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aka-indulgence · 3 years

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Take Me by the Hand

So I wanted to post this on valentines (it’s not exactly valentine-themed, I just wanted to put something out hjdsk), but decided it was better to post now -w- this is a little fluff fic for @yeosin-n!! She has a really cool au called underwaves, and of course she makes just wonderful wonderful stuff and i love them all- and then its an undertale au!!!! in the ocean!!!!! ahdjkshd I kinda instantly fell in love with it... and UW Sans (Naut) as well, so uh!! Here’s a fluffy self-indulgent fanfic!!

Naut (UW!Sans)/Reader :D!!

"heheh, ya look like a big duck, darlin'."

You try not to make a frustrated noise at him (lord knows he's already having WAY too much fun with you) and choose to simply mumble to yourself quietly as you take step by heavy step towards the innocently splashing waves, as if taunting your predicament.

"I'd appreciate some help right about now, I could do without the remarks." You snap (softly) at him as you waddle your way over the sand, your heavy diving equipment jostling a little with every step.

Naut had been helpful enough to put all the weight on you, and you wanted no more than to strangle the grin off the bastard's face.

He's lucky you're dating him and love him too much to do that.

Naut only chuckles for a bit, in your face, and you're about to throw your flippers at him when his laughs finally die down.

"sorry, sorry," Naut lets a few more chuckles out as he wipes the "tears" away from his top set of eyesockets.

You could swear you saw his lower eyelights turned into hearts for a second…

"couldn't help myself. ya sure are a cutie," he says, and you would've made a sound of indignation if you didn't see the flowers happily popping into existence near the hole in his skull, floating down as if a slow waterfall was carrying it.

You're the one with the happy little flowers, you want to tease, but at the same time, you didn’t want him to hide it. It was cute and pretty, you loved seeing him happy and relaxed.

Without realizing what he's trying to do, Naut's already by your side, going behind your back. Before you could ask him what he's doing, you make a "hup-!?" Noise when he hoists your tank up.

"better?"

He was.. helping you carry your equipment.

"Y-yeah!" You startle (you're not sure why, but the fact that he's actually helping you makes you feel.. sentimental).

"ok then, let's keep going,"

With the help of Naut, the journey to the water’s edge wasn’t as painful as it was when you started trudging down the sand, and you eventually got about chest-deep in the water.

Naut let go of your tank, keeping you steady while you fit your dive boots into the open heel flippers. You fit your mask onto your face, and Naut starts drifting into deeper waters, now bobbing in the waves (how do skeletons float…? Of course he came from the ocean but… it’s like he has invisible floaties on!). He snrks a little. You make a face at him (well, as much of a face you could make with a mask covering half your face).

“What?”

“heheh… nothing. ya just… ya kinda look like a fish? with the goggles…” He makes two C-shapes with his phalanges, bringing them up to his sockets. “oh glowing waves above, i just wanna pinch you.”

“H-hey! Stay focused!” you fluster, holding your hands out to him as if he was going to bite you.

Naut chuckles. “yeah, you’re right… i can always pinch ya later.” he teases, and before you could protest more, he gestures with his hand. “ok, check your second stage first, and let’s swim slowly…”

You give the purge button of your second stage a couple of times, before attaching it to your mouth, floating towards your sea-lover. You release the air from your BCD, and Naut takes you by the hand, gently guiding you into the water.

Everything feels different as soon as you are completely submerged, the sounds around you switching from air to water; your surroundings turning blue in an instant. For a few moments, you can only hear the sound of your breathing, the bubbles burbling around you.

“you doing ok?” Naut’s voice snaps you out of your momentary awe, sounding practically as clear as he does outside the water. “don’t forget to equalize the pressure in your ears.”

The sand slopes down, and you tilt your head this way and that, giving Naut the ok signal when you think you’re good.

He’s dropped his teasing and playing around as he slowly brings you away from the surface; you vaguely feel like someone with a blindfold on while someone else’s pulling you somewhere to show you a surprise. He has to keep looking behind him to make sure he doesn’t run into corals or sharks or whatever.

Your world completely changes around you- not that you’ve never seen ocean scapes before, but actually being in it to see it for yourself sure is a special experience. You see your first fish, catching your eye as it darts away from below you. The sandy bottom keeps going down, and down, and down….

… Until eventually, you reach a spot where it stops, turning into a plain of sand.

Naut sits down- just, sits down on the sand, and it's so weird how he just so casually sits, legs apart below you, underwater. He tugs you a bit, pointing to the sand.

You descend, knees hitting the sand with a soft ‘pwsh’... your hands inadvertently fall onto Naut’s ribcage.

You see all four of his eyelights looking down, then lighting up, and you have no idea if he can see you blushing underwater-

But thankfully, Naut knows to set his priorities straight, and right now it’s making sure your diving goes smoothly and safely.

“good?”

For a second, seeing Naut completely at home in this environment, you nod your head without thinking- shaking your head before giving him the ok sign.

His grin grows and he laughs.

Damn. Even underwater he still sounds smooth as hell…

“heheheh… ok, bubbles. let’s get started then, shall we?”

After about a minute of buoyancy practice, Naut kicked off the sand with his slippers (how did they stay on his feet under- you know what? Maybe you shouldn’t question the physics of underwater monsters so much), letting you follow him in your own pace.

Not too far from the water’s edge, corals started sprouting out from the sand, and no longer than that, more sea life appeared. A rainbow of fish were milling about, shrimp and crabs skitter over the ‘living rocks’, and a sea turtle lazily swims by.

Naut easily backpedals towards it, and it circles around him.

Your eyes are taking in the underwater scene all around you with splendor; if you could smile, you would. It was all just so pretty, and your boyfriend’s over there becoming some sort of disney princess, as a few cleaner fish swim towards his skull. You don’t need to hold in your laughter on account of the regulator in your mouth, but your metaphorical smile gets bigger as you watch the tiny striped fish look around his crack while he’s completely unaware… he looks like he’s about to say something when his eyelights go out, as one of them starts nibbling.

He flaps his hand like he’s swatting a fly away, and maybe you’re being tortured right now because you just want to let out a raucous laugh, purposefully shoving it in his face.

“oh, of course, you’re entertained.” Naut lids his sockets a little, feigning annoyance, though the cute little flowers only continue to flow out of his skull.

You want to gesture a “sorry (not sorry)” at him, but without knowing sign language, the most you could do is open your hands for a hug. He’s been wonderfully non-teasing the whole way down, and you think he deserves some credit, especially showing you… all of this.

You’re thinking about how thankful you are to have him with you when you see his eyelights dart somewhere else with his grin turning mischievous. He points to the turtle still swimming nearby and asks “hey, what kind of turtle do you think that green sea turtle is?”

… What.

You blink at him a couple of times, trying to convey your “what kind of question” emotion you’re feeling right now, knowing he’s smart enough to realize what he just said-

“hahahah, i’m joking i’m joking, i know it’s Chelonia mydas. c’mon, i’m no loggerhead.”

…

Loggerhead. Loggerhead sea turtle.

…

You raise your fist at him, and you hope he could hear your internal screaming at him. Looking at the way his sockets crinkle and his grin practically stretching from non-existent ear to ear, you think he can.

The dive was relaxing and pleasant, with Naut completely in his element, giving you the reassurance that you’ll be alright with him. He brought you to different parts of the reef, highlighting some of the animals similarly as to how he addressed the sea turtle.

He brought you swimming closer to the seafloor, showing you clownfish in their stinging friend-homes, and with a straight face he said, “keep your friends close,” he put a ‘friendly’ arm around the carnivorous invertebrate, “keep your anemones closer.”

You swam away from him then, closer to whee the sand starts sloping again. You met a singular jellyfish there, to which Naut poked away from you- it could just fit in your palms. You watch with mild glee as he gently poked it around… you know it’s a living creature… but wow did you want to bounce it and play around with it like a toy. He moved it away from you and sent it bobbing in the direction of the open ocean, and he turned to you to say “are you jelly you didn’t get to play with it?”

You wanted nothing more than to show him a flat face, if you were brave enough to take the regulator off your mouth. You followed him back towards the reef, swimming through a large school of fish that parted as you did.

“how you feeling seastar? i’m feeling fin-tastic.”

He turned around to gesture at the school. “aren’t they like living artwork? so beautiful. i like to consider myself sofishticated, you know.”

You almost couldn’t focus on the reef around you as you were both delighted and desperately trying to hide it from him, that you’re enjoying a diving buddy/instructor that could talk to you as you dive.

You swam leisurely ahead of him, looking for more “landmarks” (sea… marks…?) to look at before you run out of gas, when you heard a rush of water behind you.

You almost let the regulator out of your mouth when you see a huge eel flapping about near you, with Naut holding its tail end and keeping it from coming at you. He reeled it in towards him, holding its head.

“don’t know what got into this guy. maybe your fins surprised him.”

He goes silent for a while.

“but i guess thaaat’s a moray for you.”

Old jokes!!! He’s too much!!!

You wished you could’ve said something to him so you weren’t simply being subjected to his continuous puns, but at that point it looked like you might just get that; when you saw that your pressure gauge showed less than 100.

Naut quickly looked to you when you made a wave at him, giving him a 9-0 signal, trying to convey an “up?” as best you can.

“oh. oh yeah let’s get you up, bubbles.” He said as he swam towards you.

It was like- he had a switch for professional diving instructor and ‘regular Naut’. He quietly guided your ascent, slowly and steadily, making a stop below the surface to decompress, before finally swimming all the way to the surface and inflating your BCD.

“Blah!” you ungracefully spit the regulator out, letting it sink into the water and take the mask off your face. “My teeth always feel weird afterwards…”

“cus’ you’re clenching it all the time.” he floats towards you, putting an arm around you. “how you feeling, gull friend?”

You open your mouth, only to stop when you realized what he said- as if on time, a seagull keows above you.

You give him your best attempt at a seething glare, but you take a breath and smile, putting an arm around him as well. “You know what? That was really nice. I haven’t had this much fun in a while. … or really, I didn’t do that much before I met you. I liked this, Naut. Thanks for taking me out here with you.”

You watch with satisfaction as Naut’s lazy expression and smug-ass grin fade away, his main sockets becoming wide and a light blush colors his cheekbones.

Ha, gottem.

“o-oh. you- yeah. i… you're welcome. anything for you, seastar. i’m glad you liked it.” his eyelights shift away from you.

“Yeah… though not gonna lie, you really were a sun of a beach down there. Punning when you know I can’t say anything to you- it was like, water you doing!”

“ha, yeah i know, it was-” Naut paused. And then he turned to you, seeing how smug and proud you looked of yourself.

You watched how his eyelights dilated in his sockets, sparkling like sun rays dancing in the water.

“heh… heheheh….” he chortled, “oh… don’t be mad now… it’s not a good idea to get too tide down to your emotions.”

“Well- high tide or low tide, I’ll be by your side.”

“better make sure you weren’t pier-pressured into that.”

“Nah. I’m a girl who just wants some sun with my bonefriend!”

He was smiling like a downright lovable idiot right now, eyelights shining like the sun.

“hhhhoooh my god, i want to kiss you.”

You give him a smirk.

“Oh! So you’re feeling… naut-y?”

Your grin weakens a little when Naut stops grinning, and his eyelights shrinking back to their regular sizes, shimmering. For a moment you worry if you said something wrong somehow, but your worry was unfounded- just moments later you watch as cute little hearts start coming out of his skull, with four of his eyelights turning into the same shape.

“i don’t know why kissing’s naut-y, but it’s in my name-ture to be.”

You’re smiling just as wide as him, ignoring how far he had to reach to make that pun. He closes his eyes and you let him lean in towards you, meeting him in the middle. He wraps his arms around you and kisses you while you reciprocate happily; bobbing in the waves under the sun.

#uw #underwaves #uw sans #sansxreader #naut!!!#i love naut!!!#and i love U yeo!!!!!!! ^3^#hope you like this and i wrote your man right heheu

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theres-an-impulstor-among-us · 3 years

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Evil Scar on 3rd life? I really like your writing btw

3rd Life rly is just a place for people to have villain arcs lmfao /hj also thank you, i’m so glad you enjoy my stuff :D

(just a reminder: do not tag this or any of my work as shipping of any kind)

…

“Mrrow.”

Etho chuckles and leans on his pickaxe as his cat, named Pineapple Pizza, sits down on the staircase behind him, looking up at him. “Heyo. What can I do for you? You hungry?”

Pineapple meows again in response.

“Okay, then. Let’s get you some fish.”

Seemingly delighted with his response, Pineapple jumps up onto Etho’s shoulders and curls herself round the back of his neck. Etho grins and tickles her under the chin as he goes back up the stairs of his mine and emerges back in the swamp. His wool bridge stands proud through the middle of the swampy water, looking rather good for a build made of white wool.

Etho roots around in his chest for some fish, but by the time he finds some, he realises that Pineapple has jumped down from his shoulders. Glancing around, he spots a figure moving around in the trees and heads over to investigate.

As he approaches, Scar emerges from behind the tree and spots him. “Ah, Etho! Good to see you.”

Etho blinks, acutely aware of the red heart on Scar’s neck. “Hi, Scar,” he says warily, but still with a friendly tone. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, I was just in the neighbourhood and I-.”

“Meow.”

Scar breaks off as Pineapple appears between them, sitting down and starting to lick her paw.

“Is this your cat?” Scar asks, bending down and picking Pineapple up.

Etho starts to reach for his cat but stops, as if afraid of spooking a wild animal. “Uh, yes. Yes, that’s Pineapple Pizza, Piney for short. Scar, could you, um… Sorry, but would you mind not picking her up? She doesn’t like being held by anyone who isn’t me.”

“But she’s so cute.” Scar strokes the top of Pineapple’s head. “I’ve been looking for a cat, you know. Haven’t seen any Jellies on this server so I guess this one’ll have to do.”

As Etho stares at him in shock, Scar turns and walks out onto the bridge. Etho falls into step beside him. “Scar, please,” he pleads. “She’s my cat. I can help you find one of your own, but-.”

“No, I like this one. Not only is she adorable but she seems to be in need of a new home.”

“No, please!” Etho’s voice rises. “Scar, please don’t take her from me! Please!”

Scar steps back, still holding Pineapple in his arms. “I’d stay back from me, if I were you. Otherwise you might lose more than just your cat and your extremely flammable bridge.”

“Wh-.”

Before Impulse even finishes his word, Scar turns and strikes his flint and steel, setting the wool bridge on fire.

“NO!” Etho screeches.

He charges forwards and attempts to stamp out the fire but it’s already spreading, and all he succeeds in doing is burning his leg. Stumbling backwards, Etho realises quickly that his bridge is a lost cause. As the flames explode outwards, all he can do is dive over the edge into the swampy water.

He swims to safety and climbs out onto the shore. By the time he turns around, his entire bridge is alight. Abandoning it, he dashes down the swampy banks, searching wildly for any sign of Scar.

But his former friend is long gone, along with his beloved cat.

…

As the sun rises, Etho sits on top of the hill with his knees drawn into his chest, gazing numbly down at where his bridge used to be. All that’s left is two blocks of wool and some fences. He’s shed so many tears tonight that he has nothing left in him.

Everything he loves is gone. His tree, his bridge, and even his beloved cat. He has nothing now. Nothing.

“Etho!” comes Tango’s call from somewhere to his left. “Etho, where are you?”

Etho doesn’t respond.

After a moment, Tango and Impulse emerge from the forest and discover him sitting on the edge of the hill. Neither of them speak; they’ve already heard what happened. News and gossip travels fast on the server.

They sit down on either side of him, neither of them entirely sure what to say.

“How you holding up, buddy?” Impulse asks eventually.

Etho closes his eyes briefly, releasing one stray tear he didn’t know was there. “Why does Scar hate me?” he whispers.

Tango and Impulse exchange a sympathetic look.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Tango begins. “He…”

“He burned down my tree and my bridge, and took my cat away from me. I must have done something to make him hate me.”

“No, buddy.” Impulse puts his arm over Etho’s shoulder. “Scar is… He’s… different than how he used to be. This server has changed him, and I guess it’s changed all of us. Just… him in a different way.”

After a moment, Etho stands up, shaking Impulse’s arm off his shoulder.

Tango and Impulse also simultaneously rise to their feet. “Are you gonna be okay?” Tango asks.

Etho takes his gloves out of his pocket and puts them on. “Eventually.”

“Not sure I like that answer. Etho, don’t push us away, okay? We’ll help you out, we’ll support you. Anything you need.”

“Yeah,” adds Impulse. “Anything.”

“Alright, I appreciate that. I think I just need to be left alone for a while.”

Exchanging another look, Tango and Impulse reluctantly nod. “Okay,” says the former. “You know where we are if you need us.”

Etho waits until they’re out of sight before climbing into his boat and taking off across the swamp. He has somewhere to be.

…

Etho climbs the sandy hill and stands a safe distance away from the small castle at the top. “Scar!” he calls. “Scar, come here!”

He spots Grian dithering just inside the entrance of the house, but before he can call to him, Scar brushes past him and stands in front of him, crossing his arms. “What do you want, Etho?”

“I want my cat back,” Etho responds steadily. “You’ve now burned down two things that meant a lot to me and I couldn’t stop you, so I’m here to fight for the only thing I have left. If you don’t give her back to me, I WILL resort to violence.”

Grian glances sharply at Scar. “That black cat is Etho’s?”

Scar shrugs. “So what if it is? He’s not gonna do anything about it. The rules say that PvP can only begin if a red lifer initiates it. And if I do initiate violence, I promise you, you won’t last long enough to strike me back.”

Etho’s narrowed eyes flicker to Grian, who reluctantly nods. “He’s right. If Scar strikes first, you’re allowed to strike back. But if he doesn’t, you can’t legally touch him.”

Etho curls his hands into fists. “Why are you doing this, Scar? First my tree, then my cat, then my bridge. Why do you delight in taking away everything I care about?”

“You have no idea how delicious it is to take things from people and watch as they slowly come to realise they can’t do a single thing about it,” replies Scar, grinning maliciously. “Maybe if you had a red heart like me, you’d understand.”

“You get how being on red isn’t a GOOD thing, right?” Grian says warily from behind him. “One more death and you’re gone. And Etho could kill you right now, you know. He’d be breaking the rules, but that wouldn’t bring you back from the dead.”

“You shut up, Grian,” snarls Scar. “I didn’t ask for your input.”

Grian flinches and turns away.

Seeing his friend mistreated like that pushes Etho over the edge. Grian is clearly scared of Scar. There’s no reason for him to be, unless Scar isn’t exactly his friend anymore.

Etho grabs Scar’s lapels and shoves him against the wall. Before Scar can even make a noise, Etho shoves his face close to Scar’s and snarls, “WHERE. IS. MY. CAT.”

“I-I put her upstairs in the bedroom,” yelps Scar. “G-Grian, save me! Don’t let him kill me!”

“I’m not gonna kill you.”

Etho shoves Scar aside and barges into the building. Grian wordlessly leads him upstairs to the room in question, where Etho finds Pineapple curled up on the bed. “Piney!”

She opens her eyes and, upon spotting him, jumps down from the bed and circles his feet, rubbing her head against his ankles.

Etho almost cries with relief. “Oh, Piney… I’m so glad you’re okay.”

He picks up Pineapple and lets her lie across his shoulders, before turning to Grian. “You don’t have to stay with him anymore, Grian. I know you said you owe him your first life, but just look at yourself. You’re miserable here with him. Scar’s turned into a bully, and you’re the person he targets when there’s nobody else around. You don’t have to live like this anymore.”

Grian sighs quietly. “Where would I go? I burned all my bridges when I came here with Scar. And would I even be safe from him?”

“Come live with me in the swamp,” Etho urges. “I’ll protect you. He may be on his red life but if he strikes one of us, the other can take him down. I’ll make sure if he strikes either of us, it’ll be me. You’ve been through a lot since Scar’s first death; you deserve your freedom.”

For a moment, Grian doesn’t seem convinced.

Then Scar’s voice yells his name from downstairs and Grian again finds himself flinching.

This clinches it. He can’t spend the rest of his time on the server doing Scar’s bidding, waiting for either Scar or himself to die. That’s no way to live and he knows it.

Finally, he nods. “Okay, I’ll come with you. Th-Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Etho leads the way back downstairs. He finds Scar standing in the doorway, arms crossed again, seemingly having regained his composure. “I heard what you said. Do you really think you can get away with stealing my cat AND my best friend?”

“She’s not your cat,” snaps Etho.

“I’m not your best friend!” Grian bursts out at the same time.

Scar blinks. “Grian, what’d you just say?”

“You’re not my best friend, Scar! Not anymore. Ever since you lost your first life, you’ve been different. And you’ve only gotten worse since you lost your second. I-I can’t live here with you anymore.” Grian’s voice cracks. “I’m sorry.”

Scar’s shocked expression quickly turns into a ferocious glare. “Fine, then! Go, both of you. But don’t expect any mercy from me when I’m ready to start killing people. I’ll be coming for you first.”

Grian freezes.

Etho takes hold of his wrist and skilfully pulls him past Scar and out of the house. “You’ll be okay, Grian,” he says reassuringly. “I promise.” To Scar, he says a simple, “Goodbye.”

Scar turns away as Etho and Grian head down the sandy mountain. “Did that really just happen?” Grian says numbly. “Did I really just abandon Scar?”

“You did,” says Etho warmly, putting his arm over Grian’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Grian takes a deep breath. It’s the same air, but somehow, it tastes fresher. “Good, I think. You?”

Etho smiles as he feels Pineapple rub her head against his cheek. For the first time, he hasn’t let Scar get away with taking something he cares about. It feels great.

“Never better.”

#3rdlifesmp #3rd life smp #goodtimeswithscar #grian #etho #ethoslab #vaunna’s requests

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kpopcotton · 4 years

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Simply Soft ~ NCT 127 ver.

a/n ~ here is the final version of simply soft.. i hope you like it!!

• Prompt: johnny. just johnny. • Genre: platonic fluff, bullet point scenario, nct member!reader • Warning(s): strong desire to be a part of nct • Reader Gender: gender-neutral

==≎==

Taeil

ok google, what does soft mean?

never have you seen taeil so whipped for someone

always supporting you and looking at you with the biggest heart eyes

haechan pretends to get jealous and petty whenever taeil shows you more attention than him

you have competitions sometimes

but besides that,

you show taeil so much love and he has so much to give in return

he’s not the best at expressing his love, but you know he cares through the little things

like when he cleans up after you

or gives you firm hugs that last tens of minutes at a time when you aren’t feeling the best

or lets you rest in his bed if you fall asleep during the haechan movie nights you crash

he finds you so precious and never wants to see you sad

his favorite time to hang out with you is right after the two of you get home from a busy day

doesn’t matter what you both did, he’ll make sure to find you at the dorms

most of the time he just gives you the look which means he’s picked out some snacks and is ready when you are

to him, there is nothing better than taking a shower and then inviting you to put on face masks and dance to music

lets you pick the playlist

but, he’s very picky about what kind of music it is

either gives you one of his hoodies or steals one of yours

you both get comfy clothes on

and then apply skincare before picking a face mask and putting them on each other

lots of cute selfies that will never be shared but always treasured

in conclusion, taeil loves relaxing with you

“oh! oh, this is the song! quick, come dance!”

==≎==

Johnny

are you ready for another...

johnny’s communication center?

probably not

you’ve only gotten to appear in one of johnny’s youtube videos which was like a 40-second debut

rip y/n

however, contrary to popular belief, you do spend time with him

he’s like the best big brother in the world, even if he’s younger than you

brings you to clothing stores, coffee shops, bookstores, ikea

any place you can buy things really

his favorite places to go with you are clothing stores

forces you to try on clothes that are in his style just to see how they look on you

whines when you try to get him to wear your style of clothing

says your fashion sense is terrible and sad

but wears the clothes anyway to see your reaction

loves seeing you smile

sometimes you go through johnny’s fashion evaluation

either horrendous combinations or luxury styles

there is no in-between

in the case of horrendous combinations (which happened at a thrift store in chicago):

he had you put on a sparkly rainbow bikini top that left little to the imagination, khakis, a lumberjack flannel around your neck, a bandana around your head, sunglasses that had to be at the tip of your nose, and thigh-high, high heeled boots

you had never felt more out of place and uncomfortable in your life

but johnny loved it every second of it

you made sure to get him back though

you gave him a neon blue lacy bralette, a puke green and brown sweater that you forced him to tie into a crop top, jean shorts that were too short with leggings underneath, knee-high socks with laces pulled over the leggings, and strappy sandals

he pretended to model the outfit for you confidently but his bright red neck and cheeks gave it away that he was embarrassed

in the case of luxury items (which was in some uptown, expensive store in japan):

johnny somehow managed to pick out an outfit that accentuated all of your best features with a color that made you feel confident and sexy

you felt you had never looked better

you returned the favor of course and gave him a suit that was definitely a perfect fit and it was obviously red because when does johnny not look good in red

“damn, y/n, look at us! we are the visuals of nct no doubt!”

==≎==

Taeyong

duality.

never have you seen a more confusing duo in kpop history

aeygo to the maxxxx

charisma to that maxxxx

it’s like a metronome how fast you two change when you’re together

the power.

neither soft stans nor hard stans can handle it

the twitter timeline is a dangerous place

fans could be cooing at you both and having heart pains while commenting about how babie you two are

but then die because the next picture is you in all black with a harness doing a questionably 18+ pose with taeyong who’s probably got his signature crop top on

n e ways, let us move on

taeyong adores you so much and it honestly makes him so flustered when you spend time with him

he loves, loves, loves when you take him out

he doesn’t leave the dorm much unless it’s for work

invite him to join you anywhere and he’ll instantly agree with so much enthusiasm, it’ll make you want to give him the world (though he deserves it)

he enjoys the little things

like walking down the street and bumping shoulders every so often while you guys talk about your days

or holding hands while crossing the street to make sure the other is safe

if you go somewhere to eat and offer a bite to him, he’ll melt

do anything for him and he’ll melt, really

one time you held the door for him and he had heart eyes the rest of the night

another time, you complimented his taste in fashion while you took a few pictures of him for instagram and he couldn’t stop smiling

how can he be so precious?

always tries to impress you with a surprise while you are out

he might spoil his new solo track or pay for a meal if you stop anywhere to eat, but that’s when he’s feeling extra

one time he surprised you with a tight hug and a genuine thank you that actually made you cry

“baby, please... spend some time.. with me?”

==≎==

Yuta

you and yuta are like two peas in a pod

like peanut butter and jelly

like strawberries and chocolate

like french fries and burgers

like fish and chips

sorry, i’ll stop with food pairs im kinda hungry right now

anyways, you get it

yuta feels lost when you aren’t around. you are his best friend, his other half (winwin who?)

yuta without you just feels... wrong

nct’s instragram is full of the pictures you guys take when you go on adventures together, which is very often

it’s his favorite thing to do with you; traveling and exploring

you pull up a map on your phone and go buck wild

you’ve both found some pretty cool places and some amazing views

you found a hidden cove somewhere off the coast in california but you guys got in trouble later that day because no one could find you

turns out you guys had wandered a lot farther than you thought

the pictures you showed the group made up for it

they were gorgeous candids of the both of you, laughing and smiling together

one was a timed one where you were both jumping

all of these photos and videos were posted to instagram which made a lot of people happy just to see yuta and you so happy in your elements

sometimes, you guys force mark to join you which takes some convincing because you two are always trouble

mark wouldn’t admit it in a million years, but those moments he shares with the two of you are where he has the most fun

he never knew two people could love each other platonically as much as the two of you do

however, he wants to barf whenever you guys call each other sappy pet names because, ew, third wheeling

“where should we go today, honey?”

==≎==

Doyoung

my birthday twin, let’s get it

how do i even begin to explain how much this boy cares?

you are the third member on his “favorite member” list

now, don’t get petty when he says you’re third

the story of how you got demoted from first is a bit funny in hindsight, jeno (who’s in first) takes the liberty of making fun of you for it whenever you hang out

jungwoo (who owns second) always tries to stand up for you though

you were messing around with taeyong on top of a set-piece while shooting a music video

doyoung had scolded you and told you to stop or else you would get hurt

you decided to laugh off his warning because you “weren’t that clumsy”

turns out you were

taeyong did something cool (when does he not?) and you wanted to try it, so after he told you how to do it a few times, you did

you fell

not very far, only a couple feet, but you landed on your back

the sound was so loud that it startled everyone

doyoung had a heart attack

he thought you died

you had the wind knocked out of you and your back was a little sore, but other than that you were fine

at least ten people swarmed you

including taeyong who was apologizing like crazy

doyoung was right there, lifting you up and already giving you an earful about how he told you to be cautious

once people were sure you were fine and didn’t have a concussion, they left you alone

doyoung doesn’t like much physical affection, but he’ll put that aside to smother you against his chest and harshly reprimand you

he’s a mom friend and will always be

will never tell you, but he prizes the moments when you get sick or hurt

sounds sadistic, and maybe it is, but he loves when you are a helpless baby and he has to take care of you

always scolding you for compromising your health, but doesn’t stop pampering you

tells the other members off when they try to help him

makes you soup when you are sick and gets you anything you ask for without complaint

if you get hurt, he’s right there with some form of first aid

and since i know you’re wondering: yes, he will cuddle you if you ask.

“come to me when you need help, you dumb baby.”

==≎==

Jaehyun

jung jaehyun is the definition of boyfriend material

when you two get together, the aesthetic blogs pale in comparison

everything the two of you do together is an aesthetic, really

golden hour selfies on rooftops where your skin glows and your eyes look the most beautiful

candids on the streets of the city where you're illuminated by the street signs

coffee shop pictures where you look so perfectly in your element sipping coffee and looking out the window

snapshots of “date nights” where you stay in to watch movies or kdramas with popcorn, candy, and a bottle of wine

couple’s outfits where you pose like models while someone takes your photo

you guys do it all

honestly, the biggest ship in all of nct is you and jaehyun

fanfiction writers are jealous no doubt because how the hell can the two of you live out their writings so flawlessly

some people use the pictures the two of you take as templates for their mood boards or “nct as boyfriends” projects

you both probably started a vlog series on the nct youtube account

however, the time you guys spend together is strictly platonic, no matter how badly people want you two to “just date”

neither of you tries anything romantic because blegh, disgusting, i’ve known this person for so long they are literally my best friend, my sibling, a family member i’ve never had but always wanted

sure, jaehyun’s ears turn red whenever you guys dress up in similar outfits but it’s because of people’s reactions

if you see a picture with jaehyun shy next to you, it’s probably because johnny is screaming behind the scenes about how good the two of you look

speaking of johnny, he’s the hype man

also, sort of, maybe, kinda the reason you guys do so much aesthetic stuff

he says you guys are too good looking not to “bless the world with your visuals”

to sum this up, jaehyun treasures you and does the most with you

“what are you wearing today? we should match since it’s our friend-iversary!”

==≎==

WinWin

see wayv ver.

==≎==

Jungwoo

i love him with all my heart and i really miss him right now

it’s real soft hours up in here

not a single moment where you aren’t giving each other all the love you can muster

big comfy sweaters with sweater paws

love confessions every hour

always telling you he loves you and that you are his

treats you like royalty while also babying you into next week

he’s honestly the sweetest person on the planet and he can’t handle himself around you because dang, you really be out here existing and stuff

looking that good

since he’s so affectionate, i see him cuddling you like there’s no tomorrow

will build a pillow fort for you

honestly, he will do anything for you as long as you say please

not afraid to kiss you either. don’t matter where or when, he’s ready

some would say it’s his favorite thing to do

your cheek looking extra squishy that day? his lips have claimed that territory

your forehead exposed? kiss.

your neck easily accessible? smooch.

your hand in his? peck.

your lips in a pout? he better hold himself back because he’s about ready to risk it all just to give you a kith

the other members try not to seem too surprised every time you accept his lips on your skin

they freak out whenever it happens to them, or get super flustered

they don’t know how you handle his affection so well

you say it’s a talent when they ask you

a.k.a. you treasure all the affection he gives you because he is literally the best boy and you would die for him

he worships you on the daily (lucky)

he says his heart beats irregularly whenever you are around because he loves you that much

it was actually scientifically proven during a tv show when you had to make other members’ heart rates fluctuate with aegyo

you hadn’t started doing anything yet, but just by looking at you his heart did a boom boom and everyone freaked out

holds the title of the member with the best hair second-biggest ship in all of nct and of course, it’s with you

fans have so many videos of jungwoo hanging off of you and being clingy

always talking about you like you put the stars in the sky

you know that video when jungwoo was giving mark “the look”? it’s like that with you but at least ten times worse and all the time because you are his baby, his world, his favorite member

always has to comment about what you two did that day

never ever forgets to talk about how much he cares about you

“yeah, y/n and i are close. i love them with all my heart. they are perfect!”

==≎==

Mark

see dreamies ver

==≎==

Haechan

see dreamies ver

156 notes · View notes

enbyleighlines · 4 years

Note

SangCheng first kiss? Or QingCheng first kiss? Just please, somebody needs to kiss jc 😭😭😭😭😭

Ahhh, why’d you give me two prompts in one ask, anon? Now I have to choose one or the other!

I’ll pick SangCheng this time, since you mentioned that one first. But feel free to send a request for a ChengQing first kiss later, so I can write that one, too!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

—

Nie Huaisang waits at the entrance to the zoo. It’s the day of their first date with Jiang Cheng, though that fact still has yet to sink in.

They anxiously twirl a lock of hair around their finger, and try not to second-guess themself too much. But it’s difficult not to. It’s not only Nie Huaisang’s first date with Jiang Cheng, but their first date in general.

Still, doubts swirl at the back of their mind. Did they dress up too much? It’s only a trip to the zoo, after all. Will Jiang Cheng think they’re trying too hard? After all, it’s not every day Nie Huaisang wears a dress. And will Jiang Cheng think it’s weird that they brought their camera along?

No answers come. Thankfully, Jiang Cheng arrives, giving Nie Huaisang something else to focus on.

He steps out of his car, and waves at Nie Huaisang. As he gets closer, it’s clear that he also put some thought into his outfit. He’s got on a nice pair of dark jeans that hug his legs, and a striped polo shirt. It’s a casual look, perhaps, but it looks good on him.

Nie Huaisang takes a deep breath, and tries not to fiddle with the ends of their sheer cardigan.

“Hey,” Jiang Cheng says, as soon as he gets within proper conversation range, “Sorry, am I late? The traffic on the interstate was all backed up. Some idiot ran out of gas and had to enlist help to push his big ugly monster truck to the side of the road.”

The mental image has Nie Huaisang giggling. “Oh? Did you help?”

“Nah,” Jiang Cheng says, “He knew what he was signing up for, buying a horrendously oversized vehicle like that. You know what they say about men and their cars. That idiot must have been overcompensating big time.”

“I suppose so,” Nie Huaisang replies. They can’t help but glance over at Jiang Cheng’s car. It’s sleek and aerodynamic, like a race car. What does that say about Jiang Cheng?

“Anyway,” Jiang Cheng coughs, “Let’s go inside. I printed out our tickets, so we don’t have to wait in line.”

“Oh, good thinking!” Nie Huaisang smiles at their friend.

Despite his vulgar verbal dictionary and quick temper, Jiang Cheng has always been more thoughtful than people give him credit for. So while Nie Huaisang isn’t surprised, they still want to show their appreciation. Subtle flattery goes a long way with Jiang Cheng.

—

Their first stop is the wolf enclosure. Jiang Cheng is letting Nie Huaisang lead the way, and he looks confused when they enter the canid section of the zoo.

Jiang Cheng double-checks the folding map in his hands. “We skipped the bird section,” he says.

“We’ll go there next,” Nie Huaisang promises. The truth is, they’ve been to the bird section many, many times. But Jiang Cheng is a dog lover. “I want to see the wolves first. Cheng-xiong, do you like wolves?”

“Of course,” Jiang Cheng answers, as if it’s a stupid question, “Who doesn’t like wolves?”

“I don’t think Wuxian-xiong likes wolves.”

Jiang Cheng snorts. “Well, Wei Wuxian is an idiot. Wolves are like the kings and queens of the animal kingdom.”

Nie Huaisang decides to tease him. “I thought that was lions?”

“Lions are lazy, though,” Jiang Cheng argues, “The males let the females do most of the hunting. I think I read that somewhere...”

“Hmm, that sounds about right.” Nie Huaisang is sure they’ve heard that, too. Though they work submitting photos for multiple nature magazines, they all focus on local wildlife. Lions are a little out of Nie Huaisang’s wheelhouse. “I suppose that makes wolves more egalitarian, then?”

“Maybe?” Jiang Cheng says, in a way that suggests he’s not entirely sure what the word ‘egalitarian’ means.

Nie Huaisang takes pity on him and changes the subject. “Did you know that the entire concept of alpha wolves has been completely disproven? It turns out the leader of a wolf pack isn’t necessarily whoever is biggest and most aggressive. Most of the time, packs are just family units. They’re led by the father and mother, and the rest are just multiple generations of their pups.”

Jiang Cheng hums. “Similar to us humans, huh? Maybe that’s why we get along with dogs so well...”

It’s such a cute observation, that Nie Huaisang has to stamp down the urge to squeal. Jiang Cheng would so get embarrassed if they did that. So instead, Nie Huaisang simply says, “Maybe.”

They reach the wolf enclosure. It’s inside a fake cave, with a long plane of glass keeping them separated from the wolves’s mountainous habitat. Many other people are already there. Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng find an unoccupied spot where they can get a good view.

Inside the enclosure, there is a large hunk of rock, with multiple entrances for dens. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they search, there are no wolves to be seen.

“They must be inside, sleeping,” Nie Huaisang reasons, “They’re nocturnal, after all.”

“That sucks,” says Jiang Cheng. He is not even attempting to hide his disappointment. He kicks a small stone on the ground and huffs. “We should have probably seen this coming.”

Nie Huaisang feels bad for getting Jiang Cheng’s hopes up. They shift from foot to foot, on their black flats.

Before Nie Huaisang can think of something to save their date, a small child gives out an impossibly shrill sound from on top her father’s shoulders.

“I see one,” she says, pointing towards the glass, “I see a doggie!”

“Oh?” Her father raises to his tiptoes, but from his expression, he doesn’t see what she sees. “Where do you see the wolf?”

“In that cave,” the girl says, “It’s sleeping!”

Nie Huaisang follows her pointer finger. She’s gesturing to the tallest den, which is primarily concealed by the branches of a lower bush. If there truly is a wolf in there, she’s the only one tall enough to see it.

A wild idea seizes Nie Huaisang. “Hey, Cheng-xiong,” they say, before they can back out of it, “Can you lift me? I might be able to take a picture of it.”

“Huh?” Jiang Cheng looks Nie Huaisang up and down.

His gaze burns on Nie Huaisang’s skin, their buttoned sundress offering no protection from his intense almond eyes. Nie Huaisang resists crossing their arms to protect themself. Though, they can’t help but wish they had gone through with the idea to pad their bra. Men like boobs, right?

“Okay,” Jiang Cheng decides, “You’re pretty skinny. I might be able to lift you.”

Is that what Jiang Cheng was thinking about? Nie Huaisang feels blood rush to their face, fast enough to make them dizzy.

And then Jiang Cheng turns around, and squats.

Even though Nie Huaisang suggested this, they still hesitate. They’re going to have to initiate touch with Jiang Cheng, the guy they’ve been crushing on since they first saw them play at a high school soccer game. But it’s not a good time to reminisce. Without further ado, Nie Huaisang walks over, puts their hands on Jiang Cheng’s shoulders, and leans their weight on Jiang Cheng’s back.

The ground slips out from underneath Nie Huaisang’s feet as Jiang Cheng wraps his arms around their knees and lifts, all in one mighty movement.

It’s a good thing that Jiang Cheng seems to have no trouble holding Nie Huaisang up. The show of strength turns their legs to jelly. Nie Huaisang’s head is floating up amongst the clouds, and they simply don’t know what to do with all the fluttering happiness in their gut.

Jiang Cheng’s shoulders are as firm as boulders underneath Nie Huaisang’s fingers. They want to savor the feeling, but they have a job to do.

Nie Huaisang turns their attention to the highest den. And— yes! They can see a bit of gray fur.

“Can you move a few steps to the left?”

“Sure.” Jiang Cheng moves slowly, but he doesn’t seem to be struggling at all. “Tell me when to stop.”

Nie Huaisang watches closely. Slowly, the wolf’s muzzle comes into view, and then the rest of its head. They wait until they’re in the optimal position for a photo, and then say, “Okay, stop.”

The camera Nie Huaisang brought is lightweight, and it fits snugly in the small purse they wear at their hip. They fish it out gently, with careful movements. They don’t want to suddenly topple over. Even if Jiang Cheng’s grip feels firm and sturdy, there’s no reason to put it to the test.

Then Nie Huaisang turns the camera on and raises it up to their face. It takes a while to adjust the settings. Nie Huaisang needs both hands to work with the camera, which means that they have to rely on Jiang Cheng to keep their torso upright. But Jiang Cheng remains as still as a mountain, keeping Nie Huaisang’s knees locked in place under his armpits.

It’s a nice feeling, but Nie Huaisang focuses on the task at hand. They take a flurry of photos. Maybe they’ll print and frame their favorite later, as a gift to Jiang Cheng...

Nie Huaisang ends up entering a state of hyper-focus. This is their area of expertise. They occasionally ask Jiang Cheng to move this way or that, to experiment with different angles. Jiang Cheng obeys without complaint. It takes a couple of minutes before Nie Huaisang is fully satisfied.

At that point, Nie Huaisang notices that there is a hint of tremors in Jiang Cheng’s arms. “Ah, sorry,” they apologize quickly, “I’m done now.”

“No worries,” Jiang Cheng says. He pointedly does not rush to put Nie Huaisang down. Instead, he takes his time, lowering back into a squat, and carefully lowering Nie Huaisang’s feet to the floor.

Nie Huaisang lingers just a millisecond, just to revel in the strength of Jiang Cheng’s arms. Then they pull back a few steps. “Thank you.”

Jiang Cheng rises and stretches out his back. “Don’t mention it. Did you manage to take the photo?”

Nie Huaisang mutely raises their camera, and gestures Jiang Cheng over.

They have to crowd together to look at the photos together. It’s perfectly innocent, but they’re breathing in the same air, and it makes Nie Huaisang want to do something silly, like wiggle their body like an overexcited dog.

Pushing down that urge, Nie Huaisang leafs through the photos. Most of them have turned out rather well. None of them are masterpieces, but they serve their intended function.

“Whoa, look at that,” Jiang Cheng says, awestruck, “It’s a lot bigger than I imagined.”

“Yeah, it is,” Nie Huaisang agrees. They’re only barely listening. Jiang Cheng’s breath is tickling the hair at their neck, and it’s more than a little distracting. They’ve got it bad. They’ve got it so bad.

“It actually looks a lot like Princess,” Jiang Cheng adds, mentioning one of his pet canines, “When she sleeps, anyway. She likes to rest her muzzle on her jaw, too.”

“Is Princess a husky?” Nie Huaisang guesses.

“An Alaskan malamute mixed with something else,” Jiang Cheng corrects, “Some kind of shepherd, I think? Here, let me show you.” And so he takes out his phone, and shows his gallery of dog pictures to Nie Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang wants to live in that moment forever.

—

The rest of their date goes well. They spend a lot of time at the aviary. Nie Huaisang gets so caught up in finding one of every kind of bird that they almost loose Jiang Cheng a couple of times.

They stop at a pizza place for dinner, and share the vegetarian calzone.

Later, Jiang Cheng insists on driving Nie Huaisang back to their apartment, even though it’s only a block away. When they arrive, Jiang Cheng even gets out to walk Nie Huaisang to the door.

It feels kind of surreal at that point. Nie Huaisang has never felt anything quite like it, as though they’re walking on clouds.

Nie Huaisang doesn’t dare hope for a second date. They never expected to even get a first date with Jiang Cheng. So as they walk towards the front steps, Nie Huaisang finds themself slowing down, reluctant to let the night end.

Jiang Cheng slows to meet Nie Huaisang’s pace. He gives them a quizzical look, and asks, “What’s wrong? Do your feet hurt?”

“Oh, no, my feet are fine.” Nie Huaisang smiles at Jiang Cheng to comfort him. He’s such a nice man, beneath his grumpy bear exterior. “I just... don’t want to say goodbye.”

Their honesty might have been too much. Jiang Cheng frowns. “I have work tomorrow,” he says.

“Oh, I know.” Nie Huaisang sighs, and mentally berates themself for complaining. They’re already getting more than they deserve; what’s the use in wishing for more? “I’ve... just had such a fun time today.”

That seems to reassure Jiang Cheng. His frown disappears. “Oh, yeah? Me, too.”

Now they’re at the bottom step. There’s no more delaying the inevitable. Nie Huaisang glowers down at the staircase, as if it’s to blame for everything. They don’t want to part. But at least they’ll have a lot to daydream about...

“Hey,” Jiang Cheng speaks up, “I’ll... text you tomorrow, okay? After I get out of work.”

Nie Huaisang blinks. They hadn’t expected that. Was it possible that they would get a second date? It feels dangerous to hope, but Nie Huaisang is weak. They can’t help but hope. “Oh?”

“Or you can text me first,” Jiang Cheng amends, “It’s 2015. The man doesn’t have to be the first one to text.”

Nie Huaisang laughs, because otherwise they’d explode. Why is Jiang Cheng so awkward? And why does Nie Huaisang find it so charming?

“Anyway,” Jiang Cheng says, “Thanks for the date. It was fun.”

“No, thank you!” Nie Huaisang blurts.

Jiang Cheng nods stiffly. He looks just about as nervous as Nie Huaisang feels.

Nie Huaisang decides to put them both out of their misery. “Well,” they say, and take one step up the stairs, “I should be heading to bed...”

“Can I kiss you?”

Kiss? Nie Huaisang’s mind goes gray and fuzzy, like radio static. They... maybe stop breathing? It’s hard to tell. Their soul is drifting high in the air, like a balloon, just barely tethered to their body.

Jiang Cheng flinches at Nie Huaisang’s silence. “I... I don’t have to—“

“Yes,” Nie Huaisang says. They have to. The idea of missing out on a kiss from Jiang Cheng forces them to snap back to reality. “Yes, you may kiss me.”

Jiang Cheng lets out a sigh of relief. “Okay,” he breathes, “Uh, thank you?”

“Just kiss me,” Nie Huaisang demands. The fact that they could be kissing, but they’re not, is swiftly driving them insane. If Jiang Cheng doesn’t kiss them within the next minute—

Jiang Cheng kisses them.

It takes a second for Nie Huaisang’s mind to catch up. They’ve never been kissed before, so they can’t be blamed for the sudden helplessness they feel.

Nie Huaisang closes their eyes, and focuses on the feeling of a mouth moving against their own.

It’s... different. It’s certainly not unpleasant, though. There’s something about the pressure and warmth and friction— it completely short-circuits Nie Huaisang’s mind. They find themself parting their lips, hesitating mirroring Jiang Cheng’s actions. That’s even better. It feels— it feels too good, honestly.

Nie Huaisang clings onto Jiang Cheng’s shoulders, just to avoid losing their balance.

Too soon, Jiang Cheng pulls back. His expression is priceless. His eyes are wide open, and his mouth slightly ajar. He swallows, and his adam’s apple bobs.

Nie Huaisang stares back. They feel... seen. Seen and desired. It’s a new feeling, but a nice one.

Jiang Cheng darts forward, leaving one last warm kiss against their lips. And then he retreats, with a twisting smile, and sparkles in his eyes. “Goodnight, Huaisang,” he says.

“Goodnight,” Nie Huaisang manages, though their throat is dry. They stay and watch as Jiang Cheng returns to his sleek, modern car. It’s mostly because Nie Huaisang doesn’t want to look away, but also because their legs probably wouldn’t work yet, anyway.

Jiang Cheng gives one last wave from the driver’s seat.

Nie Huaisang returns it, heart in their throat. They almost wonder if they imagined the kiss, but their lips are still tingling and warm. Nie Huaisang presses a finger to them, and closes their eyes, just briefly.

Jiang Cheng is going to text them tomorrow. There might be a second date, then. And more kisses.

Nie Huaisang smiles, and nearly floats all the way up to their apartment.

#asks #anon #anonymous #mo dao zu shi #sangcheng #mdzs modern au #drabbles #leigh’s writing

42 notes · View notes

sweetcatmintea · 4 years

Text

So I’m a Vampire now...

Hello hello! It’s flash fiction Friday again! (Hurray!) Guess who still hasn’t learnt to stick to a word limit: This creature! (I’m so sorry <u<;;;;) Anyways, this kinda snuck up on me and I couldn’t think of anything better than this little vampire drabble. I hope you enjoy it! Feedback is appreciated ^u^

FFF is hosted by @flashfictionfridayofficial

Prompt: Deep End Words: 1665

----

“And we’ll have fun fun fun unt- Michael, put the rock down.” I hoped my voice conveyed how done I was with his reaction. Michael stood, back to the old jeep his mum let him borrow when he mowed the lawn, arm raised, poised to bash my head in with a sizable chunk of concrete. Vanessa wondered back to him from the direction of the mostly closed shops, an eyebrow quirked above her glasses.

“I swear to god, put the rock down. I’m not here to gogurt you.” Why do I have to be friends with an idiot?

He held firmer to his makeshift weapon. “Prove it. I can see the blood lust in your eyes.”

I pressed a palm into my forehead. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. “Yeah, my eyes dilated. Y’know, that thing that happens when you are happy to see your friends. Go repeat bio. If I was gonna slurp your guts, I wouldn’t be singing the beach boys and waltzing up to you like a door knocker asking for money. Especially not after I asked you for a lift.”

Michael narrowed his eyes at me. “Unless that’s what you want us to think. I know you Jessie. You’re sneaky.”

“Oh my god, why are you so dumb? Vanessa, can you PLEase talk some sense into him.”

Vanessa knocked the rock out of his hand, pitching it across the desolate car park before he could react. She should go into a ball sport. I don’t know, baseball or something. It clattered somewhere in the distance.

“Michael, stop being weird. We both know Jessie could have pinned you before they got turned. Your noodle arms can barely open a particularly sturdy container. You’re just making them feel unwelcomed. And being a trashy friend.”

“All true.” I nodded. “Plus, it’s not like I chose to get turned. If that loser Josh hadn’t done me dirty last week, I’d be at home feeding my Tamagotchi. Has he even reported me missing yet?”

Michael mumbled a sheepish apology. “Sorry, I was just worried you’d gone off the deep end all blood lusty or something…”

I waved it off. I wasn’t really angry. It’s not like we’d exactly been in this situation before.

Vanessa shook her head, giving me a one-armed greeting hug which I, of course, returned. “He hasn’t mentioned it. I mean, you have been reported missing. That was a whole thing that happened with your parents and then us pretending like you weren’t texting us because how do you tell someone their kid is off getting the lowdown on being undead, but yeah, not reported by Josh.”

“What a soggy zit. I swear, when I get my hands on him.”

“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” Michael and Vanessa shared a worried look.

“What? No. Of course not! That’s disgusting. You think I’m gonna put my face hole anywhere near that slimy weasel and voluntarily drink two thirds of his blood?? Do you know how long that would even take?”

Michael rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my eyes. “Well, I kinda thought you’d y’know, snap his neck or something now you have super strength…”

“Who’s gone off the deep end now?” I rolled my eyes. “I’m not some killing machine. I’ll just dob him in and let him flounder some explanation for how he shoved me at the burglar while we were closing up shop and ran away. He’s lucky it was a vampire and not some lunatic or I’d really be dead.”

Vanessa plopped down on a concrete chock block, sipping her bubble tea and settling in for a long conversation. It was wild, I could hear the jelly in the cup squishing together. Michael sat to her side, patting the ground to invite me to complete the triangle. I obliged.

Vanessa started us off. “So what’s it like? Being all vampirey now?”

“Well, I’ve got cool powers now. Not the powers of being cool, I already had that.”

It was Michael’s turn to roll his eyes at me. I elbowed him in the ribs. Gently. Breaking bones had become a real danger. He snorted a laugh, almost shooting red bull up his nose.

“I got these neato glow in the dark eyes. Don’t know if you can turn that off. They do the cat slit thing though which is interesting. I can see So much more at night. But I think I need reading glasses now? Can’t make out squat near my face in the day.”

Shuffling around in the pockets of my oversized 90s jacket, I retrieved a packet of dried wasabi peas and munched away as I talked.

“I’m like, crazy strong. No kidding, I accidentally ripped my favourite jeans on the second day of being a vampire. Just tugged them a liiiittle too hard and bam, ruined pants.”

“Have you got fangs?” Vanessa peered closer at my mouth. It would have been better to ask that before I started eating.

“Fangs for the memories, even if they weren’t so- nah, I’m just kidding. I got them.” I bared my teeth at them, poking the lengthened canines with an index finger. “They’re sharp as anything. I’ve drunk more of my own blood than anyone else’s ‘cause I keep biting my freaking tongue. Reminds me of being little and sucking a candy cane into a shank. I’m surprised none of us got an impromptu festive tongue piercing off those things.”

“Speaking of blood… Do you need to drink it now?” They both leaned forward, anxious for my answer.

“Oi, quit it with the looks. I’m not going to freaking bite you. I’m not some mindless animal, I’m just me. Just Jessie.”

“Is there a difference there?” Michael’s ribbing was, for once, welcome.

“Hardy har. Yes, I mean, technically, I have to consume blood. But, like, the pamphlet seems to say that it’s basically a supplement more than anything so I’ve just gotta eat normal stuff and chuck back a shot or two after.”

“Okay, two things. First, human blood?”

“Again. Eww. Do you have any idea how many diseases are in human blood? There’s a reason we haven’t literally eaten the rich yet. To be fair, I’m somewhat immortal now so I won’t get sick physically, but emotionally? Imagine the toll.”

“So how do you..?”

“You know you can just go to the butchers and buy blood right? It’s like an actual cooking ingredient. It comes in blocks. It tastes like satan’s toe jam but you just gotta chuck it back real quick. Or, I’m getting a fondness for black pudding. It too tastes like feet but isn’t as bad.”

Vanessa took a thoughtful sip of her drink. “Okay. Second thing. Pamphlet?”

“Oh yeah, this thing.” I fished it out of my other pocket, passing it to them. The vampire pr committee went to great lengths to make it cute with little cartoon vampires giving advice on this time of change, talking about how your body is changing and the strange things you may feel.

“Aww that’s super cute.” Vanessa pointed to a little vampire on the cover, handing it to Michael when she was finished skimming.

“I know right. Apparently they got tired of the old program where you get bitten and have to have an awkward talk with the weirdo who kinda killed you.”

Michael handed the pamphlet back. “Speaking of, what was it like living with a vampire for a week?”

I groaned. “Oh my god, he was insufferable. At first it was like ‘I vill show you ze vorld, shining shimmering splendour va ha ha’ which was neat but then it got all ‘I’ve turned you into a monster! You will suffer for eternity! Woe is ze life of an immortal. I am so sorry va ha ha’. Which I’m like, yeah you could have at least asked my name first or waited for my hair to grow out a little instead of sticking me with this too short for the long style, too long for the short style do I’ve gotta rock for the rest of time, but all in all, it’s not the worst that could happen so chill a little maybe?”

“Aw, poor guy. He doesn’t sound that bad.” Vanessa was much less, judgey, than me. I kinda felt bad for ripping on the man.

“Okay, he’s not terrible, but the lamenting. God, the lamenting. ‘Woe is me, I have seen so many seasons I can not even remember my age.’ Why don’t you just get a calculator and subtract this year from your birth year? Then you can know that bit. ‘Oh, but ze isolation! My human friends are long dead and buried!’ That’s super sucky bro. Why don’t you make some new friends and ask if they want to be turned? Or like, go on immortalsingles.com and get a butt touch buddy? With the internet age, it’s a lot easier to connect. ‘oh but who could love a monster like me? I haven’t even seen my face in five hundred years va ha ha.’ There is a Whole genre of people online (and in line) for that. And just, update your mirrors. Get a cheap one and it won’t have silver in it and you can see your face again. I kinda think he just enjoys lamenting. If he’d get with the times, things wouldn’t be half as unpleasant for him.”

“You’re not a very empathetic listener, are you.” That’s a lot coming from the guy who was going to stone me fifteen minutes ago.

“Hey! I hooked him up to the internet and gave him my number. I didn’t just leave him.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever you say Jessie.” Michael got up, brushing his jeans off and stretching. Vanessa and I followed suit. One thing remained on my mind. Something I needed to prepare myself for.

“Okay, before we head home, I have one last, very important question.”

They looked at me quizzically.

“Has anyone been looking after my Tamagotchi?”

-----

Tag List

@snobbysnekboi, @inkovert, @kainablue, @i-rove-rock-n-roll, and @goblin-writer

#Flash Fiction Friday #fff31 #writing #writblr #vampires #story #short story #original story #literature #More at my deviantArt SweetCatMint

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terror-that-flaps-in-the-evening · 5 years

Text

Words and Scribbles

The first time Launchpad had to go out on an adventure with Mr. McDuck and the kids after he and Drake started dating, he left Drake a coloring book and asked him to do his daily colorings for him. Drake had really done his best before that to shrug his shoulders and say, “Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine here alone.” He’d been so nonchalant about it - telling everyone who asked that yea, he’d miss his boyfriend, but he’d be fine. He wouldn’t worry.

The coloring book was the straw the broke the camel’s back, however. Drake, despite telling everyone who asked him that, no, of course he wasn’t going to cry when Launchpad went out of town indefinitely on one of Mr. McDuck’s crazy, life-threatening, potentially world-ending adventures. He was a grown adult, and he could handle being alone for a few days, weeks, months, whatever it took.

He was a grown adult who was trusted by his boyfriend with his coloring book for the duration of an indefinite trip. Drake knew that Launchpad loved relaxing at the end of the day by scribbling away at the pictures inside - he knew the weight that was being handed to him in between the covers of such a simple and childish gesture.

So, yeah, Drake Mallard was a little bit of a sobbing mess the first time his boyfriend left home to go out on an adventure with his other family. For an hour after Launchpad left, Drake lay curled up on the floor in his living room, clutching at the coloring book that was left to him and wishing that he could call Launchpad.

He was pretty sure there was some sort of rule on airplanes that all cell-phones had to be turned off, though. At least on the commercial flights he’d taken. He wasn’t entirely sure if Della and Launchpad followed those same customs, but he certainly wasn’t going to endanger quite literally everyone he really knew just for a phone call to a duck that had only been gone for an hour.

Drake wasn’t completely useless, however. So, after only a few hours of moping about, Drake managed to drag himself off the floor and into the kitchen, where he promptly started tearing up again as he realized that he was making himself a dinner for one. Sure, he’d gotten a lot of his cooking out of his system when he was meal-prepping for Launchpad, the kids, Mr. McDuck, and Mr. McDuck’s niece and nephew, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t still have it in his heart that he should be cooking for at the very least himself and his boyfriend.

Drake ended up making himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and practically throwing himself in one of the dining room chairs - which gave a dangerous creak from the force of which he plopped down. New dining room furniture, he noted, was something he needed to work on once S.H.U.S.H. started paying him…

Once he had devoured his childish dinner, he realized that he had a much more childish task to attend to. Drake flipped open the coloring book, tracing the crayon lines that had already been colored in by his boyfriend with his fingers, letting his mind drift to all the times that they’d been laying on the couch together, watching Darkwing Duck while Launchpad scribbled away.

He flipped through the pages slowly, admiring each and every page, despite the ultimate simplicity that the nature of the activity dictated. It wasn’t until he got to the first uncolored page that his heart dropped out of his chest once again as a piece of paper floated down out of the coloring book. He picked it up and read,

“Heya, Drake! This is Launchpad, obviously. I am writing here as instructions. You have to follow them. That’s the rules. They’re easy, because I don’t like hard games. Just color for me, like I said before I left (Thanks past Launchpad!). Then after you color, you get another paper. From me. Launchpad. Get coloring!”

The note was written in crayon, with alternating colors featuring some of their favorites and some random splashes of color. There were little scribbles and doodles all around the note, some of which looked vaguely like hearts that had been half scribbled out, then redone. A few of the longer words had a few crossed out versions in front of them, but no matter because in Drake’s heart, it was the world’s best piece of literature. Drake took the note over to the fridge, placing a Darkwing Duck magnet over it to hold it in place.

As childish as he felt doing it, Drake grabbed Launchpad’s box of crayons, curiously labeled “Launchpad’s! Do not eat!” Drake made a mental note to ask Launchpad if someone else had tried to eat his crayons before. Drake picked out a plum purple and began to darkly color the outline of the train that was sprawled out on the page in front of him. Once he’d finished his dark outline, he lightly colored in the body with varying shades of purple, creating what he’d call a work of art compared to Launchpad’s wild scribbles - not that he disliked the fact that Launchpad just went wild on the page with the pack of crayons. It was cathartic to watch his boyfriend do, and it was comforting to have that piece of him here now that he was out in the air somewhere, on the way to adventure.

The first day after Launchpad left, Drake went to the coloring book as soon as he woke up, very tempted to unfold the note that lay on the next page (Labeled, “No peeking!”) before he finished the coloring of the lion that lay on that page, but Drake knew that Launchpad’s first question would be whether or not he followed the rules, so he managed to hold back his eagerness to hear from his boyfriend.

Once he finally finished coloring the lion with an unfortunate thorn in its paw (Drake had added the splinter and a tear to the drawing - for dramatic effect!), Drake eagerly slipped his finger under the fold in the paper and flipped it open.

“Day one of no Launchpad. You must be sad. I know I am. In between being scared for my life, that is! Adventures are crazy. I am probably being very brave right now. You are probably being very brave too - being Darkwing alone. I am going to buy you a sooveneer.”

Drake made a mental note to tell Launchpad how to spell souvenir. He also made a mental note to tell Launchpad just how much this entire thing meant to him. It felt like he might not be entirely alone, what with Launchpad’s good natured-ness still there to envelop his heart in warmth. Reading the note, he could hear his boyfriend’s voice echoing through his head, and he could practically picture him laying on the floor in the McDuck manor garage, tongue stuck half out as he scribbled away notes and carefully folded them into little origami triangles to hide in the coloring book.

Each day only made Drake appreciate the gesture more and more. On day three (After coloring a picture of a pond full of fish, to which Drake drew in a shark), the letter read, “Things are probably getting rough on my end. I say they’ve gotten in three arguments by now! I’ll keep count and we can see when I get home! Have you caught any good bad guys? By good, I mean bad. By bad I mean extra bad. Extra bad-baddies. The mean kind. Answer here _______________. Tell me about it when I’m home.”

Drake scribbled away his answer in the small space provided, telling a story about a particularly rude villain that he arrested - he had gotten called a creepy cosplayer while he was in the process of tying up the guy. Drake drew a little picture of him, taking the liberty of adding devil horns. He made sure to leave the picture colorless, so Launchpad had something to do when he got back. Drake added the note and his own addition to his fridge collection. Another day closer to having his boyfriend back.

Day four was a coloring sheet of a small duck strumming away at a guitar. Drake wrote the notes for the Darkwing Duck intro above the guitar and drew a little smiley face. “Let’s Get Dangerous,” he wrote above the picture after he finished coloring it, proud of his handiwork for the day. He’d earned the next note.

“Heya! It’s LP again. I’d hope you know that by now. Today is a scavenger hunt. Or, sort of. Just go to the bedroom, and go under the bed. Or, look under the bed. There is a box that says, ‘Launchpad’s Do not Eat,’ on it. It has something for you. Miss you.”

Drake resisted the urge to run to the room immediately - instead he took the time to pin up the note alongside the first three. By the time he made it to the bedroom and dug the little shoebox out, he was shaking with anticipation. He opened the lid, and his jaw dropped. Within the shoe box was one of the few pieces of Darkwing Duck memorabilia that he had not managed to obtain yet - the classic Darkwing Duck slippers that went for hundreds online. Drake felt himself tearing up again as he put his feet into the cute little cartoony versions of his childhood hero.

On day five, Drake woke up with his entire body aching from the fight with a few of the Beagle Boys he’d had the night before. Usually when they woke up after a rough fight, Launchpad would massage his back for a while, he’d massage Launchpad’s back, and then they’d make breakfast together. Instead, he hobbled out of bed and made himself some toast. He immediately got to coloring, eager to see what awaited inside. He took his time filling the drawing of two ducks riding a tandem bicycle, trying to add features to the two to make them look more like him and Launchpad. He wasn’t sure how successful he was, so he ended up just labeling them in the end. He eagerly unfolded that day’s note, ready to hear it sounding out to him in his boyfriend’s voice in his brain.

“LP here! Mr. McDee said it’d only take a little bit, so maybe I’ll be home soon. Here’s a Hamburger Hippo coupon I saved for you. Get yourself dinner! I miss you. Or, I will miss you. I am Launchpad from the past. OooooOOOooooOoooo, spooky!”

The entire letter was surrounded in drawings of clocks and little ghosts. There were also a few of what Drake could only assume were supposed to be ghost clocks. Drake’s fridge was starting to look more like an art museum than a fridge, but he wasn’t complaining. Each time he saw the letters that peppered his fridge, his heart started fluttering all over again. He couldn’t wait to see Launchpad again - the second his boyfriend came knocking on his door, he’d get attacked with the full force of a flying, climbing, scaling hug that would no doubt end up with Drake clinging to Launchpad for hours.

Day six was laundry day. Usually they’d end up having a sock fight when they were trying to fold the clothes. Instead, Drake folded the clothes in record time with a sagging heart. His heart fell even further when he saw the coloring scene he had for the day - it was a sock. Who puts a sock in a coloring book? Drake made a mental note to look up who in the world designated the drawings that went into this coloring book so he could have a word with them. Once he finished, he eagerly grabbed the note that was stuck in that page, unfolding it to see,

“Laundry day. I probably need laundry day. Jungles don’t have washing machines. Fun fact. From Launchpad. Your boyfriend. I will throw a sock to say I miss you. In the future, not now. I am past Launchpad. Throw a sock for me too. Miss you,” Drake grabbed one of the pairs of socks he’d just folded, ripped the two socks from each other, and hurled one of them as far as he could. Somehow, it landed on top of the fridge. At least when he would have to ask Launchpad to get it down, he’d have proof that he was following the rules… Drake pinned the note up on the fridge, and continued on with his day.

Day seven. A week had passed. Drake found it hard to believe that he hadn’t heard Launchpad for a week. He hadn’t seen him for a week. He saved the coloring and note for that day until right before bed - wanting to cherish each second that he could of looking forward to it. As he was coloring away at the picture of the day - a monkey hanging from a tree (Drake was adding bananas to make it more fun), he heard a knock at the door.

Drake thought he must be hearing things - no way was Launchpad back so soon! He carefully closed the coloring book and lay it on his bed, somehow managing to fight the urge to just toss it and sprint to the door. He felt his legs turning to jelly as he walked to the door, wearing the slippers that his amazing boyfriend had somehow acquired for him.

Drake just knew that the moment he opened the door, it would turn out to be the mailman, someone who had the wrong door, an assassin sent to kill him, anyone but --

He swung the door open and felt his heart stop. There he was. Launchpad McQuack, in the flesh. Drake ran full force into the mountain of a man, who immediately picked him up to swing him around. “Don’t ever leave again,” Drake mumbled through his tears into Launchpad’s chest. He took in the scent of the man - how he’d missed that strange combination of baby shampoo, oil, leather, mustard, and a slight cologne-y smell.

“I missed you,” Launchpad squeezed the air out of Drake’s lungs, but it wasn’t something Drake was going to complain about - on the contrary. He didn’t want this hug to ever end, because it felt like the second the hug was over he might lose his boyfriend to adventure again. He couldn’t let that happen again, he loved every second he had with Launchpad. He--

“Launchpad?” Drake pulled his head back just enough to give his boyfriend a quick peck before burying his face in Launchpad’s chest and saying, “I’m in love with you.”

Maybe it wasn’t quite the opportune time for his first confession of love, but damn if it didn’t feel right. He felt Launchpad’s hug increase in power to a dangerous, spine-cracking level, and he felt like he was hugging just as hard back.

“I love you too, Drake,” Launchpad said, with tears in his eyes, “I love you so much.”

“I hope you know that you’re bringing me along on your next adventure,” Drake said, nuzzling into Launchpad’s chest. “I mean, what adventure wouldn’t benefit from famed superhero Darkwing Duck. And what day wouldn’t be better with the man I love?” Drake felt his heart skip a beat as he said those magical words again. Who knew that seven days without the man he loved would really awaken the awareness of that love in him?

#launchpad mcquack #Drake Mallard #drakepad #darkwing duck #ducktales2017 #ducktales #Fluff #LizardWriter

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queeniewritesce · 5 years

Text

Have a Magical Day 1/?

Pairing: Chris Evans x You, Chris Evans x OFC

Summary: A deserved break from work with your best friend turns your life upside when you meet the Evans Family while at Disney World. Follow along as Belle and Chris get to know each other over 10 days at the Most Magical Place on Earth™. Will they have a fairytale happy ending or is this just a vacation fling?

Warnings: Disney Rides Spoilers?, Mild Swearing, Chris Evans is a big kid, Fluff, Eventual Smut, long ass descriptions of rides, I don’t know how to write without turning it into a 10K fic, sorry ‘bout that

“Well, maybe next time we ‘Drink Around the World’ you’ll listen to me. I told you we should’ve eaten a pretzel in Germany or Fish and Chips at England.”

This was supposed to be your first night at Epcot and now your best friend was drunk and looking like hell warmed over.

“Bitch don’t talk food to me damnit, I’m so close to throwing up.” He leaned back into the bench and pinched his eyes. ‘Look, I’m sorry alright, I know it’s tradition, but Illuminations will have to wait till next week. I’m walking back to the Boardwalk, the fresh air might help, you stay and enjoy Extra Magic Hours.”

You sighed and asked if he was sure he’d make back to the hotel and he waved you off, saying it’s like walking backing home, which was true, you ever only stayed at The Boardwalk Villas as that was your DVC resort.

“OK, I’m skipping the firework and going back to Future World, Test Track was down all afternoon and I just looked at the app and it’s back on.” You kissed his cheek and he knew he was a bit better when he exclaimed ‘ewww girl slob’ at you, pulling a face.

You left him by International Gateway and started to your left when you heard someone behind you.

“Excuse me miss, you said Test Track was back on?” a sharp voice asked.

Turning around you saw a group of about 10 people, adults and a couple of kids plus a stroller. The voice belonged to one of the three males, he was tall, had on a character black shirt and had a NASA baseball cap pulled down low on his head.

“Yes? I just checked the app two minutes ago.” You pulled your phone from your shell cross body purse, opened the app again and confirmed it’s on. “Are you guys on site? Extra Magic Hour is on till 11 pm.”

“We are! We arrived this afternoon and didn’t look at the time schedule yet, thanks!” A short brunette answered you.

“No problem, you guys have a magical day.” You groaned when your cast member training kicked in.

Waving, you start to walk but could hear them talking and when you looked back the guy who had first talked to you, a shorter blond guy and the brunette girl had broken from the group and were now a few paces behind you.

You knew him from somewhere, didn’t you? When your mind couldn’t provide the answer, you shrugged.

You made your way through England and Canada, people watching as you went. People were lining up near the lagoon to watch Illuminations but seeing it alone wasn’t the same and you continued your way. You debated whether or not to stop at Starbucks and 15 minutes later you’re happily sipping on your Iced Caramel Macchiato while walking the corridors of Mouse Gear on a brisk pace.

You were checking your Twitter feed, head down and immersed on your phone when you walked into a wall. Because that what felt like right, who on earth was that hard?

“Ughh,” looking up you saw the same man from before, hat even lower now. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry”.

You both said it at the same time, while you put your phone away.

“No, no, I was on my phone and didn’t see you there. You’re okay?”

You were near one of the least used exits of the store, and for a moment you thought that he as hiding. You quickly put that thought away, why would someone hide inside Mouse Gear anyways?

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry, I was… some people saw…” he scrunched his nose, rubbing his eyes with both hands.

“Don’t sweat it, crowds can be a bitch sometimes.” You had seen your fair share of people having panic attacks, anyone could have them. “I’m glad I didn’t pour my drink all over you. Sorry again.”

Just when you turned to leave you saw his companions looking around and making their way over.

“Hey Ch…” the blond stopped when he saw you. He looked at you a little suspicious. “Hey.”

“Hi again! I’m glad you’re here, your friend’s not really doing well, but he does a nice wall cosplay!”

“She’s cool man, I wasn’t looking where I was going, and we collided. She’s been keeping me company while my panic attack goes away.” He looked funny when he said panic attack but you let it go. He turned to you, “Meet my brother and my sister, Scott and Shanna. I’m… Chris.”

Oh. OH.

“Nice to meet you all, I’m Belle.” You’re prepared for the reactions that followed because let’s face it, that was just too much of a coincidence.

“Like the princess?

“No, you’re not!”

“It suits you.”

The last one came from Chris. That wasn’t new but wasn’t a norm either. You choose to ignore the blush rising on your neck and turned to the others.

“It’s Isobel... But Belle is easier. It was nice meeting you guys, see you around.”

You had the feeling the Scott Evans wasn’t overly fond of you, so you made yourself scarce. You heard someone calling for you to wait, but you’re already halfway through the door.

Captain freaking America. Talk about timing.

You heard the last booms signaling Illuminations was over and hurried to Test Track before the throng of people descended from World Showcase.

The few day guests are still in line, but you went through the single rider line and was quickly seated. Although you loved the thrill the ride offered, they placed you on your least favorite seat, so you made your way back to the front entrance and got into the normal line, scanning your Magic Band to show you’re staying at one of the Disney hotels and could ride during the extra time.

Making your way through the queue you got to the designing room and was excited to design a cool car. You had just started when someone cleared their throat behind you.

“And we meet again!” Chris and his brothers were standing at the same station as you. “I guess we have to share our car making skills.”

“Hurry up, we only have one minute and a half left.” Captain freaking America or not, no one messed your mojo when it was time to design your Test Track model car.

Turning back to the screen you tried to pick the shape of your car, laughing when Chris tried to turn it to a sports car but coming up with a beetle-like car. You argued about the color and accessories, pushing each other from the control panel and when the countdown reached zero, you had a bit of a Frankenstein car in front of you.

“It’s… cute?” you laughed when the green stripped car turned around the screen. Not your best work for sure, but you’d had a good time.

“It’s something alright, but cute it ain’t.”

You both laughed and Chris scanned his magic band to lock the car to your group and the doors opened to the final part of the queue.

“After you, Mademoiselle,” you laughed when he sang the first few lines of Be Our Guest when you did a little curtsy.

Scott was right behind you in line and he holds your elbow when the queue stopped moving.

“Sorry about earlier, I’m kinda protective about my brother.”

“It’s all good really. Water, bridges and all that.” you reserved judgment on the younger man, understanding his need to protect his family’s privacy. “You said you arrived today?”

“Yeah, unpacked and came straight to EPCOT, had dinner at Le Cellier,” Shanna said from somewhere behind Chris. She was a tiny thing when compared with her muscled big brother. “We’re heading back but heard you talking to your friend about Test Track and here we are!”

“Yeah, it’s down most of the day, we arrived around noon and every time I searched the wait times Test Track was unavailable. I’m glad they got it back together for EMH.”

“What about you Belle? It’s not your last day or anything is it?” Well, that was… interesting? Chris seemed eager somehow and on the back of your mind you chucked it for anxiety. Hadn’t you read somewhere he had anxiety? “Your friend seemed upset when he said you’d miss Illuminations.”

The queue moved and you could see the cars on the loading dock.

“It’s our little tradition, Corey and I came up with it like 10 years ago. We have to watch a fireworks show on our first park day. But he overdid it during the afternoon, especially because we were already a little drunk from Jelly Rolls last night.” They were next in line now. “How do you wanna play this?”

“First row!” You jumped when both Scott and Shanna screamed.

“Any place is fine really,” Chris said.

“Well, I’ a firm believer in the back row, right side, so you can have the left.” You looked around and saw that the single rider line was now closed. “With the number of people here, I don’t think they’re gonna force single riders on us.”

The cast member manning the loading area asked you how many but it was Scott who answered. A girl pointed you to the last loading station, the cars pulling up as you walked.

“You went to Jelly Rolls last night?” Chris asked, a hand out to help you enter the ride.

“Thank you. Yes, we arrived yesterday and mostly hanged on the Boardwalk. Saw some magic shows and had a way later night than we’d planned. But Jelly Rolls was awesome, I love the place and the sangria was so good.”

Chris nodded, sitting down and sprawling his long legs. “We love the place, there’s just something about live karaoke with a band, people are either really good or really fucking bad, it’s fun either way!”

The four of you snapped on your seat belts while you talked, and the car launched to the checkpoint. The girl making the checks must’ve been either new or slacking because she never asked Chris to remove his hat.

The car launched again, the usual spiel starting and then you’re off, speeding on the make-believe vehicle safety test drive. A particular turn had you moving on your seat so bad a hand shot out to hold you in place, landing on your knee and staying there. The fastest part of the ride arrived and everyone screamed, the wind outside making you tear up a little. Chris almost lost his hat and you made a mental note to send a memo to the ride’s crew leader.

Then it was over. The car made its way to the unloading dock while you clapped and then you’re cleared to open your seatbelts.

“Well, now we know why they put six people in the car, I was afraid you’d fly out of your seat when we hit 85 mph.” Chris again helped you out the car.

Gosh, that was fun, wasn’t it? You smiled at him waiting for Scott who had his seatbelt stuck somehow. Then an idea struck you.

“You guys wanna go again?” you took a chance because you’re having fun and damnit, he might be Captain freaking America but he was also cute as hell with that thick beard, plump lips and blue eyes, and if you could prolong this just one ride more, well, why not?

“Won’t we lose too much time going around front again? Looks like there are quite a few people in line behind us.” Chris looked at you and you could see the cogs turning inside his head, a frown forming. Maybe he thought he’d use his status to get another ride? You scoffed. As if.

“Nah, I got connections man.” You grinned at him and went to the guy you knew was the person in charge. Patrick laughed and hugged you with one arm, claiming you need to catch up before calling on his radio and them directed you again to the last dock.

“Thanks, Patrick, I owe you one” you bumped fists before the car moved forward.

This time when the car moved to the checkpoint a young man asked Chris to remove his hat. He did it with a sigh, fingers trying to tame the hair back in place and you had to struggle a giggle when the other guy working on the checkpoint squeaked.

You kept on a detached face and send a smile his way. The man was here to have fun, the best you could do was not bring attention to who he was. Besides, you were really enjoying his laid back attitude. He could’ve used a guide or gone through backstage, but here he was, waiting for his time in the queue like everyone else and you’re the one actually using your job to get what you wanted.

Chris once again helped you out and you were tempted to run your fingers through Chris’ hair, the wind had played havoc with the locks.

“This is the best ride ever, my favorite by far.” Shanna skipped ahead to see the automated picture and scan her Magic Band to move it to their Disney account.

You walked behind with Chris and Scott and it took you a few seconds to realize you still were holding hands with Chris. You raised an eyebrow at him but he just shrugged, a smile on his lips.

“Mine is definitely the whole Avatar area and of course Flight of Passage,” Scott said and then also raised an eyebrow at Chris but he got a friendly tap to the head when tried to actually point it out.

“Nah, it’s the classics, the best will always be Space Mountain.” He took the NASA cap off again, turning it backward when the three of you got outside and he did it all without letting go of your hand. Impressive fella, wasn’t he?

“Sorry to burst your bubble but Space Mountain sucks, at least here in Florida. My knees hurt just thinking about it.” You faked a shudder, also making a face for good measure.

“Oh, them be fighting words!” Chris tickled your side making you squirm and laugh.

Shanna reappeared a few seconds later, asking where to next.

You’re having way too much fun but didn’t want to intrude and started to say goodbye when both Shanna and Chris protested.

“No, no, come with us, you don’t need to hang out alone, what’s the fun in that?” Chris was right by your side when you turned to leave. He cocked his head to the side, beckoning you back to him.

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I don’t want to impose or anything.”

“Believe me when I say I don’t do anything I don’t want to. Come on.” His little hand wave calling you to him was enough to give you butterflies in your belly as you took his hand, lacing your fingers together.

“Again I ask, where to?” Shanna pulled free the sweater she had tied around her waist and put it on and you realized that the early December night was indeed a bit chilly but you didn’t have a sweater and Mouse Gears was closed during the extended hours.

“Anyone up for Mission: Space?” Chris wasn’t looking at anyone when he asked but rummaging around the left pocket of his long shorts. With a little ‘aha’ he found what he was looking for and before straightening up now wearing a pair of prescription glasses.

Your uterus may or may not have imploded at the sight, but you’d never tell.

Clearing your throat, you shook your head.

“You guys go ahead, if I set foot inside one of those enclosed capsules after 11 drinks in three hours, I’ll make the girl in The Exorcist look like she just burped a little.”

Scott guffawed, doubling over, hands on his knees. “Oh, that was fun! Ok, girlie, you’re an okay person, I give whatever this is my blessing!” He moved your hand between you and Chris.

“For fuck’s sake Scott!” Chris groaned, his free hand slapping his forehead.

“Why thank you messier, merci beaucoup.” You took off an imaginary hat to him and he returned the gesture chuckling.

“Don’t go getting your tighty whities in a bunch brother,” Scott grabbed Shanna by the arm and brought her closer to him. “$50 bucks for your sweater, Shanna.”

“No Scott, next time you listen to Mom. I say no to Mission Space, yes to Nemo.” She said looking at Chris.

“Mine.” Scott pulled at her sweater.

“Are they always like this?” you stage whispered to Chris.

“Sometimes I say they’re distant cousins, but the fucker looks way too much like me for that to stick.” He laughed when following Scott and Shanna with his eyes, his brother was running after Shanna screaming ‘mine, mine, mine’ Shanna was doing a great job evading Scott till he faked left and grabbed her by the arm when she tried to go right. “Children!”

“You playing a hot dad next? Might need a few tips from Pratt for that.” The hand that smacked Scott upside the head was Shanna’s. “Watch the hair woman.”

“Just how much sugar have you guys had so far?” You could barely keep up with them, but they were fun to be around. Like oversized retriever puppies. Times a million or something.

“Not enough Miss Connections, but I’ll have the tea anyway.” Scott fell into step next to you as you walked by Fountain of Nations.

“You speak gay? Are you and my friend Corey cut from the same cloth my dear Scott?” you ask and he laughs next to you.

“Sparkly lumberjack? Hell yes. Now come on, gimme, I hate cold tea.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about and I don’t think I want to know.” Chris shook his head. What a sweet beautiful Labrador, you just wanted to eat him up with a spoon.

“He wants to know what’s my job with Disney.”

“Oh, in that case, I wanna know too. What gives?”

“I’m one of the four VPs for Media and Public Relations.” You proudly say. You had worked hard for that job, starting as rider operator way back then, putting yourself through college while working long hours under the hot Floridian sun.

“Oh, fancy. I thought you worked here, you seen to know everyone.” Scott commented.

“I worked here for 15 years. Ride operator, character handler, parade dancer…” she lowered her voice, “I was also friends with my namesake and Snow White for two years as well.”

“You’re friends with Belle? Oh, OH!” Chris’ eyes widened. “You’ve played the princesses.”

“Never, ever say that.” You looked around. “You say Marvel has snipers but so does Disney! All princess and characters are real; we just get to be friends with them. Know what I mean?”

“Sorry! I consider myself pretty versed in Disney speak but I never heard that one before.”

“Yeah, manly cast members know that one.” You agreed. “After I graduated I worked my way up to Media Relations here in Orlando and two years ago I finally got my dream job, and I’ve been in Los Angeles since then. I work with promotions, social media, and influencers. It’s a pretty sweet job.”

“Need an assistant?” Shanna asked as you entered the line for Nemo. “That sounds pretty rad!”

“Do you have any experience in PR?”

You separated into two groups when the cast member asked ‘how many’, Chris and Scott, you and Shanna. You entered your shell with the brunette still talking about a possible job and what she’d need to get it.

On the other shell, Chris looked confused.

“Did she just ditched me?” He asked his brother dumbfounded.

Scott laughed and shook his head.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” He laughed again. “Welcome to the real world brother! Not everyone will fawn over you, as hard it is to believe it!”

“I thought we’re hitting it pretty well,” he got comfortable on the ride vehicle, taking off his hat so he could see the aquariums and screens where Dory, Marlin, and Nemo played, “did I read it all wrong?”

“Nah, she’s into you as well, as far as I could see.” Scott nodded. “She strikes me as a sisters before misters kinda woman, and she was talking to Shanna while we waited we queued.”

Chris uhmed in agreement.

He hoped you’re not putting up a front for him, because he liked you from the moment he bumped into you at Mouse Gears. He saw the moment you realized who he was but you had been pretty cool so far, and besides the sniper comment, you hadn’t made a big deal out of it. Definitely a breath of fresh air, it had been a while since he could be himself outside his immediate circle of friends. The fact you knew that joke told him you had seen some of his or his co-star interviews but as you worked handling the media and social media accounts for Disney he believed seeing footage of his movies was part of your job and that put his mind at ease and he decided to give that little spark between you a chance.

You were beautiful, full heart-shaped lips, long mahogany hair, aquamarine eyes, and a soft but toned body. He wanted to get to know you better, see if you felt the same connection he did.

The ride reached the end and he saw you getting out, still talking to Shanna.

“I mean it, send it to me, I’ll see what I can do.”

“The fact that I’d have to move to Los Angeles is a concern, but that kind of job would be fun. Thanks, Belle, I’ll think about it.”

“You’re most welcome. But don’t forget, I can only get your foot inside the door, you’d have to walk whenever you want to be by yourself.” You saw Chris and Scott approaching and a huge smile broke up on your face. “How about we go fly around the world?”

“Yes, finally! Soarin’ has been calling my name since we left Test Track!” Scott exclaimed.

He linked his arms with Shanna and dragged her along in front of you and Chris.

“He’s not very subtle, is he?” You questioned Chris when he stepped next to you.

Chris laughed and put his baseball cap back on backward. He looked ridiculously handsome, his longish hair escaping on the sides, his black ‘I am smiling’ Grumpy T-shirt stretched along his hard chest and biceps, black and white basketball shorts hugging that delectable ass he had. You licked your lips and gave him your brightest smile when he caught you staring.

“I guess neither is you.” He winked at you and grabbed your hand.

“Yeah, sue me, I refuse to play the virgin giggling girl when I see something I like.”

“Do you see me complaining?”

You shook your head as you play catch up to Shanna and Scott, who were already inside The Land pavilion.

“You never answered when I asked you if this was your last day,” Chris said while you rode the escalator to the lower floor.

“It isn’t; we’re staying for 10 days.” You saw Scott waving you over to the ride entrance. “Why’s that?”

Before Chris had a chance to answer Shanna bellowed.

“Come on slowpokes! We’re wasting time here.”

“Can we go on Living with The Land before Soarin’? I forgot it was open during EMH. I’ve never seen it at night.”

“Oh come on Scott, Living is so boring!” Shanna complained.

“Living with the Land is not boring,” Chris argued back, siding with Scott.

“It is so.”

“Not.”

“Children!” You waved a hand between them and they stopped. “How ‘bout this, we do Soarin’ once, get back to Living and quickly backtrack and do Soarin’ again?”

“Finally, someone with a plan.” Chris clapped. “But do we have time?”

You checked your watch.

“There are 45 minutes left before the park closes, I believe we can make it if we hurry.”

“Let’s do this then.

You hurried up the queue for Soarin’, once again cursing Disney Imaginners for making it so freaking long. There was a decent amount of people in front of you when you got to the split before the theaters. If things were the same there would be only one theater open for the extended hours and with about 150 people on the queue it would take about 10 minutes to get to the front of the line.

Scott lowered his voice.

“Now remember, it’s B1 or nothing alright? I don’t want to look up and see dangling feet in front of me.”

“Ah, a man after my own heart.” You agreed.

“Have you seen the new film? I liked it but I miss the old one.” Chris commented. “I was hoping they’d keep the Soarin’ Over California in Anaheim but they are all the same now.”

“I really like the soaring around the world aspect, but I miss the orange smell. Childhood memories and all that.” You walked over to the line for the first row of the second string of seats, dead center inside the theater. Those were indeed the best seats in the house and you’re surprised Scott knew about them.

“This is not our first rodeo, Miss Connections! We’ve been coming to Disney twice a year for the past thirty plus years, sometimes more if Chris can swing it.” Scott explained. “You’ve probably even seen us before, or operated a ride while we were on it.”

“You’re probably right!” Shanna gasped. “Oh my god, you might even be in our pictures, Belle.”

“No way, I would remember taking pictures with this hot beefcake by my side.” You pointed to Chris making it seem he was showing him off with your hands.

“But would you really?” Chris said in a lower voice. “I barely remember the face of the girl who asked me for a picture this morning at the airport. How many pictures you would take in one day?”

You looked shocked, they did have a point. Could you really be in a picture with Chris and his family?

“There were always two friends taking turns during the set but it was a freaking lot. Akershus alone might make that number reach a thousand during the holidays.”

“I’m pulling all the photo albums from the library when we get back home, I’m really curious right now!”

Shanna looked excited at the prospect of finding you in their family photos, and you tried to jog your memories of thousands of families you met over the years. Chris was right, there was no way you could have remembered them, especially if it was before his Captain America days.

You talked through the whole pre-boarding video and were now being directed to your seats. B1 was a popular choice so Scott played buffer and sat between Chris and the other guest, you sat beside Chris with Shanna by your side. He waited till the cast member checking the seatbelt got to him before removing his hat and sticking it on the bin below his seat.

The ride started and the music swirled around you as the seats were lifted from the ground, making it appear as you were indeed soaring around big blue skies, mountains, and lakes around the world. You smiled as the powerful aroma of roses reached your nose while flying over the Taj-Mahal, giggling when the sea breeze smell reached your nose when you glided over Fiji and squealing when the turned upwards to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower. Soarin’ was probably your favorite ride in all parks and the smile on your face when the ride ended with fireworks over Epcot was a testament to that.

You unbuckled your seatbelt and were one of the first out of the theater, walking so fast a cast member reminded you no running was allowed. Chris sent a sorry his way but your group didn’t slow down, cruising the corridors to get to Living with The Land.

Shanna checked his watch when you got there and cheered when there was only a family of three in line for the boat.

“Ok, guys 27 minutes left. How long is this ride anyway? I want to ride Soarin’ again!”

They all turned to you waiting for an answer.

“20 minutes.” You said and Shanna groaned. “We’re gonna cut close, but as long as we’re inside the queue for Soarin’ before 11 pm they will let us in. We might not get B1 again though.”

“It’s ok, we’re coming back to Epcot to hit more of the food booths anyway, I can live without the best seats for once.” Scott nodded.

You let the family in front of you get on the boat that was docked and waited for the next one. Thankfully there was no one else behind you so you got the next boat all to yourselves.

Scott seated with Shanna, who immediately opened her phone, earning a glare from Scott.

You sat with Chris two rows behind them, Chris entering first and offering you his hand to help you inside the boat.

“Why thank you, Prince Charming.” You accepted his hand, noticing he didn’t let go when you sat beside him. Which suited you just as well because you had your own plans for him.

“I thought I was Prince Adam to your Belle?” He got closer as the boat started its journey through different types of nature scenes, putting his arm around your shoulder as you entered the rain forest and the boat waved a bit.

Oh, he was a smooth one. You grinned at him and scooted a little closer your sides now pressed together.

“You know Adam is not an official name right?”

“That’s not possible, his name’s Adam.” He doubted you.

“Nope, he’s never named during the animation. The actor who voices him is just credited as ‘Beast’.”

You loved Disney Trivia and could quote the most obscure facts and anecdotes about the parks, movies, and Walt’s life.

“Well, my childhood has been ruined. Thank you for that.”

He tickled your sides in retaliation, making you squirm and giggle. When you tried to tickle him back he grabbed your hands and pinned them down between the two of you.

Your laugh subsided when you noticed Chris looking at your lips and you subconsciously licked them because they suddenly felt dry as sandpaper. He looked at your eyes and back to your mouth in a silent question, blue eyes searching your face for what could happen next.

You nod almost imperceptibly and Chris smiles, leaning towards you, full lips slighted parted.

“How much trouble would I be if plucked a miracle fruit from the tree over th… oh my bad!”

Chris curses his brother and you blink away the nervousness that surrounded you.

“Do not try to pick up a berry, that’s cause for revoking your annual pass and you’ll be escorted out of the park.” You speak as you try to control your beating heart.

“No way!”

“I’ve been the one waiting for the poor soul at the end of the ride Scott. Not a very fun part of the job and also so many forms to fill out.”

Maybe it was better this way. You knew you were attracted to each other but all rides were full of cameras, it’d only take one less than honest cast member to sell the footage to TMZ anyway.

Chris didn’t try to kiss you again but kept on holding your hand as the boat glided over the murky water, passing through the suspended hydroponics plants, the self-sustained display with fish and plants and finally reaching the end of the ride.

The boat wasn’t even properly docked and Shanna was already on the move, making a tight turn on the tunnel leading to Soarin’.

You had two minutes to get there before they closed the queue so you hurried over, Chris pulling you along, your legs barely keeping up with his stride.

You entered the line with seconds to spare and as soon as you did the cast member pulled a rope behind you, indicating the end of operation hours.

The four of you laughed while making your way up to concourse C, the only theater that was open.

“I don’t think I’ve run so much at Disney before.” Scott breathlessly said.

“That’s because you have an escort who gets you backstage and takes you to the front of the line! Us mere mortals are the ones queueing for six hours for Flight of Passage.”

“As if you ever waited that long.” Shanna quipped from the front of the line.

“Uhm… who’s to say I didn’t?” You winked at her. Chris looked at you quizzically. “Okay, so maybe I haven’t, but I’ve done the running thing before, I do wonder to the dark side and Escape from Gringotts is almost as bad as Flight of Passage. People run like crazy mofos to get there.”

“You cheat on the Mouse?” Scott put a hand over his heart.

“Say it louder to the people in the back.” You hit him in the shoulder. You turn to one of the corners of the queue, playing as if there was a camera there. You move your hand as if bowing, “It’s all lies oh Big Cheese who reigns supreme and all hear and all see, I’d never cheat on you!”

Chris guffawed, both hands grabbing his chest.

“You’re crazy!” He laughed.

“Shhhhh, you never know who’s listening!” You winked at him.

As it turned out there were only four other people waiting for the last flight of the night and as you approached the end of the line you were directed to B1 anyway, as each row of seats sat 10 people each.

You decided to let all brothers be together and sat on the outside this time, Chris by your side.

He turned to say something to you at the same time you leaned over to let him know there was a hidden Mickey on the flight over Monument Valley and his lips grazed yours. You both paused, surprised at the sudden touch. Then he was kissing you for real, full lips pressed over yours, sending sparks all over your body. He brought his right hand to your neck, holding you close as he deepened the kiss, your lips danced together.

As fast as first kisses went, you ranked this one a solid 13 in a one to five scales. He never pressured you to open your mouth or tried to slip you the tongue, his lips were plump and he moved them with purpose, alternating hard pressed and feathered touches. You opened your eyes when he moved away and he gave you a little nod which you returned, grinning at each other.

The ride was over before you knew it and the cast member was ushering you out, saying good night.

Your little group made your way over World Showcase again, you saying goodnight to all cast members you passed by, thanking them for staying back during Extra Magic Hours.

“You sound sincere too,” Shanna commented as you walked the dark path leading you to Canada.

“That’s because I am. Most of them will have a shift no later than 10 am tomorrow and they won’t leave here for another two hours. Sometimes more. Saying thank you is the least I can do.”

“And could you do more?” Chris inquired.

“I can actually. All visiting cast members fill a form when we get back to work, citing areas we think the parks can improve, what was good, bad and exceptional.”

“That’s cool, I wish we could do something like that,” Chris commented.

“Actually you can. In 2014 we introduced Cast Compliments.” The three of them looked at you, never reading about it before. “Say you wanna say something nice about a particular cast member; you get their name, go on Twitter and tag either @DisneylandToday or @WDWToday using the hashtag CastCompliment. Write their name, location, and your motive. We will print your twit, and take a picture of the cast member with it. They also get a mark on their file. Every 5 marks they receive a monetary bonus.”

“Wow, that’s crazy cool. And you came up with this idea?” Shanna was already on her phone looking up the hashtag. She gave the phone to Chris and he scrolled through the feed, smiling at the amount of love being shared.

“My team and I did, together with HR” you nodded.

“That’s amazing and so thoughtful Belle!” Scott was the one looking at the phone now.

“They are the ones keeping the park running after all.” You smiled.

You reached International Gateway, waving to the guards and everyone said goodnight this time.

The temperature had dropped quite a bit and you shivered, Chris immediately pulling you close and running his hands over your arms. You smiled at him in thanks and asked where they are staying.

“We’re at the Grand, it’s our favorite resort,” Chris answered. “How about you?”

“I’m a DVC member, I’m right over there at the Boardwalk Villas.” You pointed to the red building on the other side of the man-made lake.

“Mind we walked you over to the lobby? That way I know we got back home safely and we can call a Minnie Van?” Chris smiled at you.

“Absolutely!”

You crossed the bridge to Boardwalk Inn in silence, just appreciating each other companies. When you reached the well-manicured lawn of back gardens he stopped you, mentioning for his siblings to go ahead.

He brought you under the canopy of a huge tree, giving you a little privacy from the passersby.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” He inquired, his back leaning on the tree trunk.

“My friend and I have brunch reservations at Boma, so we’ll be at Animal Kingdom till around 11 am. Our fast passes are for Hollywood Studios but they don’t start till 3 pm.”

“Damn, we’re staying at the Magic Kingdom all day, the kids really want to see the parade.”

“I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time with your family.” You nodded. It was a shame you would be at different parks but you had fast passes for Slinky Dog Dash and that was one ride, not even you could swing your non-existent badge at the cast member and get in on a whim so you weren’t changing your own plans.

“I will, but I also wanna see you again.” He whined and you giggled, he was the perfect mix of gorgeous man and little boy and the butterflies in your belly certainly agreed. “MK closes at six for the Christmas Party though, and we’re not going till Tuesday. Mind if I join you after we leave?”

“I’d love to see you again too, so I don’t mind it at all. Word of warning though, Corey will freak out, even with me telling him you’ll be joining us, so come prepared.”

“How bad are we talking about?” Chris sighed. You had been so cool-headed about everything, almost no one recognized him today and now your friend was almost guaranteed to make a scene.

“I’ll try to prep him over carbs while we have brunch, but he’ll stare and be mute for a while.” You told Chris the truth. Corey had a major crush on both Chris and Sebastian Stan and was a diehard Stucky shipper. That would be an interesting conversation to have.

“As long as he doesn’t draw attention, I can deal with some staring.” Chris acquiesced. He wanted to spend more time with you, see if there was anything else besides physical attraction drawing him in.

He pulled out his phone and asked for your number before sending you a text so you could have his.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” You looked over at him with a little smile. You started walking backward still holding his hand.

“Not so fast!”

Chris pulled you back so fast you fell on his chest with a little oomph. He tilted your head up with two fingers and his lips descended on yours, kissing you long and hard. You gripped the sides of his T-shirt, hands digging on his waist as he held your head closer to him, one hand bunching up your hair, the other touching your neck and cheek in slow circles. You felt his soft beard brushing your skin, heightening your pleasure. A warm feeling spread all over you and you melted into Chris, parting your lips slightly. When his tongue skimmed yours you kissed him harder, tongues touching languidly.

You had been kissed quite well in the past but Chris was definitely the best one so far, he maintained full body contact and he kissed you like he had nothing else to do for the rest of his life. He pulled your lower lip as he broke the kiss, his thumb caressing the bite while he alternated between nips and kisses over your chin and neck.

Your hands got under his T-shirt and ran over the hard v on his waist, circling it to press your thumbs on the dimples on the small of his back. Your fingers touched his back vehemently, nails dragging a line just under the band of his shorts. He rocked against you and you felt him pressed against your belly, your hands itching to get closer.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He whispered against your skin. “I want to take you back to my room and kiss you all over and see if the rest of you are as soft as your lips.”

You shivered again and you weren’t sure if it was the draft wind or your reaction to his words, but you’d put good money on the latter. You felt your hardened nipples and the damp spot in your underwear and a quick look down was enough to see the hard on the basketball shorts could barely conceal. You definitely clicked on a physical level, never a kiss had such an impact on you before.

Your brain took over as you remembered you’re in a public space and you took a little step back, just enough so you could think straight.

“Maybe this is enough for one night.” You exhaled hard, trying to clear your head.

Chris nodded, he never lost control so quickly with anyone before, you barely touched his skin and he was almost rutting you to the ground right by Disney’s Boardwalk.

“Right, you’re right.” He kissed your forehead before pushing himself off the tree trunk and adjusting himself as best as he could. “Want me to walk you to your room?”

“I’m good, let’s not tempt faith, shall we?”

You had rented a two-bedroom suite so you and Corey could have more privacy, so it wouldn’t be hard to sneak Chris back to your room, lock the door and spend the rest of the night learning each other’s body.

He nodded and rested his head over your shoulder. You stayed like that till his phone vibrated on his pocket.

“That was Scott, Minnie van is here.” Chris looked over from his phone. “Thank you for today, for hanging out with me, I really liked it. I really liked you, Belle.”

“I really liked you too Chris.” You pressed a chaste kiss on his lips, hugging him for good measure.

“I’ll text you and we can work out the details for tomorrow ok?” He said while hugging you back.

“Alright.”

Neither of you moved and his phone ringed.

Chris rolled his eyes when he answered.

“I’m on my way meathead, give me one second. No, he won’t leave, you know they can wait for a while. Alright, I’m going, Jesus, hold your damn horses.”

You giggled and let go of him, telling him to go.

“Bye princess Belle.”

With a quick peck on your lips, he was off, taking the stairs to the main floor two at a time.

You stayed at the same spot till he disappeared upstairs before making your way to the Villas side of the Boardwalk, quickening up your pace to get away from the cold air.

Entering your room, you sighed against the door as you closed it.

This had been indeed the most special Extra Magic Hour you ever spent at EPCOT and you couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

#Chris Evans Fanfic #Chris Evans Fan Fic #Chris Evans Fanfiction #Chris Evans x OFC #Chris Evans #Chris Evans x Reader #Chris Evans x You #HAMDFic

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dbzebra · 5 years

Note

OMG all those prompts scream Marten (and Trunks xD) to me!! Wouldn't you like to try to use them all in the same story? No? :P If not, “Hold my hand before I stab you with it." please? xD This is how prompts work right? I'm lost...

Title: “Regaining My Wings”

Words: 2410

Pairing: Marten (Goten x Marron)

A/N: Here is my submission for Marron Day for @dbnextgenweek !! I’m so sorry it’s so late! I was rusty from not writing in so long. I had to rewrite this like four times until I had something I actually liked lol.

This just a super fluffy self indulgent oneshot like all the rest, but please enjoy! I may post on AO3 later

Flight, also known as the ‘bukujutsu’ technique. Many years ago,it was an extremely advanced martial arts technique that only a select few ofmartial arts masters knew.

Those days however were long gone. Even Son Goku’s owngranddaughter, Pan, learned to fly when she was just a little baby.

Flying had become just as easy as walking for the Z Fighters.

Except if you were like Marron and afraid of anything to do withheights, including flying.

Marron never used to be afraid. Not even the slightest. When Marron was achild, she’d be the first one to want to go higher and higher when she wouldride on the Flying Nimbus when on adventures with her two best friends, Gotenand Trunks.

However, one incident when she was about nine years old changedthat.

Marron was happily sitting on the Nimbus with Goten in front ofher, peering over and looking at the amazing sights. The rolling mountains werebeautiful that high up. Oceans seemed never ending. It was simply breathtakingfor an adventurous child.

But then, when she leaned further down to get a better look at apretty bird flying by, Marron accidentally slipped off the fluffy yellow cloudand plummeted towards the Earth.

Marron screamed and covered her face with her hands,sobbing, until she suddenly stopped. After realizing what had happened, shewiped her eyes and opened them to see Goten smiling down at her. He had jumpedoff of Nimbus and caught her. She was shaking and really freaked out, butotherwise was fine.

But since that day Marron off heights (and ever learning how tofly) for good.

Krillin and 18 tried to help her get over her fear a dozen times,but being as stubborn as she was, Marron wouldn’t even consider it for years.Every time she even looked over from somewhere high up, her legs would turn tojelly and her heart would jump into her throat like the time she actually didfall.

The only time she slightly budged was after she and Goten starteddating. Marron would only go on Nimbus if she could sit on his lap and cling tohim for dear life while keeping her eyes shut, not opening them until theylanded. Of course, she still didn’t know how to fly and had no plans to learneither. But it made her so happy.

Goten was always so supportive with her. He never once held itagainst her for being scared and always comforted her. No matter what, Marronfelt the safest flying with him. Besides that stupid adorable smile of his thatalways made her heart do flips, that’s what she loved most about him.

One time however, he (and Marron) were close to falling straightthrough the Nimbus because he almost got a bit too comfy withMarron sitting on his lap. It wasn’t his fault though! What else could he thinkabout when she always looked so pretty and smelled so nice? At least that’swhat he told himself.

That was almost five months ago.

It was another beautiful spring day; perfect for being outside. Marronand Goten were having a picnic date on the grass near the Son family home. Theyweren’t able to see each all week due to Marron’s cheerleading and Goten’sskipping class to train, so a weekend date was just what they both needed.

Marron wore a frilly, light-blue colored sundress and a straw sunhat. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Goten had on his signature ‘Son’ t shirtand jeans. He wanted to dress more formally but Marron insisted he was perfectjust the way he was.

The young couple had just finished eating, and were laying back onthe picnic blanket, snuggled together as they watched the clouds.

Marron pointed out different shapes. Some were little animals, andone even looked like Piccolo. The others however, were just not at all what shewas saying.

“What do mean a bear in a top hat? That’s clearly a monkey at a buffet!”

Marron sat up and stared at him. Of course that dork would seefood. “You know you’re wrong, right?”

“If by wrong, you mean right, then yes!” Goten fired back, hislips curling into his signature wide grin. “That’s clearly a monkey. See? He’sgot a tail. I’ll give you the top hat though.”

Marron giggled and playfully punched his arm before lying backdown besides him.

These peaceful days really were great. They hoped it would neverend.

Just then, Goku appeared using Instant Transmission with littlePan on his shoulders. They had just returned from the grocery store. Goten and Marron both shot up.

“Oh, hey Goten! Hi Marron! Am I interrupting?”

Marron shook her head and bowed her head. “Of course not! T-Thankyou for having me!”

“Ahh it’s nothin’! You’re like family to us.”

At the sight of her uncle, the toddler practically lunged off ofGoku’s shoulders towards Goten, tackling him into a hug.

Goten laughed and caught Pan. “Hey squirt!” He grinnedand ruffled Pan’s hair making the girl giggle.

“Me and Grandpa are gonna go flyin’ later! Do you wants tocome?” Aunt Marron, you can come too!“ Pan chirped. Ever since she learnedto fly, she would always go out for 'flying adwentures’ as she would say.

Marron frowned. She didn’t want to hold him back just because shecouldn’t fly… "Goten, it’s okay, go ahead.”

Goten only turned back to her and winked. “Panny, I’d love tobut Mare and I have plans.”

Pan just stared up at him with wide-eyed curiosity. “You meanlike kissy-kissy?” She said and then erupted into giggles and ran to Gokuwho had a teasing grin as wide as hers.

“Did you tell her to say that?!”

Goku only grinned. “Well, is she right?”

No that’s… that’s not it at all!” Goten replied back.Was he seriously arguing with a three year old?

“Then why are you blushing?” Goku said, grinning.

Traitor! His father was normally on his side!

“Sheesh! It’s been a year you guys, when are you gonna stopteasing me?”

“The wedding~” Chi-Chi’s voice came from the upperbalcony. She was taking dried clothes off the hanger to be put away. She giggledat her son’s flustered reaction. Honestly, she loved teasing her three boys. Goten got even more easily emabarrassed than Gohan did at his age.

“Very funny.” He replied back and turned back to Marron,who was hiding her cute face from embarrassment. Her blush went from ear toear. Although it was embarrassing, she loved it. Marron gushed at the thoughtof getting married. She recalled the days when they would play house back inthe old days. Goten really had no clue, but just played along.

Goku then jumped two stories onto their upper deck, startling hiswife a bit. Goku winked at her and started helping her put away the laundrywhile Panny chased a butterfly on the grass below.

“Now’s our chance.” Goten flipped onto his feet and pulledMarron up by the hand.

She couldn’t help but blush. What was he doing so suddenly?!“G-Goten, h-hold on a second! W-Where are we going?!”

“Nowhere far! C'mon!” Goten (quite literally) swept hisgirlfriend off of her feet and into his arms and ran down the road. Marron’s hat blew off her head and fell onto the blanket as Pan trotted over to it.

Chi-Chi and Goku exchanged similar grins with each other as theirson fled and Pan giggled from below, now wearing the hat.

Goten and Marron came to a nearby clearing with a huge lake. Hegently put Marron down, and she adjusted her dress.

“What’s the big idea?”

Marron was blushing fromthe close contact but shook it off and gazed out onto the lake. It really was beautiful. She held her hands behind her back and stared over the lake. The crystal-clear water glistened in the sunlight. Her long silky blonde hair blew in the slight breeze, tickling Goten’s nose.

“Dad used to take me here to go fishing all the time when Iwas little. Now we all go with Panny.” She heard him say. Goten inhaledand took a deep breath. “I’m feeling up for a swim! You in?”

Just then he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. ”…Hey,Goten…“

"What’s wrong?”

Marron looked away from him slightly, her ears burning. This wasit. She’d have to get over her fear sooner or later, and this would be theperfect time! “…I want to learn…” It came out as a tiny whisper,but she said it. And it felt good.

“Huh?”

“I want to learn. Teach me how to fly! I’m… I’m sick ofbeing scared! I want to go flying with you! And go out on Nimbus with you andactually have my eyes open for once! I promise I won’t hold you back anymore!”She said, fighting tears at that last part.

Goten took a step closer and brought his girlfriend into a hug,smiling warmly down at her. "Mare, it’s okay.” He gently pushed astrand of hair away from her face. “You’ve never held me back and younever will. Nothing will change that. I’ll gladly teach you. I’m honored thatyou asked me.”

"I love you, you big dork…” Marron replied, restingher head against his chest.

“I love you too.” Goten grinned and held her closer.

Marron looked down at her feet and then back up at him.“…But what if… what if I fall?” He could just hear it in hervoice. She was petrified of falling again.

“You won’t fall. I’ll be right here. You have the skill,Mare. It’s there, I know it is. You just have to stop doubting yourself. Youcan do this.”

Marron’s heart fluttered. Just like always, he knew just what tosay. She leaned up onto her tip-toes and softly kissed his lips. “You’reso sweet…”

She knew the basics of Ki and how to fight, just didn’t care forfighting. It was boring to her. She always preferred watching fights,especially from the World Tournament. The adrenaline she got from watchingfights far exceeded what she would get from something like sparring. And plus,she loved supporting her Goten in his fights.

“How did you do it so quickly? You were so young!”

Goten shrugged. “It just came easy to me, I guess. I alreadyknew all about ki, plus being half Saiyan really helps.”

Gohan had taught Goten when he was just seven years old. Beingcalled a 'super pedestrian’, whatever the heck that was, was the last straw!

After he learned that hopping and flying were in fact different,it came easy to him and soon enough…

“Birdy, a birdy, Goten is a birdy!” Little Goten sang tohimself as he flew around in figure-eight patterns high in the sky.

Goten grinned and put his hands behind his head. “Yup. Thosewere the days!”

“Personally, I think you were much cuter back then.”Marron winked at him while saying that.

“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m still very handsome!” Gotenwhined, cracking a grin.

Marron rolled her eyes with a smile and stepped away. After a moment, Marron took a deep breath andfaced him again.

“Ok. I’m ready.” Marron said. “But only on onecondition.”

“What’s that?”

“…Hold my hand.”

Goten smiled. “Is that all?

“Yes! I’m scared! So you…y-you’d better hold my handbefore… I- I stab you with it…!” Marron said, pouting up at him. Itwas obvious she just made up the first thing that came to her mind. “Orelse…”

Or else? Goten chuckled at that. He couldn’t help it when she gotall pouty and blushy like that. Especially when she’d 'threaten’ him. Usuallywith no more kisses, but he knew she’d break before he did. She always lookedso cute when she got like that.

“Of course, Here.” He held both hands out for her, notbeing able to help laughing a bit.

“…I’m serious, Goten! Don’t you dare laugh at me! Y-You’dbetter not let go either! Or… or I’ll never forgive you!” Marron said,her voice almost a squeak. She looked like she was about to cry, but it was stillso cute.

Goten leaned down and kissed Marron on the forehead, his fingersstill gently entwined with hers. “You’re too cute.”

Marron’s face turned an even brighter red. She looked like atomato. “You dummy, be serious…”

“I promise. You’re safe with me.”

“I… I don’t know if I cando it…“

"You can do it. Just look at me, okay? Focus on me. Remember,just relax. Feel your energy from within and slowly bring it out beneath you.You can do this. I’m right here.”

Marron heart fluttered at his words. They were soothing. Shetightly shut her eyes and focused. After a moment she could feel her feet liftoff the ground and she grips his hands tighter. Goten floated up with her. Itwas relaxing, freeing almost. She felt weightless as if gravity no longer hadan effect on her.

“You’re doing it, Mare! You’re flying!” Marron openedher eyes to see that she and Goten were floating about ten feet in the air. Sheyelped and buried her face into his chest, her eyes tightly shut again.“It’s too high, …I-I can’t…”

“But you already are. All by yourself. There’s nothing to beafraid of.” She heard him tenderly say. “You’re doing it!” Gotengently said. “Want to try moving now?”

Marron slowly nodded. She repositioned herself horizontally andslowly moved around. It appeared as if she was swimming through the air as shelightly kicked her feet. Goten guided her.

She started out pretty wobbly, and didn’t keep her eyes off Goten,but she was flying all by herself. Actually flying! And not falling! “I’m doingit!” She cried happily. When she was up there with him, her fears were allgone.

“See? Now you’re a little birdy too.” He grinned as warmas the sun gleaming behind him. She’d be a natural in no time. He was so proudof her.

Marron was almost brought to tears. Her beautiful blue eyes turnedglossy as he just grinned. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her free handand flew at him into a deep kiss. They stayed up there for what felt like aneternity, both not wanting to move.

Marron couldn’t be happier.

Now if only she could figure out how to get down…

#goten #marron #marten #goten x marron #dbnextgenweek2019 #my ship #hope you like it

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quentinsquill · 5 years

Text

Fic: “Turnabouts, Treaties and Truffles” (The Magicians)

Author: Lexalicious70

Fandom: The Magicians

Warnings: None

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 5,215

Summary: After a magical malfunction in a Neitherlands fountain, Eliot and Quentin find themselves body swapped the day before a visiting king is set to attend a dinner that will cement a treaty critical to Fillory’s inhabitants. Can Margo transform their Moderately Socially Maladjusted king into what visiting royalty and his courtiers expect, or will it all fall in around them?

Author’s Notes: This is for week 4 of the @whitespiresarmory’s Challenge theme, “Body Swap.” All mistakes are my own. I don’t own The Magicians, etc., writing is like air for me, so that’s why I do this. Comments and kudos are magic: Enjoy!

Read it on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20004787

Turnabouts, Treaties and Truffles

By Lexalicious70 (all_hale_eliot)

“El, are you sure we need all this?”

Eliot turned and regarded Quentin with a stare that was half disbelief, half offense. Margo scoffed from somewhere behind Eliot’s form, currently that of a startled exclamation point, and Eliot motioned to the dozen or so bottles of wine in the cart between them.

“Of course we need it all, Q! Royalty is visiting! Do you want to serve them Kool-Aid in jelly jars?”

Quentin struggled to push the cart along the aisle. Outside, Manhattan buzzed with its usual constant activity, and the upscale liquor store where the three magicians shopped hummed with conversation and the constant noise from the multiple checkout lines near the exit. `

“No, of course not, it just seems kind of like, overkill, that’s all.”

“There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to entertaining royalty—especially royalty that may or may not be willing to sign a treaty with you at the end of the evening.” Eliot curled a long finger at him as they rounded the corner into another aisle. “And that’s our goal. Fillorian winemaking is still in its infancy, and we want to do our best to impress King Idri and his people.”

“Speaking of which, we better wrap this up.” Margo said as she plucked Eliot’s pocketwatch from his vest and checked the time. “We’ve only got about 26 hours to set all this up, and we still have to go over the menu with Tick.”

“I hope the wine travels okay through the fountains,” Quentin said as Eliot chose one final bottle of rosette before heading toward the registers. “Do you think it might sour?”

“We’ll ward it, Q, don’t worry.” Eliot pulled some bills from his wallet and handed them over to the cashier, who cashed him out and gave him a wide smile along with his change.

“Thank you!” Her gaze lingered on him and Quentin shook his head as they left the store and headed into the alley with the boxes of wine.

“Don’t you ever get tired of people hitting on you?”

“It usually doesn’t mean much to me, Q.” He replied as he watched Quentin fish the traveling button from his Sharo bag. A wink and a joining of hands put the three magicians in the Neitherlands a moment later, near the fountain that would take them to Fillory. Quentin frowned.

“Usually? So when is it meaningful?”

“When you do it,” Eliot grinned, delighted as Quentin’s ears and neck turned pink. He touched the end of Quentin’s nose with the tip of his long index finger. “You are so cute when you’re jealous of strangers!”

“I was not jealous! Just . . . all the attention you get, especially as high king. It must feel pretty great.”

“Sometimes. Sometimes not.” Eliot said as he warded the wine boxes and sent them through the fountain, where he knew Tick or one of his people would be waiting to take them to the castle. “Ready?” He asked, and Margo frowned.

“I hate these fucking fountains! It always makes me feel like I’m some cosmic enema being squirted up the multiverses’ colon!”

“Margo, I cannot stress this enough: eeww.” Eliot replied, taking a deep breath before he dove into the fountain. Quentin jumped in at the same time in a clumsy half-dive, and as they drifted up toward the surface that would take them to Fillory, a magical surge made the water bubble. Eliot struggled to hold his breath as his inner ear went haywire and sent signals to his stomach that vomiting was imminent. He caught a glimpse of Quentin, his eyes rolling, before another surge seemed to knock his consciousness from his body. His head broke the surface of the water and he was aware of strong, sure arms grabbing his own before darkness took him and he went down like a hard-tagged boxer.

*****

“Eliot? Eliot, wake up!”

The voice traveled down a long hall of semi-consciousness and Eliot groped for it like a drowning man with a floating rubber donut. Sounds and awareness crowded his brain.

“Eliot!”

He turned his head and coughed up a fair amount of the fountain’s strange, thin water to reply to the voice, when his own answered from several feet away.

“What . . .what happened?”

Eliot opened his eyes. He was staring up at Fillory’s slate-colored sky with its massive crescent moon, the spires of his castle visible. He struggled to sit up but his limbs felt wrong, like they were unfamiliar. Tick leaned over him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy now, your majesty. You had quite a struggle returning here!”

“What happened?” Eliot asked, then put a hand to his throat as he cleared it.

Must be the water . . . that didn’t sound like me at all.

“Tick, what happened?” He asked again, but the voice persisted. And not just any voice.

It was Quentin’s voice.

“What—what’s going on?” His own voice asked, but from several feet away, as if he’d suddenly learned to throw it. He turned his head and found himself looking at—

“What the fuck?” The other him asked, amber eyes wide. Eliot looked down at himself, but himself wasn’t where he was anymore. The body he stared down at was clothed in baggy jeans and a green sweater. A leather strap crossed his chest at an angle and he reached down to touch it.

Quentin’s bag. But why am I—

“Eliot?” The other him asked, the tone rising with an anxiety so familiar he marked it at once as Quentin’s. He sat up, and the central gravity of the body his consciousness currently occupied told him it wasn’t his own.

“Oh, fucking Christ!” Margo stepped into his line of vision as she raised both hands, making a square of her fingers so she could look at him, then at the other him—Quentin—through a lens of magic. Tick stood nearby, his fingers tapping against each other as he looked from one king to another. Margo sighed and glanced at the fountain. “Something went bugshit on our way back here! I felt it—some kind of magical surge.”

“But what happened?” Quentin got to his—Eliot’s—feet and swayed like a newborn colt. He took a few stumbling steps to the fountain, looked in at his reflection, and gave a wavering cry as he put both hands to his face. “Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!” He turned to look at Eliot, his eyes huge and wet. “I’m not me! I’m not me anymore, oh nonononono—”

“Quentin?” Eliot took a few steps forward as he tried to get a handle on being much shorter than he was used to. Quentin’s bag thumped against his chest and he paused to take it off and set it aside. “Q . . . that is you in there, isn’t it?”

“Uh huh!” A few tears coursed down Eliot’s face and Eliot reached out to grasp his own shoulders, frowning as he had to reach up to do so.

“Okay. And I’m—in here, so don’t freak out on me, okay? We got switched somehow, it was probably that magical surge we all felt!”

“We have to find a way to reverse it!” Quentin said, gripping his own forearms with Eliot’s big hands. “My magic is all scrambled, I don’t dare try to cast!”

“Then fucking don’t!” Margo stepped forward. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re all going to go to the castle, and we’re going to look in the library to see if there’s a cure for this freaky Fillorian Friday shit. Then we’re going to fix it.” She eyed Quentin. “Quentin, you have got to quit crying because I don’t think I can handle seeing your expressions on Eliot’s face!” She marched forward, pulled a handkerchief from Eliot’s vest pocket, and cleaned off his face with precise, businesslike strokes. “There.” She tucked the hankie back where it belonged. “Now come on. Tick? Bring the wine!”

“Yes, your grace!” Tick nodded as he juggled the boxes. Eliot picked up Quentin’s bag and followed Margo toward the long path that led to Whitespire’s main gates.

***

“I can’t fucking believe this,” Eliot said for the fourth time that hour as he and Quentin stood in front of the large, full-length mirror in the royal dressing room. Quentin nodded, his expression miserable.

“I can’t either. This feels so weird, El . . . I can sense your magic and it feels so different from mine. And your body, it’s—” Quentin held his hands out and studied their shape and size. “I feel like a giant!”

“And I feel very . . . compact,” Eliot replied, looking up at his own face. “And does your shoulder always ache this way?” He touched it under the sweater’s material, but the synthetic skin the centaurs had used to repair Quentin’s badly-wounded shoulder gave off no sensation.

“No. The muscles around the prosthetic get sore when we travel through the fountains, but other than that, I usually forget it’s there.” He paused and tried to smooth down Eliot’s dark curls. They were soft and much thicker than his own fine, tawny hair, which most people described as ‘floppy.’ “Do you think Margo and Josh will find anything about this in our library?”

“I hope so, Q. No offense to you, but I’m a lot more comfortable being in my own body.” He turned away from the mirror, squirming in Quentin’s oversized sweater. Quentin glanced after him and then pulled the waistbands of Eliot’s tailored slacks and boxers open to peek inside.

Whoa.

“Bad news!” Margo said as she and Josh entered the room, causing Quentin to start and adjust the slacks. To his relief, she was looking through a spellbook as she spoke.

“What kind of bad news?” Eliot asked, and she sighed and closed the book.

“The kind that means we didn’t find a cure. We have something that’s close—” Margo held up the spellbook. “But the reversal spell we found only applies if the switching was cast by another magician, not caused by a magical surge. We’re going to have to ask the librarians for help, but that means calling in a favor.”

“I’ll go,” Josh nodded. “I have a friend who knows someone who knows one of the librarians. Hopefully that should be enough to get me in. In the meantime, you two just, uh—chill out.”

“Sure,” Eliot drawled. “We’ll play charades.”

“If you guys start having an existential crisis, Margo knows where I keep my good kush.” Josh opened a portal and stepped through it. Margo set the spellbook aside and faced her friends.

“There’s more bad news. King Idri and his people are already on their way, and there’s no way we can cancel tomorrow night’s banquet.”

“But—he’s expecting to be entertained by High King Eliot!” Quentin said.

“I know, Q.”

“But I’m not High King Eliot!”

“Also noted.”

“Then what are we going to do? Margo, you have to stall them when they arrive! Say that I’m—that Eliot—is sick or something! We can’t have the banquet this way!”

“I have to agree with Q here, Bambi,” Eliot put in, and Margo winced.

“Okay. First, that sounded very weird coming out of Quentin’s mouth so please, let’s not, ever again, and two, you agreeing will not change the fact that King Idri will be beyond offended if we delay the banquet. Delayed banquet, unsigned treaty, very good chance of war in the next six months!” Margo ticked these facts off her fingers. “There’s really only one thing we can do.” She looked over at Quentin, housed in her best friend’s body, and sighed. “I’m going to have to teach you how to be High King Eliot.”

***

“No, that’s not it at all!”

Margo sighed, the sound filled with frustration, as she watched Quentin cross the room in Eliot’s body.

“You’re rounding your shoulders and walking like you’re waiting for some cosmic ape to throw shit at you from the sky!”

Quentin looked down at Eliot’s feet, dressed in calf-high black leather boots with a block heel.

“Do I have to wear these?”

“You’d rather meet King Idri in a pair of Nikes and your grubby grey sweats?” Margo asked. “Come here, come look in the mirror.” She tugged him over to the full-length mirror in the corner. “Look how you stand, Q! That’s not now a king holds himself! Straighten your spine, lift your chin—better!” Margo nodded. “Now, think about how Eliot approaches you, about the way he moves.”

“I can’t move like him!”

“Of course you can, dummy! You’re in his body, aren’t you? Look—like this.” She turned him and put her hands on his hips. “Now walk! Confident strides . . . open your stance up, Q!” She pushed at his hips from behind as he walked. “You can’t walk like some eunuch monk!”

“I don’t walk like a eunuch monk!” Quentin snapped, glancing at her over his shoulder. “If you want me to do this, quit insulting me!”

“You guys sound so married right now,” Eliot said from the doorway, leaning against the jamb, his arms folded. Quentin blinked at him.

“What are you wearing? Or more accurately, what did you put on me?”

“Just a Fillorian outfit I had Tick bring me. You never dress like a king, Q . . . and look how nice you look!” Eliot gave a slow turn, showing off the black trousers that flared at the ankle, the black boots, the ivory shirt and dark blue blazer. A silver stick pin with Whitespire’s crest glittered on the blazer’s breast. Margo smiled.

“You should let El dress you more often.”

“Can we focus on—whatever it is we’re trying to teach me here?” Quentin complained, and Margo shook her head.

“No more walking lessons: we need to move on to banqueting. Come on.” She took his hand and led him to the dining hall, where Tick had made up several different place settings.

“As High King, you sit at the edge of the table.” She pulled out Eliot’s grand chair and tugged him into it as if the body he was inhabiting wasn’t more than a foot taller than her own. “Now, as king, you command over the proceedings.” She motioned to the place settings. “You’ve dined at a few banquets with us before, so you probably already know how to use all the silverware.”

“Uhm. Well? Usually I just kind of—fake it. No one really notices me at those big parties.”

“Well guess what, Coldwater, there’s going to be plenty of noticing now!” Margo pointed to the silverware. “You start at the outer edge with your clam fork. If we have escargot, you’ll have a fork with two tines, not four. No one will eat until you touch your food, and the courses change as you command. You’ll also lead the course of dinner conversation.”

“Conversation?” Quentin balked. “Margo, you know that I’m not—”

“I know, you’re a level 100 introvert with the social graces of a confused flour beetle.”

“Rude!” Quentin frowned, and Margo pointed at him.

“Yes! That’s the attitude I want to see during the banquet!”

“But how am I supposed to possibly remember all this?” Quentin asked. Margo put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sitting at your right hand as High Queen, and you can always follow my lead. Just be imperious, confident, and commanding! That’s what King Idri will expect and it’s the only way we’re going to earn his respect and that treaty.”

“Do you really think I can pull this off?” Quentin asked, and Margo and Eliot traded a glance over his head.

“We know it’s not going to be easy,” Margo said at last. “But with a little work and some dumb luck, we’ll get through it.” She patted his shoulder. “For Fillory, Q.”

“For Fillory,” he sighed.

***

“You look every inch the High King of Fillory.”

Margo stood next to Quentin as they looked in the mirror together. They’d dressed Eliot’s long, lean form in grey and black brocade edged with gilded stitching that gleamed and caught the light with every movement. Margo had arranged his jade crown just so, with a few errant yet artful curls tumbling onto his forehead. The black boots had been shined to a mirrorlike surface, and a chatoyant pendant hung around Eliot’s long, slender neck, bringing out the flecks of gold and amber in his eyes.

“As far as I know, High Kings don’t get stress diarrhea.” Quentin touched the pendant. Margo gave an amused scoff.

“They kind of left that out of the Fillory books, didn’t they.”

“Yeah.”

“Q . . . I know this is hard, okay? But I know you can do it. El and I will be there, and we’ll do our best to try and get you through it.”

“Thanks. I just . . . I’m not Eliot. I’m not what King Idri expects to see, and there’s a million ways I can fuck up or offend him!”

“Let me tell you a secret about Eliot Waugh.” Margo led him over to a chair and pulled the vanity seat over to sit in front of him. “About 98 percent of Eliot’s confidence and bravado comes from that exact fear. The parties and dinners he’s thrown at the cottage—think about it, Q. Everything has to be right, and it has to go exactly as he plans it. So what does he do with that fear? He chases it into a corner, slaps a yoke around the fucker’s neck, and puts it to work. He lets it drive him. The perfection you see when you look at him—it’s a clever illusion. Of course, being as good-looking as he is helps—a lot—because some people appreciate surface details. So if you get stuck out there, just keep that in mind: being High King of Fillory is 90 percent attitude, i.e., looking you have control of your anal sphincter 24/7, and ten percent making your fear work in your favor. Got it?”

“Uhm—yeah, I think so.”

“No uhms!” Margo tapped the end of Eliot’s long nose with one manicured nail. Outside, in the hallway, a triumvirate of horns blew, announcing the start of the banquet.

“Oh God,” Quentin groaned, and Margo tugged at his hand.

“Sphincter control!” She hissed as she opened the bedroom door and slipped her arm through his. She wore a dress of fabric so light it almost seemed to dance as she moved. The colors changed with the light, iridescent blues, lavenders and seafoam, and the cut left her shoulders bare. Her crown glimmered.

“I forgot to tell you—you look really pretty,” Quentin stage whispered as they entered the banquet hallway, and the corners of Margo’s cupid’s-bow lips turned upward as Eliot joined them, dressed in a dark blue Fillorian suit, Quentin’s tawny hair braided with gold filigree that gave Quentin pause—he’d never thought to do such a thing.

“Thanks, Q.”

“Presenting the Children of Earth, rulers of Fillory, its land, its oceans and people!” Tick announced as they stepped into the dining hall. “High King Eliot, High Queen Margo, and King Quentin!”

“Chin up, Q!” Margo whispered as they entered the room together. King Idri, a muscled, handsome black man in his middle age stood at the opposite end of the table, his complement around him. He caught and held Quentin’s eye and Quentin fought the urge to look away—eye contact topped the list of social constructs he despised—but finally Idri nodded and inclined his head. His people sat, and Tick cleared his throat.

“We welcome King Idri of Loria and his most glorious complement! Ruler of the Organ Mountains, of the Crooked Forest, and the Cock Barrens!”

Quentin bit the inside of his cheek as the urge to snort laughter all over everything rose in his throat. Margo squeezed his hand and he glanced over the assembly. Remembering Margo’s instruction, he sat and gestured for the others to do so as well. He avoided looking directly at Eliot, still housed in his body, as the visual was distracting and invited Quentin’s anxiety to build. Tick and his people began to bring out platters of food, and King Idri filled his plate.

“This is quite a feast.”

Quentin counted to five before replying to squash any pauses in his words.

“We wanted to honor your visit and share the bounty of Fillory’s land and sea with you, your majesty.” Quentin glanced down at his silverware to see a clam fork on the outermost edge of the arrangement. Tick set a plate of fresh clams at his right hand and Quentin picked up the fork. “It’s not often we entertain people of such high renowned.” Quentin used the fork to open one of the clams as he spoke, but Eliot’s hands seemed to betray him. The clam squirted from his hand and he watched, wide-eyed, as it sailed across the table. Margo slapped the thing down before it could travel far and gave Quentin a brief but outraged glance. Idri, who was pulling chicken meat off the thigh he’d taken from the platter, hadn’t noticed the flying clam. Quentin dropped the clam fork and pulled a bowl of vegetable soup in front of him instead. “We—we’re very honored by your visit.”

A noise escaped Quentin from nearby, a noise Margo recognized as Eliot’s ‘we’re fucked’ sigh. She glanced over and gave a slight shake of her head.

Keep it together, El!

“Ah, but is it our company or the treaty you desire, King Eliot?” Idri answered as he popped a piece of chicken into his mouth.

“Can’t it be both? Especially when the treaty will benefit both our lands.”

“I believe the benefits will be greater for Fillory,” Idri replied as he tore more chicken off a drumstick. “And as you know, my people are not entirely convinced about this royal family’s motives.”

“Uhm—” Quentin’s eyes bugged as Margo kicked his shin under the table. “What I mean is—we’ll do all we can for Loria if you agree to the treaty. Isn’t it better to agree to peace rather than risk the well-being of our land and people with war?”

“Perhaps. If I were concerned with losing such a war.”

Quentin felt a tremor in his chest at the words, a kind of rumbling energy that responded to the veiled threat. He ate a few bites of soup and mentally scrambled for words.

“It’s my view that war isn’t beneficial for anyone, no matter their might.”

The older king made a show of ripping some stubborn tendons from his drumstick.

“Kingdoms are made in such ways, High King Eliot.”

“There are other ways to advance civilization!” Quentin replied, his tone teetering on annoyance.

“What I think King Eliot means is—” Margo began, seeing Quentin’s ire in Eliot’s amber eyes, and Idri turned toward her.

“You would speak for your king, and know his thoughts?” He nearly scoffed it, and Margo caught the narrowing of Quentin’s eyes: Eliot’s temper was on the rise.

“Why don’t we all share some wine?” Eliot broke in. “King Eliot? We have that collection of earth wines that King Idri and his people might enjoy?”

“Yes! Right, uh—wine! Tick, if you would?” Quentin asked, and Idri sat back in his chair, his expression suggesting he’d won the verbal spar.

***

The banquet wore on. All the bottles of wine the royals had brought from earth were opened and consumed, and Quentin fought to maintain Eliot’s mannerisms as that odd sensation in his chest grew stronger with each passing hour. King Idri was as skilled with words as he was rumored to be with his sword, something Quentin’s mental wheelhouse wasn’t well equipped to handle. He drank wine to manage his anxiety and felt nothing but relief when Tick announced that the dessert course was ready. The servants poured more wine as four more brought an enormous layer cake from the kitchen. It was dressed in layers of yellow frosting and festooned with edible flowers. As the servants carried it in, Quentin winced as one of Idri’s people said something to the king and he boomed laughter that carried a mocking edge and picked at the fraying edges of Quentin’s temper. He closed his eyes.

Barely thought the thought.

The cake rose from its decorative tray, sailed across the room, and struck King Idri square in the face. Yellow frosting spattered onto the table, his chair, his people. The room went silent, horrified. Margo clapped a hand over her mouth and Eliot stared, Quentin’s face a mask of horror mixed with realization. Idri remained still until most of the cake fell from his face into his lap, where it stained his silken trousers.

“Oh my God,” Quentin groaned, a sudden clarity gluing him to his seat. A memory echoed up, unbidden.

And that’s how I found out I was telekinetic.

Idri groped for his napkin and Quentin jumped to his feet before the other king could declare war on him and the rest of Fillory.

“Your majesty, I . . .” Quentin fumbled for words. His anxiety jumped into the mental driver’s seat and popped the clutch. “This is all my fault, please, I’m not who you think I am, I tried—”

Idri wiped his face clean and scowled.

“Explain what you mean, King Eliot!”

“There was an accident—some kind of magical surge at the fountain that brings us from the Neitherlands to Fillory. The truth is, I’m not High King Eliot. He is.” Quentin pointed to who everyone saw as himself, who currently had one hand over his face in a gesture of supreme disbelief. “And I’m King Quentin . . . uhm—the lesser king. That surge, it transferred our minds into each other’s bodies and we knew cancelling this banquet would’ve offended you and so we tried to make the best of it but Eliot has telekinesis—a natural kind of magic that I don’t know how to handle and—oh God I’m so sorry.”

Silence filled the room as Idri took in the information, and then Idri’s dark eyes lit up as he began to laugh. Quentin, Margo and Eliot exchanged stunned glances as the big man continued to guffaw and wipe his face clean.

“B-by Ember’s beard!” Idri said at last. “I knew there was something afoot but I couldn’t place it! Oh!” He chuckled and pointed at Quentin, then Eliot. “So you are he, and he . . .” More laughter. Quentin sighed.

“I’m afraid so. Please King Idri, forgive us,” Quentin said. “Margo, can you cast Schak’s Cleansing Spell, please? I don’t really trust my casting after that.”

“Sure.” Margo got to her feet.

“King Idri, if I might ask, what did you find so amusing when I was sure you’d simply have us all slaughtered?” Eliot asked as Margo magically cleaned away the cake.

“Your story of how the fountains caused you to switch bodies. The unpredictability of magic and the trouble it causes young magicians! When I was a young man, I thought it would be the pinnacle of romance to fill my intended’s bedchamber with roses. She loved them, you see. But the spell was too powerful for someone of my skill to control. Her parents’ home overflowed with roses. They filled every space, broke windows and doors, and even the roof! Her father had to help me reverse the spell—once I found the courage to admit it had been I who cast it.”

“We tried to find a way to reverse it,” Quentin admitted. “But there was no time before the banquet and we didn’t want to offend you by calling it off.”

“Your courage in the face of magic’s whims impresses me, King Quentin. And you too, High King Eliot, High Queen Margo. Come . . . I know of a spell that can repair what it has wrought, and once things are back in their proper order, we can go about signing that treaty.”

***

“Hey . . . are you okay?”

Quentin glanced up. Eliot stood in his bedchamber’s doorway, the usual grace back in his form, his consciousness back where it belonged, thanks to Idri.

“Yeah El, I’m fine.” Quentin beckoned him in. “You?”

“A bit of a headache, but nothing a few glasses of wine won’t help.” He handed Quentin a parchment. “Idri signed the treaty.”

“And all it took was my frayed nerves and a telekinetic cake to the face. Who knew?” Quentin glanced over the document and signed it under Eliot’s name. Eliot pulled a chair over and sat down to face his friend.

“Q . . . I want you to know that I’m really proud of how you handled King Idri.”

“What? I fucked it all up! I used your telekinesis to shove a four-tier layer cake in his face!”

“You did.” Eliot flashed him a grin. “And I honestly don’t blame you. He’s a total DILF but God he’s arrogant! But you handled yourself well before that, Q, and I wanted to let you know that Margo and I are really proud. We know how hard it must have been for you.”

“What’s hard is being High King,” Quentin replied. “And maybe I don’t tell you often enough that I appreciate how difficult that is for you. Everyone wanting your attention, your ear, your thoughts . . . and there’s really nowhere you can escape from it. I guess I thought it was wine, fine food and the crown but . . .” Quentin shook his head. “There’s so much more to it, isn’t there.”

“There is.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize that before.”

“You’re forgiven.” Eliot rose and tugged Quentin to his feet before sliding a long arm around his shoulders. “I had Tick order another cake from the royal baker—a little something special for the three of us. C’mon . . . I promise I won’t throw any at you.”

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” Quentin asked as they walked down the hallway together.

“You should be proud of yourself, Q! After all, you introduced a famous historical ideal to the people of Fillory.”

“I did? What?”

“Let them eat cake!”

FIN

#Whitespire's Armory #The Magicians #my fic

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nanonaturalist · 6 years

Note

Yo! I’m an Anthropology student but I’m super fascinated with entomology n’ the like. Any tips for how to self study entomology/get started? How did you become the bug lover you are today?

Sup! I am a HUGE animal lover. Like, I don’t think you understand how much I love animals. Back when google image search was this crazy new thing, I would google things like “puffer fish” and literally start crying from how cute and precious they were. I don’t remember ever not liking bugs. I was bringing in caterpillars when my age was single digits, which I named and kept in shoe boxes, and who would invariably wander out and make a random cocoon somewhere.

STORY TIME! (what? you wanted a short answer? Sorry!)

… (actually check out this post from a while back [link] about tips for getting started, it was written for a high school student but most of the things I mention are good for all ages)…

Thing is, this was the point in history when you needed to use a card catalog to look a book up in the library. No idea what I’m talking about? That’s how long ago this was. If there was a book about bugs in the school book order form, I would ask for it (and sometimes I’d get one), but that was the full extent of my knowledge pool for things that we weren’t directly taught about in school. In 4th grade, we had a unit on marine animals (with the most amazing field trip on a research boat ever, omg the scuba divers brought up things for us to touch, and we got to look at plankton in the microscope eeeeeee!), and it was like I was reborn. I memorized everything we learned, including the taxonomy of cnidaria (jellies, anemones, corals) and strange eating habits of echinoderms (starfish, urchins). I got REAL into this stuff, to the point where 4 years later, I told anybody who asked me that when I grew up, I was going to get a PhD in Marine Biology.

There was just one problem. You can’t get a degree in any kind of animal biology without doing dissections or killing things. Remember, I’m an animal Lover with a capital L. I wanted to be a vegetarian starting at age 4 (parents said no, but I picked meat out of everything until I made it official at 12). So I gave up on biology real quick. Flash forward about ten years to 2006. I had graduated from college (with a psychology degree that cost me $70,000), was working soul-sucking jobs, and needed a hobby. But wait, DIGITAL CAMERAS ARE A THING! WOW! So I picked up “crappy nature photography” as a hobby. And what did I take pictures of with my First Ever Digital Camera when I bought one that summer?

I found this longhorn beetle on the hood of my car at a rest stop somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. But back in 2006… What are you going to do with pictures of bugs when you have no background in biology? I posted some on LiveJournal, and that was that. What kind of bug was it? I couldn’t even tell you that it was a beetle at that point. And when I was going through my old photos more recently, I couldn’t even remember seeing it.

I still took photos of basically everything I saw, but nothing ever really happened with them.

Who are these? At the time (photos are from 2006 to 2009), the most I could have told you was “dragonfly, wasp, spider, caddisfly larva.” Which is pretty good, I guess, but I didn’t even realize how much diversity I was missing out on by not going any deeper.

Me + Slugs: Left - Banana Slug in Redwood National Forest, CA (2008); Center and Right - Chocolate Arion Slug at my apartment in Redmond, WA (2006)

Time passes, nature photos are taken. I will take photos of any bug I see, but I don’t intentionally seek them out and I never know what any of them are. Now flash forward to 2013, when I moved from Seattle, WA to Austin, TX.

My mind was blown. The bugs were huge, strange, and EVERYWHERE. I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE! But… It was still hard. At this point, looking things up on the internet was just what you did, but … what was I supposed to look up? “Giant screaming thing in my potted plant that looks like a leaf?” “Pile of handsnails?” I took pictures, shared them on Facebook (nobody used Livejournal anymore!), and went about my day.

At this point, I had gone back to college to study engineering (I moved to Austin for grad school), and somehow ended up watching a lot of youtube. SciShow got me onto VlogBrothers, which got me onto The Brain Scoop (@thebrainscoop), which got me onto tumblr *waves*. And I was thinking some hard thoughts about what I actually wanted to do when I grew up because I was tired of soul-sucking jobs. Hey, I love museums (that’s actually where most of my science knowledge came from), so I started thinking about careers in science museums, and I followed UT’s collection page on Facebook. One day in 2015, they shared an event for a Bioblitz, sponsored by several groups associated with UT and Texas Parks and Wildlfie. What’s a Bioblitz? I had no idea. So I clicked.

Basically, you take as many pictures of living things as you can. There were subject matter experts who would lead you on hikes and tell you what things were and how you can tell them apart (WAIT, WHAT?!?). The event required that you download this new nature app called iNaturalist (@inaturalist), which is where you would post the photos you took. With the data you posted from the app, other users of the website would identify your photos, and the state park we were at would use that data to create species checklists to track what occurred there. Your iNat account kept a permanent log of all of your observations. I tend to be extremely skeptical/resistant to new technologies and being told to do things, so at first I wanted to know what was wrong with the way I took photos NOW, I didn’t need some stupid website telling me what to do.

But then I started testing it out before the event.

Two of my first iNat observations (both butterflies). Left: Henry’s Elfin caterpillar; Right: American Lady butterfly. Links to iNat observations.

I had no idea where to start with identifying either of these, and the Henry’s Elfin caterpillar took me a few years to ID myself. But the American Lady? People told me what it was within hours of me posting it. Within hours.

About a week later, the Bioblitz happened. It was perfect. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who were just like me. They wanted to go on long slow walks through nature, turning over logs and walking directly into ponds and poking at insects, all while taking photos of things and identifying them. I was spending the weekend with real life biologists and I was learning everything I could. And the things I saw?

HOLY CARP. Texas has dung beetles?! (top left) Parasitic wasps REALLY DO THAT? (braconid wasp cocoons on inchworm caterpillar, top right) Diving beetles?! (water scavenger beetle, bottom left) Giant fishing spiders?! (bottom right)

This event was the moment I “got started” with entomology. I regularly used iNaturalist, and in the process of trying to identify my observations with BugGuide.net [link], I quickly began to learn some of the “basics.” For example, stink bugs are a thing. So are green lacewings. And there are a LOT more kinds of spiders than orbweavers and wolf spiders (who knew?). I was so smitten with iNaturalist that I professed my love for all to read on tumblr [link] (all being… 3 people?). I used iNaturalist regularly, but still, unless I was on a bioblitz, I didn’t seek things out. I mentioned I was a grad student, right?

Then 2016 rolls around. I’ve had enough of school and drop master out of my program. I get a Real Engineering Job and Buy a House with a Yard. I started my new job when I was finishing up my thesis (probably not the best idea…) and so my back yard took on a life of its own. By the time I had finished my thesis, the grass was hip height, and the HOA had no rules about what my back yard had to look like, so I just never mowed it. And the bugs… oh man, the bugs. The bugs were good. By January 2017, I was getting more confident in my Bug Knowledge, and I was using iNaturalist every week. I had joined clubs centered around nature (Texas Master Naturalists and Travis Audubon). I signed up for a birding trip in Malawi. Then in April, I found a pile of butterfly eggs and a chrysalis. And the guy leading the Malawi trip (one of the directors at Travis Audubon) asked me to do an insect table at their outreach event. Then City Nature Challenge 2017 happened (and I am *very* competitive). And… uh… I guess I just never looked back?

The thing to remember here is: the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. What I love about iNaturalist is that I can create a time capsule showing what I did and didn’t know at the time. And what I didn’t know is… really amazing. I taught the entomology class for my Master Naturalist chapter’s training course this year, and I told the people in the class that one year ago, I didn’t know any of the things I was going to talk to them about. I know it sounds like I’m putting on a commercial for iNaturalist (which is actually exactly what I’m doing, I love that website), but besides the curiosity about nature that I had to begin with, iNaturalist is the single most important thing that has enabled me to nurture and grow my love for our invertebrate friends.

Through my use of iNaturalist, I have met real people and made real friendships. Many of the people I meet are professionally biologists, but there are just as many randos like me who crawled out of the internet to hang out with nature freaks. One of the great things about this community is there is no elitism, and even professional entomologists are just as willing to admit they have no idea what something is and will listen to me explain what I know, as they are to explain something I don’t know and answer my questions. The people I have met are absolutely awesome, and the general attitude people on iNat (online and in person) tend to have has really rubbed off on me. If someone I’m talking to doesn’t know something that tends to be commonly known (example: my coworker is a gardener, but hadn’t heard about the ant/aphid relationship), oh boy, it’s awesome, let me TELL YOU about ANTS fighting off PREDATORS so they can DRINK APHID PEE!!!

Above: Crematogaster ants farming keeled treehopper nymphs on sunflower SO THEY CAN DRINK THEIR PEE

One of the best things you can do to get more into entomology is to just be observant. Look. Notice patterns. Pay attention to relationships between “higher” and “lower” organisms. When you travel, look there too. What is different from home? What’s similar?

The other best thing: meet people. Find groups/clubs for people into nature. Go on hikes with entomologists. Go to “nature days” events (these are always geared towards kids, but ADULTS ARE WELCOME!). A lot of nature clubs and organizations are heavy on the retiree demographic, which means the meetings may not be easy to learn about online. I actually joined the Austin Butterfly Forum after hearing about it from the people I was sitting next to at a Travis Audubon event (Victor Emanuel’s autobiography had just published and he kicked off his book tour with a live interview in Austin), and I’ve met several new friends through ABF.

I don’t even know how to explain it, but naturalists are a totally different flavor than any other person I’ve known. It’s like, there are other people who would rather be crawling through the swamp in 105°F weather for 8 hours straight than sit and watch TV? There are other people who will skip two meals and stay up until 2 am to get really good bug pictures? I mean, I can’t describe what it feels like to be slowly picking through the deserts of west Texas with 15 other people, when one of them yells, “SNAKE!” and suddenly EVERYBODY RUNS TOWARDS THE SNAKE AND IMPATIENTLY WAITS THEIR TURN TO HOLD HIM.

I know this is long and maybe not entirely what you were expecting, @marichuu, but want to make sure that anybody reading this knows that if you like nature, even if you don’t know very much about it now, there are a ton of people like me and those weirdos up there who are so excited to share the world with you that you can’t even imagine it now. Want to stay online because you’re nervous about meeting new people? That’s great! Tons of us are online! But if you’re ready to put yourself out there and meet people in person, chances are, they’re awesome and will love answering your questions (and if they’re not awesome tell me and I’ll YELL AT THEM FOR YOU YOU DESERVE BETTER).

Anyway. Bugs are awesome and I hope they think you are just as awesome. Also anthropology is super neat and there’s a lot of intersections with entomology [link] that you can look at from an interesting angle.

Posted June 4, 2018

#asks #informational #how to #teach yourself entomology #entomology #inaturalist #inat #citizen science #insect photography #nature photography #tl;dr #wall of text #tmi #nanonaturalist's life story #resources #bioblitz #naturalists #master naturalists #audubon

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carriageofaerietails · 6 years

Note

% - Shawn

Lazy Role Player’s Symbol Meme

% - Write a drabble of our muses

@tearedflesh

A cheerful hum, thesound of a perfectly geared playlist and the warmth of the settingsun through Brighton home windows – the scene was idealistic andwonderfully domestic. For millions of people around the world, it wasjust as they might imagine Shawn McLaughlin to be; the scent offreshly brewed coffee filling the lounge of his home. He was theprecious bean, the icon of positivity after all, and he seemed to beradiating joy. Not everything was fake once the camera was off.

It was like the worldhad rewarded him, as if all of the pieces of his jagged puzzle lifehad somehow slotted into place. A week or so ago, Shawn might nothave thought so. In fact, he had thought the opposite as he hadstared his latest victim in the eye: blood raining from the edges ofhis surgical table, bits and pieces of slashed innards covering everysurface and piece of clothing he wore. Even with all of the damage,with the drugs and with the literal stuffing he'd shoved inside ofher.... She had kept breathing, kept suffering, hanging onto thethread of life even as she begged him to finish her. Shawn hadthought he'd finally lost it, that if he wasn't having a psychoticbreak then something from Hell itself was punishing him. Now, he feltlike all of his horrific endeavours had rewarded him.

Never again did he needto feel lonely, never again would he doubt his purpose in life or hisactions or self. No, this girl – Mireya – truly was the miracleshe was named for. Whether of light or dark, some kind of magic waskeeping his project alive. This beauty was some kind of divine, aneternal doll for Shawn to cherish, and it was like he truly feltalive for the first time. He understood why people had pets now, whythey endured shitty relationships – having something, someone tolove was the best thing in the world.

Did he know what lovewas?

His humming continuedas the curtains were drawn to the outside world, Shawn's houseperfectly secured before he went down the basement stairs. Openingthe door to his little lab of horror, Shawn crossed the thresholdinto another dismal room. It was relatively clean but sparselydecorated, and on a mattress on the floor was his favoured treasure:a slender woman, almost as pale as the dead, messy hair a vibrantyellow and glazed over eyes a chocolate brown. She looked distant alot these days, even as her gaze shifted to rest upon him. A lot ofdrugs and a shattering of reality did that to a person.

“Good evenin',darlin'. Fancy seein’ you here?” Shawn's voice was chipper as hecrouched down, reaching to pull the living doll into his arms with abit of effort. She didn't weigh much, it was just awkward, even whenshe lacked the energy to squirm. He scooped her up, nothing butfondness in his expression, even as Mireya's brain began to work. Shewas afraid, but that was alright. He had always revelled in fear.Mireya didn't answer him, but the quiet was reassuring, the gamercarrying on the conversation alone. “Here we go. I was out today,and I saw some things that made me think of you! So, I thought, wecould have quite the night together. Playtime and presents, how aboutthat?” He glanced down at Mireya, and his smile might have madeanyone else's heart melt. For the poor thing in his arms, it incitednothing but dread.

With noone else alivein his little shop of horrors, Shawn shut the door to but didn'tproperly close it, taking Mireya to the bathroom first. It was a bitof a chore, but she was worth taking care of, There was a subtleintimacy, too, of coursing his hands through lathered hair andsplashing the scented water over her skin, She would smell lovelyafterwards, and that was perfect for this, putting Mireya in someelegant white lingerie he'd picked up at one of the pretty labelstores. Unlike most men, Shawn didn't feel embarrassed or uneasysurrounded by all the delicates. Besides, if he didn't act like acreep and expressed joy over buying presents the love of his lifewould appreciate, the store clerks would be impressed, wouldn't they?They seemed to be.

Back downstairs theywent, and he set Mireya on the soft living room carpet, having Alexago through more chill music to set the mood. From the fridge he tookout a bright plastic Disney bottle he'd gotten for Mireya, setting itcarefully in her hands so she could sip from the straw. Her strengthdeviated from hour to hour and day to day, and he quite franklywasn't going to risk her smashing a glass on him or anywhere else.

“So, those clothes ofyours were getting pretty nasty, and they didn't live up to yourstandards, in my opinion.” Shawn began. He was surrounded by bagsfrom different shops, a lot of brands that the American girl had onlyperused briefly during her short amount of freedom in the seasidetown. Ironically, Mireya'd never had much income, and so herstandards for a lot of things and care for fashion weren't too high.“So I thought, I'd spoil you and we could do a bit of dress up. Wecould even put on some Youtube tutorials, and I'll try and do yourhair and make up! What d'you think?”“... Uh. Sure.” Mireyasaid timidly, lips releasing the straw. Just the smallest, positivepeep from her had Shawn beaming from ear to ear. For a psychoticcannibal, he looked like innocent sunshine a lot of the time. It wasunnerving when one knew Shawn's true nature.“Perfect! How aboutwe start with...” The bags crinkled as he rifled through, stoppingwhen he pulled an expensive and airy sundress to show off. It wasblue and decorated with cream and bronze florals. “This one! It'seven blue, which I know is your favourite of colour. And I even founda cardigan for when it gets cold in yer room!”“Oh. It'spretty. I like it.” Mireya replied, and she did mean it, even ifshe wasn't as spirited. If she was going to endure this mess, shemight as well play along. Keeping Shawn content tended to make herlife easier, too, even if getting under his skin was sometimes worththe consequences that followed.“Great! Let's help you in.” Heset the cup aside and hoisted Mireya onto the sofa. It was a biteasier when she was willing to cooperate, moving her arms through theholes and such. Shawn zipped up the back, and Mireya strained to moveso she was sat up. Her whole body felt like jelly... Or like it wasmade of wool. That'd be closer to the truth now. “You lookstunnin', princess! Just like I thought you would! I even got...”He crouched down, fishing out some accessories for his toy: abronze-ish bracelet and necklace set, and a little white bow hairbandto pop on top.

“Breathtaking. See?Isn't this fun? Aren't we havin’ a boatload of fun?!” Shawn laughed out loud,showing all his teeth in a big smile. The doll smiled amicably as sheagreed, and he took her head in both cheeks to place an adoring kisson her forehead. “I've got an idea! You wait here and I'll be backin two shakes of a lamb's tail!” The captor rushed from the room,excited enough he might burst. Wouldn't that be a miracle of its own?

Shawn didn't see thefacade fall, didn't see the joy fade from his treasure's eyes in hisabsence. Brown eyes darted around the room. If only she could move,but even these little things exhausted the marionette, unable tobreak from her strings or this nightmare. The door wasn't far. Ifonly, if only--!!

“Honey, I'm back!”Shawn announced, returning with a professional camera. Mireya smiledat him dreamily. God, she was tired. He couldn't risk having picturesof Mireya on the phone that he used day to day, but this he didn'teven connect to the internet. “How about we have ourselves a littlephotoshoot? You're a perfect model! Here,” He moved over tomanipulate her, satisfied only when she was centered just right onthe sofa, the skirt of the dress smoothed out, feet pointed eitherside and an equal width apart with her legs together. Arms in herlap, arms at her sides, head set up and tilted; a multitude ofexpressions and outfits. Make up and no make up, poses galore. Shawnwas carried away in his little fantasy land, chattering away with theminimal responses and acknowledgements. They were enough though, thesmallest thing feeding his ego and love for her, reassuring him thatall the struggles and slogs of the upkeep were worth it. By the timethey were done, Mireya was utterly wiped out. Shawn made sure toremove all of the make-up, not wanting her face to break out and riskmarring his flawless canvas, and finished the dress-up game with alittle nightwear romper he'd purchased: black with cute patterns andbows on the straps.

“There. Damn, it'sgotten late!” Shawn noticed with a chuckle. His smart watch read tobe past midnight. “Let's watch some TV to wind down and then headto bed for the night. What do you think?”“Sounds good to me.”It didn't..“Alright.” He put the bags out of sight of anywindows and doors for now, figuring he could tidy up proper in themorning. Shawn would need to get some furniture for dolly's room sohe had somewhere to store all of her new clothes and the toys andornaments he was amassing for her. It was very much like that housegame, building his project and her environment from scratch, andShawn found it therapeutic and something he took pride in. Shawn puta glass of beer on a coaster, out of range incase a sudden rebelliousturn had it kicked over, and set Mireya on his lap with the big TVplaying one of the many shows he needed to catch up on. Video gaming,killing and caretaking took up a lot of his time. In no time at all,Mireya had fallen asleep against his chest. Brushing blonde bangsback with careful fingers, Shawn kissed her cheek, admiring histreasure for a few soft moments before looking back to the horrorshow in front of him.

This would lastforever, he would make fucking sure of it.

#anon #answered #tearedflesh #horror tw #abuse tw #drugs tw #drabble #long post #uncut post #Anonymous

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yeolsmuffin · 7 years

Text

Unexpected Father - Jongdae

The Unexpected Father Series

One - Jongdae | Two - Kai |

Pairing: ReaderxJongdae

Word count: 1.9k

Summary: Jongdae and you were once together, but upon finding out you were pregnant, you cut all ties. Since you didn’t want to ruin his idol lifestyle, you raised your daughter alone for three years... until one day you run into him again and there is no mistaking her matching eyes, smile, and ears.

The love a mother feels for her child can never be fully explained. You first felt it the moment you found out you were pregnant. While you were coated in fear, you instantly loved the tiny jelly bean of a human that resided inside your body.

Sure, you were only twenty-one years old, not quite finished with college, and in an on again off again long distance relationship – but that didn’t matter. There was nothing you could do but become a mother. This meant some unfortunate things would have to take place. Firstly, you had to rush and work double time to finish college early, secondly, you had to try to get a job in your field – which was elementary teaching, so you could afford the child on your own, and lastly, you had to let go of the love of your life.

Once you had gotten your first pregnancy scan, you had to cut the man you loved off. Jongdae. He was an idol so you couldn’t tell him and even if you could, you were afraid that it may mean, giving up your child. You couldn’t – no wouldn’t – do that.

Instead, you let him go.

You got a new number, moved, and dropped all ties to him.

You cried over it for days, weeks, and months.

The only form of happiness was branched from the growing life inside you. While you were alone in a new city and no support system nearby, you started a new job and tried to make a life for you and the unborn child. You got a job, working as a teacher’s aid in an elementary school which surrounded you by bright and blooming children.

Of course, you couldn’t help but be afraid. You were going to raise a baby alone and you would be that single mother. To distract yourself from that, you would place headphones around your stomach and let the baby listen to the sounds of their father’s voice. Even if he couldn’t be here for the child, you would raise the child with its father right under its nose. Never telling them that it was their father, but ensuring that the man would have an influence on its life.

Now, it had been three years since you had your child. A bright little girl named Eunchae who made your heart break with one look. Inevitably she had his eyes, smile and his ears. It was almost as if he was with you for these past few years, after all.

Eunchae loved Exo’s music. She danced and bobbed along with it the second she could do so. She was even more intrigued to see their faces when you played music videos for her. Your daddy is right there, you wanted to say to her. But you couldn’t.

Today was a bright summer day, so you took a trip into the town that you once called home to visit your parents. With a giggly Eunchae in your hands, you walked down the sidewalk, humming an Exo song to her as she hummed back.

“Mom. Mom. Mom.” Eunchae kept saying and pointing at something in the distance.

You just smiled at her. “Eunchae. Eunchae. Eunchae.” As you bounced her on your hip and you neared a playground you used to go to when you were younger. “Want to play?” You asked while poking her nose with your finger.

“Mom.” Eunchae said again with confusion as she pointed somewhere.

You sighed, wondering what she was going to throw a fit about this time. “What, love?” You asked her as you followed her finger.

Before you could even turn around all the way, you heard the deep voice. “Y/N.” He said your name with almost a sigh of relief, but you weren’t as relieved as he was. You wanted to hide Eunchae and run until you got away from him.

Automatically, you pressed Eunchae closer to you, as you faced Jongdae who was sitting on the swings nearby where you were standing. You didn’t say anything as you stared at him and Eunchae started whining.

“Eunchae. Shh.” You whispered kissing her head.

“Hi.” Jongdae said quietly, keeping his place on the swings.

Eunchae waved at him with a smile and you thrusted your chin in his direction. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m on a break. I wanted to see if I could find you this time.”

What did he mean this time? You wondered. Had he really been looking for you all these years? You were sure he would have given up on the two of you when you started to ignore him.

He looked at Eunchae with raised eyebrows. “A lot has happened in three years, hasn’t it?” You laughed, more to yourself than at him. He must have thought you hooked up with someone else while he was gone – but he was wrong. Not even in the three years that Eunchae was born. It was only ever Jongdae that mattered to your heart.

You had to block him out and be cold for his safety, not yours.

Although, you found it comical that he didn’t even notice that Eunchae looked like him. You could see it from a distance.

“What do you mean?” You asked him, knowing very well what he meant.

“She’s cute.” He said pointing to Eunchae who had her eyes locked on her father. You wondered if maybe somehow, she knew that he was her father.

You nodded. “I have to get going now.” Turning on your heels to leave before things got anymore awkward.

You heard him right behind you in the instant you tried to leave. He grabbed your arm. “Please don’t.” That’s when he got a face to face look at Eunchae and he sucked in a breath. “Wow. She’s so pretty.”

Eunchae reached out for him and your heart crumbled. “No Eunchae. I’m sure he doesn’t want to hold you.” But Eunchae kept reaching out to him.

You groaned but Jongdae just smiled, the mirror image of Eunchae’s. “Can I hold her?”

Reluctantly, you let Eunchae go into his arms and she gripped around his neck tightly while she stared into his eyes. Eunchae wasn’t pouting anymore and just smiled and hummed happily.

Jongdae’s eyes grew wide. “So, you haven’t forgotten me.” He said simply.

You raised any eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

His smile turned cocky. “She’s humming one of our songs.”

You could feel the blush creeping into your cheeks. “Well. It’s good music.”

“I never forgot you either.” He said while he brushed Eunchae’s hair down with his hands. “Why didn’t you just tell me? I would have understood.”

You eye him skeptically as your daughter lays her head on his shoulder. “Understood what?”

“That you loved someone else.” He looked crushed and heartbroken as the words came out. Of course, he must have thought you had been with another man behind his back or something.

Your heart quickened while you led him over to the steps that led up to a slide and you both sat down near each other, as Eunchae continued to clutch tightly to him.

“Listen.” You said softly. “I never have loved anyone other than you. There was just a situation that came up and I didn’t want to involve you.”

The picture of Eunchae and Jongdae together, made you smile. You hoped after he left that you could remember this moment forever because you knew it would never happen again. They looked so much alike. Matching smiles, eyes and ears. Enough to make your knees weak. She was naturally drawn to him and you had never seen her like a stranger so much before – although, a stranger has never been her biological father before.

He started to say something but you cut him off.

“Maybe it’s better if we don’t talk about it.”

Jongdae sighed. “I need the closure, Y/N. I haven’t been able to get over you. One day you just stopped talking to me and when I came home – you had disappeared. I’ve spent so much time agonizing over you. There’s nobody else for me. I just need the truth so I can maybe move on.”

You shook your head. “I can’t give you the truth.” There was no way you could tell him that Eunchae was his. He was a famous idol with a busy schedule and crazy fans. Nobody could know about Eunchae, it might ruin things for him. You especially couldn’t tell him that you were madly in love with him. Just listening to his music and watching his videos would make you tear up.

It hurt him that you didn’t want to tell the truth. You guys had dated for a couple years before Eunchae and you had a vow of honesty, a vow that you had to break. “It’s hard to see.” He looked at his daughter again, as she continued to look at him lovingly. “You with a child and all… it just changed a lot of things.”

“That’s why I kept you in the dark.”

“Did you cheat on me?” He suddenly asked.

You shook your head. “Of course not, Jongdae.”

He looked from you to his daughter one more time and he sighed. “She looks familiar, but I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“Jongdae, can I come out now?” A voice asked from behind the slide. You jumped up when you saw Minseok but you were only shocked for a moment before he forced you into a hug. “We missed you.” He said squishing you against him.

When he pulled back, you looked at his gentle face. “How- what?” You questioned.

He shrugged. “I was walking with Jongdae when he saw you and he forced me to hide under the slide so he could talk to you.” Then he looked over at Eunchae, his eyes growing big and he looked back and forth between the three of you. “Woah.”

“What hyung?” Jongdae asked.

Minseok’s mouth was slightly agape. “You were trying to fish out who the child’s father was-“

Jongdae cut him off. “I told you not to listen!”

You started to bite your lip nervously. “Minseok. Jongdae. I need to go.” You reached for Eunchae but she just started to cry when you tried to take her and she clutched tighter to Jongdae.

“Jongdae.” Minseok still sounded shocked. “I think you need to look in the mirror.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes and comforted Eunchae. “What are you going on about, hyung?”

Minseok reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone, pulling out the camera and showing it to Jongdae. “See for yourself.”

You tried to grab the phone from Minseok but he just raised his eyebrow at you and shook his head.

Jongdae stared into the phone and gasped, grabbing it from Minseok and staring at him and Eunchae and taking a picture in the process. “She looks like me…”

“Um.” You started to say, but now you were backed into a corner metaphorically.

With tears rolling from his eyes, he stood up and clutched Eunchae with one hand and reached out for you with the other. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

And you couldn’t back away as you let him pull you into an embrace, cuddling the three of you together as you both cried. You knew there would be so much to discuss, but your mind was at ease as he happily held the two of you against him. Just by his warmth, you felt all the worries you once had being washed away. You weren’t sure, but you thought you could feel his rapid heartbeat as you thought you heard him whisper, ‘I love you’.

--->Series Masterlist<---

#exo #exo fluff #exo angst #angst?#i guess #jongdae fluff #jongdae angst #exo fanfic #exo fan fiction #jongdae fanfic #jongdae fan fiction #jongdae #chen #chen fanfic #unexpected father series

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