#nor can i abandon my students for a whole week right before finals | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kthyg · 2 years

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— a little flirting won’t hurt | kth (m)

Who would’ve thought that flirting with Jimin would bring you to the knees in front of Taehyung instead of Jimin?

Pairing : Taehyung x Reader

Genre : Smut | Friends to Lovers | Idiots to Lovers | Roommate!AU | Bartender!AU

Rating : 18+

Disclaimer : This story is a work of fiction. Description of the BTS members in this story does not reflect nor portray them in real life. Everything in this story only fits in imagination and does not apply outside of imagination.

Word count : 9k+

Author Note :

new year fic 💌 and i was fighting with tumblr to make this post appear on the tags result 🚮 and turns out it was bcs of the banner :’) so @leemien had to make a new one for me and presumably a bit more appropriate .. or i’ll js leave this w/o banner.. </3

anyway.. thanking my lovelies (lee), weny, tease, sha (and her bf) for beta reading this <3 and to ana and nimi for being there to help me pull myself together 😟

playlist

Warnings : This story deals with explicit sexual scene, mentions of alcohol names, alcohol consumption and perhaps a bit of inaccurate information about alcohol (since I don’t drink and this is just google based information 🥲).

Sexual scenes warnings : Unprotected sex (be sure to wrap it before you tap it, guys), kissing (and i mean a lot of it), marking and biting, finger fucking, oral sex m&f receiving, cum eating, creampie, overstimulation, (lots of) praising (because i’m a hoe for it), worshipping, nipple play, dirty talk… and I think that’s all.

Dedication : To Tease who has been urging me to write smut.

Home sweet home.

After hours staying at the college, you’re finally at the front of your apartment’s door. This morning, your lecturer has tasked you and the other students with two written assignments and soon you’ll have an oral presentation. It’s a pair work - the oral - and you had stayed back with your partner to work on it because you couldn’t discuss it with her at night since you have a night shift this week.

The assignments are luckily due next week, precisely two days from today. You and your partner's discussion didn’t take a lot of time because the oral is all about fact discussion and it relies on your own research but you decided to stay back a little longer to finish one assignment so you’d only be left with another one.

You punch in the passcode to your door and immediately get in. Right now you want nothing more than to flop on your bed and rest. There’s still a few hours before your shift at the bar and since it’s night shift, sleeping is essential especially when you don’t take any caffeine lately.

“I’m drained,” you sigh.

“That’s not what people used to say when they get into the house, you know?” Taehyung grins.

Beauty is subjective, you see, but Taehyung is definitely the definition of human beauty. His face proportions are perfect and a body that is sculptured by the god himself. How can he look so fine in a white T-shirt and grey sweatpants? His brown tousled hair falls right before his eyes. God his hair looks so fluffy too.

“I’m home,” you grunt.

“That’s more like it,” he smirks before making his way back to the living room and flops on the couch. “You’re awfully late today.”

You wave him off with “assignments” as you, too, join him on the couch, your bag is abandoned at the end of the couch. The screen is showing the crime documentary that Taehyung had been binging on recently.

Taehyung is your roommate who’s also your best friend, attends the same college as you and is a good friend of your boss, the owner of the bar you’re currently working at. You’re grateful to have met with Taehyung - despite all the hardships you had to face while breaking his wall and getting used to him.

It all starts with you being a broke student who wants to find a place to stay near your college with a rent within your range and Taehyung who happens to be looking for a roommate. It was not easy at all, to get accustomed to Taehyung and his whole house rules. You were so close to moving out of his house just because you couldn’t stand him and his pettiness and find another place, another roommate, but you pulled yourself together and it’s safe to say you’re numb to his pettiness and actually get along with him.

“You have work today?” Taehyung asks - though you are sure he knows the answer to it.

Still, you answer him albeit lazily. “Yeah. Night.”

You are exhausted, your energy bar is red and negative. Your eyes are begging to be closed and it doesn’t take a lot of persuasions for it to happen. Taehyung is talking about something but you didn’t catch it as your eyelids start to get heavier as seconds pass. You barely register his voice calling you as you let the darkness consume you and you drift into the dreamland.

“Taehyung!” You whine. “Why didn’t you wake me up, you twat!”

Why did you think Taehyung would be kind enough to wake you up for work? You are left with less than one hour before your shift starts and it takes at least thirty minutes for you to get ready and another thirty minutes for you to reach your workplace on foot. You would thank him for putting a blanket over you but you would smack him for not waking you up on purpose.

Taehyung sits on a stool near the kitchen island, a glass of water in hand as he listens to your rambling and nagging. He loves to rile you up in whatever ways possible and this is one of them.

It wasn’t on purpose actually, but you claimed that he did it on purpose so he’s being kind enough to play along and entertain you. He woke up a few minutes before you and noticed that you were already late. He reached out for his phone and texted Jin, your boss, to inform you might be late and he pushed himself off the couch. Nothing is actually going to happen if you’re late since he had informed your boss, you’re just overreacting - minus the fact that you didn’t know.

Exactly thirty minutes after you’ve woken up, you’ve finished getting ready. Your outfit is simple; a black turtleneck sweater with a black pencil skirt that hugs your curves and stops a few inches from your knees. From the look of it, Taehyung is ready to head somewhere too as you see him lounging in the living room. He’s going for all black as he wears his favourite black leather jacket with a plain black shirt underneath and black trousers.

“You’re going to the bar today?” You ask.

Taehyung is a frequent customer at the bar you work at and a close friend of the bar owner, Seokjin, your boss. It’s safe to say he’s a frequent customer only because he’s a close friend of your boss and he enjoys drinking as if that is what makes him alive. He loves feeling the burn at the back of his throat when he downs the alcoholic drinks though it’s not an everyday activity for him as he still loves his liver. Sometimes he’s at the bar just to accompany you - which is kind of him - and just to chill out.

You had accepted the job as a bartender for two reasons, one is because you needed money and Taehyung offered to help you get the bartender work so you definitely couldn’t decline an opportunity right under your nose. Two, you wanted to try it out - being a bartender - this is the first time you work as a bartender and it’s new to you but Seokjin and your other co-workers have been kind enough to guide you.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “But not willingly. Jungkook forces me to come.”

Jungkook is Taehyung’s friend, who you also consider as your friend though not as close as you to Taehyung. Jungkook is the same age as Taehyung which means he’s a year older than you. You rarely bump into him at college but you both know of each other’s existence given the times he had come over to your apartment just to have dinner because apparently, he’s saving money.

“Anyway, you done? Let’s go then.”

Let’s— Huh?

“Oh my god,” you gasp excitedly as you catch on to his words. “You’re giving me a ride today?”

Taehyung stares at you for a good few seconds before an idea pops into his head. You pray to god to protect this young man from the devil or the evil - or maybe it’s too late - because you know he’s up to no good when that devilish smile creeps on his face.

“Taehyung, I swear to—”

“On a second thought, maybe no. You called me a twat just now,” he smirks as he takes his car key and stride to the door. “Go on your foot, twat.”

Remember when you had mentioned Taehyung is a petty bitch? Yes, this is it.

“Taehyung!!” You whine as you stomp your way to follow him.

He’s joking, right?

Yeah, he’s joking.

“You’re so petty, you know that?” You grumble, opening your locker.

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, sweetheart.” He didn’t miss a beat as he pinched your cheek.

“Taehyung!” You slap his arm light-heartedly. Pinching your cheeks has been a habit of Taehyung that he had picked up a few months ago. It’s an endearing gesture, his words, not mine.

“Be grateful you’re not late,” Taehyung taunts as he saunters to the exit of the staff room. “Twat.”

Very petty.

A few moments before, you had rushed here to be on time - with Taehyung giving you a slow and chill ride - only for your boss to be baffled as he saw you rushing and out of breath. Technically, you did run here since that roommate of yours decided to park a bit far away from the bar because there’s no other parking spot which was a lie.

Seokjin told you that you told him you were going to be late and it’s your turn to be confused as he said he had expected you to arrive a few minutes later, not on time. You narrowed every possibility and it landed on one and only Taehyung.

When you hear the door shut and Taehyung is out of sight, you roll your eyes and grab your apron from the locker. It’s a black leather apron with the bar’s name embedded on the top right chest area. The apron smoothly goes over your head and settles on your neck and you tie the strips at the side of the apron to the small of your back.

You walk to the door and out to your workspace.

The bar is the vibe and the people in the bar are the vibe. The bar is the place where you let loose of yourself, enjoy yourself and live your life to the fullest. That’s another reason why you accepted the offer to work at a bar. Once in a while, you want to have fun - not the drink till you're the drunk type of fun but instead, you actually enjoy watching people have fun as if the night is still young.

As soon as you walk out of the staff room, a heavy smell of alcohol fills your nostrils and heavy music fills the whole bar. Naked by Doja Cat is playing as you stride towards the back of the counter. Seokjin’s bar or you could call, Picturesque, is lively, trendy and… chaotic - in a good way. His bar gives off an upbeat, friendly and even sexy atmosphere. Most of the students from your college often come to this bar to either throw a party or to hang out - and get wasted.

The interior design of Picturesque screams extravagant and modern. The furniture is mostly in black, brown or beige. As soon as you get behind the bar counter, you see that Minnie, your co-worker, is already there preparing drinks. She notices your presence and winks at you. Breaking into a small laugh at her randomness, you walk towards her.

“Damn, is that Sazerac?” You look over her shoulder, recognising the drink she had just slid over to the customer.

“She asked for something strong,” Minnie shrugs, wiping her hands. “I’ve been wanting to make that drink, you know? Haven’t done it in a while.”

“One Long Island, please,” the guy that sits on one of the stool orders.

“Do you want to take that order or…” Minnie asks.

“I’ll take that,” you tell her and you turn to the guy. “Right away, sir.”

You catch Taehyung staring at you when you are about to turn and get a glass. He’s with Jungkook and a couple of guys - who you assume are from your college too - that you’re not familiar with. Lips mouthing a “what” at him and he only chuckles at that. You roll your eyes and turn to make the drink. When you turn again, you notice some girls coming to his table but you didn’t manage to recognise who it is as Minnie calls for you.

Jealousy is really a disease.

But what about unexplained jealousy?

It’s a lethal disease.

“(Y/N)?” Minnie nudges you. “The glass is going to break.”

“Bollocks,” you huff as you look at the glass in your grasp. “I didn’t even hold it too tight.”

The entire scene happening in front of you is definitely not a scene you’d like to witness. A girl’s hands all over your roommate’s body, her curves pressing over him, trying to push up her breast as you assume maybe to impress Taehyung and downright flirting albeit Taehyung looks unbothered - way too unbothered.

“If looks could murder, yours would,” Seokjin appears out of nowhere. It's a habit of his to suddenly walk up to the bar and sometimes he would act like a customer and you didn’t even notice.

Seokjin is a man in his thirties albeit looking like in his twenties. God has his favourite and this man, your boss, happens to be the favourite. His black silky mullet hair looks so perfect on him. You don’t think you could ever want to look at any man with a mullet except for Seokjin - or maybe Taehyung too. Don’t let you get started on his lips that gets any women and sometimes even men envy it. Seokjin’s lips are perfect; pillowy, pink, plump and perfectly sculpted.

“Shut it, Jin,” you huff. “Were you about to pretend like you’re a customer again?”

“No,” he grunts. You always recall that event and he is starting to think you’re being petty - for sure you had picked that up from Taehyung after living under one roof for some time now.

“I was bored in my space so I decided to check on you,” he places a hand on his chest. “Can’t you see I’m such a caring boss? You should forget that incident. You’re being petty like Taehyung, you know?”

You roll your eyes. “I’m anything but like Taehyung.”

“Yeah? Tell that to me again once you stop gripping the glass. It’s really about to break now.”

It’s Minnie’s turn to jump into the conversation. It looks like she had just finished serving a drink for a customer. She sends a wink at Seokjin and he mutually sends it back - their way of greetings.

“What are you jealous about?” Minnie asks.

“Jealous?” You frown at her. “Who said I’m jealous?”

Minnie looks in the direction you’re looking to and nods knowingly. She and Seokjin share a look before the man speaks. “(Y/N),” He points at his face. “Your face says a lot, in case you don’t know.”

“Don’t act as if you didn’t have a crush on Taehyung!” Minnie nudges you playfully. “You literally talked for hours about how much you like him, adore him, even wants to fu—”

“Shut it, Minnie!” You hiss. “I was drunk.”

“I know about it too,” Seokjin points out. “And it’s not like it’s a secret that you like Taehyung.”

“It is a secret between us!” You scold him.

“Whatever,” Minnie rolls her eyes. “Did you even think of confessing?”

“No. Why would I?”

The thought of confessing did cross your mind sometimes but it always vanished because Taehyung just didn’t catch on to your hints. You are kind enough to drop some hints that you like him - or maybe your hints were too subtle or he’s too dead in the brain to understand the hint - but he didn’t give any reaction to it, that’s when the thought of confessing just went out of the window, down the drain and out of the planet.

At this point, you are convinced that Taehyung is not attracted to you and only considers you as a friend but you have no problem with it.

Then, why are you jealous?

Shut up, brain.

Taehyung is not the only man on this planet and surely you can develop feelings for another man.

Right?

“Because you like him?” Minnie tells you as a matter of fact. “Isn’t it normal to confess?”

“And because who knows if Taehyung likes you too?” Seokjin adds, shrugging.

“Nonsense,” you sigh. “I gave up trying to confess long time ago.” You decide to not tell them the details as you turn to look at Taehyung’s table. He’s still with the girl that has been pressing on him but just this time there’s some distance between them.

A guy from Taehyung’s table stands up and walks towards the bar counter, who you recognise it’s Jimin. He continues walking to the bar until his eyes land on you and locks his gaze on you albeit he’s a few metres from you.

“Hey, can I get a Martini?” A customer sits on the stool in front of you.

“Yeah, sur—”

“Right away, miss!” Minnie cuts you off. “How about you go take that young man’s order?” She’s pointing at Jimin and you look at his way only for him to send you a wide smile.

“Get going, (Y/N). Don’t make the customer wait,” Seokjin pushes you with his words. You give them a weird look before walking in Jimin’s direction.

Jimin is a pretty boy if you are to describe him. He has the prettiest smile, the prettiest eyes, the prettiest eye smile and the prettiest body figure - the last one is unsolicited but it is what it is - his body is a body to die for. As far as you remember Jimin is Jungkook’s friend as you’ve always seen them together at the college and you did exchange a few words or make a conversation with him sometimes when you guys share classes.

“Hey,” you approach him. “Hey, (Y/N),” he grins. His smile reaches his eyes as it turns into little crescents.

God, he’s so freaking adorable.

“What would you like to have?” You ask.

“What do you feel like drinking right now?” He suddenly asks.

“Do you want to drink on my behalf?” You ask jokingly.

He nods.

“Jimin!” You whine. “Seriously, what do you want to drink?”

“I told you; a drink that you feel like drinking right now,” he answers. His tone is playful and teasing so you couldn’t take him seriously but the look in his eyes seems serious.

“You sure?” You ask again for confirmation and he nods. “I feel like drinking Zombie right now.”

“My favourite,” Jimin smirks. “I’ll take that.”

You shake your head while you let out a small laugh and turn to get his drink ready.

“Thought you said it’s your favourite.”

“It is!” Jimin slurs.

You don’t know if Jimin is light-weight or what but it’s only been a few minutes after drinking a whole Zombie and Jimin is already tipsy.

Tipsy is a nicer term.

“Doesn’t seem like it, Jimin,” you chuckle.

Jimin has been a great company to you. You feel like he’s your long lost best friend or he makes it seem like that. Talking to him at the bar seems to differ from talking to him in class. He’s more let loose and friendlier if you dare to say. It’s not like he’s not friendly enough in class but maybe the environment just gives you a chance to get to know him better and actually talk to him better because in class you would always focus on your professor and so does Jimin, making the two of you only exchange words solely for class purpose.

“You’re cute when you laugh, (Y/N),” Jimin looks at you dreamily, as if you’re the only person at the bar that matters.

Heat creeps on your face making you blush. You clear your throat and turn away to hide the redness on your cheeks - the bar is dimmed but you don’t if he actually can see it so you just turn.

“You’re just drunk, Jimin,” you tell him. “Let me get you a glass of water?”

Jimin reaches for your hand. Even from the dimmed light, you could make out that his cheeks are red but you’re unsure of the reason - the alcohol or he’s blushing - but still, you narrow it down to it being due to the alcohol.

“Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are enchanting?”

Jimin lets go of your hand to reach the side of your face, tucking a few strands of your hair behind your ear. His fingertips graze on your skin. Jimin’s touch feels so soft, his touch is too soft as if one wrong move could break you.

His advance on you took you off guard but you didn’t back away. You’ve experienced multiple advances people made on you whilst they are drunk and instead of jerking away and getting mad, you learn to keep calm and push them away politely.

But, flirting with him won’t hurt, right?

Taehyung is flirting with some random chick and so can you. Plus, Jimin is not bad, he’s kind of cute too. A bit of teasing won’t hurt and most definitely won’t hurt Taehyung. You’re starting to become petty, you know but you don’t care. To hell with this feeling for a man that doesn’t even get the hints.

“Has anyone ever told you that your lips look kissable?” His hand trails from your cheek to your jaw and his thumb rests on your bottom lips. His cat eyes are clouded with lust as he breaks the intense eye contact with you and down to your lips. His thumb trails your bottom lips before he tugs your chin, his body leaning closer. When his lips are a few inches from yours, he looks into your eyes, asking for permission.

“Jimin.”

Taehyung is standing behind Jimin but he isn’t looking at the drunk man instead he’s looking straight at you, downright glaring, actually. He tugs at Jimin’s collar to pull him back

“You’re drunk.”

“Tipsy,” Jimin corrects.

Taehyung rolls his eyes before walking back to his table all while tugging on Jimin’s collar. Once he settles down, you notice that the previous girl that has been pressing against him is nowhere in sight and his eyes are on you, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

Fuck, why does he looks hot even while drinking?

His throat bobs up and down for each gulp of the whiskey he drinks and all while staring at you. The intense eye contact is broken by you as you feel your body temperature starting to rise and you feel your cunt is wet from your arousal, dampening your panties.

God, (Y/N) snap out of it!

You abruptly turn your head as you try to look for anything to distract you from this situation Taehyung has put you in.

“I’m planning to drink tonight, want to join?” Minnie asks while the two of you are getting out of the bar. Seokjin had given you the key to lock the bar because he had to leave early due to some work.

Your shift ended and tomorrow is the weekend, what else is better than getting wasted on Friday night? The offer is too tempting to decline but God seems to have a different plan for you because Taehyung is leaning against his car with his arms crossed, in front of the bar, waiting for you.

“She won’t be joining.” He tells Minnie as he strides towards you.

“I didn’t even—”

“You didn’t tell me you had a plan with Taehyung!” Minnie gasps as she takes away the key from your hand and playfully pushes you away from the door. She quickly locks the door before turning back to you, who seems flabbergasted and Taehyung who seems somewhat pissed.

“Didn’t mean to ruin your plan, Taehyung,” she sends a fake apologetic look at you and Taehyung. “Carry on with your plan!”

Just like that, Minnie dashes off to her car. Taehyung turns and strides back to his car. You remember that he had parked his car a bit far away from the bar - how nice of him to drive it here and wait for you.

You didn’t notice you had been standing like a statue for longer than intended until you heard Taehyung’s voice.

“Are you going to stand there until sunrise?”

You blink at his bluntness. Someone’s pissed.

You get into his car as you quietly wait for him to start the car with a strong rev of the engine like he always does. The night sky is such a pleasant and welcoming sight. The stars are scattered on the sky like spilt sugar, each one of them has a shine of their own and together they light up the night sky. You notice that the engine hasn't been rev to life as the car is still not moving, the stars don't seem like it’s chasing you yet.

You turn to Taehyung who had his left hand gripping the steering wheel. “Is the… Is the car broken or what,” you ask half-seriously and half-jokingly.

“Are you going to tell me what I’ve been missing out on?” He blurts out.

“Missing out? What do you mean?” Confusion is clear on your face.

“You were flirting with Jimin and almost kissed him,” Taehyung turns to face you, raising an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t call it flirting,” you frown at him. It’s that it wasn’t flirting. You and Jimin were just talking, you’ve thought of Jimin like an old friend of yours and the conversation you had with him a few hours ago is like catching up with an old friend. It’s definitely not flirting.

“And the keyword is almost, almost kissed,” you emphasise. “But I don’t see what that has got to do with you?”

Taehyung clenches his jaw at your answer but soon he loosens it as he wets his lips and turns away from you without saying a word.

“That’s it? You were mad at me for flirting with Jimin?” You scoff in disbelief.

Taehyung is mad, pissed off for whatever reasons and one of the reasons is that you flirt with Jimin. What about him? He’s flirting with some random chick the entire night but then again you don’t have the right to be mad at him and he, too, doesn’t have the right to get mad at you for flirting with Jimin - which you didn’t, you were just talking to him.

Taehyung ignores you.

“Then, what about you? You were flirting with some random girl,” you didn’t mean to raise your voice a tad bit higher but it just came out.

“Are you jealous?” Taehyung didn’t miss a beat.

You are taken aback by his question as you immediately pursue your lips into a thin line. You are jealous but you couldn’t just tell him that, right? What would he think of that later on? It would be weird because you’re not his girlfriend to be jealous of some girls all over him or whatever, you’re his best friend for god’s sake.

“J-Just… Just get moving. I’m tired,” you are flustered so you avoid his question.

“Tell me.”

Taehyung leans towards you, killing the distance between the two of you. His arms cage you in your seat. His face is just a few inches away from you that you practically can smell the alcohol on him, his clean and minty scent of his - the smell that you dare to say that you’re addicted to. Your eyes look at anything but his eyes.

The proximity is killing you and Taehyung who doesn’t seem to budge from his position is definitely not helping. Your eyes stop at his nose and you spot the little beauty mole then your eyes travel down to his lips - pretty, fine and kissable lips of his. Perhaps your eyes had stayed on his lips a bit too long because his lips curled into a smirk.

“Eyes up here, (Y/N).” His baritone voice tells you as he tugs on your chin so that you turn to face him, eyes meeting his.

“Are you jealous, sweetheart?” He asks again, this time he makes sure that you look into his eyes as he looks into yours intensely. You suck in a deep breath, the proximity is suffocating you, the staring is killing you, your nostrils are filled with Taehyung’s scent mixed with alcohol along with his car’s scent that doesn’t smell much different from his own scent. You turn your head abruptly, breaking the eye contact but he grips on your chin and tugs you back to face him

“N-no, I’m not!” You lie through your teeth. Your hands reach out to Taehyung’s chest to push him back.

“Tell that to me while looking straight into my eyes.”

You can’t. You know you can’t and he knows you can’t. You can’t lie all while making eye contact, it will make you more nervous and if there’s anyone who can read you like a book, knows you are lying is none other than Taehyung.

“What if I tell you that I’m also jealous?”

What?

Your eyes immediately look up to his, trying to find any hint that is showing he’s lying. There’s no way your roommate would be jealous. You must’ve heard it wrong.

“I’m jealous because you were so close to kissing Jimin just now.” As if reading your mind, he tells you again.

“He was so close to kissing you. If I was a second late, he would’ve placed his lips on you and I didn’t like that thought,” his eyes drop to your lips as his thumb grazes your bottom lips.

“He was right when he said your lips are kissable, sweetheart.”

His lips are now a few inches away from yours. Yours and Taehyung’s breaths mingle. His eyes look up to you as if asking for permission. You didn’t give too much thought, you just nod.

Taehyung captures your lips.

If your lips are kissable then what about his? His lips taste of heaven and are soft. It’s a crime that these lips haven't been kissing you, it’s a crime that these lips haven’t been on yours since day one. Taehyung kisses you slowly, very much savouring the moment of his lips on your slowly as if he had all the time in the world. Your lips work at the same pace as his, savouring the taste of his lips, the feeling of his lips on yours.

The slow making out is only heightening your lust, your desire to have more of him so you take matters into your hand. You deepen the kiss as you make the move first to slide your tongue in making him groan. His hand rests on your waist, gripping tightly. Taehyung didn’t let you have the dominance in the tongue fighting - like hell he would. His tongue explored your mouth making you let out a small moan.

“Needy aren’t you?” He pulls away from you, leaving you all panting for air. A whine involuntarily escapes from your lips at the loss of contact.

“Look at you, already out of breath just from a little kissing,” he smirks as his thumb teases with your lower lips. His thumb slowly dives into your mouth, placing it on your hot tongue.

“Suck,” he orders. Fuck, his voice sounds so sexy right now.

You suck. You just do. Your tongue swirls around his thumb as Taehyung just watches you. The wet sound of coming from you is making him hard and you know it from the hard bulge on his pants.

“Your mouth is so warm,” he praises. “Can this mouth take my cock? Hmm?”

You moan as a response. Taehyung pulls out his thumb and looks at your flushed face. Your lips are still swollen from the kiss, drools on the corner of your mouth because of the sucking and licking. Your hand reaches for his hard bulge, palming it making him let out a deep growl. His fingers travel from your waist to your thigh and down to your clothed heat. He lets his finger lightly trace your body like a feather, teasing and riling you up even more.

“Are you wet, sweetheart?” He whispers. “I can smell your arousal down there.”

His lips leave wet kisses on your neck as his hand stops at your breast. “Would like me to fuck your tits too?” He fondles one of your tits. Your nipples are erected underneath your bra. His hand travels under your sweater but the piece of clothing seems to be a hindrance of his sight to your tits so he pulls up your sweater, enough to just witness the view of your tits covered by another piece of garment.

“Lace?” He hums. “I love it.”

He kisses along your sternum. The sight of Taehyung worshipping your tits is definitely not something you had expected. He licks on your meaty flesh that isn’t covered by the bra before he bites on it, leaving love bites. You yelp as your hands travel to grip on his hair.

“Want to fuck you,” he groans. “Will you let me fuck you, sweetheart?”

“Fuck yes, want to feel you, want to fuck you,” you whimper.

“I’ll be the one doing the fucking, sweets,” he lets out a deep chuckle. His lips trail up to your lips, kissing you deeply.

“I’ll fuck you so hard and deep.”

Taehyung is an impatient man.

Along the ride to the apartment, his hand travels from your thigh to your clothed heat, gripping it and once the two of you arrive, he picks you up and kisses you with urgency. He kisses you like he’ll die if he doesn’t. He consumes you like you’re the oxygen he needs to stay alive.

He brings you to his room and sits on his bed with you situated on his lap. You could feel his bulging crotch pressing on your clothed pussy. You roll your hips, creating more friction to relieve your throbbing pussy. Taehyung grips on your hips as a growl escapes his throat as a warning.

“Impatient are we?”

Says you.

His hands move from your hips to your ass, squeezing it. “Your ass is so sexy,” He asks in between the kisses. “I get hard every time you walk around the house with those tight pants of yours or when you’re wearing a skirt that doesn't leave much room for imagination.”

You whine at his words. His hands move lower to your clothed pussy, leaving trails of teasing touches.

“S-stop teasing!” You huff which he only replies with a chuckle.

“On your knees.”

You immediately get off him and kneel on the floor as he rises from the bed, his hard crotch right in front of you.

“Take my cock out,” he orders as his hand reaches out to brush your hair away from your face, stroking your hair softly and lovingly. You comply with his request and undo his pants to free out his length. His cock springs out immediately when you free it from his tight and suffocating pants.

His cock is massive and the prettiest you’ve seen - you’ve seen some from porn, yeah… - It shouldn’t be within your reach but here it is, standing proudly in front of you. Cum is leaking from the tip of his cock. You gulp at the amazing sight.

“Like what you see?”

Damn, yes you do.

“Do you ever give a blowjob?” Taehyung asks.

You shake your head. You never really had the chance to get a partner to do that. It’s safe to say that you’re busy being a broke student, a virgin at it. The glint of possessiveness shines in his dark eyes.

“I’m the first?” He caresses your scalp making you almost purr at the soft gesture. You nod at his question and his erection hardens. “And I’ll be the last.” He tells you with a hint of possessiveness in his voice. He pulls his hand from your scalp to pump his hard length.

“Will you let me fuck that little mouth of yours?”

Your eyes hastily bounce between him and his dick. Words are not needed, you want him to fuck you, let alone ruin you with that dick. You let out a broken sigh before parting your lips and that’s all the permission Taehyung needs.

He grips on his cock, smearing his precum along his length before he plunges into your mouth in one go. “Fuck,” he groans. “Your mouth is so warm.”

You try to take in all of him in your mouth as he hits the back of your throat. Your gag reflex kicks in as tears spring in the corner of your eyes, your hands gripping on his thick thighs. Taehyung looks down at you, your little mouth, your lips wrapped around his big cock.

Fuck, it only makes him harder.

“You take me so well,” he praises. He pulls out completely to let you take a breath only for a short while before he slams into your mouth again. He thrusts into your mouth like you’re nothing but a ragdoll. His pace is hard and rough - and you certainly like it.

“You look so fucking beautiful stuffed with my cock, sweetheart.”

Your panties are dampened enough. You feel your pussy throb harder at his words, you feel your pussy getting wetter at every praise he gives you. You clench your thighs trying to find some sort of relief for your aching pussy.

“This mouth is mine,” he growls. “Those lips should only wrap around my cock and only mine. Do you understand that?” He slows down and rolls his hips, fingers in your hair. You taste his pre cum on your tongue as you swirl your tongue around his thick length. You hear Taehyung grunting out a moan and conclude that no other sound is sexier than his moans.

“You’ll take my loads like a good girl, sweetheart? My angel— Fuck.”

You are full of his taste in your mouth, his scent fills your nostrils. He’s everywhere and you’re surrounded by all of him. Taehyung picks up his pace of thrusting in and out of your mouth. His body turns rigid and his moans fill the room as he spills his hot cum down your throat. You watch through your lashes mesmerised by the view of Taehyung reaching his high.

You try to swallow all of his loads as you angle your head properly but some still manage to escape from your mouth. His cum streams down the corners of your mouth, his cock still inside of you but it doesn't soften, if possible it only hardens as he watches you in awe, a sheen of possessiveness shines in his eyes. The sight of you taking in all of his cock is a sight to behold; tears are pooling in the corner of your eyes, your drools and his cum are mixed together at the corner of your mouth and your cheeks flush.

He pulls out and slides his thumb to collect the cum at the corner of your mouth.

“Open.”

Your lips part as you do as he tells you to.

He slowly thrusts his thumb into your mouth, smearing his cum all over your tongue and even around your slick and swollen lips. You wrap your lips around his thumb, tongue licking and sucking his thumb to clear it off his cum. He groans out praises, telling you how good of you to take in all of him.

Taehyung pulls out his thumb from your mouth as he grabs your arm and takes you into a heated kiss. His hard erection pressing over your clothed body.

His touch is intoxicating, everything about him is intoxicating. He’s a drug - a drug you never know you need so bad and you’re intoxicated.

“Taehyung,” you moan between the kisses. “Fu–Fuck me.”

“Yeah?” He groans in your mouth. “You want me to fuck you?”

You nod hastily. Your pussy is clenching over nothing and it’s unbearable.

He breaks the kiss. “How do you want me to fuck you, sweetheart?” He pushes you down to the bed, his body hovering over you. “Should I fuck your pussy with my cock? Or should I fuck your pussy with my tongue and fingers?”

“W-Want all of you,” you whimper out an answer.

“Greedy little girl, aren’t you?” He clicks his tongue. “Are you sure your little cunt can take all of me, sweetie?”

You pant out a yes. Taehyung takes off his jacket and pulls his shirt over his head, undressing himself. You take in the sight of his sculpted body, a body to die for, a body that will make the Greek Gods envious. He’s in his naked glory in front of you and he leans in to kiss you again.

“Take off your clothes.”

You immediately jump into action. The black sweater is discarded in a blink of an eye, your pants are gone too with the help of Taehyung. You’re now left in your undergarments.

“Fuck, you’re so sexy,” his hands roam all over your body, leaving wet kisses everywhere. His hand reaches for your back, unclipping the bra as he takes it off to give him the view of your tits. He fondles your mounds, your hardened peaks in between his fingers. He twists and tugs on your nipples making you cry out a broken moan. Once your nipples are erect enough, he takes one of your nipples into his mouth and sucks roughly. He switches to your other nipples, giving them equal amounts of attention.

His tongue is swirling around your hardened bud and it only builds up your arousal even more. If you were wet before then you’re two times wetter right now. Your nerves are on fire as the pleasure builds up, heat is spreading under your skin and your back is arching in pleasure as you chase more of his warmth.

“F-Fuck, Taehyung,” his mouth is hot.

Your hand travels down to your lower region, your cunt. You want nothing more than a touch to relieve your aching pussy. Your hands are a few inches away from your sex but you retract it with a whimper when Taehyung suddenly bites on your nipple.

“Don’t touch yourself unless I tell you to.”

“But—”

He bites on your nipple again, making you let out a yelp. His hand moves to your lower region, cupping your aching and throbbing heat making your hips jerk at the sudden contact but soon you start to grind on his hand to find some sort of relief.

“Taehyung,” you let out a shaky breath. “Please.”

“Please what?” His pointed tongue laps at your areola and flicks your nipple. The hand that is cupping your sex just stays still without any further movement.

“Please t-touch me,”

Taehyung pulls away from your breast and captures your lips into another kiss. His fingers touch your wet folds, leaving light and teasing touches. You moan into the kiss when his thumb slowly circles your clit.

“You’re so wet,” he grunts. “Wet for me?”

He slides a finger into your cunt. You cry out a moan at the sudden intrusion.

“Fuck, your walls are clenching on my finger so hard,” he starts moving his finger at a slow and steady pace, his eyes looking at your face for any hint of discomfort and when he sees nothing but the look of pleasure, he increases his pace and adds in another finger.

“Need to prepare this hot and tight cunt for my fat cock, yeah?”

Your wall tightens at his words. Taehyung places a hand on your hip to hold you down from squirming. His fingers are knuckles deep inside of your heat. He curls his digits, hitting the particular pleasure spot. A high pitched moan escapes your lips and Taehyung knows immediately he has found your g-spot.

“You’re so hot, (Y/N),” he pecks your lips and looks at your face. You’re already a mess just from him finger fucking you. He continues hitting on the spot with his fingers making you a moaning mess.

“Cum for me, sweetheart.”

He picks up his pace into finger fucking you and as if at his command, your walls spasm and contract around his digits. You come undone on his fingers as your back arches and head thrown to the back, eyes rolling back in pleasure.

You calm down for your high, your breathing is laboured as you try to recollect yourself. Taehyung looks at you with a stunned look before he leans in to kiss you deeply. Your lips lazily try to reciprocate with the eagerness he pours into the kiss.

“You look so hot while coming undone around my fingers,” he tells you in between the kisses. “Bet you’ll look even hotter coming around my dick.”

He pulls out his finger, circling and playing with your folds slowly before pulling away completely from you. He picks you up by your waist as he leans against the headboard and situates you on his lap again.

“Ride me,” his hands grip your hips. His length is standing proud and hard, the leaking tip is inches away from your entrance. “Does this pussy ever take in any dick, hmm?”

You shake your head and his grips on your hips tighten. He pulls you closer until your flushed body is pressed against his, your hands gripping on his shoulders. His hands snake around your back, landing on your arse. He repeats his action of squeezing and spreading your arse all while his lips leave wet kisses on your stomach. Your heart flutters with the amount of kisses Taehyung has been giving you, kissing you on the lips, kissing your breast and now kissing your stomach.

“And it will never take in any dick other than mine,” he growls. “Your pussy will only know my dick, my tongue and my fingers.”

Your walls clench around nothing. His words do nothing but ignite your neediness, your horniness. Taehyung runs one of his hands back to your hip and the other down to your pussy.

“And while I fuck you I want you to scream out my name,” his baritone voice does wonder to you.

“But now I want you to fuck yourself on my cock,” he spreads your folds. “Can you do that?”

You hesitate for a while before you nod, taking up his request.

“Words, sweetheart.”

“Y-Yes.”

Taehyung mumbles praise and places one last kiss on your stomach before pulling away, letting you have your spotlight of fucking yourself on his dick.

You line up the tip of his dick to your wet entrance. Taehyung watches you with heavy lust in his eyes. You slowly sink on his length, your walls burn at the intrusion. When you manage to sink enough to cover his tip of dick, you let out a shaky breath. His two fingers in your cunt are nothing to compare with the size of his dick.

“Want help, sweetie?” He caresses the skin of your hips. Surprisingly to him, you shake your head to which he raises a brow but you give him no mind. You focus on the burn in your lower region. You want to prove to him that you can take his dick to the brim.

You are a sucker for praises. His praises.

You sink down onto his dick in one go. A high pitched moan escapes your mouth as his dick stretches your walls. Curses fall out of Taehyung lips because of your tightness, your pussy tightens around his dick, holding him with a vice grip.

“Fuck…” he lets out a breathy moan. “Taking in all of me like the good girl you are.”

Your stomach flips at his praise. The urge to make him feel good is strong. You raise your hips enough until only his tip is covered by your walls and sink on his length again. You keep up the steady pace with Taehyung’s hands still on your hips, sometimes helping and manoeuvring you. The room is filled with the mix of your moans and Taehyung’s moans.

Your legs are starting to give out as your pace starts to get slower and unsteady. Taehyung notices it and immediately flips the two of you and your back immediately meets with the soft mattress. His hands grip the back of your thighs, spreading them.

Taehyung makes love and he also fucks. When he fucks, he fucks deep and hard, just like he had told you. He didn’t hold back from snapping his hips in and out of you hard and deep. You are a moaning mess when he hits your g-spot. He tortures your pleasure spot, hitting it with his length.

He leans into you, kissing you once again. He rolls his hips, his cock buried deep inside your cunt. You moan into his mouth and he gladly swallows your sounds. His lips trail down to your jaw and finally to your neck. He sucks on the skin of your neck, littering your neck with his marks all while rolling his hips, his length buried deep inside you.

Taehyung pulls away only to replace his pace with a powerful and deep thrust. Every thrust has you closer to your climax. Taehyung sees your face contorted in pleasure, your walls tightening around his dick. He brings his thumb to your clit, circling and pinching it. You’re a mess, skin flushed and red, naked under him with his cock buried deep inside you, moaning uncontrollably with each hard and powerful thrust.

“You’re close, sweets?” He asks with a heavy breath.

“I’m c-close. Want to cum, w-want your cum inside of me.”

Fuck it makes him crazy.

“Want my cum inside of you?” You could hear the smirk in his voice. “Want to paint your walls white with my cum, yeah?” Taehyung continues circling your pearl with his thumb, pushing you over the edge.

“Cum.”

As if in command, your walls flutter around his cock. You come undone around his cock with a loud cry of his name, your eyes rolling to the back, your back arches and your thighs shaking. Taehyung slows his pace as you try to calm down from your high. His dick slides in and out of you, Taehyung watches the way your essence is coating his length with every thrust.

“Fuck, so warm,” he rasps. “Going to fill this pussy with my cum, yeah?”

Taehyung starts to pick up his pace, deep and punishing thrusts. You whimper at the feeling of overstimulation. Your pussy is still sensitive from the powerful orgasm but you want him to cum in you. Broken moans leave your lips and that serves as motivations for Taehyung. Your moans and cries are a melody to his ears. You are a mess under him and he is the reason why you’re a mess.

The thought of painting your walls white with his cum, filling your pussy with his seeds. With one last powerful thrust, Taehyung spills inside you, emptying himself inside you. He cums in you with deep grunts followed by a string of curses. You are dizzy with the pleasure that you start seeing stars.

Taehyung leans in and hides his face in the crook of your neck. His heavy breath tickles your skin. You feel his length softening inside of you. He leaves open mouth kisses at the expense of your skin before pulling away. As he pulls away, his dick slowly slides out of you. His cum spills out of your pussy and his fingers collect it, stuffing it back into your pussy. You are shaking, your pussy flinches at the overstimulation. He brings his fingers that had collected his cum mixed with yours to your mouth which you gladly open.

“Good girl.”

The streak of possessiveness shines in his eyes as he looks at the mess he has made. You. But it seems that he’s not done when you see him leaning down to your pussy. He blows at your entrance, watching the way your pussy clenches making his cum spill out again and he gladly moves his fingers to stuff it back into you.

Taehyung brings his lips to leave trails of kisses along your thighs, leaving bites here and there too. He comes back to your pussy as he spreads your pussylips. Suddenly, you feel his hot tongue lapping on your cunt. Your hips automatically jerk at the feeling. Taehyung places his hands on your hips to keep you still while he’s eating you out.

He sucks on your clit before pushing his tongue into your pussy. He looks at you through his lashes, you are already looking at him. Having Taehyung in between your legs, eating you out makes you feel something indescribable but it’s a good thing. Taehyung looks at you intensely all while eating you out. His tongue sloppily laps on your pussy as he consumes you whole. He pulls away as he spreads your pussylips, finding your clit only to suck onto it again making you moan out a cry.

With one last suck, he pulls away completely. He gets up and leans into you to capture your lips into a deep, heated kiss. You could feel your taste with his in your mouth as his tongue dominates you. Your fingers play with his soft and fluffy hair, gripping it at some times.

“Sweetheart,” he rasps. “Does this mean you’re mine?”

“Only if you agree you’re mine, if yes then I’m all yours.”

“Fuck, I’m yours, sweetheart.”

You never thought the bathtub in your shared apartment would fit two people in it but you guess it’s because you never try getting in with another human so obviously you would’ve never thought.

You’ve lost track of the time and honestly, you would like to just pass out after the sex with Taehyung but he insists on cleaning up the two of you first so here you are, in the bathtub with Taehyung.

His hands massage your back and shoulder. The silence is not making it awkward but instead, it’s a peaceful silence, comfortable even, only the sound of water and the slow breathing of the two of you are audible.

“Do you know that Jimin has feelings for you?” Taehyung suddenly breaks the silence. His question catches you off guard.

“What do you mean?” You frown.

“You’re dumb.”

His dick is resting on your back so you push back to roll your arse on him. He had to put his hands on your hips to stop you. “You’re asking for more, sweetheart,” he grunts.

“Jimin likes you. That’s why he comes along with Jungkook to the bar,” he tells you.

“Well? I don’t like Jimin, so…” You shrug.

“You were about to kiss him. What about that, sweets?” He kisses your shoulder. “Were you trying to make me jealous?”

“Maybe,” you lean back on his chest. “But isn’t it fair for me to flirt with Jimin when you were there flirting with some random girl?”

“I wasn’t flirting,” he argues. “She’s the one who’s pressing her body on me.”

“Yet you didn’t push her away.”

“Because all my focus is on you.”

You giggle. Taehyung cups your jaw to turn you so that he can kiss you. His lips mould with yours in a slow and passionate kiss. The kiss doesn’t involve tongues, only the movements of the lips.

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, baby.”

387 notes · View notes

thejustmaiden · 3 years

Text

So out of nowhere I was tagged and quoted by a SR shipper for a blog of mine posted in August of last year. Talk about throwback but, hey, gotta appreciate that level of snooping. 😉

Back in the day I actually used to encourage discourse amongst Inuyasha fans- both shippers and antis alike- but I've since realized that it's a lost cause. But for you, @feministmetalgreymon , I'll grant this exception. Just 'cause it's been a while so why the hell not. haha

I want to assure you, however, that nothing you say will ever convince me that Sesshomaru and Rin are meant to be together romantically or that the story intended it so. Nor will you find any validation here. You can ship them for all I care, but please for all that is good and holy while I have your attention try- I mean really try- to understand why it is so many of us Inuyasha fans are so against this pairing in the first place (newsflash: it's not about ship wars), and why we believe a romance between the two of them is completely and utterly out of character.

For those of you interested in reading this, the blog of mine in question that the above shipper mentions in their counter-argument is here for reference. It's titled "Jaken = Rin's Dad?" I'm going to try and keep this short, but I'm also making no such promises. After all, I'm not exactly known for my brevity. haha Now let's get crackin'!

Like you, feministmetalgreymon, did for your recent blog here where you took screenshots of mine to address certain parts, I will be doing the same and dissecting yours accordingly.

[Snippet 1]

I worked with kids for many years as a teacher, and many people in my family have too or still do. Two of them happen to be just over 5 feet which is quite short for the average adult woman living here. I've also worked alongside many a women of short stature, and never did I hear any of them complaining of issues with their students having difficulty differentiating them from their own peers just because they were short as well. I'm sorry but that's just ridiculous. Kids are quite smart and pick up on a lot more than you seem to give them credit for. Height is not the only characteristic they look at to determine who's an adult and who's not, and it's foolish to suggest otherwise. So unless you're a babysitter who's still in their teens and/or who has very childlike features or behavior then I'm afraid what you're getting at is total hogwash. This is just another example of how you shippers offer nothing of real substance to your reasoning, it's only ever cherry-picking or strawmanning from you guys. Stop deflecting from the real issues please, because this certainly isn't one and only winds up being a complete waste of time for all parties involved.

[Snippet 2]

Okay, calm down now. I wasn't insinuating that relationships between parents and children can't change over time in terms of how they get along. Of course that's possible, as all families experience their fair share of estrangement and abuse. What I was speaking about was in reference to the overall dynamic between the two. Because a bad mother or father can still be viewed as a parental figure to their child even if say they're not in said child's life anymore. Since Sesshomaru and Rin share a healthy bond- and just a friendly reminder that in my blog I even said that he doesn't have to necessarily be labeled her father but that a romantic relationship later would still be inappropriate- I didn't deem it necessary to address what you brought up. Plus, it kinda, umm, misses the point?? Please, let's stay on topic. And it's not captured in the screenshot, but stop acting like there isn't a small part of them that idolizes their parents at some point during childhood. Just like you mention later on how it's normal for kids to have innocent crushes on adults that they eventually grow out of? Well, guess what, the same concept applies here. Kids eventually learn that their parents are far from perfect and make mistakes too. Rin is so damn young in the OG series though that we never even get to see her reach that maturity level.

[Snippet 3]

LOL! Alright, okay, so the "unbreakable bond" bit you're mentioning was actually me quoting you sessrinners. Did you not catch that? I literally spelled it out. *sigh* The whole point I was making is that shippers like yourself make hypocritical and contradictory statements all.the.goddamn.time. One moment you guys claim that Sesshomaru and Rin were essentially strangers and meant very little to each other, only to say in the same breath a few seconds later that they were destined to be together and their bond is like no other. I agree, their bond is special, but why must that mean they're going to fall in love?

That is the root of the matter here. Too many animes/mangas have romanticized this older adult man & young girl growing up falling in love trope that it's become way too normalized and widely accepted across the world- and yes, in some cultures more than others. Sadly, you lack the awareness to recognize how this all works. You know how we know that? When we see that you shippers are so desensitized to sexualized images of girls in the media that you share posts like this one below which *subtly* imply a future romance although one half of that pairing is still just a child in the pic and then try and pass it off as cute. That's like super fucking problematic and it scares me that you can't see that (or deny you do). 🤢

After all that's said and done, Sesshomaru leaving Rin in the village with Kaede is to me the strongest indicator more than pretty much anything else he's done for Rin that proves he is her adoptive father. It's so funny to me how you somehow see the exact opposite though. 🤔 What I think is happening is that you got yourself on some squeaky clean ass shipper goggles fresh out of your little echo chamber. Because I hate to tell you, but what you're fantasizing is what you want to see and not what's actually there on screen or was written into the story. I'm strictly talking about Inuyasha and the manga of course. [For the TL; DR version skip to the last paragraph.]

Parents looking after their kids is what parents are supposed to do. A good parent will do anything to keep their child safe and ensure they are cared for, so what he did for her by leaving her there was in her best interests clearly. Besides, as a babysitter, you more than most people should understand that parents aren't always able to be there for their kids so sometimes others gotta step in to help. Haven't you heard of the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child?" Which in Rin's case is literally true! 😂 Sometimes kids are even sent off to stay with grandparents and that's who raises them instead. Or maybe they have to temporarily live with an aunt or uncle because their single parent's job requires they work out of town 4-5 days of the week so they're hardly home. But that doesn't mean that the parents care or love their kids any less, and it's foolish to assume that Sesshomaru must have thought very little of Rin simply due to the fact that he made the decision to leave her in the village. Come on, y'all are acting like he abandoned her there!!

It's just given the circumstances Sesshomaru finally came to learn that Rin traveling with him was no longer safe. I also like to think it's because he wished for her to live a more normal life and to learn how to fully trust humans again. Plus, continuing to travel with him as young as she was would have proven dangerous and unwise. Now for you to know all this and still manage to turn his past actions towards her while she was just a child into a romantic gesture is what boggles my mind. Regardless of how you look at it, from my perspective or your own, Sesshomaru is in the wrong. Either he's a father figure who impregnates his daughter at the young age of approximately 14. OR he's this man she used to travel with who maybe isn't a father to her but who nonetheless basically rapes her since kids her age can't consent to sex with an adult. Idk about you but it sounds to me like nobody here wins with either scenario we're given. In other words, you should be just as mad as we are. If only one side didn't choose to forsake their morals they know we both have in common for the sake of a ship. Welp. 🤷‍♀️

I agree, incest is disgusting but that's not the only problem we have with this pairing. A romantic bond forming between Sesshomaru and Rin would also constitute as grooming.

You realize that over the years he visited her in the village that he brought her gifts too and essentially watched her grow up right before his very eyes, right? I mean, I know you do, but I really shouldn't have to explain further why pursuing a romantic/sexual relationship with each other is plain and simple wrong. And before you say it's not because he didn't have any malintent, please understand that considering their history and power dynamic up to then that yes this is still considered grooming even if Rin supposedly "wanted it" or "made the first move." Whether you consider him her father or not, as the adult who took on a role resembling that of a caretaker in her early life- a critical developmental time for a child- Sesshomaru is obligated to turn down any advances by Rin and most definitely should not initiate any himself. As the first close adult figure she's had in her life since her parents died, it's unfathomable to imagine how Sesshomaru could go through with taking advantage of this young girl who was under his care and supervision since they met. To think he could be capable of betraying that trust sickens me to the core.

This. Now THIS is how a parent/guardian or a similar adult caretaker (babysitter, teacher, etc.) talks to a child. And, in turn, this is how some young children talk to adults. You'd be insane and delusional to deny it! We see it in our everyday lives, do we not? From where else do you think our stories draw most of their inspiration? Yes, obviously these fictional universes have aspects of fantasy that don't exist in the real world, but so how then do you suppose we're able to relate to them? The reason for that being is because these stories are written by people for people, so naturally there are going to be real life aspects embedded throughout. Sure, a little escapism doesn't hurt as we don't need to take everything so seriously, but ultimately we all need to recognize that the messages in the stories we tell matter. Most stories possess a combination of both light and dark themes, but when it specifically comes to the latter we gotta be careful with how we tackle this in children's media since kids are far more impressionable.

So if at the center of a story we have two of the main protagonists whose mom is basically their same age and to top it off she knew their dad when she was just a girl and who just so happened to help raise her, wouldn't you say that's beyond fucked up or at the very least so fucking weird? Like why would we think it's even remotely okay for our children to watch this garbage?? Really think about it. Try and be objective for once and think about how it would sound explaining this storyline to an outsider who's never watched IY or HNY. Well, antis have tried this before many times and we always get the same reaction: Ewww!

Like I said earlier, if you wanna ship it then fine, but 1) please stop seeking our approval or trying to change our minds - your ship wish came true didn't it, so why do you need us to validate it? 2) even though it's not canon, respect that we don't support this sequel portraying pedophilia in a positive light. It's harmful af to not only allow but glorify the continuation of sexualized images of young girls everywhere. And I shouldn't have to say this, but just because this trope is popular as you say does not make it right. Lolicon themes in the media have been an issue forever and it needs to stop. Yes, even some people in Japan or "the East" would agree. Shocker!

We're pissed off and rightfully so because Yashahime's TV rating is 14, not to mention it airs at the prime time kids in Japan watch TV after getting home from school. That's Towa and Setsuna's age, true, but if Rin being the mom when she's like only a year older than them (please don't argue w/ me about the math- antis have so far been right every time with it) is straight-up disgusting and not something we should be supporting or endorsing. Rin's a whole ass child!! Please don't start with the "but times were different then so her having kids at 15 is acceptable" argument either, because we've already debunked that and every other single excuse you guys throw at us. Besides, how or why would you expect young viewers to know these historical "facts" anyway, especially if as you suggest fiction doesn't affect reality so what does it matter? Yet here we are, arguing over a fictional show in real life almost a year and a half into the "Sesshomaru fucks?" sequel being announced. My ass, your ass, hell all our asses fiction doesn't affect reality!

Look, I do apologize if the tone of this blog came off as snippy or condescending at times. I do not wish you any ill will, it's just I'm not really sure what you expected to get out of all this besides maybe getting on my nerves perhaps. haha A lot of you shippers have been desperately scrambling to interact with us, lurking in our tags, jumping onto our posts screaming canon and getting so defensive even though you sought us out first. We've been sticking to our tags, so how about you stay in your lane too. By the way since we're on the topic, have you seen Twitter or Reddit?! SR shippers there are the actual worst and many Inuyasha fans (not just antis) have complained of not feeling welcomed to engage in fandom spaces anymore. Shippers swarm them and scare them off simply because fans don't like your ship and refuse to accept it. It's pathetic, really. No one should ever be bullied or harassed just because they don't like something you might. We're all fans of Inuyasha, aren't we? So let's act like it. Yashahime on the other hand, you guys are welcome to that pungent heap of trash. Fans have a right to criticize it too, but if you like it then good for you, so keep on liking it and don't mind us.

I'm almost done, but real quick back to Jaken! Let's not forget about how the official Yashahime website- which came out after my blog, mind you- described Jaken. This translation isn't the best one available but it's the only version a fellow anti friend could track down. They do recall a better one done by a native Japanese speaker who was also an anti, and that member confirmed that Jaken is indeed called Rin's babysitter. So you see, I was right in my interpretation. In the original post I did compare Jaken to a brother, but after talking to others (some comments can be found under said post) I did acknowledge that he's more of a reluctant babysitter who's not related. And if he's not at least a brother to Rin, then he's definitely not her father.

At the end of the day, the creator Rumiko Takahashi has the final word. Which is guess what? Hogosha. 💖 Probably should've just started out with that and saved us all the trouble, huh? Good day/night to you.

Papamaru bids you adieu now. 🤞

#anti yashahime #anti sessrin #sesshomaru is rin's dad #papamaru #hogosha 💖#the sequel may not be canon but sunrise can still burn in hell

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summonerscenarios · 3 years

Note

So, mc adopting at least one of each of the Child mobs, how would that go?

IT MAY BE 4AM BUT THAT'S NEVER STOPPED ME BEFORE LETS DO SOME MF HCS.

Sadly I was only able to work on two of the mob kiddos as I didn't want this to get too long but I still hope its okay~!

Also just a heads up a lot of this is a pure waffle of information based on my own interpretations of the mobs so here's hoping I did a good job with them lmao.

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It wouldn’t have been the first time you’d ended up inadvertently adopting someone, nor will it be the last knowing your luck. It’s not like you intentionally do anything to draw people to you, it just so happened that the things that you did and situations you got wrapped up in led to you getting to know all kinds of people in the process. And those people saw you in all kinds of ways - most saw you as friends, others saw someone else in you, more than a few made no attempts to hide their blatant flirting - and, rarely, a few would even see you as a role model,a mentor or parental figure to look up to.

You honestly have no idea why, after all, it’s not as though you go out of your way to make particularly responsible decisions (if anything, you get yourself in enough trouble that you’d imagine you’re anything but a role model) but a lot of the younger transients and students seem to flock towards your presence, looking for comfort, advice, or just someone who respects them. At first it was just the younger members of your guild that you technically took under your wing - as the Guildmaster you assumed it was only natural to look out for them, and you’d long gotten used to protecting Agyo and Kijimuna, wanting to make sure that the only thing they had to worry about was having the chance to be kids rather than getting dragged into the Guild’s app-based affairs. It’s not like responsible parental figures are easy to come by in this world of app-battles and fighting, so that’s perhaps why when you start taking a more protective, nurturing role with the younger ones that more of them begin popping up.

Surprisingly, the ghosts are some of the first mob children that you noticed began flocking towards you. Roaming spirits are unusual but certainly not rare, and it honestly breaks your heart a little to see so many young ghosts lingering around in the unexplored corners of the city, searching for one thing or another. Things feel...off, for a while before you can pin down the issue - you start feeling as though you’re being watched when you’re in the guildhouse by someone other than your teammates, and when your attempts to shake off the uneasy feeling doesn’t work, you decide to bring it up to your fellow Guild members in case it’s someone trying to spy. You want to make sure it’s not someone who can bring danger to the guild, but you don’t have much of a chance to set up a search of the building when the D-evils come tottering into your field of view, screeching up a storm and motioning towards an otherwise unassuming corner of the window.

Turns out you weren’t the only one noticing the other presence, as Shiro’s D-evils seem to have picked up on it to - and when your attention snaps over to the window to see what they’re pointing to you barely catch a glimpse of the flickering figure of a ghost child as they disappear from view. From that point on you start spotting the child more often - he’s shy or wary, always lingering someone just out of the corner of your eye but never getting any closer almost like he’s afraid. He seems to have taken an interest in you though, especially whenever the younger guild members come around to spend time at the guild, and it isn’t long before you notice that he’s intently watching the way you watch over and care for the kids of the guild - he looks almost sad in these instances, but never dares to get any closer and disappears as soon as you turn to look at him. Over time it becomes almost normal to have a resident ghost at the guild (though Agyo still shudders at the mention of ghosts despite having seen the kid plenty of times since arriving). He seems to be more at ease after a while of watching you, and things finally come to a head one day when you’re playing videogames with Hanuman and the other kids, noticing that the little ghost has wandered far closer than he’d ever done in the past, watching the small screen setup on the floor with an avid interest that seems far happier than the forlorn looks he’d had before. Taking a chance you tilt your head to look over at the ghost child, motioning him to come over and join; he disappears for a moment, startled, but right as you start to worry you may have scared the kid off he rematerializes, inching hesitantly closer and closer till he’s hovering beside the rest of your group, eyes fixed to the characters on screen with a child-like wonder.

You aren’t quite sure how this ended up with you adopting the ghost child yourself. It’s just one day you were talking about how you were pretty much adopted by the teachers at school and how you’d like to pay it forward some day, and the next you were talking about ‘son’ this, and ‘might as well take the kid under your wing’ that - you were practically acting like an impromptu parent for like a fifth of the people you knew anyway, so what was actually adopting a child? Toji had just about choked to death when you’d made the unfortunate decision to announce that fact mid-drink, and Shiro spent more than his fair share of time probing you with the legal questions surrounding a student adopting a child, ghost transient or not. Ryota seems incredibly excited by the idea however, gushing about being an uncle and wondering if your new son can eat and if so what his favorite food is - plenty of questions for a later time.

Ghost is certainly the most clingy of the children you end up adopting, and it’s clear from the get go in the sense that the poor little one is essentially glued to your side from the moment you take the venture to actually adopting him. With few things remaining in the physical world to cling onto, the familial bond is something that the little one cherishes and he absolutely refuses to budge on letting it, and by proxy, you, go. For a while he actually fears you’re going to leave him and take back what you said about protecting him and being a good parent. He of course had parents once, and their lack of presence at his side now paints a tragic picture no matter what way you look at it, so the kids got more than a few attachment issues you need to work through. Ghost doesn’t really talk too much, instead relying on gestures and interacting with things around him to talk to you and others - it takes a little bit to get used to if you’re unfamiliar with some of the gestures but it’s easy to pick up as time goes on.

Definitely one of the more well behaved children of the bunch, given that once you’ve convinced him that you’re not abandoning him he’s dead set on making you proud. He gets antsy when you’re not around, spending most of his time at the guild when you're at classes, but he takes to following Agyo around instead during these times. Agyo’s more than a little startled at first, and is a bit awkward about the whole situation as he processes it, but before long Agyo’s not only getting along with your ghostly son, but he’s also teaching him the ‘lion dog duties’ that he’s been teaching you - you’ll never quite forget walking in to Agyo giving the poor kid a detailed rundown on the upkeep of the guildhouse and all that it pertains.

It was supposed to only be the one child, you swear, but damn if you haven’t got a bleeding heart and a knack for attracting trouble. Word travels around fast about your adoption, and as more people learn about your impromptu push to parenthood people start coming to you for help - namely, kids with nowhere else to go. Maybe it’s your bleeding heart or savior complex, but before long one kid becomes two, and then two becomes three, and soon enough you’ve got four kids on your hands.

There’s no denying that things get a little bit rocky when you start taking in other children. Despite the other kids in the guild, Ghost has technically been the only child up to this point, and with your attention shifting from both him and the other children at once it’s a sudden change - one that you thankfully discussed with him first to make sure he was okay. Even with the okay though, Ghost is more than a little anxious when you bring the second child, a nether sprite, ‘home’, especially because of how loud she is by comparison. Nether sprite is an absolute ball of energy and mischievous to boot, so she more than makes for an interesting parallel to the otherwise quiet Ghost you’ve been taking care of the past few months.

She’s a handful, especially during the first few weeks that she’s settling in - it takes her a while to really start seeing the place as home, and even longer for her to even consider you a parental figure (she’s seen you as more of a babysitter till you proved you were willing to stick around and put the effort in to be a good parent). Once she does settle in however she takes to the place quickly, and, to your surprise, your two kids become thick as thieves. The Nether sprite catches on quickly to how Ghost communicates, and given his penchant to linger around those he’s close to and follow them around she’s more than happy to drag him all over the shop from one activity to another - it’s a surprising development but one you actively encourage. Unfortunately as I mentioned she’s still mischievous, though tones it down from anything too troublesome if it’ll cause you too much grief.

However that hasn’t stopped the amount of times you’ve gotten calls from someone about the kind of trouble you two little ones have wound up getting themselves into - looks like they both picked up your knack for getting intentionally and unintentionally dragged into the weirdest events (sure, it’s fun when you do it, but having your kids doing it only serves to give you grey hairs from the stress.) And things only get crazier once the other kids end up coming along, for both better and worse - but that’s a story for another time.

#tokyo afterschool summoners #housamo #housamo mob #housamo ghost #housamo sprite #housamo lantern #housamo nether sprite #request #ask #gzgs222-blog #first post in....hooo boy #a WHILE #i think im a little rusty so please bear with me while i get back on track #i will probably do one for the ciramantep and jiangshi in the future #but for now we got the ghost and the lantern #a fitting combo lmao

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lov3nerdstuff · 3 years

Text

Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 7.32}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student, blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 5.7k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

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Half an hour after dinner had been over with, Robin made her way to the foot of the astronomy tower with Cas, Melissa and Lisa in tow. The latter hadn't been part of the original plan, but due to circumstance Robin had spontaneously decided that six eyes might yet see more than four. Thus the three younger girls were babbling excitedly all along the way now, each wrapped into their warmest robes upon Robin's insistent command, and they did not falter to chat even as Robin wordlessly unlocked the door that led to the tower's staircase.

It was sealed with the same spell as all the other classrooms, and once again she wondered why none of the students had figured out the spell to unlock either just yet… But then again, perhaps it was one of those spells that couldn't be discovered without the permission to have such knowledge in the first place. The castle seemed to have a sentience in that regard, that much Robin could tell from just her limited experience with ancient magic. That however was a topic for another day, and Robin went on to usher her company up the stairs ahead of her now, or else they would never arrive on top of the tower before Morgan was prone to leave. Otherwise, things were all set by now, at long last and after a whole lot of unwanted social interactions.

In the past thirty minutes, Robin had gone on to make another minor change to her plans. Instead of having Snape write them a note to have them stay out past curfew, Robin had simply sought out the professor who was on patrol duty that night and let him know –in her usual intimidatingly neutral manner– that the girls were to be excluded from curfew, and were very well supposed to be up in the astronomy tower on their own for the next few hours. Unsurprisingly, the man had simply taken Robin's word for it, and nodded his understanding and compliance without questioning her non-existent authority in this matter. Nobody questioned her these days; it was as if an unspoken rule had made rounds among the staff of Hogwarts that Robin was sheer unimpeachable, and the occasional un-student-like matters she concerned herself with were either to be supported or overlooked.

Really, if Robin had to guess, she would've said that this was entirely Dumbledore's doing. It had to be, because not even Snape's authority stretched far enough to warrant such a universally easy acceptance of any and every of her unusual behaviours. And giving the patrolling professor instructions on who and who not to hold accountable to curfew tonight, without even as much as mentioning Snape or anyone else of actual authority in the conversation, certainly was such a behaviour.

"Are you sure we won't get into trouble for being up here, and staying here past curfew?" Cas asked as if on cue, right when Robin's string of thought came to a momentary conclusion. "I mean… we're technically breaking more than just one rule right now, aren't we?"

"You aren't breaking any rule at all currently, nor will you if you do as I say." She replied with a half smile, almost a little out of breath when they finally reached the top of the stairs. "And you've always wanted to 'do fun things like me', isn't that what you said last week? This right here is something of the very likes of that."

"True. If you say we're good then we're good." Cas sighed, and the usual wide smile spread on her face as she skipped ahead to the large window that overlooked the landscape beyond the school. It really was a marvelous sight one had from up here… but Robin had no time to dwell on it.

In as few words as possible, she explained to the girls that – supposedly because of her challenge with the boys – she needed to be alerted when Morgan left the castle, as well as when he returned here. To Robin's surprise, all three girls seemed beyond eager to help her with this endeavour, and they agreed to let her know of Morgan's movements as soon as they could. Content with that, Robin left them to themselves and the night as she made her way back down the tower, and further down into the dungeons. Should Cas and her friends do the waiting and watching up there… Robin was only too happy to wait down in the office with Snape instead, where they could let their guards down without anyone getting in the way. She deserved a little break before the inevitable nightmare that was this endeavour with Morgan continued. Before they would have to deal with all those unanswered questions, and the prospect of perhaps inevitable death.

Once Robin let herself into the office as always, she was more than happy to see that Snape was waiting for her already, and he in return wasted no time before locking the doors back up even more meticulously than usual. He obviously hadn't run into Morgan either then… Good. Robin let out a long breath in the knowledge that she could finally relax for the first time in hours. At least for this fleeting moment.

While she went on to make them coffee first of all, Snape explained –upon her insistent request– how exactly he had ensured that Morgan would be leaving the castle tonight. In the end, it had been a simple work of manipulation and deceit to him, and Robin was in awe as ever at both the sheer brilliance and power that came so naturally to Snape it would never cease to impress her. Especially since he had done the exact same thing she had, but around way more edges and corners. To think that he so easily could get anything he wanted… it made her skin tingle, and her mind take incessant pride in the fact that he still had chosen her to be his equal. The shivers of delight that rolled over her upon the thought were a sweet torture, but a distraction from the topic at hand. She placed his coffee in front of him, then sat down across from him in her usual seat and listened on.

First of all, Snape had convinced McGonagall, through saying and not saying the right things at the right time, that there recently had been severe tensions between the teaching staff that were having a negative impact on the students. That much was only too true, after all. Of course his scarce words to the woman had been a mere complaint about the facts, not a notice or suggestion for improvement, but he had precisely known how they would be understood and acted upon nonetheless. McGonagall, good-hearted as she was, had of course sought to take immediate action by herself, seeing as Snape had as always shown absolutely no interest in the issue. And as predicted, there had been only one person the deputy headmistress would be going to in such a situation that was far below the headmaster's reach of interests; McGonagall had gone to Professor Sprout. And Sprout, as talented as she was with her plants, had one of the most unguarded and manipulable minds of all the professors. Therefore she had been the easiest target for Snape's long line of manipulation in return. All it had taken was a few hints strategically dropped into the woman's mind, and she had suggested an evening in Hogsmeade for the staff who wasn't needed in the castle tonight. McGonagall had trusted her colleague's Hufflepuff intuition when it came to groups of people, and thereby it had been settled. The majority of the staff had the night off to go to Hogsmeade. Lastly then, all it had taken was for Snape to see to it that Sprout pitied Morgan enough for his black eye to offer to buy the man a drink, to ensure that Morgan really would be coming along. That's how Damion Morgan had been tricked into going on a colleagues' night out, without being any wiser of the long line that had led up to this point. Brilliant, really.

"And how did you get out of it?" Robin asked with a partially humoured, partially admiring smile, then emptied the last of her coffee and set the mug down on the table between them. "Out of coming along, I mean."

"I did not have to get out of anything." He replied easily, while leaning back in his chair across from her with a not-smirk. "Because I wasn't asked to come along in the first place."

Robin's brows furrowed into an incredulous frown in an instant, while the subtle humour that was currently painted on his face was entirely absent from hers. "What do you mean? I thought you didn't have any official duties tonight… you shouldn't be needed at school."

"True, but I believe my colleagues were well able to anticipate my answer to such an invitation, and therefore simply spared themselves the vanity of asking."

"Well, they should have asked nonetheless. I very well remember what it's like to be left out of everything all the time, it sucks no matter if you actually would've wanted to go or not."

"Would you have wanted me to go, if it hadn't been for the ordeal with Morgan?" He quirked an eyebrow at her in question, even though he already seemed to know the answer she would give. He was merely making a point with this question. Robin let out a sigh.

"I would have wanted for you to have a choice." She finally replied, then leaned as far across the table as she had to in order to catch his hand and hold onto it. If he was making a point, so could she. "I would never choose to spend the evening without you if it can be helped, you know that. Of course I wouldn't want you to go anywhere I can't follow. But I'm not selfish enough to put my own happiness over yours."

In a heartbeat the small table between them vanished, the very table Robin had been leaning her entire weight upon for the last minute, and she let out a quiet yelp when she fell forward until the hard wood's support was replaced by Snape's arms that pulled her up and closer. An instant later she was seated in his lap, straddling his legs while her heartbeat exploded in a sudden intensity and a wild rush of adrenaline carried both waves of tingles and desire through her body. How did he keep doing that?! How did he unravel her so softly?

Still, she met his expression of well hidden amusement with an obviously feigned glare. That much was almost tradition by now, for moments like this happened a lot lately; he always found a reason or opportunity to pull her into his lap when they weren't working, or to trap her against a shelf or bookcase when they were, and it was positively driving her insane. In the best ways possible, the most allconsuming ones. And while he had never openly admitted it, Robin knew that he craved their affections just as much as she did, and needed them perhaps even more. It was a thought to marvel at, really… such a powerful being, so entirely at the mercy of her love.

"You are getting lost again, and I am curious to know what could be so fascinating to think about that it surpasses the current predicament." He said so softly only and yet succeeded to draw Robin out of her mind in an instant. Or perhaps it was his fingers that traced along her back, caressing the sliver of bare skin right beneath the hem of her jumper. The former brought a smile to her lips, the latter a line of goosebumps to cover her skin.

In a haze of her own thoughts as well as the liquid warmth spreading through her veins in that moment, Robin took a leap of faith and tried something she had always been careful to avoid before. She reached out to his mind for once, in the same gentle request for entrance that she usually was subject to herself. The humour faded off Snape's face in an instant, and his eyes widened oh so slightly while yet never parting from her own. Another shiver overtook Robin, leaving even more goosebumps in its wake. She couldn't help holding her breath.

But then, eternities and broken seconds later, the barriers fell, and she found herself surrounded by an overwhelming mixture of emotions. A mind as complex as to truly do him justice, a chaos that yet seemed as perfect to Robin as anything in existence and beyond could ever be. His thoughts were as graspable to her as her very own, everything in his mind was, and to experience that was absolutely breathtaking. Bloody hell… his emotions were a mess. Her own however, the ones she chose to share with him right then, were as simple as love and gratitude. His response to that, the frenzied rush of both relief and adoration she felt immediately in his mind, and the joy this entire process sparked within her brought a radiant smile to her lips in an instant.

'You let me in…' She phrased in words like he had earlier that evening, careful not to squeal in her excitement nor let all too much astonishment shine through. The slightest tug on the corner of his lips told her that this was only a partial success.

'I did.' He answered in thought out words in return, a gesture that was accompanied by a hint of humour, a dash of pride, and still a lot of nervousness. Really, Robin had known that he was way more afraid of certain matters than he let on on the outside, but seeing it so clearly laid out in front of her still brought over her a rush of fierce protectiveness.

'You don't have to let me do this, you know that, right?' She couldn't help asking out of concern though, glad that she didn't have to rely on the tone of her voice to convey precisely what she meant. She would still love him no less if he had his boundaries, if he didn't give her everything she ever asked for. Sharing all that as emotions was far easier than with words. And it allowed for a far more elaborate answer in return.

The nervousness now entirely at ban, Robin found herself dropped amidst an ocean in his mind, an unfathomable depth where she was hit by a multitude of emotions with the crushing force of mountainous waves. A force that took her breath away and brought tears to her eyes at the same time. Yes, he certainly knew both depth and maddening passion to keep up with her very own by far. And in the very same, his reply to her question washed over her and dragged her under.

He would give anything to her, anything and everything, over and over and over again. Not because he had to, but because it was part of the way he loved. Part of the ocean. The way he loved her, an unfathomable depth, a force impossible to resist. Devotion that was a perfect mirror of her own.

For a moment Robin's head was spinning with sheer overwhelm, until she remembered faintly that she had to share her thoughts with him this time. Intentionally, purposefully. Yet, the first thing she tried to convey ended up a jumbled mess of both 'I love you' and 'You are everything' in a string of arbitrary repetitions, that however still served to bring a smile to his face. Then she shared her feeling of overwhelm, but also the deepest adoration of all she had seen, and surprisingly enough was met with a rush of self-consciousness in his mind in return. She found that beyond endearing, but decided better not to show him that in return, only to take delight in it herself. An instant later, he thought that she should stop smirking already, and that made Robin laugh both on the inside and the outside. Something in his mind relaxed, while something else roared up in joy and pride upon having made her laugh. Again, Robin could only marvel at how his mind responded to absolutely everything she did in such a breathtaking way.

'Does it also feel this intoxicatingly pleasurable and yet entirely calming when you let me into your mind?' He asked after a moment, in distinct words once more that Robin now discovered were far easier to decipher than the emotions and ordinary thoughts.

'Obviously.' She thought, but the accompanying smirk came onto her lips for real nonetheless. 'Has no one ever been in your mind before?'

'People have tried, but of course never nearly succeed. The attempts however were always quite painful, actually.'

'It's only painful if you try to keep someone out. The more you accept them into your mind, the better it feels to have them there. But I assume it's also about the connection you have to that person, how close your minds are and how much you trust them.'

'How do you know that so well?'

'Seven years of experience and practice with you.' The smirk on Robin's lips turned into a grin as she showed him brief flashbacks of the countless examples of how the feeling of having him in her mind had changed over time. She saw curiosity and a hint of awe in his own thoughts in return, as well as the uproaring desire to kiss her breathless even though they were still in the office.

Curiosity was precisely what struck Robin then as well, an ineffable desire to discover more about the ways and possibilities of this mental connection, and she found herself unable to resist both this temptation and the unintentional invitation his mind was almost shouting at her now. Therefore, she gave in to either. Leaning in through the distance between them that was minimal in the first place, she touched her lips to his only lightly for now, and yet the result was no less explosive than being dropped into his ocean in the first place. With a tiny gasp she pulled back again, and immediately felt his confusion alongside a little spark of fear.

"That was… indescribable." She breathed with real words of sincere astonishment for once, while yet the thoughts she showed to him were full of reassurance. The negative emotions in his mind became replaced by curiosity and even a little amusement in an instant, and she was immediately pleased with that. Was her own mind quite that responsive as well?

"Would you kindly elaborate?" He quirked an eyebrow at her with an almost straight face, and Robin had to snicker at the echo loop of amusement that followed between them.

"Have you ever tried looking into my mind while kissing me?" She asked, after deciding that they might as well use actual words for now, since she was the one doing the explaining anyway.

"I have not, seeing as I was rather distracted at those moments. I had better things to do than thinking about advanced magic." He rolled his eyes while he answered, but Robin could for once undoubtedly tell that the gesture was directed at himself. Indeed, he was minorly irked by the fact that he himself had never before had the idea to try just what she was suggesting now. Again, Robin found his thought both endearing and relatable.

"Do you think you can look into my mind while I'm inside yours? I still haven't understood that part of the thing we're doing here, if it's a two way street or not." She gave him an encouraging smile, and was met by a really fast string of thoughts and contemplations in return as he tried to give any other answer than that he didn't know either. Funnily enough, his lack of an answer didn't seem to embarrass him in the slightest, not in front of her at least, but only to encourage him to do better and be of help to her in finding an answer together. Oh, Robin loved that beyond measure, and she decided to share the resulting wave of adoration with him in return. It brought his mind to an immediate halt, as if he had forgotten that she could see his every thought in the first place.

"Perhaps we can just try?" She suggested calmly, curiously. "If it doesn't work, we can still look for other options."

Agreement. He didn't need to speak for her to understand that much. A second later, the comfort of his presence was again inside her mind, and for two breathtaking seconds they really closed the circle of their shared thoughts and emotions. A firework of feelings, doubled in every prevalent intensity, a heightening of all their senses. Indescribable indeed. Then however Robin felt her grasp on the spell quivering, faltering, and finally vanishing entirely, with the result that she was abruptly thrown out of Snape's mind completely. At least she could still feel his presence inside her own, or she would have pouted in sheer disappointment. Not that he would have needed the gesture now, the mere thought inside her mind sufficed to make him smirk. Right… beautiful mind, but still an insufferable idiot.

"I can hear your thoughts again, you do realize that, yes?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, and now it was Robin's turn to grin.

"Yes, I'm well aware." She chuckled, then finally moved her hands from his shoulders to caress the skin on his neck beneath the soft curtains of hair. Too bad she couldn't hear his reaction to that anymore. "Any idea why I got kicked out of your mind? And don't say I just messed up, because we both know better than that."

"I believe it might be more difficult to uphold the former connection once the latter is established. Seeing as I am more practiced in the art, perhaps we should try again now that I am in your head first." He suggested easily, and Robin inwardly rolled her eyes, while however she obviously had to admit that he of course was way more practiced in it indeed. Really, he was better at mostly everything if she was being honest now, but she regretted that thought immediately when she saw the smirk tugging on his lips. "I do feel rather flattered, while yet I am inclined to disagree."

"And why is that?"

"Didn't you want to return into my mind anyway? I would hate having to praise you out loud." He quipped, and Robin tugged on a strand of his hair in return, which earned her a small glare. Yet, she only smirked at Snape and took a deep breath before trying and being allowed into his mind once more.

Again, the fireworks and heightened senses overtook them both body and mind, but while still difficult to uphold, the connection this time lingered on. The subtle touches on her back, his fingers tracing her skin, as intense and real as her hands on him, the same feeling, the overwhelming exciting comfort. Only now it all seemed doubled, different, part of a shared existence. And still he wanted her to know his answer to what she had asked, what he would always answer in any way. Robin saw precisely what he had said once before, the utmost belief that she was so much better than him in every way. Her mind replied with instant adoration and sincerest doubt, not of him but of herself. She wasn't perfect. He knew. She wasn't perfect, but everything he wanted in the world and still far more.

Robin's immediate reaction was a roaring wave of love that echoed straight back to her once it reached his mind and was met with its equal, while the thought of how much she adored that he could be so accidentally romantic at times was met with a huff and a growl. She couldn't help but chuckle at how subtly, secretly her thought pleased him nonetheless.

'Are you going to kiss me now or do I have to woo you any longer?' He suddenly thought in actual words, but this time around she could hear his voice inside her mind in its near natural depth, every colour and faintest subtone it always had. All the times before, without the circle closing in their minds, it had never been so real, so close. This was new for either of them.

For half a moment Robin laughed at his words and marveled at the sensation, then she smiled, and finally leaned forward until their lips touched in a crescendo of emotions. Indescribable indeed. Addictive, as always, and they found themselves unable and unwilling to stop. Time stood still in perfection like this, just holding each other close while their lips danced to the music of their passion. This was how the world ended, this was how it was reborn.

And this was why they avoided losing themselves in the office, for three feeble knocks on the door startled them both so suddenly that their surprise toppled over inside their shared mindspace. Gasping they pulled back from each other in an instant, while the joining of their minds quivered so strongly that a second later it disappeared altogether. Only then when Robin was alone in her mind once more, she realized how difficult it had been to uphold the connection in the first place, and she almost gasped again at the slightly sore feeling somewhere in her mind. Like an unpracticed muscle, almost, that had suddenly gotten a lot of exercise. Going by the look on Snape's face, he seemed to be experiencing something similar in that moment, and that made Robin smile in contentment. At least they knew now that it wasn't quite a normal mode of legilimency. But it certainly was something to experiment with.

When three slightly louder knocks echoed from the wooden door through the entire office then, Snape immediately rose up from his chair while pulling Robin along and setting her down on her feet in front of him. For a brief moment his mind reached out to her again almost instinctively, sharing a rush of awe that he felt when he looked down at her, taking in her lush lips, stained red from his kisses, the lovely flush on her cheeks and the breathtaking display of lightness and darkness in her eyes. To him she was an emblem of life and passion like this, and Robin inevitably had to smile. He really was accidentally romantic sometimes, or rather his honest sentiments were, while his actions on that basis were usually everything but. For the majority of people it was the other way around, and she couldn't help marveling at that. Perhaps romantic was the wrong word for it after all… he simply was being himself in a way she found absolutely perfect. A beautiful mind on the inside, an insufferable idiot on the outside. Ambivalent and yet oddly fitting as ever. That thought earned her another mostly feigned growl and glare, as well as a subtle hint of pride and amusement he still chose to share with her. Then he finally went to answer the door, and his presence left her mind when he put up his usual public facades.

Robin had exactly three seconds to take a deep breath, to force her appearance back into a normal state with the help of a little charm she cast over both of them for good measure, and finally to return the small table back to where it belonged. Then reality and the events of the day caught up with her, and she sighed at the realization that of course they still had to deal with the Morgan situation, still had to be more than careful and double-check every single step they took. As far as she could tell, Snape seemed to do just that when he opened the door just a gap and with his wand at the ready.

"I, uh, I'm sorry to-, uh… but Robin said…" Unlike what Robin had been expecting, it was Lisa's voice she heard on the other side of the door. The girl's small frame however stayed hidden behind both the door and Snape, even as Robin approached them with a frown. "Robin said that we, I mean I… could find her here?"

There were no words spoken in reply, but instead Robin could feel a hint of warmth, an imprint of Snape's magic barely brushing over her senses in a way she had never noticed before. How odd… Whatever spells he had used, they hadn't been directed at her and yet she had been able to feel his magic, even if only just barely. She didn't get to dwell on how that came to be when he opened the door entirely a few seconds later, motioning for Lisa to get into the office already with a scowl plastered onto his face as always. While the girl complied immediately, Robin made the educated guess that Snape's spells had been a row of security screenings that Lisa however seemed to have taken no notice of. No surprise, his magic was as brilliantly subtle as it was strikingly effective. Perhaps the fact that she could feel it now was a side effect of their previous joining of minds.

"Hey Robin." Lisa's features relaxed the moment her eyes fell onto Robin, who had now taken a perch on the edge of the table. Three steps later, the younger girl came to stand in front of her with a weary expression on her face as she kept glancing over to Snape who had closed the door and was now mirroring Robin's position on the edge of his own desk. Lisa's eyes kept darting between the two of them nervously. "I, uh…"

"We don't have all day, Miss McLain." Snape taunted after a moment of silence, looking both indifferent and annoyed as ever, and Robin gave him a glare before focusing on the girl in front of her.

"I must say I was expecting Cas to come find me herself, but it's alright either way." She started, upon which Lisa seemed to somewhat relax again.

"Yeah, well, Cas did the… spotting, and she said she'd set up the entire thing in the first place, so it was Melissa or I who had to go and well, I was cold anyway and also didn't really mind since it all was so important to you and so, here I am now." The girl rambled, and Robin felt tempted to roll her eyes, not at her but at Cas. Typical as ever, letting others do the work she had no interest in.

"But he did leave now, yes?" Robin still asked to make sure, and Lisa only nodded in return, glancing over at Snape who listened attentively as ever while looking just as bored on the outside. Right… Lisa didn't know that Snape knew of this endeavour, and breaking into a professor's classroom usually wasn't something one wanted the other professors to know about. It didn't matter now, not really.

"We, uh…" Lisa spoke up again at last, focusing back on Robin. "We'll keep watch and let you know if he comes back. Or just… wait until you come and get us, whichever happens first."

"Thank you." Robin gave the girl a half smile, then stood up straight and accompanied her back to the door. "Enjoy the stars for me, yes?"

After giving a court little nod and a shy smile, Lisa scurried back out into the hallway and vanished in the darkness to the right, upon which Robin closed the door again with a sigh. Morgan was gone. And that meant they had to get going.

"If I'm not entirely mistaken, sending someone else was a very Cassandra thing to do." Snape commented after a few seconds of silence, and Robin just had to snort in return.

"Are you still peeking into my mind? Because I was having much the same thought." She replied in subtle amusement, then watched as he got up from the desk and approached her instead. Before she could help it, a smile came to her lips. "I could feel your magic, you know… The screening spells, or rather what I think were screening spells. But I could feel it as unmistakably you."

"Curious…" He mused, while they stepped out into the hallway together. Before locking the office back up however, he halted and motioned for Robin to do it instead. "Would you mind? I'd like to know if I can sense yours as well."

With a huff in both humour and curiosity she did as he suggested, first locking and then warding the door, before looking back up at Snape with her eyebrows raised in question. "And? Feel anything?"

"You. Unmistakably you, precisely as you said." He answered just as they started making their way through the dark hallways. "And yet, had I not seen what you were doing, I wouldn't have known what kind of spells you were using."

"Exactly. I think it might be an aftereffect of what we did before we were interrupted… you know, of connecting our minds like that. Or at least I have never been able to feel anyone else's magic like this before."

"Neither have I." Snape's tone was thoughtful, but Robin could tell that he was no less intrigued by this than she was. After a moment of walking in silence, he finally spoke on with a not-smirk on his lips. "We should continue practicing that connection. I'm curious to discover how far we can go, and what it is capable of."

"And it felt pretty amazing." Robin added with a smirk of her own, glancing up at him to see the sentiment perfectly mirrored in his face.

"Indeed."

______________________________

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blackjack-15 · 3 years

Text

Dead Weight — Thoughts on: Tomb of the Lost Queen (TMB)

Previous Metas: SCK/SCK2, STFD, MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG, CAR, DDI, SHA, CUR, CLK, TRN, DAN, CRE, ICE, CRY, VEN, HAU, RAN, WAC, TOT, SAW, CAP, ASH

Hello and welcome to a Nancy Drew meta series! 30 metas, 30 Nancy Drew Games that I’m comfortable with doing meta about. Hot takes, cold takes, and just Takes will abound, but one thing’s for sure: they’ll all be longer than I mean them to be.

Each meta will have different distinct sections: an Introduction, an exploration of the Title, an explanation of the Mystery, a run-through of the Suspects. Then, I’ll tackle some of my favorite and least favorite things about the game, and finish it off with ideas on how to improve it. For this meta and the next (DED), there will be a section entitled The Theme between The Mystery and The Suspects.

If any game requires an extra section or two, they’ll be listed in the paragraph above, along with my list of previous metas.

These metas are not spoiler free, though I’ll list any games/media that they might spoil here: TMB, DED, massive spoilers for SPY; quick spoilers for the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Supermystery Secrets of the Nile.

The Intro:

Here we are already (finally?) at TMB! This one’s gonna be a bit different, lads.

The next two metas in this series — this one for TMB and the next for DED are gonna be a little bit of a two-part sort of endeavor, mostly because the two games are thematically juxtaposed against each other. They should be uploaded within a week of each other (fingers crossed!) to make the comparison a little easier between the two games (and two metas), so if you haven’t played one or the other, you might want to do that before jumping in.

Obligatory heads-up out of the way, let’s get our mummy on.

TMB is a game that, if you were a kid like me obsessed with ancient Egypt (and an adult like me obsessed with ancient Egypt), was one of the most hotly anticipated Nancy Drew titles to hit store shelves. Fortunately, unlike a lot of the “anticipated” games in the series, this one actually delivers – and delivers in spades.

Heh. Spades. Archaeology. You get it. Moving on!

TMB is an interesting game that plays double duty with its literary significance; in other words, it’s one of the few games to have both a definite theme and a definite mission statement, and to have the two be entirely separate from each other. We’ll discuss the theme below, so this introduction is mostly going to be talking about the game’s mission statement — in other words, the main topic of the game, versus the theme it revolves around.

If it sounds like I’m splitting analytic hairs there, it’s because I am. But hey, ‘splitting analytic hairs’ could be the mission statement of this meta series.

Both this game and the title of the meta are about the dead — and more specifically, the weight that the dead have on the events of the game and people in the game themselves. Abdullah (archaeologist and artifact smuggler), Nancy (death of her mother; interest in ancient civilizations), and Jamila (mother; her lineage) are the big, obvious ones who are living under the weight of the dead, but they’re not the only ones.

Lily’s future is “dead” in a number of ways: her academic dishonesty, her position as an archaeology student, and her interest in dinosaurs. Jon’s position as the head of the dig isn’t his only tie to the dead — he also spends most of the game in a hospital after a brush with death itself. Dylan even gets in on it with his false IDs; not only could those be referred to as “dead” identities — they were never alive to begin with — but someone with that many identities could easily have their original said to be dead, buried under the weight of compounding lies.

The weight of the dead extends beyond even our characters and their backstory and motivations, however. The game takes place in what can easily be called a “dead zone”. Nancy’s odd ability to have perfect cell service aside, the camp for the vast majority of the game is in a secret place where neither people nor supplies can get to them, and they even run out of water, which will kill you quicker than anything in the desert.

The most concrete representation of the weight of the dead in TMB is the curse. Thought to be lethal for a lifetime after entering an ancient tomb, curses are little more than superstitions backed up by ‘mysterious’ deaths (usually due to ingesting bacteria within the tomb), but the curse in the first chamber that Nancy opens does press down on the game, with accidents and unfortunate or suspicious things happening one after another after the seal is broken.

Of course, it’s not the unquiet spirit of a dead queen causing the mischief and mayhem, but she is the reason that our cast is gathered in Egypt, and Nefertari’s presence — or lack thereof, due to the erasure of her by history and by those who followed after her — is, in effect, the curse itself. If it wasn’t for her presence, the mystery surrounding her, and the disappeared team of archaeologists decades prior, no one would be at the tomb in the modern day.

But she is there, like a magnet for those with ulterior motives, and she’s there to pull our cast tighter and tighter into her own personal land of the dead. “She’ll never let you leave”, indeed.

The last thing I want to touch on is the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Supermystery that very, very loosely forms the basis of this game: Secrets of the Nile. A well-known Supermystery for the fake marriage plot (the Hardy Boys and Nancy and Bess) and for the Frank/Nancy kiss on the balcony before they are like “oh yeah we’re dating different people huh”. The game doesn’t take much from the book other than the location and a financial motive for crime, but it’s interesting that they chose this book when very little was kept at all.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the pieces that make up this game, shall we?

The Title:

Tomb of the Lost Queen is a classic-feeling title for a Nancy Drew mystery, and accomplishes a few obvious things right off the bat. It first establishes that this is a game about the dead — as said above — and the presence that the dead have in the world of the living. Second, it gives us our location — “Tomb of the Lost Queen” immediately brings Egypt and its many royal tombs to mind — and the focus of the mystery that we’ll be solving.

And if that were all the title could mean, I’d say it’s a solid title – better than Secrets of the Nile, by any metric — but the title’s work isn’t quite done with that.

The last question that the title asks is who is the Lost Queen? We learn about Nefertari fairly quickly in the game and her history definitely qualifies her as a lost queen, but, in my opinion, there’s another candidate that the game title references: Jamila’s mother.

She was a woman of a royal bloodline, disappearing under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind only a trace that her presence ever existed in a tomb buried in the sand — if ever there was a story that would qualify you as a lost queen, it would be hers.

The Mystery:

Job shadowing archaeologist Jon Boyle (and once again showing off her interest in archaeology and ancient civilizations), Nancy is just settling in to the Kingston University dig site when a massive sandstorm hits camp — and someone attacks Jon, sending him to the hospital, whipping up talk of a curse that ended this expedition 60 years earlier, and scaring off much of the excavation crew.

Left behind when the dust finally settles are archaeologist Abdullah Bakhoum, PhD student Lily Crewe, and Nancy herself — and none of our three characters are interested in leaving, despite the shadow of a curse hanging over their work, and the ever-present feeling that the desert does not want them there.

They aren’t alone for too long, however; after Nancy discovers a secret room and hidden sarcophagus, the friendly yet secretive tour guide Dylan Carter and the alien aficionado Jamila El-Dine both show up (despite the dig being a closed and secret location), and it becomes clear that, whatever their own personal agendas might be, no one is at this location for scientific discovery.

The hunt is on to find out why everyone has congregated at this site, who hurt Jon and is causing incidents all over camp, and — most importantly — what exactly the tomb of the lost queen is truly hiding…

As a mystery, TMB holds plenty of turns and side plots worthy of a much longer game than it is, and as a result feels quite packed with story. Not only do you have the story of Ramses II and his Queen, but you have the story of Jamila and the Daughters of Nefertari, the black market scheme, Dylan’s past, and the storyline revolving around who hurt Jon.

Add to all of that Hotchkiss and Bess’ asides that give new meaning and perspective to the events in the mystery, and you have a solid, character-driven mystery that drives its suspense not from being a whodunnit — that’s not really a question through the whole game, as we know from the beginning that Abdullah is up to some shady crap — but from putting characters in a stressful situation and seeing what they’ll do.

The Theme:

TMB is interesting for many, many reasons — most of which will be detailed in this meta — but I think the most interesting thing about it is its theme. At its core, TMB is a game about fear — fear of death, fear of failure, fear of obscurity, fear of abandonment, fear of ignorance — and how this fear preys on people, but also how fear is a pathway to knowledge. As is nearly always the case with Nancy Drew games, it’s our villain who gives us the theme:

“For thousands of years, the lion spoke and no one understood. But understand the fear and you understand the man.”

This sentiment is added to a little further on in the game:

“When people feel like they can get away with anything, they change.”

In other words, it’s fear that defines who people are and what they do. Understand that fear, and you’ll understand the person. Remove that fear, and a person necessarily changes, because they’re not defined by that fear anymore.

This theme plays out through our main characters. Dylan’s fear is a fear of discovery — of being discovered by Nancy that he’s there to try to join the black market. When that fear is removed — or rather, superseded — by the fear of death after being a human paddle in a boulder pinball game, he’s able to be understood for who he really is — a bit of a con man, but not there to hurt or kill anyone.

Lily’s fear at first seems to be of the curse, but the curse really is just a stand-in for her true fear: the fear of repercussions for her actions. Once the fear is understood, it’s easy to see that she’s helping Abdullah in his black-market scheme by trying to injure — sometimes fatally — those who would stand in their way.

Jamila is a character tightly wrapped up — in every way — which illustrates her fear of exposure. When that fear is understood, it’s obvious that she’s hiding things about herself, which leads us to the Daughters of Nefertari plotline, and the discovery of just how bloody the tomb’s — and the queen’s — history is.

Last of the suspects is Abdullah, who fears a lack of notoriety — obscurity, basically — which parallels him to Nefertari nicely, who became obscure due to the actions of others and the passage of time. Once that fear is understood, it’s easy to understand who Abdullah is and why he does what he does — fakes finding artifacts, sells things on the black market, and constantly puffs himself up in conversation.

Because this game is centered around fear, let’s look quickly at how that fear affects Nancy. Sure, the fear of others causes them to try to damage her in one way or another, but Nancy tends to be somewhat fearless in her mystery solving. Her talk with Bess — more on that below — does expose one fear: ignorance.

When you’re in a situation where knowledge keeps you alive, which Nancy often is, it’s easy to say that fear of ignorance is simply the fear of bad things happening to you. But Nancy’s is a bit deeper than that; she defines herself as a curious person, and gets frustrated when things are purposely hidden from her. Nancy fears not knowing things, pure and simple, and it’s due to that fear that she puts herself in danger again and again to ferret out the truth.

The Suspects:

Our first suspect is the venerable and totally guilty Abdullah Bakhoum himself, preeminent archaeologist, egotist, and black market crook. A sort of dark shadow of Alejandro in SSH, Abdullah doesn’t think much about the taking of Egypt’s treasures to different countries’ museums, and is determined that if anyone is going to make money off of history, it’s going to be him.

As our preeminent Bad Guy, Abdullah is the rather obvious choice — which would be a problem if this mystery was concerned with hiding his presence in it, rather than building off of it. As it is, however, his presence strengthens the mystery, allowing for not only a focus for Nancy’s suspicions, but also a source of tension in the tomb, making it feel dangerous even when Nancy is simply exploring.

Of note is Abdullah’s decision when arrested at the end of the game to take the blame for everything that happened, eschewing Lily’s involvement completely. I’m of the opinion that it had to be Lily that attacked Jon — she was already above ground, he wouldn’t have been on his guard being around her, there were plenty of heavy things in the tent to hit him with — but Abdullah doesn’t try to reduce his sentence by offering information or implicating her in anything.

It’s a wonderful character moment that shows us what these later games really are capable of — villains with complex and consistent characterization. Abdullah is an egotist, a narcissist, and a smuggler, yes, but he has his own personal code of conduct, and ends the game not on the note of having tried to kill everyone, but on a singular note of mercy to a fellow student of history.

Next on the docket is Lily Crewe. Originally a paleontology student, she switched majors and ended up on the site by Abdullah’s request — a strange happenstance, considering the strong allegations of cheating on her record. Of course, that record is exactly the reason that Abdullah asked for her to be on the dig, as he needed help smuggling artifacts off-site.

As one half (possibly one third, depending on how culpable you think she truly is) of our Bad Guy Team, Lily is at once more sympathetic and less laudable than Abdullah. Having cheated — and been caught — she obviously was Abdullah’s best bet for a partner that wouldn’t betray him, as he was her chance at shoring up her rocky academic record.

However, a person of stronger moral fiber — or who appreciated her second chance — would have exposed Abdullah as soon as she had evidence in order to show her commitment going forward to honesty, so one can’t be too sympathetic. It’s worth noting that after Abdullah’s arrest (and sacrifice on her behalf), Lily goes back into paleontology. One can only hope dinosaurs have fewer opportunities for graft, and that she’s learned something from the tomb.

The next to show up is Dylan Carter, a man of many names (though only one handsome face) who moonlights as a tour guide. He also would really, really like to be part of Abdullah’s smuggling operation, but other than that, he’s really here for a good time.

And to be crushed by rocks.

As a culprit, Dylan would have been a little bit of a cheat, seeing as he wasn’t there from the beginning — though a reveal of him being the culprit would have necessitated showing that Dylan had been there the whole time, hiding in plain sight as part of the dig crew or something. While that would have been a cool reveal, it ultimately wouldn’t have accomplished the thematic goals of the game, and so is better left undone.

Last on our list of suspects is Jamila El-Dine, visiting the tomb under the guise of being a bat-crap-crazy Follower of the Annunaki — the alien race that supposedly built the pyramids, among other things — but who is actually a member of a secret society called the Daughters of Nefertari, dedicated to finding Nefertari (as they are her direct descendants); each daughter must search for her until she is found.

I will point out, reservedly, that Jamila definitely should not have been searching until she had a daughter of her own, in case she died the way her mother did, but I digress. It does point to Jamila being more of a firebrand (and more doggedly determined to end the search) than those before her, so kudos for that.

Like Dylan, Jamila as the culprit would have been a cheat, given her entrance into the game a good portion of the way through the mystery, but it also would have defeated the purpose of having Jamila in the story, which is to be a foil to Nancy.

Jamila is bound by the fate of her mother (and her mother’s mother, and on and on), who died under mysterious circumstances thought to be a car accident, but later revealed to be due to her performing dangerous work. Jamila thus journeys out to the world to find out exactly what happened and is tasked with doing what her mother had been doing at the time of her death, feeling the responsibility to prevent further deaths by completing her mother’s work. In order to do this, she pretends to be someone she’s not, uses those around her, and ultimately has to trust in a shady man with facial hair and a girl who frequently goes undercover for her job, fighting against a skinny man involved in a larger scheme with a heightened sense of his own importance.

Oops, should I have warned for SPY spoilers there?

Yeah, Jamila is basically playing out a future of Nancy’s (and one that happens, albeit with important differences, in SPY), and foils her in her sense of responsibility and curiosity about what happened to her mother, and in finishing the job she set out to do. While Nancy doesn’t immediately understand this, Bess does, and calls her out on it:

“That’s sort of like you…after your mom…I mean, I always thought it was your mom — the way she died — that made you so interested in mysteries.”

Nancy responds with “I guess I never thought of it that way,” and it’s clear the idea has knocked her off balance, because, importantly, Jamila exposes a characteristic of that becomes important in this and the next game: she’s not what we’d call self-aware.

And that leads into us talking about Nancy Drew as a character in this game. Pursuing one of her interests by job shadowing a professional, Nancy is thrown into a world that she’s far more comfortable in — that of solving mysteries without direct supervision — when Jon is attacked and sent to the hospital. From there, she goes on a rapid pace to figure out who the other people at the dig really are, and in so doing discovers a bit about herself.

Like a Lifetime movie, except without the Big Misunderstanding and the secret lost will of a dead parent.

Like I stated above, what this game really does to show us who Nancy is (besides showing us her reaction to someone exactly like her) is to show us her lack of self-awareness. Nancy spends so much time trying to figure out the motives and secrets of others that she doesn’t really spend any time soul-searching or figuring out how she, in particular, reacts to the world around her

Well, prior to the beginning of the Nancy games, she doesn’t. But she’s in for a whole lot more of that in the next few games as we unwrap (heh) more of her foils. As it is, Nancy herself tells us who she thinks she is in this game:

“I’m a curious person. I find that tact often gets in the way of truly getting to know someone.”

Joining us on the “Nancy Side” of characters are one new character and two familiar faces.

Jon Boyle is the leader of Kingston University’s dig site, and definitely the person that you want to get out of the way if you’re up to shenanigans. He’s basically in the game to give some dirt on Lily and Abdullah, and to save the day at the very end by (as is his job) taking care of those he’s in charge of.

Just, you know, more physically than academically.

While she was a playable, seen character in the last game, it’s here in TMB that Bess Marvin gets a little more characterization and becomes more fully fleshed out. As Nancy’s lifeline to River Heights and normalcy, Bess is here to watch pulpy Egyptian horror movies and to drop some stone-cold truths onto Nancy.

Bess is wonderful in this game, full stop. Not only does she expose a few of Nancy’s character traits to the clueless girl detective – the whole mom thing, Nancy’s tendency to keep everyone in the dark but to get frustrated when she’s kept in the dark herself — but she also helps to show the difference between what the River Heights crew finds fulfilling — relaxing, internships, etc. — and what Nancy finds fulfilling — dangerous tombs hiding mysteries in the desert.

Last of all is Professor Beatrice Hotchkiss, academic extraordinaire and expert on lost and maligned queens — and heaven knows, Nefertari fits both qualifications. Hotchkiss is here for more reason than just to light up my life, however; she’s here to help Nancy understand the traps within the tomb and figure out exactly what — and who — she’s dealing with in the ancient past.

Hotchkiss is a proper choice here, and I probably would have been disappointed had she not shown up. She’s the perfect mix of spacey academic and, well, brilliant academic, and though Nancy isn’t too fond of her, she’s probably my favorite reoccurring phone friend outside of the Hardy Boys.

The Favorite:

There’s a lot to love with TMB, so let’s jump right in.

First off, my favorite puzzle(s) have got to be the word puzzles for unscrambling the special hieroglyphics. Longtime followers of this meta series (or those who read my ASH meta) know that my favorite thing in a Nancy Drew game is always the word puzzle, and these are so much fun that it’d be impossible for them not to be my favorite puzzle.

My favorite moment in the game is probably the finding of Jamila’s mom’s journal pages, culminating in the line “she’ll never let you leave”. Like I’ve said above, so much of this game is about the weight of the dead and the effect they have on the living, and Jamila’s mom weighs heaviest of all as our intensely personal, recent stake in finding Nefertari.

I’ve said before (in a previous meta about my favorite surprising moments in the ND games) that there’s shades of Kate’s last correspondences in Jamila’s mother’s journal, and those shades are never so present as they are here.

There’s not really another place to put it, so I’m gonna put a shout-out to the cover of the DVD case here. It’s really well-designed and captures the feeling of the game without being overly spoilery, so massive kudos to the developers and designers for it.

The last thing I note here (though I could go on and on about the small details in this game that make it great) is the feeling of continued exploration. In a lot — I’d say most, honestly — of Nancy Drew games, once you explore everywhere, there’s really nowhere left to go other than sometimes a new location at the end of the game while chasing down the villain. Here, the game is continually expanding through the new tunnels and passages in the tomb. It makes it really feel like this a real location you could explore, and not just a few screens limited for time, space, and design restrictions, and it’s wonderful.

On the less wonderful side, however…

The Un-Favorite:

The biggest problem I have with TMB is that the first fourth of it — pretty much until Nancy finds the first sarcophagus — is fairly unintuitive. Even replaying it multiple times doesn’t make it any easier to remember what I have to do and when I can do it, and playing it through the first time results in not a few times where you stare at the screen, wondering what it is you’re supposed to be doing. This is a rare problem in Nancy Drew games, but it’s fairly present through the first part of the game here, and that is a problem.

My least favorite puzzle is probably the lifting-the-rocks-off-Dylan puzzle, if only because it always takes me five or six tries to do it. It always feels like a sort of trial-and-error sort of thing, which (excepting its place in logic puzzles) isn’t really my personal favorite. It’s not that I think it’s a bad puzzle, it’s just my least favorite in the game.

My least favorite moment in the game is more of a meta moment, but it’s when Nancy asks for “a few tips” for translating hieroglyphics, and Abdullah mocks her a bit, saying that oh, yes, at first he was also confused, but then he learned a few tips. It would be a great moment in the game — and in the story itself, it is — if it wasn’t, well, immediately contradicted by the nature of the hieroglyphics puzzles. Like I said above, the unscrambling of the hieroglyphics puzzles are my favorite in the whole game, and I love them to death, but in a meta sense, this moment does stick out in a “you can’t say it’s stupid and then include it as if just saying it’s stupid makes it okay for you to do” sort of way.

The Fix:

So how would I fix Tomb of the Lost Queen?

The big thing that needs help in TMB is to make the beginning more intuitive. Whether this should be done by Jon giving Nancy a set of tasks to complete, having a checklist of what needs to be done that day (even if it’s vague), or some other method, there definitely needs to be a little more direction in the first part of the game.

I’m not saying that the game should hold the player’s hand — especially considering that the average age of the fanbase is well above the age 10+ marker — but a Nancy Drew game should always have something to do at the start, rather than wandering around to explore a place that Nancy has ostensibly already been for a bit.

With that change in mind, there’s really honestly nothing else that I would fix. TMB is a game devoted to the idea that the dead are ever present in life, especially for those who have lost people, and it really accomplishes delivering that idea through a myriad of characters, scenes, and clues that Nancy finds along the way. It also goes a long way in developing Nancy more as a character, and — perhaps most importantly — begins the task of setting the groundwork for a truly Nancy-centric story in SPY.

#nancy drew #nancy drew games #clue crew #tomb of the lost queen #nancy drew meta #video games #my meta #TMB

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rocksandrobots · 3 years

Text

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 35 - Wrestlers, Boxers, and Ninjas, Oh My (Part 2)

Honey Lemon leaned in close to Varian's ear, a tempting smile playing across her lips, as she conspiratorially whispered, "Do you wanna go to tonight's wrestling match with me?"

Varian tried to stifle a laugh as he feigned a half hearted protest, "I thought we're supposed to be studying for finals?"

They were inside the studio apartment that Honey Lemon shared with Gogo; textbooks splayed out upon the table. Though small by most standards, the residency did occupy a sleeping loft, a fully equipped kitchen, and had a full bath complete with tub, which made it functionally larger than the dorms that Varian had lived in previously with Wasabi. There was no sofa though, nor any other leisurely dedicated space as Honey Lemon's own bed, which was positioned below the loft that Gogo slept in, took up the non-kitchen area. So there would be no more impromptu naps here as Varian had to either sit in one of the dining room chairs or on the floor, much to his disappointment; not that he would ever say so out loud.

But oh how she made it hard to focus even without a couch to cuddle on. She wasn't trying to distract him, he knew, but she just wouldn't stay still. First she ran about the apartment trying to do some last minute tidying up as he arrived. Next she tried to play the good hostess, asking if he wanted anything while she rummaged around the kitchen. Then even after finally getting her to sit down and open a text book, her free hand would constantly pick up her phone to read some notification or reply to a text, often sparking a random conversation that had nothing to do with the physics test he was trying to prepare for. Now here she was asking him to abandon the study session all together and he couldn't even get annoyed at her for it.

Everything she did was mesmerizing. Her voice was a siren's call that he could not ignore. She could have requested that he travel with her to the opposite side of the globe and he'd already be halfway finished packing a bag. But most frustrating of all was the fact that she was clearly oblivious to the effect that she had on him. She held him in her sway and didn't even know it.

"So do you wanna go?" She timidly asked again. "I mean finals aren't even for another whole week and I just managed to scalp two tickets off of Ticketwatch." She held up her phone so Varian could read the screen that confirmed her purchase.

Varian had to chuckle at the ridiculousness of Honey Lemon treating such an innocuous request as some sort of naughty affair that he had to be persuaded into doing, lest he refuse to succumb to temptation and take the dutiful high road of being a good and diligent student. Did she not know who she was talking to?

Still Varian wasn't going to let her win so easily. "I helped you with midterms, so it's only fair you gotta help me out with finals. And unlike some people, I like being prepared beforehand so I'm not over worked." He teased, thoroughly amused.

Honey Lemon gave an exaggerated pout at this lighthearted jab at her scheduling abilities and Varian nearly lost it in a fit of laughter. She was so earnest in everything that it was comical. But he couldn't stand to see her sad, even if only in jest, and willfully caved into her demands.

"Okay, okay, I guess we can do this on Sunday instead." He dramatically sighed.

He was rewarded for his compliance by her jumping out of her seat with a huge grin and flinging herself at him to wrap him in a tight hug.

"But on one condition," he said as he held her close, "we stop and get food first cause those prices at the concession stands are criminal."

"Alright," she agreed as she pulled away, "Just let me grab my purse."

Varian watched her as she ran over to the other side of the room and bent down to grope under the bed for the wayward purse; still in complete awe of her. Though he still tried to play things cool as they prepared to head out the door.

"Are you wanting to call Fred and see if he wants to come too?"

"Ah well, I could only find two tickets. They're sold out for the night." Honey Lemon answered guilty. "But he can come another time." She assured as she closed the door and locked it.

Varian chose not to press the matter, but he couldn't help but smile to himself knowing that she had thought to ask him first; even if it was only because he was the one who happened to be around at the time.

-----------------------

Joe's Diner was right across the street from Honey Lemon's apartment. The retro style restaurant had seen better days, what with its rusty sign and peeling paint, but it was clean and the food was good which made it a favorite hang out for the locals.

Varian had eaten there before with the rest of his friends, yet a new sight greeted his eyes as he walked through the door. Sitting at one of the tables was a purple gelatinous blob with eyes and a mouth. It excitedly waved one of its long jelly like appendages in the air upon seeing Honey Lemon and himself enter.

"Hi Globby!" Honey Lemon answered back and the blob stood up to meet them.

"Oh Honey Lemon I'm so glad you're here. I wanted you to meet someone." 'Globby', as the thing was called, said.

"Oh I'd like you to meet someone too. This is my friend Varian. Varian, this is Globby; he's Carl's boyfriend." She explained as if this answers all of his questions.

Yes he knew Carl had a boyfriend, and that said boyfriend was a superhero, but no one had bothered to mention that he wasn't human.

"Oh Varian," Globby's eyes lit up in recognition, "Yeah, you're in Carl's boxing class. He told me so much about you. Nice to finally meet ya!" He shook Varian's hand vigorously, which covered his arm in the same purple gloop of whatever it was Globby was made of.

"Uh, nice to meet you too." Varian replied back as politely as he could as he tried to wipe his hand clean on his pants.

"Globby here helps us sometimes with the 'you know what'." Honey Lemon whispered.

"Yes, not to brag, but what ya might call the I'm the protector of San Fansokyo! But I wasn't always so. Once I was a humble thief, and then this happened to me," Globby pointed at his right arm as it dripped goop on the floor, "and then I became a super villain. But once I discovered that the city was in danger I lept into action to save the day! With a little help from my fellow crime fighters Big Hero Six. But seriously, I'm a hero now! Can you believe it! Me!? And I owe it all thanks to Honey Lemon here."

"Oh, no," Honey Lemon blushed, "You did it yourself."

"No HL, I won't hear any false modesty from you." Globby protested. "You believed in me when nobody else did. Even when I didn't believe in myself. That matters a lot. So thank you. Plus you also kind of gave me superpowers."

"How did she do that?" Varian asked.

"Oh well it was kind of an accident." Honey Lemon said.

"I stole her a chim-purse." Globby explained. "Then I used it to break into Krei Tech to steal a neurotransmitter device. And then I kind of tripped and fell while wearing it and the chim-purse kinda exploded and now here I am!" He spread his arms wide at this last sentence, a huge grin on his face.

"Globby is a polymorph." Honey Lemon clarified. "He can change his molecular make up to be whatever he wants it to be."

"No way." Varian breathed in awe. "You mean to tell me you can charge and discharge photons and electrons on cellular level at will?"

"Uuuuuuh, I don't know about that? But I can turn myself into chocolate!" And with that Globby's hand transformed into what looked like a giant chocolate bar, of which he bit into and with mouth still full said, "Ooh nutty!"

Varian watched with a mixer of amazement, horror, and nausea, as Honey Lemon stood by silently; unsure of what to say. The awkwardness however, was dispelled by the sound of raucous laughter coming from the booth Glooby had been sitting at.

"That is a neat trick mi amigo."

A large man, wearing a trench coat and a mismatched luchador mask turned around in his seat to look at them. Varian recognized him from the wrestling ring.

"Hey you're…"

"El Fuego" Honey Lemon whispered in dread.

"Not anymore, now I am El Agua!" The wrestler proudly proclaimed; oblivious to Honey Lemon's discomfort. "It's a bit of a rebranding thing."

"Oh yeah, we saw you at the match last week." Varian excitedly jumped in, also not catching onto Honey Lemon's disquiet demeanor, "You were great! I especially liked how you threw The Sandman out of the ring with only one arm. That was cool."

"Oh hey, a fan!" El Fuego, or Agua as he now was called, enthused. "Always happy to meet fans. Would you like an autograph?"

"I sure would!"

The wrestling champ chuckled in delight as he pulled out a pen and began to sign his name upon a napkin.

"This is who I wanted you to meet," Globby explained. "Salinas here reached out to me for help. He's trying to go straight and is working really hard to get his life turned around."

"Yup, no more life of crime for me." El Agua confirmed as he handed the autograph to Varian. "I'm a changed man."

"How nice." Honey Lemon said with a strained smile on her face.

"Yeah I know, right!? I told him how much of a positive influence you were when I first started out superheroing." Globby continued. "I'm glad you stopped by, so that you two could finally meet. Wanna join us?"

He gestured to the booth and Honey Lemon looked like he had just asked her to dive into lava.

Varian was going to take up the offer but she answered before he could.

"Oh no, we only came here for… for… some… uh, ice!"

"Ice?"

"I thought we came here for fo-"

"Ice... ice cream that is." She nervously laughed. "Yup, we're just going to get some ice cream... to go. Wouldn't want to be late to… where we're going."

She wore a plastered grin as she turned to the counter to order. "Two vanilla ice cream cones please."

Varian and the others watched on in confusion as she took the two cones from Joe and then hurried back. She practically slammed one of the cones into Varian's chest as she hastily handed it to him, and before he could process what was happening, she grabbed the end of his sleeve and started to drag him out the door.

"Bye!" She yelled and Varian awkwardly attempted to wave before the glass door slammed shut behind them.

-----------------------

"Uh… Honey Lemon?" Varian asked after they were a few yards away from the diner.

"Hmmm?" Honey Lemon barely answered back as she strode forward, determined to put as much distance between her and the conversation they had just left.

Varian pressed on. "Ice cream is nice and all, but I thought we were going to go get, um, real food."

Honey Lemon finally slowed and turned to meet him, taking a guilty bite from the frozen treat. "We will, I just… I thought we could go get pizza instead!"

Varian turned back to look at the sign hanging from the restaurant window. Pizza was advertised alongside the menu's other assortment of food. He raised an eyebrow and Honey Lemon wilted under his skeptic gaze. She took another bite of her ice cream and suddenly found the toes of her shoes very interesting.

"Honey Lemon."

She looked up but still didn't answer.

"Honey, you're very sweet," Varian coaxed, "but you're a terrible liar. You know that right?"

Honey Lemon sighed and rolled her eyes in a rare display of frustration. "Look I just... didn't want to get caught up in eating dinner with them. We got on stuff to do."

"You mean stuff like going to the same wrestling match that El Agua was no doubt going to later?" Varian asked incredulously. "I figured you'd jump at the chance to hang out with an actual wrestling star. Maybe he could have gotten us backstage passes or something, I don't know?"

"Well, I don't." Honey Lemon said flatly.

Varian paused and looked at her in surprise. He couldn't remember ever seeing her being so cold or evasive.

"What 's wrong?"

Honey Lemon bit her lower lip, "I just.. I just don't trust El Fuego. That 's all."

"Why? What did he do? Did he hurt you?"

"No, no. It's just he's a super villain and we've fought him before…"

"But didn't Globby just say he used to be a super villain too?"

"Well yeah, but that's different."

"How so?"

"Well, Globby's nice and he tries really, really hard. He doesn't mean any harm, even back when he was a thief."

"Oh so, this other guy did something really bad then; something even worse than theft."

Varian thought he had hit upon the problem, but Honey Lemon's response was not one he expected.

"Weeeelll… Sort of…"

"What did he do then?"

"He- Well he.. He's a bully."

Varian tilted his head in confusion; not understanding Honey Lemon's point.

"I mean he called Baymax a bunch of names and tried to challenge him and Hiro to a fight." Honey Lemon explained.

Varian waited to see if she would list any other transgressions and when she didn't, all he could do was give her a look of utter bafflement.

"That's it!?"

She nodded her head timidly.

"Is- is that even a crime?" He asked with a hint of exasperation.

"Well, not exactly…" She admitted. "But it 's mean."

"So what?"

Now it was Honey Lemon's turn to act surprised, yet Varian didn't give her a chance to continue.

"You can't just lock people up for not being nice."

"Well we didn't," Honey Lemon defended, "but neither do I have to be friendly to someone who isn't."

Varian had to admit she had a point.

"Ok, fair enough. No one said you had to like the guy."

"Thank you."

"But he still deserves a second chance, surly."

"Well sure, and if he does become a nicer person that's great, and I wish him the best. But I don't wanna hang out with him."

Varian sighed and shook his head. "'Nice' has nothing to do with it, but of course if you don't feel comfortable being around him we can go somewhere else to eat." He pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call ahead and order us a pizza."

He continued walking towards the bus stop but Honey Lemon stood rooted to the spot in confusion.

"What do you mean 'nice has nothing to do with it'? She eventually asked.

'Well you can't tell how good or bad some is by how polite they are."

"I know that. What matters is how they treat people."

"Yeah, but sometimes it's more complicated than that. Doing one bad thing, doesn't mean they're a bad person. You don't know what El Agua's life is like. You don't know why he did what he did."

"El Fugeo," Honey Lemon corrected. "And I know he tried to pick a fight with my friends; Your friends."

"Yeah, and from the looks of things he didn't actually hurt anybody. Hiro's never even mentioned him before."

Honey Lemon gave him an offended pout, and Varian tried to once more defuse the situation.

"Look, I just.. I know of people who've done far, far worse, and plenty of 'nice' people who'd stab you in the back. Anyways would you like the cheese pizza or the veggie supreme."

He pointed at his phone as he tried to change the topic, but Honey Lemon

wasn't ready to let the conversation go just yet.

"This isn't Corona." She said quietly.

"And thank goodness for that." Varian agreed, though his voice was tight with pained sarcasm.

"You think I'm being mean, by blowing El Fue- El Agua off?" She asked.

Varian immediately looked up from his phone. "No. Oh no, of course not; you're the kindest person I know. If you think the guy is bad news then you're probably right."

She searched his eyes for reassurance.

"Look,' he soothed, "let's just forget the whole thing and have a fun evening. We can get a five dollar pizza at Luigi's, then head on to the match and we'll see who's better at heckling. Loser has to buy the next tickets."

Honey Lemon snorted with laughter. "Who decides that?"

"We do. Whoever makes the other laugh more wins."

"Oh you're on." She challenged; right when the bus pulled up.

-----------------------

Varian and Honey Lemon stepped out into crisp night air as they exited the arena. Crowds of people pushed past them also trying to leave the event and so Honey Lemon hooked her arm around Varian's so as not to get separated.

If there was one thing Varian knew about Honey Lemon, it was that she was a very tactile person. She showered everyone with physical affection; hugs, hand holding, cuddles, and pecks on the cheek, even people she just met would be subjected to her glomping them as if she'd known them her whole life. Therefore Varian tried not to look any deeper into such innocent action, but it still made his heart skip a beat to have his crush so close. Nothing could wipe the grin off his face as they hurried down the sidewalk to the bus stop.

"So why do you always root for the bad guy?" Honey Lemon asked as they went along.

She was referring to the wrestlers. Her and Varian always seemed to favor opposing teams. While she cheered on the heroes of the play, he always gravitated towards the heels that opposed them.

Varian shrugged. "I guess I just like the underdog. The villains tend to be more interesting in my opinion."

"But they're mean; at least in the story, I'm sure they're perfectly nice people in real life." Honey Lemon hastily added.

"All except that Vanguard guy you like. He's a jerk on stage."

Honey Lemon playfully sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't see it that way. He's written to be like a knight in shining armor."

"Yeah and he's infuriatingly smug while doing it. He goes on and on about 'justice' this and 'honor' that, but what is he really fighting for? His own glory, that's what. It's a game and he wants to win it. At least the 'bad guys', as you put it, are more honest about why they're there."

"But it's all made up." Honey exasperated, "No one is more 'honest' than anyone else because it's scripted. If the story says someone is good or bad you just accept it. It's all a part of playing along and having fun with it."

"Oh sure, but I personally find the villains more fun because nothing is really at stake. Heroes in stories are always too perfect, too pure. Who can relate to that? Who's never wanted to lash out when angry or fight against the status quo? It's easy to be 'good' when you've never had to struggle for anything."

Honey Lemon studied Varian intently as she mulled over his words, and Varian could sense that he'd exposed a nerve; whether it was Honey Lemon's or his own, he wasn't sure.

He was just about to laugh it off and change the subject in order to ease the tension, when suddenly a very large and intimidating figure stepped out of the shadows. Varian instinctively moved to place himself between Honey Lemon and this new threat. Which was silly, he knew. She was an actual superhero. She didn't need him to shield her.

However the 'threat' was not a threat at all. The large man before them burst out into a very familiar boisterous roar.

"Oh I'm sorry mi amigos. I did not mean to startle you. You must not recognize me without my mask." El Feugo laughed.

He was out of costume, and dressed in the trench coat that they had seen him in earlier at the diner. Only this time the luchador's mask was off revealing a man in his late twenties with short black hair and a small scar running across his nose, indicating where it had been broken in a previous fight.

"You should have told me you were coming to see the show tonight." He continued on. "I would have gotten you better seats."

The wrestler's face beamed with an infectious grin and Varian was tempted to make polite conversation. He was always ready to make friends with just about anyone who wanted to, but Honey Lemon's grip tightened around his arm as she tensed up. He spared a quick glance back to see her still huddled behind him, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, yeah, well we didn't want to trouble you." Varian answered.

"Oh no trouble at all. Any friends of Globby, is a friend of mine. Hey I know, I can get you tickets to tomorrow's match." He dug into his pants pocket and pulled out two tickets before either of them could protest. "We players always get a couple of free tickets for family or what not. I haven't got anybody else to give them to, so you might as well use them if you can."

Varian tried to politely turn him down "Oh no thank you. I don't know if we can make it. Finals are coming up and all that."

"I insist. They're good till the end of the month and they come with backstage passes too."

Without any other excuses to give, Varian took the tickets and said thank you, though he could feel Honey Lemon's disapproval radiating off of her as he did so. Still she neither said nothing, nor made any moves to stop him.

"Well I guess we better be going." Varian said, trying to exit the awkward situation, "We don't want to miss the bus."

"Oh me neither." El Fuego agreed as he walked with them to the bus stop. "Wrestling is my passion, but it doesn't always pay enough to hire a chauffeur to drive you around in a sports car." Then he doubled over laughing at his own joke and not unkindly nudged Varian with his elbow, "Not unless you get a promotional deal, am I right?"

Varian gave a fake laugh, "I wouldn't know. I never wrestled before."

"Oh that's right, Globby, said you were taking boxing lessons instead. Ever thought of getting the ring?"

"Oh no, my aunt would never allow that."

El Fuego titled his head in confusion. "I thought you two were in college? You still let your aunt tell you what you can and can't do? You stand up and be your own man."

Varian noticed Honey Lemon's lips tighten at that and she squeezed Varian's arm tighter. It was slightly unnerving to see the normally cheerful and carefree girl so clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, well she's the one paying for the classes." Varian explained and El Fuego nodded his head and then launched into another topic of conversation as the bus arrived.

-----------------------

And so it went the whole ride back to the apartment. El Fuego carrying on, freely talking about everything and anything, clearly oblivious to the fact that his company wasn't wanted. Varian trying to politely keep up his end of the conversation while ignoring the vice like grip Honey Lemon held his arm in. He was sure it had fallen asleep from lack circulation by the time they arrived at their destination. All while Honey Lemon, herself, kept deathly silent the whole way. She wouldn't budge from the Varian side, nor look away from wrestler sitting across from them; as if El Fuego had been a poisonous snake rather than just a man with a poor perception of social cues.

What Varian couldn't figure out was why she wouldn't voice her displeasure. It was her evasiveness that threw him off kilter more so than El Fuego's chatter.

Yet he didn't have to wait long to find out, for as soon as they said goodbye to the man and made it back into the apartment, Honey Lemon let out a frustrated scream.

"Arrugh!"

"Have fun?" Gogo asked deadpan. She was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal when they had entered.

Honey Lemon's answer was another rage filled scream before flopping face down on the bed.

"Dude, what did you do?" Gogo asked of Varian.

Varian was offended "Why automatically assume it's my fault?"

"We met El Fuego." Honey Lemon said before an argument could break out.

"Where?"

"He was with Globby at Joe's and later he rode the bus home with us on the way back from the wrestling arena." She tiredly explained. "He says he's trying to 'go straight.'" She flung her hands up in exasperation before flopping back down on the bed, curling up with a pillow while continuing to pout.

Gogo gave the same bewildered look that Varian did earlier that day. "Oookaay annnd…?"

Honey Lemon scrunched up her face and revulsion. "Aaaand, he gave us free tickets to the next match, can you believe him?"

Gogo and Varian exchanged confused looks.

"Oooh how horrible" She sarcastically replied.

This really set Honey Lemon off. "You don't understand. He's just pretending to be nice to try and get us to trust him."

"And why would he do that?" Gogo asked.

"Well to...to... I don't know, to get to Hiro maybe."

"Does he even know who Hiro is? Cause all he ever cared about was fighting "Big Hero Six" and to him that just means Baymax."

"Then...he must be after Baymax then."

"Does he know that Baymax or any of us are in Big Hero Six?"

"I..I don't know. I don't think Globby would tell our secret. He didn't mention it when we met him." Honey Lemon starred out into the middle distance trying to recall their past conversation.

"Well, even then, it's not like he can actually hurt Baymax. I mean he's a robot." Varian added.

This only rewarded him with a narrow glare from Honey Lemon. Varian would have backpedaled away had he not been so shocked.

"You took the tickets from him!" She yelled.

"What else was I supposed to do? He insisted. It's not like we have to use them or anything."

Gogo ignored their spat as she texted on her phone. The reply dinged back; drawing everyone's attention. "Okay, I just texted Globby. He says he hasn't told El Fuego anything about Big Hero Six other than that he works with us sometimes."

Honey Lemon pouted in confusion. "Then what is he after?"

"I don't know, friends maybe?" Gogo shrugged. "Whatever it is, it's nothing to do with us or superheroing."

"But...but, but he…" Honey Lemon stuttered over her words as she desperately tried to come up with another justification. "He… he was acting really creepy; alright!? Jumping out of shadows… laughing at.. at… well everything…"

"He was walking to the bus stop already and just happened to run into us." Varian clarified for Gogo. This made him the victim of another angry stare from Honey Lemon. "What!? It's true."

"Well, I don't trust him. I think he's up to something." Honey Lemon sulked, hugging her pillow tighter.

"Ooor maybe you just don't like him." Gogo said. "You're allowed to just not like people. You know that right?"

Honey Lemon looked surprised by this revelation. She opened and closed her mouth several times to form a response but the words just wouldn't come.

"Yeah and if anyone knows about not liking people, it's Gogo." Varian teased. "She doesn't like anybody."

This earned him a light punch on the arm. He just couldn't win today.

"Look, it's fine." She said, returning her attention to her roommate. "I know you're a little ray of sunshine, who's friends with the whole world, but not everybody gets along and that's ok. I'm sure even Varian here knows people he dislikes, and he's Mr. Congeniality."

Varian gave a look of offended confusion. He didn't know if 'congeniality' was a jab at his expense or a compliment. Either way he was sure the descriptor didn't fit him.

"Is there anybody you don't like?" Honey Lemon asked him.

"Who me? Yeah, I got a whole country's worth of people I hate."

"See?" Gogo confirmed, not catching on to the deeper meaning behind his words.

Honey Lemon pouted again, but didn't argue back as she mulled over her friend's advice.

Varian stepped in with a peace offering. "Look, would like for me to throw away the tickets?"

"No." Honey lemon sighed. "Ask Fred to go with you, since he didn't get to come this time."

"You sure?"

She nodded yes and gave him a small reassuring smile.

"So, are you still mad at me?"

"Oh, I was never mad at you."

"Really? Cause it sure seemed that way when you yelled at me just then."

"I'm sorry." She whispered sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry too. Next time we won't take the bus, how's that?"

She agreed and Varian made ready to leave.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Gogo asked.

"Naw, It's alright. It's only 10:30. Besides, the bus is less drafty than the motorcycle." He joked.

"Well ok, just be safe and text one of us when you get back."

Varian rolled his eyes "Okay 'mom', See you Sunday."

-----------------------

They said their goodbyes and Varian walked back to the bus stop. He called Aunt Cass to let her know he was on his way home, and then proceeded to text Fred about the tickets while waiting on the bus to arrive.

Just then someone grabbed him from behind and placed their hand over his mouth. He dropped his phone in surprise and tried to break free of the person's grip. But no matter how he kicked and squirmed he couldn't escape their grasp.

Yet still even more frightening was the fact that he could feel his limbs grow heavy and his vision swam. They held a damp cloth in the hand that covered his mouth and whatever chemical itwas dipped in was making him lose consciousness. He listed the possible combinations in his mind as darkness rushed up to meet him; chloroform? no, morphine? probably not, fentay-.....

"Got him boss. We're on our way now." A man said over the intercom in his ear. He then picked up the unconscious teen and carried him off into the night.

#varian #big hero 6 #tangled #Honey lemon #globby #el fuego #gogo #rapunzel's tangled adventure #tangled the series #BH6 the series

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shintorikhazumi · 3 years

Text

Honey

A/N: Clearly, based on Kehlani’s song. Also, One, I did not try to learn the song on guitar just for this fic… Two, this may or may not be an advertisement to the Pole Dancing! AU I’m planning once I’ve completed A Warm Diana. That pole dancing au is completely separate from that one-shot I released, “Dance For Me.”, though it’s possible that a chapter may be named as such. Been a while since I did a songfic so… woot. The events here probably won’t happen in the final AU tho, but the world details are shared~. Not as much pole dancing as the last, sorry

Dedicated to @kagarikhylev, thank you! I said last, last weekend but I got swamped by college starting up again, all the LWA reposts to ao3 since I’m behind, and just generally… being distracted by a lot of things, so deepest apologies.

This fic may or may not be good. I am screwed because I have a 7am quiz and it’s 9:48pm, and I did not study a thing. Priorities, amiright? My concentration is busted.

Also. Diana is an idiot.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

Honey

“I like my girls just like I like my honey, sweet

A little selfish…”

She walks through the halls, following the echoing of unfamiliar lyrics against the empty corridor. The clock ticks just that bit closer to five in the afternoon, and the east wing is relatively empty, save for the presence of a voice carrying that pleasant tune, and words that pique her interest. At the moment, she should be on her usual search for her friend who has been avoiding her like a pandemic these past few days, but her body is keen on taking a detour, her ears the leader that guides her whole way. Eventually, she finds herself standing in front of the sliding door to one of the dance course’s practice rooms. She expects that to be here, seeing as the music programs featuring vocal and instrumental courses held their classes on the opposite side of the large building, according to the map posted down the hall.

What she isn’t expecting is the singing present in the air. Because why would singing come from here? From a dance major?

While singing might not be solely reserved for the ones actually studying it, it is a rarity for occasions such as this to happen in a school that had students ready to ridicule anyone not up to par with their personal standard of skill. This holds especially true for those majoring in classical music as they often have their heads lifted high, considering their genre to be ‘superior’ to the rest.

So, she understands why theater children stick to theater, why dance majors stick to moving their bodies to the beat, and why people aiming to get into Philharmonic- much like her- only stick to performing and doing what they do best, in-and-out of class hours.

Here, in this institution, resides a slightly toxic, competitive atmosphere that forces you to give your all for your craft, and not insult others by dabbling in their own specialties half-heartedly. There is no encouragement, there is no beautiful rivalry.

Or at least, that’s what she’s known since entering both vocal and instrumental programs. As a flutist, in particular, there remains quite a bit of competition for seats in their prestigious school’s main touring orchestra, so auditions that may as well be full-blown battles were common. The dance majors always look so friendly from afar, though; maybe they are different.

And maybe that’s why they remain the school’s outcasts.

Breathing out her thoughts into a puff of air to clear her mind, she peeks through the small window of the room’s door. Her eyes widen in surprise, but pink lips tip into a fond smile as she spots a familiar tuft of brunette hair in that signature hairstyle she knew all too well. The one she’s been looking for.

‘What a treat.’

She leans heavier on the glass, pressing her ear against the door, believing it might allow her to hear this secret serenade better.

“I like my women like I like my money, green

A little jealous-“

In the light of the late afternoon sun, the singer is enchanting, magical. Reflected through ocean blues, she always has been. Ever since they first met. But something’s changed. There is a different kind of blossoming taking place in the musician’s heart. She doesn’t understand it. But she wants to. However, she wants to understand it with that particular girl- singing with abandon on the floor, antique guitar in her lap- by her side, but being avoided doesn’t make her need any easier to satisfy.

She doesn’t understand it at all. Why she can’t solve it on her own. She doesn’t understand why she’d being avoided either.

Hums ease the creases that have subconsciously formed on her forehead, the gentle voice tickling her ears pleasantly. It eases a weight off her soul, and she relishes in the ambience of the present hour.

She would have loved to listen for much longer had she not accidentally placed her full weight on the door at the wrong angle, sliding it open with a very audible screech. And the next thing she knows, she’s falling forward, and the floor comes up, about to give her a kiss she won’t forget, and it’s not the one she would have preferred.

But no, that should not happen. If her moniker of ‘Miss Perfect’ was anything to go by, she is sure she can do anything. Including catching herself against the now stuck door, leaving her bent in an awkward posture, face hovering inches off the floor. The sudden chain of actions has her heart jump up to her throat, all the calm air in her lungs stolen by shock. She remains in an awkward position for a while longer, gathering her bearings, and thankful she didn’t injure herself with what had just occurred. The room’s occupant is just as surprised as she is, apparently.

Shaking away her initial wide-eyed expression and donning an appreciative smile, she poses a casual statement, trying to brush off the awkward situation as she stands up to her full height, brushing imaginary dust off her jacket at the same time.

“I didn’t know you could play the guitar.”

There’s a curious pause, wine-red eyes stunned at the brash intrusion to her solo afternoon world. The perpetrator feels her toes clench in nerves, hidden behind closed shoes. She’s hoping her companion wouldn’t just… stare. She’s certain those eyes have a million questions running amok in her pretty little head, but she is beginning to feel the heat rising its steady course up her face, and is unsure she could handle this atmospheric pressure any longer.

By some deity’s saving grace, there’s a blink to reboot the mind of those same questioning eyes, the room’s initial occupant finally managing a response. “It’s a little hobby… I almost didn’t hear you come in.” Stood by the door, the newcomer wonders if that was meant to be a joking or a literal statement.

“And you never said you could sing.”

“I don’t.” The guitar is kept to the side, in a place hidden from the immediate view of anyone casually visiting the room. “I dance, is what I do.”

“I know.” The flutist replies as casually as she strives to look in these strange moments; she hopes to keep the conversation flowing, to keep the person in front of her from leaving her side again. “I watch you.”

“Of course, you do.”

//-//-//-//-//

She wonders what the song is all week. It replays over and over in her head in class. It haunts her dreams at night, and plagues her in the waking hours. She even unconsciously hums it while doing her homework in the library. This leaves her friend, Hannah, wide-eyed.

And she appears to be wide-eyed as well.

“Diana!” Is the harsh whisper in her ear. She doesn’t like the feeling of hot air there, but her astonishment at the fact that this song has now consumed her renders her the tiniest bit numb.

“What.” Diana replies just as quiet, but softer in delivery.

“Why are you singing that?” The brunette queries, voice no longer a whisper, and away from Diana’s ear, but low enough to not be overheard by anyone else in the vicinity. She doesn’t look mad, nor is she upset. Diana takes note of this. She’s merely… very, very befuddled.

“Is something the matter? I think I like the tune.”

“…”

“Hannah?”

“Do you really not know what that song is about?” Is the bewildered reply. “I mean… I know you aren’t that straight, m’lady…or at all…” The last part, she whispers under her breath. “but… like… I didn’t think you would expose yourself like this?”

With the faintest flush on her cheeks, Diana responds in confusion. “What are you saying? Am I not supposed to like this song?”

The shorter girl is taken aback slightly. “N-no, you can like… it. Just… your voice professor would have a heart attack if she hears you sing that and knows the song, so let’s not. Okay? Not in public, at least. Especially with your status.” She huffs, then whips her head back up, recalling something. “Don’t play it on you flute either. I see Barbara wasn’t lying when she freaked out earlier at lunch telling me about this.”

“I still fail to understand the problem?” Diana states, impatient as her foot taps on the wooden floorboards.

“Of course. Because you’re dense.” Is the offensive reply she gets. Before she can retort, or pose further question, Hannah takes her by the hand, clearing up all their stuff single-handedly with the other, showcasing surprising efficiency; and she drags her friend right out of the area.

As they turn into a relatively empty hall, the heiress’ hand is released, and she walks side-by-side with her friend who releases a snort that is succeeded by a fit of giggles that are quickly replaced with bouts of laughter. The brunette bends over, hitting her knees, tears at the corners of her eyes.

“Diana, you utter idiot.”

“Wha-“

All too quickly, the laughs dissipate and a serious Hannah slaps her hand on Diana’s shoulders in a firm grip.

“I would have hoped you’d look up the lyrics if you recalled them, but then again, you’re hopeless with technology. Or if you only heard the tune… well, I guess that’s understandable too.” The brunette patted her cheek fondly.

“It’s called Honey.” And Hannah finally tells her the title she’s been seeking; feeling grateful she hugs her friend.

“Wh-what’s happening?! Will I die tomorrow?”

“You overreact.” Diana rolls her eyes, but smiles nonetheless. “Thank you.”

“Don’t listen to it too much that you become addicted. Don’t want to catch you at the head of even more rumors than you already are.” Her shorter friend teases, picking up the materials she dropped earlier as she made a grab at Diana. “I’m serious.”

“Do you doubt my self-control?”

“After meeting her, what I do doubt is if you have much left.”

Diana splutters, chasing after the fleeing imp sticking her tongue out at her.

She’ll get back at her.

Hannah is rarely right over her, after all.

//-//-//-//-//

Hannah is right, after all.

Immediately after reaching her room, Diana had looked it up; her barely cooperating fingers carefully typing in five simple letters… that soon became nine with a space between the previous ones and new ones as she clearly knows that she’s not looking to view videos of bees and liquid gold in glass jars.

And after the first click, she’s defeated. She listens to it over and over.

And over.

And over again.

//-//-//-//-//

[“'Cause I'm a beautiful wreck

A colorful mess, but I'm funny”]

The video plays on her phone for the thirtieth time that day. Considering that it is barely noon, with classes in between this time and the moment she woke up, that’s probably a lot of repeats. It isn’t unhealthy yet. Right?

And she likes the song. It plays well in the background as she does her homework. She’s too distracted for the lyrics to register properly in her mind anyway.

So a woman was singing about her companion who she seemed to be very loyal to. Just as Diana was to her new best friend. The singer also appeared to be bragging about their charm… and their preferences on women’s attitudes? Or visuals? Did this person like green-skinned ladies?? Who happened to be jealous and tasted sweet? Diana always thought the skin had a more… salty flavor to it.

Maybe she should ask what her new friend, Akko, thinks about this. She has been slowly sharing bits and pieces of her world to the unknowing prodigy, and she always likes hearing the brunette’s opinion on various subjects. Akko’s opinion.

Ah, yes. Akko. Right.

And Diana goes back to that afternoon with Akko and the guitar. The catalyst for this strange addiction to Honey. Not the food, she added to herself. The song.

The song, yes, now entering the thirty-first cycle. As the words came to play with the dancing melodies, Diana muses that the lyrics certainly suit the girl who had introduced this wonderful song to her.

[“'Cause I'm a beautiful wreck

A colorful mess, but I'm funny”]

And she reaches this part once more, still thinking of the one named Kagari Atsuko. The dance major, and her newest best friend. Friend. Yes, that’s what her other friends had said. She's been spending far too much time; sparing too much attention on her… friend, so they were a little lonely.

She digresses.

Anyway. Akko. Yes. She may not be much of a wreck– scratch that, maybe she was. Diana chuckles. Nevertheless, as the lyrics preach over and over, she was a beautiful one. Incredibly so.

She is all the vivid colors of the world, incredibly funny. Diana is not one for comedy, but Akko pulls laughs out of her with fabulous ease.

She closes her eyes, seeing that loveable face blinding her with the brightness of the sun, encompassing her with its warmth, and inspiring her each day. What an amazing friend.

As blues are revealed to the world behind the fluttering of thick lashes, she takes in the vast rehearsal room designed for the practices and assessments of the dance majors for ballroom. It houses a piano and a few of the larger percussion instruments for the live accompaniment of collaborating music majors. It also serves as the general area of practice for when the school would prepare for their showcases and events. Or well, this room used to be all of that. Now, it simply remains as a spare practice and storage room.

After the students had fallen into an unfixable dispute due to their hardheadedness towards their differences, collaborations seldom happen. When they do occur, they are looked down upon by the rest of the body. It was a shameful ordeal, supposedly.

It is a shame, Diana agrees. That they would sacrifice the beauty of performance for pride.

Only the people who come to utilize all this free space clean it before and after using. That is rare as well. Anyone who reserves this room becomes the target of rumors to want to unify a broken crowd.

And nobody wants that. That’s what the populace says.

The poor unused floorboards, the scarcely maintained instruments and tools… and here she sits at the aforementioned sad piano, lid sliding open, fingers splaying across ivory keys. She punches a note. And another, and the tune that has been imprisoned in her mind- or has it imprisoned her mind- is now escaping into the air, into the theme that fills her senses. She first tests it out with just the melody on one hand, but then her left comes to join in the only dance she really knows how to do.

This moment is hers alone. No one can come to break it.

Hannah can’t complain if she goes against her advice and performs the song for no one anyway.

A beautiful song for a beautiful no one.

She caresses it like a ballad, hands deftly sweeping over the keys, light and gentle.

Piano used to be her first love. Her mother loved it more. After she passed, Diana had lost many competitions, and she was forbidden from touching one ever again.

Only in secret could she stroke her lover’s keys, that beautiful ivory, that shimmering black. Only in secret could she kiss the melodies with all her affection, press down with the right pressure to allow the instrument to voice its beautiful moan of music.

Only in secret would could she play this song on repeat; only in secret could she play it herself; only in secret could she think on the lyrics well; only in secret would she link every syllable to one girl.

Only in secret could she wish she were here.

Only in secret could she realize and admit,

“I love you… Akko…”

A clanging sound, loud, metallic.

There’s a pole rolling on the floor, and the sound of shuffling, a figure scrambling to gather her belongings now scattered everywhere.

“…Akko.”

“Diana. Hi.” Rubies flit about, landing temporarily on anything not Diana. “You… were practicing… a thing?” Her voice is choked, its timbre pitched higher than the usual. “I guess I should leave you-“

“NO!” She doesn’t mean to yell, but her desperation has the better of her. She only has so little time to stop the girl from escaping her again. “S-stay. I… I mean… stay? Please stay? Please Stay.” She says the same words in different ways and tones, unsure. “Don’t… leave me.”

A nod is the only movement the frozen body can manage. There’s this stillness between them before Diana pushes out words from her frenzied mind.

“C-come here?” She pats the bench beside her awkwardly, not knowing if her invitation was a welcome one. She breathes a sigh of relief when Akko places her things to the side, neatly against the wall before walking up to her, standing by the bench, staring at the hand still covering the seat.

She hesitates.

“Sit?”

She does. She leaves a hand’s-width of space between them.

And it’s a painful silence.

One Diana tries to break.

“Hi.” She seeks her eyes.

“Hi.” They don’t seek hers. “What did you call me here for?” Akko asks nervously, feet shuffling against the floor.

Think fast, Diana. Anything to make her stay longer.

And it’s only honey on her mind once more. Her saving grace. “C-Could you sing that song for me once more?” Akko looks like she’s having difficulty recalling. “The one I walked in on...”

Akko bites her lip nervously as she contemplates that, and Dear mother of Cavendish Diana finds that so attractive.

“I don’t… think I know what you’re talking about.” The dancer plays dumb.

But Diana wants her plan of… whatever she’s trying to do… to work. So, her mind, as helpful as it is, hides the memory of the title she’s replayed over and over. She tries to tell her the song anyway. As best she can.

“It’s… it’s the one about loyal friendship.”

“F-friendship?” If Akko had been playing dumb earlier, she no longer was. She doesn’t recall singing a song about friendship…

“And the singer boasting of their charm… and their… preferences for women, I suppose? Or maybe it’s not friendship. Companionship? Partnership? The one where… something about jealousy and sweetness and colors, and flying- and dear Beatrix, I deeply apologize for my incompetence, Akko…” Diana covers her face in a shame that’s burning the blonde alive.

Silence.

“Pffft- what the hell Diana, ahahahaha.” Akko finally loosens all that tension she imposes on Diana, relenting. Diana was just too irresistible. Knocking lightly against the music major’s head, she makes known the song’s name once more. “It’s called Honey.”

She doesn’t understand this sudden change in mood, in mind, but Diana now has the opportunity to play it cool, her plan of keeping Akko there, having Akko want to stay there is working. So despite not understanding, she welcomes this in comparison with the cold she’s received as of late.

“O-Oh? I didn’t know that.” But of course, Diana does. Clearly.

“Well, you do suck at using your phone. And your laptop. And the internet.”

“Akko!”

And there’s that pretty pink flush on her face once more, annoying her.

“Fine.” Akko says.

“Huh?”

“I’ll sing it.”

“Y-you will?!” Diana finds herself standing excitedly, hands clutching Akko’s.

“Wow, you really must want to hear that song.”

“I… I’ve been a little curious…”

Akko smiles that gorgeous, honest smile. “I can see that.” She gets up as well, facing Diana, but then remembering something. “Ah! But… what time is it… I was supposed to be practicing for the show at the bar later, and I have class in-” The time read two pm, on the dot. “Shit, I only have an hour, and I have to leave for my job right after the lesson…”

That explains the pole she had with her.

It was no secret to Diana that Akko had gone to school here at Luna Nova against her parents wishes. Akko also worked a night job, pole dancing in secret. It was- is her passion. Not to entice people into desiring her body, by any means, but to tell a story of grace, honor, sensuality, and honesty through her dance.

And the medium Akko chooses is the pole.

“Oh, I know!” The brunette interrupts her reverie. “How ‘bout you play the song again, and I’ll practice to it. The music I was going to use has roughly the same tempo, I think.”

“…are you going to sing while dancing?” Diana speaks to the retreating back that moves to prepare her set-up, Akko loosening a secret portion of wood on the floor away to reveal a hole that would snuggly hold her practice pole in place.

“Eh, why not?” She shrugs, nonchalantly and Diana is amazed by her as always. “Two birds with one pole, or something.”

“Stone.”

“Same thing.”

Finishing her little stage, Akko smiles in triumph, chucking her jacket and jogging pants to the side without a care. Not even for Diana who pries her eyes away from toned muscle.

“Ready when you are.”

Diana isn’t, but she plays for Akko’s sake anyway. Her hands traverse the keys on instinct, eyes on the slender figure that begins its preliminary moves in grace and desire.

Red meets blue and the show starts.

“I like my girls just like I like my honey, sweet~

A little selfish”

It’s a simple twirl about the pole, with a wink thrown in, but Diana thinks it’s the most spectacular motion already.

“I like my women like I like my money, green

A little jealous”

And there’s the pleasant laugh she adores.

“'Cause I'm a beautiful wreck

A colorful mess, but I'm funny”

Akko sings in that strong voice, as she runs her hands through her hair, shaking the strands loose as she prances around the metal shaft before clutching onto it, allowing herself to fly through the air. By the next line, she’s sliding down painfully slow, body pressed against the reflective equipment in the room, eyes locked with Diana’s. A hand clutches the thin fabric barely covering her chest, the other reaching out to pull Diana in, only strong legs keeping her up.

“Oh, I'm a heartbreak vet

With a stone-cold neck, yeah, I'm charmin'”

‘You truly are…’ Diana says to herself, her heart starting to physically hurt with the desire to touch, and to hold in her arms. That smile shot at her was simply unfair.

“All the pretty girls in the world

But I'm in this space with you”

For a second, Diana feels as though Akko were speaking these words to her for real. That idea makes it that much tighter in her chest. There was no way. That Akko finds her appealing like that, that she would choose to stay with Diana here… Diana… hadn’t forced her to do this little thing they were having at the moment, right?

“Colored out the lines

I came to find, my fire was fate with you”

‘Fate…’ Her sight turns bleary, but she doesn’t understand why. Warmth traces after the wetness that rolls down one cheek. And that hand surprises her, cupping her cheek, prompting her to look up into emotional pools of red that are very, very close. Their proximity is far too close. “Wha-“ When had Akko…

“Heartache would stay with you

Fly great escapes with you, oh…”

-are the murmured lyrics, breaths ragged puffs of air brushing against her parted lips. A hand rested over her own that had now crumpled the cloth of her shirt over her chest, fist gripped tightly.

“You… stopped…hah… playing… Diana.” Akko gets out, breathing uneven the sudden change of her moving body to its stationary state.

Ah. She has. Her other hand is simply resting on the keys, motionless. She feels kind of bad now, to have cut Akko’s practice performance short; but she can’t even work a reply out. Her lips tremble, facial muscles feel wobbly.

“Hmm… that’s no good. I can’t complete your request without your help.” Akko muses, taking a deep breath of air as she pulls away from the shaken heiress. Index finger of her free hand tapping against her cheek, her eyes lit up in realization. “I know!”

“H-huh…?”

“Diana.” At the call of her name, she offers her attention. “Come dance with me.”

“W-wait, I can’t-“

But it’s too late for that, and she’s easily dragged by the overwhelming force of Akko’s strength built from the foundation of dancing and every other physical activity she must have done to mold her body into the shape that it is now. Striking, alluring, lean, and every bit the exquisite art that Diana sees it as.

And now said art presses against her back, pushing her against the cold metal Akko clings on to on a regular basis. Hands guide her own to grasp the bar, and soon they slowly spin. A soft voice hums into her ear, those sounds turning into the lyrics she’s far past memorizing now.

They are engraved in her very heart.

“I countdown to the clock, saw you awake

Don't walk away, or would you wait for me?”

How ironic that Akko should sing this for her. When Diana has been the one pleading for her to stay day by day- maybe not in words, but in her gestures, in her eyes, in her sighs. How hurtful she was being, when Diana has been the one seeking after her. When Diana is already the one waiting.

How cruel, Akko.

“I go out to the bar, fuck hangin' with the stars

Don't even have a car, but you would wait for me, mm-hmm”

A shiver crawls up her neck, tiny hairs upright as Akko’s lips vibrate against the skin there as she hums the end of the line. The touch is ghostly, barely there, but Diana knows. She knows.

It was painful.

So, so painful for Diana.

Akko feels that pain as it drips onto the arm she has wrapped around Diana’s waist, the girl curling into herself as she bites her lip to keep her sobs trapped within.

“I-I’m sorry, I… I don’t know what’s come over me, I should just!” She wants to escape. Just escape and run from the confusion that hangs in shadows over her clarity.

But Akko doesn’t let her.

Quickly, she’s in a tighter hold, a gentler hold; the scent of strawberries and sweat permeating the bubble of air they are locked in. Her eyes see black as a hand goes over to cover them; she feels Akko’s movements through the back of her shirt.

They make another twirl.

Everything in her heart stirs along with the motion; it aches.

“All, all, all…”

Diana waits for those familiar lyrics to go on, each word digging painfully into her, because, in the end, that’s all they are. Lyrics. Lyrics that make her realize just what it is that draws her like a moth to the everlasting brightness that is Kagari Atsuko.

What it is that keeps her listening, if only to fuel her imagination when all these lines point to the same girl, painting pictures in her dreams of them walking aimlessly on a street, Akko smiling at her, laughing with her. So beautifully.

“…all the pretty girls in the world…”

She braces herself for the same old lines, ones that mean nothing but the words to catchy music.

“But they don’t compare to you.”

And they don’t come. The change of words had her whip her head up, craning her neck to look behind her, puzzled; Akko had already hidden herself against Diana’s nape. Those… That’s… not… how she remembered the song…

“You’re the color of my life

I’d battle fate if it meant I’d stay with you”

“That’s…”

“My heart aches; it longs for you”

“That isn’t…”

…

“…I know I’m in love with you.”

And Akko releases her, stepping away from the pole, and from her. It’s all cold again, freezing the blood that pumps through her veins after the bombardment to her senses.

“I’m sorry.” There are tears in Akko’s eyes now. And she just stops singing altogether. “I’m sorry.” Her voice loses that melody, now replaced by sobs. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s…”

“You must have realized, right? What I’m feeling.” She smiles grimly. “Ugly, dirty… wrong feelings… for someone like my best friend… and… I’m sorry I made you cry. You must have felt creeped out and harassed, huh? You must have been scared because I wouldn’t let you go…”

“That isn’t, that’s-“

“I’m sorry, forcing myself onto you after being so cold. I… I didn’t mean to avoid you, I just-“ She meets the confusion that clouds the sky in Diana’s eyes. “I didn’t want you to know if by chance you didn’t feel the same way.”

“That’s…”

“I… when I came into the room, I thought I’d heard wrong. What you said… the… c-confession…” Akko clenches her eyes shut, willing the tears away. “But then you said the song was about friends, so I probably have the wrong idea, and you might have just meant that you… l-love me as a friend.” She sniffles. “So, I’m sorry. I just…” I sob rips its way past the barriers of her lips, and more tears spill down apple-red cheeks. “I didn’t want you to find out like this… but I’ve… for so long…”

A beat passes, and Akko’s teary hiccups, and the pair’s mismatched breathing are the only sounds that remain in the room.

“You… You can reject me now, or something. Please don’t be this quiet, Diana.” Akko laughs bitterly, saltiness escaping sealed eyes. “I guess, I just couldn’t help it any more. Ran out of options, had nothing else I wanted to do here but tell you I love you.”

Another beat. There’s a breeze that rustles the leaves outside closed windows. Breaths calm, and the only noise that remains is the occasional sniff.

“Please just say something so I can leave.” Akko whispers, only for them to hear.

“That’s… that’s wrong.” Diana finally manages to complete her sentence.

“Loving you? Yeah. I know.”

“No.”

“Oh, leaving after telling you something so imposing like that-?”

“No, what’s wrong is… That… That’s not…”

“That’s not what, Diana?” Akko asks, a little high-strung from everything. “You’ve been repeating those words a while now.”

“That’s…”

“Hmm?”

“That’s not how the lyrics go…”

“…”

“…Diana, you dense little- mrrnngghhh!” Akko reaches forward, hands almost touching Diana’s cheeks before they pinch the air, shaking with whatever feeling fueled her strength to have her hands trembling like that. “I cannot believe you. I just… I just confessed to you, poured my heart and soul out, and all you remember, all you can say about that WHOLE thing, was that I got my lyrics wrong?!”

Akko fumes, red in the face with frustration, or sadness, or confusion, or maybe all of those combined.

“… yes?”

“Well, ain’t that great, then?” Akko sarcastically utters. “You seem relatively unaffected by all of this. Guess I should have only worried about unrequited feelings.” She begins trudging toward her water bottle by the window, donning her jacket after taking a few sips.

She is just about ready to leave.

“What next? You at least want to stay friends now? I can stay friends if you give me… space for the next couple of days to get over you-“

“Why would you have to do that? Can’t we be friends at the same time?”

“Huh?”

The pair blinks synchronously in their shared confusion.

“I mean... Don’t we feel the same way? I know dating follows after these kinds of events… and then we become l-lovers… but I believe that being best friends on top of that is even more wonderful-“

“Waitwaitwaitwait, hold it! Hold it right there!” Akko waves her arms frantically in front of her.

“I- what do I hold… exactly?”

Slapping a hand over her face, Akko lets all this information sink in, processing it with her brain that has definitely shrunk from all the stupidity taking place in one room. Is it her? Or is it Diana? The one who is misunderstanding things? Or are they both not coming to an understanding? Do they just not understand each other?

“So let me get this straight…” Akko pinches the bridge of her nose, a migraine coming on.

“Of course.”

“We’re both not straight.”

“… ah.”

Akko looks to her companion curiously at the weird sound.

“That’s what Hannah meant.” Diana says with an audible snap of her fingers, face looking very enlightened, a smile decorating her features.

“…”

“Eh- Akko? Where are we going? Akko?!”

“I could kill you right now, but it’s almost time for my class. You are coming with me to work, and we will talk about this afterwards.”

“Understood.”

“Finally! One of us understands.” She drags Diana behind her, marching towards her classroom.

“Then, why must I accompany you to your class?”

“…”

“Akko?”

Diana feels a tingle in her heart at the sight of red-tipped ears, at the feeling of a heated hand holding hers, and words that are the lyrics to the best song she’ll ever hear in her lifetime.

“I love you, and I just found out you love me too… so I wanted to kiss you…”

Diana’s smile grows wider, now a stupid grin on her face. “But?”

“I’m late for class, so staring at you will have to suffice.” The blonde is pleased to know they both have their priorities set. Though she wouldn’t have minded straying from time-to-time.

“Understood.”

“You’re beginning to understand a lot of things now, it seems.”

“Naturally. I’m a fast learner.” Diana boasts. Akko simply rolls her eyes at that. “Am I allowed to stay with you in your class? What is your next class, anyway?”

“I think it’s the required language class?”

“Oh, I have that now too... Wait- we share that class, don’t we?” Diana realizes, her steps speeding up and now she’s the one dragging Akko.

“Oh, right~, wait- Diana?”

“We have a quiz in that subject.”

“…”

“Fucking run, Diana! Remember stuff like that and tell me sooner! You idiot best friend!”

“I’m your lover now too!”

“JUST. RUN.”

“I love you too, Akko.”

“I love you most.”

//-//-//-//-//

“I (I), I like my girls just like I like my honey, sweet

A little selfish… huh”

“You’re selfish”

Akko pauses in her guitar playing to slap the blonde’s hand.

“I like my women like I like my money, green” Both chuckle at the joke only they share; Diana rolling her eyes, sporting a blush, her minty strands fluttering in the wind. “A little jealous”

“Am not.”

“Are too.” Akko teases, kissing red cheeks.

“Oh, I'm a beautiful wreck

A colorful mess, but I'm funny”

“You are.”

“Oh, I'm a heartbreak vet (oh)

With a stone-cold neck, I'm so charmin', oh, oh”

Shifting to a position behind Akko on the little hill they’ve chosen for their first date, Diana wraps her arms around the slender waist, planting a kiss to Akko’s shoulder blade before resting her head on the girl’s shoulder, positioned in a way that she could just watch the expressions on her girlfriend’s face.

“I love you.”

Akko gives her a wink as she continues her song, everything she is- her tone, her warmth, her body language- exclaiming that she loves Diana back in the way words can’t.

“La-la-la-la-la-la-la

Do-do-do do-do

Ooh

Do-do-do do-do

Da-da-da da-da

Isn't love all we need? Is it love?

Do-do-do do-do

To be the same prophesy? Is it love?

Do-do-do do-do

Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti, is it love?

Do-do-do do-do

Love (ooh), do-do-do do-do”

It’s a sweet kiss. Gentle, intense, with all the colors of the rainbow, and the passion of the burning sun.

Just like Honey.

“It’s love.”

A/N: If you’re wondering what Diana typed, it was “Honey song” because she doesn’t know the artist. Aren’t we glad Diana is such a smart lass?

Also, this was not supposed to be this long and frustrating. Sorry for the mess and bad plot?

Comments, kudos, reblogs, any feedback is always welcomed!

~Shintori Khazumi

#honey #kagarikhylev #lwa #Little Witch Academia #fanfic #songfic #dianakko #diakko #diana cavendish #akko kagari #hannah england #diana x akko

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twoidiotwriters1 · 3 years

Text

Written In The Stars CVIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Tomorrow I’m posting a hidden moment about what happens once the kids are at school and two former marauders are left alone. Stay tuned! -Danny

Words: 4,225

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Better Off’ -by Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler

Chapter Six: Hidden Nightmares.

"Prefect, eh?" growled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and his magical eye swivelling around to gaze into the side of his head. Harry had the very uncomfortable feeling it was looking at him and moved away toward Sirius and Lupin.

"Well, congratulations," said Moody, still glaring at Ron with his normal eye, "authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you..."

Mel took her friend away from Moody in case he decided to continue trying to scare him to death.

"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks as she walked past them. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" said Ginny.

"Like the ability to behave myself."

"Same reason why Mel didn't get a badge," Emily walked past her daughter. "I hope this works as a lesson..."

"Sure does, now I know I'm doing something right," Mel smirked.

"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked.

"No one would have made me a prefect! I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore might have hoped that I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends," said Lupin. "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally."

"What about my dad?"

"Matthew was a brilliant student but Dumbledore knew that giving him the badge would've been like given us green light to go around doing whatever we pleased," Sirius grinned.

"Again, same the reason why Dumbledore didn't give you a badge," Lupin smiled.

"You really think I would let my friends do mischief without any consequences?" Mel feigned indignation.

"Yes," The three adults replied.

"Well, I think I'll sort out that boggart before I turn in... Arthur, I don't want this lot up too late, all right? 'Night, dears."

Mel walked into Harry just as he was getting up and she stumbled backwards.

"Sorry," He said quickly.

"It's fine..."

"You all right?" Moody asked them.

"Yeah, fine."

"Lovely dinner," Mel smiled tensely.

"Come here, I've got something that might interest you," He told them.

From an inner pocket of his robes Moody pulled a very tattered old Wizarding photograph.

"Original Order of the Phoenix," growled Moody. "Found it last night when I was looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak, seeing as Podmore hasn't had the manners to return my best one... Thought people might like to see it."

Harry took the photograph and Mel leaned closer to take a look.

"There's me," said Moody. "And there's Dumbledore beside me, Dedalus Diggle on the other side... That's Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family. That's Frank and Alice Longbottom — Poor devils, better dead than what happened to them... and that's Emmeline Vance, you've met her, and that there's Lupin, obviously... Benjy Fenwick, he copped it too, we only ever found bits of him... shift aside there–

That's Edgar Bones... brother of Amelia Bones, they got him and his family too, he was a great wizard... Sturgis Podmore, blimey, he looks young... Caradoc Dearborn vanished six months after this, we never found his body... Hagrid, of course, looks exactly the same as ever... Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat... Gideon Prewett, it took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes... budge along, budge along... That's Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke..."

It was the first time she'd ever seen of her grandfather. He looked a lot like Dumbledore, but he lacked the warm gaze and the fancy robes. He had the same hair colour as her though, and there was a similarity between his nose and her dad's.

"That's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally... Sirius, when he still had short hair... and... there you go, thought that would interest you! Eh?"

Five people were staring up at them: Petter Pettigrew, Lily and James Potter, and her own parents.

"That's great," She tried to sound enthusiastic. "Look at that..."

"Yeah," Harry's voice sounded heavy. "Er... listen, I've just remembered, I haven't packed my..."

"What's that you've got there, Mad-Eye?" Sirius asked loudly from the table.

Harry left so quickly she almost thought he'd disapparated, she understood though, that picture was full of ghosts, and for some reason, she felt kind of responsible for them– maybe Harry felt that way too, after all, it was him Voldemort was after...

The adults surrounded the table and stared at the picture, there were tons of quiet exclamations and nostalgic chuckles as they examined it, but what made her leave the room was the way she knew her mother and Sirius had finally found their friends' faces staring up at them, she could see something dark and heavy falling on their features.

Mel didn't feel like sticking around to hear stories about when they were all young and alive, when Peter was still Peter and not the traitor that had gotten his friends killed. It was stupid to remember something they couldn't have back.

She was in the main hall when she heard someone crying.

"No! No... riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS !"

Mel ran up the stairs and found Harry looking at Mrs Weasley... She was sobbing above a second Harry, only that this one was dead.

'Boggart', Mel thought.

"Harry, we need to get help–"

"Mrs Weasley, just get out of here!" Harry's eyes fixed on the vision of his own body. "Let someone else —"

"What's going on?" Lupin rushed in followed by Sirius and Emily. Moody was right behind them."Riddikulus!"

Mrs Weasley wept harder.

"Molly– Molly, don't... Molly, it was just a boggart," Lupin patted her head gently. "Just a stupid boggart..."

"I see them d-d-dead all the time! All the t-t-time! I d-d-dream about it..."

She had been dreaming the same thing that summer– hell, her boggart had been the same thing years before that! Seeing it again that night caught her off guard. A thousand different images of Harry trapped in the cemetery came to her, the pain she'd felt that night, the memory of Cedric's body laying on the grass...

She tried to get out of the room as fast as possible.

"D-d-don't tell Arthur– I d-d-don't want him to know... Being silly... Harry, I'm so sorry, what must you think of me? Not even able to get rid of a boggart..."

"Don't be stupid," said Harry, sounding impressively calm.

"I'm just s-s-so worried– Half the f-f-family's in the Order, it'll b-b-be a miracle if we all come through this... and P-P-Percy's not talking to us... What if something d-d-dreadful happens and we had never m-m-made up? And what's going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who's g-g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?"

"Molly, that's enough," said Lupin. "This isn't like last time. The Order is better prepared, we've got a head start, we know what Voldemort's up to — Oh, Molly, come on, it's about time you got used to hearing it — look, I can't promise no one's going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we're much better off than we were last time, you weren't in the Order then, you don't understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one..."

"Don't worry about Percy," said Sirius. "He'll come round. It's a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole Ministry's going to be begging us to forgive them. And I'm not sure I'll be accepting their apology..."

"And as for who's going to look after Ron and Ginny if you and Arthur died," Lupin looked up to Emily and smiled a bit, "what do you think we'd do, let them starve?"

"Certainly not!" Emily kneeled beside her, hugging her by the shoulders. "Not after all you've done for us! After seeing how much you care about Harry! You're one of the best friends I've had in a long time, I would never abandon your children..."

Harry turned and locked eyes with Mel. He had a distraught expression on his face as he watched her cover her mouth, struggling to breathe.

One time when she was six, Mel had to be taken to the nurse because some kids cornered her in the playground and she lost it; a teacher carried her out. When her mother arrived they told her Mel had suffered a panic attack.

A panic attack wasn't exactly a good omen nor the best way to spend her last night before going back to school, but she had no control over it.

"Deep breaths, Mel..." Harry muttered, quickly making his way towards her. "It's okay–"

The boy tried to touch her and that stirred her into action. Mel slapped his hand out of the way and ran out before someone could stop her. She ran up all the way to Buckbeak's layer and she locked herself there until her crying stopped.

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs Weasley yelled.

Mel let out a pained groan, her head was pounding after last night and all she wanted was to get to the train so she could take a nap. Mrs Black's portrait was howling, but no one tried to close the curtains since the house was loud with voices coming from every floor, all gathering their stuff before leaving.

"I'm dying," The girl leaned on her mother's shoulder. The woman ran her fingers through her hair tenderly.

"You had a rough night. Been years since you had one of those..."

"It was the stupid boggart," She muttered. "I'm okay now. I'll see Erick, so that's kind of cool..."

"You and Harry haven't talked, then?"

"Mum..."

"I'm not trying to force you–"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"

A dog ran into the hall, looking rather lively.

"Oh honestly... well, on your own head be it!"

Mrs Weasley, Emily, Mel, Harry and Sirius all left the house together.

"Where's Tonks?" Harry asked.

"She's waiting for us just up here," said Mrs Weasley.

"Wotcher, guys," Tonks -disguised as an old woman- winked at them. "Better hurry up, hadn't we?"

"I know, I know... but Mad-Eye wanted to wait for Sturgis... If only Arthur could have got us cars from the Ministry again... but Fudge wouldn't let him borrow so much as an empty ink bottle these days... How Muggles can stand travelling without magic..."

Sirius was having the time of his life though, running around chasing pigeons and barking loudly. Mel and Harry laughed at his antics, Emily rolled her eyes and mumbled something about him being a child.

As they walked through the streets watching Sirius chase cats and go crazy with the poor birds, she felt Harry glancing at her from time to time. Mel knew he only wanted to help, and perhaps he was a little hurt about the way she'd reacted last night. However, she was far from even acknowledging that she'd cried in front of so many people.

"I felt it, you know?" Harry said when no one was paying attention. "Your panic attack..."

"I figured," Mel said numbly. "It's the lifeline... doesn't matter, I have it under control."

"I could've helped," He insisted. "When we were little–"

"We're not little anymore," She replied sternly. "You handle your stuff, I handle mine. That's what we agreed on."

Harry's jaw clenched, he didn't speak after that.

It felt like a type of rebirth when she crossed the platform and found herself in front of the scarlet train.

"I hope the others make it in time," said Mrs Weasley.

"Nice dog, guys!" called Lee Jordan.

"Thanks, Lee," said Harry.

Sirius made a show of himself, acting as the perfect puppy.

"Mel, come here for a moment," Emily drew her away from the group, looking anxious.

"What is it?"

"I didn't say anything until now because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable during your stay but... oh, well..."

She noticed how her mother glanced at Sirius, who was rolling around at Harry's feet.

"Mum... Are you and Sirius... a thing?"

Her mother hesitated.

"I know you've noticed how... I mean, we've... we're not exactly together."

"Oh," She frowned. "Why not?"

"What?"

"If you want to be a couple, then be one."

"I... you... you're not upset?"

Mel gave her a small smile. "You deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy. If being with Sirius gives you that, I have nothing against it. He's a good man– bit stubborn, but he treats you well, right?"

"He was always a good friend..."

"I hope all goes well, then."

The woman stared as if she'd mistaken Mel for someone else.

"You have more of Matthew than you could ever have of me, you know?" Emily beamed. "I'm thankful for that."

"Sirius would be an idiot if he rejects you, to be honest."

Her mother laughed.

"Don't get your hopes up about this, though..."

"I trust you," Mel brushed it off, hugging her one last time before going back to the group.

Five minutes later Lupin was wishing her a safe journey. Mel held onto him tightly, his scent filling her lungs.

"I'm going to miss you lots," She mumbled against his chest.

"You'll see me soon," Lupin rubbed her back. "Now, just because you weren't made a prefect doesn't mean you're allowed to misbehave. Make us proud."

Sirius ran up to her and crashed against her legs, she kneeled and hugged him as well.

"I'll miss you too, Snuffles... look after my mother while I'm gone, okay?"

He barked, snuggling his face closer to hers.

"Well, look after yourselves," Lupin told the rest of the teenagers. "You too, Harry. Be careful."

"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody. "And don't forget, all of you — careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."

"It's been great meeting all of you," said Tonks. "We'll see you soon, I expect."

"Quick, quick," said Mrs Weasley as the whistle blew a second time. "Write... Be good... If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on... Onto the train, now, hurry..."

For one brief moment, the great black dog reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry's shoulders, but Mrs Weasley shoved Harry away toward the train door hissing, "For heaven's sake act more like a dog, Sirius!"

"See you!" Harry yelled from the door.

The black dog chased the train barking madly until they turned, then he vanished.

"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione murmured.

"Oh lighten up, he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke," Ron shook his head.

"Well, can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. Are you coming with us, Lady?" Fred asked.

"Maybe later," She shrugged.

"All right, see you later!"

"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked.

"Er..."

"We're — well — Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly.

Suddenly Mel felt really bad about not going with Fred and George.

"Oh," Harry tensed next to her. "Right. Fine."

"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," said the girl. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."

"Fine– Well, we... might see you later, then."

"Yeah, definitely. It's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather — but we have to — I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy."

"I know you're not," said Harry.

"I'll tell Erick you say hi, Mel," Hermione offered, thinking that would ease her mind.

"Brilliant," She said without much excitement.

"Come on," Ginny spoke, Mel felt immense relief as she turned to look at the girl, "if we get a move on we'll be able to save them places."

"Right," said Harry, and he looked as pleased as her.

After a while of silent walking, they ran into Neville, which was even better, more people to talk to.

"Hi, guys– Hi, Ginny... Everywhere's full... I can't find a seat..."

"What are you talking about?" said Ginny. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here —"

"I don't want to disturb anyone..."

"Don't be silly," Ginny chuckled. "She's all right."

They all followed her inside.

"Hi, Luna! Is it okay if we take these seats?"

The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty-blond hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Harry knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had chosen to wear a necklace of butterbeer caps, or that she was reading a magazine upside down. Her eyes ranged over Neville and came to rest on Harry. She nodded.

"Thanks," said Ginny.

In the middle of all the movement of putting away trunks and pets, Mel and Harry somehow found themselves seated together. The girl thought it'd look suspicious if she were to move now, it would confirm that she was actively avoiding him.

"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter."

"I know I am," said Harry, frowning slightly.

Her eyes then moved to the next person, which happened to be her.

"You're a Dumbledore."

"Yeah, people keep saying that," Mel said.

Luna moved to Neville. "And I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody," He said.

"No you're not," said Ginny. "Neville Longbottom — Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," sang Luna.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" Neville asked them.

"Another Remembrall?" Harry teased.

"No– I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago... No, look at this... Mimbulus mimbletonia."

"Sick!" Mel beamed. "Er- in a good way..."

"It's really, really rare," said Neville excitedly. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"If you do manage, I'd love to have one," Mel eyed the plant with interest.

Harry did a strange noise next to her and she stared back, daring him to speak.

"Does it — er — do anything?" He asked, glancing nervously at her.

"Loads of stuff! It's got an amazing defensive mechanism — hold Trevor for me..."

Neville put the toad on Harry's hands. Luna was staring again.

Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant, thick, stinking, dark-green jets of it; they hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine. Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat, but Harry, whose hands had been busy preventing the escape of Trevor, received a face full. It smelled like rancid manure.

Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.

"S-sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before... Didn't realize it would be quite so... Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful onto the floor.

Mel cackled, cleaning her face without an ounce of grumpiness.

"That was amazing!"

The door of their compartment slid open abruptly.

"Oh... hello, Harry. Um... bad time?" Cho stared at the lot with an anxious expression.

"Oh... hi," Harry quickly tried to clean his face.

"It's a terrible time," Mel said brightly, "We stink."

"Um... well... just thought I'd say hello... 'bye then."

Cho Chang was blushing when she closed the door. She heard Harry groan and fall back on his seat.

"Never mind," said Ginny. "Look, we can get rid of all this easily. Scourgify!"

"Sorry," said Neville timidly.

"Don't be, that was really interesting to watch," Mel smiled.

Neville blushed at her comment.

"I'm starving," Ron walked in, Mel quickly made room between her and Harry, which he took without even noticing.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," said Hermione. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron.

"Malfoy," replied Harry.

" 'Course," Ron made a face.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione to Mel. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll..."

"Cheating of course," Mel shrugged.

"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said Ron.

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione. "Oh! Erick seemed fine, Mel– couldn't talk to him because of Malfoy, of course..."

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron explained, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something..."

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!"

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all."

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."

"For heaven's sake, Ron —"

"He's not being unfair, is he?" Mel defended him. "If anyone deserves detention, that's them..."

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," Ron then pretended to be the Slytherin. "I... must... not... look... like... a... baboon's... backside..."

Everyone laughed, but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. She let out a scream of mirth that caused Hedwig to wake up and flap her wings indignantly and Crookshanks to leap up into the luggage rack, hissing. She laughed so hard that her magazine slipped out of her grasp, slid down her legs, and onto the floor.

"That was funny!"

Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backward and forward, clutching her sides.

"Are you taking the mickey?"

"Baboon's... backside!"

"Hey, Lovegood," Mel grinned. "We're going to be great friends..."

"Can I have a look at this?" Harry asked Luna. He was staring at the magazine she'd dropped. "Mel, have a look at this, will you?"

He was showing her an article over Ron's shoulder.

SIRIUS - Black As He's Painted?

Notorious Mass Murderer OR Innocent Singing Sensation?

For fourteen years Sirius Black has been believed guilty of the mass murder of twelve innocent Muggles and one wizard. Black's audacious escape from Azkaban two years ago has led to the widest manhunt ever conducted by the Ministry of Magic. None of us has ever questioned that he deserves to be recaptured and handed back to the dementors.

BUT DOES HE?

"What is this?" Mel asked, her voice slightly shaking with contained laughter.

"Hang on," Harry said distractedly. "This one's about Fudge.."

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, denied that he had any plans to take over the running of the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts, when he was elected Minister of Magic five years ago. Fudge has always insisted that he wants nothing more than to "cooperate peacefully" with the guardians of our gold.

BUT DOES HE?

Sources close to the Minister have recently disclosed that Fudge's dearest ambition is to seize control of the goblin gold supplies and that he will not hesitate to use force if need be.

"It wouldn't be the first time, either," said a Ministry insider. "Cornelius 'Goblin-Crusher' Fudge, that's what his friends call him..."

"Anything good in there?" asked Ron.

"Of course not," said Hermione. "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Excuse me," said Luna. "My father's the editor."

Mel had to bit her lip to not make a sound.

"I — oh. Well... it's got some interesting... I mean, it's quite..."

"I'll have it back, thank you," Luna took back the magazine and buried her face behind it.

The door to the compartment opened again.

"What?" Harry snapped at Malfoy.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention... You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

The group laughed. Mel felt something crawling up her chest, ready to pounce.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione.

"I seem to have touched a nerve... Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" said Hermione sharply.

Mel's heart skipped a beat.

Dogging.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world

#twoidiots writing #hp fanfic #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter xoc #WITT fic #hp ootp

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ticklikeabomb · 4 years

Text

The Medusas - Part 3

Pairing : Mayans MC x Plus Size Reader ; Ezekiel ‘EZ’ Reyes x Plus Size Reader (platonic)

Warnings : Language, Angst, Mention of Depression

Word Count : 2.9k

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the universe where they were created and interact in. This series/fiction is only for entertainment purposes.

A week passed, then a second. You were still in shock and denial regarding the fight you had with EZ. His words kept repeating themselves like an earworm. You couldn’t believe he felt that way towards you since the beginning, just someone to pass time. “She didn’t impose herself compared to others.” You couldn’t stop that destructive voice in your head, questioning if he was the only one feeling that way. What about your father? Did you also imposed yourself in some type of way, not giving him the choice in guarding you? Is it why your birth parents left you, abandoned you? These thoughts left you in a dark place and you slowly started pushing people away. You gradually cut contact with your friends, not in the mood to talk or hang around with them anymore. Your new state preoccupied your father but also the other club members who were used to see you constantly smiling.

It didn’t help going to the same high school with EZ’s girlfriend. Life was playing tricks on you, testing your patience by putting her constantly on your path. She would either totally dismiss your presence or at the contrary, provoke you by speaking loud enough about EZ to her friends, knowing you would hear her. You couldn’t count how many times you left the room or cafeteria, sick of hearing her. What switched your denial to anger occurred a few months later, at the end of school year. You were exiting the classroom, making your way outside, when you saw EZ twirling Emily in a hug and kiss her passionately in the middle of the school entry. When he dropped her to the ground, his eyes met yours and his joyful smile vanished. You felt stuck to the ground, not being able to move from the scene. His eyes then dropped to the ground before taking Emily’s hand in his and turning around, making his way to the truck. In that moment, your heart finished breaking itself to pieces.

You felt sick to your stomach. Running from the place, you arrived at the Romero Brothers junkyard devastated. Your eyes landed on a semi-broken car and a metal bar beside it. Grabbing the bar, you began smashing the car’s windows, the hood, every part you could hit on, letting all your frustrations out. Your outburst reached the Mayans’s ears who immediately left the Temple and ran to the commotion. The bikers witnessed a side of you they didn’t know you had: the fury, the anger, rage. Bishop wanted to take a step towards you when he was stopped by Marcus, shaking his head. “She needs it”, was the only thing the President said. Your breathing and voice started to shake. Your motions stopped, the metal bar falling from your grip, the rage being replaced by waves of tears, shaking your whole body. That was the moment Bishop chose to slowly walk to you and engulf you into his arms, his action making you whimper even louder. “Shh it’s gonna be ok”, he whispered in your ear while soothing you the best he could. He walked you back inside, the others following close, each one patting your shoulder in support of whatever you were mentally facing. Alvarez told his cousin to take the weekend.

After your outburst, Bishop was walking on eggs around you. He didn’t know how to approach you and help. He decided to ask his former lover for advice and visited Martha at the shop. She greeted him with a smile but quickly noticed the tension on his body. She knew him like the palm of her hand. “What’s going on?”, she asked worried. He chuckled slightly, “You were always able to read me like an open book.” “We used to date for a while back in the day”, she jokingly reminded him. “Can we talk somewhere more private?”, he asked her to which she nodded and told him to follow her back to her office. He scratched his neck before telling her the way you were behaving lately. “I need advice. I don’t know what to do, what to say anymore. I don’t want her shutting down on me if I push too much.” Martha listened closely before replying, “Just tell her you’re there whenever she needs to talk. Give her the choice to reach out to you. She might do or not but if not, don’t take it personally, she will eventually tell you when she feels like it’s the right time.” He nodded at her declaration and said, “I can do that.” “You know, first heartbreaks are tough for everyone but it will pass with time”, she slowly said and looked at her lap. Her words hit the man like a train. ‘Heartbreak’. Things were clearer now. He suspected your mood being because of the fight with EZ but he never thought that you felt more than platonic feelings towards the guy. He reached out to her and thanked her before asking how she’d been. The continued catching on while on your side, you were at the club putting your notebook inside your bag when Alvarez entered the room.

His eyes landed on you, analyzing your tense posture, the joy evaporated from your irises, the corner of your lips down. He grabbed a drink and seated beside you. “What’s going on with you mija?”, he asked, voice laced with concern. “I’m just tired it’s all”, you replied. “The famous code used by woman to end a conversation”, he chuckled before turning to his serious self. “Don’t lie to me.” He noticed your jaw clenching. Looking at him, you whispered with a small voice, “I’m a burden to everyone. Obispo should have left me with the other kids.” Alvarez’s features darkened. Trying to control himself, he took your hands in his. “Look at me cariño. I hope I will never hear you say such absurdities ever again. You are not a burden and never will be. Bishop took you in because he knew, the second he looked at you, how special you are and he isn’t the only one who instantly knew. He chose you to be his daughter. You’re family! Don’t ever forget that. You’re Y/N Losa.” He pronounced every word with conviction and you saw no lie in his eyes. Nodding to him, you apologized and stood up. “I should go”, you commented before giving him a side hug. Reaching the door, your turned around and called after him. “Thank you”, you said and saw him nod in acknowledgement.

Ringing, the alarm announced the end of class and the beginning of summer break. You were finally free of her vision, her comments and her attitude. After a conversation with Bishop where he followed Martha’s advice, he noticed that your mood improved. He also noticed you spending all of your time with Coco and Angel. It didn’t enchant him but as long as you were feeling better it was all that mattered. On the other side, he knew that you would be save with Coco and that if we crossed the line, he had a gun and knife attached on him, ready to deal with the sniper. Hanging with Coco and crew also made you more interested in bikes and mechanics. They thought you how to change and fix them, shoving the different brands, designs and how to ride one. That’s how you would spend most of your days.

“Can I ask you something?”, you turned to Coco. His gaze landed on you while exhaling the smoke from his cigarette, “Yeah what?” “Since you were a sniper, could you teach me how to shoot?” He narrowed his eye, one of his eyebrows lifting in confusion before stating a bland “No.” “Why not?” “Because I’m too young to die by the hands of your old man.” You chuckled slightly before getting serious again. “Come on man.” He shook his head, finishing his cigarette and serving himself a beer. “I already told you no.“ You sighed in defeat and stood up, leaving but not after mumbling a “Asshole” under your breath. “Hey, I heard you”, he shouted after you. “Good”, you replied and showed him the finger. “Bitch” he whispered under his breath.

You saw him a few days later at the club and decided to play stubborn, giving him the cold shoulder. His gaze kept drifting to you, trying to figure out why you would ask him such a thing. Your little bratty game was getting on his nerve and he sat down on the couch beside you. “Why?”, was the only word leaving his lips. You took a gulp of your soft drink before turning towards Coco. “Just a precaution. Look around you, everyone is at risk at any second. Don’t you think, everyone should be able to defend themselves or others when necessary. Besides it’s a dangerous world for women out there”, you simply stated the obvious. He couldn’t deny you had good arguments. “What about him?”, he pointed with his beer to the VP. “I don’t want him to know. It’s just our little secret.” The man beside you closed his eyes for a second before agreeing on teaching you. A huge smile crossed your features and you bumped against his shoulder. “Yeah yeah, you just signed my death arrest”, he mumbled before taking a gulp. You laughed at him but assured him it will be fine and no one would know about it. How wrong you were.

Your lessons with Coco were intense, requiring all your concentration. He told you the names and properties of different gun models; taught you how to correctly use each one of them to the point that after several months you were able to use each one perfectly, the student surpassing the teacher. Every time you would tease him, he would feign annoyance and curse your sassiness out but deep down he was proud of you. “Now that I can handle this, do you know how to box?”, you asked him one day. He opened his mouth, transpiring frustration. “Perra you really out here testing my nerves, aren’t you?” “You’re funny, how do I defend myself if I’m in danger and don’t have a gun in my possession?”, you asked him a hand on your hip. He sighed heavily and shook his head. “I’ll ask Creeper to give us a hand with that”, he finally confessed and saw you smirk in victory. “This was only supposed to be between us”, he pointed at you annoyed. “Gracias Coco”, you bat your eyelashes to which he side-eyed you, making you laugh. That’s how another club member joined your little secret. While you were training with Creeper, your father arrived earlier from his run and saw you in the ring. Stepping out from his Harley, he walked closer. “What the fuck is going on here?”, he asked. You simply shrugged and told him you were helping Creeper train. Your dad narrowed his eyes at you but you didn’t phase. He then turned to the other man and warned him, “If you hurt her, you’ll have to deal with me.” “Yes boss.” Your eyes met Coco who only shook his head.

---

In the meantime, on the other side of the spectrum, the Reyes tried to convince EZ to go to college. “We already had that conversation”, he replied to his dad. “I understand that you had an agreement with Emily but you can’t put your future on hold like that”, continued Felipe. “God you sound just like Y/N”, sighed EZ. “And she is right”, interfered Marisol and took his son’s hand. “Mira, if Emily really care and loves you, she will understand. You have to think about you and if it implies you break a promise for the greater good then that’s what you have to do. You can check the environment, search for a future apartment for both of you but do all of that while you attend classes.”

“I already missed the first semester anyway. There no point in going now. I’ll have to wait for the next school year”, replied EZ. Felipe stood up not having the force to continue the conversation followed closely by Marisol. “Alright. In the meantime, I think you should fix whatever happened between you and Y/N. I know you are hurt. I can see it but she was always there for you”, exclaimed EZ’s mom before leaving her son reflect on her comment. He isolated himself in his room, thinking about his mother’s words and realized his parents were right. He made his way to Emily’s and informed her of his decision to leave and start visiting for a place to live.

That’s when their first fight occurred and it only got worst when he told her his plan on apologizing and talking to you. “Why would you do that? She tried to break us up. Why are you doing this to me?”, she shouted out. “Em, I only want to make things right. I wasn’t exactly the nicest to her and she probably said those things because she felt threatened. You never got the chance to really get to know each other and I don’t know what do you want me to tell you.” “That’s bullshit. She was the one who didn’t give me a chance. I’ve tried to be nice to her but she kept provoking me with her friends”, the brunette lied. “I know Y/N and she would never do that”, replied EZ, projecting more fuel to the braze. Emily scoffed, “This is gonna be very simple EZ: either you believe me and stay with me or you go to her, apologize and we’re over”, she stated. “Em, come on”, he tried to resonate her. She walked to the door, opened it and made sure he got the hint. It’s with a heavy heart that he stepped closer to the door and closed it, choosing Emily.

He left a few months later to Stanford, establishing himself there before starting off his first year.

2009 - 2010

The club was discussing at the table when they heard a knock. Annoyed by the interruption, Alvarez nodded at Creeper to open the door. He stepped aside, revealing you behind it. Alvarez motioned you to come inside and noticed your nervousness. “I’m sorry, I know no one can interrupt you when you’re in the Temple but I have something important to request.” The President looked at his cousin who nodded and granted you to talk. You took a deep breath before exclaiming with your head high, “I want to be part of the club. One of you, a Mayan.”

After what felt like an eternity, the silent room filled itself with laughter. “Honey, you can’t be a Mayan member. It doesn’t work like that”, responded your dad. “I know, I’ll be Prospect for a year and then if you judge me worthy, I’ll become a full patched member. I know the rules.” Alvarez’s smile disappeared and he declared, “What we mean is that we don’t take in women and even if we did, it’s a no.” “But, I…” “Marcus told you NO”, Bishop interrupted you firmly. Your eyes wandered around the room and there it was again. That familiar feeling of rejection and embarrassment that went along with it. Your fists clenched and your gaze landed on the floor, refusing for them to see your angry tears. You burst out of the room, fuming and headed home.

Once in your room, you looked around and felt disgusted. “I can’t stay here anymore”, you told yourself out loud. You grabbed the essentials and packed your backpack, your decision to leave final. You wrote a letter to your father explaining him you couldn’t stay and needed to figure yourself out. When he came home, you pretended to be asleep on your bed and felt his lips leave a kiss on your forehead. Your fists clenched under the blanket, fighting your tears and selfishness of leaving the one that saved you 13 years ago. As soon as you made sure that he was asleep, you got out of the house and vanished.

The next morning, Bishop stood up and softly entered your room, checking if you were still asleep. At his surprise, your bed was made. He made his way to the kitchen calling out your name but you were nowhere in sight. He grabbed his phone and dialed, your ringtone blasting in the living room. When he entered the room, his heart stopped beating. Displayed on the table was your phone, ID and an envelope. A sense of fear overcame him and the letter only confirmed his suspicion.

Dear Father,

I’m sorry it has to be on these circumstances but I don’t have the strength to face a fourth rejection like the one that happened earlier today. I’m lost and I need to find myself, who I really am and what I really want. I can’t do it while staying in Santo Padre. You don’t deserve this act of selfishness. You saved me once and I could never thank you enough for the life you gave me. I’m truly and deeply sorry. I hope you will find the strength to forgive me some day.

Te amo mucho, Y/N Losa

He immediately called Alvarez and the Mayans proceeded in checking on the most logical places: train & bus stations, hospitals, your friends, at Martha’s, at the Carniceria, your favorite spots but in vain. It was like you disappeared from the face of the globe. Bishop was devastated and couldn’t stop reading the letter, smashing everything he could find before bursting in tears. The rest of the club was also devastated, feeling like they’ve lost a daughter themselves while Coco, on his side, was furious, feeling like you tricked him.

*gifs, credit to the owners*

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76 notes · View notes

hatsukeii · 4 years

Note

can i request a tsukishima scenario? When he is feeling sad so his fem! S/o pampers him with kisses in his face and hands, and maybe cuddles 🥺🥺

*cough angst with fluff ending *cough

I have to make it up to you guys for the last Tsukki angst right?

Before slamming another multitude of depressing scenarios but don’t worry about that for now.

lol I genuinely love this prompt so much though, tysm anon!

Always, I’ll care//Tsukishima x Reader

Word count: 2000+

Warnings: Mild swearing, mentions of divorce, mentions of anorexia, ✨cyberbullying✨

Summary: Tsukishima’s been out of it for week but you can’t seem to pinpoint why, until he finally reaches out.

Yeah, you were absolutely certain that something was up with Kei at this point. There was, without a doubt, something that had been bothering him terribly. Whatever this thing was, it was draining him of his usual spirit. The usual glint of mischief that sparkled in his eyes has been gone for weeks, now replaced by a dull golden. He hasn’t bantered with any of his teammates throughout the last few practices, he hasn’t made an extra effort to make you feel short, nor has he reached out to anyone at all. His sharp tongue was gone, along with his usual tendencies to taunt other students. You haven’t been able to reach him in what felt like forever. He hasn’t replied to any of your texts, hasn’t walked you home at all, nor has he invited you over for your study dates. This felt weird. This didn’t feel right at all. This wasn’t the Kei you were used to, but at the same time you had no idea what you could do to make him feel better. He was too closed off for his own good, keeping everything to himself and letting his worries eat him up from the inside.

You heaved a heavy sigh, shoving your books into your locker. He had ignored your text again. This was the seventh one in a row that he had left on seen. Everyone who knew him was worried, especially you and Yamaguchi. He refused to tell even Yamaguchi what was up with him these days.You two had all the reasons in the world to be extra wary of his mental state. “(Y/N), you don’t think he’s okay either, do you?” The freckled boy mumbled next to you, grabbing his notes from the locker next to yours. “No, he’s definitely not okay. Constantly having his headphones on is never a good sign. The last time he was like that was when his parents got divorced.” You slammed your locker door shut as hard as you can, earning quite a few glares from other students that were startled by the noise. “Jesus, I haven’t been able to reach him for weeks. What the hell happened?” You pressed your forehead to the locker door, squeezing your eyes shut. “He’s been out of it at practice too. Tsukki almost never misses his blocks against anyone, but he’s been doing terribly in practice. Coach Ukai had to put him on the bench last week. What’s up with him?” Yamaguchi recalled, shaking his head a bit. “Hell, as if I’d know. I’ve been trying to check up on him for weeks, but he’s left all of my texts on read.” You removed your head from the metal door, before heading to class, where you had to deal with a dead silent, gloomy, angsty Tsukishima for about an hour, before school ended.

You were curled up on your bed, a million thoughts rampaging through your mind, every single one of them being about Kei. It’s been half an hour since school ended. You walked home with Yamaguchi. Tsukishima was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had abandoned you two and left on his own. No, scratch that, he probably did leave alone. Was he doing okay? What happened to him? Did he fail a test or something? Oh no, did his parents get back together again? Even worse, did he get invited to his dad’s wedding with his new wife? Or maybe he was just fed up with you? Wait, what did you do? Did you piss him off? Oh god, it must’ve been the time where you forgot to bring him that strawberry shortcake you promised to make him. Or was it that time you were late for your date and he almost didn’t make it in time for the premiere of that new Jurassic Park movie? Your train of thoughts was rudely interrupted by the ringing of your phone. You lazily slapped a hand across your nightstand, grabbing your phone from the charger and pulling it towards you. Your eyes widened at the contact that was shown on the screen. You sat up at an inhumanly speed, accepting the call as you brought your phone to your ear. “Kei?” “(Y/N), can you- can you come over? Please- please come over.” He was audibly sobbing, tiny sniffs making their way into his sentences. “Oh-oh god, yeah, of course, I’ll be there in five, stay put, don’t worry.” You changed into a random pair of sweats, and took off to Tsukishima’s house, grabbing a bunch of candy and some shortcake on the way, just to make him feel a bit better.

You slowly creaked open the door to his room, taking a peek. The blond haired boy was sitting in front of his laptop, a hand over his mouth as tears slowly dropped onto the keys. His eyes were bloodshot, presumably from all the crying. His phone was in his other hand, the knuckles of his fingers white from gripping the piece of technology so tight. Your heart clenched at the sight. It was as if an entire army fired arrows at your heart simultaneously, and all the arrows managed to pierce through that pulsing lump of muscle. The boy, that you cared for so dearly, was breaking down, and no one knew except for you. “Kei....” You opened the door a bit more, lightly treading on the wooden floor of his room as you approached the taller male. “Am I worthless?” The blond whimpered out, his eyes never leaving the screen. Your gaze landed onto the computer screen. You gave out an audible growl after reading what was shown on the monitor.

From: Unknown

To: Tsukishima Kei

Dear Tsukishima,

I hope you know that you’re the reason your parents got divorced, you little shit. I wish for no one to ever love you. Everyone that dates you should only date you out of pity. You’re worthless. No one truly cares about you. You could kill yourself and no one would notice, you anorexic blond bitch. Stay your ass scrawny while everyone buffs up xx

Sincerely, Your dad- oh wait you wish, he probably can’t even remember who you are

Your face darkened at the disgusting email that was sent to your boyfriend. How dare someone say such hurtful things to him. Tsukishima sighed, his head hanging low. “You can’t even answer it. I already know I’m worthless, I don’t need you to rub it in either. I thought you could help.” Your head snapped towards the blond, misbelief and rage shining through the look you gave him. “Kei, how long have you been receiving emails like this? Why didn’t you tell me-” “Just answer me first.” You were taken aback by his tone. It was hurt, definitely, but almost in a hopeless way. You brought your hand up to cup his tear stained cheek, drying it with your thumb as your other hand went up to ruffle his hair. “How could you ever be worthless? Even if everyone else thought you were worthless, I’d still think you’re the most precious thing in the world, and you better not let anyone tell you otherwise.” Tsukishima let out a strained sob, nuzzling his face into your warm hand, before taking a deep breath. “This person, whoever it is, they’ve been sending me these emails for a few weeks. At first, they weren’t that bad, but then it started to get personal. They attacked my family situation, my relationship, and my body.” Your nose scrunched up in disgust. “What kind of sick freak attacks someone’s family situation?” The blond shakily sighed. “Apparently this person.” You shook your head, shoving your face into your hand. “We all know they got divorced because your mom caught him cheating. It’s clearly not your fault. You dad was in the wrong and you know it.” He sulked a bit, before continuing. “Well they’ve also been calling me anorexic for weeks.”

Your eyebrows furrowed at this new information. Never in a million years did you think Kei would think so heavily of his own body image. He always struck you as a carefree, unbothered person. Who would’ve known he was so insecure underneath it all? “Kei, why didn’t you tell me about all this?” “I didn’t want you to worry. I thought I could deal with this on my own, but then they started bringing up by dad and me looking anorexic. Apparently I’m too skinny for anyone to appreciate. No one wants an anorexic person. I’m not even anorexic but I’m getting offended by this. I can’t help being lanky you know.” You heaved a dry chuckle. “Seriously? Body image issues? Tsukishima god damn Kei look at yourself and tell me you have a terrible body. Do it.” He was visibly shocked, looking down at himself. “Exactly. You can’t.” Your hand went down to grab his, pulling him on his feet. You pulled his sleeve up, giving his shoulder a tiny peck. “Look at you. You’re built like a whole ass Greek God. You’re like lowkey ripped, how in hell’s name did you manage to believe in that asshole’s emails?” Next, you led his hand to your face, giving each finger a kiss. “Somehow your fingers are still intact for me to hold, even after winning so many sets with your insane blocks.” You let go of his hand, slowly trailing your fingers along his face. “Your eyes are deadass the most perfect thing. I don’t think I can enjoy the sun anymore, your eyes are enough for me to get mesmerised in.” You pulled his face down, giving both his eyelids a tender peck. You squeezed his cheeks, before squishing them between your palms. “You may be lanky and muscular, but your cheeks are still as squishy as ever. I love squishing them so much, they’re like a baby’s cheeks.” With that, you gave both his cheeks a peck, before finally moving to his forehead, giving it a gentle kiss. “Right here, is where the magic is put to work. Everything you’ve been through, learned, felt, all stored right here. Your mind is quite the battlefield, constantly giving you conflicting thoughts about yourself. You’re still dealing with everything that’s been thrown on you. From your parent’s divorce, to your brother’s lie, to the shitty emails. But that mind of yours, also managed to find a way to block THE Ushijima Wakatoshi. It’s aced so many exams for you, it’s helped you get to me, and it’s helped you make up those snarky one liners that you love to use so much. I know what I say might not make any significant difference, but I just want to let you know how I feel. I think you’re a complete badass, a hotshot middle blocker, and one of the hottest people I’ve landed my eyes on. So many people care about you, so please never render yourself worthless. Please.” At this point, Tsukishima had stopped crying, now looking at you with wide eyes. “How could your words ever be insignificant to me?” His arms were instantly wrapped around you, pushing you into his chest. It was dead silent in the room. You could hear his heartbeat in your ear. “Thank you... so, so much.” His voice cracked a bit as he whispered. You moved your head up, giving him a soft, but passionate kiss, keeping your forehead in contact with his. “You don’t have to thank me, I was only stating the truth. Plus, you better report that asshole to the school, they’re gonna get what they deserve when the teachers find out who it is.” He pulled away, grabbing your hand and lacing his fingers with yours. “Why do you care so much anyways? You sent me like seven texts in a row at school. You should be pissed at me or something. I did leave you on read for weeks after all.” You laughed heartily, before drawing circles on his hand with your thumb.

“Always, I’ll care, dumbass.”

Is this fluffy enough for you guys? Probably not considering it’s still like part angst lmao but idc have fun reading it the angst will be back in a bit my dudes and I’m about to make Tsukishima suffer again I’m sorry I love him too but like I crave angst xx

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rikudiora · 4 years

Text

Unintentionally Seducing Emotionally Compromised Chameleons

AN: This little piece of write fuckary has been bumping around in my head for a long fucking time now. I think I laid out the groundwork for the idea about a year ago, but I haven't seriously put work into it until the past couple of weeks. As usual, it's way longer than I originally had in mind, and probably not as funny, but I'm satisfied with it ultimately. And to address the elephant in the room, of course I know Ilia enjoys the muff, but if I can make Jaune into a girl to bang Blake, then who's to fucking stop me from doing this bullshit? Enjoy some fucking primo crackshipping!

Ilia Amitola had been utterly speechless when she'd watched the human rise shakily to his feet, but when he turned around and looked back at her, speechlessness was replaced by complete thoughtlessness, her mouth falling open partially and her stomach suddenly brimming with tingles.

She blinked and then blinked once more, trying feebly to process all she'd seen; all the emotions that welled up in her head, her heart, her entire body. She'd never felt like this before. It wasn't anger, not sadness, not jealousy, and not joy either. All of those she'd experienced in the past, and subsequently learned how to deal with, thanks in most part to Blake, at least until recently. Thoughts about Adam and how much he'd changed? Same thing; she could handle them. This, on the other hand? This was completely new. Completely alien.

Ilia was well and truly stumped. And all because of a single, bloodied and bruised, yet still brightly smiling blonde boy.

Just how had she gotten herself into this situation?

Well…

XXX

'She just… left… she left us… abandoned us...'

In the most secluded corner of the airship that she could find, the only thing keeping her company being the dull rumble of the engines, Ilia sat stewing in her thoughts, her face twisted in a scowl halfway between furious and heartbroken. While not the first, this was one of the very, very, very few opportunities she'd had since the betrayal to just sit down and think about what exactly Blake had done, the weeks following the announcement having been too busy for her to fully process everything. She'd been sent on mission after mission after mission ever since the Fang had joined forces with that Cinder woman, and days had begun blurring together as she did her work and then immediately fell asleep from exhaustion, only to wake up a few hours later to do it all over again.

Anger and confusion and sadness all tumbled around in her head, each emotion only lasting for a moment before it was replaced by one of the others, and Ilia hated every single second of it. She couldn't decide what feeling was the right one, and that only put her even more on edge. She'd felt flashes of all of these emotions coming over her during the past few weeks, but it was only now that there was nothing else to interrupt her that she could truly think about them. She didn't know whether to scream, to cry, or stare blankly at the floor in front of her—whether she wanted to pummel Blake bloody or throw herself into her arms as she wept.

Her anger was the most simple to understand; Blake had been her close friend, maybe even more—unrequited though her true feelings might have been—and yet Blake had said nothing to her regarding her plans. She hadn't even had the decency to tell Ilia herself through a message or something, it had been Adam who had broken the news to everyone.

For years, Ilia had thought that they'd been fighting for the same goal, that they were both equally dedicated to their cause, but no, Blake had given up on everything without a word to anyone in the Fang! Just how many lies had she told them if it had been this easy for her to abandon them all!

Ilia's hands clenched into fist tight enough that her aura sparked around her fingers, the pain she'd felt in her chest when Adam had returned alone from the mission stabbing through her like a jagged spike of fire once more, her fury draining out of her as quickly as it had blazed up, leaving her feeling hollow and vacant inside instead.

Blake had been her first true companion in the Fang, the person she'd turned to whenever her own convictions had been shaken, and the only person Ilia had ever felt she'd happily want to spend the rest of her life with. When Blake had gotten together with Adam, she'd been disappointed like never before, but deep down she'd known that the chance of the ravenette returning her feelings had always been slim and their friendship hadn't been damaged by it either, occasional pangs jealousy not withstanding. And now Blake was simply gone.

Just as her eyes started to grow watery, Ilia was shaken from her thoughts by the distinct, heavy sound of docking clamps being engaged and the feeling of finally coming to a stop. She got up from her corner and stretched mechanically, not really consciously caring about how stiff she'd gotten from sitting still for so many hours, before picking up her bag from beside her. Her face was downcast as she stealthily joined the other passengers when they began disembarking from the airship, pretending to be just another commuter, but she felt a pair of eyes on her as she walked by some of the airship staff and she set off in a run the moment the crowd around her dispersed enough. She wasn't interested in giving them a chance to call her out. This wasn't her first time sneaking aboard a transport vessel, nor would it be the last, and she'd since long learned to recognize the signs that meant someone suspected her of getting a free ride.

With practiced ease, she melted into the throng of people outside the airship station, willing her skin to lighten and hair to do the opposite. No longer was she the mocca-skinned brunette the airship personal would be looking for. Instead, she could blend into the crowd disguised as just another fair skinned, black haired girl.

'Just like Blake...' came an unbidden thought, and a streak of blue appeared among Ilia's new tresses.

It took more effort than she'd ever like to admit to keep herself from screaming out and making a scene, but Ilia ultimately kept walking along the streets until she reached what she assumed was the city square. As the crowds around her dissipated a bit, she turned her eyes to the horizon and the mountain that overlooked the city, atop which laid her final destination and mission objective.

The world famous Hunter school; Beacon academy.

Seeing the imposing spires and towers crowning the almost castle-esque structure reminded her of her childhood, albeit faintly. She'd heard stories about the school for as long as she could remember and many years ago, she'd secretly dreamed of attending it; learning how to become the greatest fighter in the world so she could protect all of Faunus kind from both Grimm and the humans that had pushed them down so many times. Those dreams had been abandoned the moment she'd joined the Fang, however. The world didn't need more heroes, she'd learned, it simply needed justice to be served, and she wanted to be one of the ones who delivered it.

But then Blake had left, and suddenly Ilia didn't feel so certain about her goals anymore. Not when the person she'd thought would be by her side through the whole journey had abandoned her.

A deep sigh left Ilia's lungs as she tore her eyes away from Beacon. A brief glance at a nearby shop window confirmed what she already knew; yet another streak of blue had appeared in her hair, and , she a new surge of annoyance started to bubble up in the pit of her stomach. She should have more self-discipline than this. Blake was gone and it looked like any of them would be seeing her again for a very, very long time, if ever. Ilia had allowed herself to think about what it all meant, how she felt about the situation, for almost the entire ride to Vale and now she needed to suck it up, accept that her best friend had left, and move on.

"Stop being pathetic, Ilia. You have a mission to do," she whispered to herself, though the words rang hollow even to her own ears.

Unless something or someone took her place in Ilia's mind, she knew deep down that thoughts about Blake would come back to nag at her.

For now, however, Ilia managed to bury the brunt of all those feelings in the back of her mind, her appearance returning to normal. With some concentration, she even managed to make the blue lines vanish, and with that, she set off for the safehouse she'd be staying at while on her assignment. Adam would want to debrief her fully as soon as possible, and she really wasn't keen on having him berate her for being late. Not today.

When she blended in with the crowds walking along the streets of the city, no one could ever guess that there was a White Fang operative among them, and Ilia made good use of this ability to appear human. When given the opportunity, she asked around about the comings and goings of Vale and, to a lesser extent, Beacon academy, taking mental notes of hotspots and places that people suggested she avoid respectively. She learned that Beacon had begun its new term only a week previously and that there were some rather famous individuals that had arrived with the new students. Pyrrha Nikos was one of them, but what interested Ilia more was fact that the Schnee heiress herself was attending Beacon at this very moment. Adam and Sienna would surely want to hear about that little tidbit of information, if they didn't already know about it.

As Ilia started to get closer to the safehouse, more or less content with her first intelligence gathering 'operation', she suddenly tensed up, feeling a distinct sense of trepidation run up her neck. She recognized it well—she'd felt the sensation earlier that very same day in fact; someone was following her.

Pretending like she hadn't noticed, Ilia kept walking for another block or so until she reached an alleyway that she deemed inconspicuous enough, ducking into without hesitation. Once she'd gotten far enough away from the crowded street, she turned back to find that a pair of humans had taken the exact same path as her. One of them was clearly a male, on the taller side and with a face that looked supremely punchable to Ilia right about now. The other was a woman, almost as tall as the guy thanks to a wicked looking pair of high-heeled shoes, with that were features twisted in a sickly sweet smile that couldn't look more fake if there was a person behind her literally pulling on her cheeks. Both wore clothes that reeked of money that hadn't been earned through honest work and Ilia body readied itself for what she knew would inevitably come. This wasn't her first time being accosted by scum.

"Howdy there little lady. Can't say I've ever seen someone like you around these parts before," the man said as he continued to advance towards Ilia, his tone sounding outwardly casual at first. "We couldn't help but notice you've been asking a lot of questions today under what I'd call 'false pretenses' and that just doesn't sit well with people like us you see."

The lady giggled as the man gestured to the two of them and the sound seemed to scrape along Ilia's eardrums. Slowly, she started to back away from the approaching duo, her fists balling up on either side of her body. Her first instinct was to kick in the teeth of both of them and hide the bodies in a dumpster where they could lay among the other trash until they woke up again, but that would be too to conspicuous, she knew. She wasn't supposed to be a fighter, just some random Faunus girl who'd just arrived into town, so all she could do was stay silent and keep backing up.

"A Faunus walking around disguised as a human, asking a bunch of questions? That's just something good, honest folk can't overlook." Ilia cursed mentally as she realized she hadn't been as stealthy in her appearance changing as she'd thought. "I think it'd be best for everyone if you came with us to the police station and told them what you've been walking around doing. Or, if you'd prefer, the two of us could take care of you instead?"

They'd reached the end of the alley by now, the man cracking his knuckles with a poignant glare in his eyes, his female companion's smile dripping with the cruelty that Ilia had known was always there from the start.

"It's your choice, you little pest. Pick wisely," the lady finally spat, and Ilia was just about to make a run for it, when another voice made all three of their heads swivel around towards it.

"Hey! You two better leave her alone or else!"

XXX

Jaune hadn't really had any concrete idea in mind as to what he was going to do in Vale, not being very used to big cities, but he'd figured there had to be something worthwhile checking out somewhere if he kept walking for long enough. A comicbook store or an arcade maybe. He definitely hoped he came across one of these places soon, though, since boredom was starting to take its toll on him and the temptation to call the day a bust and just head back to Beacon was growing.

That's when he happened to walk past a certain inconspicuous and outwardly ordinary alleyway. It was by mere coincidence that Jaune's eyes found themselves turning to look down the alley, but what he saw made every ounce of dullness he'd felt only moments before disappear.

The Faunus girl caught his gaze first, her expression and body language screaming discomfort to him, and he was already moving by the time he'd noticed the clearly threatening words coming from the two humans' mouths. He recognized their tones; it was the same way of speaking that he'd heard from Cardin. When he was halfway into the alley, however, the certainty he'd had about his actions suddenly shook in his gut, and hesitation crept into his steps. Was he really doing this? Was this the right thing to do?

Again, Jaune's eyes came to rest on the young female Faunus' face, and the answer become crystal clear to him. This was what heroes did. What Arcs did. What he had gone to Beacon for.

His voice echoed between the buildings on either side of them all before he'd even had time to think about what he should say, and he set his jaw when both the scumbag looking man and foul sounding woman stopped mid step before turning around to look at him.

For a moment, the two of them only looked at him, and Jaune did his best to keep his glare at them level and unwavering. Nervousness gnawed at his gut, but he refused to look away or turn his back on this now. After a couple of seconds that felt more like hours, the man sneered at him and cocked his head.

"Get the hell out of here kid. This has nothing to do with you. If you know what's best for ya, you'll run off and pretend you never saw us before. Otherwise, this'll get real ugly for you."

Jaune's hands flexed as he deliberately took another step forward, only now noticing that the bastard of a man was a fair bit bigger than him. He told himself it didn't matter; that he was a Hunter in training and that he'd seen far worse things already. This guy was nothing compared to a Deathstalker or Nevermore.

"I said to leave her alone. Or you two are gonna be sorry." Jaune could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Not even he knew where these words were coming from, but he stood by them, his resolve reaffirming itself whenever he glanced over at the Faunus girl.

"You threatening me, brat? Andover some stupid, lowlife Faunus?" the bastard growled back.

"The only lowlifes here are the two of you. Now leave. Her. Alone." Jaune could feel a fire begin to burn in his belly, adrenaline entering his system.

"Sympathizer trash," the bastard muttered and then both he and Jaune moved towards one another again.

It all happened in a flash, so fast that Jaune had a hard time keeping up with it. The bastard had thrown the first punch, but before it could actually hit him, the air right in front of Jaune's face had crackled with energy, stopping the blow. He still felt the impact, staggering back a step, but there wasn't any pain, realization dawning on him.

'My aura...' Jaune thought triumphantly, a swell of confidence rising up inside him as it was his turn to hurl a fist that took the bastard square in the chest. He could do this. He was a Hunter. Hunters fought Grimm—defeated Grimm! Ordinary humans couldn't compete with people like them!

As the bastard stumbled back with a loud oof, Jaune felt another feeling creep in the back of his mind his victory shortlived. Should he really be using this newfound strength on humans, regardless of if they were racist shitheads or not? The question rang in his head as he sidestepped the bastard's wild retaliation, the fire in his belly suddenly joined by a heaviness that unsettled him.

This new kind of uncertainty was just the kind of distraction Jaune couldn't afford to think about, he realized when the bastard took advantage of his hesitation and grappled him, shoving him back against the wall of the alleyway and following it up with a knee right into Jaune's gut. This time, there was nothing to protect him from the full force of the blow, and Jaune felt his breath get dragged right out of his lungs.

Suddenly, stars began to dance in front of his eyelids and pain exploded from his temple, the full impact of the punch he just received taking a second to register. It was quickly followed by another, this one square in the middle of Jaune's face, a wet trickle down his chin teaming up with the pain to further overload his senses.

"I told you this would happen, brat!"

The words were enough to finally knock Jaune out of his stupor, his eyes blinking open just in time to see the bastard next incoming fist. He gritted his teeth and did his best to endure the hit, not content with being a punching bag anymore.

Jaune could feel his split lip start to swell up and blood running running from his nose as he struggled to push the bastard away from him, but with a wall against his back, a hand gripping his collar tightly, and a dumpster to his side, he couldn't go anywhere. Pain throbbed dully in his head as the bastard's fist collided with his cheek again and again, the cruel laughter of the stupid lady ringing faintly in the background.

Eventually, Jaune felt himself stop squirming as his energy was draining out of him bit by bit with every blow to his face, strength slowly diminishing. At the same time, however, he also noticed the bastard's punches had also slowed down, the gap between them growing larger and their impact not shaking him as much. His vision was swimming, but Jaune could still focus just enough to make out the bastard's ugly mug, his unnaturally white teeth bared in a sadistic grin as he took deep, panting breaths. It was only a second's reprieve, Jaune knew, but it was all he needed. As the bastard's arm wound back again, Jaune grabbed his collar as well and slammed his forehead against the bastard's nose with all the might he could muster.

The wet crack that came from the bastard's nose being broken really shouldn't have been so damn satisfying to Jaune's ears, but right about now it really sounded downright musical. From his side, he heard the lady shout in alarm, but Jaune's focus was still on the bastard. Clutching his profusely bleeding nostrils, the bastard stumbled backwards enough for Jaune to deliver a haymaker into the bastard's exposed throat, the bastard letting out a strangled gurgle when he crumpled pathetically to the ground.

Jaune was just about to turn to see how the Faunus girl was doing when he too met the ground, a splitting pain arching up his spine and locking his legs. He barely caught the sight of the stupid lady rushing past him to where the bastard was writhing, the realization that she'd kicked him squarely in the back registering in Jaune's head.

With his world spinning and his legs not wanting to cooperate, Jaune could only watch as the stupid lady pulled the bastard up before they ran out of the alleyway, curses flying back over their shoulders, Jaune only now noticing the gnarled look of the bastard's knuckles. Finally, the pair of lowlifes rounded the corner, leaving Jaune and the Faunus girl all alone.

'Guess Noir was right, I really do have a thick skull,' Jaune thought to himselfas his vertigo passed, a tired chuckle leaving his lips.

With the help of the dumpster that had trapped him before, he got his legs underneath him and was pleasantly surprised that his balance wasn't that hard to find. His ears were still ringing a bit and his whole face hurt like hell, but none of that mattered. It all fell into the back of his mind when he saw the Faunus girl behind him was alright. Through the pain, the ringing, and the blood still dripping from his nose, a smile broke out on his features; bright and filled with relief.

He'd done it. He'd managed to protect her.

"You're not hurt are you?" Jaune asked after a moment of silence had passed between them, figuring that the Faunus girl didn't look like she was planning on saying anything. "I'd offer to show you to a hospital or something, but I don't really know my way around town yet, sadly, so I'd probably just get us completely lost." Concern marred his voice even as his smile remained and he tried to lighten the air between them.

That's when he realized he should probably introduce himself before it was too late.

XXX

When Ilia heard the boy speak, her whole chest felt like it suddenly flipped upside down, stunning her even further. There was none of the hardness in his tone that he'd used on the two other humans, no suspicion regarding what had happen, no anger from being injured because of her. Instead, all of it was replaced with by tentative, but undeniably cheerful words that made a small bit warmth blossom in the deepest recesses of her recently scarred heart, like a candle beginning to light up a darkened room. She'd never had a human speak to her like this before.

Never had a human fight for her before.

It was crazy, Ilia thought. After all this human had just gone through, he was now asking if she was okay when it was his face that was currently covered in both his own and the other, openly disgusting human's blood, followed by making a joke?

Just who the hell was this guy?

As if to answer Ilia's mental question, the human spoke up again.

"The name's Jaune, by the way. Jaune Arc. Rolls- never mind," her 'savior' said, though he seemed to stop himself mid-sentence with an awkward cough. Then he smiled at her again, and Ilia suddenly felt like her knees were growing weak.

'Jaune Arc...'

Ilia had lived practically her whole adolescent life by one principle that she thought would always be true: When push came to shove, humans would only look out for other humans, and as such Faunus were the only ones that would ever look out for other Faunus. She'd joined the White Fang for just that reason, to make sure her people were protected. But then here comes a human and gets himself beaten bloody just to protect her. It just didn't make sense

'Jaune Arc...'

Paranoia tried to worm its way into Ilia's head, but it failed to find any purchase. When she looked at the human—at Jaune—and his bright smile especially, she didn't detect any ulterior motives lurking behind his features. In the Fang, one of the things Ilia had prided herself the most on was her ability to read people and get information out of them, and right now, as her pale gray eyes met his strikingly deep blue, there wasn't any dishonesty for her to uncover. In one fell swoop, this strange boy had managed to all but steamroll right through how Ilia was used to perceiving the world around her, cracking it in much the same way as he'd cracked the nose of the asshole.

'Jaune… Arc… I like the sound of that name...' Ilia found herself thinking, her body slowly but surely losing the tension that had built up ever since she'd noticed the two other humans following her.

It was only then that she noticed just how long she'd spent being silent, and her mouth opened before she had the time to formulate any words herself.

"I-Ilia!" she exclaimed with all the grace of a flying washing machine, her cheeks flushing from just how strange Jaune was making her feel. 'Get a grip, Ilia!'

"I'm Ilia," she clarified after clearing her throat.

For the third time now, Jaune smiled at her, and for a third time Ilia felt something inside herself light up simply from seeing it. A light that she couldn't remember ever feeling before. It was just so different from how humans had treated her in the past—how she more or less thought they were supposed to treat her.

"I would say it's nice to meet you, Ilia, but I think we both know we could have met under far more pleasant circumstances," Jaune said with a small chuckle that did indescribable things to Ilia's insides, as did hearing her name coming from his lips.

Suddenly, just as she thought she might be able to relax slightly, Ilia felt a burst of panic in her chest as Jaune's eyes first flicked to the ground and he then began to walk towards her. She found herself frozen as he approached, unable to get her tongue working inside her mouth, the word 'don't' disappearing from her brain, but then Jaune stopped. She watched silently as he picked up the bag she'd been carrying with her all day long, dusting it off before crossing the last bit of distance between them, the two of them now standing close enough to touch one another if either of them tried. She hadn't even realized she'd dropped it until now.

Jaune offered her the bag with a slight twitch of his eye telling of the pain that lifting anything in his condition brought, but Ilia could only stare at him for a brief moment.

It wasn't some grandiose act of heroism, nor was it the first time someone had performed some manner of polite gesture for Ilia, but after all that she'd just seen Jaune do for her—not just a complete stranger but a Faunus on top of it all—and coupled with the stress of the past couple of weeks, it was as if something simply changed in her head.

Like a switch had been flipped.

In a world that only existed as a quasi-visualized amalgamation of Ilia's thoughts, dreams, wishes, and regrets, the crudely drawn face of one Blake Belladonna—an image that had existed in the very back of Ilia's subconscious for many, many years, albeit in numerous different forms—was abruptly and unceremoniously crossed out with something that looked like crayon. In its place stood a majestic portrait of a tall, blonde haired, sapphire eyed young man, seemingly detailed by the most masterful of brushstrokes. His upper body was bereft of any clothing, displaying his rippling and almost impossibly beautiful physique in perfect detail; powerful muscles that looked simultaneously hardened to a point where they could surely stop bullets and soft enough to provide the ideal form of comfort and warmth if wrapped around a loved one covering his broad shoulders and arms.

His face was that of a boy on the very cusp of manhood, with features that still carried softness but would surely soon harden into something unfathomably handsome and rugged. His eyes looked as deep as the very oceans themselves, as if one could get lost and drown in them if they weren't careful, all whilst hiding troves upon troves of emotions; alluring like they'd been carved from the very gemstone they could be likened with.

Held between his teeth, only further accentuating his inviting expression, was a single rose, a few beads of morning dew still clinging to its petals. Were one of these drops to fall, it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the twists and turns it would take running down the man's chest, drawing even more attention to his body if such a thing was even possible. The image was beauty itself, actually radiating its own brilliant golden light within Ilia's vivid imagination, and somehow she knew exactly what the only appropriate name for this portrait had to be.

"Jaune Arc."

From within Ilia's subconscious, the image of the young man was projected through her brain onto the boy before her, igniting fires throughout her body that she had never felt before. She dumbly accepted her bag and it was the jolt that suddenly passed through her when their hands brushed against one another that finally brought her back to the present.

Yet, for some reason, despite Jaune not looking anything like the picture that had just appeared in her mind, the heat that had sprung up in her chest and traveled out into every one of her limbs remained. If anything, it got even stronger as she looked at his blood smeared features and half-torn shirt. What he'd just done for her replayed itself before her eyes and slowly but surely the disbelief she'd held was being replaced by other emotions; emotions that only added coal to the fire.

"T-thank you..." she mumbled almost dreamily, her cheeks darkening. "For everything."

"It was nothing, really. Wouldn't have been right for me to just walk by and not do anything. Not when I could help," Jaune said, his sincerity once more leaving her feeling flushed all over.

'No one would have blamed you if you had, though… not when it was just a Faunus… you could have walked away… could have left me to fend for myself... but you didn't...'

It didn't matter to Ilia that she could have taken care of the situation herself, or that she was undoubtedly a more skilled fighter than Jaune; the mere fact that he had risked his well being for her sake continued to resonate in her heart. She found herself smiling up at him, only now realizing just how tall he was compared to her, though unlike the human from before or Adam, Jaune's size didn't seem imposing. Not to her. He just looked big.

And Ilia found herself liking that.

"I, uh, heard about how, well, bad life could be for Faunus here in Vale before I got here, but I didn't really believe it until today, honestly. I'm sorry. For what they said and tried to, you know, do." Jaune's tone had turned more somber and serious suddenly, the brightness on his face dimming too. "They- we are not all like that, I promise. There are good humans out there too."

"I know. I'm looking right at one," Ilia found herself replying almost immediately.

It was now Jaune's turn to blush and look away, one of his hands coming up to scratch the back of his neck, and Ilia's heart all but stopped for a second or two, as she was fairly certain she'd never seen anything more adorable in her whole life. She needed to see him do it again in the future, she quickly decided. In the near future preferably.

"So, Jaune... from what you said earlier, I take it you're new to Vale?" Ilia asked after a moment, silently berating herself for just how cliche the question was while simultaneously relishing in any excuse that possibly let her talk to him some more.

Along with enjoying the tingle she felt when she said his name.

"Yeah, something along those lines. I've never really been in a big city like this before, my hometown didn't exactly prepare me for it all," Jaune answered, only to hesitate for a split second before continuing. "I'm a... Beacon student, actually. Hunter-in-training and all that. Leader of team JNPR." Though he was still smiling at her, Ilia couldn't help but notice the oddly reserved way in which Jaune now spoke. There was pride in his words, she could feel, but something else too, and she couldn't deny her surprise that someone with his skills, or lack thereof, had been admitted to Beacon of all places.

There was clearly something going on here that went beyond just the surface.

"You're going to be a Hunter then?" Ilia did her best to keep the disbelief she felt out of her voice, quickly feeling relieved when Jaune nodded without showing any signs of being incensed by her question.

"I hope so," he said earnestly, his eyes taking on a far-off look for a moment. "My family have always been heroes in some way in the past, always fighting to keep everyone safe, and I just can't break that tradition. I need to be just like they were. Need to be one of them, you know? I want to protect people too, like us Arcs are supposed to do." When Jaune looked at Ilia again, there was a fire in his eyes. Conviction the likes of which she didn't think she'd seen before, born from the seriousness with which he spoke about heroes.

Ilia was no stranger to lofty speeches meant to inspire and stir the hearts of people. She'd listened more than she could over the past decade of her life, whether they be from fat-cat humans who wanted more power and money, or from her seniors in the White Fang when they tried to fill them all with the motivation needed to keep moving forwardi. She'd learned long ago how to filter herself through the bluster and grand exclamations to actually hear what was being said. That's why it shocked her when she didn't feel any need to pick apart Jaune's words.

Instead, thanks to the portrait that her subconscious had painted for her before, Ilia saw something different than just another human spilling hot air when Jaune spoke. On the fields of imagination that rolled eternally inside her mind, rode a knight in ornate, gold and ivory armor that gleamed in the brilliant sun shining from on above. His head was helmetless, a bright visage with a mane of hair that seemed to be made out of golden warmth itself. He had a smile that told of glory and victory, of safety and protection, and of strength tempered by unyielding resolve, and the eyes of a warrior who knew he fought for a good cause.

His horse was the purest of whites, unsullied by even a speck of dirt and with not a single hair from its mane out of place even as it billowed in the gentle breeze that flowed over the mind-born meadows. The steed too radiated strength, seemingly bolstered by its master's own convictions. The pair together looked like they could lead an army of a hundred thousand men and women into battle and return home with twice as many as when they left, not a drop of blood on any of them.

In short, Ilia's mind conjured an image of a hero. A hero whose form slowly melted onto Jaune Arc, with his eyes remaining as resolute as ever the whole time, the sight causing Ilia's blush to spread even further across her features, going so far as to darken her ears.

Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, the gestalt consciousness of Ilia's unaware cognition, whose appearance could be likened to that of a weird gremlin, rubbed its hands together with satisfaction, feeling very proud of its accomplishments that day, before going off to take an early lunch.

When Ilia once again came back from dream-land, she quickly realized that she must have stayed silent for too long, as Jaune had a look of embarrassment in his face much like the one that made her heart stop before. A phenomenon that repeated itself with no less intensity.

"I know it sounds silly, trust me, but it's always been my goal ever since I first heard the stories of my family. One day, I want my grand kids to be able to listen to tales about my sisters and I and maybe be inspired in some way too. If not, well, then I'm just not enough of an Arc and won't matter in the end," Jaune explained.

Ilia went to reply, to tell him that she'd had similar dreams of being a hero in the past too, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of bells ringing in the distance, announcing the new hour.

"Oh damn, it's that late already?" Jaune mumbled to himself, pulling out a scroll from his pocket and confirming the time for himself. He looked panicked suddenly and started to turn on his heel before stopping and swiveling back around to Ilia. "Sorry, but I have to run! The last Bullheads are gonna be leaving any minute now and I have no idea how to get back to Beacon if I miss them! It was really nice to meet youandIhopewecanseeeachotheragainokaybyeeeee!"

A blinking Ilia was left in the alley as she watched the first human to ever fight for her sprint off like he hadn't taken a severe beating not an hour earlier. She wanted to call after him, tell him thanks one last time if nothing else, but in the end she stayed silent, indecisiveness restraining her voice for what felt like the hundredth time today...

Only for an urge to burst forth inside of her that made an image appear in her head.

When Jaune had disappeared from her line of sight, Ilia felt as if she was left at a crossroads. If she looked down one of the paths, she saw Adam waiting for her, his permanently scowling face making her stomach curl. She could easily imagine what he'd say when she reported in, how he'd scold her for being late and not truly caring about her reasons if she chose to explain what had happened to her. In another life, it was a path that she'd never consider taking, regardless of if she was on a mission or not. She knew she had a duty to the Fang, but things were changing for all of them lately, and the organization that she'd once called her only home didn't feel like itself anymore.

Mentally turning her gaze to the other path, however, filled Ilia's chest with that strange warmth. Instead of Adam's cold, uncaring mug, there was a different figure, wearing a smile. A smile that had implanted itself deep inside of her heart already, and in the state that she was in currently, with everything that happened today and the weeks leading up to this moment, that was all that it took for Ilia to stash away her bag in a hidden enough location and head after the blonde Beacon student who made her feel all these things in the first place.

After all, Adam would yell at her no matter what, so what was the harm in her delivering her report a few hours late?

Or, perhaps, she could hand it in the next morning instead...?

XXX

Jaune grimaced as Nora dabbed at his sore nose with the disinfectant soaked piece of gauze in her hand, an apologetic look appearing on her face whenever he let out any sounds of discomfort. He'd tried telling everyone that it was fine, that he didn't need anyone looking over him, and that it didn't actually hurt anymore, but his team hadn't bought his lies, with Pyrrha all but throwing into a seat on the couch so that he could be examined thoroughly.

Currently, she was hurrying around the common room looking frantically for the gauze and bandages that both Nora and Ren had told her multiple times that they'd already found, but the information didn't seem to penetrate the almost visible layer of worry around her head.

It kind of reminded Jaune of how his sisters had acted whenever he'd fallen and skimmed his knee or something; all but panicking like he could die from spontaneous blood loss at any moment. He felt a bit guilty for finding the sight rather funny to observe, especially considering how levelheaded he'd thought Pyrrha always was. It was kinda refreshing to see that she couldn't contain herself all the time, a fact that Jaune put away in his brain for the future. He should never forget that Pyrrha was a human just like him, champion or not.

"Sorry Jaune, but this is gonna sting. A lot."

Despite Nora's warning, Jaune almost jumped out of his seat when she prodded hard at his cheek, a despairing groan shaking around in his throat.

"Yeesh Vomit-boy, how'd ya manage to get this roughed up? You look like an Ursa used you as a mattress," the voice of Yang rang out into the room with the eponymous blonde herself flopping down into a chair to Jaune's side. Along with her was Ruby and Weiss, both of them standing for the time being, but the team's fourth was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

"I- ugh! I-I kinda got into a fight while I was in Vale," Jaune replied with a pained smile, feeling a small bit of pride from his deed.

At the mention of the word 'fight', all eyes in the room suddenly snapped towards Jaune, and he didn't even have time to blink before both Yang and Ruby were right in his face, their expressions practically the perfect antithesis of the other's.

"Ohohohoho! You need to tell me everything that happened right now! Spare no details! How many guys were there? Did you knock any of them out? Did you break any legs?!" Yang demanded to know gleefully, stars practically shining in her eyes. Somehow, he'd managed to trigger her happy-mode, and as it stood, Jaune wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not considering how Yang was all but vibrating on the spotwith sudden excitement.

Ruby, meanwhile, looked like she'd just burst into the hospital room of her dearest friend that had just been in a horrific, 150 car pile-up on the freeway.

"You were in a fight!? With who?! What kind of monster did this to you!? Do you know where they are!?" she asked in rapid succession, gripping his hand with enough force that Jaune was sure he could practically hear his bones creak.

"I-it was just the one guy!" Jaune stammered out in quick response as he tried, and failed, to lean away from the distraught and respectively elated pair of sisters. "I saw him and some other lady threatening this Faunus girl as I was walking past an alley, so I rushed in and tried to get them to leave her alone. They weren't listening and just told me to get lost, but I stayed, and long story short, the guy and I fought until I headbutted him in the face and punched him in the throat. Then the lady kicked me in the back and they ran off."

As he regaled the assembled group of Hunter-in-training with his daily exploits, he saw a large swathe of different emotions across all their faces.

Ruby had turned from heartbroken to something that bordered on starstruck, apparently her turn now to be excited. To further prove the old adage about actions need equal and opposite reactions, Yang's fire was seemingly thoroughly doused by his words, however, and she didn't need to say anything for him to see the signs of distrust on her features. One glance at Nora told him that she shared Ruby's newfound energy, pride beaming at him from her wide grin, and it was impossible for him to not return the smile. Ren looked far more reserved, though that was to be expected, but he too had a slight upwards quirk to his lips, an approving air coming off him. Jaune's eyes had to search for a moment to find Weiss among the crowd, and his heart fell a little in his chest when he saw her almost bored looking expression and upraised eyebrow, her disbelief clearly written in her eyes.

Just a step away from all of them, a black aura of malicious energy begun to build around Pyrrha Nikos, her mind slowly filling with plots of murder and violence enacted upon those who had hurt her precious blonde bean. It was dispelled in an instant, however, when she heard Jaune let out a new, pained yelp, and she immediately returned to looking for any and all medical supplies available.

"That's amazing, Jaune. You acted just like a Huntsman is supposed to!" Ruby said enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" Nora agreed with just as much bubbly excitement, throwing an arm around Jaune's shoulders. "You're a total hero!"

Their celebratory mood was clearly dampened, however, when Yang chimed in, her tone clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"Sorry to have to ask this, but was that really what happened, Jaune? It sounds pretty cliché, not gonna lie."

"What the heck Yang! Jaune wouldn't lie about something like this! And weren't you the one who wanted to know all the 'juicy details' not one minute ago?" Ruby protested before Jaune had a chance to do more than open his mouth, her face morphed into an aghast mask.

"I thought he'd ran into some bar-thugs or something who thought they could take on someone with aura! There are loads of those kinds of douchebags in Vale!" Yang quickly raised her hands in a placating manner when Ruby suddenly appeared in front of her in a flutter of rose petals.

"Yang is right, Ruby."

Again, all the heads in the room turned, but this time towards Weiss, whose face was practically ice cold as she regarded Jaune, the look in her eyes sending a very unpleasant shiver down his spine.

"Not you too, Weiss..." Ruby whined feebly, but her partner's gaze didn't move away from Jaune.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, Arc, you do have a remarkably large supply of aura, so the idea of a single ordinary human breaking through it to pummel you sounds awfully far-fetched to me. If what you're saying is the truth, then why weren't you able to pacify this braggart with little to no effort? I say it seems far more likely you simply tripped and hurt yourself that way."

Weiss' accusatory tone cut straight into Jaune's heart, but as much as he longed to avert his eyes and slump in his seat beneath her frosty disposition, he knew he was telling the truth. That what had happened with Ilia wasn't just some lie he made up to seem heroic.

"I did have my aura. At least at first," Jaune began, thinking back to the feeling of unease that had filled him when the asshole's first punch had just stopped right in front of his face. "He swung at me and his fist just seemed to skid off the air, and I hit him right back, which sent him stumbling. I didn't even use any real force in the shove, honestly, but he still almost landed right on his ass. But then..."

His hands balled in his lap as he recalled the surge of power he'd felt all throughout his body in that moment, how invincible he'd been compared to a normal human. And how wrong it had felt at the same time.

"My aura just kinda… shut down? I guess?" Jaune shrugged, cheek and nose hurting again from the memory that was so fresh in his head. "I can't really explain it. I started thinking about if using aura against a human, even if he was a racist scumbag, was really okay or not. The next thing I know he's got me against the wall of the alley, just punching me over and over again. I thought I was gonna pass out. I managed to headbutt him, though, when he stopped to take a breath. Broke his nose, I'm pretty sure. That's what happened, I swear on my mother's honor."

"Wait a sec, have you never fought other humans before?" Yang asked, sounding confused.

Instantly, Jaune realized he'd said exactly the wrong thing, revealing more of his inexperience than he'd intended.

"O-of course I have!" he lied hastily. "It's just that my hometown was really quiet and calm compared to a city like Vale so I haven't run into any people like that racist before. I've done sparring and stuff, naturally. Just never with someone who didn't also have aura."

His rapid thinking earned him a moment of respite as it seemed like everyone believed his explanation, with the exception of Weiss who continued to look at him with a suspicious glint in her icy blue eyes.

"So… this girl you saved, did you manage to get her name?" Ruby interjected after a moment of silence, letting Jaune relax slightly.

"I would very much like to know this too," Pyrrha agreed, speaking up for the first time since forcing Jaune to undergo a checkup, her arms filled with more syringes, dubious pill bottles, haphazardly wrapped bandages, and new gauze than Jaune thought any other person might reasonably carry, but somehow she managed without much effort, seemingly.

"She said her name was Ilia. Didn't catch her last name. I'm guessing she was some kind of lizard Faunus or something. Her skin was very odd looking and had these dots that kept changing colors. Mostly different shades of pink and red," as he described Ilia, Jaune went to take out his scroll, only to realize far too late that he'd forgotten to ask for her number or anything in his rush to catch one of the last Bullheads back to Beacon.

The knowledge saddened him for a moment, since even just from the small conversation they'd shared, he thought Ilia seemed nice, despite looking at him in a kind of weird way. He promised himself that he'd learn from their meeting, however. That there were some absolutely rotten people out there, people who were just as bad as the Grimm, and this wouldn't be the last time he ran into them. Next time, he needed to be more ready to use his aura, even against humans like that. He only had one goal here in Beacon, he reminded himself:

No matter what, Jaune Arc was going to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Like his relatives had. Like heroes did.

Just as the tense air that had started to build up in the common room lifted and Nora went back to cleaning Jaune's face, Blake came wandering into the room, a book with an oddly blank cover held protectively in her hands. When her eyes landed on him and his injuries, Jaune could have sworn that he saw the ribbon on her head move like there was something living inside it, but he waved the thought off.

"What happened to you?" Blake asked.

"Jaune forgot how to use his aura mid-fight," Yang gleefully explained, much to both Ruby and Jaune's chagrin, not that the fiery blonde cared when they started protesting.

XXX

Clinging to the side of one of Beacon's myriad towers, a pair of binoculars covering her eyes, was one Ilia Amitola, her form disguised as an amorphous gray blob against the building. Through her binoculars, she could easily look through the window on the tower just opposite her, on the other side of which sat the boy who made her feel such strange things. She was glad to see that someone seemed to be taking care of Jaune's wounds, though she also couldn't help but notice how quickly the blonde seemed to heal on his own. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear what was being said, but from reading the body languages of everyone in the room—with the exception of the last person to arrive who she couldn't make out thanks to an awfully convenient glare in the glass—Ilia had to assume that it had to do with Jaune coming to her rescue.

How he'd been her glorious, strapping savior in shining armor, yet somehow still with his rippling, masculine physique revealed for the world, and her, to see and marvel at-

Ilia had to shake her head to stop her thoughts going down that rabbit hole for the millionth time that day. She had Jaune-watching to do, and she couldn't afford any distractions.

Especially not distractions in the form of her silenced scroll which was going off with messages regarding her whereabouts every few minutes. She could take care of them later. Or maybe the next day...

AN: Chapter 2? Yes? No? Go die in a fire? You decide! If y'all want more, I'll give you more!

Maxaro out!

#Orientation play #RWBY #Fanfiction #Jaune Arc #Ilia Amitola #Adam Taurus #Blake Belladonna #Humor #Romance #kinda #If you squint #Dorkmeleon

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kingofdirtandnothing · 3 years

Text

@polyfacetious big ass Christmas Drabble Extravagaza: Day Twenty Five

“Archaeology is the search for...fact.” The sound of the chalk hitting against the chalkboard is loud in the quiet of the room, a percussive sound followed by the squeak of the letters being drawn out in big, capitalized block letters. The underline beneath it serves as emphasis before he turns back to face the class. “Not truth.”

In the back of the room, a young man sits with a New York Giants hat pulled low over his eyes. The voice coming from the front of the room is the same one that he remembers, though the scruffy undergrad that Wan Li knew all those years ago has aged like a fine wine into the talented orator in front of him.

A suit and a bow tie is not something Wan would have ever been able to picture Indy in. The short shorn hair was another surprise. It made him look older. More professional. (The glasses, Wan remembers. Nights around the fire in India had given him a few glimpses of the man doubled over with glasses low on his nose, scribbling notes about the day’s finds.

“If it’s truth you’re interested in, Dr. Tyree’s philosophy class is right down the hall.” There a low hum of laughter from the classroom at that, soft enough that it was obvious the sound was either polite or from people who didn’t want to detract from Dr. Jones’ words. “So forget any ideas you have about lost cities, exotic travel and digging up the world.”

Wan is the one who snorts at that, quiet enough in the back row of the auditorium that there was no way he was at risk of being heard. Leave it to Indy (Dr. Jones, that would take some getting used to) to stand in front of a class and tell them that their job wasn’t going to be adventure or truth seeking, when Wan had spent part of his early life doing just that with Indy.

“We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and ‘X’ never, ever marks the spot.” It was true. The map only led them to the general direction, and there was no ‘X’ when they found the stones in the abandoned halls of Pankot Palace. Just dust and time and careful consideration from the man at the front of the classroom.

“Seventy percent of all archaeology is done in the library.” Another truth, though this one didn’t have as many facets as the rest of the spiel. When he was twelve year old out on an adventure, Wan had thought that Indy was infallible, that he knew everything. But in his time in America and beyond, Wan had learned the truth. Indiana Jones was neither infallible nor all knowing. He was just a diligent, well read men.

That didn’t do anything to get rid of the boyhood crush Wan had been carrying around since then, and seeing Indy here with elbow patches on his jacket and his bow tie wasn’t doing much to help either.

“Research. Reading. We cannot afford to take mythology at face value.”

And that’s what Wan was doing here, wasn’t it? Refusing to take the myth of Indiana Jones at face value. He wasn’t a kid anymore. There was no way the man could be as sauve and infuriatingly charming as Wan remembered. He needed to look at the facts compared to his memory and find the truth there.

Dr. Jones looks at the clock on the wall, and the class begins to shuffle, a susurrus of sound as laptops are closed and bags are lifted for things to be put away. He was a man of routine here, that much was obvious.

“Next week: Egyptology. Starting with the excavation of Naukratis by Blinders Petrie in 1885. I’ll be in my office if anybody’s got any problems for the next hour and a half.” One of the girls from the front row slides a piece of paper across the desk towards Dr. Jones, and Wan doesn’t have to be able to see her face to know she’s giving him the bedroom eyes.

At least it wasn’t just him.

Indy doesn’t look up at the highest seats in the auditorium as he grabs his books and makes his way towards his office. Wan already knows what he’ll find there. A mob of students, wanting everything from genuine help with their assignments, to an easy fix for their problems. And a few like the brunette from the front of the class who wanted a little one on one attention.

And when Dr. Jones slips out of the window to his office as an escape route into the garden outside, Wan is there waiting, hands in his pockets.

“They don’t pay your poor assistant enough.”

Dr. Jones is dusting off the knees of his slacks when he speaks, without looking up. “They don’t pay her at all.” He stands upright, and that smug look finally falls away. It’s been twelve long years since the last time they were in the same place, but Indy’s look says it all. “Shorty?”

Wan remembers staring up at the big brownstone and the older couple waiting on the steps, their fingers clasped together. The woman was on the verge of tears before Wan was ever introduced to her, and as soon as she knew his name, she took him into her arms and whispered ‘welcome to the family’ in Chinese.

The Kings were never the ones to make Wan feel out of place. The other kids at his boarding school took care of that. Which meant Wan spent most of his middle school and high school years taking diction classes online and after hours until his accent was wiped away. He would never sound like he was from New York, but at least he would sound like he was American when someone spoke to him.

“Long time no see, Dr. Jones.” Of course, Indy wasn’t Dr. Jones the last time that Wan saw him. He was still an undergrad student with a dream, working on writing the thesis that would help him get his doctorate.

“Look at you, kid!” Indy’s laughter is warm, and so is his touch as he bustles up and pulls Wan into a hug, smacking his back affectionately as he squeezed him. It was the same kind of hugs that Wan remembered from being a kid, the kind that the sweet and gentle Kings never could manage to replicate. “What brings you all the way out to Monaco?”

The facts are that Wan is here for one reason, and one reason only. To see Indiana Jones with his own two eyes to try and finally put his boyhood crush to bed so that he could move on with his life. But the truth could be less than that and a little to the left, and still be true. “I decided to take a semester abroad.”

“Yeah? What are you studying?” Indy steps back, hands still on Wan’s shoulders as they talk. It’s still weird, being so close to him in height. He was used to Indy being monolithic, and larger than life. Now he was just a guy.

A gorgeous, charming guy who held a whole class in the palm of his hand just a few minutes ago with an ease that should be criminal.

“What do you think?” But it’s easy to fall back into this rhythm, to be the smart alec that Indy liked so much that he couldn’t leave him on the streets of Shanghai when it was time to move on. “Do I look like I’m here to be an accountant?”

Indy laughs, warm and low and pleased and Wan feels that same burst of childish pride that he did at twelve years old. He’s twenty four now, it shouldn’t still make him feel like he’s accomplished something to make the guy laugh. “Guess not.”

Wan glances over Indy’s shoulder and sees the door to his office start to open. He grabs the man by his sport coat sleeve and starts tugging him further into the garden and away from the office building. “Hurry, Dr. Jones. Before they find you and you actually have to help your students with their assignments.”

Indy mutters ‘har har’ but he lets himself be tugged along, out of the back end of the garden and into the parking lot of the adjoining building. There wouldn’t be any of Dr. Jones’ students here, this was the arts building. It was as close to a clean getaway as they were going to get.

But Wan doesn’t stop walking when they get to the parking lot. He keeps striding towards the far end of the parking lot, and the quaint street on the other side of it. “Come on. You’re going to buy me lunch.” Wan isn’t asking. This was just an easy way to buy more time to get to know the man behind the myth.

This was research. It didn’t always take place inside of a library.

“Oh I am? And why’s that? How come you’re not buying me lunch, junior?” Indy strides to keep up, his face screwed up into faux indifference. “I’m the one who took you all around the world. The least you can do is repay the favor with a patty melt.”

Wan rolls his eyes. He knows he’s being wound up, but he’s never been able to stop himself from falling right into the argument. “You make it sound like it was a vacation! It wasn’t a vacation! We got shot at in Macau!”

“Oh, that was one time!” Indy is walking right up beside him now, shrugging out of his suit jacket to throw it over his shoulder before he starts in on his bow tie. “You always bring up Macau. What about the car you stole in Shanghai, huh? Prepubescent grand theft auto is no big deal, but one little scuffle over grave robbing and you clutch your pearls!”

The conversation devolves into a petty argument, and by the time they’re stepping into the diner down the street from the campus, it’s entirely in Chinese. The bewildered waitress looks between the two of them before she clears her throat, and it’s like watching a curtain lifted over Indy. (Or dropped. Wan isn’t sure what is an act and what isn’t.)

Indy turns a charming smile on the woman, clearing his throat. “Sorry about that honey, you know how kids can be.” Wan makes a face behind Indy’s shoulder, and he knows that the man can feel it. Kids. It’s not like he was twelve years old anymore. “Table for two, please. Actually, can you make that a booth? Thanks, sweetheart.” Indy wouldn’t be able to get away with talking to women like that if he wasn’t so damn handsome.

The woman blinks at him, trying to decide if she was charmed or offended before she shakes her head, leading them over to a booth in the corner. Indy sits in the far side of the booth, so that he can watch the room at large. Still careful, even if he wanted to pretend he wasn’t.

“So.” The sentence stops long enough for the waitress to bring them both cups of coffee, and take their order. As promised, Indy orders a patty melt and fries. Wan orders a BLT. It makes him miss the food they used to eat when it was just the two of them. Whatever the locals were having, bright and fresh flavors in everything they had. “What made you decide to come here for your semester abroad?”

Wan doesn’t have a good answer for that. At least not one that doesn’t include pointing out to Indy that he’s here for him, and him alone. “Why not? Mom and Dad were paying and the Archaeology program had an open slot here.” One that Wan has been applying to every three months for the last two years.

Indy’s expression softens at ‘mom and dad’. Wan knows how worried he was when he left him in New York with the King family. But Dr. Jones was a good judge of character and the Kings were a kind, loving couple who couldn’t have kids of their own. They folded Wan into their life without a moment’s hesitation.

“And then I saw your name on the website. I thought I might sit in on your class. Maybe I could get a good nap in.”

Indy rolls his eyes, and parrots Wan’s favorite old phrase back at him. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

#ch: shorty #polyfacetious | indy #polyfacetious #v: expats row #queued #carlota's christmas drabbles #final count is 50268 #no one ever let me agree to do this again my brain is mush #I also made 240 cookies this week #I am bad about this

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nonsensicalobsessions · 4 years

Text

Aiden’s Story

from Symphony without Strings

It was bad.

They had all been sitting down to breakfast when Tom’s phone rang. That in itself wasn’t alarming. It was the way Tom’s face froze, his eyes quickly flitting to Liam, Aiden, and Liam again as he gracefully rose from the table to take the phone in the privacy of his room...and the determined, bright voice Tom assumed as he shut the door...

He knew it was bad, the way Tom tore out of the small apartment they were all sharing close to Sloan Kettering, before he’d managed a bit of breakfast, before finishing his tea, still sitting, steaming in his cup at the kitchen table.

Liam looked at the abandoned cup and plate, and his lip wobbled. “Papa left awf’lly quick, Aiden. Do you think Mama’s gotten really really sick again? Like she was in London? Because she was doin’ so good yesterday...she was, Aiden, she was...!”

Aiden crouched down so he could look into Liam’s eyes. “Your Mama was doing very well yesterday, wasn’t she? So let’s hold onto that. She was so happy, we haven't seen her that happy in a long time. She was able to play for us, and with us, and your Papa made sure she didn’t wear herself out, so it isn’t anything like that,” he was quick to add. “Maybe she does need some extra cuddle time, just like Papa said.”

And if it was worse than that, Aiden would make sure he began to take yesterday’s memories and cement them in the little boy’s mind, so he would have them forever. Because that is what Aiden did. He made sure that things lasted, whether they were memories, or decisions.

He was the one that kept things together. And he knew it.

His role began the day he found Merry crumpled on the floor outside the ladies’ toilets in the music building at university. He didn’t realize it at the time, but when he held her hand and said that he reckoned that he would step in and act as the baby’s father, as well as Merry’s mother and friends, it was the first step on the journey that was leading him to this apartment on this nippy autumn morning in New York.

He helped her keep her health together and keep going to school during a difficult pregnancy. Cheered her and supported her as she gave birth a hell of a lot faster than she wanted to, without any pain relief, even as she wept and cried out for some Tom guy right when the contractions were at their worst. Yelled when she accepted her Doctorate degree...and looked at her right when Liam was a year old and instinctively knew something was very, very wrong with his dear friend, and all but forced her to see a doctor. When she began chemotherapy less than a week later, he immediately stepped in and began caring for an energetic and bright toddler who was confused as to where his beloved “MarMar” was, as well as who this strange man who had burst into his life unexpectedly and seemed like he was planning on staying for awhile.

Despite his own mother’s vehement and violent disagreement, Aiden doggedly found employment close to Merry. He knew he was in it for the long haul, however long that haul may be. He was terrified it wasn’t going to be long, at all. Merry’s father passed, and Merry’s mother made it clear she didn’t care if Merry did, as well. Merry’s grandmother, bless her soul, had also passed, hence the animosity...but that was another story. At least Merry was now financially independent, and would not have to worry about her hospital bills, or Liam’s care. Merry immediately set up a trust for her son, and hired Aiden to be Liam’s tutor, caretaker, and guardian, with a much better salary and benefits package than he could ever hope to get with his experience and degree in any other environment. He was promptly installed in their household, and was a part of the family.

He was also Merry’s power of attorney for everything: financial, medical, parental...

In short, he held her and Liam’s lives in his hands.

He and Merry held many emotional conversations about this. Especially about her living will and desire for final arrangements as her health continued to deteriorate.

For all Merry was desperately reaching for any and all possible experimental treatments to prolong her life, hoping for the miracle that would prolong her life with her son, she was also practical in other regards.

“Aiden, I refuse to be kept alive by artificial means should it become clear it is my time to go. It would be unfair on you and Liam. I beg of you, if or when my quality of life is so poor I am no longer living but existing, please...let me go, my friend. If I get to a point where my mind is gone, let the body go as well...don’t have my son be tethered to a shell...”

The two of them sat with an attorney and crafted highly specific Living Will and Advance Directive Orders, in the event that Merry would be unconscious or otherwise unable to specify when she would want medical care and therapies to cease. Aiden was her designated medical healthcare proxy. There was a very rigorous set of definitions of what was considered necessary care and what was not, and when she would be considered past hope. For example, should she begin to experience multiple organ failure, all life support would be withdrawn, and she would be allowed to pass away in peace. “Life support” itself was given a set of definitions—unnecessary and invasive tubes removed, as well as machinery. A strict set of “do not resuscitate” orders were drafted. “Multiple organ failure” was considered three major organ systems vital to life shutting down.

Merry was driven, and exhaustive. Aiden was silently impressed. She was always very precise in her approach to her beloved music, which is partly why she was such a brilliant student...but it was the way she put so much of her soul into the whole of the piece that made her such a phenomenal musician. For this, Merry was the student: laser-focused, leaving nothing to chance. All she wanted was to be able to die with a modicum of dignity, in as little pain as possible, while keeping her wits about her as long as she could.

She had her funeral planned and all the money ready pay for the entire affair—a grim set of work, but she was determined that should it be necessary, no one be burdened at the moment of crisis. She kept insisting that there be as little fuss as possible. Aiden had to keep gently reminding her how funerals were for the living, and as she would be past caring what would happen, she should let him be a little more involved with these decisions. Merry was unaware of the DVD he had created that her son would dub The Secret Mama Movie that would, if necessary, serve in part as a video and retrospective at a memorial service. Merry and Aiden spent one never to be forgotten weekend going through photos and videos together, getting drunk on wine, tears, and laughter, putting together things Merry said she would like used for the service, and then it was all put away in a box that Aiden prayed fervently he would never have to open. It was placed in the very back of his closet, on the top shelf, in the very back corner. It was placed in an old Amazon delivery box, sealed with silver duct tape, but only one layer. Aiden figured if he had to open it, he wouldn’t want to have to fight with it very hard. On it, he simply wrote, “DO NOT OPEN UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.”

Aiden hand-carried the box from Baltimore to New York to London back to New York, along with the thumb drive and thin sheaf of paperwork. He never made a move without the papers and thumb drive, and while the box didn’t technically need to go to London with him, he wasn’t sure how the trip was going to go, and thought it might be best to have it with him. Just in case.

Now he was pacing as Liam happily played with a friend, waiting to hear from Tom to see how Merry was faring. He had received a confirmation that Merry was battling what they had feared, cytokine release syndrome. He and Tom spoke briefly during Liam’s nap, to coordinate how they would handle talking to Liam, as well as having someone be with Merry as often as possible. Aiden knew Tom would want someone with Merry 24/7, but it would be difficult. Liam would not take well to Tom disappearing from his life, nor should he. Tom would not want to distress Liam in that manner in any case.

So, Aiden would make sure Merry was not alone when Tom was back to make sure Liam could have his time with his beloved Papa. Not that this was a hardship. He did not want Merry to be alone either. If she was improving, that was one thing. If she was holding her own, but critical, no one would wish for her to awake but semiconscious, with no one to help ground her.

If she was deteriorating...

It would be a cold day in hell before Aiden would have Merry slip away from everyone unnoticed. No, by the gods.

It took a little bit of doing, but Aiden worked it out with a neighbor who was happy to sit with Liam while Aiden headed to the hospital to meet with Tom, have a quick exchange of information on both sides on how the day went on both sides of the hospital walls, and Tom would head back to the apartment for the night, and Aiden would remain with Merry.

The first night was difficult. Aiden had met Dr. Kelly Florence before, been introduced as her medical proxy, power of attorney, and keeper of her Advance Directive Orders and Living Will papers. He had already visited her numerous times before now.

But he was not emotionally ready to see her in such poor physical condition, even though he had tried to prepare himself as much as he could, and had seen her very ill in the past. But this was different.

He spent most of the first night holding her hand, talking to her.

“Merry? It’s Aiden, love...Tom is back with Liam, and I’ll be with you tonight. You don’t have to worry about a thing, so just relax, and rest. We’ve got this in hand, Kelly has got you full of the good drugs, she caught thus in plenty of time, so just take it easy...can you squeeze my hand? Let me know you’re in there?”

Her hot, small hand was lax in his, but it was so soon. Not even twenty-four hours yet. He was sure once she’d been on the medication for twenty-four hours, she would be so much better.

She wasn’t.

The second night, Aiden was so exhausted from not having had any sleep to speak of he spent most of it in the recliner chair he had dragged to her bedside. As before, he held her hand, and began the evening by talking to her of Liam, trying to find some sign Merry was still in the fight. Tom was distraught when they had met hours ago, saying how difficult it was to get Merry to respond to anything he did or said throughout the day, and her fever was proving resistant to controls as well. Liam had been a handful on the home front, picking up on the residual tensions of the adults, and was clingy or recalcitrant by turns.

Sometime before dawn, Aiden was awoken by a soft hand, gently shaking him awake.

“Aiden? It’s Kelly. Can you wake up for me, please? I would like to speak with you...”

He sat up with a crash, and winced, immediately checking to see if the noise he created when he flailed wildly in the chair had disturbed Merry. Kelly was resting between them, and immediately set about soothing him. “Relax, Aiden. She’s still very much out of it. I wish I could have left you to sleep as well, but I wanted to speak with you...”

His eyes bleary, Aiden checked his watch. “Kelly, Tom will be here in about an hour, and you could catch both of us then, ‘n’ not have to repeat it all...you know he’s gonna ask you to go over it all again, ‘n’ then some,” he yawned.

“No, Aiden.” Her voice was sober. “This isn’t a conversation for me to have with Tom. This is a conversation for just you, and me.”

It was a testimony to how very tired Aiden was that he didn’t understand what Kelly was trying to say. “Izzit ‘cause ’m here right now?”

“No, Aiden...it’s because Merry is now beginning to approach multiple organ failure.”

Aiden’s breath caught in his throat, and his blood froze. No. No. Kelly could not, could not be saying what he just heard. His pupils dilated in shock, terror, and the first crashing wave of what promised to be a punishing, cataclysmic tsunami of grief. Merry had come so far. Her body could not be failing her now. She had come so close to getting her last chance for life, love, no, for all of it...!

“What...what exactly are you saying?” He managed through gritted teeth.

Kelly’s eyes were very red and she was unashamed of the tears welling in them. She was never a doctor to lose her compassion, even though she had to retain her objectivity to survive and function.

“The fever is so high, Aiden. Her kidneys and liver are showing signs of severe strain and have since the onset of this damned thing. Now it is becoming very hard to maintain her blood pressure and her pulse becoming erratic. She is not rousing to anything but the most painful stimuli. She is not showing signs of overt pain, Aiden. We will continue to press on as we have been. But the terms of her living will and advance directives are very clear. I know she trusts you implicitly to make the best call for her. There are no decisions to be made right now, and if there were I would strenuously urge you to wait and reflect upon them. But...and I say this to you in the strictest of confidence...she asked you to make this decision for her if need be. Not Tom. You, Aiden.” She paused. “In any case, Tom is not ready to face a decision of this magnitude. Nowhere near ready...no one is ever ready, I suppose, to say goodbye to a loved one, but Tom...”

Aiden reached out blindly, and grasped Kelly’s hand. “I know what you’re trying to say, Kelly...I even asked Merry, once, if she wished to transfer everything over to Tom, and her exact answer was, ‘Oh, God, no.’”

They sat and looked at Merry in silence.

“You need to prepare yourself, Aiden. The time may come for you to...make a final act of love for her. It will be something I know you will carry in your heart for the rest of your life, and affect the relationship you have with Merry’s son, and her son’s father. You need to be aware of what her status is.”

“She isn’t in any pain?”

“She is not, Aiden. We are constantly assessing her. I give you my personal promise I will not have her suffer. She has suffered enough.”

Aiden nodded, his throat so choked he could not speak.

Kelly wordlessly took him into her arms, and let him cry.

When Tom arrived an hour later, Kelly had left word she would speak with him later about Merry’s condition, and Aiden was in the bathroom, having just taken a quick shower. Tom failed to notice how worn Aiden looked, simply because he was so exhausted and worried himself.

“How is she? Any better? I saw Kelly’s text, I couldn’t tell if Merry was any better or worse from what she wrote,” Tom immediately began.

Aiden shook his head. “She’s the same as yesterday, Tom.”

His face showed his clear disappointment. “No better at all? I’d hoped...”

Aiden reached out and grasped his hand, and squeezed it. “I know, Tom. I know.”

Tom reached out and hissed at finding Merry’s face still so hot as he lovingly brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Has she responded to anything? Have you spoken to her about Liam?”

“No, Tom...she is sleeping so soundly. I am simply letting her rest.”

Tom latched onto this idea quickly. “You’re right, you’re right, of course...she needs her rest. I won’t disturb her. I’ll simply sit and make sure she isn’t alone...”

Aiden gave Tom a quick, one-armed “man-hug” and left.

The following day, Aiden was settling Liam down for his afternoon nap, and allowed himself to check his phone—again—in the hopes of an update.

From Kelly:

Regret to inform you data indicates you are closer to having to make a decision.

With feet made of lead, he walked to his closet, and pulled out a box that had a single layer of duct tape sealing it shut, and opened it with his pocket knife. He needed to go through it all, one more time.

When he opened the sealed lid, he was surprised to find a envelope bearing a seal with Merry’s monogram on the back. “What...Merry...? This is not supposed to be in here,” he muttered, and carefully opened it. “Merry, I beg of you, I cannot take any surprises right now, woman, I can’t...”

Inside the envelope were smaller envelopes: one, her distinctive handwriting instructed, “To be read before you have to decide” and the other, “To be read after the decision has been made, and done.”

Aiden looked at Liam, sleeping peacefully not four feet from where he stood, trying desperately not to fall apart, and noiselessly left the bedroom, so he could sit in the bath with the door locked, his back against the door.

He opened the “before” letter, and saw it was dated long before he knew who Liam’s father was, but after they had settled the living will and other legal papers for her end of life wishes:

“My dearest Aiden:

“If I know you like I think I do, you are wondering how on earth I got these letters into your box after you taped it shut. To which I have to say: really, Aiden? Only ONE layer of duct tape? And here’s a hint that will serve you well in the future...ALWAYS tape the bottom shut, as well...”

Aiden grabbed the box and flipped it over, and sure enough: he could see where Merry had skillfully cut open the bottom layer of tape and covered it over again so it looked undisturbed upon a cursory glance from the top. He had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the peal of hysterical laughter that was threatening to erupt from his mouth. “Honestly, Merry...”

Her letter continued:

“I am also willing to bet you are worrying yourself into a misery, trying to decide it now is the right time, or if you should wait...what is the best thing to do? What would I want? Are you rushing? Should you get another opinion? Are there other options?

“...and worst of all...

“How are you going to look Liam in the eye and tell him someday that you made this choice?

“Well, here are the answers for you, my dearest friend, because I cannot bear to think of you in such pain:

“—if you are even looking at this letter, then yes. Yes, it is the right time. Because you love me so well, you would never even think about making this decision otherwise. What would waiting accomplish? Prolonging it another day? Two days? A week? To what purpose? If you can come up with a real answer to what waiting will accomplish, then, perhaps, yes, put it off a bit...and that is the best thing to do. But if there is no reason to wait, then there are no real other options. No other opinions. And someday, you will look at Liam in the eye, and tell him you made this decision because you loved me so well, there was no other choice to be made.

“The last night you expect me to be present, if you feel that guilt will eat you alive for the knowledge of it, spend it with me one last time, playing tunes you know that I’ve loved hearing you play so well. Then kiss me, and know I will be watching over you until we meet again, and meet we shall.

“Love never dies, Aiden. And while I may not have been able to give you the same love I have given to Tom...it is because I gave it to him first, and once given, could never be taken away. Nor would you ask me to do so, for once given, can never be taken away in the full measure. You deserve so much better than an abridged version. You deserve nothing less than the full score.

“And I do love you, Aiden Forsythe. Thank you for everything that I have written above, but most of all, thank you for having been my friend, and for this one last favor. You are, and always have been, the one who has held me up, held me together, and most importantly, held and will continue to hold my beloved son Liam as I no longer able to do so.

“Meredith Skye”

The letter fell from between his nerveless fingers. He sat, for many moments, simply breathing, for he was able to do nothing else.

His phone beeped, and he looked at it.

From Tom:

Aiden, I don’t...she won’t open her eyes to look at me anymore. Kelly says she isn’t hurting, but...she doesn’t respond to my words or touch, and not even the incessant shrieking warnings from these machines jar her, and you know how she hates those sounds...was she this out of it last night?

Aiden responded:

Tom, I am bringing my violin to play for her tonight. I think that will help her, a lot.

Tom texted back immediately, much heartened by this idea. He was certain Merry would respond to that.

Aiden rose, found his violin, and began tuning it.

He arrived at Merry’s bedside, carrying his violin and a vast amount of coffee. Tom was seated at Merry’s side, his head resting on the bed next to where he had clasped her small hand in his. Merry’s skin was pale, almost grey, whereas Tom’s was flushed.

“Tom?”

Tom awoke with a start, and his head turned towards Merry’s face without even thinking about it. Seeing she had not moved, he sat up slowly, and began to rub the back of his neck. “Oh, Aiden...yeah, Kelly said they could shut those alarms down, there’s a central bank...no sense in giving both of us headaches and shredded nerves...so I guess I fell asleep.”

“Nothing wrong with that. I brought a lot of coffee, help yourself, I know for a fact it’s better than what’s available in the floor machines...”

“Ah, no, thank you. I hope once I get Liam settled for the night to get some sleep myself. If I have a load of caffeine, I won’t rest a wink.”

Both men conveniently ignored the fact that neither would be able to truly get a decent’s night rest.

“Liam getting to sleep for you alright then?”

“Not too badly,” Tom lied. He had been holding Liam in his arms until his son fell asleep, which was wildly contrary to his normal good sleep habits. As to who was being comforted by this new arrangement, it was difficult to say. Once Liam was well and truly enjoying the sleep of an exhausted preschooler, only then did Tom get up and leave his son’s room.

“Good, good...”

Tom looked wistfully at Merry. Aiden could tell he did not wish to leave her side. Did he know, somehow? Did he have a sense, an intuition his beloved Mozart was slipping further and further away from him?

“Liam is waiting for you, Papa Bear,” Aiden prompted him gently. “He can’t wait to tell you all about his walk this morning...the keyword to take away from the adventure is what Merry doesn’t know...” he stopped. He had been about to joke, in the camaraderie of men against women, nay, fathers and uncles and suchlike against mothers, that what Merry did not know would not hurt her, but found he could not continue. Abruptly, he turned away to look out the window. “He had an exciting morning,” he concluded.

This time, it was Tom who gave him the one-armed hug, before departing.

“Merry, your son is fine,” explained Aiden, before he turned around to look at her on the bed again. “It’s a well known fact boys need to eat at least a pound of dirt in order to grow. Scientific truth. Look it up.”

“I can vouch for you.”

He turned his head to see Kelly leaning against the doorframe, a tired smile on her face.

“Kelly, do you ever go home?”

“Oh, Aiden, didn’t you know? Home is where the heart is, and my heart is here.” She approached him carefully. “I saw Tom leave. I have not given him fact and figures, and he does not know to ask for them. He asks me general questions and I give him general answers. I have not lied nor misled him...but I have not been as painfully honest as I could have been, either. I will give him the unvarnished truth tomorrow...I am holding hope, for one more night. If it is foolish of me, then he at least has one more night of it...and if it is not, then why disturb him? He is already in torment.”

Aiden nodded mechanically. “Is there any hope, Kelly, or...?”

She held her hands up. “Aiden, I am flooding her poor body with everything I think she can withstand at this point...because there is nothing left to lose.”

Again, he nodded, and opened his case.

“Bless you, you sweet darling,” Kelly sighed. “Are you going to play for her, then?”

“I will keep it down,” Aiden promised, as he began to apply rosin to his bow.

“I’m not worried about the noise.”

“Then Kelly, I plan on playing for her all night through...a concert for one.”

The doctor’s eyes softened. “Of course. I should have realized. I will make sure you have the privacy you require.”

Aiden played...

Old favorites. Folk tunes, such as “Ashokan Farewell and “Scarborough Faire.” Older melodies, as Merry always had a soft place in her heart for Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Waters,” “April Come She Will.” The newer tunes that he always gave her a hard time about, but now had tears coursing down his face, as he played them as tenderly as with as much love as his fingers could convey, like “The Prayer” and “You Raise Me Up.” But it wasn’t until he started pieces from her beloved Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films that he felt his heart truly begin to break. She loved them so much, but could barely play or listen to them after she broke with Tom, she had confided to him. She had played them for Tom...and now, Aiden was determined to play them all for her, as many as he could, even as his fingers protested as fiercely as his heart did. It had been years since he played so many pieces at once. But by the gods, he was going to play them for her...May It Be. Into the West. In Dreams. The Last Goodbye...as many as he could manage.

The tears were streaming down his face as he bowed The Last Goodbye when the door came open, and Kelly came in, waving strips of paper at him. He dropped his bow, upset. She’d promised him privacy. This was his chance to give something back to Merry, something she’d given to Tom and not enjoyed since, and now he was giving it back to her, and now it was spoiled...

Kelly was...throwing her arms around him, before he could even set the violin down. “Aiden! Aiden, you bloody miracle worker! Ever since you started playing, her numbers started improving, I swear to God, it’s like a miracle! You need to see these numbers, it’s...her blood pressure, pulse, her temperature, you need to see these numbers, Aiden...!”

“She’s showing signs of improvement, then?” Aiden was refusing to believe.

“Aiden, I’m saying the only decision you have to worry about for the immediate future is what you’re going to play for an encore.”

His face broke into such a wide smile, it is a wonder it didn’t split his face into pieces. “Oh, that,” he said. “Piece of cake.”

First he hugged Kelly until she squealed.

Then he broke into a gentle but spirited version of “Considering Hobbits” as dawn began to break across the horizon...

...and he saw Merry stir a bit, and give the slightest of dream smiles.

He bent down, and kissed her forehead. It was still hot. She still looked quite ill.

But he knew she was still in there.

“Love you, Skye,” he whispered fiercely. “There and back again.”

When Tom came later, he found Aiden running his hands under cold water.

“Aiden, your fingers!” Tom whispered, aghast. “What did you do, man, play all night long?”

“She seemed to like it,” Aiden replied nonchalantly.

“Did she wake up? Say anything?” Tom asked eagerly.

“Nooo...but I thought I saw her smile,” Aiden answered honestly.

Tom never did learn how close he came to losing his Mozart over those few days. Aiden never mentioned to Merry how he played his heart out that night, thinking it might be his last chance to be alone with her—knowing full well if Kelly was to break the news as they knew it to Tom the following day, it would take a bomb to dislodge him from her side, even if it wasn’t her last night drawing breath.

A year later, however, there was a changing of the guard. Aiden was formally relieved of his duties as Merry’s medical proxy, not that there was the overwhelming need there had been before, as Merry’s condition had improved drastically from Dr. Kelly Florence’s treatment, and she had never looked back. Merry refused to say the word “remission,” in fact she would become very touchy and cross if the word was used in front of her, but the truth was she had not had a reoccurrence of leukemia in over a year at this point.

Aiden, Tom, Liam, and Merry were living comfortably together, an odd family arrangement by any definition, but it worked and suited them perfectly. For awhile Merry needed to stay close to Sloan Kettering, but as time passed, she was no longer required to come in as often, and she was obviously growing stronger and healthier. Tom would come and go as his jobs required it, and it was during one of his absences Aiden approached Merry with the idea of having Tom become her proxy, instead.

“Merry, I am not saying I no longer wish to be your voice,” he earnestly explained to her. “But think about it. I am aware...well aware...of how very close you and Tom are,” he teased, for the sheer joy of watching her face color as he made his voice more suggestive and leered at her like a caricature villain.

“Stop it,” she muttered. “You came back very early, and Liam was at a sleepover...”

Aiden playfully bumped her shoulder and continued, “Just think about it. I will be your proxy until the end of time if you wish. However, as the situation has changed, I wanted to let you know I was open to the idea if you wanted to rethink things. I believe Tom could handle things better, since you’re now...”

“Don’t say it,” Merry interrupted him, pointing her finger at him.

He held his hands up in the air. “What I was going to say, Madam, was you are now enjoying a state of health where if such a decision had to be made, it would either come as a complete shock to everyone involved, because you had your head locked in some musical clouds and stepped in front of a bus, or else we had a long lead time, and we were all starting from the beginning again...in short, like anyone else in the world. No corporate knowledge required.”

Merry sat back on the sofa they were sharing, looking at him for a long moment. Liam was asleep, and she and Aiden had started watching a movie that had lost their interest about half an hour into the viewing. She tugged at her hair, a short curl that barely covered her ear, a nervous habit she had acquired now that her hair regrowth was just long enough begin to annoy her instead of be a source of wonder.

Aiden batted her hand away. “Knock it off, Shirley Temple.”

Merry growled at him, “I’ll show you Shirley Temple...” and tackled him.

This was new, this aspect of their relationship. Aiden had never known feisty Merry. Playful Merry. Non-pregnant, non-puking Merry.

Healthy Merry.

As they wrestled and battled for dominance with throw pillows, they were all while mindful to keep their laughing and smack-talking volume to a dull roar lest they awaken Liam and then it would be hours before they get him back to sleep. Aiden easily pinned Merry under two sofa cushions and smugly declared, “I win, Shirley,” and leaned back gently on her as she threatened him with dire retribution if he did not release her immediately...and “stop calling me Shirley!”

As Aiden allowed her to fight her way out, he reflected it was a good thing he had never met this Merry, because if he had, he would have fallen hopelessly, helplessly in love with her, and it would have been soul-rendingly painful when he realized she could have never seen him as anything more than a friend.

But then, as he observed her crawl and snarl, he realized something even more profound: he never could have met this Merry, as she had not yet come into being. This Merry was the result of everything that had come before, and he was just happy to be a part of her life now, in whatever capacity, whatever role he could be.

Merry settled the cushions back to their proper places, and ignored Aiden’s irritating smirk. For all that she had been laughing and growling and playing the game, her mind had never thinking about the proposition Aiden had posed to her.

Aiden had a definite pattern of behavior: he would think often bring up a serious topic he was uncomfortable with, and then deliberately clown around afterwards to lighten his tension and the general atmosphere.

As he had just done.

But why would this make him so uncomfortable? It shouldn’t, for all the reasons he just brought up. If anything, he should be happy. Relieved. Merry knew, logically, she was doing so much better. She knew her relationship with Tom was rock-solid. She knew that Aiden was also comfortable and confident with his place in her life, as well.

“Aiden,” she said, pinning him with her best “Mama” stare, “fetch me the box.”

“Box?” Aiden parried, immediately beginning to sweat. “What box?”

“Oh, don’t even, Aiden. The box in your closet with the duct tape all the way in the upper right hand corner.”

Aiden’s sweat was cold now. “How do you even know about...”

“Because that is where you’ve always kept it, Aiden. It’s at the very top in the corner, so no one can see it, and it’s on the right because it’s your dominant hand. So go.”

Confused but still feeling caught, Aiden did as “Mama” told him, because none of the males in the home was immune to the Mama-voice.

Once she had it in her lap, Merry flipped the box over and pried up the tape. She did not worry about being neat, and the tape came up leaving strips of the cardboard hanging from it. She seemed to take fiendish glee in the messy job. She did not want this to be a clandestine affair. She wanted this box to be as visibly opened as possible.

Aiden opened, then closed his mouth again as he realized what was about to happen.

Merry went straight for her envelope...and found it open...and found one missing.

“Oh, Aiden,” she whispered compassionately. “So, it was like that, then.”

She set the box aside, and opened her arms. For all that Aiden was taller, he still curled into her hug to rest his head on her shoulder. “When?” was all she asked.

All Aiden would say was, “Honey, the cytokine release...you were very sick. Kelly...she never told Tom how bad you were. But she did tell me, as your medical proxy, that you were...it was bad, Merry.”

Merry was very still, looking ahead of her at nothing, her eyes fixated at some point in the distance that only she could see. “Did you violate any of the directives?”

“No! I never had to make any decisions at all. But, we came close, Meredith Skye. Closer than I want to think about. When Kelly told me that you were getting to the limits stated in your living will, I opened the box. I wanted to read through everything one last time, to make absolutely sure I knew exactly what you wanted. Imagine my surprise when I found this envelope waiting for me that I hadn’t put in the box to being with...”

Merry’s face smiled, very slowly. “Did it help?”

“Gods, yes...Merry, I don’t think I could have faced everything without it. As it turned out, you began to improve that very night, but...the letter made a huge difference.”

Merry squeezed her dear friend tightly. “I am glad, for the obvious reasons, that you didn’t have to make any decisions...but also because you didn’t have to carry that burden. I am so sorry, Aiden. So, so sorry to have put you through that.” Aiden could feel her tears, as they fell into his hair.

“Don’t cry, Merry,” he pulled himself up, and wiped her face. “I am honored to have been the one who has been there for you. The letter you wrote me...I’ve read it until I can recite it, and I will never lose it. And I am not leaving you now. I will still always be here for you. You understand me, don’t you? You get me...right?”

Merry looked into Aiden’s anxious eyes, the same anxious eyes she looked up into almost a decade ago, in the hallway of the music building, outside the women’s bathroom...the same eyes that were terrified but resolute when her water broke, terrified but tender when she had to give that horrible last push to bring Aiden into the world, determined when he all but shoved her into a car to get her to a doctor’s appointment, unwavering when they signed the sheaf of papers in from of them...unhesitating when they boarded a flight for London.

“Yes, Aiden, I get you,” she answered.

They sat in silence for awhile, not sure what to say next, before Merry looked at Aiden, and grinned.

“You’ve always been the one to ‘get me,’ and now it’s your turn.”

With that cryptic statement, she stood and kissed his head, and told him goodnight.

Once she was in bed, she received her goodnight video chat from Tom: “All well back at home then, Merry?”

“Yes, Tom. Miss you dreadfully, and can’t wait until you are home as well. Only three more sleeps!”

Tom looked at his phone and laughed at her phrase, knowing well this is exactly how she phrased it with Liam earlier when he was tucked in...he hated missing bedtime/storytime with their son, but he had a shoot that couldn’t be avoided. “So, how many things is he racking up to tell me when I return?”

“Heaps,” Merry responded cheerfully, as she pulled and tugged at the blankets to get them just as she wanted. Tom sighed happily, watching her build a nest. How he adored this woman...

“We all are, come to that,” she added. “Liam has stories...and so do I. Even Aiden has stories. And we’re all going to share them.”

“Sounds marvelous,” Tom saw Merry was sleepy, so her added, “but for now, I think it’s bedtime for all little cellists. Goodnight, Mozart.”

She blew him a raspberry, and then blew him a kiss, as he laughed and ended the call.

Aiden probably wouldn’t tell the full story, but it was time he told his nonetheless, Merry decided. He needed to tell it, so he could close the book, enjoy peace in his heart with the closure, and begin to find his own story.

Tagging: @winterisakiller @ciaodarknessmyheart @villainousshakespeare @alexakeyloveloki @tinchentitri @hopelessromanticspoonie @yespolkadotkitty @just-the-hiddles @vodka-and-some-sass @theheartofpenelope @sabine-leo @wegingerangelica @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @jessiejunebug @scorpionchild81@theoneanna @blacksuitofdoom @mishaandthebrits @rjohnson1280 @ms-cellanies @noplacelikehome77 @toomanystoriessolittletime @catsladen

#aiden's story #A Symphony without Strings #Nonsensical Writes #tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston x oc #look Christine I did a thing

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purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1085

survey by -egocentricity-

On Myspace, what was in the last bulletin you posted? I haven’t been on Myspace for well over a decade; and even when I was there I didn’t have any friends added nor did I remember ever posting anything. Friendster and Multiply were a lot more popular.

When and where was the last time you took a picture of yourself? I took a selfie last Saturday in the dining room. It’s of me holding up the vape pen that Andi lent me for the meantime to show Angela, since she wanted to see what it looked like.

Have you ever been scolded by a mall cop? I remember being lightly chided once when I was like, 7 – I was leaning on a glass wall of a store in the mall, so the guard from that store nicely told me to get back up to be safe. Overall, I don’t think I’ve ever exhibited behavior in public that should’ve gotten me into trouble.

How often do you catch yourself daydreaming? Definitely not so much these days. I need to keep being preoccupied with work or other things to do/accomplish since my daydreaming always seems to end with thinking of scenarios that now upset me, like, idk, happier times with my ex. I’m tired of letting that happen and always being upset in the end, so I try to avoid getting lost in my thoughts anymore.

What's your favorite thing to think about as you're falling asleep? Idk about you but thinking in general keeps my mind up and racing lol, so when I’m trying to sleep I do my best to black out my mind so that I can doze off.

Is there anything that you want to do, but won't because you're too afraid? So I went to college with this girl - I believe she’s several batches older - who, as soon as she graduated, set out on a hitchhiking journey across the world. She’s been doing it for four years, and I believe she has finally made it to Europe after being stuck in Kazakhstan for a year due to Covid. She’s amazing and her spirit is so fucking beautiful. She has a Facebook page that I actively follow detailing her experiences; but as great as her journey has been, I don’t know and I highly doubt that I can set out for such a demanding, commitment-heavy challenge myself.

Who was the last person to yell at you? My mom is the only person who does that, but she hasn’t done so in a while.

Who gets up the earliest in your household? The latest? My dad, since his work starts the earliest. I will sometimes hear the car engine purring by 5:45 AM. The latest would be my sister, since she stays up the latest as well. I think she’s up by 8 AM, but she doesn’t show up outside of her bedroom until 10 or 11.

Have you ever had a pet walk across your keyboard while you were typing? No, and I am glad that’s the case because both of my dogs are too big and I fear that they could actually snap my laptop in half.

What political issues do you think deserve less attention/worry? No political issue deserves any less attention than others. Political issues always mean that someone is on the losing end and I don’t think it’s fair to compare and decide which ones can be put on the backseat.

Anyway, I do believe it’s not so much the issues that should be compared, but the people in politics who are given the spotlight. Here in the Philippines especially, a lot of celebrities want to have their own political careers (and usually win a seat) despite their zero experience and the media gobbles that shit up all the time, which is disgusting. Related to this, I hope the media makes a consicous effort to wipe Trump out of the headlines once he’s out of office.

Which political issues are you most passionate about? I dunno if I can measure that since I’m pretty vocal about a lot of things. What I can tell you is that in the political issues I have a say in, I always side with the marginalized and the oppressed. IPs, POC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, factory workers, jeepney drivers, contractualized employees, activists, student-activists...my heart has always been with them and their cause.

You're going to your favorite foreign country; what landmarks do you go see? I’m not sure if I have a favorite country, but I’m very picky about landmarks in general anyway. I’d rather experience the local life and eat at smaller local places and go to lesser-known beaches and stuff.

What is the longest amount of time that you have spent away from your home? A little longer than a week, and this was usually when I traveled abroad.

Did the last movie you watched have any emotional effect on you? Yeah, so much so that I was unable to finish it and I had to show up at dinner while still fresh from crying.

What motivates you to go to school? Not applicable to me anymore, but I suppose this can be easily rephrased to mean work. Honestly, my main motivation is the desire to have a perfect record at work lol. I’m super neurotic about this and I hate the idea of being absent or late. Money comes second; I rarely buy stuff for myself so I mostly don’t even realize the money coming in to my account every two weeks. Then third is the desire to be good at my job because I do want to get promoted and rack up more positions as I go along.

How much caffeine have you consumed in one day? The most cups of coffee I’ve had in one day is 3, and that was not an enjoyable experience ha. Right now, I’m on my first cup of coffee.

Are you more hyper and up-tight, or laid back and relaxed? I guess it depends on the situation. I can definitely exhibit either, but my behavior will vary based on the people I’m with and/or how comfortable I am in a certain situation.

When was the last time you heard someone talking about you? Around a week ago. My parents were having dinner separately and I heard my name being mentioned in a few sentences.

How did you pick out your last outfit? I wanted an outfit that was chill and easy to carry around, but would still make me look like I put some effort into picking it out.

When buying shoes, what do you look for in the product? I admittedly like brand names, so that’s the first thing I look at. I also like to keep up with what’s trending, so I look at items in a brand’s catalog that I see more and more people wearing. If it matches with my own personal style, then I keep an eye on it/purchase it altogether.

What happened to cause the last mess you made? The last and current mess I have on me is my work desk, which I’ve since abandoned in favor of my bed + portable desk as my new workspace. Idk, over the Christmas break I just ended up stacking up so much shit on the desk until it became a little too cluttered. I’ve cleaned it up here and there to make the space look neater, but there’s still a lot of stuff.

Are you embarrassed to bring people into your bedroom? Not embarrassed; I just find it unnecessary. My bedroom is too small to host guests and the only times I’ve let someone in there is when I had a significant other. I prefer people to stay in the living room.

When was the last children's birthday party you attended? It was my third cousin Isabella’s 7th birthday party at a Jollibee. Her family has been living in Australia for a while, but I guess they wanted to host a party with their Filipino family so they flew back here to stay for a few days. Because she is my third cousin and because she’s been living in Australia all her life, I don’t actually have any sort of relationship with her lmao but I still made an effort to greet her and stuff.

Are you good at reading other people's body language? Yes, to the point that it contributes to my overall anxiety.

If you're sick, do you go to school or do you stay home [usually]? I rarely get a fever so when I do it feels like actual death. For that reason, I usually have to skip the day and focus on feeling better.

Does chicken noodle soup really make you feel any better? I never had it whenever I’ve felt like crap in the past. I don’t really like soup though, so on a personal level I doubt it would have any effect on me.

What is one meal that you like to eat whilst sick? I don’t have a go-to meal because again, I rarely get sick.

Think of the last survey you filled out; did you enjoy it? Sure, it was easy to digest and it’s the kind that you can take over and over again.

Have you ever fed bread to ducks or geese? I’ve fed bread, but to fish in the sea; not ducks or geese since idk if we have either here other than in zoos. In our trip to Mactan in 2010, I remember how we were allowed to pay a certain small amount to get bread from the resort and proceed to feed the fish swimming around in the beach.

Is it hard to imagine you were ever as small as a 1-2 year old? Yeah, I definitely feel that way sometimes.

What set the tone for your mood today? Eh, I wouldn’t say I had an overall mood today, honestly. It was a normal day at work, maybe a little more uneventful than other days; and I was on top of my tasks so there wasn’t anything to dread or worry about. I was just concentrated on getting the day over with and wasn’t strongly attached to any emotion.

Have you ever set out to ruin someone else's day? I don’t think so.

Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you? It happens sometimes.

The name of the last video game you played? Mario Kart 8 probably? It’s been a while but it’s all I play if I do play a video game, so it’s a safe guess.

The name of the last board game that you played? We whipped out my old box of Trivial Pursuit last November when we didn’t have electricity and internet because of the typhoon.

What was the last thing that you told yourself? I don’t remember the last time I talked to myself, but like two minutes ago I was starting to feel sad so I silently reminded myself to think of positive things.

How many times a day do you wash your face? At least once, in the morning before I start work. I’ve learned that cleaning myself up, even if it’s just splashing water on my face, super helps if I want to start working in a good mood.

Do you remember your D.A.R.E. officer's name? I didn’t have one of those, anddd I’m sure we didn’t have that program here.

Someone throws hot coffee on you; how do you react? It’s taken me a whole goddamn week to finish this survey, lels. Anywho... I think out of instinct I would scream out in extreme agony first? And I’d probably spend the first immediate seconds to try and process what just happened. I don’t know if I would fight back because I’m pretty sure the burns would be hurting too badly for me to focus on revenge.

Is there a high school or college that you would rather be attending? I attended one school from kindergarten to college, and I can’t imagine having attended anywhere else. I had one dream university and I ended up attending it.

Have you ever lived in an apartment or duplex home? Yes, both. My parents lived in an apartment for a few months when I was a newborn. From ages 2-10 I lived in my childhood home, which is actually a duplex. The other house belongs to my grandpa’s late sister and her family.

Has anyone ever commented on your weight? Sure, but I care so little about my weight that they don’t really have an effect on me. The most common one I get is to “eat more.”

Where do you stand when it comes to sexual intercourse? Erm not really lmao. Just do it?? Idk. And just make sure consent is mutual and that you aren’t doing it out of pressure.

Name a show from the 90's that you miss? I guess ‘miss’ is the wrong word since I never watched it while it was ongoing, but I do love Friends. I’m excited to see what they have planned for the reunion episode.

Who provokes your sarcastic side the most? Bad co-workers, but luckily I haven’t had to pull that side of me in a while.

Have you ever thought about joining the military? Never.

When you were little, did you ever stare at disabled or "different" people? Being a kid, I probably did but never thought anything of it during those times. My mom certainly would’ve whooped my ass if I tried to comment anything mean or be a smartass.

Could the contents of your bedroom get you in any trouble? The one thing that would piss my mom off are my vape pens. I still have Gab-related stuff in my room that I’m too lazy to throw out, but I doubt I will get into trouble from those anymore because there has been no relationship to speak of in the last four months.

Do weather patterns sometimes have an effect on your health? Not on my health, but on my mood.

If it snows a lot where you live, do you experience cabin fever? It doesn’t, so idk what this would feel like.

When was the last time someone disapproved of something you were doing? Not entirely sure; this hasn’t happened in a while. Admittedly, as a people pleaser, I thrive on doing what people would want me to do lol.

How good are you at getting along with other people? On a scale of 1 to 10, probably a 9? I’m super nice to everyone and in the end it only really boils down to whether I have chemistry with them or not. If I fail to feel comfortable around someone I’m more likely to stay formal, but I do try to be lively and crack jokes with everyone as much as I can.

Do you consider yourself to be approachable? I want to be and I always try to come off as such, but my resting bitchface hurts that chance sometimes haha.

Do you know anyone that's a little emotionally unstable? Uhm, no one comes to mind.

Have you ever felt like you were going out of your mind? Yes.

Has anyone ever suggested that you might need "help"? I don’t recall being told this by anyone before. But with the way I broadcast my anxiety and sadness from time to time, I’m sure people have thought of it.

Do you take offense to things easily? Yeah you can say that. I’ve always been more sensitive than most.

How do you respond to cheesy pick-up lines? As with any pick-up line, I inwardly roll my eyes and move on.

Do you like to give people a taste of their own medicine? It’s such a waste of time and energy for the most part, so no. But if I feel petty, I have no problem doing it.

How was the service at the last restaurant you visited? It was...fine. Nothing to write home about. It was unlimited Korean barbecue and they actually had a system in place where they gave us a link to some internal website they kept, and we could simply order from there to minimize contact with the servers. I will say that I never got the kimchi jjigae I had ordered, but it was fine because I was full by then lmao.

Are you ever jealous of happy couples? No. I mean, I guess I’m reminded of my loneliness when I see couples in public, but I don’t get jealous or angry. I just shake it off and try to focus on myself.

Describe a thought that is sticking with you today? That I can’t wait for Friday.

Lately, who has spent the most time on your mind? I’ve been thinking more of my anxieties than certain people, tbh.

In a car: air conditioning, or roll the windows down? Air conditioning. Though sometimes it’s nice to have the windows down, especially when I’m driving within my village or up a mountain.

When was the last time you did anything to your playlist? I made an angst-themed playlist over the weekend.

Is there a new song or band you've discovered? Massive Attack. Hayley Williams did a super great cover of their song Teardrop, so I checked out the original version which I also ended up enjoying. Olivia Rodrigo too, who I found out is part Filipino yay!

Which teacher gives you the most homework? My Journalism Ethics professor will probably rank the highest on this list.

What type of personality do you find most annoying? Idk, condescending ones maybe? There are a million kinds of personalities lol, but yeah I hate those who make you feel dumb, and feel good about doing so.

How did you hear about Bzoink? If my memory serves me correctly, my 10 year old self just wanted empty about me surveys to answer. Bzoink was always one of the first websites to come out if I searched for surveys on Google.

How long did it take you to sign up for an account - if you have one? I don’t think I ever made an account on there since I was too shy to share my answers.

Are you punctual? Yes, very.

Have you ever howled at the full moon? No.

Have you ever seen yourself on camera? Like if I’ve seen photos of myself??? I would be very surprised if anyone can say they haven’t.

Do you give any consideration to what's said in your horoscope? No.

When was the last time you felt like you were being followed? This has never happened before, thankfully.

#survey #surveys

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