms, and then offers a soft, quiet goodbye before hanging up the phone.

****

“Well this isn't how I expected things to go,” Mark says, smirking from the passenger's seat of the rented SUV. “You asking me for help.”

“It's the last thing I want to be doing, believe me. You're the last person I want to be dealing with. Ever.”

“So why am I here? What's got the legendary Tyler Rake swallowing his pride and actually asking someone for help? You're usually a one man show from what I've heard. Must be some serious shit if you're willing to suck it up and give someone a call. Especially me.”

Tyler sighs, eyes briefly closing as he pinches the bridge of his nose between the thumb and forefinger. “You're already making me regret this. Could you maybe shut the fuck up for five seconds? I don't have the time or the tolerance to listen to your bullshit. I don't want to hear any comments about my marriage, no opinions on how I handle things with my wife, no stupid shit about my personal life or my kids or none of that. This is strictly business. So let's keep it that way, yeah?

“Fair enough,” Mark agrees. “So what's up? What's going on?”

“This McMann guy,” Tyler begins. “There's no way of knowing what he's really up to. If he's innocent in all of this or he's actually part of it. If he's the victim in all of this or if this is some really crazy act of revenge and he's just wanting to get me alone.”

“I thought you didn't have history with this guy? With the IRA? Or with the wife?”

“I don't know. Well, not that I can remember anyway,” he confesses. “There's things...a lot of things ...that I don't remember. Dhaka...everything that happened on the bridge...it's fucked with my head. I'm not sure if it's because of blood loss or lack of oxygen or all the meds I've been on. But there's things I don't remember. No matter how hard I try to. So maybe I did have history with them. Maybe I did have a job they were involved in and I pissed them off and I just don't remember it.”

“And when you didn't recognize McMann when he showed up in Telluride, he decided to play it for all it's worth,” Mark concludes.

“Maybe. I don't know. He seemed like he was on the up and up. About what's going on with his wife and his kids. But there's a couple times where he's said some things that didn't quite sit right. I brought up how if...when...things go to shit...he might not be able to get his kids out. Not both of them, anyway. He threw it back in my face. Asking me how I'd decide which of the twins to save.”

Mark scowls. “That's a bitch move.”

Tyler nods. “I told him there'd be no decision. That I'd give up my life for theirs. No hesitation. If it meant saving them and getting them back to their mother, that it was something I was willing to do. It would be easier on Esme. If she lost me instead of one of the kids. She'd get over me. But she'd never get over losing one of them. She's an amazing mum. And I'm lucky. To have her. That she's the mother of my kids.”

“It's what she always wanted. Kids. I just wasn't the man to give her that.”

“McMann wasn't on the same page as I was. The idea seemed ridiculous to him. Having to make that kind of decision. He wasn't...he isn't willing to sacrifice himself for them. I found it weird. That there'd be any hesitation whatsoever. How do you not want to save your kids? Your blood? They're your legacy. Why would you not want to let them go on and live long and happy lives? It didn't sit well with me. I haven't been able to get it out of my head.”

“There's guys without kids that would make the same decision as you. I saw it overseas. In Iraq. You probably did too. Soldiers ready and willing to sacrifice themselves to save random kids...and women...from the Taliban.”

Tyler nods. “I've seen it a few times, actually. I've even known mercenaries that have given themselves up to save someone.”

“You almost did,” Mark points out. “Even after things went to hell and there was no money, you still busted your ass to kid that get out. And Esme.”

“I wasn't going to leave them behind. No matter who wanted me to. And if it meant I died for them...” he shrugs. “...it was what I was willing to do.”

Mark nods slowly, considering his words. The sincerity in his voice. In his eyes.

“Esme doesn't trust him,” Tyler says. “McMann. And she has great instincts. Better than mine sometimes. She didn't want me going into this alone. She's worried sick. That this could all be a trap and McMann's got an army of guys just waiting to ambush me. I need to give her peace of mind. And I promised her I'd come back safe. That I'd come back to her. She trusts you. I don't know why. Considering everything you did to her...” he holds up his hand; a plea for silence when the other man opens his mouth to speak. “....but she trusts you. You're the only one I could call. Yaz was made the same time I was. I can't be seen in public with Esme or she'd be made and that will fuck up her end of things. So I called you.”

“How do you know you can trust me?”

“Because you know I'd fuck you up if you crossed me. You know I won't hesitate killing you. And I don't think you want that, do you. You can act all big and bad, walk around wagging your mouth, try to get under my skin. But you know the stories. All the bloody and gory details. You know what I'm capable of. And you know I won't mind adding you to the body count.”

A smirk tugs at the corners of Mark's mouth. Not nearly as confident as the ones he's given before.

“So this is me, asking you for help. Now are you in or you're out, mate? Because I don't have all day.”

Mark hesitates. Then offers a hand. An agreement. “I'm in.”

****

“William Robert Flynn,” Yaz reads the information aloud from where he sits at the table in Esme and Tyler's room, his own laptop and ipad spread across the table. “Born March 15th, 1997, right here in Belfast. Parents are Robert and Elizabeth Flynn. Nee McDonald. Dad is deceased. 2011. Mother is still alive. Lives in England now. Remarried.”

“How did the father die?” Nik inquires, her image on the laptop screen. “Suspicious circumstances?”

“Coroner's report lists self inflicted gun shot wound to the head.”

“There's a police report,” Esme speaks up from across the table, her own computer in her lap, a plate of barely touched room service food in front of her. She'd been hungry and had taken it as a sign that the nausea was finally at bay. Until the first bite and attempted swallow had her running for the bathroom. Her head pounds. Frantically. And she reaches for a bottle of water and the container of Advil in the middle of the table. “Says that William Flynn was the one who discovered his father. In the back garden. Face down in a pool of blood. Gun was lying next to him. A nine millimeter. Glock. Spent shell casing near by.”

“He would have only been fourteen,” Yaz says. “Same age Ovi was in Dhaka. Hell of an age to walk into something like that. Your old man missing half his head.”

“Any evidence that says it may have not been a suicide?” Nik asks.

“The police reports are shit,” Esme replies, as she pops three of the tablets into her mouth and swallows them with a mouthful of water. “I've seen some pretty amateur ones, but this has to be one of the worst. Obviously the cops and the coroner didn't think this case mattered. He was an IRA member. Probably caused a world of trouble when he was around. They were just glad he was gone. Why waste the resources, they probably figured.”

“There was no gunshot residue on his hands,” Yaz says. “Or at least that's what the report says. And he's not wearing gloves in any of the photos, so...”

“It was a hit,” his sister concludes. “Before any of this, was there any connections between the IRA or the Buckmans? Anything that stands out? Anything that could tie Robert Flynn to the Buckmans?”

“Not that we've recovered so far,” Esme says. “But we're still digging. Robert Flynn was pretty high up in the IRA. One of their best and longest serving members. A real enforcer. He didn't mind getting his hands dirty. His son is an active member. They have ties to the IRA going back to the grandfather and great grandfather. Not to mention several cousins and uncles still in the movement. It's the family business, apparently.”

“So William Flynn obviously knows Michael McMann,” Nik concludes. “And vice versa. Anything that shows a feud between them?”

“Nothing on paper,” Esme responds. “But he told me that everyone in the IRA is pissed as hell with McMann. For betraying them. And taking a lot of secrets and dirty shit with him when he left. And now they're even more pissed because McMann's out there saying that it's the IRA that scooped his wife and his kids. And they'd admit to that. The IRA would definitely claim responsibility. They've never denied ties to even some of their broader scale bullshit. So they'd admit to this.”

“We were wondering if maybe this is all a big ploy to make things blow up within the IRA,” Yaz speaks up. “To stir the pot enough that an outsider comes in and starts it all off. That maybe that's what Tyler is being used for. To kick it all off. What better way for McMann to draw attention away from himself? Let Tyler cause the shit and then leave him hung out to dry.”

Esme sighs, briefly closing her eyes and laying a hand over her queasy stomach.

“Are you okay?” Nik inquires. “You look a little...off.”

“Just stress. This is all just so insane. It's so twisted and so fucked up and now Tyler's out there...alone...meeting with this guy. What if he has people with him? What if he's got a whole damn army behind him and Tyler's just walking into a huge trap? He's good. But he's not that good. He wouldn't stand a chance and you both know it.”

Yaz attempts a reassuring smile. “He'll be okay. He's smart. He knows what he's doing. Your man isn't stupid, that's for sure. Look what he handled in Dhaka. When he went into that apartment to extract Ovi.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Yaz. I do. But there's a huge difference between street thugs in Dhaka and the IRA. These people are extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. And they show no mercy.”

“And neither does Tyler,” he points out. “If anyone can handle this, it's him.”

“He should never have went there alone,” Esme huffs. “It was dangerous. Foolish. Sending him in by himself.”

“We don't have anyone there to help,” Nik attempts to reason. “Resources are extremely thin. It's the three of you and that's it. And the rest of the team is out on other assignments or they're here helping keep an eye on things. He'll be fine, Esme. He always is.”

“Oh really? Always? Because I seem to vividly remember him bleeding to death on the Sultana Kamal Bridge. Or are we just forgetting that that happened? Oh wait, it's because you two took off to get Ovi to safety and you left Tyler there to die. And you left me there to watch him die.”

“That isn't how it happened and you know it,” Nik seems hurt by the explanation. “We came back for you. For both of you.”

“Half a goddamn hour later! Thirty minutes I spent with my hand pressed to his neck, trying to keep him alive. While he bled out all over the fucking place. You weren't there. You weren't the one holding him there on the bridge. You weren't the one with blood on your hands. His blood. So I'm sorry if I'm not as appreciative for your help as you'd like me to be, Nik.”

“Okay....okay...” Yaz pleads for calm. “....let's not rehash this. It's over five years ago.”

“Five years ago, five weeks ago, five days ago,” Esme snarls. “It still happened. And pretending it never did is bullshit. It's bullshit and it's completely disrespectful. To Tyler. To just push it aside like you've both been doing all these years. Acting like it was no big deal. You got him into that mess, Nik. You brought him into that bullshit and then you left him there. You left both of us there. What would have happened had you not come back? He would have died there. And who the hell knows what would have happened to me once Asif realized he didn't totally finish the job. And let's not forget that you wanted Tyler and I to leave Ovi in the goddamn street. You wanted us to just throw the kid to the wolves.”

“I wanted the two of you out of there,” Nik argues. “I wanted you both safe. The kid held you back. Had you gotten rid of him, both you and Tyler would have made it out of there before everything blew up in our faces.”

“He was a kid! He was a kid and you wanted us to just leave him there! Jesus, Nik. Do you realize how that makes you sound? Like a bloody sociopath.”

Yaz sighs. “This solves nothing. You two going at each other like this. I know it's been a long time coming but...”

“You probably wanted him to leave me there too,” Esme says. “I'm actually surprised you didn't suggest it. You knew what was going on. Between Tyler and I. And you hated it even then. You hated the idea of me in his life. Because it took him away from you.”

“That's not true. I was pissed off that the two of you were so goddamn reckless and foolish and you actually thought it was good idea to start fucking each other while on the job. You couldn't wait until it was all over? The two of you were that desperate and horny that you had to fuck each other on my time?”

“Enough,” Yaz snaps. “Both of you. This is bullshit. We're all in this together. It doesn't matter what happened back then. It was five and a half years ago. So they fucked each other. No one else gave a shit. No one else cared. Only one it bothered was you Nik.”

“Because she wasn't the one fucking him,” Esme pipes up. “Not anymore, anyway. All the more reason she probably wanted him to leave me in the street. Get me out of the way so she could climb back into his bed again.”

“It doesn't matter,” Yaz insists. “It wasn't going to happen. Once Tyler met you, that was it. It was over. And you...” he glares at his sister through the laptop screen. “...they're together. It happened. They're married. They've got kids. Let it go already. Let him go.”

“I've had enough of this,” Nik fumes. “We'll pick this up again later. When certain people can actually stay focused on the job at hand. That seems to be a thing for you, Esme. You couldn't stay focused in Dhaka either.”

“Fuck you, Nik. Seriously. Fuck you. I don't need to be here. I'm not one of your employees. I'm helping you, remember?”

No response. Just a black screen signalling the other woman has already logged off.

Yaz sighs, shaking his head in disbelief. “I know that that's been coming for five and a half years, but shit. Could you not have waited until after we discussed all of this? Was it really that important that you just had to get to it?”

“Don't you start, Yaz. You know everything I said is true. She left us there. On that bridge. While he was dying. While I was trying to keep him alive.”

“What were we supposed to do? We had to get Ovi out of there.”

“Oh I don't know. Maybe it would have been nice to help me get Tyler the fuck out of there. How about that?”

“There was no time. There were going to be more cops. Military even. We had to get Ovi out of there.”

“So to hell with the two people that busted their asses to get Ovi there in one piece right? To hell with the fact that your friend is lying there with a gunshot wound to his throat, bleeding out all over the place. Tyler wasn't useful anymore. He did what you all needed him to do and it no longer matter what happened to him. And if I just so happened to get killed too, oh well. No big loss, right?”

“We came back. I told Nik we had to go back for you guys and...”

“Wait...wait...” she stares at him incredulously. “...you had to tell her to go back and get us?”

“She thought it was too dangerous. That the situation was still too hot. She didn't want to ask anymore lives. But I told her that I couldn't just leave you guys there. That if Asif found out that things weren't finished and he sent more people down there, neither of you would stand a chance. I told her I was going back in to get you guys. Whether she helped me or not.”

“So she was more than willing to leave us there. To leave Tyler there. After what he'd done to make sure he got Ovi there? To get both of us there? She was okay with just leaving him to die?”

“To be honest, we thought he'd be dead when we got back. We didn't expect him to be alive still. We all saw what happened. What were the chances that he'd actually survive that? That you would have actually been able to keep him alive?”

“I wasn't leaving him there. I wasn't letting him die. Do you know what that was like? To go through that? To try and convince someone not to just give up? When dying is much easier than the fight not to? I had my fingers in his goddamn throat, Yaz. I had to stick my fingers in his neck to try and block the artery. I can still feel it. How hot the blood was. I can still feel his pulse against my fingers. And I can still smell it. Like it was yesterday. Do you have any idea what that was like?”

“No,” he shakes his head sadly. “And I'm sorry you have to remember all of that. That you had to go through it.”

“I didn't let him die on that bridge and I'm sure as hell not going to sit back and let him die here either. Maybe your sister was willing to let that happen, but I'm not. His life means more than that. A hell of a lot more. He's not the same Tyler he was back then. The one that had a death wish. He's my husband, Yaz. The father of my children. And there is no way I'm letting anyone send him out there to die.”

“You're doing what you can. The intel. The tactical. There's only so much you can do, Esme. Killing yourself isn't going to save him. Getting yourself killed trying to keep him alive solves nothing. Because if something happens to you, he'll put a gun in his mouth. Or he'll drink himself to death. He would not survive that. You know it, I know it.”

She sighs, a frown on her face as she runs a hand over her unsettled stomach.

“You look like shit,” Yaz observes.

“Well thanks. I'm so glad you pointed that out.”

“You're not...you know...”

She laughs. “You have something against saying the actual word? No. I'm not pregnant. We've been trying. But it hasn't happened yet. This is definitely stress. I know the difference. I've been through three pregnancies. I felt the same way with each of them. I knew right away that it wasn't stress and that I wasn't just sick. This? This is not the like any of those three times. It's definitely stress. Worry. And I miss home. I miss my kids. I just want to go home and see them.”

“Soon,” he promises. “This will all be over soon.”

She gives a shaky, skeptical smile.

She hopes he's right.

#tyler rake #tyler rake fan fiction #tyler rake fan fic #extraction #sanctuary #chris hemsworth character

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nad-zeta · 4 years

Text

match-up request?

hi! i hope this finds you in good health and i hope you are having a wonderful day so far! i would like an ikemen sengoku match-up, if that is okay? if not, then i apologise and ignore me, haha… this might get long, i don’t know?

alright, so i am a female gemini with isfp personality. in terms of appearance, i am pretty average — brown hair, brown eyes, average height, so i wouldn’t put much attention into that, haha.

now, in terms of personality… well, it gets kind of tricky. it really depends on who i am with — some people could describe me as a silent, straightforward type who doesn’t say much and acts pretty mature ( which is usually in formal situations or when i am feeling threatened by someone ) while others can describe as total opposite; playful, loud and outspoken ( usually in front of friends and family ).

in any way, most of the time i give off this very confident and ‘i don’t give a damn’ vibe, and as such, many would say i am very chill and don’t bother myself with problems and stress, which is very wrong but that’s the impression i leave. i do tend to behave like that, though, as i am not a fan of opening up to everyone and anyone about my true emotions. that being said, i will probably tease people and behave superior in terms of 'not feeling anything’, as i dislike appearing 'weak’ and giving others the advantage. either that, or i just really have something i’d call 'trust issues’. it’s not that serious though — honestly, i am just really playful, sarcastic, playfully flirty and throwing around dark humour and philosophical tales about conspiracy theories. or i am playfully ( or seriously, if i am riled up ) argumentative and up for debates!

though, i do like openness in relationships! be it platonic or romantic. i am a communicative type, and no matter how passive i might be at times, i always prefer to talk things out or am willing to hear people out. i may not be the best listener and comforter ( awkward person alert ), but i do try to give advice and be there for someone as i feel satisfied with my own existence if i feel useful. one of the ways i weigh my self-worth actually is in being capable of making people smile or laugh, or just feel better. i’d say my love language is a mix of physical touch and giving gifts?

i have many interests, going from medicine to botany, astrology, astronomy, writing, art, photography, languages, spirituality — honestly anything that sparks curiosity within me. though, i am also very likely to procrastinate and leave all those interests on hold. though i like to consider myself open-minded, i am also extremely stubborn. my opinion is right ( i am very well aware that it may not be, but that’s just how stubborn i am 😂 ) and it takes a lot of convincing to make me change my mind ( remember when i said debates? ). though, lately i have been tending not to get so riled up over everything, and will not argue unless it really ticks the nerve.

i am, however, willing to apologise if i feel or notice i was at wrong. my sense of guilt is rather big and if i feel guilty or bad, i will seek to fix it. forgiveness is a big thing for me.

along with stubbornness, i’d say some of my flaws could be that hidden sensitivity and lack of emotion towards people or situations, at times — for i can behave rather coldly. i also have minor mood-swings — i had late night situations where i cried my heart out after laughing at stuff, or when i was pretty cheery at school but then just got quiet. oh, yeah, if i am mad, i will probably be silent and not talk to someone! i am a walking contradictory.

i am very affectionate, though. even if one may never guess, i adore hugs and physical contact and am very likely to annoy someone with either giving attention or seeking attention. honestly, it just takes to become a bit closer to me and i will be silly, affectionate and fluffy.

not going to try to describe any of the ikemen sengoku characters, i don’t want anything to be biased, haha, but i will say that i don’t like people who don’t know what they want and who are not serious about things that require seriousness and maturity. and honestly, that goes in both platonic and romantic waters.

ah, that ended up being long and messy, i wonder if it is even understandable? it’s pretty hard to describe yourself as objectively and as shortly as possible, at least for me…

i hope that this is alright with you? again, i sincerely, really apologise if you aren’t taking these requests at the moment or just aren’t feeling up for these, which i understand completely! i hope you will have a wonderful day or night nevertheless, and i pray you are or soon will be in a good mood and with happy thoughts! stay safe!!

Hi, there love! Thank you so much @viaervi for the request! You are always more than welcome to submit a request for anything, lol! <3 I hope you enjoy it! hehe, don’t forget I’m new to writing so it might be shit ^0^

So I match you with............... Masamune

The first interaction the two of you have, you realized Masamune has absolutely no boundaries. He just waltzes into your room while you were writing, looked down at your journal, smiled, and plucked it away from you. You tried to grab the book back because you had your whole life there, art, writing, doodles, and your photos. He was wearing that daring grin of his while holding the book above your head, ever so out of reach. He was definitely taking advantage of your average height, you jumped up and down trying to grab it to but to no avail. Eventually, Masa placed his elbow on your head to keep you from moving and started going through your book. He found a particularly lovely photograph that you had taken a while back. You dabbled in photography, and the photo he now held was one of the first pictures you ever took, so it held a significant amount of sentimental value. He was absolutely amazed at the beauty of it. “did you paint this lass”. “No, obviously not, it’s called a photograph”. You had to explain your whole backstory for the second time with the hopes that he wouldn't think you crazy like Nobunaga and Mitsunari did. Then you proceeded to explain the concept of photography best you could. He just gave you the brightest smile you had ever seen and said he believed you. He then welcomed you to the past, and before you could say another word, he left with the photo. You were shocked. Felt like you were just hit by a hurricane.

You were a pretty quiet person more so cause everything was so unfamiliar, but that seemed to have lasted all but 1-minute cause Masamune would just appear out of nowhere and start pestering you. He would poke your cheek continually until you would say something to him. He knew there was more to you than the quiet straightforward expression you wore. You felt that you could truly let your guard down with him, so you showed him your loud, playful side, which he loved btw. Both of you became instant besties for the resties. Flinging playful jokes and comments at each other. Physical contact wasn’t a problem for any of you, so you guys would playfully nudge each other and occasionally roughhouse a little. Especially if Masamune was being a bit cheeky.

Masa enjoyed the fact that you had so many different freaken hobbies. Every day with you was like an adventure on its own, and you were so knowledgeable about the most random things. One night you were chilling in the garden looking at a super moon when Masamune appeared out of nowhere with his hands covering your eyes “guess who?”. “Could it be a pirate? or captain hook?” He couldn’t help but smile at your strange references. He didn’t understand, just what it was about him that reminded you of a pirate. What a strange little kitten you were. He just chuckled and announced himself. The two of you laid on the grass, looking up at the clear night sky. You told Masamune all about astronomy, and then to his surprise, you told him about astrology. He was so amused by the sheer amount of knowledge you had about this vast universe. He was amazed at the concept of astrology and how it could give you a glimpse of a person’s basic characteristics, preferences, and flaws. You even managed to tell him his star signs and the personality traits that went with it. He was shook, darn that is so accurate. Since then, the two of you made it a kind of inside joke. Like how whenever Nobunaga was super extra and dramatic the two of you would look at each other with a knowing smile and say, “wow Nobunaga is being such a Leo right now” “Classic”, followed by a fit of laughter.

Not only that but Masa also loved hearing his kitten’s conspiracy theories! You had even made up a few about Mitsuhide and what he could be up to when he would sneak out during the day. One day the two of you also placed bet to see whose conspiracy theory of Mitsuhide’s whereabouts was more accurate. The bet was on! The two of you trailed him all afternoon, watching him to figure out what his deal was. Unfortunately, the two of you couldn’t prove any of your theories correct, cause the sneaky snek could sense the two of you following him from a mile away and just lead you around in circles all day. After a while, the two of you lost interest and decided to visit a new teahouse for some tea and dumplings instead.

To your surprise you discovered Masa could actually cook. He insisted on giving you a cooking lesson to repay you for all the random little things you had taught him. He decided the easiest thing to teach you would be, bread. So, both of you started by making a sourdough starter and leaving it to proof while you drank some tea. Then you continued to make the bread dough. When it came to kneading the bread, you were so lost in thought that, when you threw the flour down to flour the workbench, you threw a bit too much a little too hard, and it went *poof* all over your face and body. Masa turned to see how you were coming along when he saw you covered in flour. Cue masa howling in laughter while teasing you about looking like a ghost. Oh, he thinks this is funny does he, let’s see how funny it is when he is covered in flour. You grabbed a handful of flour and playfully flung it at him. Within a few minutes, the kitchen was covered top to toe in flour. Hideyoshi went to the kitchen to get a drink of water at just the wrong moment cause just as the last of the flour was being thrown, it landed straight in his face. The two of you looked at each other for a moment in silence and then bust out laughing once more and started teasing Hideyoshi. Both of you had no regrets when, after a long scolding, you had to clean the kitchen.

The two of you had been besties for quite some time, and Masa was starting to get serious about you. He spent no time confessing his feelings for you. The both of you were a very affectionate, physical couple. You would run up to him when he would come back from the war and give him the tightest hug. He would pick you up, kiss you all over your face, and twirl you around in circles.

Good thing you dabbled in medicine cause after that very war, you discovered that Masa had gotten hurt. You carefully cleaned and redressed his shoulder wound. You were a little mad cause he just shrugged of his injury like it was no big deal. You were also feeling extra sensitive cause on that day, you had crazy mood swings. Everything was so overwhelming that u suddenly just burst out into tears. He felt a sharp pain in his chest from seeing his beloved kitten cry. He held you tight in his arms, whispering reassuring words in your ears. He even threw in a few dark jokes about the war, just to bring that smile back on his face. Darn, your dark sense of humor. And darn Masamune for having hilarious jokes. You couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Gosh, you loved this big idiot, and his ability to put a big smile on your face even in the midst of one of your crying fits. This had become a kind of a tradition for whenever he would find you upset or mad.

You and Masa are two chilled peas in a pod. Just having fun, living in the moment, and not stressing about minor things you can’t control. And like I said before, you two are all over each other lol. Masa will have no shame in pulling you in for a quick make-out session right in the middle of the hallway. One-time, Ieyasu caught the two of you exchanging a quick kiss, and man, this boy, was as red as a tomato. You could have sworn he had never seen someone kiss before. Ieyasu dropped his books in shock and just turned around and walked away. Guess who teased the porcupine since that day! Your favorite is, after a long day to just come home and cuddle with Masa. He will just sit there with you in his arms and listen to you vent about everything and anything. The two of you can often be found snuggled up together under a fluffy blankie looking at the stars in the night sky.

Other potential matches……………Ieyasu

I hope you enjoyed! Also, it seems the more of these I write the longer they get ^o^

#ikesen masamune #masamune date #ikemen sengoku masamune #masamune matchup #matchups #ikesen matchup #submission

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xsailormobian · 5 years

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Mina Mongoose for the character ask thingy? :3c

favorite thing about them

There are many things I like about Mina honestly! Her design is pretty cute (I don’t mind hair on mobians when the character is obviously meant to be anime-like), she’s a likeable kind of teen (not above being grumpy, shallow and insecure, but she realizes her mistakes and tries to correct them/become a better person when she realizes it), her being an “average Joe” not cut-out for action is pretty refreshing, and her realizing her full potential through music is a nice character arc! She’s overall fairly likeable in my book.

least favorite thing about them

Surprisingly it isn’t her role in the love triangle, because her chemistry with Sonic (as random as her speed abilities were at the time) was pretty cute, and there was no real bad blood between her and Sally.

My least favourite moment was in the aftermath of the Iron Domination arc, where she held a concert to warn the citizens against Nicole. Now I believe everyone acted stupidly in the set-up for this story, but Mina in particular was made to look like a real jerk when she decided to not talk about her concerns with the Freedom Fighters (aka her friends) and instead use her popularity in an irresponsible way.

As I said she is and acts like a teenager, what with not thinking things through; that’s what makes her as flawed as she is endearing. But she’s also a sensible person who eventually realizes her wrongs and won’t go out of her way to harm someone’s feelings in the first place. Where the heck did this quality of hers go? And why didn’t anyone in her band call her out for real?

favorite line

Nah just kidding (although it’s pretty relatable). I don’t have it word for word but her finally apologizing to Nicole is pretty nice. I think it reads along the lines of “Can you forgive me for taking so long to say that I’m sorry?”, or something like that.

brOTP

I want to see Mina and Amy interact! Then they would be my BrOTP, because you can’t convince me Amy “The Freedom Fighter Mina Once Wished To Become” Rose and Mina “I’m As Romantic As Amy And Passionate About What I Do” Mongoose, two of the most bubbly, colorful and nice girls in these comics, wouldn’t be great friends.

OTP

None really? If you’re into crackships I had (and still kinda have) a weakness for ShadMina. But looking at her canon love interests… As I said, I guess SonMina is cute and could work out. TailsMina is random and a bit yikes once you know why they started dating. And AshMina has its place in the next section.

So in fanon, ShadMina wins. In canon, SonMina would be my first choice even if I don’t really ship it anymore.

nOTP

AshMina. When you constantly have to calm down and reassure your boyfriend when you’re around your ex-crush-turned-good-friend; and when said boyfriend can’t call you out when you’re about to do something stupid (like, I don’t know, a concert to put someone on the spot and potentionally turn your audience against said person); you know there’s a problem. Especially since she eventually goes on to date Tails because he reminded her of Sonic, meaning that she never really moved on from him anyway. Which is just sad.

random headcanon

Mina has an image to maintain, both for her younger fans and for the people she’s supposed to give hope to; hence the bubbly attitude she usually sports on stage. Has to stay consistant in her branding, you know. But she’d like to shake things up more from time to time, like when she went full rock-and-roll on her last concert. Sometimes she’s in a mood for more cutesy pop songs, whereas other times she could pull you an Evanescence with no problem. When she’s not in public she tends to go wild with it in the privacy of her home, much to her mother’s amusement.

unpopular opinion

I was on Mina’s side when she argued with Sally about Nicole. She went at it badly but her concerns were valids nonetheless, and it still annoys me that the narrative didn’t treat the core issue as more of a big deal.

song i associate with them

Weirdly enough I’ve always associated her with “I Wanna Go” by Britney Spears. I can’t really give an in-character reason, it’s just a song I listened to a lot in 2013-2014 when I got acquainted with Mina.

favorite picture of them

Ben Bates’ art is always a win! (At least I recall it is Ben Bate’s. I heard he wasn’t fond of how he drew Mina for the comics, hence this doodle he made afterwards.)

#Answer #Archie Sonic #Mina Mongoose #Thanks for giving me the opportunity to ramble about one of my favourite girls!

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franeridart · 5 years

Note

what program/brushes do you use for your art? it's so damn pretty

Easy Paint tool SAI and the default pen/brush/marker tools, mostly! and thank you!!! ;^;

Anon said:When I was a kid I would've had a crush on Akane

HECK that’s such a compliment!! Thank you!!!

Anon said:Couldn't Akane technically Control/move Kiri's hair since it's dyed? I mean it's like his hair is stained meaning it's not alive! so Akane finally warms up to him and messes with him or plays with his hair?

She can and she did! I drew her doing just that both in the first and in the fourth thing I posted about her! :D

Anon said:okay i don't know if this is coming through but i have just looked through your entire blog(can only go 4 years back) and let me just say you are wonderful, I absoluty LOVE how you paint/draw like its sooo pretty??? like dnjwcfehbi i cant describe it, (part 1) || like you are wonderful, I absolutely LOVE how you paint/draw like it's so pretty??? like dnjwcfehbi I can't describe it like it's absolutely Fabulous, Stunning, Amazing, Lovely and it looks so smoooooth like what????how??But anyways love your art and love you keep being Amazing! (part 2)

AH GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! This is such a sweet ask to get TT^TT (and you can only go 4 years back because the blog is 4 years old! Can’t believe you actually went through it all!!)

Anon said:I really love your art style and your comics are so cute and I love how you draw older Bakugou and Kirishima!! It’s all so wonderful! Thank you for sharing it with everyone!

Oh man thank you!! ;;; I’m so happy yo know you like them!!!!!! TTOTT

Anon said:the level of FLUFF and KOOKIENESS and SOFT and MARSHMALLOW and MY HEART CAN'T TOOK THIS IS is so much I could die.

PLEASE DON’T DIE I LOVE YOU !!!!!

Anon said:I love everything about Akane's au. Her, her interactions with Bakugou, how she dislikes Kirishima but is beginning to warm up to him, the boys' aged-up designs. Everything. It's all amazing. Thank you for bringing it into my life!

Nggghhhhhhhh no anon thank you for liking her!!!!

Anon said:Currently procrastinating on my essay to go through your blog because it de-stresses me and I love your art so much like seriously h e l p

GAH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! /////

Anon said:There's something I'm not understand in your AU children kiribaku. She adopted by bakugo or she is a kid bakugou have with someone. ( I'm really really sorry for my English )

Adopted!

Anon said:Your comics are so cute and funny! I'm loving the story with Akane, the last update was great! I really like the way you draw the characters, like your style is so nice. Thanks for making my day better with your art!

G o d thank you So Much!!!!!!

Anon said:Akane is adorable, and I absolutely love the comics that you upload of her, but also on top of that your mohawk Bakugo has cleared my skin, watered my crops, and brought me back from the dead at LEAST twice.

I’M REAL GLAD TO HEAR THAT because mohawk Bakugou owns my whole soul and it’s nice to know I’m not alone in that hahaha

Anon said:What are some ways Akane messes with Kiri (or used to) when he wears red clothes? Does she often do that? Does she do it when Baku's not home, or when he is so that she can hammer in just how much she dislikes Kiri? Has she ever done anything major that caused her to be really reprimanded by Baku, but being the best person in the world Kiri did not get angry?

She really only ever gets pissy (or used to! they’re starting to get along better !!!) at Kiri when she feels jealous for whatever reason, and that doesn’t happen as often as it seems through my doodles, so it’s not like she’s always antagonistic towards him! Mostly she just ignores him, so no, it doesn’t happen often at all! And she’s never gone further than messing his hair up or tugging a bit at his clothes, since she doesn’t have the strength to move Kiri all that much haha the only reason she managed to have him fall the first time was because he was balancing already, but generally Kiri weighs way too much for her to move him around or pull at the red stuff he’s wearing enough for him to notice it all that much

anyway, Baku never reprimended her for it - not more than he did in the first comic I posted with them, at least, specifically because the damage she can make is so minor that Kiri and Baku barely consider it something to tell her off for... if she were ever to act that way towards someone she might actually hurt (say, a kid her own age) then Baku might reprimend her more seriously, but as long as she’s just tugging at Kiri’s clothes they don’t see it as anything worth fighting her over :D

Anon said:Just sent an ask, so forgive me for this one, but I'd love to get this straight: in the Akane AU Kiri and Baku graduated and share an apartment, are madly into each other, but they neither has made a move on the other yet? Perhaps that should be sad, but it's 100% adorable.

I know I shouldn’t say this as I made the au myself, but I find the arrangement pretty dang adorable too haha they act like a married couple anyway, so it’s like... pining while the rest of the world already considers them an item? and the pining is mostly about stuff like ahhhh I wanna tell him I love him or ahhhhhh god I wanna kiss him, but then they’ll fall asleep on the couch together or hold hands just for the hell of it or cook for each other or make plans that always involve each other and all in all act as each other’s partner, so it’s mostly just like *Kaminari voice* “God these oblivious idiots” hahaha

Anon said:That latest Akane comic melted my heart like you often do. Though for a moment, I expected Eijirou to say "I don't want Katsuki to be my dad, I want him to be my daddy" XD Though that would not sound like him. Props for his adorable interactions with Scarlet Death Queen Witch.

Anon you don’t get it that’s exactly why I had him say “be his son” instead of “be my dad” LMAO it was like, a conscious wording decision hahaha thank you so much for liking my girl, btw!!!

Anon said:Fran! I was just wondering if you would be willing to post your Demon Kiri and Angel Baku art on Redbubble? I'd love to buy a print of it!! Totally understand if not. Also your newer Akane comics are killing me, they're so damn cute!! So yeah love you and your beautiful art! Hope you have an awesome year!!

I CAN TRY I think I did try last time I updated my rb? But the format of the pic made it hard to use it for a lot of things so I gave up??? I can try again tho!!! Thank you for being interested in buying it!!! And thank you for liking Akane too!!!!!

Anon said:is katsuki and kirishima not together in the adopted child comics or is there gonna be a plot to them getting together? 👀

I’m not really writing anything cohesive for it so I wouldn’t call it a plot point, but yeh they still aren’t together! And I wanna have them get to the point in which they are together!!! :D

Anon said:I'm gonna die why do you do this with your adorable art my god

PLEASE!!!!! DON’T DIE!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Your Akane + KiriBaku comics are adorable and I love the relationships that exist between them. I can't wait to see more of them!

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!! I hope I won’t disappoint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:I love your art so much!! Especially the little Akane au (so freaking cute!!!!). Random question: if you’ve ever seen Lucifer, who do you think would fit his character? Have an awesome day!

I haven’t seen it, sorry :((( but thank you for liking my girl!!!!!!

Anon said:I apologize if this has already been thought of but i feel as though when akane gets older and if she decides to be a hero, part of her costume could include useful red objects mayhaps?? Such as a shield or daggers or handcuffs so if there’s a lack of red around her she isn’t in a complete ditch. But i love your work sm ahhh💕💕

Yes!!! That’s the plan!!!!! I don’t think I’ll ever draw a teen version of her character but I MIGHT mention this idea in the current timeline, I like the idea so much TT^TT

Anon said:Hey there, I am absolutely obsessed with Akane like I love her so much wow but anyways I was wondering if you've ever drawn tododeku/ will in the future?

Thank you!!!! And I have drawn them in the past (under my tododeku tag!) and I might draw them again in the future, though currently I’m in a pretty big izu//ocha mood so I dunno when that will happen!

Anon said:I love your art so much like??? Help???

THANK YOU TTATT

Anon said:Y'know it could be gayer c'mon

This ask has been in my inbox for 17 days and I still don’t know what it means ??? but I laughed a lot when I got it so thank you anon and yes, definitely, everything could always be gayer that’s just how the world goes

Anon said:I swear you drew an older version of the krbk kids and it wasn't a fever dream I'm currently frantically searching through your blog rn help

I DID that post is CURSED anon, you can look it up through any of the tags I used to tag it and it won’t show up it won’t and I don’t know why!! I always lose it exactly because of this reason I have zero idea why it does this but??? okay I guess???????????

anyway if you still want it it’s here

Anon said:If Akane can control red things, does she low-key also have control over things that are pink and orange depending on how reddish in hue they are? I love her btw. Such a smol bean who could probably kick my ass!

What a good question you got there!! She has control over everything that has a color that falls in the red wavelength of the visible spectrum - that does include certain tones of pink and certain tones of orange, but there’s a point where orange gets too yellow or pink gets too white that her powers stop working. As long as the red in the color is more than any other hue, though, her powers work!

Anon said: im just imagining if baku takes akane with him when he is going to work and is there with kiri and akane help kiri with his hair bc she is suffering when he tries to style it himself

Once they start getting along better Akane and Kiri actually start helping each other with their hair! They’re both very particular about it so they understand each other as far as that topic goes haha

Anon said:Hi I just wanted to say I’m really enjoying what you are doing in your latest drawing. The contrast with the thick sketchy lines and the thinner crisp ones and the spaces that have no defined line! It’s cool to see you experiment with your line work while staying true to your natural style! Sorry if this came off weird but I love seeing talented artists try pushing the boundaries of their style it’s really visually/conceptually interesting! :)

AH MAN thank you so much I’m so happy to know you like that tool TT^TT it’s really super comfy to use, so it’s nice to know someone finds it visually appealing too!!! thank you!!!!!

Anon said:Is there any chance you could make a masterpost of the aus you do? It's a lot to scroll down to the beginning of a concept u have sometimes and it can be unclear when they start

They all have a tag they’re under, tho? If I’ve made more than one post about them! I have so many AUs going around that making a masterpost with all of them is a bit... mostly so since I don’t know for how many I’ll actually go back on! But if the tags don’t really work for you (generally the link is gonna look like https://franeridart.tumblr.com/tagged/[here goes the tag]/chrono to have it in chronological order) then I can try? I can’t promise I’ll find a comfortable way to do this, tho orz sorry!

Anon said:This might be an odd ask but does Akane like Jirou? I feel like they would get along really well. And how about her grandma Mitsuki? Since she takes after Katsu who takes after her, they could make an adorably angry trio

She hasn’t spent much time with Jirou yet so right now she’s mostly meh about her (though right now she only actually likes Bakugou, and she’s warming up to Kiri, but that’s about it). She doesn’t mind Mitsuki, but she hasn’t spent too long with her either! She yells a bit too much at her dad tho, which Akane isn’t particularly fond of (protective bean that she is, she doesn’t get that that’s just their way of communicating just yet), so out of her grandparents she prefers Masaru, after all~

#fran answers #a bunch of asks i had forgotten about after closing the inbox!!!#jesus im a disaster #i was sure i had a couple asks more in here but i can't find them so...???#ah well #either way i'm sorry these took so long my brain is seriously all over the place lately #go d s #anonymous

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scenicstoofs · 6 years

Text

breathe (2)

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Tags: Fantasy AU, Friendship, Slight angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Words: 3k

Summary:

Sunset had always been special, a time when you could gaze into a sky rich with rose pinks, warm oranges, and fiery reds and into an ocean full of fire. A time that left you breathless and filled with a nostalgia that couldn’t be satiated. A time reminiscent of laughter, friendship, love, and loss.

(1) Chapter 2

"Unbelievable," you muttered, shifting further up the shore. Jungkook laid next to you, eyes shut and mouth slack. The moonlight cast odd shadows against his face, but everything about him had softened. Even with high cheekbones and a sharp jaw, his features stayed rounded, not quite bereft of youth.

His chest rose and fell in deep swells compared to the shallow waves that tapped lightly against shore. You turned your gaze away, letting it linger over the water. There was a tug against your chest, one that pulled you in the direction of a warm sand bed complete with the gentle brush of sewn kelp leaves.

A grunt stole your attention, and you turned back to Jungkook. He shifted against the sand, one fist coming to rub against his cheek then flopping lazily against his chest. Then he snorted and coughed, but his eyes never fluttered open. Rather, his breathing deepened even further and you could only watch in disbelief as he drifted deeper into unconsciousness.

You shook your head and sighed, sifting back and letting your head fall against a plume of wet sand. The water grasped at your ankles and tugged on them, pulling you towards home. You ignored it, letting your eyes travel onto the darkened sky above. Tonight, the moon hung light against the darkened canvas, a mischievous smile curling at its edges in sarcastic humor. And the clouds that rolled before it did nothing to hide its luminous shine.

And then you heard it.

A difference in splashing and rhythm. One that disrupted the waves and its undulating motions. And when you looked up, you blinked in confusion before realization slapped you hard and had you scrambling upwards. You pushed yourself up, nearly slipping on the wet sand as it devoured your feet.

A young man stood on the water, feet perched on the surface as if it were glass. And the waves that rolled towards shore avoided him, leaving a wide circumference around his figure. When he noticed your wide eyes and panicked expression, he grinned widely and quickly held up both hands.

I come in peace.

You relaxed immediately, grumbling incoherently as you plopped back down on the sand. The young man walked forward, the wide berth following his every step as he chuckled in merriment. And when he reached the line where water met shore, the ocean parted for him, and he hopped onto the sand, feet sinking into the grainy surface.

His grace was impeccable, movements smooth but playful as he shuffled around Jungkook, barely sparing him a glance until he stood next to your crouched figure. The air between you two simmered with intensity, but you'd learned early on to ignore its presence. And his power, though weakened, strongly pulsed in the sea-saturated atmosphere.

"Hello, (y/n)," he greeted, smile seeping into his tone. There was nothing but friendliness and curiosity as he glanced down at you, eyes crinkling at the corners. You mumbled your hello but kept your eyes on the horizon, feeling your cheeks start to burn. There was nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of, yet here you were, defensively crouched with your arms wrapped around your knees for the false sense of security.

He cocked his head and snorted. "Sorry, what was that? Is this how you greet family?" You pursed your lips and let your forehead drop against your arms.

"Hello, Hoseok," you muttered, finger swirling the sand with patterns. They were indecipherable, random strokes that left fleeting imprints and disappeared with receding waves. Hoseok hummed, raising a brow. He groaned as he bent down and dropped next to you with an audible 'plop'. Mimicking your position, he pulled his knees to chest and wrapped both arms around his legs.

"So, we're using full names today?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Hello, Hobi," you corrected, and your finger sank deeper into the sand as you pressed harder. Hoseok nodded and turned away.

"You know, you only use full names when you feel troubled. Rectifying that won't change a thing," he said. He was right; that'd always been your tell with him. You gave up on your empty-minded doodling and brushed the sand off your finger.

"It's been a long day."

Hoseok nodded at Jungkook's unmoving form, acknowledging him for the first time. "Clearly."

You snorted. "Why are you here? You almost never visit." This was already a lot more than you were used to. Having two people, albeit one unconscious, around you was a lot more than you could handle. So accustomed to the creatures of the sea as your companions, you couldn't help the acidity that laced your tone.

"You know why." Then he took a deep breath, and you mentally prepared yourself as he pivoted his body so that it faced you. "Want to tell me why you saved him?"

Straight to the point.

You stayed silent, tasting for an answer that wouldn't end in bitterness.

"I'm not my twin. You know I won't do anything." He was right. Between the twins, Hoseok was the friendlier one—much less terrifying than the other's wrath.

"Why are you here? Don't you have enough to do, working the tides and all?" you opted. Hoseok's question lingered in the air, forming an invisible barrier between you. He could feel your avoidance but didn't comment on it. Instead, he shrugged.

"You know I'm at my most powerful when the sun is out. Therefore, I'm only needed during the day. Yoongi has control right now—you know he prefers moonlight. And you're lucky you saved this boy just before Yoongi awakened. He's not as forgiving," he said, tone dropping, "so, again, would you mind telling me why you saved him?"

You exhaled audibly, mind wracking for the best possible answer. But in all honesty, you weren't sure yourself. Jungkook was never meant to dive into the ocean after you. He was meant to leave, taking himself and the camera far from the ocean, and forget about you. Forget everything about you.

The thought stung.

"I—," you started but paused, struggling with your words. Hoseok could feel it, yet he patiently waited, attention wavering between you and the horizon. "I don't know."

That was the truth.

"(y/n)," he began after a period of silence. "At this point, at your age, you know we're not meant to be seen by others. We live there," he flourished a wave towards the ocean. It responded in kind, waves increasing in a tidbit of energy. "Not here. You remember what happens when we come up here. You remember what happened to—"

"—I know," you interrupted. "I know all of this. We become lost when we spend too much time on land. But Hobi, am I not allowed to make friends?" There it was. Your truthful confession of loneliness and despair. It caught your brother off guard, and he turned away, face dropping.

"You can—"

"—then what's the issue—"

"But most of us don't." He swallowed, gaze dropping to the sand. His eyes took on a glazed sheen, reflecting the light that shone from the moon's reflection. The atmosphere thickened, dropping heavily against your shoulders.

"Why? All I've ever been told is that we can't talk to humans, but no one has ever told me why. So, tell me. Tell me now—why?" you demanded, voice quivering. "Give me one reason I shouldn't see this boy ever again."

Hoseok pursed his lips and shook his head, hair flopping with the movement. He brushed away his bangs and blew a puff of air from his cheeks, a habit you'd adopted since young.

"Because there's never a happy ending," he answered. You sat up straight, angling your head towards him. There was a part of you that was keen to know the truth, yearned to understand. Yet another part of you, deep in the crevices of your mind, wanted to stay in blissful ignorance.

"When we make a true connection to humans, whether it's friendship or more, things don't end well. Sometimes, they go mad and come looking for us when we're not around. And we're not always there to save them. Without air, without our power, they become one with the ocean and are lost forever.

We, on the other hand, risk being tempted to join humans on land. And once we leave the ocean, we are lost. The only person who knows what happens once 'lost' is Yoongi, but he refuses to tell me. Says it's one of the most painful things he's ever seen," he ended. Not once did he turn back to you or meet your inquiring gaze.

"But what about friendships? Ones where we visit each other once in a while?" you asked desperately. Even before he answered, you already knew. In that little corner in the back of your mind, you already knew the answer. And yet, you still asked, hoping for a response that would differ from the one that bounced around in your head.

"It's possible but painful. Watching them wither away as we stay in our current state—it's cruel to see. Extremely hard to process because we'll live so much longer with their memory forever with us. It's quick—one day they're there, and another, they're not," he paused. "It makes you wonder whether it's worth it or not."

"You sound like you have experience."

His expression didn't change, but the vibrant smile from earlier had slipped into somber frown. His eyes had a glazed sheen in them, whether a reflection from the moon or something else, you weren't sure. But they held memories—both precious and damning—and with each blink, you could see his mood drop even further.

"Yeah, I do." Three words. Heavy and mournful—a story hidden that told of loss. He suddenly stood, inhaling deeply while brushing the sand off of his pants. "And depending on your choices, you may gain some as well." He gestured at Jungkook, who groaned. "Because he's about to wake."

Hoseok started for the water, and this time, the ocean didn't part for him. Instead, he waded in and was about thigh deep before you scrambled up, following his steps until you were ankle deep.

"Hobi!" At the call of his name, he paused, turning to you with a slight smile playing on his lips. "What should I do?"

The current that brushed against your skin warmed into a gentle caress—one of comfort and trust.

That's your decision. You could feel the answer clear as day as it vibrated through the water. Then he turned and resumed his path until his head submerged beneath water, and his presence evaporated, leaving the scent of a sunny day behind in his wake.

Another groan echoed from behind you, but your gaze stayed hot against where Hoseok disappeared. His message sounded vague and mysterious, but it was clear that he had no intention of making a decision for you. You'd been given much information, and now it was up to you to decide whether Jungkook was worth befriending or not.

You took a step forward, water rippling against your ankle as you struggled with your decision. The obvious choice was to disappear, to enter the ocean and watch from beneath the surface as he tried to comprehend why he was lying in sand, clothes plastered to his skin, and where the girl he'd tried to save had run off to.

But something was also holding you back. Keeping you from diving into the ocean and going home. It was evident there was something that kept you from leaving him; whether it was the promise of friendship or lingering guilt—whatever it was, it left you rooted in your spot.

"(y/n)?" His voice was hoarse, comprised of exhaustion and confusion. It was groggy and lagged as your name cascaded from his lips. You turned hesitantly to see him push himself up onto his forearms. His hair was plastered to his forehead, and he brushed them away impatiently.

"(y/n)? What's going on?" he croaked. Your eyes widened—did he not remember? Did he forget diving into the ocean to save you from what seemed like your end?

"Jungkook, are you all right?" you asked, moving towards him. Each step solidified your decision and you crouched down next to him. He shivered and coughed, eyes still somewhat disoriented. But when he glanced up to see your face, he bolted upwards, scaring you. You fell back, landing softened by the pliable sand that slid against your palms as you scrambled back to give him some room.

"You!" His eyes widened, almost comical in nature. He clambered up from his position, shifting until he toppled forward on his knees.

"Calm down," you tried, holding up a hand. "Hey, I'm fine. You're fine. Calm down."

He didn't. Instead, he crawled towards you until he was at your side. From there, he scanned you, eyes roaming up your body and your face for any signs of injuries. Even with good intentions, it brought a burn to your face and you lurched forward to push him away.

"I'm fine!" you exclaimed. Jungkook paused and heaved a breath, jaw dropping and opening every few seconds. Then he blew up.

"What were you thinking?! You could have drowned! Did you want to end your life? Are you crazy?!" His words were angry, harsh and piercing. It seemed like he remembered you walking into the ocean. The latter part would probably come to him in a second.

"I was going home," you stated, simple and clear. His brows furrowed, and he leaned forward, eyes narrowing.

"Is that some kind of euphemism?" he asked. You shook your head and pointed towards the ocean.

"That's my home."

He blinked. "I don't—I don't understand. Are you sure you're ok? You didn't hit your head or anything?" You shook your head, tilting your head in confusion. The real question was if he was ok. You didn't say anything else but narrowed your eyes at him and furrowed your brow.

Gradually, his expression changed, from one of concern to one of confusion. Holding up a hand, he shook his head and leaned back.

"Wait." It was probably hitting him now. "Wait. No way."

You waited, watching him splutter to himself in disbelief while sending you occasional glances. The denial was coming first.

"I jumped in to save you. I got to you, but then." He paused, brows furrowing and hands waving in large gestures.

"You couldn't breathe," you completed softly. He tilted his head away from his hands and up at you. "You started to drown." The memory of his limp limbs and the last of his air escaping his lungs cause you to blanch, and you swallowed heavily, throat thick with emotion. Hoseok's words echoed from the back of your mind.

Because there's never a happy ending.

Jungkook gazed at you intensely. No words left him as he tried to process your answer. You didn't want to finish the rest of the story. If you did, then there was a large chance he wouldn't believe you. If he remembered himself, it'd make explaining much easier. So you waited.

"I—almost—drowned." He enunciated each word. You nodded, picking at your dress. There was a loose strand, and you pulled at it, wrapping it around your fingers. The disbelief that marred his face was indicative that he remembered some parts of it.

He just didn't believe it.

"But I didn't. I didn't drown. Because I could suddenly breathe," he said slowly. He was getting there. You stayed silent.

"Because there were bubbles, a lot of bubbles. And they were surrounding my head?" His pitch rose with the last word. You nodded again.

"That's—there's no way that happened. It had to have been a helmet, right? That's what it was?" Everything about him had turned to denial. You knew because this would—could—never happen to an average person. They would've just drowned, yet Jungkook had survived. In his eyes, so had you.

"Not a helmet," you responded. With each pull, the loose strand elongated, so you gave up. You looked up at him. "You're right. It was bubbles. That was the only source of air I could pull for you."

"Only source of air?"

"Bubbles carry air, so yeah. That was the only way I could keep you breathing. You were dying, Jungkook." You met his gaze and dipped your head, hoping you could convey how serious the situation was.

He was still doubtful, as any person would be. But then he blinked rapidly and glanced between his body and yours. You did the same, wondering what he saw that was clearly bewildering him.

"How are you dry?" he asked. That's when you noticed that your hair would move at the slightest of breezes, and his stayed plastered to his head. His button-up stuck to his body, emphasizing the broadness of his shoulders, and his sleeves had fallen from their position, loose around his wrists. His jeans were still damp, and sand stuck to every surface it could get to, meaning his back and clothes were littered with grains of sand.

In comparison, your dress was completely devoid of water, dry as if you'd never entered the wide expanse. And your skin was nowhere near as sticky or wet as his probably was, judging by the lack of sand that lingered on your body.

"Jungkook," you started, but he cut you off with a slash of his hand.

"No. Stop. First, you call the ocean your home. You call," he motioned a hand across the span of black water, "all of that your home. Second, you have some ability to control bubbles, or you helped me breathe underwater somehow. Whichever it was, it wasn't normal. Third, you're completely dry. I'm sitting here, completely soaked, barely dried off, yet you look like you haven't been in the water at all," he finished.

His gaze bore into yours, and you felt your heart start to beat in anticipation. This was it—this was your decision.

"Who are you?"

You sighed, brushing the sand off your hands and legs as you stood to face the ocean. You breathed in the familiar scent of home and answered.

"I'm (y/n), and I'm a spirit of the ocean."

#jungkook #jeongguk #jeon jungkook #bts #bangtan #bangtan fic #bts fic #bts jungkook #jeon jeongguk #jungkook fic #jungkook fanfic #bts fanfic #bangtan fanfic #breathe #my writing #ficdate

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americanauthor · 6 years

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Did you know that Andy Warhol, starting in 1973 until his death, filled a cardboard box (basically) a day with “ephemera”? Ephemera is what sophisticated people call the “junk” of other sophisticated people. Andy Warhol filled 612 boxes with junk and it’s kept at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in a temperature controlled room where every piece is archived and cataloged. Because, believe it or not, he sometimes stuck a famous signature or doodle from an artist friend in these boxes and that makes them priceless.

They are called “Time Capsules”. This article from the BBC is a fun read with your morning coffee: “The Secrets of Andy Warhol’s Time Capsules”. I learned about the Time Capsules from my trip to Pittsburgh -- Warhol’s hometown. But how did I get to Pittsburgh on a random Wednesday? Good question.

Work sent me to Pittsburgh for 2 days this month for a massive college fair. To say I was not looking forward to going would be an understatement. I always dislike the first trip of the season. I have to remember how to pack a carry-on suitcase again, have to not forget to throw 300 business cards in my purse and somehow always bring the foundation that makes me look like my face didn’t coordinate with my neck that morning.

But, I am also a pretty stubborn optimist so once Sam dropped me at the airport I was able to get on an earlier flight and get the trip going. Which was good, seeing as many flights later in the day were delayed due to the snow on the Pittsburgh side, so blessings for last minute flight changes and flexible schedules.

After landing in the bus with wings, having paid $50 to check my carry-on before boarding the bus to the bus with wings in D.C. and an Uber to Pittsburgh, I was safely ensconced in my hotel room with an afternoon to catch up on emails and stretch my legs. Stretch my legs I did.

I went to a restaurant across the street and had a delicious BBQ chicken pizza that I saved half of -- thankfully, by the way -- because Thursday night I got home from work at 10pm and ate cold pizza in bed in the dark watching a German miniseries on my computer. It was snowing and absolutely amazingly romantic and beautiful in Pittsburgh. I haven’t seen much snow this season, only one or two days of flurries in D.C. so to be back amongst the crisp of snow was like charging my good mood. I was almost off the scales happy. It was almost as peaceful as Paris in August. See? Good things do happen when you put your mind into determination mode that you’re not going to hate something!

Three minutes from the hotel was the Warhol Museum, so for $20 and a free coat check I spent about two hours wandering the museum. It was an interesting way to pass an afternoon -- my only recommendation would be to get the audio-tour, which I did not so I found myself reading the few but informative wall plaques and otherwise shuffling around alone. Not a bad way to spend a day, mind you, just would have been more interesting I imagine with the audio-guide. But to be fair, Warhol’s stuff is sometimes weird enough that you don’t really need to be told what’s going on to get that he was into shock and awe.

This was a big trip for cookies, I would later realize. Here’s my afternoon tea and Pop Art banana from the Warhol Cafe.

When the sun began to set, I headed back to the hotel to get some work done (and start the German miniseries I mentioned earlier!). A student call later, I was across the street at another place, this time a brewery, with a cider and gooey mac & cheese for dinner. I decided to stretch my legs the last little bit before the long day the next day at work, and about two minutes from the hotel met the Alleghany river. Pittsburgh, I was forced to admit, was growing on me. Thank god.

The next morning was up early and out the door by the time the next day I would wake up. I always get up too early on First Days of anything. I got to the convention center, set up and talked to other College Reps there. Then the floodgates opened and teenagers descended. At noon we were let go till our next session at 6:30pm so I made my way downtown in the snow for some Pittsburgh recommendations from friends.

First, I stopped into a bookstore which was warm and cozy but I didn’t leave with anything. Sam and I booked our tickets for the flight to Ireland in August. This has left me with such incredible lack of inspiration to buy anything new that I am considering medication. I, Lizzie Maguire, walked out of a bookstore empty handed.

Next door was the Toonseum, an independent museum for cartoons, which was $6 to visit and I got a personal tour (slow day). The exhibit on was about Wonder Woman so that was fitting and cool to see how Wonder Woman is interpreted in different communities (i.e. by the women of Pittsburgh).

Perhaps the coolest thing I learned while there was that Gloria Steinem was so inspired by the “Golden Age” of Wonder Woman growing up, that when MS Magazine started, Wonder Woman was on the first cover. This is another cool article on the evolution of Wonder Woman, from the Smithsonian: “The Surprising Origin Story of Wonder Woman” (including the MS Magazine cover!)

I of course took pictures of every comic strip for Sam. He would never forgive me.

About ten minutes away was Primanti Bothers, the sandwich recommendation of two friends (passionately) separately. The snowy walk was delightful, even if I was in squad shoes and had to sidestep more than one puddle of slush. Once inside it was a sports bar with games on televisions everywhere for the eye to see. So, I grabbed a seat at the bar and asked the waitress to recommend my first time sandwich. I got pistrami on toasted sourdough -- the unique thing about Primanti Brothers is that they put the cole slaw and fries on the sandwich so when it came out it was basically a feast in two halves. And reader, I did my best.

With only half the day gone and the convention center locked till our evening session, I wandered around before calling the shuttle to bring me home. Once there I brewed a cup of coffee and, if my manager is reading, worked on emails (but let’s just say I made some real damage in that German series). Then it was back to the battle lines for more college fair.

Exhausted, I collapsed into bed that night with my cold pizza and slept solidly till 7:00am Friday morning.

The final day of the college fair was standard. A few hours of conversation with students and then I was changing in the ladies room (jeans are much better for travel than tights) and headed to the airport. Once I got to the airport I ordered a lunch of pirogies and sausage -- delicious, by the way -- and caught up with Dublin before take off.

Sam met me at the airport and we went grocery shopping, catching up on our days apart as we coasted into the weekend. First trip of the season done and if any other is as nice and well blended with work/adventure, I will be happy duckling.

New York City next, next week. For now, a few sweet days at home.

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